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Sega Genesis Collection
- November 09, 2006 09:52 AM PST
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The problem with best-of compilations is that, more often than not, you get a handful of hits sandwiched between bunches of fluff.
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Playing with a friend in Golden Axe is the best way to ensure that you'll make it to the later levels. Just don't hog the magic potions!
Yet people buy them anyway because the quality of the hits often outweighs the total suck value of the filler material. Such is the case with Sega's Genesis Collection, where triple-A franchises like Sonic and Phantasy Star are surrounded by a bunch of craptastic titles that should have stayed dead and buried.
Back To The Future
First the good news: the collection does a good job of highlighting the top franchises from the Genesis era. Aside from the aforementioned Sonic and Phantasy Star, you get gems such as Golden Axe, Altered Beast, Comix Zone, Columns and the fantastic Shinobi III. There are also some decent B-grade titles that deserve mention, such as Vector Man and Ecco the Dolphin.
The Playstation 2's Dual-Shock controller is also a big upgrade from the Genesis' ridiculously oversized 3-button pad, so playing the games is a breeze. There are some interesting unlockables on the disc, including some Sega arcade titles and interviews with developers. There's also support for progressive scan video, which helps sharpens up the retro graphics.
More Is Less
The bad news is that the compilation also has a number of clunkers that simply take up space. Sega clearly scraped the bottom of the barrel in an attempt to beef up the number of titles. Who in their right mind would want to revisit Super Thunder Blade? What about Ristar, Flicky and Bonanza Brothers? If Sega really wanted this compilation to matter, it should have included hits like Road Rash, Contra and Streets of Rage. Now that would be something to get excited about.
Still, we had fun traveling back to the 16-bit generation. Though the Genesis played second fiddle to the Super Nintendo, it had some awesome titles and thankfully, there are enough of them on this disc to merit a look
Shinobi III might be the best game on the disc so be sure to give it some love. Just remember that you don't have unlimited shurikens to throw around.
