Sega announce 40 game Mega Drive compilation for PS3 and 360

[Dreddz]

As if Sega weren't being awesome enough these last few months (Yakuza 2, Valkyrie Chronicles) they just blew my load by announcing a 40 game Mega Drive compilation for the PS3 and 360 (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/55770) which is going to be released early next year. The games aren't going to be straight ports as they are being bumped up to high def and are going to have a weird blur effect to make the games look less stiff and blocky. Kind of hard to explain so just look at these screenshots (http://kotaku.com/photogallery/megadrive1106/).

Now I'm a Mega Drive fanatic and I can't wait to play this. The list of games is pretty much what you would expect. While I'm only interested in 30 of them that's still enough games to make me happy. I'm so happy they managed to include Phantasy Star II. I always wanted an excuse to go back and play that game and now I do. One thing which is a major kick to the balls though is NO GUNSTAR HEROES. If I had to pick one game I'd like to have in HD it would be that game but obviously Treasure are being total dicks. Bit disappointed that some of the Mega Drives more obscure titles aren't on there like Shadowrun but I'd imagine I'm the only one interested in that game so I don't blame Sega for not including it.

In my opinion Sega haven't been in this strong of a position since the Dreamcast. This may be a port but the appeal it has to the hardcore Mega Drive community is immense. With Yakuza 3 and now this, Sega have me licking their boots at this point. Now all they need to do is announce Jet Set Radio 3.....

[Madame Adequate]

Giant win. Also hueg win.

[NeoCracker]

The bottom of that list says Unlockable games to be revealed soon, meaning theres going to be more then 40 games. :p

And I"m so picking it up.

[Roto13]

I think I prefer the blockiness. :P More retro.

Whoo hoo, another release of Comix Zone! <3 One of my obsession games. :P

[Moon Rabbits]

There is a complete lack of Wii love. :(

edit: It looks like they just used a 2xSaL filter on everything.

[Dreddz]

There is also a trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzNxPy1du_s) released as well which isn't anything special.

And I guess the reason why Gunstar Heroes isn't included is due to every game being a 1st party title by Sega. Guess that means no Moonwalker as well *sniff*

[Roto13]

Dynamite Headdy isn't 1st party (and was actually developed by Treasure, just like Gunstar Heroes) but it's on the list.

[NeoCracker]

I have hopes it will be one of the unlockables, along with both Toejam and Earls. :p

[Momiji]

There is a complete lack of Wii love. :(

edit: It looks like they just used a 2xSaL filter on everything.

The guys on Shmups Forums are mad about that too. That, and there are no shmups on it.


However, I like compilations. I may pick it up. The filter is disappointing though.

[Captain Maxx Power]

They honestly look just like filtered emulation screenies.

[Dreddz]

There is going to be an option to turn off the filter which I'm sure a lot of people are going to do.

Dynamite Headdy isn't 1st party (and was actually developed by Treasure, just like Gunstar Heroes) but it's on the list.

Right you are. Which raises the question, why the hell are Treasure including their weakest Mega Drive game in this compilation and not their other games like Gunstar Heroes and the heavily underrated Alien Soldier.

[Roto13]

Dynamite Headdy kicks your ass, fool. :P

[Krelian]

I've never beaten Dynamity Headdy. But I like the game and I don't see it as weak.

I'm very much interested in this collection, I think I'll buy it :D

[theundeadhero]

Shadowrun is better than any game on that list.

[Dreddz]

Dynamite Headdy kicks your ass, fool. :P
Dynamite Headdy is in no way a bad game but come on, lets get real here, Gunstar Heroes craps all over it.

[Bolivar]

I think it is really cliche and corny when forum users post dramatic reaction short-sentences in response to announcements like these.

But I could cry.

Pretty much every game on that list is what I would want, I mean Shining Force I and II (upscaled) alone would be worth like 1/3 of that at least for me.

I think Sega is finally where they needed to be at when they made the commitment as a Software Developer.

[Shoeberto]

In my opinion Sega haven't been in this strong of a position since the Dreamcast. This may be a port but the appeal it has to the hardcore Mega Drive community is immense. With Yakuza 3 and now this, Sega have me licking their boots at this point. Now all they need to do is announce Jet Set Radio 3.....
Not to mention their publishing deal with Platinum, and though you probably don't particularly care, High Voltage. Sega might not be putting out that much great original material but they're really putting themselves into position to be a hell of a publisher. But I agree a JSR3 announcement would pretty much push them over the edge for redemption after all the horrible Sonic games that have come out since the DC.

[Zeromus_X]

This is great news, I only wish I played more Genesis games when I was younger so I'd recognize most of these titles.

[Bolivar]

^ Well, now you get to experience them for the first time.

[Dreddz]

Seriously, your in such a good position if you haven't played many of the titles on that list. I'd kill to go back to the first time I played Phantasy Star II.

[Krelian]

The problem is that it's not easy to play a game like Phantasy Star II nowadays. The extend of level grinding PSII requires you to do is ridiculous for today's standards. It may have been no problem back then, but I for one don't want to spend hours leveling up just to stand a chance to finish the first dungeon. I would love to experience the game, but I just cannot do it. The only way for me to finish it is to either play the version on the Phantasy Star Complete Collection with double exp or a hack with double exp on an emulator.

[Bolivar]

^ Different strokes, I know i myself will probably do it

[Krelian]

Then it should be fine. I will probably import that Phantasy Star collection one day to play it. But even without PSII for me, this Mega Drive collection still has more than enough to offer, so I'll definitely buy it.

[Blue Harvest]

Omg, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage trilogies :bigsmile:

[Dreddz]

The problem is that it's not easy to play a game like Phantasy Star II nowadays. The extend of level grinding PSII requires you to do is ridiculous for today's standards. It may have been no problem back then, but I for one don't want to spend hours leveling up just to stand a chance to finish the first dungeon. I would love to experience the game, but I just cannot do it. The only way for me to finish it is to either play the version on the Phantasy Star Complete Collection with double exp or a hack with double exp on an emulator.
I guess I can agree with what you said. Phantasy Star II certainly hasn't aged well and it plays more like an 8-bit RPG than a 16-bit. I'd say it is one of the harder RPG's I've ever beaten. You have to stick with it and get over the initial grinding hurdle and the game starts to flow much better. It still has one of the best stories in any RPG ever and I'm rarely impressed by stories in video games.

You should try Phantasy Star IV as that is much more forgiving and plays more like an RPG from the 16-bit era. Although the story sucks.....

[darkchrono]

How come Phantasy Star II, III, and IV are being released but not the original Phantasy Star? Or is the Phantasy Star series set up like Final Fantasy and you don't have to play the earlier editions in order to get the gist of the later editions?

[Dreddz]

Well Phantasy Star is a Master System game and they seem to be very picky with their selection of Master System games for this collection. It is wrong by all accounts as Phantasy Star is the best game on the Master System and probably the best 8-bit RPG. Maybe Sega never want to put all the games into one collection as they only included the first three into the Phantasy Star Collection for GBC. Sega can be weird sometimes.

I actually screwed up the title of this thread as I originally thought they were all going to be Mega Drive games. I was wrong.

[Krelian]

I've read a rumor that Phantasy Star (I) may be an unlockable game. On a side note, there's actually a Mega Drive version of it, but it was only released in Japan and it's very rare.

[darkchrono]

Do all the Phantasy Star games follow one storyline or are they all separate from eachother ?

[Krelian]

Though I haven't finished any game I read that Phantasy Star I, II and IV all take place in the same universe and have a timespan of several millennia between them. Phantasy Star III is more of a spin-off, it doesn't add to the overall story.