Back in the 1990s, the only company that could hold a candle to the behemoth that was Nintendo was SEGA, a company that threw all their money (not literally) behind a blue hedgehog named Sonic. Even though the Nintendo Entertainment System was the king of the console market, SEGA was thinking of the future, more specifically the SEGA GENESIS, which is widely considered to be a part of the greatest generation in gaming alongside the Super Nintendo.
In honor of probably their greatest gaming achievement, SEGA is bringing a collection of some of their best games from their best console to a new generation of gamers on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 with Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, the first FULL HD supported game collection around.
"Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360"
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is similar to many other game compilations you have probably played before like Midway Arcade Classics, Intelivision Lives, etc. Unlike those games, SUGC brings a distinct style that other collections have neglected. Everything from the menus right down to the game saves represents something from the SEGA GENESIS'S history. It might not seem like that big of a deal, but it is just one of the many things that make this compilation great. The main menu sports a generation one sega genesis and the game saves a represented by a Genesis cartridge for the game you are playing (which is really cool).
But no game collection is complete without the games themselves and SUGC is no slouch in that department. SEGA has jam packed this collection with over 40 genesis titles, which is a lot of games. Not only do you get classics like all 3 Sonic the Hedgehog games, all 3 Golden Axe games and all 4 Phantasy Star games but you get some forgotten Genesis games like Streets of Rage, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Vectorman and Sonic's Spinball. SEGA even went way back to bring their original mascot, Alex the Kidd, to the collection. The sheer number of games included in SUGC is astounding not because they are small, score based arcade like games but because these are large, story based games with a lot going into them...not that SUGC doesn't have some score based arcade like games.
I'm SO HAPPY that games such as the neglected "Sonic 3D Blast" (I liked it) and "Sonic and Knuckles" made it into this collection.
Most of the games you would think would be on this collection are here and even a few you wouldn't expect to be here are present, but a few gems were missed in favor of more "historically tied genesis titles" (Alex Kidd and Echo the Dolphin aren't fun). Seriously, where are games like Gunstar Heroes and Eternal Champions (well I liked it)? SEGA really missed out on a great opportunity to bring some of their forgotten titles to a new generation. I love Gunstar Heroes and I feel like not enough people have played it so it doesn't seem right that it wasn't included.
"I can't help but love the overall style of this gaming collection"
Each and every game in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is represented as it was when it was one back when it was originally released. Graphically, these games do show their age, but they are still bright, colorful games with a lot going for them like the Sonic the Hedgehog games or Comix Zone. That doesn't mean that these games look bad by any means. As 2D sprite based titles, these games are still pretty good looking. I'm not saying this is true of all games though because there are some truly ugly titles in this collection like Super Thunder Blade and Streets of Rage (the other two games look great, but the original isn't a looker by any means).
Sound wise, most of the games on Genesis never really had great music to begin with. Sure, Sonic always sounded great, but some games don't fare as well. I don't care what anyone says, I never really found the music of any of the Phantasy Star games to be appealing whatsoever. They always sounded like a jumbled mess to me. There are still plenty of memorable tunes to be heard in this collection like any stage tune from the Sonic games, the theme song for Comix Zone, etc. These songs will get stuck in your head.
But you aren't playing these games for the graphics or sound, you are playing for the gameplay...and that is where Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection really shines. The game is classic gaming at its finest.
Like I said before, each and every game in the collection is just like you remembered it, complete with all their original graphics, sound, but more importantly, gameplay. Every game plays exactly like you remember it did back when it was released and is still chocked full of that classic gaming goodness you'll love discovering all over again. Not all the games are golden however. Games like Super Thunder Blade, Bonanza Bros, Fatal Labyrinth and Echo the Dolphin weren't really fun back when they came out and they still aren't very fun.
These were games that had perfect controls (not in all cases though), gameplay that was revolutionary at the time and game concepts that baffled gamers with their crazy ideas. There is nothing stranger or cooler than a game where you play as a headless mummy who kills enemies with the face on his chest (it's a real game in this collection called Decap Attack). Don't worry though because there is analog support for the games as well as a save feature that allows players to save their game anywhere. I seriously don't understand how ANYONE could beat Sonic 3D Blast with the D-PAD after playing the game with the ANALOG STICK.
Don't be fooled by their colorful graphics or cheerful sound because some of these games are INCREDIBLY TOUGH. There was no easy mode back in the day, you had to play what the games gave you. Whether it was the painful difficulty of Comix Zone or the DEVILISH difficulty of Sonic's Spinball, any gamer who picks up this collection will be in for a surprise AND a challenge. Seriously, it took me years to beat just the first level of Comix Zone (You got one life bar and one life. If you died, you were done) and even longer to beat the second stage in Sonic's Spinball.
"Meet Comix Zone, one of the coolest and most difficult games I have ever played"
Multiplayer has been a huge aspect in gaming over the years and with the advance in online support, you would think that there would be online multiplayer in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. Unfortunately, with the exceptions of trophies/achievements, there is no online support whatsoever...not even leader boards...and that REALLY hurts the overall package. Some of the games included are almost entirely dependent on multiplayer (Streets of Rage AND Golden Axe) and those games will suffer if you don't have anyone else to play with. Still, there are PLENTY of other games to play through that will keep the disk spinning in your console for months.
You might even discover a few games you wished you played back when they came out on the Genesis (I discovered Decap Attack and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine)...
Bottom Line: Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is classic gaming at its finest. Sure, the graphics are dated and the sound isn't too great, but the gameplay and the sheer amount of content definitely make it worth the while of the gamer to pick this collection up. For nostalgic gamers and classic gamers, this is a must buy. For everyone else, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is a tough deal to pass up...over 40 games for 30 dollars. It's like The Orange Box of classic gaming.
