Accolade Sports Collection review
Sputtering Framerates and no Sir Charles?
Revisiting many of yesteryear’s titles can be a disheartening experience. Often, decades of innovation can make retro control schemes feel archaic and framerates unbearably sluggish. Occasionally, that’s the case with Accolade Sports Collection, where Qubytes resurrects five of the well-known publisher’s athletic efforts.
On the upside, there’s the inclusion of the MS-DOS version of HardBall! and its console sequel, arrived a year earlier. While the differences between computers and dedicated hardware platforms like the SEGA Genesis and Super Nintendo were often emphasized, these two versions reveal play that balances simulation with accessibility. As one of the first baseball titles to use a behind-the-pitcher perspective and provide players with some basic managerial duties, HardBall is undoubtedly influential. Best of all, both games are still quite playable, even if leagues of better recreations can be found.
Accolade’s pursuit of broadcast-style visuals continued into 1992’s Winter Challenge and 1993’s Summer Challenge. From bobsleding to slalom skiing, kayaking to cycling, the two titles stumble when they incorporate polygon-based, Virtua Racing-esque visuals. Habitually, framerates are slow and responsiveness is marginal, resulting in frustration. That said, precision events like archery and javelin throwing remain enjoyable, as you chase tournament records or compete against friends.
Hoops Shut Up and Jam extends two-on-two competitions that struggle to compete with NBA Jam’s hyperbolic matches. Not only has Charles Barkley been removed, but there are no other professional players or licensed teams. And that might be forgivable if the gameplay was engaging. But it’s too fast-paced, and you can’t swap control with your teammate. Like at least half of Accolade Sports Collection, it’s a title that probably belongs in the past.
Summary: Accolade’s sports games strove to deliver television-style perspectives. While that innovation nudged the genre forward, gameplay in the Sports Collection often feels archaic. Given the minimal curation, this is for hardcore collectors only.
Rating: 45/100%
Accolade Sports Collection was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.
