I purchased this collection for the Sonic series of games and Altered Beast, and I must say, this package is well worth the price just for those games alone. Running down the list of games once I got into playing it, I forgot how much fun other games like Shinobi and Golden Axe were. The games work flawlessly thus far, graphics are sharp, an updated versions of the originals. The game speed is like I remember. This definitely gave me the fix of nostalgia games that I hope my kids will enjoy as much as I did (a reasonably family friendly collection). Sega hit it right releasing these games again. More fun for me than the other PS3 Sonic games released.

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Gotta love the classics. They bring back memories of my worry free years as a kid.

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I know Sonic Mega Collection and Sega Genesis Collection on Playstation 2 upgrade to Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection on PS3. I play classic Sega Genesis games on PS3. I never play Golden Axe warrior on Master system. I will first time play Golden Axe Warrior. I enjoyed old classic video games. I know Sega Genesis, NES, SNK Neo Geo, SNES, Nintendo64 called Wii virtual console. I like to classic video games since 1985-86. I know Sonic Unleashed had 2D and 3D games. I know Sega video arcade games in Luxor at Las Vegas. I have use playstation 3. I know trophy for playstation 3. I know no trophy before playstation 3 in 2008. Some playstation 3 games have a trophy. Playstation network games have trophy. Playstation games had add the trophy near future.

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+ Pros:

+ 40 Genesis games and 9 extra games for less than a dollar apiece

+ Setup options including widescreen, graphic smoothing, and button configurations

+ 3 Save slots per game

- Cons:

- No "Lock-on" option to play as Knuckles in Sonic 2 or 3

Ahh yes, the 1980's and 1990's. Two great periods of video games for the Sega franchise.

First, the arcade stand-ups - their machines called out to be filled with quarters offering level after level of difficult challenges to overcome. When the 1980's were drawing to a close and people were ready to move beyond the limits of 8-bit Nintendo games, Sega introduced their 4th generation home video game console, the Sega Genesis. This 16-bit system offered better graphics, longer Role-Playing Games, and one speedy hedgehog that tested the patience of even the most seasoned gamer.

This compilation combines 40 games from Sega's Genesis library, 7 of their stand-up arcade ports and 2 games from the Sega Master System, all on one disc.

Games:

Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle

Alien Storm

Altered Beast

Beyond Oasis

Bonanza Bros.

Columns

Comix Zone

Decap Attack

Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine

Dynamite Headdy

ESWAT: City Under Siege

Ecco the Dolphin

Ecco: The Tides of Time

Fatal Labyrinth

Flicky

Gain Ground

Golden Axe

Golden Axe II

Golden Axe III

Kid Chameleon

Phantasy Star II

Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom

Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium

Ristar

Shining Force

Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing

Shining in the Darkness

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

Sonic & Knuckles

Sonic 3D Blast

Sonic Spinball

Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Streets of Rage

Streets of Rage 2

Streets of Rage 3

Super Thunder Blade

Vectorman

Vectorman 2

Alien Syndrome

Altered Beast

Congo Bongo

Fantasy Zone

Golden Axe Warrior

Phantasy Star

Shinobi

Space Harrier

Zaxxon

Some of these games are initially locked, but they can be unlocked without much difficulty.

Graphics: First off, let's be honest - since these are 3rd and 4th generation video games, graphically they are not "cutting edge". If your earliest gaming console was a Sony Playstation, these games will look pre-historic to you. Most of the games have a faux background and the gameplay is centered in the middle of the screen in a 4:3 default format. The aspect ratio can be changed to letterbox (16:9) and there is even an option to smooth the graphics - but with games like these, smoothing actually takes away from the nostalgia.

Options: I love the options this compilation offers! Not only can you set your own button layouts and turn on/off the rapid fire option, but you can save your progress on every single game! Games like Sonic the Hedgehog were very unforgiving and had no save points when they were first released...but with 3 save slots at your disposal, you can take your time to complete the games at your own pace.

