Featuring a gigantic roster of 51 games, almost all of Sega’s most iconic 16-bit titles are well-represented in this compilation. The majority of these games are well within Starburst readers’ interests, with plenty of sci-fi, fantasy, action and adventure, and not a single sports game in sight. We’d be here all day if we gave you a rundown of every single game, but here’s a few choice picks…
Beat ’em up fans will be pleased with the inclusion of all three Streets of Rage games, there’s Phantasy Star 2-4 for the JRPGers, and Golden Axe 1-3 are as great as they’ve ever been. We get three Shinobi games (including the sublime Shadow Dancer), the incredible Gunstar Heroes and Alien Storm, Toejam & Earl (1 and 2), Virtua Fighter 2, Altered Beast, Zelda-esque action adventure Landstalker, and of course several appearances from Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic 1 and 2, Sonic Spinball, and 3D Blast.
Each game has multiple save slots, and a handy quicksave / load function allows players to swap between games at any time without losing progress. There’s also a rewind / fast forward button so you can correct your mistakes or quickly skip through cutscenes. The usual video options are here too, adding scanlines or smoothing out the pixels for a more (or less, if you like) authentic retro feel. Everything looks excellent on the small Switch screen and equally pleasing when hooked up to the TV. Games all run smoothly and we haven’t noticed any lag or framerate dips whatsoever. Split joycons can be used for local multiplayer, and there’s also an online option (that unfortunately we weren’t able to test pre-release). Throw in various challenges and a “mirror mode” that reverses each game (including controls), there’s plenty here to keep you going for many hours.
Sega Mega Drive Classics presents an opportunity for new-school gamers to experience a fantastic mix of old classics and underappreciated / lesser-known titles. And for those who might have already picked this one up on other platforms, the portability factor may well be enough to convince you to double dip.
SEGA MEGA DRIVE CLASSICS (NINTENDO SWITCH EDITION) / DEVELOPER: SEGA / PUBLISHER: SEGA / PLATFORM: NINTENDO SWITCH / RELEASE DATE: 6TH DECEMBER
