Sega Announces new 2D Sonic title

[Vipershark]

Sonic 1 didn't have a Casino Zone

Spring Yard Zone. It technically wasn't a casino, but it counts. It has the same basic theming of neon and bight colors and "bouncy" obstacles.

Sonic CD also has no linkage to other games, neither does Knuckles Chaotix, etc.

This is essentially the reason why I don't consider Sonic CD (and now that you mention it, Chaotix [even though it's actually a spinoff starring knuckles]) to be canon.

Yes, they are canon somehow, but I don't seen them withing the same "universe" as Sonics 1-3K.

It DOES lack storytelling though. What is the island that Sonic got? How did he get there? What is the E.G.G. Station Zone? How did Sonic end up there? How is the station? How did Sonic get out of an station so far from Earth that you could see the whole planet out of the window?

I noticed this as well.
The game offers up no explanations whatsoever of how and why sonic does what he does.