After Sonic's success as a company mascot and flagship franchise, Sega finally decided to put the twist of Sonic in an educational game for kids to show off their new educational console, the Sega Pico. It did draw attention to the system, as many fans of Sonic were gained after the reputable games in the series. The only problem was, many fans weren't interested in an educational game.
Though seemingly ill-fated, it did gain a little popularity because of the series behind it, similar to Mario's Time Machine and Mario is Missing. As Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, it is considered non-canon to the main series, although it does have a story.
After the construction of Eggman's amusement-themed, 5-story Gameworld, Sonic, Amy, and Tails take it upon themselves to find the Chaos Emeralds hidden in all five floors. Other then Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, and Sonic the Fighters, it is the only game in which Amy is playable before her new look in Sonic Adventure.