Sega Genesis Classics

Genre: Compilation / Various

Players: 1-2 Co-Op / Competitive (Local, Online), Online Leaderboards

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Review:

Sega Genesis Classics is a compilation game that includes 51 games from the Sega Genesis game library, covering a wide range of genres. Here’s how they stack up:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle	Platformer	1	D-
tl;dr Alex Kidd in the Enchanted castle is a fairly standard platformer… but really poorly done. Wow, this game is terrible. It’s ugly, sounds bad, and the gameplay is loose, unresponsive, and just… ugh.
Alien Soldier	Action-Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	D+
tl;dr Alien Soldier has some good things going for it, like a unique weapon system, but clunky controls, terrible level design, and messy graphics make it hard to get into.
Alien Storm	Brawler / Arcade	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online), Online Leaderboards	D+
tl;dr Alien Storm is a brawler with Arcade-Style “shooting gallery” stages. It doesn’t do either type of game especially well. The controls feel too loose, there’s too little gameplay variety, and the hitboxes for everything seem to be broken.
Altered Beast	Action-Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	C
tl;dr Altered Beast has you fighting through hordes of enemies until you’ve “power up!”-ed enough to fight each level’s boss, having transformed into a monstrous form. An arcade classic to be sure, but it’s a bit rough by today’s standards, with slow character movement, stiff controls, and some enemies it’s unclear how you’re supposed to fight.
Beyond Oasis	Top-Down Action-RPG	1	C+
tl;dr Beyond Oasis is an Action-RPG that does a few inventive things with the genre, but it suffers from being designed for a controller with only three buttons, and there’s not as much of an element of exploration as genre fans may prefer.
Bio-Hazard Battle	Bullet Hell Shmup	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B-
tl;dr This Bullet Hell Shmup has aged surprisingly well, with a lot of variety in ships and sub-weapons. The ship sizes are a bit bigger compared to the screen size than this genre tends to call for, and the game is particularly hard as a result, but genre fans might enjoy this one.
Bonanza Bros.	Action-Platformer / Stealth	1-2 Co-Op (Local Split-Screen, Online)	B+
tl;dr Still to this day, there’s not much else out there quite like Bonanza Bros., and it’s still a great early example of good use of stealth in videogames. The challenge level is a bit high for its cartoony exterior, and there’s a bit of trial and error when new enemies and dangers are introduced, but on the whole this is an excellent game.
Columns	Puzzle	1-2 Competitive (Local, Online), Online Leaderboards	C
tl;dr This is a decent puzzle game with a good presentation, but it’s low on features and it’s lacking that addictive quality you look for in this sort of game.
Columns III	Puzzle	1-2 Competitive (Local, Online)	C+
tl;dr Much like the first Columns, this is a puzzle game with a good presentation, but still lacking that addictive quality you want in a good puzzle game.
Comix Zone	Action-Platformer	1	C+
tl;dr Comix Zone was a wildly inventive take on the Action-Platformer genre, with a cool concept, some great character design, and some good animation, but the gameplay is a bit frustrating and repetitive.
Crack Down	Top-Down Action	1-2 Co-Op (Local Split-Screen, Online), Online Leaderboards	C
tl;dr Crack Down, not to be confused with the Xbox game Crackdown, is a Top-Down Action game where you’re navigating a maze of enemies to specific locations to plant bombs. It’s a decent premise, but the game is too slow-paced to be very compelling.
Decap Attack	Platformer	1	C+
tl;dr Decap Attack is a decent platformer, but the challenge level is too high, and your character controls as if he’s always walking on ice.
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine	Puzzle	1-2 Competitive (Local, Online), Online Leaderboards	B-
tl;dr This is a version of the classic match-4 puzzle game Puyo Puyo, and a decent version of it, at that. It’s a bit feature-poor, but if you just want a standard release of a great puzzle game, this will do the trick nicely.
Dynamite Headdy	Platformer	1	B-
tl;dr Dynamite Heady has some unique ideas at work here, using the protagonist’s springy head in different interesting ways. It occasionally gets frustrating, particularly when you take hits and don’t see any way they could have been avoided.
Eswat: City Under Siege	Action-Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	C-
tl;dr This is a pretty standard action-platformer, without anything especially noteworthy going for it, and with the downside of the whole “Nintendo hard” thing.
Fatal Labyrinth	RPG	1	C-
tl;dr Fatal Labyrinth is a rudimentary RPG where each move you make gives enemies a turn to move, and attacks happen automatically when you move into an enemy. However, it’s just too simplistic here to recommend.
Flicky	Arcade / Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	C+
tl;dr Flicky is a cute little arcade-style Platformer where you run back and forth on a single repeating screen while evading cats hunting you. It’s actually a pretty decent little time waster, but it’s frustrating that your character moves like they’re running on ice and the walls are made of rubber.
Gain Ground	Top-Down Action	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online), Online Leaderboards	D+
tl;dr Gain Ground is a top-down action game a bit like the classic Gauntlet, except the characters move slow as molasses and the hit detection is terrible.
Galaxy Force II	On-Rails Shooter	1	C-
tl;dr Galaxy Force II is an On-Rails Shooter that uses faux 3D graphics for a game style similar to the Afterburner series. It’s decent as far as these sorts of games go, but you’re limited in what actions you can take, and the constant ticking down of an “energy” meter seems like an artificially-imposed limitation that doesn’t help to make the game more fun.
Golden Axe	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B-
tl;dr A true classic, Golden Axe brought a few unique features to the brawler formula, such as mounts. The controls are a bit stiff, but this is still a fun game even today.
Golden Axe II	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B-
tl;dr While not quite as much of a classic as the first game, it plays just as well, although it still suffers from many of the same flaws the first game did.
Golden Axe III	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B
tl;dr I place Golden Axe III above its two predecessors thanks to a wider array of moves and tighter gameplay.
Gunstar Heroes	Action-Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online), Online Leaderboards	B+
tl;dr Gunstar Heroes is an Action-Platformer with Bullet Hell elements in the vein of the Contra and Metal Slug games, and it’s absolutely brimming with imagination and personality. It’s a bit on the challenging side, and at times the screen can get so full of enemies it’s difficult to think, but it is nevertheless still very fun to play.
Kid Chameleon	Platformer	1-2 Alternating (Local), Online Leaderboards	C
tl;dr Kid Chameleon is a pretty standard platformer that unfortunately has controls that are just a bit too loose to make it really satisfying.
Landstalker	Action-RPG	1	C-
