[quote=@DarkwolfX37]
<Snipped quote by Etcetera>

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It's not even that the graphics are outdated.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.
[/quote]

They added the drop-dash. Personally, what I'm hoping for is for Sega to separate the 2D and 3D lines so they can add a new mechanic every game or so in the 2D games and keep that genre going, while they can do whatever they feel works in the 3D line, be it Boost or some other mechanic (personally, I'd love a new SA1-esque overworld).