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richardhutnik on 11 February 2009
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For $30 plus tax, you get 40 Genesis games, and 9 unlockables.  In this collection are some of the noted series by Sega for the Genesis, Master System, and the arcade (Master and arcade are unlockable).  Here is the info for both the 360 and PS3 versions:

http://www.vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=29683&region=All

http://www.vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=29684&region=All

 

I don't want to get into the details of all the games, so please review the list.  I will say just about every genre is here, except for fighting games (Street Fighter family, but side scrolling brawlers are here in spades), driving games, and gun games.  Noted series include, Phantasy Star (1-4, YES the Master version is unlockable), and Streets of Rage.  There is the Genesis Shining series also (Both Shining Force and Shining in the Darkness).  Also, Golden Axe and the Zelda Golden Axe clone is in there also (second Master Systems title in the mix, along with the original Phantasy Star.

The unlockable games (all 9) are not too hard to unlock.  The required plays to unlock seem a bit unusual.  What Flicky has to do with Fantasy Zone, and Decap Attack has to do with Zaxxon remains a mystery.

The graphics upgrade works on a bunch of games, but some you do need to tweak.  You do have the capability of doing 4:3 or 16:9 ratio, or stretch your own.  You can turn smoothing on and off (this is a big plus, because some games smoothing makes things worse).

No play over XBox Live, but there is play on the platform.  Actually, Sonic II, beating the first boss with a second controller plugged in (2 players) is how you unlock Phantasy Star.

All and all, I have to say this is how companies need to do retro.  The unlockable games are not hard to get to (oh Flicky, you are hard.  Why be so hard to deny me Fantasy Zone?).  There are the usual interviews and so on.  And the package is an upgrade over the prior Genesis collections, and worth getting, even if you have it.  And the games do remind you that 16bit fun is still fun.  Oh yes, and how much the Genesis version mangled Altered Beast (the arcade version is unlockable).  And also how good the original Streets of Rage's music still sounds today, and how its play on the Golden Axe formula for a Double Dragon game is a fresh take now.