"For what Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection lacks in quality, it at least partially makes up for by its sheer quantity of emulated games."
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
49 Sega classics packed into one huge compilation for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and includes a variety of bonus material perfect for the biggest of Sega fans.
Overview
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (known in the UK as Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection) is a compilation of 48 classic titles (49 if you count the two different versions of Altered Beast) that were originally for the Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega Master System (Platform), and arcade. While staying true to the original feel and play of the games, developer Backbone Entertainment (Company) added a number of features such as allowing three "save states" slots and visual settings to stretch the view to 16:9 wide-screen as well as to apply a "smoothing filter" that gives the game a less pixelated look. Each game also has their own museum which includes the original box art, cartridge art, and general information and trivia about the title. The collection also features video interviews with a few of the original game developers. It was released for PlayStation 3 (Platform) and Xbox 360 (Platform) on February 10th, 2009 for US$29.99.
Included Genesis/Mega Drive Titles
- Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Game)
- Alien Storm (Game)
- Altered Beast (Game)
- Beyond Oasis (Game)
- Bonanza Bros.
- Columns (Game)
- Comix Zone (Game)
- Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
- Dynamite Headdy (Game)
- Ecco the Dolphin (Game)
- Ecco II: The Tides of Time
- E-SWAT
- Fatal Labyrinth (Game)
- Flicky (Game)
- Gain Ground (Game)
- Golden Axe I
- Golden Axe II (Game)
- Golden Axe III (Game)
- Kid Chameleon (Game)
- Phantasy Star II (Game)
- Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
- Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
- Ristar (Game)
- Shining in the Darkness (Game)
- Shining Force (Game)
- Shining Force II (Game)
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
- Sonic 3D Blast (Game)
- Sonic and Knuckles
- Sonic Spinball
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Game)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Game)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Game)
- Streets of Rage (Game)
- Streets of Rage 2 (Game)
- Streets of Rage 3 (Game)
- Super Thunder Blade (Game)
- Vectorman (Game)
- Vectorman 2 (Game)
Unlockable Games
While all of the Genesis/Mega Drive games are unlocked from the start, you must unlock the Sega Master System and arcade games by completing a certain task in a specific Genesis game.
| Game | System | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Altered Beast | Arcade | Earn 100,000 points in Stage One of the Genesis version of Altered Beast. |
| Alien Syndrome | Arcade | Complete Stage One and Stage Two of Alien Storm without dying. |
| Congo Bongo (Game) | Arcade | Finish Stage One of Streets of Rage 3 with all three characters. |
| Fantasy Zone (Game) | Arcade | Earn 80,000 points in Flicky. |
| Golden Axe Warrior (Game) | Sega Master System | Use magic ten times in Golden Axe III. |
| Phantasy Star (Game) | Sega Master System | Finish Emerald Hill Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with two players. |
| Shinobi (Game) | Arcade | Finish Stage One of Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master without dying. |
| Space Harrier (Game) | Arcade | Earn 1,500,000 points in Stage One of Super Thunder Blade. |
| Zaxxon (Game) | Arcade | Collect five coins in Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head. |
Trivia
- Knuckles in Sonic 2, Sonic andamp;amp;amp; Knuckles, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles could've made it into the collection, but due to space limitations and tight development times, they had to be dropped.
- Giant Bomb's own Drew Scanlon (Person) worked on this game being credited with "Visual Arts," including making the icons used for the achievements/trophies.
- A special vinyl called the Sega Mega Drive Vinyl that features music used in this game's collection was made exclusively in Australia and New Zealand. Only 3500 copies were printed with each being individually numbered.
Similar Games
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- Name
- Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
- Release Date
- February 10, 2009
- Platform
- Xbox 360 (Platform)
PlayStation 3 (Platform) - Developer
- Publisher
- Genre
- Compilation (Genre)
- Franchise
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Franchise)
- Aliases
- Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
Sonics Ultimate Genesis Collection