Sega Genesis Games on PS3 and Xbox 360
Sega Collects its best Genesis hits on Today’s Consoles (again)
Feb 18, 2009
In 2006 Sega released on the PS2 and PSP a collection of nearly 30 of the best games it had published on the Genesis. It was considered one of the greatest classic game collections ever compiled. When most other collections mainly consisted of average games with a few bright spots, most of Sega’s was the cream of its crop.
Containing many games that are sold for download elsewhere for several dollars each, getting so many together for $20 was a huge money-saver. Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 is basically the sequel, filling in some of its predecessor’s holes.
A Collection of 40 Genesis Classics
Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection contains most, if not all of the games from Sega’s first Genesis collection. This includes major hits like Sonic the Hedgehog but also some titles that have become obscure these days.
Games like Shinobi III, Comix Zone, Ecco the Dolphin, Kid Chameleon, and Vectorman among others listed below, are also included. Nostalgic players will feel good to be able to find some of these games so easily now. Many of these games also hold up well enough for players who have not yet discovered them.
The first Genesis collection, as impressive as it was, contained a few glaring omissions. It only contained the first two Sonic games, and only two Shinobi titles. The new collection clears up some of this, now including every Genesis Sonic game as well as the original Shinobi. The most notable addition is probably the entire Streets of Rage series. One popular game still missing from this collection is The Revenge of Shinobi.
The complete list of games is as follows:
- Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
- Alien Storm
- Altered Beast
- Beyond Oasis
- Bonanza Bros.
- Columns
- Comix Zone
- Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
- Dynamite Headdy
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Ecco II: The Tides of Time
- E-SWAT
- Fatal Labyrinth
- Flicky
- Gain Ground
- Golden Axe I
- 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 in the Darkness
- Shining Force
- Shining Force 2
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
- Sonic 3D Blast
- Sonic and Knuckles
- 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
- Golden Axe Warrior (SEGA Master System)
- Phantasy Star (SEGA Master System)
- Alien Syndrome (Arcade)
- Altered Beast (Arcade)
- Congo Bongo (Arcade)
- Fantasy Zone (Arcade)
- Shinobi (Arcade)
- Space Harrier (Arcade)
- Zaxxon (Arcade)
Genesis Games with PS3 and Xbox 360 Functionality
Being compiled onto a disc for today’s game consoles comes with a few perks and adjustments for these classic games. These too can be a reason to buy the collection, even for owners of its predecessor.
Both versions of Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection have achievements and trophies. Genesis fans should enjoy displaying their old school gaming credentials through these.
Another big advancement that was also on the PS2 Genesis collection is the ability to save progress at any point. Most games from that era had no save functionality at all and are significantly harder than most of today’s games. They should be a lot more manageable in these collections.
Other than this, all of the games in Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection should run exactly as they did in their original cartridges with some minute audio differences. Sega Genesis controls do feel a little strange on the Playstation and Xbox controllers though.
Bottom Line
The Sega Genesis Collection on PS2 is still seen as one of the best deals for classic games ever. This new collection’s appeal to owners of the old one lies in the presence of achievements as well as additions like the Streets of Rage series. To those who don’t own either collection, this new one at $30 is a must-buy.
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