Works fine for Mario . I think the huge part of the issues with Sonic games is it lost it's way and didn;t give the Hardcore fans what they wanted - A sonic game where you only played as Sonic and the whole game was designed around Sonic (not other characters)
This is incorrect. Most Sonic fans I know of like the option to play as other characters, it only got annoying when you were required to play as the others and they had significantly different play styles like fishing. I have literally never seen anyone complain about the option to play as Tails in Sonic 2, for instance.
Sonic IV is consistently bashed for it's Physics
...Are you serious?
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is a newer game, but not designed like the modern games at all. This was my previous point of why people get upset about the physics of the "Classic themed" games being released recently. Like I said with New Super Mario Brothers, they sold the game as a new game that is similar to the classics, not "Exactly as you remember, the direct sequel you have waited 16 years for".
For instance, people complain about the Adventure games of course, but it is not marketed as exactly like the classic games or anything like that, which is why no one was really vocal on the physics. They were fine for what they were. Sonic Heroes has literally the worst physics in the entire franchise, but I cannot think of an instance where people said they ruined the physics... Because it was never marketed as "Exactly like the classics".
QTE only came with Sonic Unleashed, WereHog only featured in one game, Sonic had bullshit storyline's since Sonic CD, new characters add in witch each new game since the 1st Game and zoomed out camera is a new one on me. If people we just knocked the bugs, the piss poor control, the issues with jumping and homing attacks (on the Modern Sonic's) it be much harder to take issue with those complaints imo
Well that is my point, each new game has major stupid concepts like the QTEs or the werehog that no one wanted. It is basic stuff like those that just make Sonic Team look incredibly unprofessional in almost every regard. I personally do not mind if a game is little glitchy or has some annoying functions every now and then, but these are common complaints that simply make people not want the games. It is especially annoying when classic gameplay is marketed at, then is completely wrong. Of course people are going to complain... They were essentially lied to.
Do not even dare bring the story of Sonic CD in here. You know as well as everyone else in the world knows it was just implemented to impress people with animated cutscenes that were rarely even in the games anyways. I mean more stuff like Dr Robotnik's grandfather becoming emo and wanting to kill everyone on Earth or Sonic being shot in the back or Chip turning into Voltron made out of temples is the kind of stuff that really turns people off. Even side games have awkward stuff like this. Everyone is aware of things like this. It is embarrassing.