A bundle of nostalgia
I have been a big fan of the Polymega since I first reviewed the console four years ago. I love retro games, and the idea of one console being able to play them all with modern amenities is such an appealing idea. Over the past four years they have released new modules and even accessories such as a light gun, which is super cool, but the topic for today is their lineup of original discs branded for the console itself. Playmaji was kind enough to send over a sampling of these discs to test out as well as their updated controller, so let’s take a look at how far the system has come since its inception.
So, let’s kick off with the collections themselves. Each one comes in a plastic jewel case that reminds me of the Japanese PSOne titles. They are a bit thicker than a normal jewel case and have a CD insert with a Polymega Collection branding and a color manual. The discs have two cases you can insert it into as well as a reversible cover, that normally contains different artwork and oftentimes in Japanese. These are really nice, and even though I have gone entirely digital, they do look good on a shelf. Playmaji did an excellent job with these. There are even included pins, which are a nice touch to the physical collection.
MSRP: $39.99 (Games) $39 (Controller)
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
So how do these collections work? They all come on disc and once inserted into the console they begin installing. They show up in specific libraries labeled Polymega Collection. There is also a toggle in the system menu that allows me to have them show up in their respective platforms. I appreciate that. I like to navigate my games by console. Each game runs just like any other complete with the ability to use cheat codes, save states, and all the other Polymega features.
Alright let’s break down the collections we got to check out. First up is Breaker’s. This disc contains seven games including Breaker’s and Breaker’s Revenge as well as Western Kids, Cowboy Kid, Battle Flip Shot, Bang Bead, Bang Bang Busters, and my personal favorite Ganryu. What I love about these collections is that they also include different platform versions. For example Ganryu comes with the arcade and AES version. This disc also has the NEO GEO CD version of Breaker’s, which is a nice touch. What I like about this collection is that Breaker’s is a solid fighter and Ganryu is a ton of fun, then we get a mix of other obscure titles. It was like a mini-Christmas as I explored each one. I love the variety in this one.
Next up we have Sengoku Blade, which is the only one that contains a Saturn game in what we have. This one includes six games which are Saint Dragon, Whomp ‘Em, Chimera Beast, Samurai Aces, Dragon Blaze, and of course Tengai (Sengoku Blade). This is definitely a more arcade oriented collection and has some great shooters. Samurai Aces and Sengoku Blade are just as fun as I remember. Whomp ‘Em feels like the outlier here, but it is still a fun romp. I always love checking out Saturn games as the emulation has always been squirrelly. Overall this was a fun collection, just didn’t stand out as much as the others.
Time for the sports block. The next collection is centered around Jaleco’s classic Bases Loaded. This one is PACKED with games including Bases Loaded, Bases Loaded 2, Bases Loaded 3, Super Bases Loaded, Super Bases Loaded 2, Goal!, Goal! Two, Super Goal, Hoops, Big Run, Cisco Heat, and Best Bout Boxing. I grew up playing a ton of Bases Loaded on both the NES and SNES and they are just as fun as I remember. It has been a while since I checked these out, so it was fun revisiting them. The Goal! series was never for me and that remains to this day. I remember enjoying Hoops, but revisiting it has confirmed it was never great. Big Run and Cisco Heat are fun arcade driving games and Best Bout Boxing is a neat arcade game that I had never played before. This is a great compilation simply for the abundance of Bases Loaded.
Time to go driving. Up next is the Drift Out collection. Visco’s classic series serves up some top-down racing action. I was always a fan of these style games, and the Drift Out games were always a blast. This one has Drift Out, Drift Out 94: The Hard Order, Super Drift Out: World Rally Championship, Neo Drift Out: New Technology, Goal! Goal! Goal!, Boogie Woogie Bowling, and Great Boxing: Rush Up. Quite the diversity. The Drift Out games are still a blast, and I loved having two arcade games, one SNES, and one arcade version included. Once again, not a fan of the Goal! series. Boogie Woogie Bowling is not as good as I remember and Great Boxing is a decent NES title. Overall this collection lives and dies on the Drift Out games, so if you are a fan, it is definitely worth checking out.
To round things out we have the final collection, which is Tiger Heli. This includes six arcade games, all of the shooter variety. This one has Tiger-Heli, Twin Cobra, Sky/Flying Shark, Fire Shark, and Twin Hawk. Short and sweet, but these arcade games from Tatsujin are just as fun and brutal as they have always been. One of the coolest things about the Polymega is that it comes with an option to orientate games in Tate mode, this includes rotating the controls. Which is awesome. These games still deliver and while the offerings are smaller, the fun is abundant.
Finally, I got a chance to check out the new wireless controller. First up, the dongle. My goodness. It is massive, it sticks out really far on the front of the system. I wish it was smaller, like the original, but assuming it has more tech in there. The feel of the controller is much better. It feels closer to the Dual Shock 4 controller. The plastic feels a little cheaper, but not too bad. The triggers have a nice pull to them, and overall it just feels better than the one that came with the original console. All new units come with this one, which is nice.
I love seeing this system evolve. Wild we still can’t just buy one outright, but I hope that changes. I also hope they continue to expand on these collections as well as support for the console itself. Why do we not have 3DO and CDi support? I love watching it evolve over time and these collections are really cool. It is a nice way to have these retro games in physical form for those that enjoy that and the presentation is awesome.
Review copy of games and controller provided by publisher.
