I think you cost yourself some of that dignity with this insultive rant, my friend.
Now, I'd like to think you know me well enough that you know I'm a fanboy of very few things. I prefer to take things on an individual basis with games within a franchise, rather than say "A isn't like B so A sucks." As proof, I still listen to "Risk" by Megadeth... perhaps their most hated album. Might not be a rockin' metal album, but it's still an enjoyable listen to me (Megadeth lite?).
It's on that note that I say something just feels... off, with Sonic 4. I wish I could say what, but I've only gotten to play a demo of the game (no 360, Wii or PS3 here). As such, I can't really pin it down myself without more play time. Granted, the physics are odd (stopping dead in mid air?), but hey, the physics took some getting used to with Sonic Adventure and Sonic Advance, so I can get around that. I'm hoping Steam will get a hold of this so I can play through it. My curiosity is piqued, and if it's $9.99 or something similar, I'd likely go for it based off of that demo.
Also, keep in mind, that my comments were addressing statements you made, and weren't any Sonic fanboyisms coming to the surface.
And for the record, I had fun with Sonic Unleashed (PS2). It wasn't perfect, but it was far more playable than Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Heroes in my opinion.