Mult-Genre Video Game Compilation Review: Atari Vault

Atari released many compilations of its Atari 2600 games, even going as far back as the Atari Corporation days in the 1980s. The Atari Vault compilation, known on Atari VCS as the Atari VCS Vault, added arcade games to the mix.

Atari Vault contained ninety-one unique games and nine Atari 2600 ports of Atari arcade games. It contains arcade games from the original Atari, Inc. such as Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Black Widow, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Liberator, Lunar Lander, Major Havoc, Millipede, Missile  Command, Pong, Red Baron, Space Duel, Super Breakout, Tempest, and Warlords. 

Any arcade games released under the Atari banner post-1983 are not included in this compilation, as the arcade division became Atari Games, under Warner Communications. The home division, which included all Atari arcade games created pre-split, became Atari Corporation after the acquisition by Tramel Technology. The latter is now owned by Atari, S.A., formerly known as Infogrames. The former is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, or whatever the company will be called after its upcoming acquisition by Paramount Skydance.

Because Atari, S.A. includes every release created for the home market by both Atari, Inc. and Atari Corporation, Atari 2600 games make up the bulk of this compilation. It includes the Atari 2600 version of Breakout and Night Driver, which, surprisingly, are the only versions of the games included in this compilation with the arcade versions noticeably absent. On the topic of Atari 2600 versions of arcade games, Atari Vault also includes Atari 2600 ports of Asteroids, Centipede, Crystal Castles, Gravitar, Millipede, Missile Command, Super Breakout, and Warlords.

The many Atari 2600 games in the compilation includes 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe, Adventure, Air-Sea Battle, Backgammon, Basic Math, Basketball, Blackjack, Bowling, Brain Games, Canyon Bomber, Casino, Championship Soccer, Checkers, Chess, Circus Atari, Code Breaker, Combat, Combat 2, Concentration, Demons to Diamonds, Desert Falcon, Dodge 'Em, Double Dunk, Fatal Run, Flag Capture, Football, Golf, Hangman, Homerun, Human Cannonball, Maze Craze, Miniature Golf, Outlaw, Quadrun, Radar Lock, Realsports Baseball, Realsports Basketball, Realsports Boxing, Realsports Football, Realsports Soccer, Realsports Tennis, Realsports Volleyball, Sentinel, Sky Diver, Slot Machine, Slot Racers, Space War, Sprint 2, Sprint Master, Star Raiders, Star Ship, Steeplechase, Stellar Track, Street Racer, Stunt Cycle, Submarine Commander, Super Baseball, Super Football, Surround, Sword Quest Earthworld, Sword Quest Fireworld, Sword Quest Waterworld, Video Cube, Video Olympics, Video Pinball, and Yars' Revenge.

Most of the games included in the compilation were developed by Atari, Inc. and Atari Corporation, but there are a few included which Atari, S.A. includes the intellectual property rights but were not developed Atari companies. This includes the Axlon games Off the Wall and Secret Quest. It also includes a game that was first released in Legacy Engineering's Atari Flashback 2 in 2005, Save Mary. Speaking of the Atari Flashback 2, the compilation also includes another game first released on that console, Return to Haunted House. This game is a modification of Haunted House which serves as a sequel to that game, and was created by the late Curt Vendel of Legacy Engineering.

Atari Vault includes many games for the arcade and Atari 2600 created by Atari, Inc. and Atari Corporation. It includes a lot of classic games, as well as some oddballs such as an Atari 2600 adaptation of the classic children's game Hangman. It does include a few games developed by other developers, including two games that weren't previously released outside of the Atari Flashback consoles. The 50 game Atari Vault DLC would include more oddball games, games by other developers, and games for consoles other than the Atari 2600, but the main Atari Vault includes a lot of games that should make Atari fans happy.

Final Verdict:

3½ out of 5

Stealth Action Game Compilation Review: Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 is the latest in a long line of compilations featuring Metal Gear games. It made its own name, however, by having several things going for it that no other compilation before it had.

