SEGA 3D Classics Collection will have Physical and Digital Release

The SEGA 3D Classics Collection will be released physically and digitally in the Americas for $29.99/CA$44.99 for the Nintendo 3DS. The physical packaging features artwork by Pokémon art director, Ken Sugimori.

You may recognize a few of the games below as already being available on the eShop, but this collection includes four games not currently available, and gives you the option for physical copies of the games.

PRESS RELEASE

Yo wassup dawg?! Remember loading up your SEGA Master System or Genesis with the raddest cartridge back in the day and playing for hours? Well, you may not be a kid anymore, but we’ve got the illest cure for your feelings of nostalgia, because the SEGA 3D Classics Collection will be released physically and digitally in the Americas! Sega will be hooking playas up with nine old school games — that have been powered up with fresh new visuals and content by the fly M2 posse — for the Nintendo 3DS system on April 26. (Alright, that’s enough 90s corporate video game store training video, we apologize for subjecting you to it.)

The SEGA 3D Classics Collection, available on the Nintendo eShop and in retail stores contains nine classic SEGA games originally released on SEGA’s Master System and Genesis consoles:

Power Drift – A high octane sprite-based circuit racer.
Puyo Puyo 2 – A head-to-head competitive puzzle game.
Maze Walker – A 3D mystery adventure.
Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa – A classic psychedelic scrolling shooter.
Fantasy Zone II W – Fantasy Zone II W is basically an updated version of the game above.
Sonic The Hedgehog – Control the iconic character in the classic fast-paced platformer.
Thunder Blade – Helicopters, guns, missiles and explosions. What more do you need?
Galaxy Force II – Save the galaxy in this space themed3D shoot ’em up.
Altered Beast – A beat ’em up set in ancient Greece.

You may have noticed that some of the games in the collection are already available à la carte only on the Nintendo eShop, and wonder why you need the SEGA 3D Classics Collection. Well, in addition to getting a physical release, the collection includes four games that haven’t been released on the 3DS before (two of which never made it out of Japan!), and the total for the nine games clocks in at just $29.99/CA$44.99. So take a chill pill, quit trippin’ yo, and check out these fly screenshots! (Sorry, we said we’d stop, and we didn’t. Apologies again.)

The never-before-released-outside-of-Japan Power Drift will satisfy your need for speed.

The other never-before-released-outside-of-Japan Puyo Puyo 2 will test friendships.

Take a psychedelic trip, man, in Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa.

Whatever you do, don't panic in Maze Walker. — Whatever you do, don’t panic in Maze Walker.

Unleash your beast mode in Altered Beast.

Guess who has to save the Space Federation in Galaxy Force II.

Don’t Drift Aimlessly – POWER DRIFT with Purpose in the SEGA 3D Classics Collection

Nine Sega Classics (some unreleased!) Arriving on April 26 for Nintendo 3DS

IRVINE, Calif. – Jan. 21, 2016 – The best thing about classics is that they never go out of style, which is why SEGA of America is bringing nine classic SEGA games to the Nintendo 3DS™ system as part of the SEGA 3D Classics Collection. The best part – four of the nine classics are games that have never been released on the 3DS previously. For all of the included classics, developer M2 painstakingly recreated the experiences by breaking down the original games and powering them up with new visuals, game modes, and more to take full advantage of the Nintendo 3DS system. The

SEGA 3D Classics Collection will be available in stores and digitally exclusively in the Americas for $29.99/CA$44.99 on April 26, 2016.

Because it’s a collection, the most prudent thing to do would be to list the games included, starting with the titles never-before-released outside of Japan first:

Power Drift – This sprite-based circuit racer puts you head to head against other AI racers in a twisting, turning, jumping, looping race to the finish.
Puyo Puyo 2 – This head-to-head competitive puzzle game is simple to learn, hard to master, and compellingly addictive. Compete against the AI or friends in local multiplayer. Note: because of the quirks of trying to localize a game hard-coded in Japanese, the game has been left entirely in its original language. English instructions are available in the included digital manual.

Next, we have a pair of rarities not released on the 3DS before – true collectibles for the Master System enthusiast:

Maze Walker – Originally designed for the SegaScope 3-D glasses on the Sega Master System, Maze Walker comes to life on the 3DS, faithfully reproducing the sense of depth as players try to escape the mysterious, twisting maze filled with unknown dangers. Originally released as Maze Hunter for the Master System in the West.
Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa – The sentient space ship Opa-Opa is back to defend its bases from evil (but cute!) invaders in the classic scrolling shooter. For SEGA history buffs, this version of Fantasy Zone II is the original Master System version.

And for the previously released titles:

Fantasy Zone II W –Fantasy Zone II W, which was originally created for the Master System, is the version of Fantasy Zone II upgraded to the graphical capabilities of the System- 16 arcade board with added 3D effects. You can enjoy it in 2 game modes with different rules.
Sonic The Hedgehog – The evil scientist, Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Robotnik), has snatched the animals of South Island, turning them into robot slaves. Only the famed blue blur can defeat Dr. Eggman and rescue the animals from his vile clutches in the game that started it all for the fastest hedgehog – Sonic!
Thunder Blade – In Thunder Blade, players control a helicopter and use guns and missiles to destroy enemy vehicles while flying between buildings, through caves, and into enemy bases. The re-mastered version boasts stereoscopic 3D visuals and adds a host of new features.
Galaxy Force II – As the star pilot of the Space Federation, it’s up to you to strap yourself into your TRY-X fighter and turn the tables on the invade forces of Halcyon and the Fourth Empire in this 3D shoot ’em up. This remastered version has upgraded graphics with double the resolution of the original for a more pleasing aesthetic.
Altered Beast – Summoned from the dead by Zeus, players in Altered Beast must shape shift into various beasts and fight off hordes of demons to rescue the captured Athena from the clutches of Neff. Offers local co-op multiplayer.