tl;dr Landstalker is an Action-RPG game that has a lot of promise but is marred by its isometric view and really bad controls.
Light Crusader	Action-RPG	1	C-
tl;dr Light Crusader is an interesting Action-RPG marred by repetitive, labyrinthine levels, and a frustrating isometric view.
Phantasy Star II	JRPG	1	C
tl;dr This is a classic JRPG, and while it still has a great premise and a wonderful presentation, the interface is hard to understand without looking up game guides, and the challenge level is brutal. This is a game only for the nostalgic and the absolute die-hard fans of the genre.
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom	Turn-Based JRPG	1	C
tl;dr This game thankfully avoids the problems the previous game had, but it also loses the unique premise, instead giving us something that feels really generic.
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium	Turn-Based JRPG	1, Online Leaderboards	C+
tl;dr Unlike the previous two games, there’s both decent personality to this game, as well as decent gameplay, even if it is a bit archaic by today’s standards. Worth a try if you enjoy JRPGs.
Ristar	Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	B
tl;dr Ristar is a solid platformer with a good, unique mechanic of using Ristar’s stretchy arms to grab things
Shadow Dancer	Action-Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	C+
tl;dr Shadow Dancer, the fourth game in Sega’s classic Shinobi series, is a decent Action-Platformer with a good variety of stages and enemies. Its one hit-deaths make it pretty unforgiving by today’s standards, but it’s still fun.
Shining in the Darkness	First-Person Turn-Based RPG	1	C-
tl;dr Shining in the Darkness is one of those first-person perspective Maze RPGs, which means repetitive labyrinthine levels, random enemy encounters, and what’s worse, this game doesn’t seem to have (as far as I can tell) any map. Ugh.
Shining Force	Strategy-RPG	1	B-
tl;dr Shining Force is a Strategy-RPG with striking similarities to the Fire Emblem series, and that has the skeleton of a solid game, but it’s missing a lot of the nuances and quality of life adjustments the genre has made in the decades since this came out. Oh, and the AI is as dumb as rocks.
Shining Force II	Strategy-RPG	1	B
tl;dr Like its predecessor, Shining Force II is a solid strategy-RPG, but this time the game is slightly more refined, with small improvements throughout. And the AI this time around is thankfully much better.
Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master	Action-Platformer	1	B-
tl;dr Shinobi III (actually the eighth game in the series, apparently) drops Shadow Dancer’s one hit kills in favor of gameplay that’s a bit more forgiving, though it’s still tough, and a bit on the simplistic side. However, there’s a good variety of enemies and stages. Not bad.
Sonic the Hedgehog	Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	A-
tl;dr Even to this day, the original Sonic the Hedgehog remains a classic platformer that’s one of the best games of its kind. It’s not without its flaws, and this version of it seems to have some sound errors that mar the experience, but it’s still a damn good game.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2	Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Local Split Screen, Online), Online Leaderboards	A-
tl;dr Sonic’s second outing is every bit as good as the first, if not a bit more so, thanks to better, more consistent stage design, and a few helpful tweaks to the overall experience. The game still has its flaws, but it nevertheless remains a platforming classic.
Sonic 3D Blast	Platformer	1	C
tl;dr Sonic’s first half-step into the world of 3D via an isometric platformer has mixed results at best. The isometric viewpoint makes judging your location and approaching enemies needlessly difficult, and the unfocused level design is a poor choice for a character whose specialty is speed.
Sonic Spinball	Pinball / Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	C+
tl;dr Conceptually, Sonic Spinball is a fantastic idea that could bring a lot both to the pinball genre as well as to the Sonic series. Unfortunately, the controls here are far too stiff and unresponsive, and the game isn’t anywhere near as lively and animated as the mainline Sonic games.
Space Harrier II	On-Rails Shooter	1	C+
tl;dr Space Harrier II is an On-Rails faux-3D shooter. It works well enough, but it’s simple, repetitive, and unforgiving.
Streets of Rage	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online), Online Leaderboards	C
tl;dr Streets of Rage is a decent Brawler, but it doesn’t do anything to really set itself apart or make it particularly noteworthy in any way, and it gets repetitive very quickly.
Streets of Rage II	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B
tl;dr Streets of Rage II is a huge improvement over the first game thanks to a good variety of attack options. It’s still a bit on the repetitive side, but this is still a solid entry in the genre.
Streets of Rage 3	Brawler	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	B-
tl;dr Streets of Rage 3 takes the formula from the second game, picks up the pace quite a bit, but loses something in the quality department. It’s still decent, but not as good as the second game.
Super Thunder Blade	On-Rails Shooter	1, Online Leaderboards	D
tl;dr Super Thunder Blade is a game that has you piloting a helicopter and shooting down enemies in a faux-3D On-Rails Shooter. The framerates are slow, the controls are sluggish and unresponsive… this game is a mess.
Sword of Vermillion	Action-RPG	1	D
tl;dr Sword of Vermillion is like a collection of all of my least-favorite features of RPGs from this era: Slow walking speeds, having to select everything from menus, first-person perspective mazes, and terrible action-RPG combat. Don’t bother with this one.
The Revenge of Shinobi	Action-Platformer	1	C-
tl;dr The third game in the Shinobi series, Revenge of Shinobi is unforgiving and frustrating to play.
Toejam & Earl	Misc.	1-2 Co-Op (Local Split-Screen, Online)	D
tl;dr I’m still not entirely sure what the point to this game is. You move… very slowly… on a map avoiding enemies while looking for collectables. The game has a very “this is what kids think are cool these days!” vibe that’s kinda’ adorable now, but it doesn’t make up for what a slog this is.
Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkatron	Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local, Online)	D
tl;dr The second game in this series plays completely differently than the first one, yet manages to be just as bad. Slow, unresponsive controls make this platformer a pain to play.
Vectorman	Action-Platformer	1, Online Leaderboards	C
tl;dr Vectorman is an average action-platformer hampered by the screen being too close to the action, meaning that if you want to move forward without dying quickly, you have to inch through the game’s levels.
Vectorman 2	Action-Platformer	1	C
tl;dr Vectorman 2, like the first game, is an average action-platformer hampered by the screen being too close to the action, meaning that if you want to move forward without dying quickly, you have to inch through the game’s levels.
Virtua Fighter 2	Fighting Game	1-2 Competitive (Local), Online Leaderboards	D
tl;dr This game looks bad, has terrible, sluggish controls, and shockingly few types of attacks for a fighting game.

