Customer Reviews

Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

+ 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.

Spot on emulation and save states certainly equals 5 stars in my book! Aside from eagerly anticipating Volume 2, I can't think of anything lacking from this collection!

Simply stated, superb... the first review captured most of what I want to relay about this, so I won't belabor the situation.

5 stars, my highest recommendation!!

All 3 Streets of Rage games are here, too!!! A first!!

Well allow me to start out by saying that has a child I was an SNES kid and later migrated onto Sony's consoles,I knew a little about Sega but never wanted there stuff enough to bug my parents to buy them for me.

Fast forward 12 years and I'm playing catchup with all things Sega!

This Genesis collection contains a whopping 49 Sega games (I think 9 of them are unlockable mastersystem games) What I like about this bundle the most is that a lot of the games are RPG's (there is about 8-10 RPGs in here,that's worth the price alone)

Another good thing about this collection is that you don't have to have 49 carts across 2 systems to play them! And also some of these games used battery backup to save the games,and we all know a battery will only last so long before it dies and all your precious data is gone,or when the carts wear out from old age!

A really cool feature is you can save anywhere in the games (it saves in in a 'state' just like the SNES emulates) and there is also a smoothing option witch makes a HUGE difference in image quality.

The interface is also pretty cool,it shows an old model 1 genesis as your picking your game to play,another nice touch is that when you save your games it shows the Sega genesis cart with an original art of the game cart-nice touch!

there is also a whole whack of extras to watch and unlock,it will keep you very busy for a long time guaranteed!!!

Edit: After playing the game for more than a week I've decided to comment a little more on the games offered,the more influential ones.

The first one that comes to mind would be Phantasy Star 2 the game has won numerous awards on many gaming sites and was one of the first (if not THE first) game to have a deeper storyline and was also the first game to kill a main character,it also paved the way for many more RPGs to come after it including FF7.

Another honorable mention would be Phantasy Star 4,not only was it the final chapter in the long running series (1987-1994)but it offered a new art direction (it's an example of very early anime cut-scenes,at a time when anime was still young in North America) It should be noted that this game originally retailed for $79.99 that was very expensive back in '94 and it should be noted that I have seen no game more expensive than this that wasn't a collectors edition (to put it into perspective the most expensive playstation games were never more than $59.99)

The Sonic series: This is easily what helped the Genesis keep the lead it had over the SNES for so long (1991 till early 1994) but when Sega's support was waning due to the soon to be release of the doomed Saturn,the SNES got those last few punches to earn a victory in the 16Bit era with some last minute blockbuster releases,Had Sega not dropped support so early it would have won that console war,and the Sonic series would have been to thank.

That's about all the games I can think of at the moment,you may have bought a Genesis for different reasons but but if you really look at it,the majority of people bought a Genesis for Sonic. I do however have a lot of older friends who originally bought a Genesis for that arcade-y experience with out wasting there entire allowance on quarters (remember: Arcades were all the rage in the late '80s to about 1997)

This package is easily worth the $30 asking price for anyone with even a slight knowledge of Sega Genesis games.

Looking to replay some Sonic from back in the day, they're all here. Jonesin' for a quick game of Altered Beast? How 'bout some Golden Axe? All classics, all here. As someone who grew up with these games, this package is a treasured blast from the past. And since another reviewer so nicely went into the details of every game, I will withold. Needless to say there is something for everyone here.

As previously mentioned, the ability to save real time is a valuable added bonus. That said, I particularly would have appreciated adding specific cheats into the actual games, e.g. unlimited lives/continues, but most of these can be found at GameFAQ's anyway. A couple printed pages and you're good to go.

Now some caveats, these games are from the late 80's early 90's, and the graphics/music are representative of the era. Some look decent, some are looking a little worse for wear. If you are accustomed to post PS2/Xbox graphics, picking up this might seem like a terrible idea.

But, if warm fuzzies are generated just by hearing the old "Say-ga" on console startup, then this package is for you. Highly recommeded. (Four stars for fun only because the older controls can require some "reacquainting").

Last note, when entering codes, it appears that the button mapping is:

A = Triangle
B = Square / Circle
C = X

Relative to purchasing each title individually on Wii's Virtual Console, this title is a huge, huge deal. Plus it has trophies. How can you go wrong?

