What is it? - The Wonder Boy series is pretty strange - it started off as a simple arcade platformer (which was ported by Hudson and turned into its own series, known to Westerners as Adventure Island), but the later games introduced some adventure elements. This collection includes the original Wonder Boy (arcade, SMS and SG-1000), Wonder Boy in Monster Land (arcade and SMS), Monster World II (also known as Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, for the SMS and Game Gear), Wonder Boy III (arcade and Genesis), Monster World III: Wonder Boy V (also know as Wonder Boy in Monster World, for the SMS and Genesis), and Monster World IV (Genesis). Read the full article.

Wonder Boy in Monster World

About the Sega Ages version - Much like the Treasure Box, this includes near perfect emulations of all of the above games, with tons of display options and huge galleries. Monster World IV also includes a ton of bonus artwork unlocked after you beat the game, and there's a bunch of brand new illustrations in the manual. The other collections included both the Japanese and Overseas releases, and they have in most cases here, but they seem to have forgotten the English Master System version of Wonder Boy in Monster Land. Monster World IV never got a English release anyway (a huge tragedy), so everything here is still in Japanese. Unlike some of the other Genesis game with slightly sketchy sound emulation, most of the music sounds nearly indistinguishable from the originals. Interestingly, the game we know as Wonder Boy III: Dragon's Trap was only released on the Game Gear in Japan, where it got a Master System release elsewhere. This is the first time officially you can listen to it with the FM soundtrack, although I still prefer the regular PSG music.

Worth it? - This is worth it solely for the sheer amount of games on this collection, much more than any of the others. Plus, while Monster World IV isn't as stupidly rare as, say, Alien Soldier, it's still one of the pricier Mega Drive carts, so this collection is a value just for that. The only possible complaint anyone could have it that it's not exactly "Complete", since it's missing all of the Turbografx-16 variations (Monster Lair, Bikkuriman World, Dragon's Curse, and Dynastic Hero) published by Hudson. Still, none of those were made by Sega, and most aren't technically Monster World games anyway, so their exclusion makes sense.

Links:
Siliconera

What is it? - A 3D outer space arcade shooter, Galaxy Force II uses an enhanced version of the Super Scaler technology found in OutRun, After Burner and Space Harrier, resulting in even more impressive sprite-based effects. Fly through asteroid fields, solar flares, enemy bases, and alien planets as you destroy enough stuff to keep your ship's energy meter running. Similar to After Burner, the arcade version featured a tilting cabinet. Read the full article.

About the Sega Ages version - Nobody really remembers Galaxy Force II. After Burner, OutRun and Space Harrier's SMS and Genesis ports were far from arcade perfect, but they were at least playable. Not so with Galaxy Force II - its 8 and 16 bit ports were trash, and even the Saturn version suffered from a stunted frame rate. So we finally get an arcade perfect version with this PS2 version. But M2 went above and beyond the call of duty by adding a new Neo Classic mode, which features smoothed out graphics, transparencies, and other graphical effects. They don't seem to be completely redrawn, and they're still pixellated, but it's still superior to the arcade version, even though it still suffers from the same pop up due to its erratic draw distance. The best addition is the addition of a widescreen mode, which makes the original game seemed horribly cramped by comparison. If for some reason Neo Classic mode doesn't float your boat, the original arcade version is included too. Both games give you the option of listening to an emulated version of the arcade soundtrack, a streamed recording of the arcade soundtrack, the arranged soundtrack from one of the old home computer ports, or a brand new (somewhat lousy) arrangement of the main theme. This completely satisifies any of the qualms regarding sound quality in previous Sega Ages releases.

Unfortunately, Galaxy Force II has a really irritating game mechanic - you're constantly losing fuel as you fly along, and the only way to regain it is by killing enough bad guys so you'll refuel at the end of the stage. It was really just a scheme to get gamers to cough up more quarters, but at least you could continue where you left of. That option seems to have been disabled in the Sega Ages release - if you die, it's back to the title screen. There is a cheat code around this, kind of - bring up the menu, highlight "Option", hold Right on the d-pad for three seconds until you hear a chime, then hold Left for another three seconds until you hear another chime. Enter the Options screen and you'll find the Extended Option menu, which will allow you to change your starting energy. If you set it to 2500 and hold Right until you hear the chime, you can set it to 9999, effectively eliminating the whole energy issue.

In addition to these versions, you also get the abysmal Genesis port, and the Sega Master System port, which actually isn't too bad given the hardware, but really isn't anything too special. Both are plagued with extremely choppy scrolling.

