I wrote off Sonic shortly after I first played Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 at E3. I made a whole story about it, in case you're interested. I told myself I was done caring. Sonic had moved on, and now it was time for me to do the same.

And yet when I was given the chance to play Sonic 4 for Bitmob, I didn't hesitate. What can I say? Sometimes letting go is hard to do. I was still nostalgic for the Sonic that I had loved in my youth.

Well, I played it, and it's really good. But I'm still indifferent toward it. This is, to me, fascinating. 

I have never felt this way about a Sonic game before. I was a hardcore fan from the original Genesis classic all the way up to Sonic Adventure 2. Then I started getting angry with Sonic Heroes. I hated the games for becoming broken, cheesy, and obnoxious. And now...I just don't care anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I had fun while playing Sonic 4. Sega finally rediscovered the perfect blend of platforming and speed that made the originals such classics. It felt like a Sonic game. A short one, sure, but a Sonic game nonetheless.

So, Sonic 4 is great! Case closed, right? Well, no. It's just not enough. Did the game invoke strong memories of my gaming past? Absolutely. Am I happy that Sonic only works for me now as a nostalgia act? No. Not at all. This is not the future I envisioned for the series when I was 10. I did not think that Sonic would be struggling to find himself while Mario was continuing to innovate and impress.

I don't know if I should congratulate Sega for finally trying to correct the course or berate them for letting their flagship series become such a mess in the first place. I think I'd feel better if Sonic 4 was terrible -- I'm almost comfortable with Sonic being bad -- but it's not. It has its faults, it quirks, its missteps -- including some dull boss fights, mediocre music, and broken bonus stages -- but it's ultimately fun.

Honestly, I'm mad at Sega. They've made it so easy to hate Sonic for so long. I actually thought that Sonic Unleashed was created with the intent of driving the few old Sonic fans away. 

Now they go out of their way to give me everything I ever asked them for in a Sonic game. It's borderline suspicious. I feel like a wife who's been beaten by her husband every day for years, only to suddenly find him making me breakfast in bed. I just can't trust it. Well, OK, maybe I don't feel exactly like that. But I am confused.

Ultimately, the brief joy the game gives me is immediately countered with bad memories, resulting in my current ambivalence. This might be the beginning of sunnier days for the blue blur. Sadly, it's not good enough to erase years of mediocrity and stupidity.

I've been hurt a lot by this franchise. The tears and frustrations of the past decade are far too fresh for me to be able to forgive so readily. But after definitively turning away from this franchise, I have -- if just for a second -- looked back.