Looking back at the early ’90s, the Accolade Sports Collection brings together five sports games that definitely feel like they belong to a different era. Whether they’re truly “classics” is up for debate, but as someone who owns three of these five in their original cartridge form, they hold a certain nostalgic charm for me. But the big question is: does this collection deserve a spot on your Nintendo Switch?
Let’s dive into the two games I’d never played before: the baseball title Hardball and its sequel. The original Hardball deserves some props for its contributions back in the day—it kickstarted a series and even made a cameo in The Princess Bride’s introduction. But considering its debut in 1985, by the time 1991 rolled around, it was already showing signs of age. I was hoping to relive the glory of playing as the ’91 NL champion Atlanta Braves, but you can only select city names, which was a bit of a letdown. Still, the game’s visuals hold up decently, although you might find the endlessly looping music a bit grating after a while—luckily, you can switch it off.
Now, the sequel offers some new perspectives, drops the in-game music, gives you more stadiums to choose from, and includes a watch mode, which was pretty common for sports games back then. There’s depth for sure, shown by the hefty in-game manual that’s as long as the Olympic-style cartridges in this set. However, the action is a bit sluggish due to the animations, which, while impressive for the time, slow the pace down. It’s not really a quick pick-up-and-play kind of game, although the save feature is a nice touch. Unless you have a soft spot for these games from the PC days, they don’t really shine on the console now.
Then there are Summer and Winter Challenge, with a sum of 16 events split between them. I won’t bog down with the specifics of each event—think quantity over quality. Yet, with nostalgia glasses on, I found them mostly enjoyable.
Would it surprise me if retro gamers found them fun overall? Not really. The visuals add a nice touch with some ambitious polygons—not an easy feat on the Genesis—and all those animations prove these games weren’t just thrown together. The “Behind the Athlete” camera angles give it a cool TV-style flair in that iconic 16-bit style. Granted, some events get trickier with these angles (just try avoiding a foot fault in the pole vault), but with a few retro-loving friends, you’re bound for some intense button-mashing sessions.
Finally, there’s Hoops Shut Up and Jam, or what many might recall as Barkley Shut Up and Jam. Back in the ’90s, Sir Charles got his very own basketball video game, unlike Jordan’s platforming exploits or Shaq’s fighting game attempt. The character might be altered a bit due to licensing now, but the NBA Jam-like charm is still there.
Importantly, it’s the easiest of the five to jump right into. Even though I’m a seasoned player, the Accolade Sports Collection aims to cater to those new to retro gaming too. For anyone not wanting to sift through digital manuals or tackle steep learning curves, Hoops Shut Up and Jam is definitely the standout selection, even if its star’s name is lost.
In summary, the Accolade Sports Collection (QUByte Classics) fulfills its promise—no more, no less. Yet, in 2025, $19.99 seems a steep ask for a bundle like this, even for a nostalgia buff like me. You might want to add this one to your wishlist and wait for a price drop.
