Sega Megadrive/Genesis Collection Review (PSP)

Retro gaming done the way it is meant to be done! 27 Megadrive games and more!

When I was a kid you either had a SNES or a Megadrive. I had a SNES. Now there is no point going into which was best and why as they both had good points. What I will say is I did envy some games on the megadrive. Sadly only a couple of the games I drooled over are in this collection (But my how I wanted altered beast!!)!
So what is there
1. Alex Kidd In The Enchanted Castle
2. Altered Beast
3. Bonanza Bros.
4. Columns
5. Comix Zone
6. Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
7. Ecco the Dolphin
8. Ecco II: The Tides of Time
9. Ecco Jr.
10. Kid Chameleon
11. Flicky
12. Gain Ground
13. Golden Axe I
14. Golden Axe II
15. Golden Axe III
16. Phantasy Star II
17. Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
18. Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millenium
19. Ristar
20. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
21. Sonic the Hedgehog
22. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
23. Super Thunder Blade
24. Sword of Vermilion
25. VectorMan
26. VectorMan 2
27. Virtua Fighter 2
Also there are a few arcade games to unlock.

Not impressed with that (!?) then how about 35 minutes of unlockable interviews with Sega legends, Box art, hints and tips and trivia for each game?

I suppose the question is, is there quality as well as quantity. THe answer is yes, for the most part. I mean there a some real classics here like the sonic games and the Phantasy Star colleciton. But more importantly there are some games you may never have seen. My highlights were discovering the awesome Ristar, made by the sonic team and also the wonderful beat em up Comix Zone. Those 2 make the price worth it on their own for me. Add to that the dream like Ecco (ignoring ecco jr) and my old favourite Altered Beast and you really are onto a winner.

Ok there are a few downers in there, flicky seems a bit pointless and Virtua Fighter to me plays like a dog, but a few bad games amongst all this gold is forgiveable!

All the games look really at home on the PSP, with the option to play in 3 different screen sizes (Original, Fit and Wide) the graphics look crisp with out any pixelation.
All of the games have been converted perfectly, with some feeling improved over the originals (sonic seems faster!?)
The unlockable bits are done well. There is none of this play x game for 72 days straight and open the box art, here we have, “Try all of the Phantasy Star games” or “Get past level one of Comix Zone”. Also each extra has a description of how to get it!
The menus are solid and logical, allowing you to play games easily or view a bit of info and trivia about them.
One of the most stunning features id the ability to save at any point. This truly adds to the “pick up and play” factor for portable gaming. True this may go against some retro fans ideals, but for me it makes the games more accessible, knowing that I wont have to invest 2 hours and then write down some password to get back to the level I got to!

The controls work well on the PSP, with the D-Pad and the analogue stick usable as well as logically laid out buttons. There is no lag or funny control problems found in some compilations

Sounds are also spot on, which will not push the PSP, but makes the games more believable.

All in all this is the best retro compilation out there. Other developers should take note! This has been developed by people who really understand what people want from these collections.
If you are a megadrive fan then buy it, if you wanted one as a kid then buy it, if you like games buy it. In fact just buy it, you wont be disappointed!
Roll on number 2 and this time put Streets of Rage in it!

The Good: 27 perfectly emulated megadrive games
More bonus material than you could ever hope for
The Bad: Some duff games and where the hell is Streets of Rage!


Sega Megadrive/Genesis Collection Sega Megadrive/Genesis Collection Sega Megadrive/Genesis Collection Sega Megadrive/Genesis Collection 


Gold Y AwardGold Y Award
4.5 4.5 / 5

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