What are people even talking about here?

he didn't ruin it, no, but the sloppy controls and lack of relevance and explanation in the plot made the game seem even worse than it already was

Classic was good in generations though, as it was unique and made some sense there

I wouldn't say Classic Sonic ruined the game. I'd say Sega ruined Classic Sonic. That's the actual issue. Without Classic Sonic, the game would've been just as bad.

credit where due though, atleast he's not an essential gameplay mechanic that just ends up making the game worse.

unlike classic sonic

Guess NES Mario is now being spammed in every game just like Classic Sonic in modern games now