Sega Genesis Collection review

Ah the Genesis. Back in the 16-bit era, Sega's black box was a masterpiece of hardware that competed fiercely with Nintendo through a combination of killer software and slick marketing. "Blast processing," anyone? Though the speedy blue hedgehog Sonic has been the focus of recent compilations, Sega's latest trip down memory lane takes a somewhat broader approach, revisiting a number of classics that many current gen gamers have never played.

Among the featured titles are the first two Sonic games, Phantasy Star II, III and IV (why not the original, we wonder?), the Ecco games, Sword of Vermilion, the Genesis conversion of Virtua Fighter 2 and the original pack-in game, Altered Beast. Golden Axe fans will appreciate the inclusion of Golden Axe III, which was previously only available as a Japanese import or a limited time download from the short-lived, but much loved Sega Channel. Rounding out the bunch are five unlockable arcade titles from the Sega vaults: arcade Altered Beast, Future Spy, Tac/Scan, Zaxxon and Zektor.

The variety in both style and technology is much appreciated, as the collection features everything from arcade action, to fighting, to in-depth RPG adventuring. In short, no matter what your gaming tastes, there is something here to whet your appetite. New features include the ability to save anytime, anywhere and a nifty progressive scan display. Oh, and the emulation is spot-on.