Sega goes Ultimate-ly retro

It's a clear sign that Christmas is approaching when there are endless adverts for greatest hits and compilation albums on TV. Now Sega is getting into the compilation spirit with the announcement that the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection (Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection in North America) is in development--but the game won't be in the shops until next year.

Many gamers fondly remember their gaming days on the Sega Mega Drive (released as the Sega Genesis in the US), and the legacy of the 29 million-selling console lives on, particularly in Europe. Many of the games have since been remade or updated for newer hardware--Ecco the Dolphin was released last year for Xbox Live Arcade, for example--but now, Sega is pulling together its first-party titles into a new release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A previous collection was released for the PlayStation 2 and PSP in 2007.

Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection is being developed for Sega by Backbone Entertainment and will feature "over 40" first-party Sega titles, "reproduced with the utmost detail and accuracy to commend their originals," according to the publisher. The classic titles, including Sonic the Hedgehog 1,2, and 3, as well as Space Harrier and Streets of Rage 1,2, and 3, will also be able to output in 720p for the high-definition gaming generation. The collection will also include bonus 8-bit and arcade games.

The game is scheduled for release globally in early 2009.