Indigo Rush

@Indigo Rush
Sonic Generations, which wasn't that long ago.
Wait, it was ten years ago, geez. It feels more recent than that. 
oh no i'm old

moving on from making the final boss a cinematic minigame is good, but using the same boss for 3 of the last 4 mainline sonic games basically negates that compliment and then some so fuck it bring out the giant lizards

It also made controlling Sonic in 3D fun

It also made controlling Sonic in 3D fun

It also made controlling Sonic in 3D fun

As for flight, there's no reason it has to mirror Classic Sonic mechanics. So long as he can at least hover for a bit to reach places others can't, that'll do it enough for me for a 3D fox boy.
Also, the complaint of him potentially breaking levels can be fixed by designing better stages that aren't highways in the sky, or adding soft/hard barriers, like air currents or something. Again, stunting his flight compared to SA1 will do wonders here.

As for flight, there's no reason it has to mirror Classic Sonic mechanics. So long as he can at least hover for a bit to reach places others can't, that'll do it enough for me for a 3D fox boy.
Also, the complaint of him potentially breaking levels can be fixed by designing better stages that aren't highways in the sky, or adding soft/hard barriers, like air currents or something. Again, stunting his flight compared to SA1 will do wonders here.

Tails grabbed a Chaos Emerald in the last story of a game that is of dubious canonicity. I think thats it. You don't even get to hop onto the Tornado to chase the diet Egg Carrier in that game. 
When you play as him, his primary function aside from a stunted flight is to throw exploding rings. I dunno. It really feels like he was an afterthought, much like everything else in that game. 
Thinking about it, I believe the last game he was playable with plot relevance was Rivals 2, right? Or should we count Sonic Riders ZG, despite it being a spin-off?
It's just annoying. Tails could clean up house, even if they don't want to put him on par with Sonic ala the classic/adventure era. Ironically, they provided an incomplete solution to the puzzle in Forces: give Tails a Wispon. 
If they're going to stick with Tails being the brainy prodigy trope, at least let the kid pack some heat. There's a series precedence of him using arm cannons or other cartoonish firearms in Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Battle; even his Smash Bros Mii costume has him as a gunner.
Plus, if Wisps aren't going away (sorry, they aren't) then kill two birds with one stone and do something interesting with them and make them exchangeable weapon types or something. Forces did a lot of legwork for this concept, with some refining and a better direction behind the operation, this could be a solution that'll satisfy just about everyone (except people who hate Wisps unconditionally).
Sticking to my guns on this concept, lol 

Man, I've got a laundry list of reasons Forces failed to get a sale out of me, and that's one of them.

I remember making a complaint about Sonic Forces' dull and unimaginative HUD, and someone (who's name and personal branding copied Sonic Forces') said "it's called graphic design" as if that makes it look any better?
This faux minimalism trend is awful, and Forces' slightly tilted opaque boxes with worryingly Soviet-esque inspiration is one of my least favorite aesthetics I've seen in a Sonic game. 

I'd feel bad if his timeline wasnt filled with him complaining about being called out and calling everyone who disagrees a manchild

I'd feel bad if his timeline wasnt filled with him complaining about being called out and calling everyone who disagrees a manchild

I'd feel bad if his timeline wasnt filled with him complaining about being called out and calling everyone who disagrees a manchild

Man, I've got a laundry list of reasons Forces failed to get a sale out of me, and that's one of them.

i can't imagine why anyone would point to forces' ui style, of all things, as evidence of soul/charm. it's like, "you like rectangles? in unappealing colors? at a slight angle? cause that's all we got".

Man, I've got a laundry list of reasons Forces failed to get a sale out of me, and that's one of them.

I also think the game's environmental visuals do a really poor job of conveying the scenario it's going for.
The game starts off with Green Hill Zone being covered in sand, wildfires, and wrecked robot parts. Then Eggman beats Sonic, takes over the world, and - six months later - Green Hill Zone is still just covered in sand, wildfires, and wrecked robot parts.
It's like Eggman taking over didn't change a thing.
Hey, you know what game actually did convey "Eggman took over Green Hill Zone" and actually made an impression? Sonic Chaos for Game Gear:
 

I remember making a complaint about Sonic Forces' dull and unimaginative HUD, and someone (who's name and personal branding copied Sonic Forces') said "it's called graphic design" as if that makes it look any better?
This faux minimalism trend is awful, and Forces' slightly tilted opaque boxes with worryingly Soviet-esque inspiration is one of my least favorite aesthetics I've seen in a Sonic game. 

I'd feel bad if his timeline wasnt filled with him complaining about being called out and calling everyone who disagrees a manchild

Metal being kind of petty in the OVA was a nice show of personality.
"I know my mission is to destroy the ice caps, but first I'm going to ruin Sonic's favorite clothes."
 

I sort of like the OVA's unspoken telepathic communication that Sonic and Metal have with each other... as vague and unexplained as it is. It at least implies that Metal may have a spirit or soul of some kind, not something Eggman would've done intentionally, but might be a byproduct of copying Sonic's DNA somehow. 
Really weird sci-fi fantasy nonsense right there, but it can be a fantastic and unique set-up that most mainstream videogame casts don't have.

Question! Did you base your tier list on solely the game canon, or are you factoring in how the IDW/post-reboot Archie comics have handled them as well?

Mean Bean Machine being top tier is unironically correct though

I've since heard that Ohtani-san confirmed it was something that can be switched out, so that should clear up that particular issue, at least.

I'm not going to harp on the live system too much since it's ultimately not a big deal but I don't like it when a developer's approach to accessibility is gutting systems that are fun to manipulate in your favor, like the lives counter, and not replace them with anything. It's not actually very fun to do that in Colors but that might have been worth exploring instead of chopping it out. I do wish that they would consider adding features for more experienced players with the same eagerness that they simplify things for less experienced players. I would have been excited about a rerelease that added challenge levels or something like that.
The alternate OST has been getting heat for making the game worse because a lot of people aren't actually aware that it's optional. It might be worth putting the word out about that. I don't mind most of the new tracks and I've known that it's optional for months anyway so I don't really care but yeah.

Vitrolic backlash is a thing but Sonic fans have always been hyperbolic. I feel like focusing on that is kind of a waste of time because it's never going to stop. I prefer to weed out the good, reasonable criticism so that someone important might actually catch it through all the noise.