some people really did not like how long it took Sonic to accelerate and especially how hard it was to make him turn around and go the opposite direction || I don't know if it's a subconscious bias (it might be, similar to classic Mega Man and MM8 having similar physics but MM8 'feels' slower), but while I don't have an issue with Genesis/Mania Sonic's acceleration, I really don't like Generations/Colours/Forces Sonic's acceleration. It turns something as simple as 'jump from one platform onto another, moving platform' into an overcorrection I can never settle into. Level design that would be the early-midpoint in a Mario or Mega Man suddenly has to be absolute final-level material for the hedgehog
I mean you're describing the heart of why a lot of Sonic fans aren't happy with Sonic Team's attempts to replicate Classic Sonic's "feel", and its because they never get it right. He feels too stiff, too heavy, too something and it spoils the whole thing. There was a really magical balance being struck by the Genesis games, and only Sonic Mania seemed to understand that (and Sonic Superstars, because under the hood it's just running Retro Engine for player physics).
In Colors, Sonic feels both heavy and sticky when they force you to do 2D platforming segments. He feels too light in Sonic Generations. You don't have enough air control in Sonic Forces, on top of being stiff and heavy. In a number of these games, they expect you to compensate a lot with the double jump (Colors, Lost World, Frontiers).
It sucks, and they have struggled so much to find the sweet spot.












