Review: Accolade Sports Collection
I’ve always had a soft spot for sports compilations—they tend to offer great variety and good value for money. Over the years, I’ve worn out countless joysticks on classics like Daley Thompson’s Decathlon, Hyper Sports, California Games, and more. Now, here comes another collection of sports games. The question is: will my controller survive this one?
This collection features Summer Challenge, Winter Challenge, Hoops: Shut Up and Jam, Hardball, and Hardball II. I’ll review each title before sharing my overall impressions.
Presentation and Features
The collection’s presentation deserves credit. The opening screen showcases a CRT TV playing the selected game, with other screens in the background displaying the rest of the collection. It’s a nostalgic touch that hearkens back to the old Grandstand TV show, complete with multiple monitors behind the presenter.
Each game comes with a digital manual, screen options (including backgrounds and filters), save states, and even a rewind feature—a welcome suite of modern conveniences.
Summer Challenge
Summer Challenge includes eight events: 400m hurdles, kayaking, archery, equestrian, high jump, javelin, cycling, and pole vaulting. You can either train or jump straight into a tournament. I opted for the latter to get stuck in. Archery stands out as particularly enjoyable, but the rest feel average, offering little in the way of long-term appeal.
Winter Challenge
Similarly, Winter Challenge features events like downhill skiing, luge, bobsled, cross-country skiing, giant slalom, ski jump, biathlon, and speed skating. As with its summer counterpart, none of these events make much of an impression.
Hoops: Shut Up and Jam
Let’s be honest: there’s only one basketball game that truly matters—NBA Jam. Sadly, Hoops: Shut Up and Jam doesn’t come close to that standard. It’s not fun, and I quickly gave up on it.
Hardball & Hardball II
Having tried baseball games in the past, I’ve never been much of a fan of the sport and admittedly lack a firm grasp of the rules. Because of this, Hardball and Hardball II didn’t resonate with me and failed to hold my interest.
Overall Thoughts
This collection feels like a case of quantity over quality. While Summer Challenge and Winter Challenge provide a range of events, none are particularly engaging or memorable. Hoops: Shut Up and Jam is underwhelming, and the Hardball titles lack broad appeal.
Without any nostalgic connection to these original titles, this collection doesn’t strike a chord for me. Unless you’re a die-hard Accolade fan with fond memories of these games, I’d recommend giving it a pass.
Review by Chris.
