[quote=@Etcetera]
[@DarkwolfX37]

You run into the issue that this team probably wouldn't be making anything if Mania hadn't been conceived. One thing I think we can agree with is that this group has a ton of talent, but that is because they were hand picked for their ability to specifically make 2D Genesis-era Sonic games. They don't make 3D ones because that's not their forte. And while there definitely are great 3D Sonic games, the 2D formula with "outdated graphics" works because it's not a matter of timeframe, but rather a genre in and of itself.
[/quote]

Yeah.
It's not even that the graphics are outdated. It's that there's no gameplay additions. There's no new factor, like the first three games did with the new shields and adding knuckles. The updated sprites is something great and amazing, and moreso when you know how hard they are to make. If they added a new core mechanic, not counting the bonus emerald stages, then at least that would be progress for the formula. Generally being formulaic is an inherently bad thing and there's a reason for that.