Gameplay: With 49 games to choose from, there are several genres at your fingertips:

Want a platformer? Try Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle.

Fancy a beat `em up? Altered Beast is calling you.

Itching for an epic RPG? Try Phantasy Star III.

How about a puzzle game? Stack up the Columns.

Maybe an action game? Suit up with ESWAT.

Side Scroller fan? Ecco the Dolphin needs your help.

Hack & Slash, eh? Grab some grog and try out Golden Axe.

Perhaps you prefer a shooter? Space Harrier is all about the bullets!

You'd like a good old fashioned Run `n' Gun? Look no further than Vectorman 2.

Whatever type of gameplay you like, it can be found in this collection.

Extras: There are interviews with several Sega employees made specifically for this collection. You can tell each person put their heart & soul into their game of choice...it was a different time. Nowadays, people like Hideo Kojima have 200 people at their disposal, whereas most of these games were made by very small teams. There is a brief history and graphic artwork for each game, a nice piece of nostalgia.

Trophies: The trophies for this game are a mixed bag. Some trophies are laughably easy (such as Ecco the Dolphin - this trophy is earned by simply talking to another dolphin!), while others like Dr. Robitnik's M.B.M. trophy (beat the game) are tooth-grindingly difficult. I thought the trophy for "Final Oasis" was a good example - the goal to free the water spirit took some time, but didn't require completing the entire game. I loved the trophy requiring every game to be played at least once.

As far as negatives, there is only one that comes to mind, the exclusion of the "lock-on" gameplay for Sonic 3, Sonic 2, and the Blue Sphere levels. This allowed gamers to play as Knuckles instead of Sonic, which could not be done at the time due to software/hardware limitations. Since the Playstation 3 is a 7th generation video game console, I was surprised these were excluded. I hope they will show up as a download from the Playstation Network before too long.

Conclusion?

If you want to take a trip down video game memory lane for a great price, this is the best collection to do it with - it breaks down to less than a dollar per game. For your portable needs, I strongly recommend the Sega Genesis Collection for the PSP.

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I like sonic but I think they could have implimented the game better to fit the ps3

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I bought this to play with my gf. These games are so bad and the graphics are such low resolution compared to what the PS3 can do that we both put it away never to play again. A complete waste of money.

I suppose if you were once into these games then you might enjoy it.

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Great game full of old Genesis games I never got tired of. DEFINATELY RECOMMEND. Fun stuff.

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This is the best value for your money. My husband and I are not big gamers, so this is a little bit easier for us, especially me. It has so many games you don't get tired of playing. Well worth it.

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"Genesis Does!! 16 Bit Arcade Graphics...You can't do this on Nintendo!!"

Well, as a matter of fact, you can reproduce some of what this collection offers on both 360 and Wii, but you're going to pay north of 100 dollars (Probably over 200 or 300 dollars actually). On Sonic's Ultimate Genesis collection you receive spot on emulations of 40 plus games from the Genesis era. Being a person who grew playing a number of these games, I can say this purchase is easily worth the 30 bucks they charge.

Altered Beast, Shinobi, Streets of Rage 1, 2, and 3, Phantasy Star 1, 2, 3, and 4, Sonic 1, 2, 3, Golden Axe 1, 2, and 3, ESWAT, Ristar, Vectorman 1 and 2, DeCap Attack, plus more. As other reviews mention, you unlock a few of these games by meeting certain scores or by completing certain criteria in other available games. This helps introduce you to some games you may not have given a second thought to initially (aka..Flicky). The games automatically save, so this is great for keeping high scores and for keeping your progress in other games up to date. **ALSO** A big bonus imo is that you can adjust the video output for each game in the options to either 16:9 widescreen or 4:3 regular screen, and additionally adjust the smoothing so you don't have to see all the jagged edges, unless you choose to. I hate borders around my games, so this feature was quite appreciated.