Growing up, I never got the chance to own a Sega Genesis being an SNES owner myself in the 16 bit era. So naturally I did not get to experience all of the great Sega games that were out there. With this Collection of games, I was able to relive that part of my childhood all over again.

This game contains almost all of the best Sega games that there were on the Genesis as well as some other classics. Featuring such classic games as Sonic 1-3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic Spinball, Streets of Rage 1-3, Comix Zone, Vectorman 1-2, Altered Beast as well as many other great games.

This game is fun for everyone and even for the whole family. This is one classic collection of game that delivers and I strongly recommend that you buy it.

When it came down to video games back in the early to mid 90's, video games have started to become much more aminstream with its core audiences. Nintendo really had dominated at the beginning with the continued success of the NES and the start of what became the Super Nintendo. As for Sega, they had much more out there that seemed to dominate at the beginning with the success of the Sega Genesis, and the portable Game Gear system. But at the midway point of the decade, their systems were losing appeal from overexposure, which cause them to lose sales for the Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast systems, and gamers were going to Sony and staying at Nintendo for their gaming needs. Now, Sega's glory days are returning to the Playstation 3.

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is really something that delivers well for nostaligic fans of the classic Sega Genesis era of the 90's. The game compilation contains over 40 classic Sega games that have been the constants of the Sega Genesis library, and what made Sega so dominant to hard cpore fans today. The game have all been remastered beautifully from top to bottom, and redesigned to give it a new introduction in High Defiinition. The compilation includes a lot of classic games including the original Sonic The Hedgehog, and its sequels 2, 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, as well as other great Sega titles like Columns, the addictive puzzler that was Sega's answer to the addictive Tetris, the epic Golden Axe, the innovative Vectorman, and many other greats. The control is just as simple to pick up as it was made years earlier, and the gameplay is just as exciting as has been years ealier. Sadly though, I do feel a bit upset though that there could've upset that there could've been some overlooked greats here like the innovative 3-D Virtua Racing here, as well as Earthworm Jim to just name a few.

All in all for what it is worth Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Playstation 3 works very well for Sega as a strong and innovative reintroduction to what Sega had made special for video game fanatics young and old back in the 90's. While it is sad that Sega will never be able to duplicate those days with making new systems, they still are showing they still have the stuff with what their classics are absolutely made of. If you have never owned a Genesis system, or are just looking for something completely different, than I absolutely recommend this as a must buy for PS3 owners.

Graphics: B

Sound: B+

Price: B+

Fun & Enjoyment: B+

Overall: B+

I remember when I was four or five years old with my older brother playing Sonic The Hedgehog 2 on our Sega Genesis. I remember having a blast looking at those (back then) gorgeous graphics, and playing as Sonic as I zipped through colorful stages, and beat Robotnics butt!! Now fast forward almost a decade later. In my teens and still a Sonic The HEdgehog fan, I almost caught a heart attack when I found out about this game. Not only does it feature all 7 Sonic games that were available on the system, but it features other classic (albiet never played) games. Its like fourty something total games I geuss, plus the ones you can unlock. And get this, all of these games are now in HD, and look better than ever. Overall a great gaming experience for old school fans, and may also appeal to newer gamers as well. 5/5.

I remember being nine years old and my dad buying a SEGA Genesis for me and my brother. I remember wasting hours and hours on this console, even skipping school to stay home and play. I don't remember when my console died but it was quite some time ago, I never bought another Genesis, and playing through a PC emulator never seemed quite the same.
I took a chance and bought this, and I'm very glad that I did. Some of the games are 20 years old, and yet they have better gameplay and replayability than most modern games that I buy. Playing Streets of Rage with my nephew who has never even seen a Genesis, and having fun with it just proves that good games are timeless, and graphics are completely overrated. Speaking of graphics, you will be happy to know that this looks awesome on HDTVs despite the obvious technological time gap. The games are playing in a windowed mode, which avoids horizontal stretching, since these games were obviously not designed with HD resolutions in mind. The text in most games (haven't played them all yet) is very clear and easy to read. there appears to be no graphic problems whatsoever.
Although this collection misses some really good games it is definitely worth getting. I am hoping SEGA makes more of these, and starts to re-release some of their awesome Saturn games.