Game Compilations Deserve More Love

 

    There are many approaches of re-releasing older classic games nowadays. One of the most common ways companies attempt re-releases today would be with the enhanced remaster. These generally involve bumping up a game's graphics and framerate, as well as adding on extras such as achievements and maybe new content to the game that wasn’t there originally. An example of this type of re-release would be Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles released at the tail end of September of 2025 brought with it a reworked UI as well as full voice acting for the story to bring it to life in a refreshing way to both old and new players. If a game is really beloved by people worldwide, then it might see a full-scale remake from the ground up. Developers will completely reconstruct the game in a modern engine with new models, music, gameplay changes, etc. Some remakes chose to stick close to the source with only a few new additions (think Persona 3 Reload) while others choose to go all out and create an experience drastically different from the original release (think the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy). In the wake of these two highly popular extremes, game collections/compilations have slowly fallen out of favor and that’s a shame. Not only did these inherently have value due to them being bundles, but they also often came with bonus features and additions that made them the most charming releases out there.

As the name suggests, a game compilation takes a bunch of entries in a series and re-releases them as a single package. The main appeal of the approach can be seen almost immediately. As opposed to paying $60-$70 MSRP for a single game, you’re instead often dropping around $40-$50 for multiple titles. While the games may not be the hot new thing on the market, these compilations were once upon a time the most reliable way to play games from previous console generations on more recent ones during a time where backwards compatibility between systems was an afterthought. The Nintendo 64 and GameCube couldn’t use the cartridges of previously released Nintendo systems like the original Super Nintendo, and the Sega Saturn and Sega Dreamcast were the same for Sega systems. If a person didn’t keep their original system in storage, then it was highly likely their previous library of games became inaccessible whenever the next set of consoles dropped. Game compilations were solutions to the problem at the time, releases like Super Mario All Stars (1993) and Sonic Jam (1997) serving as ways to play classics like the NES Super Mario Bros. trilogy and the first three Sega Genesis Sonic games on their current systems. During this period these compilations were pretty tame, focusing exclusively on the games. Occasionally though you’d see developers toss players just a bit extra. Sonic Jam for example famously has the “Sonic World” feature, which places Sonic in a small but fully 3D environment for players to run around in. This area had missions to complete as well as art, movies, and music galleries. Bonus features like these would become more prevalent as hardware improved and more storage space in game discs was allowed, and this is where I believe game compilations began to truly flourish.

Great Game Compilation Features? Look No Further

Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of value to compilations even if they aren’t drowning in bonus features, such as the Metroid Prime Trilogy, but when developers go all out they can truly create a marvelous history piece. The first game that comes to mind when thinking of compilations that hit the nail right on the head with this idea will always be Sonic Mega Collection. Not only did the collection include over 12 titles from across the franchises run on the Sega Genesis, but there were also dozens of comics, illustrations, and trailers for upcoming releases. Tying the collection together was the presentation, with a beautiful UI and score accompanying the player wherever they were. There are many anecdotes out there from people who became long time fans because of the sheer amount of love and care put into every aspect of the compilation, and that’s where the true beauty of this form of re-release lies.

When developers make a compilation a love letter to a series that’s been well established for years, the end result often ends up as an incredibly charming art piece. A piece that perfectly captures the aesthetics and features to a series that make it so well beloved, that justify the need for the classics included to be readily available beyond just preservation's sake. Kirby’s Dream Collection, released in commemoration of the series 20th anniversary, provided players with 6 games spanning multiple Nintendo consoles from the original Gameboy to the Nintendo 64. Bonuses included new challenge stages made in the style of the latest entry in the series at the time Kirby’s Return to Dreamland, a select few episodes of the Kirby: Right Back at Ya anime to watch on the disc itself, and a museum feature going over most of Kirby history. The collection also came with a physical artbook and soundtrack CD to give buyers more tangible collectables. The collection itself was already quality enough, but HAL Laboratory and Nintendo went the extra mile because they genuinely cared.

