Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

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by: Raymond A. Miller III (Buffalo, New York)
on: Friday, 22-October-2010

This Collection in my opinion is one of the most great collections of retro games on one disc. There are several titles on this collection that I used to own..but now with this collection I can once again enjoy playing again and again. Also another plus to this collection is the interviews and more games that you have to unlock by playing certain games to open them. The best games on this collection in my opinion is Sonic, ComicZone, Vectorman, Streets of Rage, Ecco The Dolphin..those are just some to mention.
If you used to have these games and thought about having them to play again then this is the collection for you. This is also for the new generation who are curious what the genesis games were like.
I highly reccomend this game and give it 5 stars!

by: Robert Davidson (Kalamazoo, MI)
on: Thursday, 30-September-2010

I initially bought this for a sense of closure. I owned a handful of the titles in the collection with my Genesis growing up, and never got around to beating some of them. After about 15-20 hours, I had wrapped up my personal vendettas, and got around to looking at the rest of the collection, and was amazed at the wealth of gaming here. To anyone who can appreciate older games, and especially those who didnt have the money to get all of these when they were younger, this is a wonderful way to spend (upwards of) $20.

To gaming historians, this is an invaluable resource, showing just how far weve come, but also what weve come dangerously close to losing with the new generations of hardware. There is a simplicity here that, even amid the fracas of the action titles, and particularly in the RPGs, can be sort of calming. Whats more, the online communities for these games have had more than a decade to develop, so its very easy to find help for those hitting a snag.

Fans of puzzle games will be disappointed, but thats one of the few areas where the games truly have only been getting better. Columns is fun, and so is Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean Machine, but they are more or less the same game. Also, while games like Flicky and Alex Kidd are a nice look at where gaming was at that point, they arent particularly fun, and there are a handful of others that probably wont hold you attention. Snob that I am, I still have nearly 30 games here that I gladly played.

For people interested in easy gamer points, getting a full 1,000 shouldnt take you too much time, especially if youre willing to cheat. Only one game (Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean Machine) requires that you beat it; all others have fairly easy achievements, many attainable within the first 30 minutes of gaming. But seriously, if youre playing just for points, there are prettier places to go.

If you need to scratch that vintage gaming itch, or if you want to see the genesis (ahem) of a few big franchises and gaming standards, this is a great place to go. There are literally well over 100 hours of gaming here... And did I mention you can save any game at any time?

by: michelay1000 (United States)
on: Sunday, 29-August-2010

I bought this for my son for his 8th birthday, but this games has been fun for the whole family. There are a lot of old school games that have kept the older gamers in the house very entertained. It has been like a walk down memory lane!Sonics Ultimate Genesis Collection

by: J. J. Weijs (United States)
on: Tuesday, 24-August-2010

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 dont 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 Im 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 (havent 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.

by: Mr. Knowitall (United States)
on: Friday, 20-August-2010

So if you loved the Sega games back in the late 80s & early 90s, this is a must own game on nostalgia alone. It has some great games like: Altered Beast, Columns (basically Segas Tetris), Comix Zone, Ecco the Dolphin, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic Spinball, Vector Man, Vector Man 2, and others. There is also some great extras in the game like, interviews with the creators and cool facts about each game. Overall this game rules and you should buy it!...Nuff said!

by: Shane Allen Windham (Dallas, TX)
on: Monday, 16-August-2010

If my review was based solely on the games, this would be a 3. There are a number of games here youll probably never want to play. But the good games are GREAT games. And the price is unbeatable. Any one of these games would run you $5 or more on a Wii. With this package, youre getting each game for 50 cents. Add it to your game library straight away!

by: L. Soto (New Jersey, USA)
on: Monday, 26-July-2010

I have to be honest, I have very fond memories of the Sega Genesis console. It was the second gaming console that was purchased for me during my childhood (after the NES). I remember playing Sonic the Hedgehog for the first time and thinking the Genesis was the best console ever made (remember I was a kid). Over the next couple of years that feeling continued when I played games like Streets of Rage, Comic Zone, Vectorman, and a few games that I will mention later. The Sega Genesis was an amazing console and this compilation does a great job of reminding us why. However this compilation, as good as it is, is not perfect for a few reasons.

First, lets get the good points out of the way. Sonics Ultimate Genesis Collection includes over 40 Sega Genesis games, many of which are indeed classics of the 16 bit era of gaming. Everything from the Sonic games, to the Phantasy Star games are present here. Even cult favorites like Ristar, Beyond Oasis, Dynamite Headdy, and so on are also here. The games themselves play as well as you remember them, but every once in a while you might notice some problems with the audio or little issues like that. None of these minor issues, which most people might not even notice, effect you enjoyment of the games. The individual games on this compilation are also very impressive, but is also ends up bringing us to one of the compilations biggest problems. This compilation has a great deal of overlap from the Sega Genesis Collection (PS2) and yet manages to to still not include many favorites.

