History YMMV / SonicTheHedgehog4

* CondemnedByHistory: ''Episode I'', while [[CriticalDissonance most fans were never particularly impressed with it]], was widely praised by critics at the time for being a console ''Sonic'' game that returned to the franchise's 2D roots after years of poorly received ''Sonic'' games and much like ''Secret Rings'', also got praised for its sole focus on Sonic, which was helped by marketing playing to fans tired of the franchise's [[EnsembleCast expansive cast]]. Over the years, however, the more valid fan complaints, such as the awkward physics, would come to the forefront of discussions of the game. The much better received ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' and ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations''[[note]]which themselves are [[HypeBacklash seen much less fondly by fans nowadays]], albeit not to this extent[[/note]] would also ensure that ''Episode II'', despite many considering it a superior follow-up, reviewed noticeably worse than ''Episode I''. The final nail in its coffin came with the release of ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' and ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'', which succeeded in replicating the Genesis Classics in all the ways ''Sonic 4'' didn't.

* CondemnedByHistory: ''Episode I'', while [[CriticalDissonance most fans were never particularly impressed with it]], was widely praised by critics at the time for being a console ''Sonic'' game that returned to the franchise's 2D roots after years of poorly received ''Sonic'' games and much like ''Secret Rings'', also got praised for its sole focus on Sonic, which was helped by marketing playing to fans tired of the franchise's [[EnsembleCast expansive cast]]. Over the years, however, the more valid fan complaints, such as the awkward physics, would come to the forefront of discussions of the game. The much better received ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' and ''VideoGame/SonicGenerations''[[note]]Which themselves are [[HypeBacklash seen much less fondly by fans nowadays]], albeit not to this extent.[[/note]] would also ensure that ''Episode II'', despite many considering it a superior follow-up, reviewed noticeably worse than ''Episode I''. The final nail in its coffin came with the release of ''VideoGame/SonicMania'' and ''VideoGame/SonicSuperstars'', which succeeded in replicating the Genesis Classics in all the ways ''Sonic 4'' didn't.

* MisaimedMarketing: According to Takashi Iizuka, the head of Sonic Team, he intended to give the game a "different" feel than in the original 16-bit games. This was probably not the best idea for a game [[{{Retraux}} specifically designed and marketed to appeal to nostalgia]].

* FranchiseOriginalSin: The use of the modern ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' designs over the classic Genesis designs have received a lot of flak by longtime fans. However, every major 2D ''Sonic'' title after ''Adventure'', such as ''VideoGame/SonicPocketAdventure'', the ''VideoGame/SonicAdvanceTrilogy'', ''VideoGame/SonicRush'', ''VideoGame/SonicRushAdventure'', and ''VideoGame/SonicRivals'', have all used the modern designs. The reason why fans didn't flip back then over the usage of the designs in those games was largely because they were mostly original games that, while inspired by the original Genesis games to varying degrees, weren't trying to follow up on them. ''4'' meanwhile, was marketed as a direct follow up to those original Genesis games, which led to fans expecting that ''4'' would use the designs from those games, only to be disappointed when that didn't turn out to be the case.

** The fact that you need to own both ''Episodes I'' and ''II'' in order to unlock ''Episode Metal'' is this for Wii owners since ''Episode II'' was never released for the console.