Nobody can accuse them of denying you to access their blast processing goodness of old. The collections usually take the form of dozens of Sega Mega Drive classics made up of franchise favourites Sonic, Streets of Rage and Golden Axe.

The dedicated hardware efforts from AtGames have met with mixed success with the devices plagued with sound issues or inaccurate emulation. Some of the criticism is embellished but Sega have a patchy track record licensing their games to third parties. Even more so when compared to the high quality of Nintendo’s minis. Things have improved recently with Sega’s own Mega Drive Mini performing well in reviews though.

title screenWhile there are issues on the hardware side, there has been praise for Sega’s software compilations. Containing between 20 to 50 titles they nearly always provide excellent value for money. Most are crammed with extra content and the titles cover a range of genres. The latest of these software compilations was released on the Switch in December 2018. Sega Mega Drive Classics brings over 50 games to Nintendo’s handheld hybrid.

sega mega drive classics

The game is presented by a virtual retro bedroom full of Sega posters and a collection of boxed Mega Drive games on a shelf. Here you will have access to the usual options for display, sound and controls as well as challenges and multiplayer. It is a nice touch and keeping with the retro theme the collection has inspired. It would have been better to allow further games to be downloaded so players can fill the remaining shelf space. But with 50 games already there is more than enough to be getting on with.

beyond oasis

Emulation is handled well with only the odd glimpse of input lag on a few titles. However, This does nothing to spoil the action and is only really an issue if attempting to speed run or one credit a game. The option to disable sprite limit may help but this was not noticeable during our play test. Sound is highly accurate and the chip tunes are clear. The Sega synths fly out at you just as they should with punch and fizz.