The short version: The games in this collection truly worth getting, in my opinion, are Sonic 1 & 2, Gunstar Heroes, Ristar, Shining Force 1 & 2, the Golden Axe Trilogy, Streets of Rage II & 3, Bonanza Bros., Bio-Hazard Battle, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine, Dynamite Headdy, and Shinobi III. So… 16 out of 51, which may not seem like great numbers, but for a $30 price, that amounts to less than $2 per game for some really good games (as well as a slew of not-so-good ones). Not too shabby.

Note: It bears mention that some of these games are available anywhere else on the Nintendo Switch. Sonic the Hedgehog can also be bought on its own as Sega Ages Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 released as Sega Ages Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Gain Ground released as Sega Ages Gain Ground). In addition, the arcade version of Columns is included with Columns II: A Voyage Through Time, although that version of the game does not include features added to the Sega Genesis version, like multiplayer play. Also, many of the games in this collection are included in the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Sega Genesis App. If this all seems confusing, you can consult this handy chart.

I should also note that while all of the games in this collection are available on other platforms’ versions of Sega Genesis Classics, the Nintendo Switch version of Sega Genesis Classics does not include Wonder Boy in Monster World and Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair, while other platform’s versions of the compilation do.

Anyway, Sega Genesis Classics doesn’t just present these games as-is and leave it at that. The game supports multiple save states for each game, rewind and fast forward buttons, and achievements, all within a fun menu interface that looks like the bedroom of a pretty die-hard Sega fan.

There are a few things I wish this collection had more of, like behind-the-scenes materials, promo art, and also it seems really odd that only some of the games have online leaderboards, but on the whole what’s here is pretty good. The real omissions here are the games that are missing: Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, the Ecco games, Eternal Champions, After Burner II, the Out Run games, Super Hang-On, Super Monaco GP 1 & 2, the Wonder Boy games… some of these are available separately in the Sega Ages series, but even if we ignore those and the licensed games, this is still far from a comprehensive collection.

Still, even with its omissions, Sega Genesis Classics has enough truly good games that it’s worth getting for anyone who enjoys quality old-school games.

tl;dr – Sega Genesis Classics has a lot of stinkers, but it also has some truly great classic games, and at $30 for 51 games, even with only about a fourth of the games here truly worthy of being called a “classic”, that’s still a good number of games and some great bang for your buck.

Grade: B

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