RadioSEGA Review: SEGA Mega Drive Collection Vol. 1

Use this forum for all your game reviews, SEGA or otherwise. All threads will be moderated.
User avatar
Reknoc
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5153
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:14 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

RadioSEGA Review: SEGA Mega Drive Collection Vol. 1

Post by Reknoc »

Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection Volume 1 is part of SEGA's ongoing attempt to put their old games on every platform available. This time going for the hardest market; the PC. As you can guess there's more than one of these each containing only a handful of games.
In these I'm gonna list down the games with my impressions of them, and these are old games so I don't think I need to go into too much detail so it'll mostly be if they're still worth playing or if they've aged well.

I have to admit when I first saw the games on this collection my eyes did zone in on a few
and I wasn't overlly optimistic about this collection, but there was also a couple of games I'd never played so who knew? Might actually enjoy it.

UI and Features

It's abit weird to say, but the user interface is actually really important to a collection on PC. You don't want to make one so bad that people would rather just use an emulator. At first I thought that's what this UI was, the games are laid out as two rows of five games, if you use the arrow keys and lets face it, you're playing the games with those keys so you probably will, it's a pain to navigate forcing you to go left and right only instead of allowing you to go up and down. It's annoying but thankfully you can use the mouse and it's much better.

Features are pretty slim, you can check the manual which will just open up a PDF version of it which is also easily available by going into the folder where you installed the game. Another feature is an emulator staple, quicksaves which can also be accessed when selecting a game.

Right now onto the games:

Altered Beast

Urgh, just, ugh. Altered Beast really hasn't aged well. The main gameplay is just way too slow and clunky to be fun. Which is a shame because I'm a fan of the upgrade thing turning you into an animal.

Memorable Soundclip: "Wise fwom your gwave!"

Golden Axe

A really cool setting and some neat stages and magic system ruined by a rather naff combat system of standing around hitting enemies on the head. That said, I do remember the sequals being quite better.

Memorable Soundclip: "Argghh"

Comix Zone

This is easily my favourite game on the collection. Comix Zone has such a unique style with the comic book motif that goes abit further than celshading. The game can be incredibly unforgiving though, I can very rarely get past the second level since one death and that's it game over man GAME OVER!

That said; single path beat 'em ups always feel kinda weird to me.

Memorable Soundclip: "Testing one two segaaa"

Ecco

Man, Ecco is boring now. When I was a kid it was kinda cool because you swam around as a dolphin doing flips n stuff, now I realise it's a game that's just one big underwater level... Also it's flippin' hard. Still it has some amazing music that really adds to the eerie lonliness of being in the ocean.

Memorable Soundclip "God you stupid dumb animal, why live in the sea if you can't bloody breath under there ARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH"

Gain Ground

The first game that was brand new to me. I had no idea what it was but judging from the title screen I was convinced it would be some type of vertical shooter. But really it's more like something like Konami's Jackal, only with a more fantasy setting. It's fun and the music is pretty catchy.

Memorable Soundclip: None but it's has a ballin BGM

Shinobi III

Shinobi III is still incredibly awesome. Really there's nothing much to say about it.

Vectorman

Vectorman is certainly something, the core gameplay is pretty solid but I really don't care for the artstyle at all.

Sonic The Hedgehog

What sort of collection would this be without a Sonic game? A BAD ONE THAT'S WHAT! Still, I have to admit I see why they went with this one... I just kinda wish they didn't. I have to be honest while Sonic the Hedgehog is still a great game, it's probably my least favourite of the Mega Drive games. The biggest problem I have is that I just plain old don't like some of the levels, in particular Labyrinth Zone. I also think 3 Acts is one too many after the second I'm about done with the level. Even worse one of the levels technically has 4 acts though thankfully not in a row (guess which level it is). The music is still totally awesome though and it's worth it for me just to listen to some Green Hill Zone.

Memorable Soundclip: "SEGAAAAAAA"

Crackdown

The second game I hadn't played before. I have now and I'm still not entirely sure what I make of it. It seems kinda neat but I personally couldn't get into it.

Memorable Soundclip: "Crack Down"

Space Harrier II

I'm pretty sure I haven't played Space Harrier II come to think of it. I played the one on Shenmue and enjoyed it abit. Further play and I'm kinda done though. It's certainly a cool shoot 'em up but the perspective kinda doesn't do it for me without some kind of crosshair telling me where I'm shooting.

Memorable Soundclip: "Get Ready?"

------------------------------

So there you go. Honestly the game selection is really enjoyable even with Golden Axe and Altered Beast the good games are so good it more than makes up for them. The emulation is decent enough though full screen doesn't do the games too much justice.

Even so I have a hard time recommending this for people, since there are bigger and better collections else where. Still if you want a good way to legally play these games on your PC you could do much worse and of course there are more coming out which I have to say I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into a little more.

3/5
Image
User avatar
Reknoc
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5153
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:14 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Post by Reknoc »

Oh god. Look at this mess. Fuck you notepad.

fixed.
Image
User avatar
Shadid
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 922
Joined: Sat May 24, 2008 7:46 pm
Location: Portugal or hidden in a Laravel model.
Contact:

Post by Shadid »

Reknoc wrote:Oh god. Look at this mess. Fuck you notepad.

fixed.
Re-fixed.
I live here now!
Image
User avatar
Reknoc
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5153
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:14 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Post by Reknoc »

Shadid wrote:Re-fixed.
Pfftttfffttt
Image
User avatar
Quills on Wheels
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 4452
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:08 pm
Location: Land of Down Under

Post by Quills on Wheels »

This review was better than the other ones. I enjoyed reading it a lot more. Keep up like this.
User avatar
Reknoc
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5153
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:14 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Post by Reknoc »

Wow. I wonder what the cause of that could be.
Image
User avatar
Gavvie
Show DJ
Show DJ
Posts: 3042
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:14 pm
Location: London
Contact:

Post by Gavvie »

OK, OK, let's not start this again. Neither of you are doing yourselves any favours really. It's like bickering schoolchildren.
Image
User avatar
Quills on Wheels
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 4452
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:08 pm
Location: Land of Down Under

Post by Quills on Wheels »

I just said it was a nice review.
User avatar
Reknoc
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 5153
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:14 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Post by Reknoc »

Gavvie wrote:OK, OK, let's not start this again. Neither of you are doing yourselves any favours really. It's like bickering schoolchildren.
Yes mum.
Image
User avatar
Quills on Wheels
Level 15
Level 15
Posts: 4452
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:08 pm
Location: Land of Down Under

Post by Quills on Wheels »

^Lol XD
yes mem! *salutes*
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests