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January 23, 2006 | 6:54 PM PST
by: Sean Kennedy
One of the greatest complication pack you can buy!
Compilation packs are often a mixed bag when it comes to quality and getting your moneys worth. Many of them feature poorly emulated versions of classic games, games that no one really cared about to begin with, or are overpriced for what you get. Enter Sega with the Sonic Mega Collection Plus with it’s 20 classic games at the budget price of $20!
Featured Games:
Contents
As mentioned early, Sonic Mega Collection is loaded with 20 classic Sega games from the Sega Genesis and Game Gear systems. Each game is perfectly emulated and plays as well as the original cartridge versions. The majority of the twenty games are from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise including the main series of games from the Genesis and the majority of the released spin-offs. Not content in only providing gamers with only Sonic games, Sonic Team has also included a handful of classic non-Sonic universe games such as The Ooze, the classic Comix Zone, and the often overlooked Sonic Team game Ristar. The majority of these games are still a blast to play and show that classic 2D gaming is as challenging and fun as today’s 3D games. A few of the Game Gear games are only mildly fun and Sonic Spinball is still as big of a mess now as it was when it was originally released, but they are all worth giving a play through to.
In addition to the games, Sonic Team has also included some bonus content. While nothing too exciting, players can view some nice art galleries, the original boxes, and the original manuals. While interviews and possibly even original television ads would have been a nice addition, the overall package is still very strong.
Graphics
Since this is a compilation pack of 16-bit games, some 15 years old, it’s important not to expect any of the visuals to wow you. However, the majority of the games, especially the Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog main series titles, Comix Zone, and Ristar still look great and as good as many of the games you will find released on the GameBoy Advance today. It is important to remember that these games were made a long time ago before today’s huge television sets, and as such, the visuals will take a massive hit when played on huge television sets. The Game Gear games, no matter what size television you are playing on, look very blocky and dated. But then again they were made to be played on a small LCD screen, not a standard television set.
Sound
There is no getting around it; the majority of the sounds are very dated. Like they do in the graphics department, the Sonic games do hold up well in the audio department but by today’s standards they dated from a technical standpoint. All of that aside, the music found in the Sonic games is still as memorable and well composed as it always was. The Game Gear games sound the worst, but then they are from an 8-bit system so what else can you expect?
Closing
Sonic Mega Collection Plus is one of the greatest, if not the best compilation on the market today. It is filled with classic games that anyone of any age can enjoy again and again. It’s fun to take a step back in time and play the games you grew up with, or watch a young kid play these classic games for the first time. At $20 there is no reason why you should not pick this compilation up today.
November 20, 2009