The first volume of the Master Collection is headlined by the first three Metal Gear Solid games, but it actually contains seven games and two variants. The games that have appeared in other compilations over the years include the console versions of the mobile remakes of the MSX2 versions of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

Beyond these games, the compilation also saw the first re-release of the Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System version of Metal Gear and the NES-exclusive sequel Snake's Revenge. It also was the first international release of Metal Gear Solid: Integral, which was originally released only in Japan. This game combined the international version of Metal Gear Solid, with the English voices and the choice of Japanese or English subtitles with the VR Missions. Integral was actually the original release of the latter before it was released in North America as Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions and in Europe as Metal Gear Solid: Special Missions.

Beyond the included games, the Master Collection also includes the motion comics Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel, which digitized IDW Publishing's graphic novel adaptation of Metal Gear Solid  and Metal Gear Solid 2: Bande Dessinée, which digitized IDW Publishing's graphic novel adaptation of Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 is a large treasure trove of Metal Gear games that were released throughout three decades. However, its value will largely come down to whether you don't own another Metal Gear Solid compilation and whether the compilation-exclusive games such as the NES version of Metal Gear and Snake's Revenge as well as the first international release of Metal Gear Solid: Integral matter to you. If either of those cases turn out to be yes for you, then this compilation is well worth picking up.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Fighting Game Compilation Review. Mega Man Battle & Fighters

In 1995 and 1996, Capcom released two arcade fighting games featuring its popular Mega Man characters, Mega Man: The Power Battle and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, respectfully. When the Neo Geo Pocket Color came out, it was a boon for portable fighting game adaptations, so Capcom miniaturized the two games into one compilation.

The fighting games on the Neo Geo Pocket Color were chibi, or super deformed, versions of traditional arcade fighters. This was due to the limitations of the Neo Geo Pocket Color. This works perfectly for these two games, as Mega Man's crew and the robots he fights against are stylized in a way that still looks good when squashed into cute forms.

The Neo Geo Pocket Color had sound hardware that sounded great, and had all of the boops-and-beeps as you'd expect for 16-bit hardware of the 1990s. The music from the arcade game sounded great when converted to this hardware, and the sound effects did as well.

The games themselves were fun versions of the boss fights of the Mega Man games, and that is translated perfectly in this compilation. These boss fights have always been fun to play, and this is the perfect home for them. The thumbstick controller was uncommon in portable game consoles at the time, and the Neo Geo Pocket Color had one that was very responsive. This is what made it so good for one-on-one fighting games, and it is also why this conversion retained the feel of the arcade games even as the graphics were scaled down and reduced heavily in resolution.

Mega Man Battle & Fighters, or Rockman Battle & Fighters as it was known as it was originally a Japanese only release, was a lot of fun on the Neo Geo Pocket Color. The hardware was perfect for one-on-one fighting games, so it was a perfect fit for a conversion of these two arcade games. The hardware is much weaker than that of the Capcom Power System boards of the arcade, but the cute squashed chibi characters work extremely well for the characters from the Mega Man series. This is, without a doubt, one of the better titles that the Neo Geo Pocket Color offered.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Platform Game Compilation Review: Donkey Kong Classics

Donkey Kong Classics compiles the Nintendo Entertainment System ports of the first two Donkey Kong arcade games, Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior, into one multicart. 

As noted above, the two most popular games in the original trilogy were both included, which is great since they were the best in the series up to the time of this multicart's release in 1988. It does not include Donkey Kong 3, which likely contributed to that game becoming lesser known than the others.

Donkey Kong was a solid conversion of the arcade game. However, since it was also an early release before mappers extended the capabilities of the Nintendo Entertainment System, it lacks the cement factory stage. That stage would not be added to the Nintendo Entertainment System version until Donkey Kong Original Edition was released for the Virtual Console for Wii in 2010 and Nintendo 3DS in 2012.

Donkey Kong Junior, on the other hand, survives in-tact in its conversion from arcade to NES. Although it was also an early NES game, all of the levels are here. The only real difference, as with Donkey Kong, is the change from a vertically-oriented arcade monitor to the horizontally-oriented, nearly square resolution of the NES hardware.

The multi-cart has one small difference in the games. The title screen in both games are replaced by a single blue Donkey Kong Classics title screen. The games can be selected via the right and left buttons on the NES controller, and the number of players can be selected via a menu below the game select area. The neat thing about this change is that the title screen music from the two games are alternatingly played on the multi-cart's title screen.

Donkey Kong Classics is an interesting compilation of the Nintendo Entertainment System conversions of the first two Donkey Kong games. Unlike Nintendo's earlier multi-carts, such as the Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt pack-in cartridge, the menu is not silent. The games lack title screens, in favor of a single title screen that controls the options of both games. This isn't a bad thing, especially since the title screen music from the both games are alternated on the multi-cart menu. It's a shame that Donkey Kong 3 wasn't included, but the game was the weakest of the original trilogy, so its exclusion is not a big loss.

Final Verdict:

3 out of 5

Platform Game Compilation Review: Disney Classic Game Collection

     

Disney Classic Games is a compilation of four classic games based on Disney animated films. It contains both the Virgin Games version of Aladdin as well as the Capcom version. It also includes The Lion King by Westwood Studios and The Jungle Book by Eurocom. The emulation in the compilation is handled by Digital Eclipse.

It is actually an updated version of Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King. This time around, they popped in a bonus game, the Eurocom version of The Jungle Book. Game Boy, Sega Genesis, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System versions are included.

The big draw of the updated version is one that rectifies the most controversial part of the compilation. The two most popular versions of Aladdin, the Virgin Games version, which was primarily released on the Sega Genesis, is included alongside the Capcom version, which was primarily released on Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The original compilation only included the Virgin Games version. The Sega version has still not been included, but that one doesn't top most of the best of the 1990s games lists.

Like the original compilation, the Virgin Games adaptation of Aladdin includes both the Sega Genesis and Game Boy versions. The Capcom adaptation includes the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version. The prototype version of Aladdin that was compiled the same month as the version that was demonstrated at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in 1993 is also included, which is worth playing as it is different from the final release.

The notoriously difficult video game adaptation of The Lion King by Westwood Studios is once again included. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy versions are included. Emulation gives the ability to rewind and save game play states. This is a boon for all of the included games, but it is especially true for The Lion King. I wore out my hands and my brain from beating this game as a little girl. I really appreciate Digital Eclipse's emulator, as it was not as hard to reclaim Pride Rock this time around.

The Disney Classic Games Collection is a fantastic update of an already excellent compilation of 1990s platform games. The emulation is really great, as is expected from a Digital Eclipse release. Saving and rewinding are a blessing when playing these retro games. The Aladdin adaptation by Virgin Games and the Westwood Studios adaptation of The Lion King play just as well as in the previous version of this collection, Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and the Lion King. The addition of Eurocom's The Jungle Book is a neat little extra, but Capcom's version of Aladdin is the big draw here. Even better, people who own the original can also get the new version of the compilation as DLC. It's worth purchasing or upgrading as Capcom's version of Aladdin is worth it all on its own.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Limited Run Games Announces Marvel Maximum Collection

Limited Run Games has announced their newest Carbon Engine release, the Marvel Maximum Collection. It will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Windows.

It contains seven classic games that were licensed Marvel games for arcade, 8-bit handheld and home consoles, and 16-bit home consoles.

The biggest of these is Konami's X-Men arcade game. Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade's Revenge for Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, and SNES, Captain America and the Avengers for arcade and Genesis, Captain America and the Avengers for NES, Spider-Man/Venom: Maximum Carnage for Genesis and SNES, Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety for Genesis and SNES, and Silver Surfer for NES are icing on the cake.

There is no release date set yet for the Marvel Maximum Collection. It's still only early 2026, so chances are that it will be released later this year.

The only game that I wish they had on there that hasn't received a current-gen port through emulation is the 32X game The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire. Maybe that will be released in DLC. Here's hoping.

Platform Game Compilation Review: Disney Classic Games - Aladdin and the Lion King

Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King is a compilation of two of the most well remembered platform game adaptation of Disney films. It brings the Virgin Games version of Aladdin and The Lion King by Westwood Studios to consoles and Windows through emulation by Digital Eclipse.

The headlining game is a bit controversial. There were three versions of Aladdin, one by Virgin Games, one by Capcom, and one by Sega. Since the 16-bit days, there has been a lot of debate over whether the Virgin Games or the Capcom version of Aladdin was the best. In most debates, the Virgin one, primarily released on the Sega Genesis, just barely comes out on top, over the Capcom version, which was primarily released on Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The Virgin game is the version included in this compilation. Digital Eclipse included both the Sega Genesis and Game Boy versions of Aladdin. The Genesis version is, without a doubt, the better version, but it's interesting to get to play the Game Boy port in the compilation as a curio.

The other game is not controversial at all, bar it's difficulty. The Westwood Studios game adaptation of The Lion King was released for both Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. Both of those versions are included in the compilation, and this one really comes down to audio preference due to the difference in the sound hardware between the two systems. Digital Eclipse also included the Game Boy version of this game as well, although, like with Aladdin, it's merely a curio since it's not a great port.

A neat inclusion is a prototype version of Aladdin that was compiled the same month as the version that was demonstrated at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in 1993. It's a really cool inclusion, and it's really neat to see what changed from the prototype stage to the final release. The level inside the lamp, in particular, is quite different. Since this is an unfinished build, I recommend you play through the full Sega Genesis version of the game first before trying the CES version.

Disney Classic Games - Aladdin and the Lion King is a nice compilation of two of the most popular Disney video game adaptations of the early 1990s. It was created by Digital Eclipse, the studio that has been releasing emulation-based re-releases since its release of Williams arcade games in 1994, so the emulation is quite good. The regular emulation features like rewind and save anywhere really help for these games, since the 16-bit era was one where difficult platformers were still the norm. This version of the compilation doesn't have Capcom's Aladdin included, which is a bit of a bummer, but what is there is done really well, especially the inclusions of the original artwork and the CES prototype of Aladdin.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Arcade Maze Game Shoot 'Em Up Compilation Review: Namco 20 Year Reunion: Ms. Pac-Man / Galaga - Class of 1981

To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of two of their most popular games, Namco released a cabinet that combined both of them on one printed circuit board. However, like automobiles, it was released in the year before the date listed. It's the release from September 2000, Namco 20 Year Reunion: Ms. Pac-Man / Galaga: Class of 1981.

Both of the games are sequels to popular games that improved upon their predecessors and became classics in their own right. Galaga is the sequel to Galaxian. It featured colorful bug-shaped enemies which had multiple forms of formations as well as attacks. The most unique part of this game was the enemy type which would beam the player ship up and away from the game area. If the player successfully destroyed the enemy, the captured ship would join the current ship to become a double fighter or triple fighter, depending on the amount of ships combined.

Ms. Pac-Man is the first sequel of Namco's popular Pac-Man. It expanded upon the original by having different maze shapes rather than just different colors and bonus fruit that would bounce along the maze rather than just sit in the middle. It was designed by General Computer Corporation as a Pac-Man conversion kit named Crazy Otto. The designers pitched the game to the company that held the American distribution rights to Pac-Man, Midway Manufacturing. Midway liked the game, purchased the rights, and worked with Namco to rework the game into a proper Pac-Man sequel.

This arcade compilation has the dubious reputation of setting off a series of lawsuits relating to the rights of Ms. Pac-Man. GCC claimed they were not paid the residuals that they were stipulated to earn in their agreement with Midway Manufacturing back in the 1980s. This led to a complicated rights battle that would become even more complicated after GCC was disestablished in 2015 and AtGames bought its rights to residuals for the games the former designed for Midway.

Ms. Pac-Man is now no longer included in Namco Museum and Pac-Man compilations, and the character of Ms. Pac-Man is now portrayed by other Pac women, the latest of which is known as Pac Mom. Because GCC also created Jr. Pac-Man, that character has also been replaced by Pac Boy. Midway developed Baby Pac-Man, so that character is now replaced by Pac Sis. It's a really odd situation that has resulted in retro games being edited in re-releases and remakes.

