Sega UK announces "SEGA Mega Drive Classics Hub" (3D UI, official ROM hack support)

[AlchemistHohenheim]

Free update on April 28th for anyone who owns any Mega Drive/Genesis games on Steam.



Yes, they're really promising Steam Workshop support to share modified versions of the games.

Get Ready to load the SEGA Mega Drive Classics Hub
You may have been wondering why in recent weeks we have been quizzing you on SEGA Central about your favourite MEGA Drive/Genesis Characters, Games, Memories & giving away themed swag… That’s because we’re celebrating the launch of the new SEGA Mega Drive Classics Hub releasing as a free update on Steam, get ready to load on April 28th.

The new-look system is based on a bedroom of an early nineties SEGA fan with dynamic time-of-day conditions, retro SEGA paraphernalia, a shelf full of MEGA Drive games (including the ones you own) and of course a CRT TV! That’s not all, every single MEGA Drive game will now feature Steam Workshop support allowing you to share modified versions of your favourite retro SEGA titles!

In addition to these new features, the new SEGA Mega Drive hub also includes;

• spot-on emulation
• local co-op for games that support it
• optional graphic enhancement filters
• the ability to save at any point in the gameplay
• full controller / keyboard support

The following games will be accessible through the new hub on release - if you already own these games, just wait for the update & press start!

Golden Axe™
Altered Beast™
Comix Zone™
Ecco the Dolphin™
Gain Ground™
Shinobi™ III: Return of the Ninja Master
Vectorman™
Crack Down™
Shadow Dancer™
Space Harrier™ II
Ecco™ Jr.
Alex Kidd™ in the Enchanted Castle
Bonanza Bros.™
Super Thunder Blade™
Kid Chameleon™
Ristar™
Galaxy Force II™
Columns™
Eternal Champions™
Fatal Labyrinth™
Bio-Hazard Battle™
Columns™ III
Sword of Vermilion™
Virtua Fighter™ 2
Ecco™: The Tides of Time
Alien Storm
Decap Attack™
Flicky™
ESWAT™: City Under Siege
Golden Axe™ II
Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole
Shining Force
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair
Streets of Rage 2
Alien Soldier
Light Crusader
Gunstar Heroes
Streets of Rage
Shining Force II
Shining in the Darkness
Beyond Oasis
Dynamite Headdy
Golden Axe III
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
Streets of Rage 3
Revenge of the Shinob
Vectorman 2
Wonder Boy in Monster World

Strangely none of the Sonic the Hedgehog games are in the list of supported games, but they're shown in the trailer, so uh...? But yeah, official endorsement of ROM hacks (to whatever extent Sega is "okay" with modification). What an age we live in.

[Katazuki]

No Sanic or Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine in that line up? The heck's wrong with you SEGA.

WELL I MEAN I GUESS THEY GOT RISTAR AND DYNAMITE HEADDY SO SOMETHING'S RIGHT.

[Zummorr]

Thats kinda a meh collection. the Sonic Ultimate collection on 360 had sonic 1-3. In this you get Gunstar Super heroes, virtua fighter 2, some other Ecco games, not much over the previous collection.

From experience. The only games on the list even worth playing are Gunstar heroes, Shining force 1-2, Beyond Oasis, Shinobi 3, comix zone.

Some are decent, like Streets of rage. But alot of those games are super bland arcade games like Gain Ground. and the phantasy star RPGs really suffer from old RPGitis. Or some games are just too hard to get into like Vectorman.
But if you haven't played some version of Altered Beast, well play it it's worth the treat. "Rise from your Grave!" same thing for Space Harrier.

I guess Sega thinks that by opening up to the modding community they can ride the "Mario Maker Wave" of player created content, too little too niche imo.

[AlchemistHohenheim]

Uh...for clarification's sake, this isn't really a new "collection". ...Well, you CAN buy the games in a "collection" bundle on Steam (all the Sonic games + Toe Jam & Earl are also on Steam but listed separately), but these ROMs have been on Steam since like 2010. The games being available for purchase isn't new.

What is new is that Sega is updating their proprietary emulator to go from this:

to what's in the video. It's a free update that anyone who has bought any Genesis/Mega Drive game on Steam SHOULD have access to.

[Stink Terios]

Already fantastic.

[SAJewers]

Even Better:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... earchtext=
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/ ... earchtext=

[AlchemistHohenheim]

For some un-ironically good stuff to come from this:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =674743755 (standalone Sonic 3)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =674748998 (standalone Sonic & Knuckles)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =674614944 (Knuckles in Sonic 2)
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f ... =674609317 (Blue Spheres)