Sonic Team: Let's make another Sonic game with gameplay like from the Dreamcast-era.
Sega: Will you guys hurry up? It's nearing the holidays and we got to release it NOW!
Sonic Team: But the games not properly balanced and riddled with bugs, we're just not ready!
*Sega releases the game anyway*
Sega: Well the game was a hated mess. I guess fans didn't like the Dreamcast-era gameplay after all.
Sonic Team: Or they just didn't like the game.
Sega: Well regardless, let's move onto boosting to make up for how slow Sonic was and never look back.
Higher ups tend to miss the details on how or why, just care about results.
They don't look the same to me given I can tell the Sonic on the right has shorter quills and I kinda prefer it over the Sonic on the right. But yeah, I don't see the outrage given it's not that different and it's still Sonic.
I don't mind the difference too..
Back then the quills are even longer, but it never bothered me.
Sonic is Sonic.
Artwork from Pocket Adventure with very long quills :