Nintendo Switch owners rejoice! As of December 7th, 2018, you are the proud recipient of Sega Genesis Classics, a compilation title featuring over 50 Sega Genesis games in one neat package. With over 50 games to choose from, is your favorite included or will you have to make a separate purchase?

Full disclosure, I’m a Sega fan. Through-and-through. However, I am not oblivious to who the winner of the 16-bit console wars is (spoiler alert: it’s Nintendo). Sega may have won many-a-battle with their insanely successful Genesis system, but Nintendo easily won the war despite their flawed Virtual Boy and failed partnership with Sony all at the tail-end of the Super Nintendo’s run. Truthfully, nobody “LOST” the war as both companies made a ton of money and cemented their place in gaming history across the globe, but it’s telling that the biggest names in console development at the time were: Nintendo, Sega, NEC, SNK, Atari, and Panasonic… None of which are still standing except for Nintendo.

So with that said, it should come as no surprise that Nintendo Switch owners are being graced with this wonderful compilation of fantastic Genesis games. Long-gone are the days of Nintendo vs. Sega as they quickly saw the mutual benefits of being on the same team once Sega bowed out of the console market. Retro enthusiasts may not find the title they’re looking for in this compilation, but what about your casual retro gamer? Will this satiate their appetite for time-travel?

The Lineup

First, check out this list of titles included on the Sega Genesis Classics compilation and then we’ll discuss it in depth a little more:

• Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
• Alien Soldier
• Alien Storm
• Altered Beast
• Beyond Oasis
• Bio-Hazard Battle
• Bonanza Bros.
• Columns
• Columns III: Revenge of Columns
• Comix Zone
• Crack Down
• Decap Attack
• Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
• Dynamite Headdy
• ESWAT: City Under Siege
• Fatal Labyrinth
• Flicky
• Gain Ground
• Galaxy Force II
• Golden Axe
• Golden Axe II
• Golden Axe III
• Gunstar Heroes
• Kid Chameleon
• Landstalker
• Light Crusader
• Phantasy Star II
• Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
• Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
• Ristar
• Shadow Dancer: The Secret of the Shinobi
• Shining in the Darkness
• Shining Force
• Shining Force II
• Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
• Sonic the Hedgehog
• Sonic the Hedgehog 2
• Sonic 3D Blast
• Sonic Spinball
• Space Harrier II
• Streets of Rage
• Streets of Rage 2
• Streets of Rage 3
• Super Thunder Blade
• Sword of Vermillion
• The Revenge of Shinobi
• ToeJam & Earl
• ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
• Vectorman
• Vectorman 2
• Virtua Fighter 2

There’s your list of 50+ games, 51 from my count. Being the Sega fan that I am, I can’t help but notice some glaring holes in the requisite Genesis punch-list. But at the same time, I see a few games that are MAJOR standouts and very welcome inclusions over its predecessor Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection, a compilation game from 2009. Despite its overall cosmetic and functional quality, or its sleek design and build, or its quality Switch controller integration, this compilation lacks in terms of being a true upgrade to Sega’s last compilation release (the aforementioned Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection). That’s not to say it’s a bad game! But what does it do to advance the Genesis compilation series?

Sega Genesis Classics feels like an odd mash-up of Sega Genesis Collection (2006, PS2 / PSP) and Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection (2009, PS3, 360) which are the last 2 major Genesis compilation releases.  Oddly enough, they excluded some of the Genesis’ most recognizable and defining games. Upon examining the list, I immediately noticed that the Ecco the Dolphin series, Sonic 3, and Sonic & Knuckles are not on the list. That’s not to say these games aren’t included as unlockables, but they’re not available as far as I know.

What’s Missing?

Here’s a list of what’s missing from this compilation, yet was available on the last 2 major compilation releases:

• Ecco the Dolphin
• Ecco: The Tides of Time
• Ecco Jr.
• Sonic the Hedgehog 3
• Sonic & Knuckles

What’s New?

Here’s a list of what has been added that was not available on the last 2 major compilation releases:

• Alien Soldier
• Bio-Hazard Battle
• Columns III: Revenge of Columns
• Crack Down
• Gunstar Heroes
• Landstalker
• Light Crusader
• ToeJam & Earl
• ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
• Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi (not available on the most recent predecessor)
• Sword of Vermillion (not available on the most recent predecessor)
• Virtua Fighter 2 (not available on the most recent predecessor)

The new additions are BEYOND fantastic and are very welcome. I can understand some games being excluded from the list, but from a quality or popularity standpoint, the excluded games should not have been 3 of Sega’s flagship characters from the early ’90s in Sonic, Knuckles, and Ecco.

Among the 9 newly added games, Gunstar Heroes is easily the most acclaimed, and arguably among the top 5 best games of the entire compilation (Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Phantasy Star II, Phantasy Star IV, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja – put them where you want them) and possibly top 5 within the entire Genesis library. In fact, Gunstar Heroes made my shortlist of 9 games we want to see brought back titled “9 Original Sega IPs We Want Revived,” a piece I compiled and wrote in July of 2017. Maybe they heard?

CONCLUSION

All of this brings us to our titular question: Switch’s Sega Genesis Classics – New? Or More of the Same? 9 out of the 51 games are new to the Genesis compilation series, so technically 80+% of the game is exactly the same, but the major benefits here are: the new games, the fact that you now have this on your Switch (which means you can play at home or on-the-go), and a damn good price of only $29.99 at most all American retailers. Back to the answer of that question: While I think it falls into the “more of the same” category, I highly endorse the collection and additions, especially if you don’t own any of the previous compilations. I do find the exclusions baffling and questionable, but it’s easy to forgive once you get into the excitement of the other games. If I had to guess, I’d say the Ecco games and missing Sonic games are probably unlockable games.

Overall, the keyword here is “QUALITY.” Sega Genesis Classics is a quality compilation with quality games (and lots of them), a quality user interface, quality features (save anytime, rewind to undo your shitty gameplay, etc), and a Switch exclusive co-op mode. This game is WORTH your money folks!