Crazy enough, I got past this part the wrong way back in the day. Somehow I managed to make it move up and down enough just by jumping to get past it - after days of trying. It's the only situation like that in ANY sonic game, so nobody thinks to try it the way you are supposed to.
You eventually die because the time runs out, so you have to run back just to spend another 10 minutes failing again.
Haha yeah, he says in the vid that you NEVER use the up button before that barrel, and only the down button when you do that spin dash thing so I do understand that most kids couldn't figure it out.
today i probably would've tried the up down thing after a while, but then again im 25 now, not 10 years old andback then game mechanics like these might've been rare too :D