So I’m not going to pretend that this is news to you as it’s already been announced that we have six Mega Drive titles – Classics, if you will – coming to PS Plus users for free. Did you know however, that non-subscribers will also be able to get hold of them too?
Starting with the well loved Sonic the Hedgehog, which is coming to you via PlayStation Store this Wednesday 30th March, to then be followed over the next few months by five more titles. Those other five titles you may well ask? Well, they would be Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, Golden Axe 2, Altered Beast and Comix Zone.
At the moment we’ve got a release schedule in place, and unless some unruly badniks get into the system and damage our code, you can expect the titles to release as follows:
- Sonic 2 – free for PS Plus users on April 6th, released onto PS Store on April 20th
- Streets of Rage 2 – free for Plus users on May 4th, released onto PS Store on May 18th
- Golden Axe 2 – free for Plus users on June 1st, released onto PS Store on June 15th
As yet we can’t confirm the release dates for Altered Beast and Comix Zone, but they will be rounding up our Mega Drive Classics schedule.
I know there have been some questions on the blog previously about what these Mega Drive titles actually entail, so allow me to confirm. Whilst they are the games as you’ll have seen previously from the Mega Drive Collection title, each title does come with its own set of trophies, online leaderboards and in the case of Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, Altered Beast and Golden Axe II, online co-op. Therefore, they are different from what have been released previously. Also, at £3.19/€3.99 each it’s cheaper than [insert your own activity of choice here so it seems like I'm really speaking to you directly]
The trophy list for Sonic the Hedgehog looks a little something like this:
Bronze
- Centurion – Get 100 or more rings
- Clear Green – Clear the Green Hill Zone
- Fast Green – Beat Green Hill Zone Act 1 in under 35 seconds
- Fast Marble – Beat Marble Zone Act 1 in under 80 seconds
- Star Light Zone – Get to the Star Light Zone
- Spring Yard Zone – Get to the Spring Yard Zone
- Labyrinth Zone – Get to the Labyrinth Zone
Silver
- Chaos Emerald – Get one Chaos Emerald
- Chaos Master – Get all the Chaos Emeralds
- Win – Beat the game
- Fast Win – Beat the game in under 40 minutes
Gold
- Perfect Win – Beat the game without dying
I think there’s a couple of tricky ones in there which could provide you some hours of tense fun, right? I only wish the gold trophy was named Epic Winning instead!
If like me you spent many hours of your youth spending quality time with your Mega Drive then hopefully you’ll have many hours of nostalgic fun with these titles.
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101 CommentsAdd Yours
1
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:09 pm by finlandmonkey
All free for PLUS! Very nice Sony, and even better with trophies
2
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:09 pm by DOMisCLASS
streets of rage 4 free cool
3
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:10 pm by sentry-23
that perfect win should be a platinum….
Love the classics, and love my plus membership more and more
4
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:10 pm by Pacman_Ownage
It’s great we’re getting this…
But I personally won’t be playing them that much, as I own the Ultimate Collection, just thankful that they are free, as I certainly wouldn’t purchase them.
I just hope it hasn’t taken a spot for something else for Plus users.
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:11 pm by Mike Kebby
Have no fear, our Mega Drive titles are additive to the Plus offering
5
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:11 pm by joshualeuty96-2-
Looking good!
the inclusion of trophies just makes it even more sweeter. Add the fact i’m a Playstation Plus subscriber!
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:12 pm by Mike Kebby
Hope you have fun collecting all these trophies
6
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:11 pm by KC-alpha-14
I’m too young to know any of these hehe,
Good news for Plus members next month is looking pretty good.
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:13 pm by Mike Kebby
Thanks for making me feel old now…
Glad you’re looking forward to playing them.
7
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:11 pm by SyncroUK
“Rise from your grave!”
I wish Altered Beast was next up
8
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:12 pm by Solid_Snake1987
Mike Kebby giving us release dates for PSN games on the PS Blog! I must be dreaming.
Looking forward to playing these all (yet) again. Ah memories of my misspent youth getting through the Sonic games without dying. At least this time I’ll have something to show for it, even if the save states don’t really make it a challenge…
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:14 pm by Mike Kebby
I know right, it’s nice to actually be able to give dates for once!
9
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:12 pm by Rytteren
ahh ruby, you show your face here.. the man who made me buy more stuff from sega, to get a trophy patch for valkyria – damn you for geting my hopes up on that one!
10
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:13 pm by OniEyes
Streets of Rage is probably my favorite classic franchise so i’ll be allover SR2
…is the 1st game already on PSN? because i’d like to play them in order if possible 
btw have you sega guys ever thought about bringing back streets of rage series for the modern day? I could really see that working on HD consoles, kinda like how capcom did with street fighte 4.
oh yeah one other thing. these run on PSP as well right?
- Thanks
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:15 pm by Mike Kebby
To answer your question these are for the PS3 only, they are not compatible with PSP I’m afraid.
