''Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection'' (''Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection'' in PAL regions) is a compilation of video games developed by Backbone Entertainment and published by Sega for

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...

and

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...

. The compilation features 48 Sega games (49 counting two versions of ''

Altered Beast ''Altered Beast'' is a 1988 beat 'em up arcade video game developed and manufactured by Sega. The game is set in Ancient Greece and follows a player character chosen by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena from the demonic ruler of the underwo ...

'') which were previously released for the Sega Genesis (including most of the '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' titles released for the system), arcades and the Master System. It is the sequel to the '' Sega Genesis Collection'' released previously for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, but contains 16 (in NTSC regions) more games (including unlockable extras).

List of games

Sega Genesis

*'' Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle'' † *''

Alien Storm is a beat 'em up shooter released as an arcade video game by Sega in 1990. It was ported to the Genesis/Mega Drive and Master System. The Mega Drive version was re-released on Wii's Virtual Console in 2007 and was also included on '' Sonic's ...

'' *''

'' † *'' Beyond Oasis'' *''

Bonanza Bros. (sometimes written ''Bonanza Brothers'') is a 3D computer graphics, 3D-style, 2D computer graphics, 2D side-scrolling Stealth game, stealth action game developed and released by Sega in 1990 in video gaming, 1990. It is one of the earliest arca ...

'' † *'' Columns'' † *''

Comix Zone ''Comix Zone'' is a 1995 beat 'em up video game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis. It is set within the panels of a comic book with dialogue rendered within talk bubbles and sprites, and backgrounds possessing the bright colors a ...

'' † *''

Decap Attack ''Decap Attack'' is a 1991 platform game developed by Vic Tokai and published by Sega for the Genesis. The game is a westernized version of the 1990 Japanese Mega Drive game '' Magical Hat no Buttobi Tābo! Daibōken'', with the art, plot, music, a ...

'' † *'' Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine'' *'' Dynamite Headdy'' *'' Ecco the Dolphin'' † *'' Ecco: The Tides of Time'' † *'' ESWAT: City Under Siege'' *''

Fatal Labyrinth ''Fatal Labyrinth'', titled in Japan, is a role-playing video game developed and published by Sega. Originally available exclusively on the Sega Meganet multiplayer gaming service in 1990, it was later remade for the Sega Genesis in 1991. The ...

'' *''

Flicky is a platform game developed by Sega and released in arcades in May 1984. It was licensed to Bally Midway for distribution in the United States. In ''Flicky'', the player controls the eponymous blue bird and must gather all the small birds call ...

'' † *''

Gain Ground is a 1988 action-strategy arcade game later ported to home systems. Gameplay In ''Gain Ground'', players control one of a set of characters at a time, each with different weapons. To beat a level, players must reach the exit point with at leas ...

'' † *'' 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 is a 1992 turn-based tactical role-playing game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console. While primarily a traditional fantasy-themed game, it contains some science fiction elements. The game has been repeatedly re-released: in Sega Smash Pack Vol ...

'' *''

Shining Force II is a tactical role-playing game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console developed by Sonic! Software Planning in 1993. Its storyline is not directly connected to the original '' Shining Force'', although a Game Gear title '' Shining Force Gaiden: Fin ...

'' *''

Shining in the Darkness ''Shining in the Darkness'', released as in Japan, is a 1991 role-playing video game for the Mega Drive/Genesis video game console. It was one of the first role-playing games released for the system, and was the first in the ''Shining'' series. ...

'' *'' Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master'' † *''

Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Sega. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna in their quests to save Angel Island; Sonic tries to prevent Doctor Robotnik from relaunching his orbital weapon, the Death Egg ...

'' *''

Sonic 3D Blast known in Europe and Japan as is a 1996 platform game in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series for the Sega Genesis and Sega Saturn. As Sonic the Hedgehog, the player embarks on a journey to save the Flickies, birds enslaved by Doctor Robotnik. ...

'' *'' Sonic Spinball'' *'' Sonic the Hedgehog'' † *'' Sonic the Hedgehog 2'' † *'' Sonic the Hedgehog 3'' *''

Streets of Rage ''Streets of Rage'' is a series of side-scrolling beat 'em up video games, centering on the efforts of several ex-police vigilantes trying to rid a fictional, large American city from a crime syndicate that has corrupted its local government. ...

'' *''

Streets of Rage 2 ''Streets of Rage 2'', known as ''Bare Knuckle II'' In Japan, is a side-scrolling beat 'em up video game published by Sega in 1992 for the Mega Drive/Genesis. A sequel to ''Streets of Rage'' (1991), the characters Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding ...

'' *'' Streets of Rage 3'' *'' Super Thunder Blade'' † *'' Vectorman'' † *'' Vectorman 2'' † † Previously available in '' Sega Genesis Collection''.

Unlockable extra games

*''

Alien Syndrome is a run and gun game developed by Sega and released in arcades in 1987. Gameplay Two players control two soldiers, named Ricky and Mary, who fight their way through large eight-way scrolling levels while rescuing their comrades who are being ...

'' ( arcade) *''

'' (arcade) † *''

Congo Bongo , also known as , is an isometric platform game released by Sega for arcades in 1983. The game includes a ROM that contains a message indicating it was likely coded at least in part by the company Ikegami Tsushinki. The game is viewed in an is ...

'' (arcade) (under original title ''Tip Top'' in some regions) † *'' Fantasy Zone'' (arcade) *'' Golden Axe Warrior'' (Master System) *''

Phantasy Star is a series of console role-playing video games and other supplementary media created by Sega. The series debuted in 1987 on the Master System with '' Phantasy Star'', and continues into the present with ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' and other ex ...

'' (Master System) *'' Shinobi'' (arcade) *'' Space Harrier'' (arcade) *''

Zaxxon is an isometric shooter arcade game, developed and released by Sega in 1982, in which the player pilots a ship through heavily defended space fortresses. Japanese electronics company Ikegami Tsushinki is also credited for having worked on the de ...

'' (arcade) † † Previously available in '' Sega Genesis Collection''. According to Ethan Einhorn, the producer for the collection, the three "lock-on" games (''Knuckles in Sonic 2'', ''Sonic 3 & Knuckles'', and ''Blue Sphere'') were not included citing "tight development times", and that including them would have meant "dropping several titles from the collection altogether", specifically the aforementioned nine unlockable games since "they all required unique emulation solutions".

Reception

''Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection'' received "generally favorable" reviews, according to

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

References

{{Sega Retro Compilations 2009 video games Multiplayer and single-player video games PlayStation 3 games Sega Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog video games Sega video game compilations Video games developed in the United States Xbox 360 games