Class of 1981 also includes an awesome easter egg. It's one that I always use when I find the cabinet out in the wild, as even though I prefer Ms. Pac-Man, its fun to play a game not noted on the marquee. If you use a specific combination of joystick moves. If you turn the joystick up, up, up, down, down, down, left, right, left, right, left at the game selection screen, the red ghost Blinky will change into the pink ghost Pinky. Selecting Ms. Pac-Man will now play the original Pac-Man instead.

Namco 20 Year Reunion: Ms. Pac-Man / Galaga: Class of 1981 is a fun compilation of Namco maze games and shoot 'em ups, including Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, and the hidden game Pac-Man. Arcade1Up also has a stand up machine and a countercade that has the name of this compilation, but it includes a different third game, or more in the case of the stand up cabinet because it does not include the Class of 1981 PCB. The games are classics that are still fun to play, and this is a great way to experience them if you ever come across the 20 Year Reunion arcade cabinet.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Platform and Shooting Game Multicart Compilation Review: Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt

Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt was a Nintendo Entertainment System pack-in multicart that compiled two games together, making good use of both the NES gamepad controller and the Zapper light gun.

Super Mario Bros. was the system seller for the Nintendo Entertainment System at the time of its release in 1985. By release of the multicart in 1988, Duck Hunt was also a peripheral seller for the Zapper. So, it was a no-brainer to compile both games together.

Super Mario Bros. took the platformer genre to new heights by bringing the Mario brothers from static to smooth-scrolling horizontal platforming. Along with that, it brought the oft copied system of levels inside of stages set in a variety of settings. It had levels with gaps spread along the ground, levels high in the sky, levels under water, levels on bridges, levels in castles, and levels set at night. To audiences of the 1980s, it offered a little bit of everything for everyone.

On the other end of the multicart, Duck Hunt was a fun light gun shooter. The title was a bit of a misnomer, as it included two games that were a remake of sorts of projection-based light gun games from the 1970s. The titular Duck Hunt shared a name with the Beam Gun projector-based shooter. It took things much further than the click-clacky projection of ducks to full-colored ducks flying over a field with a cute hunting dog chasing after those that have been downed by the hunter.  

The second game in Duck Hunt was Clay Shooting, which was a demake of Nintendo's first lightgun arcade game, Laser Clay Shooting System. The latter had a 16-mm film of clay pigeons streaming into the sky while a white light would flash which would signal the area and time to fire the gun. The clay shooting in Duck Hunt, like the game proper, used the scanlines of a cathode ray tube television or monitor to determine the position the gun had been fired. The latter is more precise, if not as pleasing artistically.

It's no surprise that Super Mario Bros. / Duck Hunt became one of the best sellers for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Even if it wasn't packed-in with the system, it would have certainly still have sold well because both games are among the best and brightest for the console at the time of the compilation's release in the mid-1980s.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Platform Game Compilation Review: Sonic Origins

Sonic Origins is a compilation of enhanced remakes of four Sonic the Hedgehog games from the 16-bit era, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog CD, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The latter is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles combined as one game, as would have been done with the Sonic & Knuckles lock-on cartridge on the Sega Genesis or Mega Drive. It also includes the Blue Spheres game that was playable by locking in any game onto Sonic & Knuckles other than Sonic the Hedgehog 2 or 3. In addition, it includes a sequel with modes from Sonic Mania titled New Blue Spheres.

Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic 2, and Sonic CD are enhanced ports of the Android and iOS remakes by Christian Whitehead. These remakes are completely faithful, with the same music, sound effects, level layouts, background art, character design, animations, bonus stages, and boss battles as the original 16-bit games. These remakes also contain everything from the mobile versions including a playable Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic 2, but not Sonic CD. The latter does include a playable Tails, however. The best remake, in my opinion, is Sonic 2, as it contains a hidden secret passage which leads to a realized version of a partly-completed level from the beta versions of the game. 

Sonic 3 & Knuckles is a new remake using the same engine as the others. Like the other remakes faithfully recreates the 16-bit game, including the level layouts, graphics, and boss battles. However, while it has the same sound effects as the original game, the music is taken from the beta version of the game due to rights issues with the music from the final versions. This change has had mixed reception. Intellectually, it is understandable due to forces outside of Sega's hands. However, it may be a deal breaker for some people. especially those who played the original game so much that they know the original music inside and out. That said, the original music can be restored with fan patches which are easy to install, especially on Windows. There is also a fan patch available that separates Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles into two games, bringing these games as close to the 16-bit originals as possible.

