Also I remember the game magazines had advertistements in the back for VGA adapters for the SNES.

My neighbor had one and we all agreed that the sharper picture looked better.

https://www.jamesfmackenzie.com/2026/09/06/plugging-a-snes-d...

While the Sonic waterfall is probably deliberate, I find it more likely that people have always preferred the highest resolution and the crispest graphics they can afford.