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 Sonic's
Ultimate Genesis Collection
(Playstation 3)
With more than 40 titles ranging from Sonic's classic adventures, to
Phantasy Star plus more obscure games like Dynamite Heady and Decap
Attack, the collection offers a good overview of the 16-bit era. Unlike
the last compilation, there are a few Sega Master System games unlockable
this time around like Shinobi and Fantasy Zone in addition to a couple of
arcade classics. The other major feature allows players to upscale the
games to semi-HD quality using filters, which is a nice addition. Overall,
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection delivers exactly what you'd expect
from a compilation of classic games. |
It was just a couple of years ago that Sega released a compilation of
their classic Genesis titles on the PS2, and the appearance of Sonic's
Ultimate Genesis Collection seems initially to be a redundant cash-in on
these old games. However, a closer inspection reveals that while there are
a few repeat titles, the latest edition is a more complete and thorough
compilation of Sega's golden age. Consider this to be the upgraded
edition, where the first one had 28 games, this one has 40 and features
more full rom sets to complete these series' original runs. For example,
the original game only had the first two Streets of Rage games, while the
PS3 edition has all three. As you might expect, Sonic plays a large role
in the new compilation as well, with the first three adventures, plus
Sonic & Knuckles and additional titles such as Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic
Spinball making appearances. These aren't exactly the most uncommon titles
to find, but its convenient to see all of them in one place. Of course,
some players will probably bemoan missing games like Sonic CD, but the key
to enjoying these games is appreciating what is included.
For example, Sonic's original outings
single-handedly made Sega a force in the gaming world. What's surprising
is how well they've held up over the years. These remain appealing games
and its little wonder why the blue hedgehog remains one of the most iconic
gaming mascots. The games are still fun despite the recent rough waters
he's traversed over the past few years, and playing them again almost
compensates players who suffered through the character's last couple of
dreary comeback attempts. The original games seen here remain as charming
and challenging as ever with their brilliant level designs and imaginative
enemies making them as memorable and entertaining as ever. Of course, the
package offers more than just Sonic. Players will also find other
legendary Sega titles such as both Vectorman games, Ecco the Dolphin, All
three Golden Axe games, Kid Chameleon, Gain Ground and Flicky to name a
few. There's also a couple of lesser-known, obscure games such as Bonanza
Bros, ESWAT, Fatal Labyrinth, Columns and Thunder Blade in the package to
make for a more complete selection. Surprisingly, the title features many
RPG's including the first two Shining Force games, Beyond Oasis and
includes the first four installments in the legendary RPG series Phantasy
Star, which alone makes the package worth the price of admission.
Considering how much money they can fetch on auction sites, this makes a
great value. The games cover a wide variety of genres and styles and many
of them remain quite playable, showing the enduring appeal of classic 2D
gameplay.
Oddly, you can't just play all of them
out of the box and have to unlock the first SMS Phantasy Star installment
in order to play it, which is annoying. This is one of the biggest
drawbacks to the disc - some of the most appealing games need to be
unlocked. This applies to a dozen different titles including to the arcade
games, like Shinobi, Zaxxon, Altered Beast and Congo Bongo as well as most
of the SMS titles in this release, which is quite annoying. Its doubly
true since these games are the ones that most players will most likely
want to play first. Some of the unlocking conditions aren't too bad, such
as collecting the first chaos emerald in Sonic 1, there are some which are
quite annoying and makes this frustrating. For example, having to beat the
first level of Streets of Rage with all three characters in order to
unlock Congo Bongo feels like a chore, and isn't fun. While you do get
trophies for collecting these, its an annoying system. You also need to
perform these tasks to view the interviews, which is another huge
drawback. Whoever decided that making players unlock content they already
paid for was a good idea made a bad choice. On the bright side, some of
the interviews are quite interesting and entertaining, making the struggle
to unlock them almost worth the effort. Ultimate Genesis Collection also
includes a mini-museum for each game, usually consisting of a box scan and
a brief description. It's an underwhelming experience in terms of
presentation but it's somewhat acceptable overall.
The games themselves look about the same
as they ever have, with the limitations of technology making them appear
either charming or dated depending on your point of view. In this
collection, however, players have the choice of playing them in their
original aspect ratio in letterboxed form, or going for an enhanced
presentation that stretches out the visuals to full 16:9 aspect ratio. The
games look a little bit stretched out, but play well. You can also choose
to put on a filtering effect which dulls the edges of the graphics. It's a
kind of hit-or-miss with the filters, some games look slightly better
while others just look blurry and out of focus, so it depends on which
games you choose. Gamers who might have traded in or lost their original
Genesis games will probably enjoy this one more than those who've
continued to play these games on emulators or maintained a classic
collection through the years. While the selection of games is decent, the
developers made a bad decision in keeping many titles behind trophy-gates,
which makes Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection appear less generous than
it could have. Despite these annoyances, this is a decent selection of
Genesis games that delivers a good selection of classic titles at a value
price.
- Michael Palisano
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