Huge Mega Drive compilation

By Tom Bramwell Published 11 August, 2006

For PS2 and PSP.

SEGA's preparing another compilation of Mega Drive games for release this autumn.

SEGA Genesis Collection - likely to be renamed SEGA Mega Drive Collection or similar for Europe - is being compiled by Backbone Entertainment for PlayStation 2 and PSP and includes around 30 games.

These include everything from Sonic The Hedgehog and Ristar to Alex Kidd and Ecco the Dolphin, including a number of games plucked from the same series. Golden Axe, for example, counts for three entries, while you can also expect to find games II, III and IV in the Phantasy Star series.

Both the PS2 and PSP versions will include interviews with the original game developers and a museum area full of game-facts, as well as hints. The PSP version will also offer wireless multiplayer, but as a counterweight the PS2 version will include three unlockable games (Tac/Scan, Zektor and Zaxxon) not available on the PSP.

You can find a few screenshots of the games in action elsewhere on the site, and the full game-list, uncovered by 1UP, follows.

  • Alex Kidd - The Enchanted Castle
  • Altered Beast
  • Bonanza Bros.
  • Columns
  • Comix Zone
  • Decap Attack
  • Ecco the Dolphin
  • Ecco: The Tides of Time
  • Ecco Jr.
  • Eternal Champions
  • Flicky
  • Gain Ground
  • Golden Axe
  • Golden Axe II
  • Golden Axe III
  • Phantasy Star II
  • Phantasy Star III
  • Phantasy Star IV
  • Ristar
  • Shadow Dancer: Secret of Shinobi
  • Shinobi III
  • Sonic The Hedgehog
  • Sonic The Hedgehog 2
  • Super Thunderblade
  • Sword of Vermillion
  • Tac/Scan (PS2-only unlockable)
  • Vectorman
  • Vectorman 2
  • Virtua Fighter 2
  • Zaxxon (PS2-only unlockable)
  • Zektor (PS2-only unlockable)
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (46) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • reality_cheque #1 6 years ago

    while you can also expect to find games II, III and IV in the Phantasy Star series.

    \o/ \o/ \o/

    *dances like a crackhead with a barrel full of crack*

  • Hicksy #2 6 years ago

    BRILLIANT!!!!! \o/

  • TwistidChimp #3 6 years ago

    OH YEAAAH !

    what an awsome collection :)

  • Eldritch #4 6 years ago

    Top news!!!

    "Rise from your grave!"
    "I command you to rise from your grave and rescue my daughter."

    But where's Streets of Rage? Or ThunderForce III & IV? )C:

  • Hive #5 6 years ago

    Thats the first thing i thought, wheres Streets of Rage I, II, III :(

  • Kain_Cross #6 6 years ago

    Phantasy Star IV? Sold!

  • bionutz #7 6 years ago

    ah... altered beast...

  • ManicDrunkMonk #8 6 years ago

    I agree, why the obsession with not putting Streets of Rage on anything?

  • coojam #9 6 years ago

    They're saving it for an XBLA online co-op exclusive ;)

  • markypants #10 6 years ago

    Why the obsession??? WHY THE OBSESSION!!!

    Streets Of Rage is a highlight of many a gamers love affair with the Megadrive back in the day.

    I used to play the games with my brother start to finish and it was about the only time that we hit things together in a game rather than hit each other in the face with objects from around the house.

    Never really liked SOR3 though, but would love to have 1&2 on this compilation!!

    "SEGA. This is Jean Luc Piccard. Make it so."
    Edited by 2 at 11/08/06 @ 12:03

  • Daikon #11 6 years ago

    Sounds like great value for money. Still, I'd prefer the arcade version of Golden Axe and Thunderblade over the Megadrive versions.

    Also sadly missing in action: Afterburner, Space Harrier 2 and Super Hang On...

  • manic_mouse #12 6 years ago

    Where is Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles!?

  • Eldritch #13 6 years ago

    I hope they'll release Beats of Rage and Age of the Beast for PSP sometime soon. (C:

  • mingster #14 6 years ago

    Meh.. got them all on the PSP already using DGEN.

  • ManicDrunkMonk #15 6 years ago

    @markypants

    I think you misinterpreted what I mean't. I was trying to say why was SEGA so obsessed with refusing to put the series on a collection.

