Summary
For those who grew up in the era of cartridge consoles, it can be truly mind-blowing to see just how much gaming can be packed into one digital download on the Switch. What once would have made up a good chunk of a game library is now easily accessible on a single handheld with better sound and picture quality than the most expensive big-screen behemoth the 1990s ever knew.
Classic game collections can sometimes seem like a shameless cash grab (and, well, sometimes they are) but in truth, they can pack in a decade or two worth of games, usually while costing less than one of them did upon its original release. When the collection is well-made and the games are true classics, they can be one of the best bargains in all gaming.
Updated September 12th, 2024, by Connor Wright:As the Nintendo Switch’s continued sales success brings more and more players to Nintendo’s hybrid console, the system becomes home to an ever-expanding library of retro collections. The porting efforts of development studios such as Aspyr and Digital Eclipse have brought more fan-favorite franchises from long-forgotten systems to Nintendo’s most recent hardware. Through the compilation products of theStar Wars: Heritage Pack,Capcom Arcade Stadium, andAtari 50: The Anniversary Collectionmore beloved titles from decades past have been ported to modern machines. In other efforts of preservation and franchise accessibility, companies are reimagining their older IPs with modern graphical developments in mind - even bundling multiple similar titles together; as seen with theSpyro + Crash Remastered Game Bundle, andFinal Fantasy I -VI Collection.
13Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
A Varied & Solid Selection Of High-Quality TMNT Titles
TheTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtleswere ubiquitous in the late 80s/early 90s. They were on TV, in the movies, all over toy stores, at the grocery store, on clothing and birthday cakes, tablecloths, and bedsheets. They were also the stars of more than a fewhigh-quality video games.
Konami andTMNThad several top-tier entries in the arcade, on consoles, and on handhelds.The Cowabunga Collectionoffers up a whopping 13 of them, including the iconic original arcade beat ‘em up, the legendaryTurtles in Time, and the super fun, somewhat Metroidvania-styleTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescuefor the original Game Boy. No,it’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close.
12Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
A Compilation With Never-Before-Seen Depth And Variety
While the quality ofAtari 50’sgargantuan 103 playable titles for modern players is debatable, there is no denying that, as a compilation showcasing one of the industry’s hallmark companies, this 50th-anniversary collection is second to none.
Presenting titles from effectively every juncture of Atari’s rise and fall in the gaming space,Atari 50is home to emulators for a variety of systems. FromAtari’s uber-successful 2600and floundering Lynx handheld to the power-punching Jaguar and Atari’s arcade roots, this collection is nothing short of comprehensive. Beyond the games,Atari 50’s role as a playable timeline of Atari’s peaks and troughs in the industry is bolstered by over an hour of exclusive video interviews.
The position ofMega Manin the gaming space - particularly in the 8 and 16-bit era of platformers - cannot be understated. Especially considering his legacy as a retro mascot alongside Mario and Sonic, his inclusion in cross-genre fighters such asSuper Smash Bros.and the extensive care taken with his classic game collections are exact proof.
The originalMega Man Legacy Collectionis an extensive look at not only the history of these platforming classics, but a tangible appreciation of not only the esthetic, but the function of its six titles on emulated classic hardware. While Capcom has since expanded the presentation ofMega Man’s retro portfolio into six more collections, based on the series' various subseries, this original collection showcases some of the highest-rated titles inMega Man’s catalog.
10Castlevania Advance Collection
Giving The High-Quality Vampire-Slaying Series' GBA Titles Another Life
There aren’t enough collections of classic Game Boy Advance games out there, which is part of what makes theCastlevania Advance Collectionsuch a treat. It doesn’t offer nearly as manyCastlevaniatitles as theCastlevania Anniversary Collection, but the games it does offer are all among the best entries in the whole series.
This collection includes all three Game Boy AdvanceCastlevaniatitles (Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance,andAria of Sorrow) as well as the notoriously difficult Super Nintendo title,Castlevania: Dracula Xfor those who enjoy an occasionally excruciating challenge. It’s also got some fun extra features, like an encyclopedia, a music player, and a gallery of artwork and package designs for the games.
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2
The ultimate Mega Man X experience!
The celebrated Mega Man X series returns! Play as Mega Man X – the powerful successor of classic fighting robot Mega Man – as he battles a variety of deadly bosses known as Mavericks in four hit titles. Mega Man X Legacy Collection includes the legendary 16-bit titles and the series’ exciting foray into the 32-bit era: Mega Man X, Mega Man X2, Mega Man X3, and Mega Man X4. The heroic robot grows stronger as he takes down Mavericks and steals their weapons, and can dash and wall jump making for a thrilling, fast-paced combat experience.Mega Man X Legacy Collection comes with an armory of new features. Test your skills in the new X Challenge mode, which pits players against two deadly bosses in two-on-one battles. Explore a huge museum filled with rare production art, catalogs of classic merchandise, a playlist of nostalgic commercials, and more.
TheMega Man Xseries may have had its considerable ups and downs, but the heights it reached across its eight main series releases were certainly more than enough to warrant this classic two-pack collection.
TheoriginalMega Man Xand its two Super Nintendo sequels had some of the slickest, quickest, and most gratifying gameplay the system had to offer. The transition over to PlayStation afterX4remained strong to begin with, but the quality of the games declined byX6, ending up a shell of its glorious former self by the end. Still, there’s plenty in this double collection to make it worth the price tag.
It’s not all that controversial to state that theBioShocktrilogy stands among the best three-game runs in the history of video games. With each entry rivaling or even surpassing the previous one, it’s safe to say that this quality-over-quantity collection is worth every single penny for fans looking to relive their first journey into Rapture or for first-timers who are looking for a one-of-a-kindcritically acclaimed horrorFPS with incredible visuals.
BioShock: The Collectionincludes the remasters ofBioShockandBioShock 2, as well asBioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition. All single-player DLC is included.
For a franchise as laden with high-praise and heavy-hitting titles asMario, parent company Nintendo is somewhat stingy when it comes to providing players with easily accessible classic game collections. As such, despite its somewhat exclusive nature due to its ‘anniversary’ removal from digital and physical storefronts in March 2021,Super Mario 3D All-Starsis a solid platforming package.
Many understandable complaints and considerations have come from the Nintendo community followingSuper Mario 3D All-Stars' limited release. Despite the many developments made to its included titles in the retro emulator community, Nintendo left many aspects of the collection’s titles unaltered. However, despite the limited nature of Nintendo’s Mario-themed compilation effort, the fact thatSuper Mario 64.Super Mario SunshineandSuper Mario Galaxyare some of thequintessential titles of each generationcannot be understated.
6Disney Classic Games Collection
A Selection Of Quintessential Disney Tie-In Titles From The 16-Bit Era
It seems like Disney has always been fantastic at the multipronged marketing attack, but the 90s was a high point for them in this area. They released several games based on their properties that did a lot more in the eyes of gamers than just sell merchandise. They were genuinelysome of the best entrieson their respective consoles.
While this collection does not offerall of the top-tier titles, it does offer three of them.The Lion KingandAladdinare some of the most beloved platformers of their era, and though it doesn’t garner the same level of nostalgia,The Jungle Bookis pretty much just as fun as either of them.
5Spyro + Crash Remastered Game Bundle
A Post-Launch Collection Of Two Remarkable Ground-Up Remakes
While the commercial and critical acclaim presented to developer Toys For Bob’s ground-up remakes ofthe original PlayStation worksof bothSpyro the DragonandCrash Bandicootis groundbreaking, the compilation of both collections into one package is almost too good to be true.
Bringing 2017’sCrash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogyand 2018’sSpyro Reignited Trilogyremake collections together, this commercial repackaging provides gamers with not only two of the best examples of a remake of a classic property in recent times but a modern gateway into some of the fifth console generation’s most revered titles.
4Star Wars Heritage Pack
A Comprehensive Collection Of Aspyr’s Greatest Modern Remasters
Across generations of consoles, since its 1977 induction into popular culture,Star Warshas been aconsistent sight in the video game industry. From genre-defining role-playing games, uniquely-styled squad shooters, and high-quality tie-in racing titles, 2023’sStar Wars Heritage Packcollects some of the most highly acclaimedStar Warstitles in recent memory and packages them into one high-value package.
Renowned video game porting developers Aspyr have progressively developed versions of titles likeStar Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi AcademyandStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republicfor modern platforms since 2019, and theStar Wars Heritage Pack’s laden seven-title package is proof of all their dedicated work.
