I'm not saying Sonic 3 is a bad game because it's very good. But to me it always felt like more of a traditional-style platformer whereas Sonic 2 was much more about GOING FAST.

If I want a traditional-style platformer I'll play Mario, not Sonic.

I simply have more fun when I play Sonic 2. It's straight-forward, no-nonsense, and had the best music in the series.