  • dbeamish #16 6 years ago

    someone count all the different formats and releases there have been of Sonic The Hedgehog 1 please..

  • SeesThroughAll #17 6 years ago

    Loved both of those Sonic games, loved Vectorman, loved Golden Axe, loved Ecco, even loved Columns. Good, solid compilation. With this, any regrets of upgrading to 2.80 will be forever gone...

  • Paleface #18 6 years ago

    Nice list - especially Decap Attack (aka Dynamite Headdy) - but VF2 for the Megadrive is one of the most staggeringly terrible games I've ever played.

  • snick #19 6 years ago

    No NHLPA 93. Not worth getting.

  • Eldritch #20 6 years ago

    Yeah, some NHL Hockey would be great!

  • lambtron #21 6 years ago

    Streets of Rage II = best mega drive game EVAH

  • Penitent #22 6 years ago

    "especially Decap Attack (aka Dynamite Headdy)"

    Decap Attack and Dynamite Headdy aren't the same game lol

  • Steroyd #23 6 years ago

    Oh My Fucking God.

    it was so hard to abbreviate.

  • absolutezero #24 6 years ago

    Needs more Dr Robotniks Mean Bean Machine.

    I have worries about the games playing on the PSP though, widescreen squishing could make them look horrible.

    Also they need to release that damn Japanese Treasure MegaDrive Compilation. Dynamite Headdy FTW.

  • dudefella #25 6 years ago

    WHERE THE JESUS IS STREETS OF RAGE ON THIS???

    Seriously, what the hell.

  • smoison #26 6 years ago

    With sooooooo many retro games comeing out on PSP (and PS2), and XBLA.

    This is going to over shadow Nintendos Virtual consol a bit.

  • Hog-lumps #27 6 years ago

    Where's thunderforce iv?

    hmmph! :(

  • locus2k1 #28 6 years ago

    SWEEEEEEET

    Lets hope its the first of many
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/06 @ 14:03

  • Machetazo #29 6 years ago

    I want to see Dynamite Headdy be included too. The lack of Streets of Rage representation is also becoming tiresome.
    Why do SEGA have a distinct agenda to omit key, memorable titles from a compilation, and in so doing, potentially do themselves out of sales?

    Couldn't they submit the Streets of Rage games for recertification? They were first rated over ten years ago. There's NO WAY the original rating would be re-awarded...

  • aine #30 6 years ago

    Needs more Dr Robotniks Mean Bean Machine.

    Puyo Pop Fever is available on pretty much every platform going for about a tenner, and it's more or less the same thing, if somewhat more headache-inducing.

    [also I think Mean Bean Machine was on one of the Sonic compilations]
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/06 @ 15:35

  • Agent_Llama #31 6 years ago

    Fooking hell! HOW AWESOME!!! Ecco the bloody Dolphin! Awesome line-up.

    But yeah, Streets of Rage II needs adding IMMEDIATELY!

    WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

  • Lex_Luthor #32 6 years ago

    That's a sexy line up, but where's Phantasy Star 1?

    As for Streets of Rage being missing... it's not something to do with keeping the age rating on the game down again I hope. If not, I'm betting next year's compilation volume 2 will have them on it.

  • SimonM7 #33 6 years ago

    One part of me wants to celebrate Shinobi 2 and 3 on a handheld, but the other part of me realises that I wanted it more when that dreadful GBA Shinobi had just come out and I just felt that "port the bloody megadrive games already".

    I have a problem with saying "wouldn't it be awesome if X game out on X?", and then years later it does and I don't care anymore.

    edit: Oh and GBA Altered Beast wasn't entirely hopeless, and easily a better game than the nostalgia powered original. But then what isn't.
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/06 @ 16:06

  • woodnotes #34 6 years ago

    Crap compilation. Why? Yet again no sodding Streets of Rage. Why the hell have they forgotten all about it!

  • Luigi #35 6 years ago

    Well, I already have a Mega Drive Emulator for the PS2... Just download the ROM's of the Mega Drive games that you own and you'll have a free and legal product.