Worth it? - Kinda iffy. Galaxy Force II is one of the most graphically impressive 2D arcade games out there, but like its spiritual predecessor After Burner, it's a bit on the shallow side, relying mostly on its graphical prowess to wow gamers (and its motion cabinet, obviously lost to the home audience.) And only the Neo Classic/Arcade version is really worthwhile, so you're basically only getting one game for the price, albeit one with a fairly nice overhaul. Still, it's great to see this forgotten game get some respect after all these years.

Links:
Blame the Control Pad

What is it? - Virtual-On is a fast paced one-on-one 3D mecha fighting game completely unlike anything else on the market. Playing as "virtuaroids" (designed by Hajime Katoki), players used the unique dual joystick set-up to run around arenas and trash their opponents. It's very chaotic and difficult to pick up and play, but a lot of fun once you get used to the control scheme. Read the full article.

About the Sega Ages version - While many of the Model 2 3D fighting games got decent Saturn ports, Virtual-On wasn't quite so lucky - the graphics took a noticeable hit, and the frame rate was halved to 30 FPS. The PS2 version is a very faithful conversion of the arcade original, featuring far better character models, crisper graphics, better texturing on both the robots and the arenas, and a smoother frame rate. Although there aren't any true dual stick controllers for the PS2, the Dual Shock sticks emulate it pretty well, at least better than any other console controllers in the past. There is a setting to use the Saturn PS2 pad, if you're comfortable with it.

The extras are pretty nice too. In addition to the usual sound test and artwork gallery, you can turn on progressive scan and widescreen modes. If you have two PS2s and two TVs, you can use the system link to play against another player, in addition to the standard split screen mode. Also new is the Assault Mode (which removes most of your projectile weapons, forcing you to rely on jumping or melee attacks) and the Chibi Mode (which turns all of your virtuaroids into super deformed toys, basically giving you the equivalent of Virtual-On Kids.) You can also enable dash cancelling (a feature that was introduced in the sequel, Oratorio Tangram, and wasn't in the original version)By accessing a secret menu (go to the Options screen, highlight "Credits", and hold right for a few seconds until a new menu appears), you can select the mid-boss Jaguarandi, in addition to enabling a few extra moves that were introduced in later games. There's also the Z-Gradt mode, allowing you to play as the final boss, which is basically a huge walking cannon. It's more for novelty than anything else, because the thing's nearly impossible to control. If you manage to beat all of your opponents in Arcade mode in thirty seconds or less, you'll also face a new secret boss - the original Fei Yan (the one you can play as in the game is apparently an inferior copy.)

Worth it? - While Oratorio Tangram improved over the original Virtual-On in practically every way, this is still by far the definitive version of the first game, and being able to play it in arcade-perfect glory is definitely worth it. Plus, I prefer using the Dual Shock sticks over any of the configurations of the Dreamcast pad for Oratorio Tangram (and there's no way in hell I'm shelling out for the stupidly expensive twin sticks), which also makes this version pretty worthwhile.

What is it? - A nearly complete pack of Sega's seminal RPG series. The original , released in 1988 for the Sega Master System, has gorgeous graphics that completely destroy any of its 8-bit NES peers. Phantasy Star II for the Genesis expanded on this in almost every way, and Phantasy Star (IV): End of the Millenium, is easily up next to Square's RPGs as some of the best in the 16-bit era. Their sci-fi setting is a breath of fresh air compared to the traditional fantasy worlds found in most RPGs, and all four of them tie in together to create a pleasantly huge epic. For its 20th anniversay, Sega has released the Phantasy Star Complete Collection as part of its Sega Ages 2500. This includes emulated versions of all four Phantasy Star games, along with the Japanese-only text adventures based on Phantasy Star II, and the two Game Gear titles which also never left Japan. It does not include the remakes of Phantasy Star I and II that were released earlier as part of the Sega Ages line.

About the Sega Ages version - These are more than just straight emulations. There were numerous additions to the Saturn Phantasy Star anthology that have been carried forward to this release. The walking speed in the older games was kind of slow, so there's now an option to speed up your characters so they blaze across the screen. Additionally, the original Phantasy Star has an "accelerate" key that speeds up the entire game, and there's a fast forward function to speed up the battle animations in Phantasy Star II. There are also additional save slots for Phantasy Star III.

