PSA: 51 classic Sega Genesis games on sale on Steam

[rhoenix]

Over the years, we've gotten used to Sega porting much of its library of legacy Genesis title to every platform imaginable, from mobile phones to the PlayStation 3. For those looking for a nostalgic fix, paying a few bucks per game for one of these quick trips down memory lane hasn't been an awful deal. But paying just about five cents each for a bundle of 51 classic Genesis titles is a bargain basement deal that's too good for practically any gaming fan to pass up.

Amazon is currently selling all five pieces of the "Sega Genesis & Mega Drive Classic" series as downloadable Steam codes for the ridiculously low price of $2.62. Among the dozens of games in the five-part collection are highlights like Eternal Champions, Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star 2, 3, and 4, Shining Force 1 and 2, all three Streets of Rage games, all three Golden Axe games, and Vectorman 1 and 2. A complete list of included titles is available on these Steam pages.

Sold individually, these games usually run $3 each on Steam, which is more than the entire 51-game collection will run you currently on Amazon right now. Even in bundles, the collection usually goes for $37.50 on Steam or $18.70 on Amazon. A a quick look at a Steam price tracker suggests the bulk of the collection (not including the fifth part) has never been offered for less than $14.98 on the service. So depending on how you look at it, the current Amazon price is so that's anywhere from an 85 to 98 percent savings from what were already some pretty good bundle prices for such a massive selection of classic games.

If you're more into Sonic than Phantasy Star, Amazon also has a similar bundle that swaps out the fifth piece of the collection for a handful of classic Sonic games (plus the excellent Toejam & Earl and its decent sequel), all for $4.88. That's a fabulous price for 48 games in and of itself, but it still seems high now that we're getting used to the idea of being able to buy decades-old games for about five cents each, rather than a few dollars. If this is what "race-to-the-bottom" pricing means for the classic game download market, count us in.