Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26167440-20160111225919/@comment-679780-20160210225934

Well, I believe that 8-bit Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 as well as Sonic Pocket Adventure and the N3DS games like Sonic Colours and perhaps also Sonic Generations and Sonic Lost World are actually midquals to their respected major games.
 * 8-bit Sonic 1 being simply a detour of 16-bit Sonic 1 but still the same story.
 * Manual says 8-bit Sonic 2 takes place after 16-bit Sonic 2 after Sonic recieves a letter from Tails of his own kidnapping. However the game starts off with Sonic witnessing this kidnapping. with Green Hills Zone looking more like Emerald Hill Zone than Green Hill Zone, I believe the game is either a midqual or a semi-prequal of the first actual meeting of Sonic and Tails.
 * I believe Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure is more of a sequal to Sonic 3 and prequal to Sonic 4 given it shows modern Sonic on the title screen but you play as classic Sonic. You fight classic Dr. Eggman but there is a scene where he tries on his new costume. I believe this game is the pinacle turning point in Sonic's life when he became "modern" physically.
 * Sonic Colours for the NDS tells a slightly different story to Sonic Colours for the Wii. I believe this is because the NDS version is a midqual of Sonic meeting his friends as well as dealing with Nega-Mother Wisp before Nega-Wisp Armour.
 * Sonic Generations and Sonic Lost World for N3DS pretty much tells the same story but with different levels, so more of a detour than an actual midqual.
 * As for the other games, Sonic Rush and I think Rivals and the Advance series could be canon given little contradictions to lore. Sure Sonic Advance 3 lore is similar to that of Sonic Unleashed but we never actually get to see how Dr. Eggman broke the world into pieces, I imagine these "pieces" looking more like worlds from Kingdom Hearts. But games like Sonic the Fighters, Sonic Chronicles and Sonic Battle are rather unique in compared to most games and I don't really regard them as canon.

As for your last question, yes. you have Ken Penders lawsuit to thank for that but I think Sega wanted the comics to be more accurate anyway.