#that’s wacky workbench P by the way

[0zzysaurus]

A Beast Wars side scroller game with sonic CD music would go so disgustingly hard I got all the maps in my brain the boss fights I wish I could code for shit

[beevean]

Hot take that's gonna get me fried I know:

I'd much rather play a game that has really solid gameplay but lacks charm and a strong aesthetic, than a game that is really charming and aesthetically pleasing but has big gameplay issues.

This is the big reason why I don't put Sonic CD on nearly as high a pedestal as many others do. Yeah sure it's gorgeous, and the way it tells a story subtly through its different backgrounds depending on the time, but what does any of it mean when I have to deal with some of the most awkward level design in 2D Sonic combined with a time travel gimmick that's annoying at best to use?

If all that a game has going for it are its aesthetics, charm factor and visual storytelling then I might as well be watching a cartoon, it's honestly no different than when people critisize modern games that try way too hard to be "realistic movies"

I don't know what inspired you to say this (MM8?), but I agree to an extent.

I have the same opinion of CD as you. It has an immaculate aesthetic, two gorgeous OSTs (yes both of them :P), and its visual storytelling is unparalleled. But I just... don't like playing it. It feels like the levels were made by autogenerating tiles. And while I understand why most hate Wacky Workbench and its gimmick of riding platforms, my most despised level is Stardust Speedway, my god it has some atrocious level design D: and Knuckles' Chaotix is even worse about this.

On the other hand, I can't really think of a game I've played that I'd consider really solid except in the aesthetic department. A game that looks soulless doesn't even incentivizes me to keep playing, while maybe if a game exudes personality I might get sucked in. It's interesting to think about: how much does the artstyle (not the graphics) influence your enjoyment of a game?

[beevean]

Wacky Workbench. Because the devs thought the concept of a level gimmick launching Sonic around was so nice, they did it twice!

At least here you can avoid the bouncy floor by taking to the flying platforms.

Welcome to the most despised level of the game :P

(not by me, though. I prefer Wacky Workbench to what's ahead.)

Take WW as the Marble Zone of CD: it's not a "gotta go fast" level, it's a platforming level where you need to be patient. I also feel that Act 2 is a bit more lenient than the slow platform fest of Act 1, especially with the spinning poles.

... you will, however, despise the way to get to the robot generator in Act 1. Don't feel ashamed to look it up.

Fun fact: in the Good Future, the electric conduits are permanently turned off! But in both futures there are more of them than in the Past or Present, and this is a problem in the Bad Future. I wish more levels had substantial differences between the two futures.