Sega Classics Collection? I have a better title for this package, but then I'd be asking for an account suspension.
There are 10 games represented in this catalog of sorts. Golden Axe, Space Harrier, Outrun, Alien Syndrome are just a few of the classics that can be found in the package. But before you get your hopes up, keep in mind that the games aren't exactly how you remember them. Sega Classics Collection is actually a compilation disc of their less-than-stellar "Sega Ages" releases that were individually sold in Japan. To put it mildly, these games have been "remixed", "retooled" and, in some cases, redefined. Brand new 3D graphics, some new control schemes (like the Geometry Wars-style analog shooting for Alien Syndrome), and new variations of gameplay (like the ridiculously unnecessary 'lock on' laser in Space Harrier) are what Sega likes to call "enhanced" renditions. It's really just a fancy way of saying that Sega screwed up some of their greatest arcade games for contemporary audiences. The only game that wasn't butchered--err, I mean, "enhanced"--too badly is Fantasy Zone. Aside from some new 3D pastel graphics, it's the only title in the package that seems to be the closest to its original source.
And you're probably thinking in spite of this debauchery, you might be able to unlock the original arcade games in due process. Not so fast. As bad enough as it is to play these beloved arcade games in such a horrific manner, there is absolutely no option to play the original games. You can toast 100,000 aliens in Syndrome, slash up 100,000 Longmoans and Heningers in Golden Axe, or fly through Moot unscathed in Space Harrier--nothing awaits you at the end of the tunnel. And, to top it off, not even the remixed graphics and music are any good. Perhaps the perfect example of a poor rush-job is Golden Axe and their cut-scenes--it's absolutely outrageous that the developers didn't even bother to make lateral use of the PlayStation 2's hardware capabilities, so everything looks as if it could have been done on the Nintendo 64 or the original PlayStation without much incident. Maybe the development team got lazy or perhaps they were working as much on a limited budget as the folks who created the far superior original arcade game.
Sega Classics Collection attempts to fool the consumer into believing that they're getting some of Sega's treasured arcade quarter crunchers in an affordable package. Don't fall for the fancy packaging and the hopeless tag lines. Horrible presentation, no option to unlock the original sources, terrible remixed graphics and unnecessary gameplay variations don't just hurt this game--they murder it hideously before burying it in a ditch and letting it decompose for the authorities. The whole works, in a nutshell, is so bad it should be illegal in all 50 states. Save your money for better compilations made by other companies if you must, but for Pete's sake, don't blow it on this.