Flicky: Another title included in the collection out of sheer curiosity, Flicky is a cute little action game. You take control of a blue bird that flies around, avoiding enemies while collecting baby chicks and getting to the exit.

Gain Ground: Here's an interesting action/strategy game that deserves a look. In the game, you choose one of three different characters with unique weapons and abilities and then clear each screen of enemies that are charging at you. The best part? Teaming up with a friend to take out the trash! Here's a little trivia fact. When the game was released for the Sega Genesis so long ago, it wasn't published by Sega.

Golden Axe: What other action game lets you challenge the evil forces of Death Adder while kicking around imps for power-ups? In this game, you choose from a Conan-like warrior, a female Amazon fighter, or a dwarf, and then you go knocking enemies on their asses. Simple stuff, but it's fun.

Golden Axe II: More Golden Axe goodness from the same development team. This time around, our three heroes have new creatures to ride and stronger enemies to defeat as they go about their quest. Their enemy this time? Dark Guld. Yep, a guy named Dark Guld. What's a Guld, anyway? Like a guild but with not so many members? I'll have to look that up in the dictionary.

Golden Axe III: Here's another fun little trivia fact: this game was never released in the US. It was briefly featured on the Sega Channel cable service back in the day, but it just wasn't up to par with the other two games. There are two new characters to choose from here, as well as branching paths that help the replay value, but a rusty Axe is still just a rusty Axe.

Kid Chameleon: Although the Sega Genesis never saw a platformer that was the equivalent of Nintendo's Mario character, Kid Chameleon is the next best thing. You play this kid stuck in a virtual world, acquiring new abilities and costumes as you go along. My personal favorite is the samurai outfit, complete with a big ass helmet and a sword worthy of cutting through blocks. Oh, and the "ooh hoi!" voice samples. Good fun.

Phantasy Star II: Sega's follow-up to its hit Sega Master System RPG is one of the better sequels for the system and a welcome addition to this collection. There's turn-based battles galore here, all put into a user-friendly interface.

Phantasy Star III: This title is different than its predecessors, although a lot of people think it's a pretty strong RPG. I haven't played it so I can't say. Still, here it is, for those who want it.

Phantasy Star IV: Perhaps the best game in the series to date (unless you consider Phantasy Star Online), part four continues the trend of RPG greatness with an even more involving storyline, a better battle system (than III anyway), and highly detailed graphics. Seeing as how it still costs lots of dough, finding it in this Collection is a stellar deal.

Ristar: Time for happy, happy platforming madness with flutes and musical notes and...oK, maybe I'm tripping out a little. But Ristar continues to be one of the best 16-bit platformers ever made by Sega. Featuring a unique gameplay tactic involving stretchy arms and head-butting, it's worth checking out. Plus, the game also includes some killer level design and fun music.

Shadow Dancer: Don't you hate it when your dog won't even play fetch with you? Well, how about working with one that gnaws on bad guys? In Dancer, you play a ninja who gets some help from an angry pooch. And you'll need it too, as a lot of enemies from the Union Lizard group stand in your way. Union Lizard? What, was Mighty Union Lion taken? Or what about the Rampaging Union Elephant? Union Lizard sounds like an independent clothes store. But never mind. This game is loads of fun, especially the bonus round. You're in a free fall, shooting ninjas on the way down.

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master: The bad news is Revenge of Shinobi isn't included in the Sega Genesis Collection. The good news is this bad-ass sequel is. Joe Musashi returns yet again to slice up bad guys, and there's plenty here, from flying ninjas to jet-skiing menaces to giant alien creatures. This sequel expands on the gameplay very nicely, complete with wall-jumping and running slashes. Perfect for on-the-go ninjas!

Sonic the Hedgehog: Hmmm...Sonic the Hedgehog. I've heard of it vaguely. Oh, yeah, it's one of the biggest selling (and most recognized) Sega Genesis games to date. This platforming adventure features a fast-moving blue-colored hedgehog that destroys robots and saves forest friends while fighting the evil Dr. Robotnik for the Chaos Emeralds. This game remains a fun classic, although you can already get it in Sonic Mega Collection Plus for PlayStation 2.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2: This title is also included in Sonic Mega Collection Plus, but I'll forgive its inclusion in this retro package. Sonic returns with a new friend, a two-tailed fox named Miles "Tails" Prower, and he once again battles Dr. Robotnik for control of the Chaos Emeralds. One of the standout items in this game is the new 3-D bonus stage, where Sonic avoids mines, snags coins, and races to the finish. Great sequel.

Super Thunder Blade: I'm still scratching my head as to why After Burner II didn't make the cut (IT IS PERFECT!), but here's the next best thing. Players take control of a helicopter in both 3-D and overhead stages, shooting down aerial and ground-based enemies along the way. It isn't really as cool as riding in the arcade unit with the swiveling seat, but it's still a fun game. And it's about to close to a Blue Thunder game as you're going to get.

Sword of Vermillion: Here's another title that will be well appreciated by the RPG-loving crowd, even if it's not as good as the Phantasy Star games. Players explore a fantasy world while battling strange creatures galore. You know the deal. Again, I didn't play this that much (damn those X-Men games), but if you're a fan of this type of game, dig in.

Vectorman: I really miss Blue Sky Software. One of its last big games before it closed the doors was this fun shooting/platforming adventure. Players control a vector-drawn robot that can transform into different items as he shoots enemies and collects power orbs. This was pretty much considered the Donkey Kong Country of the Sega Genesis, pushing the machine to its very limits.

Vectorman 2: Blue Sky was able to churn this one out before it closed, and it's a great follow-up. Players once again control the V-Man through a series of stages, utilizing his shape-shifting forms and firepower to save the day. This game is actually a bit better than the original, thanks to a harder difficulty level, more stages, and better bosses.

Virtua Fighter 2: Finally, we come to this, a 16-bit translation of Sega's classic arcade game. Although the gameplay is pretty good and the animation's not too shabby, it's a 3-D fighting game converted to 2-D. That's sort of like taking a stretch limo and cramming it down to economy size. With two player capability, players are sure to enjoy a few brawls. But I think Sega should've opted to include the Sega Ages version that's making the rounds in Japan.

So, as you see, the collection's pretty packed. But will it be any good? For the most part, I believe so. We'll see how the game and its extras shape up when the game arrives later this year.