Sonic needs absolutely zero introduction, you see this rodent everywhere.
it's so neat how something can become a cultural icon in just a few years, but we're not here to talk about history, we're here so I can rant at you about how cool and awesome Sonic Hedgehog is :3
Sonic Adventure, both 1 and 2, are masterpieces full of life and love. SA2 specifically was my first Sonic game. I remember the excitment of the new story and gameplay twists, and being in complete awe at how cool this strange blue creature is. a strange pipeline turning me into a sonic fan...
Sonic 3 (and Knuckles) is surprisingly underrated despite AIR and the couple compilations it was in. to me this is the perfect 2D Sonic. it's simple, clean and feels so damn nice to play even years and years later. I wonder how this game would be treated if that mcdonald's promotion wasn't so rushed...
Tails Adventure(s) is a spinoff for the Game Gear taking place before our favorite boy met Sonic. it's a Metroidvania, so it's a bit slower paced and more exploration heavy. there's not much else I can say about it, I can't describe why I enjoyed it so much! I hope tails gets another spinoff, he and knuckles both deserve some time in the spotlight~
Sonic Frontiers is the most recent (non remake) Sonic game, and up there for my favorites. I love running aimlessly through the lush fields and listening to the music, I love the overdramatic boss fights, I love the minigames and the skill tree, and so many other little things. you could complain about the story all day if you want to, but it'd be bizzare if you disliked the gameplay loop