10 Classics
This collection comes loaded with 10 classics: Outrun, Space Harrier, Virtua Racing, Monaco GP, Golden Axe, Columns, Fantasy Zone, Bonanza Bros, Alien Syndrome, and Tant R, but these aren't just ports brought over to the PS2. Nope, they're remakes, and sadly, some of them aren't very good remakes.
Virtua Racer is quite good, better than the original in my opinion. It's a fun and fast racer. Monaco GP can be fun too, but also quite frustrating with opponents constantly crashing into you. Columns is Columns. Sad to see it, but Space Harrier has been slowed down and looks worse than the original in my opinion. However, it does have some cool upgrades like a lock-on attack, power-ups to collect, and screen clearing nuke attacks.
Fantasy Zone is fun as always with the addition of a boss chase that plays out at the end of every stage. I'd say Golden Axe is the most disappointing of the bunch, suffering from slow down, sluggish attacks, bad jumps and grapples. It doesn't even look as good as the original. Trust me, there are much better versions of Golden Axe out there.
Bonanza Bros and Tant R seem more like filler to pad out the collection, but they've certainly got their fans. There doesn't seem much different about them from the originals though. I've never played a bad version of Outrun (such a great game). It doesn't look as good as other versions, but it's still the same old fast and fun race against time. There's something so satisfying about coasting through a checkpoint just as you run out of time.
I've played a handful of different versions of Alien Syndrome and this remake is my favorite by far (twin stick controls is a nice addition). For me, this collection was worth buying for this game alone. Killing hordes of aliens with several deadly weapons to choose from, saving hostages, and taking out big, grotesque bosses all while a self-destruct sequence is counting down; what's better than that? It's not too challenging with infinite continues, but it's still a lot of fun.
All in all, I'd say there's enough here worth playing, and it's an inexpensive game, so it won't break the bank. The music is pretty bangin' too.
Reviewed by: Michael from Olmsted Falls Township on 6/14/2025
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