Sega Smash Pack
{{Short description|Video game compilations}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}
{{Lead too short|date=February 2025}}{{Infobox video game
| title = Sega Smash Pack
| image = Sega Smash Pack Vol1 PC.jpg
| developer = Sega
CodeFire (GBA)
| publisher = Sega{{vgrelease|NA|THQ (GBA)}}
| platforms = Microsoft Windows, Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance
| released = Microsoft Windows
February 18, 1999 (Pack 1)
April 1, 1999{{cite web |date=April 1, 1999 |url=http://www.fgnonline.com/archives/1999-04-01.html |title=Yoot To Make The People Happy |website=FGN Online |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19990903182019/http://www.fgnonline.com/archives/1999-04-01.html |archivedate=September 3, 1999 |url-status=dead |accessdate=December 26, 2024 |quote=Sega has also announced the release of its Sega Puzzle Pack, featuring Lose Your Marbles, Dr Robotnik Mean Bean Machine and Columns III, for $20.}} (Pack 2)
November 14, 2000 (Pack 3)
Dreamcast{{vgrelease|NA|January 30, 2001}}Game Boy Advance{{vgrelease|NA|September 23, 2002|EU|August 1, 2003}}
| genre = Various
| modes = Single-player, multiplayer
}}
Sega Smash Pack (Sega Archives from USA in Japan) is a series of video game compilations developed and published by Sega. It features mostly Sega Genesis games.
Pack 1 (Windows)
The first pack titled Sega Smash Pack (Sega Archives from USA Vol. 1 in Japan) featured eight games.
{{collist|
- Altered Beast (1988)
- Columns (1990)
- Golden Axe (1989)
- Out Run (1986)
- Phantasy Star II (1989)
- Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (1993)
- The Revenge of Shinobi (1989)
- Vectorman (1995)
}}
Pack 2 (Windows)
The second pack titled Sega Puzzle Pack (Sega Archives from USA Vol. 2 in Japan) featured three games.
- Columns III: Revenge of Columns (1993)
- Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (1993)
- Lose Your Marbles (1997)
Pack 3 (Windows)
The third pack titled Sega Smash Pack 2 (Sega Archives from USA Vol. 3 in Japan) featured eight games.
{{collist|
- Comix Zone (1995)
- Flicky (1991)
- Kid Chameleon (1992)
- Sega Swirl (as a separate executable program) [1999]
- Shining Force (1992)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992)
- Super Hang-On (1989)
- Vectorman 2 (1996)
}}
Console (Dreamcast)
The console version of Sega Smash Pack was released for Dreamcast titled Sega Smash Pack Volume 1 and featured the following twelve games:
{{collist|
- Altered Beast (1988)
- Columns (1990)
- Golden Axe (1989)
- Phantasy Star II (1989)
- The Revenge of Shinobi (1989)
- Sega Swirl (1999)
- Shining Force (1992)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)
- Streets of Rage 2 (1992)
- Vectorman (1995)
- Virtua Cop 2 (1995)
- Wrestle War (1991)
}}
Jeff Gerstmann from GameSpot gave the console version a 4.5/10. He criticised the console version for its patchy performance and poorly emulated music.{{cite web |last=Gerstmann |first=Jeff |date=April 6, 2001 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/sega-smash-pack-volume-1-review/1900-2705680/ |title=Sega Smash Pack Volume 1 Review |publisher=GameSpot |accessdate=July 31, 2012}}
The Genesis emulator built inside the compilation gained popularity with homebrew groups, as Echelon released a kit that allowed users to add and load their own Genesis ROMs. Gary Lake, the programmer, had himself deliberately left a documentation of the built-in emulator, with the documentation seemingly intended at them due to the filename (ECHELON.TXT).{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Ernie |title=The Online Community That's Turning Old Video Games Into an Archaeological Dig |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-online-community-thats-turning-old-video-games-into-an-archaeological-dig/ |website=Vice |access-date=21 November 2022 |date=22 June 2016 |quote=[Gary] Lake's message, left inside a file called ECHELON.txt, basically described how to use the game, which featured a number of classic Sega titles, as an emulator. (The file was named after a prominent Dreamcast hacking group at the time.)}} Additionally, Sega Swirl and Virtua Cop 2 were the only non-Genesis games in the compilation.
Handheld (Game Boy Advance)
The handheld version of Sega Smash Pack was released for Game Boy Advance simply titled Sega Smash Pack and featured three games, two of which had been included in the first Smash Pack. While Ecco the Dolphin and Sonic Spinball were developed using the original source code, Golden Axe had to be recreated from scratch.{{cite web |last1=Andersen |first1=John |title=Where Games Go To Sleep: The Game Preservation Crisis, Part 1 |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134641/where_games_go_to_sleep_the_game_.php?page=4 |website=Gamasutra |publisher=UBM Technology Group |access-date=15 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509224703/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/134641/where_games_go_to_sleep_the_game_.php?page=4 |archive-date=9 May 2012 |date=27 January 2011 |url-status=dead}}
- Ecco the Dolphin (1992)
- Golden Axe (1989)
- Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (1993)
Craig Harris from IGN gave the handheld version a 6/10. He criticised the handheld version for several technical issues and lack of cooperative multiplayer in Golden Axe.{{cite web |author=Harris |first=Craig |date=October 11, 2002 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/10/11/sega-smash-pack |title=Sega Smash Pack |publisher=IGN |accessdate=July 31, 2012}} It was nominated for GameSpot{{'}}s annual "Most Disappointing Game on Game Boy Advance" award, which went to The Revenge of Shinobi.{{cite web | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030207155400/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/ | url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/ | title=GameSpot{{'}}s Best and Worst of 2002 | author=GameSpot Staff | date=December 30, 2002 | work=GameSpot | archivedate=February 7, 2003 | url-status=dead }}