In addition to the standard difficulty levels, there are Easy and Very Easy settings which increase the gold and experience obtained after battle, which makes the games (especially the brutal Phantasy Star II) much less of a grind. The original Phantasy Star was written entirely in katakana, which is a total pain to read. You can now select to have it written with a combination of hiragana and katakana, which is much easier. Naturally this won't make a difference if you don't read Japanese, but the PS2 version has one major enhancement that the Saturn version didn't - this one includes English versions of all four games, with almost all of the enhancements. The only omission is that you can't enable the FM synth soundtrack for the English version of the original Phantasy Star. (In Japan, many Master System games supported FM synth so the music sounds different. This functionality was not present in all other territories, so the rest of us are more familiar with the standard PSG sound.) This option is only present if you're playing in Japanese.

This collection runs on the same emulators as the Treasure Box collection and Monster World collection, so it includes a number of display options, including the ability to run it in progressive scan, enable scan lines, adjust filtering, or display in true low res. Unfortunately, like the previous compilations, the music quality isn't quite perfect. It's rarely unbearable, except for a few songs that have some annoying static (particularly in Phantasy Star IV), but anyone who's played these games on an actual Genesis may be slightly irritated by the discrepancies. In spite of this, it doesn't have the sound glitches that were present in the Sega Genesis Collection (in Phantasy Star IV, the battle music doesn't stop when the victory music played, leading to a overrunning cacephony of noise whenever you win a battle.) There's even an option to fix some of the bugs in Phantasy Star IV, like the one that causes you to lose stats if you go over level 99.

The text adventures may be unfamiliar territory, since they were never officially released in English. These were initially released through an online service and were later distributed as a bundle for the Mega CD. There are eight in total, each focusing on one of the main characters from Phantasy Star II. They have very minimal graphics and play like old interactive fiction games, as you tell your character to walk in different directions and read the text description of each area. These are still in Japanese on this collection, but a few of the stories have been fan translated and are available for play on computer emulators.

Also available are the two Game Gear games, although they're hidden. At the title screen, you need to hold Right on the D-Pad and press Start. Phantasy Star Adventure is an adventure game similar to the text adventures, although it features slightly more detailed graphics. Phantasy Star Gaiden is a generic RPG with only vague ties to the Phantasy Star saga. It only has vague ties to the original, since you play as some random kids who live on a colony founded by Alys, the heroine of the first game. Neither are great, and both are also only in Japanese, but these haven't been included on any other collection, so it's cool that they're here.

Like most of the other collections, there's also full artwork galleries for all games, which include character portraits and full manual scans, although they've ignored the American instruction manuals this time. It's also missing some of the bonus stuff that was in the Saturn Phantasy Star collection, particularly the commercial videos and some of the cool arranged music.

Worth it? - As mentioned, the Phantasy Star series has seen a number of compilations. The Saturn version compiles all four of the main games, but suffered from some emulation issues. The GBA version only contains PS I-III, and in addition to sound issues, has an annoying bug which will cause the game to freeze in the first game. The Sega Genesis Collection has PS II-IV and, as mentioned above, has some sound issues and doesn't have the display options of this collection, but is otherwise pretty decent. Considering how cheap and easy it is to get this, and contains many more games, it makes the Phantasy Star Complete Collection seem a bit skimpy. Still, all of the enhancements to the older games are definitely worthwhile if you don't have the patience for slow paced old-school level building, and it's cool to see the text adventures and Game Gear games compiled, since they've otherwise been shunned on previous collections. It's hardly worth it for the casual fan, but for long time Phantasy Star junkies itching to replay the series, this is definitely the way to go.

In 2012, this volume was released for the Japanese PSN removing the Sega Ages 2500 title.

What is it? - For the most part, Fantasy Zone is an evolution of the classic arcade game Defender - you fly back and forth on a side-scrolling, looping stage. But rather then saving humans, you're charged with destroying a number of enemy bases that appear throughout the stage. Once you've killed them all, you fight a boss, then it's on to the next stage. Destroying enemy also yields cash, which can used to purchase weapons, speed enhancements, and bonus lives. Also, instead of Defender's dark, simplistic graphics, Fantasy Zone is filled with bright colors, rainbows, and overly peppy salsa music.

Like the other Complete Collections, this is an anthology of nearly all of the Fantasy Zone games, including the original (arcade and SMS), Fantasy Zone II (SMS and arcade), Super Fantasy Zone (Mega Drive) and Fantasy Zone Gear (Game Gear). Also included are spinoffs, like the Pac-Man-esque Fantasy Zone III: The Maze AKA Opa Opa (SMS and arcade), and the obscure paddle game Galactic Protector. In addition to an alternate remake of Fantasy Zone by Sunsoft called Fantasy Zone Neo Classic, Sega went the extra mile and included a brand new remake of Fantasy Zone II, programmed the System 16 boards. It does not include the 2.5D remake of Fantasy Zone released earlier in the Sega Ages line, and it's missing the vocal song arrangement from the Sega Ages Saturn version. Read the full article.

