Now, as someone who has played a lot of ho-hum collections, what makes this one stand out is the options and bells and whistles. Sure, the graphics seem dated, but they are bright, colorful, and there's no forced widescreen. The games allow for movement via both the D-Pad and Left Stick, the face buttons govern the other actions, the Start Button pauses the title, and the Select Button brings up the options for the Ultimate Collection. Jumping in Sonic 3, crouching and shooting in E-SWAT, and shooting poop monsters in Vectorman are solid experiences now just like they were back in the day. The controls are simple, displayed before every game, and work. I think I've already made it clear that most of these games are great - Couldn't we have dumped Altered Beast for Sword of Vermillion, Toe Jam and Earl, or anything else? - but Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection excels just about everywhere else as well. Rather than reviewing it like a normal game - beat it, write about it - you have to look at the games that were chosen, how they play, what kind of extras the developer included, and so on.
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Reviewing a collection's always a bit tricky. Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium I'll never forget punching through Streets of Rage in my basement with Michael Boylan or seeing Ecco the Dolphin on display in Toys R Us, and thanks to this collection, I can relive those moments whenever I feel like turning on my PlayStation 3. There are 40 SEGA Genesis titles as well as nine SEGA Master System and arcade games in this collection, and if you grew up in a SEGA-lovin' house like I did, many of these games are going to bring back warm and fuzzy memories. Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is my childhood on a disc. When the Sonic the Hedgehog music starts up, I'm hot-dogging though the lava pits in Marble Zone Act II while my friends marvel at my moves and my mom chastises me for being a showoff.
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When I see the character select screen for Golden Axe, I'm sitting on the edge of my bed and using the cheapo strategy of walking enemies into a pit so I don't have to fight them. When I see Kid Chameleon, I'm playing it in a living room packed with friends waiting to go to my birthday and declaring that this is one of the toughest games of all time. I've reviewed a number of compilations here at IGN, and none have brought about a flood of nostalgia like Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection.