Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection

I just noticed that a game compilation called the "Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection" is coming out for Xbox 360 and PS3. It's out on the 20th of February 2009 and the preorder price is £24.99. Here is a list of the games on it:

# Alex Kidd In The Enchanted Castle
# Alien Storm
# Altered Beast
# Beyond Oasis
# Bonanza Bros.
# Columns
# Comix Zone
# Decap Attack starring Chuck D. Head
# Dr. Robotnik's MBM
# Dynamite Headdy
# Ecco The Dolphin
# Ecco II: The Tides Of Time
# E-Swat
# Fatal Labyrinth
# Flicky
# Gain Ground
# Golden Axe I
# Golden Axe II
# Golden Axe III
# Kid Chameleon
# Phantasy Star II
# Phantasy Star III: Generations Of Doom
# Phantasy Star IV: The End Of The Millennium
# Ristar
# Shining In The Darkness
# Shining Force
# Shining Force 2
# Shinobi III: Return Of The Ninja Master
# Sonic 3D Blast
# Sonic And Knuckles
# Sonic Spinball
# Sonic The Hedgehog
# Sonic The Hedgehog 2
# Sonic The Hedgehog 3
# Streets Of Rage
# Streets Of Rage 2
# Streets Of Rage 3
# Super Thunder Blade
# Vectorman
# Vectorman 2

Overall, it's a very good selection of games. I don't mind playing Fatal Labyrinth to completion so soon after the last time I beat it, but I can't see myself playing Altered Beast; that wasn't even fun the first time round, let alone now in 2009! >_<

Just the inclusion of Shining Force 1 and 2 make this compilation worth the price of admission; you will not find a 2nd hand copy of Shining Force 2 for so little money, on ebay. Even if I wasn't interested in that game, at under a pound a game, this is really good value for money. I preordered this morning and am looking forward to my copy!

(I preordered from play.com because my copy of Chrono Trigger I preordered from GAME only arrived this morning - though the game game out last Friday! It came with a bonus 2 track audio CD though, so it could be worse... but... I'm rambling off topic...)

Fatal Labyrinth

I started a game of FATAL LABYRINTH on megadrive yesterday. Popped the cartridge in, fought my way through all 30 levels of the dungeon (some levels repeated as I fell into a few pits) and defeated the final boss. Watched the end credits roll. ^_^

I first played this game about a decade ago, and never got very far with it. I kept dying! This week, I decided to buy myself a copy on ebay, started a game and didn't die once! I guess I must be luckier these days than I used to be. Or I have more patience. Or something.

Ah, even though it's easy by the standards of other roguelikes, it feels good to have finished a game that just kept killing me over and over again in the past. That doesn't have any save points or "password" system. That makes you eat to stay alive but the food items (which you can't carry round with you - you have to eat them when you pick them up) may be of any size and if you eat too much you die. Where enemies at the end of the game take anything from about 6 to 99 off your health with each hit and at maximum level you have under 800 health total and have run out of all the potions you had... yeah, I feel like luck was on my side...







Maybe I should attempt Sword Of Fargoal again... I've never been able to finish that either...