About the Sega Ages version - As usual, the emulations are spot on, with an array of display options, galleries and regional versions. There's a rapid fire option for all games, which is nice, but almost feels like cheating. Even the music on Super Fantasy Zone sounds okay compared to other Genesis games on the Sega Ages packs. Fantasy Zone II and Opa Opa even have their mega rare arcade variations, which are only slightly different from their Master System entries. If Sega had only included these games on the package, it'd be worth it, because Fantasy Zone also happens to be one of the best arcade games released in the mid-80s, and the Saturn port alone usually goes for about 2000 yen, just below the retail price of this collection. And Super Fantasy Zone (strangely only released in Japan and Europe) is just as excellent.

The real treat of the collection is dubbed "Fantasy Zone II DX". Way back in the late 80s, Sega created Fantasy Zone II, but instead of continuing with their brilliant System-16 arcade board, they designed it for the Mark III/Master System hardware, which was a considerable downgrade. As a result, the sequel wasn't nearly as impressive as its predecessor. Fantasy Zone II DX is a remake, but it's not any old remake - it marks a beginning of a trend, similar to Retro Game Challenge / Game Center CX and Mega Man 9, of creating new games using retro style graphics. Rather than simply mimicing the retro style, the developers actually programmed the game for the old System 16 hardware. (They even burnt them on ROMs for use at some promotional events in Japan. As a result, it features an aesthetic style exactly like the original, except even more wacky and colorful. It's pretty amazing that they did this - it's like they looked at the Fantasy Zone series and said, "Hey, we know we let you guys down all those years ago, but now we're trying to make it right." And here it is.

In fact, Fantasy Zone II DX is less of a remake and more of a whole new game, slightly inspired by the original title. The big catch of Fantasy Zone II was the multiple levels within a given stage, each with a unique background, which you could transport between via warps. This has been rearranged to introduce a dual world concept - each level as "Bright" and "Dark" rendition, with different graphics and enemy patterns, and even tougher bosses. The Dark stages are so scary that you won't even find the standard Shop balloons (which pop out at the beginning of each stage/life as normal, so you don't need to hunt them down anymore), and need to scavenge for hidden shops to buy things. You technically never need to enter the Dark versions, but enemies give more money, and completing these stages is the only way to get the best ending. (There are three in total - in the bad one, where Opa Opa turns evil, it even references the Harrier and Uriah from Space Harrier as coming to destroy him, further tying together the two series.) Of course, in tightening up the levels, a lot of the crazier backgrounds from Fantasy Zone II had to be ditched, but the developers picked the best one and used that as a basis.

The rest of the game is even more inspired. If you take a hit with a weapon equipped, you'll actually lose the weapon but still survive, which makes things a little bit easier. All of the bosses are taken from the original Fantasy Zone II, they're not exactly new, but they've been changed so they're like older siblings of the bosses from the first Fantasy Zone. Each stage opens with a unique Engrish-y introduction text, similar to the one that displayed in the first level of the first game. The soundtrack technically consists of arranged music from Fantasy Zone II, but it's all been so heavily rearranged you can barely tell. It uses the same FM synth as the first game, and is provided by veteran shooter soundtrack writer Manabu Namiki (Metal Slug 6, Dodopachi Daioujou, many other Cave games.) There are more weapons this time around too, including the titular "Drop Tears", which are required for the best ending. You even get the option to buy speed enhancement after getting killed by a boss, fixing one of the most aggravating aspects of the series. It's actually incredible to believe, but this might actually be the best Fantasy Zone yet.

As an additional bonus, the disc includes a game called Fantasy Zone Neo Classic. (It's unlocked by opening the menu screen for the game, selecting the "Mark III" version, then holding Right on the d-pad until it unlocks.) I'm a bit sketchy on the details, but I believe it's supposed to be a port of Famicom version created by Sunsoft. It's very similar to the arcade game, but with slightly different (and not quite as good) graphics, different music synth, and some altered enemy patterns. It's cool for fans to play, just to see what was changed from the actual arcade release, but it's nothing relevatory.

Worth it? - No questions, absolutely. Fantasy Zone II DX could've been sold on its own as a budget title, but having all of the other titles in one place is the real icing on the cake. Possibly the best compilation in the entire Sega Ages line.

Links:
SMS Power - Fantasy Zone Complete Collection Extremely comprehensive forum post.