Sega Classics Collection Hands-On
We get hands-on with no fewer than 10 classic games, courtesy of Sega's upcoming PS2 compilation.
The upcoming Sega Classics Collection is a compilation of 10 classic games that have been enhanced for the PlayStation 2. It predictably makes for something of a mixed bag in the year 2005, because some of the games play as well today as they did when they were first released, while some of them weren't terribly good even then, thus making them just as bad today. And one or two of them have become, we're sorry to say, shadows of their former selves. For that reason, we'll talk about each game individually from here on out.
OutRun
First released as an arcade game in 1986, OutRun is perhaps best known for two things: its killer soundtrack and the fact that it saw you driving an open-top Ferrari with a beautiful woman beside you. This PS2 remake of OutRun is definitely one of the games in the Sega Classics Collection that we've had the most fun with thus far. And while the new 3D vehicle models certainly can't be described as cutting edge, they represent a significant improvement over the sprites of 1986. The scenery, like that in the original game, is flat and repetitive, but roadside objects race past at such speed that you'll barely have time to notice. More noticeable, unfortunately, is the pop-up the game suffers from in certain places. Despite the fact that OutRun is a "retro" game, seeing large chunks of road and scenery suddenly materializing in front of you can be quite disconcerting, so it doesn't seem unreasonable to expect more from an updated version of a game that was first released almost 20 years ago.
Golden Axe
If you played the Golden Axe arcade machine that was first released in 1989, you'll remember it featured three playable characters: a barbarian named Ax Battler, an Amazon named Tyris Flare, and a Viking dwarf named Gilius Thunderhead. As you walked from left to right, you'd be confronted by all manner of armor-clad and undead enemies, some of whom were riding mounts that you could climb onto yourself. The game's other most memorable feature, perhaps, was the inclusion of the small thieves who appeared and ran around the screen occasionally, dropping food and magic potions from their bags every time you hit them. The PS2 remake of Golden Axe replaces the original's 2D visuals with some pretty poor 3D ones, in addition to making all three mount types useless (for the most part), introducing some annoyingly unresponsive controls, and actually making the game struggle to maintain a healthy frame rate any time there are more than five or six characters onscreen. We should also point out that while the game does feature two-player support, we were able to take a solo Gilius Thunderhead all the way to the last level using only one move, his forward roll, during which he's practically invulnerable.
Space Harrier
This popular 3D shooter, which challenges you to run, fly, and battle your way through 18 levels filled with obstacles and enemies, first appeared in arcades in 1985. Your objectives in the game were simple: shoot as much stuff as possible, avoid stationary objects, and avoid enemy bullets, fireballs, and missiles. The PS2 remake of Space Harrier boasts improved visuals and four difficulty settings, and, unlike some of the other titles included in the Sega Classics Collection, it plays about as well as we remember.
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- GameSpot Score3.2bad
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