None of the versions broke the Sonic Cycle, as far as I'm concerned.
There's still a good number of reviews/opinions/words-of-mouth out there saying that it's a bit questionable, or decent.
Cycle's broken when we starting hearing "Great" or "Well-designed".
It doesn't have to be Super Mario ______ "Great" (and frankly, we won't see that good of a Sonic game for at least 3 years), but it does need to shoot a bit higher in terms of quality.
That depends on your point of view. I loved Secret Rings!
So do I, I can't understand why we're the minority.
Same reason S2, S3&K get praised, yet the new games lack, and a point Sonic Team can't get through their thick, furry skulls:
Replay ValueUsually in the form of Special Stages AND playable Super forms throughout.There are such things as control and stage glitches, overgimmicking, and open-bottom design to focus on, and to avoid segments that would kill pacing (Werehog, Sandopolis Act 2, etc.), but even if these are all achieved, Sonic can't get anywhere without some sort of replay value.
Otherwise, the games are a rental, at best.