The neat part about the compilation is that it adds animations with silent characters ala the Sonic CD intro. These were created in the style of the Sonic Mania shorts, and serve to connect all four games together into a continuous storyline. These work really well, and are just as well animated and lively as the introduction of Sonic CD, if not quite as memorable. In fact, the animations are used together with those from the aforementioned game in its storytelling and actually work well in concert with each other.

One of the main draws of Sonic Origins, other than its games of course, is the museum content. There are two modes. One lets you play the games as they were on their respective consoles. The other version allows you to play through the story of all four games. Through play, you will collect tokens, which can then be used to purchase art, music, and background content on the games from their origins up to their release. It's actually quite well done, making it worthwhile to play through the games multiple times in order to unlock all the content.

Sonic Origins is not a perfect remake collection. All of the games are painstakingly accurate to the originals, however the replacement of the Sonic 3 songs for its beta versions is a let down. Whether this makes or breaks the compilation is up to you, but I personally think it is the best way to play these games, especially in light of the various fan patches that are available.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Motion-Sensing Multi-Sports Game Compilation Review: Kinect Sports Ultimate Collection

In 2012, Microsoft played up the popularity of Rare's Kinect Sports series with the Kinect Sports Ultimate Collection.

This collection was a compilation of the two Kinect Sports titles which were available at the time, Kinect Sports and Kinect Sports: Season Two. Thus, it contained all of the sports available in each collection, including bowling, boxing, soccer, table tennis, track-and-field, and volleyball in Kinect Sports and gridiron football, skiing, darts, tennis, golf, and baseball in Season Two.

It simply contained the two discs from the respective games in a case with a Kinect Sports Ultimate Collection cover. It would have been nice to see an additional sport or two, or even extras such as the making of the game, but both games are here complete with all of the included sports, so it is exactly what it says on the tin.

Kinect Sports Ultimate Collection was a completely no-frills compilation of Kinect Sports and Kinect Sports: Season Two for Xbox 360. It contained no extras at all, simply the game discs in an Ultimate Collection case. However, as it was a bundle of two formerly regular-priced games, it was ultimately a good value worth picking up if you hadn't owned it already. If you are interested in the Kinect Sports games, this is easy to find for a good price, so it could still be worth getting this rather than purchasing the two games separately.

Final Verdict:

3½ out of 5

Action-Adventure Game Compilation Review: The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition

It's not common, but Nintendo occasionally releases compilations of their video games on physical media. That is the case with The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition for GameCube, which has become highly sought after in recent years.

It contains four classic action-adventure games in The Legend of Zelda series across two different platforms. The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link are Nintendo Entertainment System games while The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, are Nintendo 64 games. 

These games were not ports as they were presented through emulation. The Nintendo Entertainment System emulator was previously used in Animal Crossing while the Nintendo 64 emulator was previously used in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Master Quest compilation.

The Nintendo Entertainment System emulation is fantastic, as the games play nearly identically to the original releases. The differences include changes to reduce the amount of flickering to prevent seizures and numerous translation corrections in The Legend of Zelda. These changes were originally made for the Classic NES Series for the Game Boy Advance.

The Nintendo 64 emulation, however, isn't quite up to par. There are slowdowns in both games, which can be forgiven as the Nintendo 64 was only one console generation behind the GameCube. It is honestly quite impressive the emulator runs the games as well as it does. Less forgivable, however, is the fact that Majora's Mask is known to be prone to crashes.

The compilation also contains two videos. One is an advertisement for The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker while the other is named The Legend of Zelda: A Respective. The latter video includes logos and gameplay from all of the games in The Legend of Zelda series that were released up to the point of its release in 2003. As it includes only the games that Nintendo deems part of the series canon, there aren't any outliers included here such as the CD-i games.

