>>536667034
Isn't this exactly what Tailstroon says? You're half-right, which is to say you're completely wrong about who to blame.

It's not just "the writers," it's Maekawa. He's the one who started the rot by flanderizing Tails into the "tech guy" and making him "Eggman's rival." This was the beginning of the end for Classic Tails' characterization. What's important is the push and pull of his dynamic with Sonic, his mechanical skills being notable but not all-powerful or "super genius", and him being a character who focuses on action. The classic games and Adventure 1 understood this.
But Maekawa? He put the fox in a fucking mech. And nothing of value was ever the same.