[Espyo]

Well, I remember when I first started playing video games. In GHZ2, in the bottom part with the first swing, I didn't knew you could take the (more dangerous) bottom path, so I tried to get back up by running up the ramp. Instead of going a bit to the left and just run on the ramp and get to the top, I'd spin halfway, thinking to myself this'd work better. I kept insisting, regardless of how many times my parents told me rolling just makes it worse.

But anyway, I think I used to play Sonic games normally. 50% doing junk around the levels, waiting to see if I could find interesting stuff that'd blow my mind, like swings that hit other swings (MCZ), or breakable walls for shortcuts, and 50% racing through the level. Nowadays... Well, nowadays, the only thing I CAN do is race through the level, as there is no exploration factor... I really hope Generations fixes this.

Also, I think that when I was a kid, I blazed through Launch Base Zone easily. I just tried doing so recently on the Virtual Console (fine, a homebrew emulator), and I got my ass handed over to me...

[Toasty]

When I was a kid I always picked Tails in Sonic 2 and 3. I don't know why; maybe because I'm a girl and the more...cute is the word maybe? animal appealed to me the most? I'm not really sure. Nowadays I don't pick Tails because he sucks and you can't turn super with him in Sonic 2 anyway. If I ever played as Sonic I made damn sure Tails was by my side, but WHY? All he does is cause problems, especially in Special Stage.

tl;dr I'd rather pick a character who doesn't suck (Sonic.)

[Nova]

I tend to go a lot, lot faster now.
For example, Mushroom Hill Zone, where you go round the pathway and fly off the end. I tend to roll as soon as I hit the ground to maximize the number of enemies I destroy along the way. I'm also not really focused on rings at all, as opposed to when I was a child where I would compulsively collect as many as possible. =P

[omnitotore]

When I was very young, I didn't understand the value of rolling, so sonic 1 was incredibly hard compared to the sequel for me.
After years I can say that now I can't imagine myself playing without rolling, in speedruns and lazy runs.
Not so much to say about the majority of latest games, it's just about memorization and running like there is no tomorrow.
Colors was an exception, I liked dicking around in many areas.
About Heroes....the first time I played it, I noticed how sonic seemed uncontrollable and unresponsive compared to sadv2, and how sad was his b-button move.
Really, that move was crap. So I just sticked to knuckles in many situations.
A month ago I picked the game after years of inactivity.
I noticed how sonic seemed uncontrollable and unresponsive compared to colors, and how sad was his b-button move. So I sticked to knuckles. Again.

[BystanderLC]

I used to always play Sonic. I never cared about using anyone else until I was stuck somewhere on Sonic's story mode or something. I never tried to go exploring. I was to try to beat the game and that's it. Did Time Attack once and realized nothing had changed so I never went to Time Attack again. Never skipped the cutscenes though.

Nowadays, I still don't explore, but I'm willing to use anyone else for a change of pace (I dodge Tails a lot). Time attacks seem a little bit more valuable, but I don't pay too much attention to them.

My first playthrough of Sonic Heroes was full of just me mashing the B button for Sonic's kick (thinking that would make me go faster).
Through my second playthrough after beating Sonic Heroes (years later), I try to get through the stage using only Sonic.

When I played Shadow the hedgehog, I embraced all interactivity with guns. I hated punch, punch, kick and every melee weapon in that game. A much more admired control is Knuckles' punching (which would be better if it didn't automatically target the nearest enemy).

[Vaiz]

Back when I first played S3K, I knew nothing about the series, had never seen any zone maps, etc, so I explored the -hell- out of the game. I tried to get places I wasn't supposed to (and succeeded sometimes!), etc. Also, I really sucked at the special stage. I remember my first time with SuperSonic <3.

Now I know where to go, what to do... it's sadly formulaic now. However, I kick ass at the Special Stage and now I generally have SuperSonic by the end of Marble Garden Act 1. It used to take me 'till at LEAST Ice Cap.

[jasonchrist]

Without being arrogant, I'm probably one of the best players in the whole world! I can do regular playthroughs almost as fast as those cheating bastards with their tool-assisted speedruns.

Honestly? I fucking hate it! If I could completely erase any memory, it would be those of the classic sonic games. I'd erase them so I could come back to the series clueless, with fresh eyes, and having to master the whole experience all over again. The most fun I ever had with Sonic was in the early days when I was 8 and absolutely shite. I remember I used to rotate the controller while going through a loop... so in a way I invented the Nintendo Wii.

[dsrb]

Apparently playing with your feet is one way to reinvigorate the experience. Have you tried that?

I envision any attempt by myself as ending in rage and broken peripherals and/or feet, but it might work for others.

[NinjaCoachZ]

When I play Sonic Adventure, nowadays I pretty much always take advantage of shortcuts and glitches, to the point that for some stages I don't remember which way is the "normal" way. Though sometimes, I like to "sightsee" and go through the stage slowly, either for a different perspective or to enjoy the music (Windy and Ripply).

[JackSkellinghog]

Things that seemed really hard in Unleashed in 2008 for example are now a piece of cake (pardon the reference).

Other than that I'm just a lot better and can actually go for higher ranks in the games and faster times because I grasp the game a lot better. Damn It's been a long time.

[jasonchrist]

When I play Sonic Adventure, nowadays I pretty much always take advantage of shortcuts and glitches, to the point that for some stages I don't remember which way is the "normal" way. Though sometimes, I like to "sightsee" and go through the stage slowly, either for a different perspective or to enjoy the music (Windy and Ripply).

I could play Speed Highway as Tails 1000x and never, ever get bored. Seriously, I shortcut the shit out of that level.