Let me give you a better idea of what I am saying, below is a complete list of the games included in both the Sega Genesis Collection and Sonics Ultimate Genesis Collection:

Sega Genesis Collection (PS2)

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Altered Beast
Bonanza Bros.
Columns
Comix Zone
Decap Attack
Ecco the Dolphin
Ecco: The Tides of Time
Ecco Jr.
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
Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Super Thunder Blade
Sword of Vermilion
Vectorman
Vectorman 2
Virtua Fighter 2


Sonics Ultimate Genesis Collection

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
Alien Storm
Altered Beast
Beyond Oasis
Bonanza Bros.
Columns
Comix Zone
Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
Dr. Robotniks MBM
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


Now I did not include the unlockable games from each complilation as I just wanted to focus on the Sega Genesis games included on both compilation disks. If you look through each list you can clearly see how many games from the Sega Genesis Collection were carried over to Sonics Ultimate Genesis Collection. Personally I would not have an issue with this as long as some cult and fan favorites would have been placed on the Ultimate Genesis Collection. For example, where are the Toe Jam and Earl games, or Eternal Champions, or even Gunstar Heroes (keep in mind Sega owns the rights to Gunstar Heroes just like they own Dynamite Headdy). I mean why does Sega continue to included games like Flicky in just about every compilation they release but somehow decide to not include games like Toe Jam and Earl or other cult favorites. This is something I still find hard to understand.

In all fairness this is a minor complaint for what is otherwise an great collection of Genesis games. I think most people will agree the title Ultimate might not have been the best for this compilation, although it is pretty close to that. Just be warned if you already have the Sega Genesis Collection for you PlayStation 2, you can for the most part skip this release as there is way too much overlap between both titles. However, if you dont have the Sega Genesis Collection, Sonics Ultimate Genesis Collection is a 5 star release that is worth every cent.


One last thing, sorry for the very long review.

by: Thomas O. Fort (SC)
on: Monday, 26-July-2010

I bought this game because it had several games I remember loving when I was younger. I was disappointed that they put in Streets of Rage II instead of SoR I because I liked the first one much better.

Imagine my surprise when I saw they had versions I, II, and III!

They also included most (all?) versions of the other games like Golden Axe and Sonic. If you have played these games you probably remember many of them fondly. If you havent you owe it to yourself to try them. They are still fun, and challenging, today. I think programmers did a better job of ramping up the difficulty gradually than most do today.

There is no way to deny that you get an Awesome amount of content for not much money. This is one of the best games ever if you look at the content per dollar (value) of this package.

by: C. Baker (Seattle, WA)
on: Saturday, 19-June-2010

I had been considering buying this game for quite some time, just couldnt justify buying a bunch of old video games at the time. As the kids got closer to summer vacation, I decided it was time to find a game that was fun and entertaining without being loaded in gore, blood and guts or violence.

We recieved the game today and since it was opened when the mail arrived it hasnt been turned off. Both my 7 year old and 10 year old boys are loving the games. It gives them games they can play together or separate and a lot of options without constantly changing discs or game systems.

Many of these games bring back memories for me, as I played them for hours on end with friends growing up. I highly recommend this game collection to anyone who wants to feel some nostalgia or give the family a gmae collection that is fun and entertaining without being inappropriate for any age, in my opinion.

by: Mark R. Stewart (United States)
on: Sunday, 13-June-2010

you have to unlock the games that are really cool by playing the crummy ones.

by: Edwin Mirabal (Washington Heights, NY USA)
on: Thursday, 20-May-2010

This is an awesome game and all of the classics in there its worth the [$...]
bucks, you will not be dissapointed.

by: Andrew Seely (College Station, TX)
on: Tuesday, 4-May-2010

The Sonics Ultimate Genesis Collection is quite fun. I love the early 90s games such as Streets of Rage (1,2,3) and Golden Axe (arcade version was better though). And of course, theres always the original Sonic the Hedgehog games...very nostalgic of the pre-Playstation/N-64 days. The only reason I give it 4 stars for overall rating is because I feel like there were other games Sega made that should have made the list (personal opinion); Gunstar Heroes, General Chaos and Mutant League Football are among some I think need to be included. It would also have been fun to see Desert Strike, Dick Tracy and Road Rash 3...Just a thought...still hours of fun to just sit and reminisce about old times.

by: L. Munoz (San Francisco, CA United States)
on: Friday, 16-April-2010

First lets talk about the value of this game. Essentially, its 49 Sega games (including the unlockable titles) for about 20 dollars! If I was buying these games separately, it would be well over 100s of dollars because these titles tend to go for 5-6 dollars each. And some are not available on the wii, ps3, or xbox live outside of this disc. Good luck finding a genesis and cartridges too. I most likely would have never played most of these titles if it wasnt for this compilation. Example: Alex Kidd, Bonanza Bros. and Dynamite Headdy. I never even heard of these games but I love them so much after I played them.

