SEGA Genesis Collection

Before the unfortunate failure that was the excellent Sega Dreamcast console, there was the Sega Genesis - a 16-bit machine that introduced a number of great games that have gone on to become unforgettable classics. A few of the games featured here are recognizable to those who, like me, have spend a good deal of their life in an arcade while others are games you might have missed out on entirely. Either way, Sega Genesis Collection for the PSP has a number of classics that should be experienced whether it’s your first time playing them or the 50th time.

The collection of over 28 games range from a number of genres including role-playing games, platform games, a puzzle game and, of course, action games. We will start with the recognizable Sonic the Hedgehog as well as its 1992 sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Both platform greats are still beloved classics and, as Sega points out in the fun historical facts, the first game had at one point been packaged with the Sega Genesis back in the day. The best part is that both fast-paced games are still pretty fun to play and even more so in a portable package (remember how cool it was to play on the Sega Game Gear handheld?).

All three Golden Axe games also make the lineup and the good news is that you can play the game with a friend wirelessly. Whether you’re playing the ‘89 original or Golden Axe III, the concept remains the same: you take one of three heroes and hack 'n slash your way through various levels. Speaking of hack 'n slash, there’s also Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi as well as Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master. Both games have you playing as a ninja with the ability to toss shuriken throwing stars as well as slash at enemies with your sword. Both games throw you into level after level of enemies and boss battles that make these very challenging games with enough levels to keep gamers busy.

The bulk of the games are action/platform games like the classic Altered Beast where you play a resurrected warrior out to save Zeus’ daughter Athena. Then there’s Comix Zone, an action game where you play as a comic book artist who fights against his own creations in a living comic book. Decap Attack is an action game where you play the role of a living mummy while 1990’s Flicky has you playing a blue bird attempting to save her baby birds. Gain Control is an action game that puts you on a battlefield while Bonanza Bros. is a shoot ‘em up where you play as bank robbers. VectorMan and VectorMan 2 are futuristic shooters that are still loads of fun to play. Then there are some lighthearted action games like Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, Kid Chameleon as well as Ristar whose main character has extendable arms.

The Sega Genesis was also home to some good role-playing games like Sword of Vermilion as well as Phantasy Star II, Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom and Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium. The great part is that nothing has been taken away from any of these games so you get four complete RPGs for the price of one UMD.

Then there’s Columns, a Tetris-like puzzle game that’s supposedly an ancient Phoenician game where you attempt to rotate and stack colored jewels on top of each another for combos.  Interesting enough, the collection also includes Ecco the Dolphin, the sequel Ecco: The Tides of Time and the prequel Ecco Jr. All three games have you playing as a cute dolphin with sonar abilities. One of the best surprises happens to be the inclusion of Virtua Fighter 2, a fighting game with a roster of familiar brawlers. There’s even Super Thunder Blade, an action game where you fly the unfriendly skies in a combat helicopter. Finally, there are the unlockable PSP exclusive games like Super Zaxxon, Congo Bongo, Astro Blaster, Eliminator and Space Fury.

With some many great games, Sega also includes a number of bonus materials to unlock such as interviews with the creators of various games as well as background history for each game as well as tips and unlockable cheats. While these are great features, the best part about this game is that Sega managed to do justice to the controls for each game.

On the visual front, many of the games still look as good as they did when they first came out. Sonic the Hedgehog still looks colorful and Altered Beast still sports some great visual effects the light up the PSP screen. Ok, Phantasy Star II and Gain Ground haven’t aged well but Sega did a great job of fitting each game - even the ones that don’t look good - on the PSP widescreen. In fact, many of the games look a lot like they did back then and that’s saying a lot right there … right Midway? Each game’s music and sound effects are also intact. Really, I still get a kick out of hearing Zeus’ voice in the opening of Altered Beast or listening to the Alex Kidd soundtrack.

Sega Genesis Collection for the PSP is a magnificent way of getting to know this number of great classics that might have aged but are still in top form and loads of fun to play. With 33 games that range from role-playing games, platform, puzzle and action games, there is a lot here to keep gamers happy. I mean, Phantasy Star II through IV are worth the purchase price alone and replaying Altered Beast and Columns is just that added bonus that makes the collection one you must not miss if you love retro gaming or your PSP.

Gameplay: 8.0
The collection of games feel right at home on the PSP and the game does a great job of making the simplistic controls for each game easy to control whether you’re playing a fierce action game like Golden Axe II or Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master. These games were challenging then and they’re still challenging now.

Graphics: 7.5
Many of the games still look pretty good but bear in mind that they came out in the early 1990s. Both Sonic games still look wonderfully colorful while games like Super Thunder Blade and Ristar really show their age.

Sound: 7.5
It’s just great to hear all of these game’s recognizable tunes and sound effects that come out perfectly through the PSP’s speakers. Altered Beast still sounds great even today.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
You will seriously wouldn’t mind a friend joining you in Golden Axe III since it’s still as pretty challenging. Even what seems like light platform games like Kid Chameleon and Comix Zone are still pretty tough.

Concept: 10
Even if you’ve never had the chance to play these games on the Sega Genesis back in the day, strangely enough all of these games hold up rather well. This collection brings a great assortment of genres from puzzle, role-playing games, action and, well, three Ecco games. There are some great bonus games, interviews and fun facts to unlock. Oh, and you can share these games with a friend wirelessly.

Multiplayer: 8.5
This is, without a doubt, a collection of games you will want to share with a friend because a good majority of these games (like the Golden Axe games) are co-op classics. Plus, nothing is cooler than playing Virtua Fighter 2 wirelessly against a friend.

Overall: 8.5
Sega Genesis Collection for the PSP is a dream come true for those who loved the incredible lineup of titles that made the Genesis such a great console. With a collection that includes such classics like Sonic the Hedgehog, Virtua Fighters 2 and Altered Beast (to name a few of the best) this is a compilation game you will certainly want to own right away if you love the classics.