I adore how terrifying you managed to make Jimmy in this

They force you to apply the principles you've learnt in a different context, and while you may never be able to capture the same blistering speed, you can absolutely capture the flow, and THAT is what defines a Sonic game.

This obviously is going to be more difficult and frustrating than what you'd come to expect from more open and loose levels like your Green Hill Zones, but the challenge these more restrictive levels pose is exactly what makes them so satisfying to master.

The gameplay of Marble Zone and Sandopolis Zone Act 2 are not meant to be antithetical to classic Sonic design principles, but an extension of them. They challenge the player with creating the same flow state they captured in Green Hill Zone, just in a more confined space.