11
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:14 pm by AcidCrashX
NICE! love me some Streets of Rage 2, any chance of getting SOR3 on the store at some time?
cheers Mikeface
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:16 pm by Mike Kebby
There’s always someone asking for more isn’t there…it’s a good job I know you love me AcidCrash
12
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:15 pm by enormhi
MIKE KEBBY! Good to see your still alive! Thanks for the free awesome!
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:17 pm by Mike Kebby
Has somebody said otherwise?
Enjoy the awesome. I’m all about sharing it, I mean I do have loads of it to spare
13
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:17 pm by Chocobo115
Phantasy Star 2-4 & Shining Force 1-2 pleeeasee, with a lot of cream and the finest cherry you can find on top?
14
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:17 pm by PFC_Hudson
Sonic 2 & Streets of Rage 2 free for PS+ subscribers?
Oh Sony, you’ve just secured my renewal for next year!
15
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:18 pm by Martingutten
I miss you Mike, Ross have stoped answering comments. You were a great person to have on the blog!
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:19 pm by Mike Kebby
Well I do (kinda) miss you all too
To be fair to Ross I’m watching him every week on the blog, and he does respond to you pretty often.
16
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:19 pm by Galvanise_
Mike Kebby giving us awesome Sega news on the EU Blog.
Sweet. PlayStation Plus is the gift that keeps on giving.
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:20 pm by Mike Kebby
I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll be popping back fairly regularly, as there’s always something new in the world of SEGA to tell you about
17
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:22 pm by ROBERTWARNES
Hey Mike want me to type angry comments so you feel right at home on the blog
Oh looky Streets of Rage 2 for free on Birthday. Shame I already have the Megadrive Collection.
18
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:27 pm by Chocobo115
“Also, at £3.19/€3.99 each it’s cheaper than [insert your own activity of choice here so it seems like I'm really speaking to you directly]”
All right…
*puts in Sleeping*
It seems like your equation is broken :/
The price is allright, the classics are def worth it, the not-so-classic-games are not, but that’s up to you!
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:21 pm by Mike Kebby
Okay, fair point sleeping is cheaper
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:22 pm by James Gallagher
Sleeping is cheating.
19
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:31 pm by OniEyes
@15 well if there weren’t so many spoilt 5yld brats crying over a delayed piece of 99p DLC…..
20
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:33 pm by ShadowDoGGG
Meh this is going to be our PSN Game for the next few months. These are only worth 99p each. They are 20 year old games. Why are we being given this cheap rubbish.
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:47 pm by James Gallagher
That isn’t true. The Mega Drive classics are just part of what we are providing for Plus members over the coming months – there will be plenty of other games too, which we’ll confirm when we can. The plans look very impressive indeed.
21
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:34 pm by waypoetic
Could not care less about this.
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:21 pm by Mike Kebby
Shame. Thanks for sharing though
22
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:38 pm by finlandmonkey
@20 If you look playstation plus content for april, there is 2 PSN games, so I think its possible to get 2 games next 3 months (I really wish that:D)
23
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:40 pm by HUNTER297
Hi Mike.
Can I ask you a question as you are from SEGA staff.
QUESTION:Will Sonic Adventure 2 come to PSN as well as Sonic Adventure?
I accept if you dont answer because it can be embargo on it.
@Ross
If you are here. You are wrong Sonic Adventure 2 was on Dreamcast SA2B on Gamecube was port.
24
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:40 pm by PFC_Hudson
At least half of these games are true classics and now have trophies.
Honestly, some of you will moan at anything. They’re free, they’re part of the £40 a year PS+ sub, how can you find anything to moan about?
25
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:40 pm by Chocobo115
Oy it might be cheap rubbish to you, but to us older gamers (well semi-older gamers) this is our golden tresure.
I value some of the Sega Mega Drive games a lot higher than many modern day games.
Noone forces you to buy the games but i’d like to say some of the games would still have a lot of gameplay value, If i’m only allowed to reccomend one of theese games presented today I’d go for Streets of Rage 2. buy that and grab a friend and it’s almost impossible to go wrong!
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:24 pm by Mike Kebby
I spent many, many, many hours playing (and replaying) Streets of Rage II back in the day…absolute classic in my eyes.
I’m not just saying that by the way, it’s true
26
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:41 pm by Carl-G
Niiiice;) More old-skool games on PSN please ;P
27
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:48 pm by richard4481
Just completed Sonic the Hedgehog minus the ‘Fast’ trophies
28
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:49 pm by JonnyPauz
i want comix zone
29
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:50 pm by pnov81
Is there any reward for taking out a 12 month PSplus contract at the minute?
When it launched you got a free copy of Little big planet IIRC.