Overall, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is easily worth the purchase price. 40 plus games, of which nearly all of them provide some, if not quite a lot of enjoyment. It's a great collection to just kick back and enjoy playing while you remember the good ole' days of the 16 bit wars or if you aren't familiar with these games, it gives you an opportunity to play some games that were far more about gameplay, memorization, and fun, than today's wow-factor graphics based powerhouses. As I said before I grew up playing the NES, then the Genesis, and this collection introduced me to a few games I had never played before that are quite fun (aka..Alienstorm, DeCap Attack) so I think there's something in this collection for everyone (Casual to hardcore, new-school to old-school gamers). Ultimately, there's really no reason you shouldn't get this game. 30 bucks for 40 plus games is just too good of a deal to pass up. You'll easily get your money's worth and hours of fun.

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This collection really took me back to my childhood when I played the few games that we actually owned. I mainly bought it for its collection of Sonic games. My 2 young daughters are head over heels with Sonic, so it's been a blast showing them just how old Sonic is and how he looked back when I was a kid.

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With the release of next-generation consoles PlayStation 3, XBox 360 and Nintendo Wii, it's great to know that with the passing of the gaming baton, the gaming greats are never forgotten.

With the help of Sega and its mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, they rereleased some of their biggest moneymakers in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, the Sega Genesis's 40 most popular and best-selling titles (to include games starring Sonic himself).

Though the games probably didn't perform well, it's also great that they brought back Streets of Rage 3 and Golden Axe 3.

The only gripe that I have (like I had with the Sega Genesis Collection on PS2) is that they didn't put some of their other games on this release because of some copyright issues or some other unknown reason:

-Ghostbusters (Sega Genesis version)

-After Burner (arcade version)

-After Burner II (arcade/Sega Genesis version)

-Space Harrier II (arcade/Sega Genesis version)

-Out Run (arcade version)

-Michael Jackson's Moonwalker (arcade version)

-*Power Drift (arcade version-released only in Japan)

-*Wrestle War (arcade version-released only in Japan)

-The Revenge of Shinobi (arcade/Sega Genesis version)

-Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi

-Spider-Man (arcade/Sega Genesis version)

-Gunstar Heroes (Sega Genesis version)

-Dynamite Duke

-Rambo III (arcade/Sega Genesis version)

-Hang-On (arcade version)

-Super Hang-On (arcade/Sega Genesis version)

-Sword of Vermilion

-Thunder Force II

-Thunder Force III

-Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse

-QuackShot starring Donald Duck

-World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck

Other than that, for nostalgic purposes, I personally recommend this game for any gamer's library. Like the Beatles said, "yesterday was such an easy game to play".

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I have been playing this with my sons on my PS3 quite a bit lately. I am 28 years old and grew up playing these games - it is fun to play them with my 8 year old - in some ways - he likes these games more than new ones b/c they are simpler. Sonic & Streets of Rage are my favorite......Streets of Rage 2 in particular.

Enjoy. I hope that more "old school" games like this come out on the Ps3.

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For Genesis fans that sold, lost, or for what ever reason miss those old classics this is totaly worth it! Is it necessary to have 16 bit graphics in HD? No of course not. Honestly I can't tell the difference but just to have Altered Beast, Space Harrier, and Streets of Rage at my fingertips, Awesome. Plus those long RPG's that only had those pain in the ass infrequent save points, no problem. Hit select on the controller and the PS3 will save any time any where! After you unlock everything you realize the instruction manual could have been a bit more comprehensive but most of the games explain themselves. Besides those you don't remember you can always look up the directions on the web anyway. I love this collection, not as comprehensive as the Volumes 1&2 that came out for PS2 (e.g. only one shinobi game and one to unlock where the PS2 version gave you all three right off the bat) but still well worth the money.

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My first game system was the Sega Genesis, so I was really excited to get this and try out all the Genesis games again after so long. It was crazy to realize how much more challenging the old games were, but its so much fun!

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I have played this game alot since i bought it. I generally don't play many games on any play station but i have since i got this game it has alot of games to play. i think this is a great buy to.

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