This game is great for its nostalgia factor too. I feel like a gaming archeologist playing Flicky and the arcade version of Altered Beast. Its like exploring your grandparents attic for the first time. Theres so many interesting things inside this disc. Playing Alien Storm for the first time was crazy cause I didnt expect to play a robot that self-destructed. There were moments in Streets of Rage 3 where I couldnt stop laughing at the sheer silliness of the game.

I also love the multiplayer games like Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, etc. There were times when my husband and i were just accidentally beating each other up in Streets of Rage and it was so hilariously fun. I loved every minute of it.

Heres my only problem with the game. The manual isnt really complete. You need to go to [...] to download a complete game manual. I understand this because it is 49 games, and I think if they had to re-print all the manuals to each game, it probably cost a heck of a lot more than 20 dollars. The HD graphic improvements are hit or miss for some games, but its OK cause you can turn that option off. Its kinda sad that you cant lock Sonic and Knuckles with Sonic 3, but Im fine with that cause this has 49 games!

Finally, Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean Machine just makes me angry.

by: E. Dominguez (California)
on: Thursday, 11-March-2010

I have to admit that my main draw to this series was the chance of collecting the Phantasy Star series, which was a childhood favorite of mine. Add to that some of the best Sonic, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Shining Force, and Shinobi games, and you have yourself a keeper. The rest of the games are bonuses, which when calculated for the all total games in the collection, the value comes close to about 40 cents per game(Instead of paying $5 for some of these titles individually online). Add that all of the titles resolution can be bumped up to 720p, there is really no reason not to get this unless one hates the Genesis(boo for you). The extra games are what really make this collection stand out in terms of bonuses. You have a select handful of unlockable 80s games from the Sega Master system, along with interviews and artwork from game designers. This may not be a collection for the masses, but its for those gamers that remember blast processing and the meaning of 3-D back in 1990. A must for any Genesis fan.

by: John R. San Agustin (northridgel, ca)
on: Thursday, 11-March-2010

this game is a must for the gamers who grew up with these first generation consoles.
talk about a blast from the past- cliche i know but its true. i gave the game 3 stars, because i thought it could have been formatted better-- for instance certain games have to be unlocked before you can play them. i enjoy these games for posterity purposes,and i dont want to go on side missions to play them. But i do love how you can save in between stages--remeber when we had to leave our consoles on when we went to school so that we can continue our missions when we get home, only to find out that someone turned it off, nooooooo.
hope this review helps.
regards , Johhny the video gamer since ever since guy

by: 504 Westbank Boy (United States)
on: Wednesday, 17-February-2010

Some really nice classics from sega. if you had a sega genesis you would enjoy this game.

by: P. Ellerbusch (United States)
on: Thursday, 4-February-2010

This is a must for any old school Sega fan! All the best games one package.

by: gimli1357 (United States)
on: Monday, 18-January-2010

This collection has THE BEST games by Sega including, but not limited to; Shinging in the Darkness, Shining Force, Shining Force 2, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic 3D, Sonic Spinball, Golden Axe, Golden Axe 2, Golden Axe 3, and many more! You can unlock more games by completing challenges (most of which are for achievements). Some people did not like the graphics blur, but you can change it back to normal at the pause menu. The saving for the games is wonderful (I can remember sitting at my computer trying to beat Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in 1 day.) I believe Sega really did there best with this collection. If you try to get all of these games separate on Xbox live (you wont be able to get all of them but some of them) it will end up costing more for less (and normally for want it costing less for more). Overall, buy this game NOW, as soon as you can. 1,000,000/10 Go Sega!

by: Joshua A. Werner (Coral Springs, FL)
on: Saturday, 19-December-2009

Yes the title is correct, you get over 30 classic sega titles. Some of them include Vectorman 1&2, Sonic 1, 2, and 3, Robotniks Mean Bean Machine, Ristar, Altered Beast, Golden Axe I, II and III, among plenty others. Some of these games also feature co-op BUT its only LOCAL co-op, not online. Which kind of sucks because it would be cool, but it doesnt kill how great this collection is. All games also feature a save-state, which means you can save at any time during the games. I highly recommend this to ANYONE who plays games, whether they have played these or not.