Let's face it: Sonic the Hedgehog has gotten a bit of a tough rap recently. 3D hasn't been kind to the blue blur. I find myself increasingly disinterested with Sonic and his anthropomorphic friends with each new release. It is up to Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection to remind me of the Sonic I used to love back when there was a "Dr. Robotnik" and no awkward relationships with Mario. It's time to gather up my floppy disks and grunge rock memorabilia as I fondly walk back into the 1990s. (Thankfully, with no actual walking involved.)

The graphics are, in a word, retro. The included titles go as far back as 1989 and age clearly shows on some of them. You can actually see the games evolve as you play through the '89 games and finish with the few from 1995. If anything, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection reminds me just how far games in general have advanced since two decades ago. The original music and sound effects also give off a retro charm and add to the feeling of being back in the '90s.

Despite being the graphical equivalent of a modern college student's final project in a programming class, there is tons of fun crammed into this collection. Most of the titles support coop gameplay and I would highly recommend bringing a friend along for the ride. As an added plus, almost all of the former arcade games let you tweak the number of continues you have, so even your casual gaming acquaintances won't be overwhelmed. Given most of the titles can also be played using only one button and the D-pad or analog stick, nobody is left out of the party. Unfortunately, the games don't actually tell you whether they support multiple players until you start them up, but it's only a minor annoyance at most.

Besides making me feel old, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is kind enough to provide me with 40 Sega Genesis games to play around with. The games vary considerably, including side scrolling platformers, beat-em-ups, puzzle games and even grueling rock-paper-scissors-based unholy carnage. It's clear what Sega thinks the bread and butter is in this collection. (hint: It's in the title.) Sonic gets 6 games to himself: Sonic the Hedgehog , Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic Spinball. (Dr. Robotnik's MBM could arguably be considered a 7th Sonic title.) The rest of the titles range from pleasantly nostalgic to forgotten bland memories.

Sega's favorite son's games deserve all of the attention they get. The "traditional" Sonic games bring all the speed, action and aerodynamically designed foxes you can handle. Sonic Spinball is great fun and an addicting casual experience despite being the only Sonic title that doesn't support multiplayer. The only thing holding the blue blur back at times is that he can get too fast for his own good. Sometimes, the game experiences a lag as your analog or D-pad move won't register until after you've already run into some spikes. It doesn't happen too often but you better let Tails go first into impending robotic piranha-induced death. You can never be too careful.

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection has something for everybody. If you get queasy at the thought of Sonic's speed, perhaps one of the role-playing games is more your style. The three Phantasy Star and two Shining Force titles stand out as being the stars of that show. The two Vector Man, three Streets of Rage and three Golden Axe games help to blow of some steam with good ol' fashion endless identical minion killing. Finally, Columns and Dr. Robotnik's MBM make great brain testers for the intellectual crowd.

Perhaps the greatest thing this collection has going for it is its unquestionably good value. You'll get 40 games (some of which are great for multiplayer) plus around 10 more unlockable Sega arcade games for about half the price of the usual Xbox 360 game. In this economy, fun doesn't get much cheaper than this and so it's hard not to recommend this cavalcade of Sega goodness. Although you may not get much use out of some of the more mediocre titles, the best ones more than make up for it. Additionally, some of the unlockable developer interviews and arcade games will guide you towards a lesser known title you may have otherwise overlooked. None of the locked content requirements are overly cruel and it shouldn't take too long to have all the videos and games available for your enjoyment.

I've already made it painfully obvious that I spent a good amount of time playing cooperatively, but it leads perfectly into the best modern improvement that's been implemented. Arcade machines and begging mom for quarters are so last decade. In addition to maxing out lives in the shooters and beat-em-ups, it is also possible to save anywhere in every one of the games. Now there's no need to watch as the motionless character with the floating "2P" overhead tragically perishes when your buddy has to go outside for some reason or another. Just a quick pause to save and the game will be waiting whenever you aren't so lonely.

To sum it up, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is a ghost from gaming past that is welcome in any home. The game is cheap, rich in content and incredibly fun. With all of those qualities, you can't miss. If you like a great deal and don't mind going old school, run on over to your nearest game store and give this game a try. Sonic would be proud.