A hedgehog they tried to push into 3D back in 1996, and who ended up stuck in an isometric view.

The community's verdict is blunt, and it stings. On the gut choice, with no criterion at all, Sonic 3D Blast only edges out 2% of games. That is low. Really low. And for once no criterion comes to the rescue: fun at rock bottom, soundtrack at rock bottom, attachment barely better, desert island and rediscovery buried near the floor. Only the feel in your hands climbs a little, without ever reaching average, and it stands as the least bad number in a profile that is remarkably consistent in its rejection.

Context explains a lot. That isometric view was a compromise of its time, an attempt to fake the series' jump into 3D without the means to do it. Next to the 2D Sonics around it, where speed is the whole subject, this one asks you to collect, to slow down, to feel your way. The exact opposite of what a Sonic promises.

So, who is it for? For you if you are curious about the creative dead ends of the Mega Drive era, or if nostalgia for Sonic Team makes anything go down. Much less so if you want speed, flow, or simply a good Sonic.