The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition was a great compilation in its time as it included four The Legend of Zelda games in one package. The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventures of Link are emulated remarkably well, and the localization fixes and flicker removal in the first game are a welcome inclusion. However, the Nintendo 64 games, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, are not as well emulated. The crashes in the latter make this compilation more of a collector's item than a way to play the games. All four games have been emulated in re-releases much better in the years following this compilation. The video advertisement for Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: A Retrospective are really barebones and aren't enough to make this compilation worth recommending.

Final Verdict:

3 out of 5

Platform Game Compilation Review: Super Mario 3D All-Stars

Super Mario 3D All-Stars, like its two-dimensional counterpart, is a compilation of Super Mario games. However, due to the advancements in technology, this compilation contains the original games which have been emulated, although sometimes enhanced, for the Nintendo Switch.

This compilation contains three games across three platforms. The games included are Super Mario 64, originally released on the Nintendo 64, Super Mario Sunshine, originally released on the GameCube, and Super Mario Galaxy, originally released on the Wii.

While the games have been updated to high-definition. Super Mario 64 is still in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy are presented in a 16:9 ratio. All of the games run in the Switch's native resolution of 720p in handheld mode and in 1080p in docked mode.

Super Mario 64 includes some enhanced textures to make up for the increase in resolution. Even more welcome is the inclusion of support for the wireless Nintendo 64 controller that Nintendo released for Nintendo Switch Online.

Super Mario Sunshine is the most impressive of the three games, as a lot has been done to make the game look and play great on the Switch. It is presented in true widescreen, which is very welcome. But, the thing that makes this worth playing over the original game is that it contains multiple control modes. It can be played with the original GameCube controls, or with updated controls that make it play more like a modern 3D Super Mario game. GameCube controller support is also available to those who have a GameCube Controller Adapter.

Like Super Mario All-Stars before it, Super Mario 3D All-Stars contains an excellent selection of Super Mario titles. Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy are all classic 3D platformers. It's especially nice to see the addition of Super Mario Sunshine, as the game doesn't get the attention it deserves. With the option of a modern control scheme, Super Mario Sunshine is more accessible than it ever has been before. It is a little weird that Super Mario Galaxy 2 isn't included, but that exclusion doesn't put a dent in the value of this game. It's well worth picking up for fans of the 3D Super Mario games or just for fans of 3D platformers in general.

Final Verdict:

5 out of 5

Platform Game Compilation Mega Review: Super Mario All-Stars

Super Mario All-Stars is a classic compilation that defined enhanced ports. It remains a worthwhile play due to the ultimate replayability of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3. The inclusion of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels was an unexpected addition as this compilation marked the first time that game had been released outside of Japan.

All four games are ported from their Nintendo Entertainment System counterparts, or the Family Computer Disk System counterpart in the case of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Because of this, they retain the same tried-and-true gameplay as the originals. There are a few exceptions to this, as it included bug fixes to remove the minus-world glitches in Super Mario Bros. In addition, Super Mario Bros. 3 is based on the Japanese version, so the block that was removed at the end of the world 8 enemy boat is there making it more challenging to jump up from the water onto the boat to get through the pipe to the enemy.

The things that make these games worth playing over the originals are the graphic, music, and sound effects upgrades. The graphics had a huge overhaul owing to the much more powerful hardware that powered the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. They are now akin to Super Mario World with more character detail as well as background elements that enhance the atmosphere. The underground levels also received an echo effect that also helps with immersion into the game's atmosphere. The music is structurally the same, however, they have been enhanced with digital instruments such as drums and horns that weren't possible on the original hardware.

Super Mario All-Stars was released on the SNES. It was later re-released through emulation on the Wii and through the online service on Nintendo Switch. As such, it is easier to access than it ever had been before. The enhanced graphics and sound may make it worthwhile to play the All-Stars versions of these games even if you had played the NES versions before. If you haven't played any or all of the included games, then I wholeheartedly recommend this compilation as it's the most technologically impressive way to play them.

Addendum October 8, 2025: There is also a pay-to-play version of Super Mario Collection for the Super Famicom Box. This version is identical to the Super Famicom version.

Final Verdict:

5 out of 5

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