The Accolade Sports Collection brings together five sports titles from the early ’90s, showcasing their age quite prominently. While I wouldn’t rush to label these games as “classics” or part of an “epic” collection, owning three out of these five as cartridges does offer them a personal classic status for me. So, is this bundle worth adding to your Nintendo Switch library?
Let’s first unpack the two games I wasn’t familiar with before: Hardball and its sequel. The original Hardball deserves some credit for what it brought to the table back in the day. It kicked off a series and even made an appearance in the intro of The Princess Bride. However, even by 1991, this 1985 release felt a bit long in the tooth when compared to newer titles, a sentiment that’s only amplified today. Back in ’91, I was hoping to relive the era by playing as the NL champion Atlanta Braves, but alas, you can only choose city names here. It’s a bit of a letdown. Despite that, the game still looks decent, although you might find the repetitive music a little grating if you’re planning to play for a while (thankfully, you can turn it off).
Moving on to the sequel, it changes up the perspective, drops the in-game music, expands stadium choices, and introduces a demo mode, all of which were common features in sports games from that period. There’s a surprising amount of depth here, as evidenced by the extensive in-game manual. However, this depth also means it doesn’t have the immediacy or speed you might be looking for. The animations, while impressive at the time, slow things down a bit. It’s not exactly a pick-up-and-play type of game, although a save feature helps. Unless you have fond memories of these Hardball games, probably from the PC versions, they don’t translate well to console play today.
Next, let’s talk about Summer and Winter Challenge. These games together offer 16 events, split evenly between them, and while I won’t delve into each one, it does feel like there’s more quantity than quality here. That being said, with a hefty dose of nostalgia, most events are enjoyable for me.
Would others with a fondness for retro games find them fun too? I wouldn’t be surprised. The games have a solid presentation, with intricate polygons and animations that show effort. Plus, the “Behind the Athlete” view offers a neat, TV-style presentation in 16-bit form, which is no small feat on the Genesis. This viewpoint can make some events a bit tricky (trying to avoid a foot fault during pole vault comes to mind), but with some friends who appreciate retro gaming by your side, you’ll have a blast mashing those buttons.
And finally, there’s Hoops Shut Up and Jam, often remembered as Barkley Shut Up and Jam. Back in the ’90s, the legendary Sir Charles had his own basketball video game. Unlike Jordan with his platformer or Shaq with a fighting game, this was a straightforward basketball game. Today, they’ve adjusted his character to avoid licensing issues, but the NBA Jam-style fun remains just as enjoyable.
More crucially, Hoops Shut Up and Jam stands out as the easiest game to dive into from the collection. I admit, I’m a veteran player, but this collection also aims to attract those newer to retro gaming. For those not keen on diving into digital manuals or dealing with slow-paced learning curves, Hoops Shut Up and Jam is the highlight of this collection, even without its titular star.
The Accolade Sports Collection (QUByte Classics) offers exactly what I anticipated—nothing more, nothing less. But, in 2025, the $19.99 price tag feels a bit steep for a compilation like this, even for a nostalgia buff like me. My advice? Keep an eye on it for a sale down the road.
