Summary
- High-quality classic game collections offer great value, with decades worth of games for a low price.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection showcases iconic titles, including arcade favorites and handheld gems.
- The Star Wars Heritage Pack compiles modern remasters, offering a comprehensive selection of acclaimed titles.
For those who grew up in the era of cartridge consoles, it can be truly mind-blowing to see just how much gaming can be packed into one digital download on the Switch. What once would have made up a good chunk of a game library is now easily accessible on a single handheld with better sound and picture quality than the most expensive big-screen behemoth the 1990s ever knew.
8 Franchises That Have Surprisingly Never Had A Remastered Collection
Despite the fan acclaim of these titles, these games have still yet to have a remastered collection.
Classic game collections can sometimes seem like a shameless cash grab (and, well, sometimes they are) but in truth, they can pack in a decade or two worth of games, usually while costing less than one of them did upon its original release. When the collection is well-made and the games are true classics, they can be one of the best bargains in all gaming.
Updated September 12th, 2024, by Connor Wright: As the Nintendo Switch's continued sales success brings more and more players to Nintendo's hybrid console, the system becomes home to an ever-expanding library of retro collections. The porting efforts of development studios such as Aspyr and Digital Eclipse have brought more fan-favorite franchises from long-forgotten systems to Nintendo's most recent hardware. Through the compilation products of the Star Wars: Heritage Pack, Capcom Arcade Stadium, and Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection more beloved titles from decades past have been ported to modern machines. In other efforts of preservation and franchise accessibility, companies are reimagining their older IPs with modern graphical developments in mind - even bundling multiple similar titles together; as seen with the Spyro + Crash Remastered Game Bundle, and Final Fantasy I -VI Collection.
13 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
A Varied & Solid Selection Of High-Quality TMNT Titles
- Released: August 30, 2022
- Developer(s): Digital Eclipse
- System: PC, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Series S/X, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s): Various
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were ubiquitous in the late 80s/early 90s. They were on TV, in the movies, all over toy stores, at the grocery store, on clothing and birthday cakes, tablecloths, and bedsheets. They were also the stars of more than a few high-quality video games.
Konami and TMNT had several top-tier entries in the arcade, on consoles, and on handhelds. The Cowabunga Collection offers up a whopping 13 of them, including the iconic original arcade beat ‘em up, the legendary Turtles in Time, and the super fun, somewhat Metroidvania-style Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue for the original Game Boy. No, it's not perfect, but it's pretty close.
12 Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration
A Compilation With Never-Before-Seen Depth And Variety
- Released: November 11, 2022
- Developer(s): Digital Eclipse
- System: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Series X/S, PC, Atari VCS
- Genre(s): Varied
While the quality of Atari 50's gargantuan 103 playable titles for modern players is debatable, there is no denying that, as a compilation showcasing one of the industry's hallmark companies, this 50th-anniversary collection is second to none.
Presenting titles from effectively every juncture of Atari's rise and fall in the gaming space, Atari 50 is home to emulators for a variety of systems. From Atari's uber-successful 2600 and floundering Lynx handheld to the power-punching Jaguar and Atari's arcade roots, this collection is nothing short of comprehensive. Beyond the games, Atari 50's role as a playable timeline of Atari's peaks and troughs in the industry is bolstered by over an hour of exclusive video interviews.
11 Mega Man Legacy Collection
The Original Showcase Of The Blue Bomber's Retro Roots
Mega Man Legacy Collection
The position of Mega Man in the gaming space - particularly in the 8 and 16-bit era of platformers - cannot be understated. Especially considering his legacy as a retro mascot alongside Mario and Sonic, his inclusion in cross-genre fighters such as Super Smash Bros. And the extensive care taken with his classic game collections are exact proof.
The original Mega Man Legacy Collection is an extensive look at not only the history of these platforming classics, but a tangible appreciation of not only the esthetic, but the function of its six titles on emulated classic hardware. While Capcom has since expanded the presentation of Mega Man's retro portfolio into six more collections, based on the series' various subseries, this original collection showcases some of the highest-rated titles in Mega Man's catalog.
8 Great Retro Video Games That Will Put You In A Good Mood
These classic retro titles are the perfect video games to improve your mood due to their easy and enjoyable gameplay.
10 Castlevania Advance Collection
Giving The High-Quality Vampire-Slaying Series' GBA Titles Another Life
- Released: September 23, 2021
- Developer(s): M2, Konami Digital Entertainment
- System: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s): Action-Platformer, Role-Playing Game
There aren’t enough collections of classic Game Boy Advance games out there, which is part of what makes the Castlevania Advance Collection such a treat. It doesn’t offer nearly as many Castlevania titles as the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, but the games it does offer are all among the best entries in the whole series.
This collection includes all three Game Boy Advance Castlevania titles (Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow) as well as the notoriously difficult Super Nintendo title, Castlevania: Dracula X for those who enjoy an occasionally excruciating challenge. It’s also got some fun extra features, like an encyclopedia, a music player, and a gallery of artwork and package designs for the games.
