Sega Classics Collection PS2 Review

It’s all well and good for a collection like this to retain the playability that made it famous (or at least intriguing) but if the visuals are fiddled with then a lot of people who played the game in its original incarnation may not be too pleased, even if appearances are spruced up to give each title a slightly more modern look.

There’s much to like on SEGA’s latest retro collection, the package includes the likes of OutRun, Space Harrier, Columns, Golden Axe, Bonanza Bros, Fantasy Zone, Monaco GP, and Virtua Racing. As mentioned in our opening paragraph, most of the games have been visually enhanced using polygons opposed to sprites, whilst little alterations to the play elements of certain titles may not sit well with those who want to rediscover favourites the way they left them all those years ago.

Even with extra graphical muscle, none of the games look outstanding, in fact most of them barely appear decent. It has to be said that some of the original incarnations looked better with their sprite origins opposed to some of the dull and basic visuals on show right here. We have got to ask questions as to why SEGA polished up the graphics without really managing to dazzle us on any one occasion.

SEGA’s classic arcade racer is an exception, as time unfortunately hasn’t been too kind to the OutRun of old, things are actually more acceptable in this tidier enhanced version. Other titles representing the racing genre include, Monaco GP and Virtua Racing, the former being a fun top down game, whilst the latter is notable for being one of the first racing games to utilise polygons, oh and it doesn’t play too badly either!

Other games on the disc include Golden Axe, which becomes dull pretty quickly, Bonanza Bros meanwhile represents the quirky side of the stealth genre. Space Harrier remains a fantastic amount of explosive fun. The next game on the list we remember wasting many hours with, and today Columns remains an addictive block puzzler. This leaves Fantasy Zone, which may not be the greatest side scrolling shooter in the world, but it’s enjoyable for five minutes at least.

SEGA Classics Collection may not please hardcore fans of the Japanese gaming giant who wanted to be reminded of their past with some original ports, but it’s a collection that offers much more enjoyment than it does rubbish. We do have to complain about the poor conversion, which means ugly black borders and a slower pace for many of the games. Surely a 60hz mode isn’t too much to ask for, it’s just not good enough.

7/10