Same here, I always liked SA1 more than SA2. I remember being so amazed that you could pick any character to play next and then you'd find out, in any order you chose, how their stories would intersect with one another. SA2 felt like a downgrade without that. I also liked the art style of the first game over the second one.

Ah, a comrade SA1 enjoyer 🤝

I didn't know this one wasn't well received until just now. To me it's one of the few good 3D sonics. The plot, stage design, intersecting stories with varied play styles. All of that made it feel like playing in a full world.

That being said, I'm hit or miss on sonic in general, so maybe I like it for not being a traditional sonic game.