My only gripe with Tails in SA1 was that the levels were too short. Due to the nature of racing the game can't load multi-part stages the way it does with Sonic. The fact that you're racing isn't much of a letdown since the AI is fairly laid back (unlike, say, Sonic Rivals 2, which is abysmal).
I actually really liked Tails' gameplay in SA2. Found it kind of an upgrade upon E-102's gameplay, minus the wheels (which I missed).
Well, it's not that it's bad, it's just not Tails. I don't buy the good-mirror-of-Eggman thing. I know Tails is a handy mechanic, but I don't see him as piloting robots for his adventures. He's supposed to be more hands-on. For Eggman, it's awesome.
Still, I seriously don't think we should be asking for ANY Tails gameplay at all until we get a proper game with Sonic. After that, MAYBE we'll see.
Making
a good Sonic game and making
repeated good Sonic games are two different things. I'd rather Tails not miss his chance.
If we could have levels actually made for Tails, with free flight
That, right there, is the trap that Sonic Team keeps falling into. It's where much of the current resentment towards Sonic's supporting cast comes from, because Sonic Team builds a whole new game mode around them, effectively leaving them as an intrusion to what the game should actually be. It detracts from the focus of the title and is especially dangerous in Sonic titles, as slower characters get larger focus for the sake of easing level design. A Tails-centric play style is not a bad idea, but it belongs in a spinoff game, not a Sonic game. Talk Sega into a new-age Tails Adventure, and THEN we can talk about free flight and new level mechanics. For a Sonic game, Tails' flight was ALWAYS clunky, was ALWAYS an on-the-side item, because that's where it belongs. He runs, he jumps; bottom line: he's on the same adventure as Sonic. He just has a nifty move to get him to out-of-the-way places easily.
I just don't agree with this idea that the road to success is a solo adventure. It's
boring. Once upon a time, different characters could play in the same stages with abilities that were unique without completely breaking the basic style of the gameplay. It's one of the things I liked about Black Knight. Mario's done it to great success as well (SM64DS). It adds a layer of personal preference to the game and enhances replay value.
