So I got this game. And I've been breezing through the Hero story casually. (I'll talk about the DLC when I buy it)
Gameplay is better.
Before you stab me, let me explain. When I started the game, I felt way more in control than I used to on the DC. But I was noticing some of the gameplay quirks of a 12yo game all the same.
My conclusion is that the game's way better to play mainly because the DC's analog stick was quite shit.
So I prefer playing it on modern controllers, what about modern video resolutions?
The game looks fantastic. Some (many) textures still remember you that this is a 12yo game; others are so "HD" that they make a huge contrast with everything on screen (for example, when Sonic is imprisoned and Amy opens up the cell, the dial where she passes the card is so detailed it left me in awe to how much technology has brought us over 12 years).
On the other end, in the very first, when Sonic drops off the helicopter, he comes spinning down onto a city seemingly low-res and broken in half (two textures don't quite match up).
Sound is still laughably awful.
While I love the soundtrack and think it just fits perfectly in the game, it's the voices that crack me up.
"wut iz lipsync" is the question left unanswered at Sonic Team back in 2001.
I love how the voices cutoff ontop of eachothers, and are all so low-volume in comparison with the music. It's details like this that we just don't see in games anymore. And I love that they left them there as they were, remembering us of a time when people weren't entitled dicks on the internet complaining about the most minute shit in videogames.
The Chao Garden is addicting.
No, you can't trade them over the internet. And that is sad. You also can't put them on your PSP or Vita.
But in all seriousness, that sounds like it would be something really complex to do only to please all the 5 fans that would actually carry around a console just for Chao.
I think the Chao Garden is the GC version (?) and it pleases Chao lovers. You can see your Chao's stats changing with each animal/drive you give 'em. I still haven't checked if they put the Black Market in there (or if you need the DLC for it).
Overall, the words in bold describe what a fan of the original will feel about game while playing it more than a decade later in glorious high definition.
It hasn't aged like fine wine. But it's just like picking up your old cassette player and listening to a cassette you labeled "t3h b3St S0ngS 3vuRR" a decade ago. You will like it, but not for the music.