Megadrive emulators are now a dime a dozen aren’t they? Frist there was the Megadrive Collection and then the Sonic Mega Collection and now, more recently, there’s Sega Megadrive Ultimate collection and the Sega Gold Classics Collection.
I was already suspicious with the presence Sega Megadrive Ultimate collection: Whilst the presence of a Hi-Def revamp is welcome enough, it begged the question of why the collection needed to exist: Many of these games are available for download on the Virtual Console, XBLA and the PSN and many of them appeared on the previous collection. But if the existence of the Sega Megadrive Ultimate collection is a puzzling one then what is the purpose of the Sega Gold Platinum Diamond Classics Hall of Fame Whatever the hell it’s called Collection? Many of the games featured on this monstrosity are already available elsewhere (and without much difficulty) and the actual differences to it and it’s predecessors are minor. So the question remains: why does this latest compilation exist?
Personally, I’m growing tired of Sega’s old games reappearing in these collections. True we can all agree that Sega’s defining moment came in the form of the Megadrive but the continual presence of these collections is more than beating a dead horse. Don’t get me wrong: I loved Sonic and the Megadrive when I was a kid but I don’t want the same games being churned out in a factory-like fashion. I don’t want the lesser moments of Sega trying to pass themselves off as a highpoint. I don’t want Sega to keep telling me: “Remember when we used to be good?!?!?”
Sure we may all agree that the Megadrive was Sega’s finest hour but this is what disturbs me the most: Anything else simply doesn’t matter. Now I can understand that re-releasing old games and making them readily available can inspire both old-timers, like myself, and entice the curious but why is this move confined to the Megadrive? Sega made other consoles but they are being shunned – but even before I complete typing this sentence I can already think of the reason why: The Megadrive sold and the others didn’t. Thus it seems possible that Sega isn’t willing to take such risks and, most likely, would rather their past mistakes remained buried. True the Dreamcast got a collection of it’s own on the 360 but most likely the console itself was a decent enough seller to warrant it (a worthy achievement in itself seeing how much vile is reserved for other failed consoles in the history of gaming).
But personally I would like to see Sega’s other consoles given a new lease of life: I want to see the Mega CD brought back into the light and maybe given the respect that eluded it the first time around. Forget the lousy FMV that plagued the system and one will find the system had some worthy games that are indeed worth a second chance: Android Assault, Eternal Champions, Final Fight, Lunar Silver Star, Popful Mail, Vay, Silpheed, Shining Force and Snatcher. Who knows? If you focus on the strengths, people may be willing to forget the faults.
And what about the Saturn? Some may claim that Sega maybe unwilling to touch it because of Saturn’s infamous complexity in programming the games for it. But most likely Sega may not be willing to return to a rather black spot in their history. However I think otherwise - I can think of some highlights that may surely warrant a second look: Burning Rangers, Deep Fear, Dark Seed, Dragon Force, Guardian Heroes, Radiant Silver gun and Shining in the Holy Ark. If they did a new version of NiGHTs for the Wii why not dust the original off? Who wouldn’t want to see the two unreleased chapters of Shining Force 3 finally see the light of day? And how many of you want the play the fabled Panzer Dragoon Saga (I know I do!)?
Hey if people can come with an emulator for the Saturn then it is possible to circumnavigate the complexity of the system, right?
Alas, as I said before, it seems that whilst the Megadrive was a big seller the other consoles in Sega’s history weren’t. Thus it seems clear that Sega aren’t prepared to take such a risk. And the mention of risks seems a bit strange since the Sega I grew up with wasn’t the kind to play it safe. Sure many of those risks didn’t exactly pay off but who was it that shrugged off the Mortal Kombat fatalities when Nintendo balked out? Sega. Who had the audacity to permanently bump off a character partway through their flagship RPG series before Aerith Gainsborough? Sega.
Okay so maybe Sega aren’t exactly in a position where they once were able to take chances but dammit, I would rather see a collection of Mega CD or Saturn games than yet another attempt to convince me Altered Beast, Bonanza Bros, Gain Ground and the Megadrive Virtua Fighter were any good.
And hey, I would’ve gladly played Knuckles Chaotix appear on the Sonic Gems Collection, as opposed to the lousy Game Gear games, any day
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