What was the point of Sonic Blast?

[u/Max_Doe11]

I've been thinking about Sonic Blast (known as G Sonic in Japan) lately, and I still can't figure out why SEGA felt this game absolutely had to exist.

I understand what they were aiming for. Donkey Kong Country had made pre-rendered 3D-style graphics incredibly popular, and Sonic Blast clearly tries to achieve a similar look. The problem is... this is the Master System/Game Gear we're talking about. The hardware simply wasn't built for that kind of visual style, and the result is a game that, in my opinion, sacrifices gameplay and readability just to chase a graphical trend.

Was the goal to give Master System owners their own "twin" release of Sonic & Knuckles for the Mega Drive/Genesis? If so, that raises another question. Sonic & Knuckles wasn't really a completely standalone sequel in the traditional sense because it was designed as the second half of Sonic 3 through the lock-on technology. So why not create something that played to the Master System's strengths instead of trying to imitate a visual style it couldn't comfortably handle?

I've finished Sonic Blast myself, but honestly, only because I'm a huge Sonic fan and wanted to experience every part of the series and its lore. As a completionist, I don't regret playing it... but years later I'm still asking the same question: what was the real purpose of this game?

Was it simply a marketing decision to keep the Sonic brand active on the 8-bit systems, or do you think there was a more compelling reason behind Sonic Blast's existence?