30
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:50 pm by skintradeuk75
I’m soooo glad i have a powerful current gen console and a huuuuuge HD TV to play these super high visual quality games on… before the backlash about classic games, I cut my teeth on Atari 2600s and Sinclair units, I still have 48k and 128k+2 Speccies and a Megadrive, but I’d rather have old school gameplay with a modern feel than “classics” like this looking rough at large screen sizes…
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:25 pm by Mike Kebby
I understand where you are coming from, but not every game released on PSN has to be brand new. There’s definitely room in this infinite digital space for some classics too.
Give a classic some love
31
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:52 pm by Mulukh
online co-op? I wasn’t expecting that. Great games to have free.
One question, are these in any way HD versions?
32
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 4:54 pm by PFC_Hudson
And still people complain about something free, something which they had no idea they were going to get offered when they paid £40 last year, something which has had a modern addition (trophy support) and would probably lose that killer attraction it had if they had given it a HD makeover.
When you paid for PS+ you had no idea they were going to give us Mega Drive classics for free so why try to find something to nitpick about?
33
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:00 pm by Mulukh
i didn’t see skintrade’s comment. Not sure hd is important, these games still have charm and character, and given the technology the graphics are pretty impressive. No one complains that classic films are in black and white.
I still thing metal gear solid looked better than the twin snakes remake despite ‘poorer’ graphics.
34
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:03 pm by pnov81
can anyone answer my question about the 12 months subs? Do they come with anything extra, like the Free LBP game (when the service launched)
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:26 pm by Mike Kebby
Sorry, not being a Sony representative I couldn’t comment as I don’t know.
35
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:07 pm by Liamario
I would ask all non PS Plus subscribers to not purchase this collection. These games have been re-released countless times and are not worth more than €5 as a bundle. I’m being generous at that.
Sega continue to dilute their image and fantastic history by constantly re releasing old mega drive games while destroying existing franchises like Sonic.
People need to stop buying into nostalgia and start making a stand.
36
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:11 pm by OniEyes
@33 a nice compromise would be to play these games on your psp (if you have one). I play all my ps1 classics on my PSP and they look absolutely fantastic on the psp’s high quality screen
Now if only someone would confirm if these sega classics actually run on the PSP…..
37
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:20 pm by kivi95
Can’t wait for Sonic 2!! Co-op for the win!!!!!!
38
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:20 pm by Skookie30
@mike can we have street of rage 1 & 3 as it‘s odd to have just SoR-2 & can we have a RPG gem “Landstalker” with trophies as we got shinnig series on the mega drive ultimate collection.
39
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:23 pm by leon200079
Very nice indeed, although must have about 500^2 different copies of Comix Zone now on different formats
40
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:25 pm by dgnfly
OMG the title is misleading i was expecthing some new mega drive games not the one’s that you alrdy get with the mega drive collection ps3 game well there goes all hope
why not release Shogun total war 2 for ps3 i’d like 2 see that
41
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:25 pm by TAKE-AWAY
As long as these mega drive classics don’t replace one free psn game download per month. I know you might have answered this before but I’m just letting Sony know not to forget this fact.
42
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:37 pm by OniEyes
Thanks for the answer Mike. that’s a shame these dont run on PSP. but i think the old sega collection might of already been ported to psp some time ago on the US store. ill need to check. thanks
43
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:40 pm by Vitkir
Hmm… Do they all come with save states like Sonic? Because I have to say, that made the difference between me playing through the game, and me failing miserably at the first level and never touching the game again.
Once upon a time, I could get through the average NES platformer with my gaming skills alone, but those days are long gone, and now I have neither the reflexes or time to pull something like that off again.
44
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:41 pm by spikemad2005
One great game that could be released at some point…
Flashback
Loved that game in the day!
45
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:43 pm by Tomski_1991
Eh? £3.19? Sonic 1 is at £3.99, which is the same price I paid earlier.
46
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:51 pm by HUYI
what would have been a better deal is if the titles were remastered and the graphics done up a bit instead of just tacking on online co op and scoreboards is a bit lazy, i still think buying megadrive ultimate collection is a much much better deal you get over 40 titles on blu ray disc for no more than £10 you do the maths.
47
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:52 pm by AaronSOLDIER
Will we get Sonic 3 & Knuckles or Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles as seperate games?
48
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:53 pm by HUYI
also thats a lie, sonic the hedgehog 1 was never released on the store update today everyone can check for themselves.
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:58 pm by Mike Kebby
It was indeed, and is live on the store now (Ross forgot to list it in his update)
49
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:55 pm by AaronSOLDIER
Also, I think £3.99 is pushing it, these are 20 year old games, you can get a 15 year old PS one game for £3.99 which is fair, but for these, they should be £2.99.
50
Posted on 30 March, 2011 at 5:57 pm by HUYI
exactly leon200079 i am sure most people here have all these games on other formats many times over, why would i need to buy it again.
also £3.19 x6 titles will cost £20 you are paying twice as much than you would if you brought the disc version (with 34 more games)
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