Sega Classics Arcade Collection (5-in-1)

"Novel, But Not Special"

Five games in one. These are all games that originated in the arcade and were then ported to Sega Genesis. Now you can play them again...ON A CD!

If you want the novelty of owning five Sega classics on one disc, then pick this up. If you have the carts, don't bother, especially if you have the 6-Pak or Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection.

I'll spare you individual reviews, since you can obtain those elsewhere. Basically, Columns and Streets Of Rage are fun to play and hold up today. They're clearly the best games on the disc. Golden Axe and Revenge Of Shinobi are passable, but they both show their age. I'm not saying I don't like them. I'm just saying they've aged badly. Super Monaco GP is absolutely forgettable.

There are audio improvements to these games here and there, but they're very subtle. Columns has a new red book audio title screen theme, which also happens to be the most obvious audio improvement of the entire collection. Golden Axe has a much cleaner soundtrack, thanks to some red book audio. The voices are also much cleaner, although the screams of death have been replaced by subdued grunts that sound absolutely silly. Streets Of Rage also has improved vocal effects, which sound much better than those of Golden Axe. Super Monaco GP has some improved voice work as well. I haven't quite figured out if anything is different about Shinobi. I've listened extensively and never noticed any variation in sound quality between the cart and the disc.

The one big drag here is that Golden Axe is now single-player-only. Golden Axe is not an easy game, and not having a second player really cripples your chances of defeating Death Adder. I'm not even sure why this game is even here, considering these circumstances.

Unlike other Sega CD titles, you won't have to worry about load times in these games. Once they boot up, they play just like their cartridge counterparts.

And that may also be part of the problem here. In terms of gameplay, there is absolutely nothing new here. These games are exactly the same. No extra levels. No FMV cut scenes. No added effects. Nothing but the games as they were on the original Genesis.

In all, this collection is a conversation piece, but nothing special. You could just as easily find these games for your Sega Genesis, but if you really want something to do with your Sega CD, I suppose you can pick this up. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 05/11/09

Game Release: Sega Classics Arcade Collection (5-in-1) (US, 1994)