10 Great Retro Gaming Compilations You Should Own (If You Don't Already)

Good games don't die, they just get really old.

Gaming compilations are nothing new. Multicarts like Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt defined a generation, taught millions of kids how to run and jump like a plumber and shoot ducks so your dog won’t laugh at you. Super Mario All-Stars not only packaged your favorite Mario NES titles into one convenient cartridge, but gave them a 16-bit makeover, for better and for worse. And collections like the Namco Museum quintet for PS1 proved that there was a market for retro game re-releases as early as the late 90s.

By the time the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube emerged, the retro compilation scene exploded. Sonic Mega Collection, Mega Man Anniversary Collection, Intellivision Lives!, and Activision Anthology just to name a few. These collections were novel, they were nostalgic, and they cost less than new full-priced games. Perfect for young Millennials eager to explore their fading childhood memories and see if they still hold up.

Never forget.

Today, we live in the golden age of retro re-releases, remasters, and compilations. What’s old is new again, with a fresh coat of HD paint for a generation that’s never experienced it. You never know what will be resurrected. Baten Kaitos I + II HD Remaster, for example. Two formerly Gamecube-exclusive card-based RPGs, niche to the bone, re-released last year for the Switch. Klonoa: Phantasy Reverie Series is another compilation out of left field, two Namco platformers that failed to land with audiences when they released in 1998 and 2001, respectively. Sure, these collections don’t cost as much to make as a brand new game, but it’s still surprising what a company’s willing to unearth from its archives these days.

The following ten compilations are for discerning retro gamers of wealth and taste. Heck, you might have some of these already, as well you should. But if you don’t, be encouraged. These compilations are for you and your children, to share and treasure forever, until the next time they’re re-released.

With the exception of a couple entries, most of these compilations are available for all modern-day systems including PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and Steam. Most have also been available for a couple years at least, so they’re frequently cheap, on sale, and easily obtainable.

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#10: NAMCO MUSEUM ARCHIVES, VOL. 2

Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 is, objectively, not the greatest collection, but I’m including it for two reasons. #1: it contains three of my favorite NES/Famicom games, Battle City, Galaga and Rolling Thunder. And #2: niche compilations are often overlooked in top-10 lists like these. By “niche,” I mean compilations that focus on a very specific developer or time in history rather than a still-popular series. Vol. 2 highlights Namco’s mid-to-late 80s Famicom/NES period, good, bad, and ugly. Why? I don’t know, but I’m glad it does. Where else can you find Mendel Palace or Legacy of the Wizard? Outside of ROMs or a physical cartridge, the answer is nowhere. Sure, there’s room for improvement here, but having these eleven games available to play on modern hardware at all is a Godsend.

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#9: DISNEY AFTERNOON COLLECTION

The first of many Digital Eclipse-developed entries. If you aren’t aware, Digital Eclipse is the leading curator of retro gaming collection/archival releases right now. Five of the games on this top ten list are from them, and for jolly good reason. They go above and beyond, providing not just the expected games, but tons of extra features, along with visual and audio options that replicate your original CRT setup.

If you grew up with the NES, chances are, you’ve dabbled with a Capcom-developed Disney game. Probably DuckTales, but also Chip & Dale’s Rescue Rangers when no one was looking. The Disney Afternoon Collection has all the Capcom games based on late 80s/early 90s Disney cartoons here, six in total. All these games are nostalgic, some of them are downright special, and several of the original cartridges are ridiculously expensive these days (looking at you DuckTales 2). If you ever polished off a box of Trix while watching Darkwing Duck as a kid, this collection is for you.

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#8: SUPER MONKEY BALL: BANANA MANIA

There are approximately eight thousand Super Monkey Ball games, but the first two are all you really need. For that, Banana Mania’s got you covered. Super Monkey Ball 1 + 2, remastered, with its hair done in sprightly high-definition. In addition to the two games, lots of additional levels, ridiculous minigames, unlockable cosmetics, and even the chance to play as Sonic, Kiryu from Yakuza, and a Game Gear, alongside other iconic Sega characters/systems. At the end of the day, you either appreciate rolling monkeys in plastic balls around nebulous dimensional planes, or you find it a waste of government resources. I know where I stand.

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#7: STREET FIGHTER 30^th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION

If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance you’re older than you want to be. Which also means you probably grew up playing some form of Street Fighter II in the arcade. Hey, it’s ok. Me too, buddy. Me too.

