#m2
#m2
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Darius Cozmic Collection Console is almost more notable for the circumstances of its release than the games included in it. Announced around this time about two years ago, it came out in Japan at the start of the last year, in physical form only, with digital editions unavailable until nearly the end of the year. Additionally the “ Consumer” aka Console collection was initially as a bonus in an incredibly expensive limited edition which skyrocketed in price on the aftermarket. Its eventual digital release cost as much as the already expensive Arcade collection–which is the version that appears here. The original Japanese releases were already rough bargains, but time has made the console collection appear almost archaic, thanks to efforts of other retro collections, and even M2 themselves.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
It’s hard not to feel underwhelmed by Thunder Force AC. Based on the arcade version of Thunder Force 3, and releasing after the much flashier SEGA AGES release of Thunder Force 4, AC can’t help but feel less polished, and incomplete. Despite its significance in preserving a rare arcade game, the changes made for the game don’t always result in a better game than the console title it’s based on, just a different one.
Unlike other titles like Columns II or Tant-R, the original console version isn’t included either, which is a shame, given that its previous AGES release on the 3DS never made it out of Japan. Together Thunder Force 3 and AC could have felt like a complete package, giving players a chance to not only play a hard to find arcade title, but directly compare it to its console counterpart. Without it, Thunder Force AC feels slim alongside the other AGES titles.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
Releasing alongside Puyo Puyo 2, Sonic 2 provides an interesting contrast within the SEGA AGES Switch lineup. Unlike Puyo Puyo 2, which has rarely been accessible outside of Japan, Sonic 2 is a game that’s been ported to nearly every generation of hardware following the Genesis, even having a separate release on the Switch as part of the SEGA Mega Drive and Genesis Classics collection. Some of these previous releases are arguably superior, such as the mobile ports which rebuild the game from scratch for modern systems, with widescreen support, higher framerates and added content.
Instead of shooting for the definitive release like Puyo Puyo 2, the AGES version of Sonic 2 positions itself as an alternative way to play the original, adding new modes and options to change how you approach the original. All the previous modes from the 3D Archives release are here, alongside the addition of 100 Ring Challenge, Super Sonic mode and the addition of Sonic Mania’s Drop Dash.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
“Learning Puyo Puyo” is one of those intangible goals I always come back to, in the same way I tell myself that I’m going to get good at fighting games, or learn Japanese. SEGA’s been making that goal a little easier lately, localizing new entries like Puyo Puyo Tetris, Champions and now returning with an official English release of the highly regarded Puyo Puyo 2, two and half decades later. The AGES release is a port of the arcade game, specifically worth noting as it’s talked about in the same way as SEGA Tetris or The Grand Master in terms of the specific feel and details serious players prefer.
The package feels as celebratory as its history might suggest, with developer M2 adding several special features to make it the definitive edition. But there’s one standout feature that changed my approach to Puyo entirely: the ability to rewind moves.
by Amr (@siegarettes)
The act of playing Shinobi is a performance. Each attempt is practice for the choreography. Every shuriken in the right place, every jump predetermined and every kill premeditated. The instant you throw a shuriken you know the fate of you and your enemy. Either they’re dead in the next second or–as is more often the case–you are.