Doing Kirby's 20th Anniversary Justice

Compilations could also be a great opportunity to bring over features from the original versions of certain games to localized versions that had them cut for one reason or another. The Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection and Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection are prime examples of this. The English versions of Mega Man Battle Network 6 and the first Mega Man Star Force had their respective in-game collaboration quests with the Boktai franchise removed, which were restored in the legacy collections. Both series also had a lot of Japan exclusive merchandise and event downloads that would add various new battle chips/cards to player’s libraries to use in battle, which would also be restored in the legacy collection for non-Japanese players to experience for the first time. Mega Man Star Force 3 is particularly notable here. Not only did the game have its wave command card feature restored for all to experience, adding a whole other layer to the games already well designed combat, it was also the first time the game saw an official European release.

Not only do these compilations allow for unlocalized content to be restored, but they also allow for games that simply never saw the light of day in Western countries be given the spotlight for the first time. There’s the aforementioned Mega Man Star Force 3 in Europe, but there’s also The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles. This collection brought over Dai Gyakuten Saiban and Dai Gyakuten Saiban 2 as The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures and The Great Ace Attorney 2: Resolve after both famously skipped an English release during their initial Nintendo 3DS releases in 2015 and 2017. This collection was actually my first experience with the Ace Attorney series as a whole, and to this day remains my favorite in the series. Both games included are incredibly charming and well written, and the presentation of them and the collection itself is awe-inspiring. The translated escapades and shorts also gave me more to experience with the cast after the main story was all said and done. Super Mario All Stars brought Super Mario Bros. II The Lost Levels over to the US for the first time, Ave Attorney Investigations Collection translated Ace Attorney Investigations 2 in multiple languages for the first time; game compilations are a wonderful opportunity for developers to port over what once might have been exclusive to all audiences for their benefit. They’re also good opportunities to be historical pieces and just valuable purchases due to their nature as a bundle. Yet as noted earlier, we’ve slowly begun to see less and less of them.

Despite all the great and unique aspects of game compilations that allow them to be such unique releases, our current climate sees them sidelined in favor of games receiving a remaster or remake of an individual classic. Compilations haven’t completely died out of course, we still see releases of the sort such as Gradius Origins or Super Mario 3D All-Stars (even if this one was delisted…). But they aren’t nearly as common as they once were and that’s a shame. Nowadays it’s all about those big fancy remakes and remasters that add all these features to make a game more approachable for today's audiences. But do games really need such sweeping adjustments and changes to be approachable? While the additional bells and whistles can be nice, sometimes I feel all a game really needs to attract an audience is to simply be on a platform they’re most likely to have at the moment.

The main compilation that drove me to put out this piece was the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection I had brought up earlier. If there’s any gold standard as to what to look for in a modern compilation release, it lies in that one right there. All 3 Star Force games and their separate versions are available, previously Japanese exclusive content has been translated into multiple languages, the voice actors from the Star Force anime were brought in to record new lines for both the menus and in-game combat, there’s the option for both the original soundtrack and a completely redone score, and the quality of life additions are small but impactful. So much love, dedication, and care was pumped into every aspect of this collection. What was once the least successful sub-series of Mega Man has revitalized it in a way no one ever thought possible. A triumph in labors of love, what Masahiro Yasuma and his team have done deserves all of the flowers I could possibly give them. 

They Even Added Mega Man Battle Network Music Post-Launch

So many franchises deserve a compilation with this level of love and care. Imagine a world where last year's Tales of Xillia Remastered was instead a double pack containing both it and Tales of Xillia 2 with art galleries, music players, and additional extras. Think about how sick it would be if Sega announced a celebratory Sakura Wars collection, bringing the entire series officially in English for the first time with the attention to detail of Sonic Mega Collection. In our current moment, many beloved series with long-standing histories could be receiving these collections that respect and embrace their impact. Compilations that remind veterans just what appealed to them in the first place while making newcomers feel stupid for sleeping on these games for so long. While remakes and remasters likely pull more of a profit, thus making them more appealing to the bigwigs in charge, these compilations have a level of charm and respect put into them that just can’t be captured in any other form. 

I’ll always hold a great game compilation in high regard. Not only do they provide much needed value in an industry currently imploding in pricing, but they also just ooze with care that scratches an itch that no other release can for me. They’ve been a constant in my life since I was little, and even now a collection that looks well made will always grab my attention. My sincere hope is that we see a resurgence in this form of release for the many games that we still have yet to see on modern hardware. They shouldn’t just be remade or remastered, but celebrated.