My response to this same post from the OT:
I always primarily found sticking to the 'highest route' to be the most rewarding and often challenging 'goal' to achieve in levels of the classic games. Doing so often demanded the most practice, speed, and provided the most satisfaction and rewards. Lower routes lead to the same endpoint, but it was always clear that staying near the top of the stage was the skillful approach for a player to yearn to achieve.
The best endings are locked behind chaos emeralds, so the ultimate goal is also to hunt down those secret stages and get all 7 before the final boss. But that is a sort of side objective.