This collection is one of Digital Eclipse’s finest, a true love letter to the franchise that birthed the modern fighting game. All 12 (13 on the Switch, for some reason) Street Fighter arcade games are featured here (up until Street Fighter IV), including numerous iterations of Street Fighter II and III. I can’t imagine many among us will want to play the original Street Fighter or Street Fighter III: Double Impact, but I’m glad they’re here, for completion’s sake.

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#6: SONIC ORIGINS PLUS

Yeah, Sega removed the amazing Michael Jackson tracks from Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and yeah, the replacement music is awful. Otherwise, Sonic Origins Plus is a fine compilation (don’t listen to the internet, they’re never satisfied). In addition to Sonic 1, 2, CD, and 3 + Knuckles, all remastered, you also get extra missions, new animated cutscenes that bookend each game, and a museum full of Sonic artwork, music, and videos. Origins Plus also provides all DLC from the original Origins release, every Sonic Game Gear game (12 in total), and the ability to play as Amy in every game. A no-brainer purchase for everyone who has a soft spot for the formerly pudgy blue hedgehog.

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#5: ATARI 50: THE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Full confession: I have yet to play Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, but it sounds like the future of retro game compilations. Through an interactive timeline, you’re able to watch new interviews with former Atari employees along with archival footage, read about Atari’s convoluted, fascinating history, and play over 100 games from every era of Atari, including the Jaguar and Lynx. Digital Eclipse does good work, regardless of what the product is, but in terms of an archival retrospective, Atari 50 might be their crowning achievement.

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#4: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE COWABUNGA COLLECTION

Digital Eclipse went above and beyond with Cowabunga Collection. Not only do we get the classic Turtles trilogy on the NES, but also the two arcade titles, Turtles in Time for the SNES, Hyperstone Heist on the Genesis, every iteration of Tournament Fighters, and – wait for it – the oft-forgotten Game Boy Trilogy. That’s 13 games, in addition to a whole bunch of bonus material, like never-before-seen design materials and the ability to play the Japanese versions for most games. Also, you can play local co-op and beat your way to Shredder with your significant other or child, like God intended. Cowabunga Collection is one for the ages.

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#3: MEGA MAN LEGACY COLLECTION

Digital Eclipse cut their teeth with Mega Man Legacy Collection, and while they’ve certainly made more polished, rewarding compilations since this one, Mega Man is one of my favorite series, hence the high ranking. Mega Man Legacy Collection gives you all six NES games, looking and playing the best they ever have outside of a CRT and NES controller. Digital Eclipse also provides some incredibly hard bonus challenges that feature remixed levels and a museum with plenty of concept sketches and all-around history.

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#2: SEGA GENESIS CLASSICS

As with all Genesis compilations, Sega gives and they take away. With Sega Genesis Classics, we finally get both Toe Jam & Earl games after they weren’t included with Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection. But we lose Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles and the Ecco the Dolphin games from the aforementioned compilation, for some reason. I find you guilty, Sega, of breaking my heart.

Nevertheless, the 50+ games included on Sega Genesis Classics are predominantly wheat and not chaff. The Streets of Rage trilogy, the Shining series, and the Shinobi entries, and that’s just the letter ‘S.’ Yes, Sega still insists that every Genesis collection must include Alex Kidd & The Enchanted Castle, Columns, and Bonanza Bros. for some reason. But who knows, if they ever stopped including them, I might lament their absence.

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#1: NINTENDO SWITCH ONLINE (CHEATING, SORT OF)

If you’re a Nintendo fan from days of old, the Nintendo Switch Online service has most of the classic Nintendo-developed/published games we want to play. Ok, perhaps the NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Advance games aren’t in compilations, per say. But where else are you going to play these games on modern hardware that doesn’t involve some sort of hazy illegal tomfoolery? You won’t. You can’t. Sure, it’d be nice to have the option to buy some of these games individually, so you don’t have to subscribe to the service to play them. Still, $20/year to access some excellent NES, SNES, and Game Boy titles is a no-brainer in these inflated times. $50/year for Genesis, N64, and GBA titles, along with some random DLC content? Your mileage may vary there.

*images courtesy of Nintendo, Steam, IGN, SonicTheHedgehog.com, The Fighters Generation, and Ars Technica