Sega Classics Collection Review

by Robert V Aldrich

            Let me begin by saying that part of me feels a little wrong with this. See, back in the day, during the Sega/Nintendo Wars, I sided with Nintendo. I have an NES and an SNES. I never got a Genesis or a Saturn. Hell, I never even heard of a Master System until I really started studying the history of video games.

            I can see now that I was missing out.

            The Sega Classics Collection is a cross-sectional gathering of 28 titles from the Genesis catalog. Games from just about every genre offered on the system are present here in their full and original glory. Admittedly, many of these games I had only a passing knowledge or even awareness of until I got my hands on this collection. And what a collection it is.

            Right off the back, this package is going to stand out due to the quality of its composition. The menus are very well set up and everything about the collection is very easy to find and access. Loading from one game to the next is simple and takes only a moment and it’s all put together in a lovely menu system. As you highlight each game, a quick rundown of what type of game it is, a little bit of information on it, and even some trivia, are all immediate provided with the push of a button.

            As stated, the game collection is pretty diverse. And to both my astonishment and delight, they are directly ported. There’s no attempt to modernize or enhance the graphics or the sound. However, this is a double-sided sword. Some of these games really don’t hold up quite as well as memory serves. Altered Beasts especially I remember being more vibrant both graphically and music-wise. The bottom line, though, is that the games are exactly as how they existed on the Genesis, which, honestly, is the way it should be.

            Now, one of the things that makes this collection stand out are the extras. There are a host of bonuses offered in this collection that are quite diverse, from game previews (Sorry, did someone say Virtual Fighter 5?) to unlockable bonus games and interviews. What I personally love about these bonuses is they actually tell you how the hell to get them. I hate games that show you the bonuses, but say ‘oh, if you were a real gamer, you’d figure out how to get at them’. No. These guys have the decency to say ‘go beat this game on this difficulty and come back and then you can see the goods’. Well done, guys.

            Overall, this is an excellent collection for just about any video game fan. They’ve got something for everyone and its put together in an excellent package. It gives a fantastic cross-sectional view of one of the most legendary video game consoles of all time. This is really a great purchase, especially for the price, and one that everyone will enjoy. Even the Nintendo fanboys.