Recommendation: BUY
"its games like Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection that make me remember why I LOVED Sonic the Hedgehog"
In honor of probably their greatest gaming achievement, SEGA is bringing a collection of some of their best games from their best console to a new generation of gamers on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 with Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, the first FULL HD supported game collection around.
"Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360"
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is similar to many other game compilations you have probably played before like Midway Arcade Classics, Intelivision Lives, etc. Unlike those games, SUGC brings a distinct style that other collections have neglected. Everything from the menus right down to the game saves represents something from the SEGA GENESIS'S history. It might not seem like that big of a deal, but it is just one of the many things that make this compilation great. The main menu sports a generation one sega genesis and the game saves a represented by a Genesis cartridge for the game you are playing (which is really cool).
But no game collection is complete without the games themselves and SUGC is no slouch in that department. SEGA has jam packed this collection with over 40 genesis titles, which is a lot of games. Not only do you get classics like all 3 Sonic the Hedgehog games, all 3 Golden Axe games and all 4 Phantasy Star games but you get some forgotten Genesis games like Streets of Rage, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Vectorman and Sonic's Spinball. SEGA even went way back to bring their original mascot, Alex the Kidd, to the collection. The sheer number of games included in SUGC is astounding not because they are small, score based arcade like games but because these are large, story based games with a lot going into them...not that SUGC doesn't have some score based arcade like games.
I'm SO HAPPY that games such as the neglected "Sonic 3D Blast" (I liked it) and "Sonic and Knuckles" made it into this collection.
Most of the games you would think would be on this collection are here and even a few you wouldn't expect to be here are present, but a few gems were missed in favor of more "historically tied genesis titles" (Alex Kidd and Echo the Dolphin aren't fun). Seriously, where are games like Gunstar Heroes and Eternal Champions (well I liked it)? SEGA really missed out on a great opportunity to bring some of their forgotten titles to a new generation. I love Gunstar Heroes and I feel like not enough people have played it so it doesn't seem right that it wasn't included.
"I can't help but love the overall style of this gaming collection"
Each and every game in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is represented as it was when it was one back when it was originally released. Graphically, these games do show their age, but they are still bright, colorful games with a lot going for them like the Sonic the Hedgehog games or Comix Zone. That doesn't mean that these games look bad by any means. As 2D sprite based titles, these games are still pretty good looking. I'm not saying this is true of all games though because there are some truly ugly titles in this collection like Super Thunder Blade and Streets of Rage (the other two games look great, but the original isn't a looker by any means).
Sound wise, most of the games on Genesis never really had great music to begin with. Sure, Sonic always sounded great, but some games don't fare as well. I don't care what anyone says, I never really found the music of any of the Phantasy Star games to be appealing whatsoever. They always sounded like a jumbled mess to me. There are still plenty of memorable tunes to be heard in this collection like any stage tune from the Sonic games, the theme song for Comix Zone, etc. These songs will get stuck in your head.
But you aren't playing these games for the graphics or sound, you are playing for the gameplay...and that is where Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection really shines. The game is classic gaming at its finest.
Like I said before, each and every game in the collection is just like you remembered it, complete with all their original graphics, sound, but more importantly, gameplay. Every game plays exactly like you remember it did back when it was released and is still chocked full of that classic gaming goodness you'll love discovering all over again. Not all the games are golden however. Games like Super Thunder Blade, Bonanza Bros, Fatal Labyrinth and Echo the Dolphin weren't really fun back when they came out and they still aren't very fun.
These were games that had perfect controls (not in all cases though), gameplay that was revolutionary at the time and game concepts that baffled gamers with their crazy ideas. There is nothing stranger or cooler than a game where you play as a headless mummy who kills enemies with the face on his chest (it's a real game in this collection called Decap Attack). Don't worry though because there is analog support for the games as well as a save feature that allows players to save their game anywhere. I seriously don't understand how ANYONE could beat Sonic 3D Blast with the D-PAD after playing the game with the ANALOG STICK.
Don't be fooled by their colorful graphics or cheerful sound because some of these games are INCREDIBLY TOUGH. There was no easy mode back in the day, you had to play what the games gave you. Whether it was the painful difficulty of Comix Zone or the DEVILISH difficulty of Sonic's Spinball, any gamer who picks up this collection will be in for a surprise AND a challenge. Seriously, it took me years to beat just the first level of Comix Zone (You got one life bar and one life. If you died, you were done) and even longer to beat the second stage in Sonic's Spinball.
"Meet Comix Zone, one of the coolest and most difficult games I have ever played"
Multiplayer has been a huge aspect in gaming over the years and with the advance in online support, you would think that there would be online multiplayer in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. Unfortunately, with the exceptions of trophies/achievements, there is no online support whatsoever...not even leader boards...and that REALLY hurts the overall package. Some of the games included are almost entirely dependent on multiplayer (Streets of Rage AND Golden Axe) and those games will suffer if you don't have anyone else to play with. Still, there are PLENTY of other games to play through that will keep the disk spinning in your console for months.
You might even discover a few games you wished you played back when they came out on the Genesis (I discovered Decap Attack and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine)...
Bottom Line: Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is classic gaming at its finest. Sure, the graphics are dated and the sound isn't too great, but the gameplay and the sheer amount of content definitely make it worth the while of the gamer to pick this collection up. For nostalgic gamers and classic gamers, this is a must buy. For everyone else, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is a tough deal to pass up...over 40 games for 30 dollars. It's like The Orange Box of classic gaming.
Recommendation: BUY
"its games like Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection that make me remember why I LOVED Sonic the Hedgehog"