  • yagisencho #36 6 years ago

    As an unashamed Sega fanatic, I will buy this collection. Now where the heck are the Megadrive compilations for Compile and Technosoft games? We have the Sega Ages Treasure Box release...but life is incomplete without Puyo Puyo 1 & 2, Monster World IV, Thunderforce II, III, IV, Herzog Zwei...

  • HIGHVOLTAGE #37 6 years ago

    Yeah Baby!!! Or maybe Baby? There is a lot of cack on there but thankfully enough quality to balance that. Like people say some key titles left out. May I also add to that list The Revenge of Shinobi which is the best Ninja game ever made ever on anything, forget Ninja Gaiden, Tenchu all that crap, this was the one. The perfect rock hard yet not frustrating difficulty, the perfect moves+powers, perfect level designs, perfect bosses, perfect eastern atmosphere, the perfect Soundtrack----oooooOoooOOoo it was just perfect damit! Quite why the sequels got worse only Sega know, I mean the PS2 update ain't fit to be called Shinobi. AARGHHH!!! I'm guessing ~Revenge ain't on here cause some of the bosses were ahem tributes (well rip offs) of comic book characters (spiderman, etc) which would no doubt cause a licensing nighmare. Oh well Shinobi 3 was kinda OK...

  • TreeFrog #38 6 years ago

    @Lex_Luthor
    Phantasy Star 1 was a Master System game - not a Megadrive game, so that's probably why it isn't included...

  • Tomo #39 6 years ago

    I cannot believe the positive vibes coming out of these comments! It's yet another package of retro games that have probably been released about a hundred times already and which should have been released like this ages ago!

    This is a cash in and judging by the response a license to print money for very little effort.

    /shakes head.

  • Lex_Luthor #40 6 years ago

    "Phantasy Star 1 was a Master System game - not a Megadrive game, so that's probably why it isn't included..."

    Ah right.

    Only time I played it was on the GBA compilation, I never realised it wasn't an MD game. Still... would have been nice to see it included anyway, lets face it, they're not likely to do a Master System compilation.

  • secombe #41 6 years ago

    Pretty good offering, still would love any of the following Mega Drive collections though, in particular the Disney one...

    EA Collection:

    General Chaos
    Desert Strike
    Jungle Strike
    Urban Strike
    Road Rash
    Road Rash II
    James Pond II: Robocod
    PGA European Tour
    NHLPA Hockey 93 (absolutely has to be 93)
    Madden Football 93

    Disney/Virgin Collection:

    Quackshot
    Castle of Illusion
    World of Illusion
    Aladdin
    Jungle Book
    Lion King
    Mickey Mania
    Toy Story

  • Machetazo #42 6 years ago

    Yes, EA released some great games during that period. I'm surprised that your list is missing Mutant League Football, Secombe; but I entirely agree that an EA classics compilation (covering the period before the rot set in) would be a very much appreciated announcement.
    It really surprises me that they haven't chosen to make one yet, tbh.

  • secombe #43 6 years ago

    The inclusion of Decap Attack is excellent, it's the spiritual successor to one of the greatest games of all time (imo, of course) - Psycho Fox.

    The annoying this is you always wonder why certain games never made it (ignoring many of the non-first party games mentioned), Toejam and Earl, Wonder Boy, more of the great Thunderforce titles.

  • rez606 #44 6 years ago

    Its true man, where's streets of rage, and tojam and earl, (those'd be great in wi-fi) come on sega sort it out please...... But I suppose we'll be expecting many more of these comps on psp, like the Sega Ages Treasure Box (yay Gunstar Heros) in the near future... awsome

    Plus what we really need is a sega scrolling beat-em-ups collection. All versions of Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, stuff like Guardian Hero's, Die Hard arcade, Zombie Revenge... what else..?
    Edited by 1 at 12/08/06 @ 10:45

  • earl_roberts #45 6 years ago

    Why complain about what's missing when sequels to this compilation are blatently obvious? There's enough on here to keep me occupied until the other ones with the Wonder Boys, SOR's, Toejam & Earl's , etc. are available. Really looking forward to this!

  • Lutz #46 6 years ago

    @TreeFrog: Phantasy Star 1 was a Master System game yes, but it also got a Mega Drive release in Japan, so it could easily go onto here I'd imagine.

    A great line up, but there are some key titles missing; namly the SoR series. Still, roll on Sega Ages Vol 2. ;)