9 Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2
A Compilation Of The Blue Bomber's Next-Generation 16-Bit Titles
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2
The ultimate Mega Man X experience!
The celebrated Mega Man X series returns! Play as Mega Man X – the powerful successor of classic fighting robot Mega Man – as he battles a variety of deadly bosses known as Mavericks in four hit titles. Mega Man X Legacy Collection includes the legendary 16-bit titles and the series’ exciting foray into the 32-bit era: Mega Man X, Mega Man X2, Mega Man X3, and Mega Man X4. The heroic robot grows stronger as he takes down Mavericks and steals their weapons, and can dash and wall jump making for a thrilling, fast-paced combat experience.
Mega Man X Legacy Collection comes with an armory of new features. Test your skills in the new X Challenge mode, which pits players against two deadly bosses in two-on-one battles. Explore a huge museum filled with rare production art, catalogs of classic merchandise, a playlist of nostalgic commercials, and more.
The Mega Man X series may have had its considerable ups and downs, but the heights it reached across its eight main series releases were certainly more than enough to warrant this classic two-pack collection.
The original Mega Man X and its two Super Nintendo sequels had some of the slickest, quickest, and most gratifying gameplay the system had to offer. The transition over to PlayStation after X4 remained strong to begin with, but the quality of the games declined by X6, ending up a shell of its glorious former self by the end. Still, there’s plenty in this double collection to make it worth the price tag.
8 Bioshock: The Collection
A Library Of The Seventh-Generation's Most Popular Immersive Sims
BioShock: The Collection
It’s not all that controversial to state that the BioShock trilogy stands among the best three-game runs in the history of video games. With each entry rivaling or even surpassing the previous one, it’s safe to say that this quality-over-quantity collection is worth every single penny for fans looking to relive their first journey into Rapture or for first-timers who are looking for a one-of-a-kind critically acclaimed horror FPS with incredible visuals.
BioShock: The Collection includes the remasters of BioShock and BioShock 2, as well as BioShock Infinite: The Complete Edition. All single-player DLC is included.
7 Super Mario 3D All-Stars
A Limited, Yet Fully Functional, Collection Of Gaming's Best Titles
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
- Released
- September 18, 2020
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
For a franchise as laden with high-praise and heavy-hitting titles as Mario, parent company Nintendo is somewhat stingy when it comes to providing players with easily accessible classic game collections. As such, despite its somewhat exclusive nature due to its 'anniversary' removal from digital and physical storefronts in March 2021, Super Mario 3D All-Stars is a solid platforming package.
Many understandable complaints and considerations have come from the Nintendo community following Super Mario 3D All-Stars' limited release. Despite the many developments made to its included titles in the retro emulator community, Nintendo left many aspects of the collection's titles unaltered. However, despite the limited nature of Nintendo's Mario-themed compilation effort, the fact that Super Mario 64. Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy are some of the quintessential titles of each generation cannot be understated.
6 Disney Classic Games Collection
A Selection Of Quintessential Disney Tie-In Titles From The 16-Bit Era
- Released: November 23, 2021
- Developer(s): Digital Eclipse
- System: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s): Action-Platformer
It seems like Disney has always been fantastic at the multipronged marketing attack, but the 90s was a high point for them in this area. They released several games based on their properties that did a lot more in the eyes of gamers than just sell merchandise. They were genuinely some of the best entries on their respective consoles.
While this collection does not offer all of the top-tier titles, it does offer three of them. The Lion King and Aladdin are some of the most beloved platformers of their era, and though it doesn’t garner the same level of nostalgia, The Jungle Book is pretty much just as fun as either of them.
5 Spyro + Crash Remastered Game Bundle
A Post-Launch Collection Of Two Remarkable Ground-Up Remakes
- Released: 13 November, 2018
- Developer(s): Toys For Bob
- System: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s): Platformer
While the commercial and critical acclaim presented to developer Toys For Bob's ground-up remakes of the original PlayStation works of both Spyro the Dragon and Crash Bandicoot is groundbreaking, the compilation of both collections into one package is almost too good to be true.
Bringing 2017's Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and 2018's Spyro Reignited Trilogy remake collections together, this commercial repackaging provides gamers with not only two of the best examples of a remake of a classic property in recent times but a modern gateway into some of the fifth console generation's most revered titles.
4 Star Wars Heritage Pack
A Comprehensive Collection Of Aspyr's Greatest Modern Remasters
- Released: April 27, 2023
- Developer(s): Aspyr Media
- System: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4
- Genre(s): Varied
Across generations of consoles, since its 1977 induction into popular culture, Star Wars has been a consistent sight in the video game industry. From genre-defining role-playing games, uniquely-styled squad shooters, and high-quality tie-in racing titles, 2023's Star Wars Heritage Pack collects some of the most highly acclaimed Star Wars titles in recent memory and packages them into one high-value package.
Renowned video game porting developers Aspyr have progressively developed versions of titles like Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for modern platforms since 2019, and the Star Wars Heritage Pack's laden seven-title package is proof of all their dedicated work.