From Streets of Rage to Golden Axe to Altered Beast, now you don’t need a friend IRL to play with (although you can still do that, too). There are some nice emulation settings, meta game challenges, and online multiplayer for 21 of the 53 games that aims to drag these ‘90s kids kicking and screaming into the twenty-tens. You’ve got your game library displayed next to your TV, but I really wish we could see the box art – instead, we can only see the spines.
The charming menu screen is presented as a ‘90s kid’s bedroom with Golden Axe and Shinobi posters on the wall and a pretty radical Sonic the Hedgehog rug. Instead, it spat out what IGN’s 2007 Virtual Console review called a “nearly unrecognizable port that failed to capture even a hint of the magic of the arcade original.” This is not the respectable arcade version – it’s the Genesis version, which never should have been attempted as the console simply cannot handle the 3D graphics. The “This Should Have Stayed Dead Award” goes to Virtua Fighter 2. And Landstalker is a clever isometric action-RPG. Beyond Oasis was SEGA’s attempt at a Zelda clone, but it really stands on its own as a charming action-adventure game. Phantasy Stars 2 and 4 are still terrific JRPGs – you could kill 50+ hours with just these two quests. Similarly, the obscure run-and-gun affair Alien Soldier, another Treasure joint, makes its North American debut here. Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy are run-and-gun classics from one of the greatest action developers of the ‘90s, Treasure. Streets of Rage could shake down Double Dragon. Highlights include Shining Force 1 and 2, which are a couple of the finest turn-based strategy games ever made. Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master.Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium.There is a nice variety on display here, showcasing several different sides of the Genesis’ personality – brawlers, platformers, RPGs, puzzle games, and, um, whatever Decap Attack is. I revisited all 53 games for this review and found that about 90% of them are still fun to play today.
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