(Replying here) Sonic 2 is the most purely fast of the 1990s Genesis game (and Mania has a similar strong emphasis on speed). However, I still find Sonic 3 & Knuckles to be well ahead of the rest of the Genesis games from an overall standpoint, and comparable to only Mania among the 2D games at large - a slightly less speedy, more challenging, and more storytelling-emphasized game than Mania but ultimately just as good. (Though Flying Batteries & Lava Reef did get good comebacks in Mania as well.)
I think Sonic 2, 3&K, and Mania are 'the good ones' when it comes to 2D Sonic. Superstars is kind of the 'alright one' and I don't care all that much for 1 or CD (though some of their levels were made much better in Mania).
(Replying here) Sonic 2 is the most purely fast of the 1990s Genesis game (and Mania has a similar strong emphasis on speed). However, I still find Sonic 3 & Knuckles to be well ahead of the rest of the Genesis games from an overall standpoint, and comparable to only Mania among the 2D games at large - a slightly less speedy, more challenging, and more storytelling-emphasized game than Mania but ultimately just as good. (Though Flying Batteries & Lava Reef did get good comebacks in Mania as well.)
Making me feel like I should go back to 3 and knuckles it's been probably decades.
I think Sonic 2, 3&K, and Mania are 'the good ones' when it comes to 2D Sonic. Superstars is kind of the 'alright one' and I don't care all that much for 1 or CD (though some of their levels were made much better in Mania).
2 and Mania are so far ahead of the rest. Feel like the rest all fall into the bucket of at least there's a few good worlds.