Sega Genesis Classics Review (PS4)

Well, it time to plop down in from of you TV and play the games of you childhood once again.  That is assuming were a child of the 90's.  If you weren't a child of the 90's, it's time to plop down in front of your TV and learn exactly why many feel the 90's was the greatest era in gaming.  This is Sega Genesis Classics.

As you may have guessed, Sega Genesis Classics is a compilation of Genesis games.  You take the role some person (who's never shown for obvious reasons) sitting at home playing Genesis games.  This person has quite the library, with between fifty and sixty in their collection.

Your room is the main menu...

...and these are your games.

On to the games.  Much like with most compilations, there's some good games, some bad games, some okay games, and some games that are straight-up garbage.  You have great games like Shadow Dancer and Streets of Rage, but you also have trash like Sonic 3D Blast and Flicky.  In other words, there is a game for you, whether you like good games or shitty games.

From good games like Shadow Dancer...

...to shitty games like Bonanza Brothers, there's something for everyone.

There are some VERY questionable omissions, too.  Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles are the two most obvious ones.  You could make a case that those games are in every Sonic or Sega compilation, but you'd have to follow that up by asking why they kept trash like Sonic 3D blast and Super Thunder Blade 4 from earlier collections.  It is quite the head-scratcher why they choose to include some trash, while excluding gold.

The additions are a mixed bag filled with interesting games.  That are games like Land Stalker on the good side.  On the bad side, you have trash like Galaxy Force 2.  Smack in the middle, you have Alien Soldier and the like.  Good or bad, compilations potentially give you a chance to play games you may not have played before.  This one passes that test.

Alien Soldier is one of the more fun and interesting additions.

Additions aren't just limited to game, though.  You also have the ability to fast-forward and rewind games.  Then, you have challenges, which are meant to...well...challenge you.  Finally, you have Mirror Mode, which flips things around for a new type of challenge.  Honestly, two or three more GOOD games would have been better the ability to FF/Rewind, but what can you do.

Simply playing Sonic 3D Blast is oddly absent from the Challenges menu.

Turn on Mirror Mode to play the games backwards.

One sweeping flaw is that the music stutters sometimes.  You'll be sitting there, playing a game and rocking your head to a familiar song, then the music will stutter like an overworked Pentium processor.  It can mess up your flow, but obviously it's not game-breaking.  Still, you'd figure the PS4 could handle 16-bit music with no trouble (the PS3 could).

Also, the interface seems clumsy, especially when exiting or trying to save a game.  When in a game, you have to hold the touchpad until the game feels like bringing up the menu.  I understand it's like this because a PS4 controller doesn't have a Select button (like PS3 controller) and the touchpad is too easy to hit, hence you'd have to hold it to keep from accidently bringing up the menu during intense play. Still, it feels clunky and weird.

On to the little stuff.  The music varies from game to game, so is hard to truly judge.  Some games DO have better music than others.  From the classics in Sonic the Hedgehog to the kick-ass themes in E-Swat, you should like the music.  Even Sonic 3D Blast has a good boss theme (the game is still trash, though).

As for extras...what you see is what you get.  In other words, there are no real extras.  No unlockable games, no interviews, no nothing.  The previous collection on PS3/XB360 had all these things.  Why aren't they here?  As mentioned earlier, I'd have preferred a few more games the belong in a classics collection rather than Mirror Mode and FF/Rewind.

Like the music, the graphics vary from game to game.  Some games have crisp, clear graphics (Like Sonic 2), while others are so messy, it's hard to tell what's going on (Sonic 3D Blast once again).  One minor flaw across the board is that there's no TRUE fullscreen graphics.

On the whole, this is an okay collection of games.  There are a few games that don't belong in a compilation that claims to be filled with classics, but most clearly have a place here.  There's plenty of variety.  You have platformers, shooters, brawlers, puzzlers, and RPGs all on one disc.  There are questionable exclusions and no extras, but it's a solid collection at a low and tidy price.  If you're a fan of the Genesis, don't miss it.  For everyone else, check it out.