I never had a Genesis, so I missed out on a lot of great games. I've played the first Sonic, and some of these games in the arcade, but overall, I never got to experience the glory days of Sega. Also, it's hard to find PS3 games that appeal to my fiance, and she was excited at the prospect of playing Ecco the Dolphin & the Sonic games again.
There are nearly 50 games on here, and when you consider how much the various games would cost on the Wii virtual console, or Xbox Live arcade, this is an amazing deal. Even at $60, this would be a great deal, but at $30, it's a no brainer.
The presentation is pretty slick, the main menu looks like a Genesis unit, and the games are a stack of cartridges you sort through. You can rate games on a 5 star scale, and then sort them in the order you rated them, so your least favorite games will fall to the bottom of the list.
The only complaint I have is that the line "all titles have been converted to high def" is wrong and misleading. A filter has been applied to make the games look better at a higher resolution, nothing has been reworked or remade to take advantage of HD. The good thing is you can switch between 4:3 and 16:9 on the fly, and turn the filter off if you want. I will say that the games on this collection have looked a lot better than their Virtual Console counterparts on my TV.
Overall, you can't go wrong with this collection. Whether you're an old Genesis lover wanting a trip down memory lane, or someone who missed out on Sega's golden age and want to see what all the hype was about, this is a must-buy. Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection
+ Pros:
+ 40 Genesis games and 9 extra games for less than a dollar apiece
+ Setup options including widescreen, graphic smoothing, and button configurations
+ 3 Save slots per game
- Cons:
- No "Lock-on" option to play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 or 3
Ahh yes, the 1980's and 1990's. Two great periods of video games for the Sega franchise.
First, the arcade stand-ups - their machines called out to be filled with quarters offering level after level of difficult challenges to overcome. When the 1980's were drawing to a close and people were ready to move beyond the limits of 8-bit Nintendo games, Sega introduced their 4th generation home video game console, the Sega Genesis. This 16-bit system offered better graphics, longer Role-Playing Games, and one speedy hedgehog that tested the patience of even the most seasoned gamer.
This compilation combines 40 games from Sega's Genesis library, 7 of their stand-up arcade ports and 2 games from the Sega Master System, all on one disc.
Games:
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alien Storm
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Bonanza Bros.
Columns
Comix Zone
Decap Attack
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
Dynamite Headdy
ESWAT: City Under Siege
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco: The Tides of Time
Fatal Labyrinth
Flicky
Gain Ground
Golden Axe
Golden Axe II
Golden Axe III
Kid Chameleon
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
Ristar
Shining Force
Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing
Shining in the Darkness
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic 3D Blast
Sonic Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 3
Super Thunder Blade
Vectorman
Vectorman 2
Alien Syndrome
Altered Beast
Congo Bongo
Fantasy Zone
Golden Axe Warrior
Phantasy Star
Shinobi
Space Harrier
Zaxxon
Some of these games are initially locked, but they can be unlocked without much difficulty.
Graphics: First off, let's be honest - since these are 3rd and 4th generation video games, graphically they are not "cutting edge". If your earliest gaming console was a Sony Playstation, these games will look pre-historic to you. Most of the games have a faux background and the gameplay is centered in the middle of the screen in a 4:3 default format. The aspect ratio can be changed to letterbox (16:9) and there is even an option to smooth the graphics - but with games like these, smoothing actually takes away from the nostalgia.
Options: I love the options this compilation offers! Not only can you set your own button layouts and turn on/off the rapid fire option, but you can save your progress on every single game! Games like Sonic the Hedgehog were very unforgiving and had no save points when they were first released...but with 3 save slots at your disposal, you can take your time to complete the games at your own pace.
Gameplay: With 49 games to choose from, there are several genres at your fingertips:
Want a platformer? Try Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle.
Fancy a beat `em up? Altered Beast is calling you.
Itching for an epic RPG? Try Phantasy Star III.
How about a puzzle game? Stack up the Columns.
Maybe an action game? Suit up with ESWAT.
Side Scroller fan? Ecco the Dolphin needs your help.
Hack & Slash, eh? Grab some grog and try out Golden Axe.
Perhaps you prefer a shooter? Space Harrier is all about the bullets!
You'd like a good old fashioned Run `n' Gun? Look no further than Vectorman 2.
Whatever type of gameplay you like, it can be found in this collection.
Extras: There are interviews with several Sega employees made specifically for this collection. You can tell each person put their heart & soul into their game of choice...it was a different time. Nowadays, people like Hideo Kojima have 200 people at their disposal, whereas most of these games were made by very small teams. There is a brief history and graphic artwork for each game, a nice piece of nostalgia.
Trophies: The trophies for this game are a mixed bag. Some trophies are laughably easy (such as Ecco the Dolphin - this trophy is earned by simply talking to another dolphin!), while others like Dr. Robitnik's M.B.M. trophy (beat the game) are tooth-grindingly difficult. I thought the trophy for "Final Oasis" was a good example - the goal to free the water spirit took some time, but didn't require completing the entire game. I loved the trophy requiring every game to be played at least once.
As far as negatives, there is only one that comes to mind, the exclusion of the "lock-on" gameplay for Sonic 3, Sonic 2, and the Blue Sphere levels. This allowed gamers to play as Knuckles instead of Sonic, which could not be done at the time due to software/hardware limitations. Since the Playstation 3 is a 7th generation video game console, I was surprised these were excluded. I hope they will show up as a download from the Playstation Network before too long.
Conclusion?
If you want to take a trip down video game memory lane for a great price, this is the best collection to do it with - it breaks down to less than a dollar per game. For your portable needs, I strongly recommend the Sega Genesis Collection for the PSP. - Classics - Sega - Video Games - Sonic The Hedgehog'
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