The Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection's list of games is certainly formidable, with the following games available from the outset: Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle, Alien Storm, Altered Beast, 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 in the Darkness, Shining Force, Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island, Sonic & 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, The Story of Thor, Vectorman and Vectorman 2.
Wow. That's a pretty big list of gaming goodness, and on top of these games there are also several unlockable Sega Master System games and Arcade titles (although this list is hardly as voluminous): Alien Storm, Congo Bongo, Fantasy Zone, Golden Axe Warrior, Phantasy Star, Shinobi, Space Harrier and Zaxxon. Unfortunately, the titles using lock-on technology from the Sonic franchise have not made their way into this collection, so that means no Knuckles in Sonic 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles or Blue Sphere.
So the line-up is impressive, although there is a fair amount recycled here. Put your hand up if you've purchased a collection over the last few years, or downloaded from Virtual Console or XBLA Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin, Comix Zone or Kid Chameleon. However, if you're looking a comprehensive sampling of what many people found great about the old console, you've come to the right place.
Sonic the Hedgehog, he's the one and only, da da da da.
It's probably a little presumptuous to say that there is something for everyone in the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection, although several major genres are covered. For the platforming fans, the excellent Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, 3 and Sonic and Knuckles are all present and accounted for. These games have lost none of their sense of speed or charm, and hold up remarkably well. There are also some less well-known attempts such as Dynamite Headdy and Decap Attack, both of which fit into an interesting niche between the enjoyable and the simply bizarre. Action fans are catered for with a plethora of games such as Streets of Rage, Altered Beast, the Golden Axe games and Shinobi III, which all follow the simple formula of walk around, kill stuff till dead, and repeat. There are also plenty of classic RPG titles to enjoy, including the Phantasy Star series and the more cartoony Shining Force titles, the third game of which even had an interesting take on a first-person perspective. Puzzle-players have Columns and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. Finally, there are the completely original games, such as the weird tranquility of the Ecco the Dolphin games and the awesome comic-styled beat 'em up Comix Zone that should not be missed.
So, being branded as the definitive Mega Drive collection for the high definition generation, how good do these games look? Well, to be honest, they look pretty much the same. The games look exactly the same as their Mega Drive counterparts, even down to the occasional slow down and glitches that the originals had. When you first start a game, they'll appear in their original 4:3 aspect ratio, with a game-specific border around them. You're able to stretch the image to fill 16:9 widescreen, or any other size much like how retro games are presented on XBLA. There is also a 'graphic smoothing' option which pretty much does what it says on the box, smoothing out the pixellated graphics so they appear a little more natural. This option does unfortunately, sometimes mean smoothing out some detail, for instance in Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine graphic smoothing takes out the pupils of the Mean Beans' eyes.
I'm looking forward to killing you, very soon!
While not necessarily one of the main draws of this collection, one of its smartest design decisions is the implementation of Achievements/Trophies in the game. Everybody likes collecting Achievements, right? Well to collect them in Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection you're actually going to have to give every game in it a chance. The Achievements range from simply collecting a Chaos Emerald in Sonic the Hedgehog to reaching 20,000 points on Columns. They're fantastic incentive to actually get you to play all the games in the collection in-depth, rather than just sticking to the more famous titles or the ones within your preferred genre. They might even get you to try the lesser Sonic Spinball and Sonic 3D titles, although you don't have to play them for too long.
As for further extras in the collection, every game comes equipped with a 'Museum' with box art and 'Did You Know?' facts if you're after further information. There are also unlockable interviews with several creators of the original games, in addition to the aforementioned unlockable Master System and Arcade titles. It appears that many of these interviews appeared in the original Sega Mega Drive Collection on PS2 & PSP, which also shared several of the same games, unfortunately even retaining their poor encoding, which is a shame in regards to the rest of the Ultimate Collection's slick presentation. Nevertheless, they are interesting and insightful, and can take a bit of work to unlock if we do say so ourselves.
What a big cavern. I guess there would be an... Ecco... in there?
Obviously, there are other titles we wish had made it into the collection. In fact, anyone who used to own a Mega Drive probably has at least one or two titles they wish made it in as well. As for us, we think that if you're going to introduce Master System and Arcade unlockables why not bring in some fan favourites like Wonder Boy, or rarities like SegaSonic the Arcade? But we suppose that this isn't an Ultimate Master System collection, nor is it an Ultimate Arcade collection. It's once again the Mega Drive's show, and considering the quality and variety on display, it's a fine send-off for the console if it is indeed the 'Ultimate Collection' it claims to be.
At the budget price that Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection's been released at, it offers tremendous value for money. There are over forty classic Sega games presented just as they were back in their heyday, with interesting incentives included to keep you playing through all of the titles included in the collection. There's a lot of retro-goodness to find, whether you're a Sega fan looking for a nostalgia trip, or you missed the Sega/Nintendo console wars and want to see the company's golden age. From the serene to the silly, the fast to the furious, and the deep to the devious, the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection is possibly the company's best retro work so far.
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