 Reaction to the game 's level design was mixed . Turi made note of oddly placed invisible springs in the Wii U version 's " confusing " and " aggravating " levels , and expressed frustration with the 3DS version 's " head @-@ scratching " puzzles . Walton preferred the " inoffensive " 2D sections to the " frustrating mishmash of speed and exploration " found in 3D . Plante praised the Wii U version 's 3D stages as " wildly creative exercises in platforming experimentation " while decrying its 2D stages as " so clunky and tiresome that it 's hard to imagine a time when a side @-@ scrolling Sonic was actually good . " Fellow Polygon writer Philip Kollar was harsher on the 3DS version due to its " confusing and labyrinthine " level design and " awkward puzzles " . Ingenito stated that the Wii U version 's levels were stuck in " design gridlock " and " lack [ ed ] rhythm and cohesion " . Otero praised the 3DS version 's " better levels " as " competently made race tracks full of alternate pathways " , but called the " trial and error " required to complete the " slower @-@ paced 3D stages " " incredibly frustrating " . Castle stated that the Wii U version 's " best stages play to the strengths of Sonic 's tiered speed " , while Skrebels felt the 3DS version featured levels well @-@ suited for handheld play . Totilo praised " the intuitive , flowing , player @-@ friendly levels of the 3DS version " but panned " the badly @-@ explained , choppy , punitive levels of the Wii U version " . Schilling wrote that " I came perilously close to biting my GamePad at one particularly sharp difficulty spike . " Edge noted that " Sonic games , and platformers in general , have always been about memorizing the lay of the land , but rarely have mistakes been so costly or heavily punished . " 
