The Accolade Sports Collection brings together five sports titles from the early ’90s, which definitely show their age. Whether these games can be considered true "classics" is up for debate. To me, since I’ve got three of the five in my old cartridge stash, they’re sort of classics. But the real question is, does this collection deserve a spot on your Nintendo Switch?
Let’s dive into the two games I hadn’t played before: Hardball and its sequel. The original Hardball carved out quite a space for itself back then, helping kickstart a series and even making an appearance in the opening credits of The Princess Bride. Yet, it did hit the scene in 1985, which by 1991 already felt a bit dated, let alone today. I tried to capture some nostalgia by playing as the Atlanta Braves from that era, but the fact you can only choose city names let me down. Despite this, the game still looks decent, although the looping music could get on your nerves after a while—thankfully, you can switch it off.
Moving on to the sequel, it changes things up with a new perspective, drops the in-game music, offers more stadium options, and even includes a demo mode—features typical of sports games from that period. The game has deep gameplay, reflected in its lengthy in-game manual with over a dozen pages, paralleling the Olympic-style games in this pack. This, however, hints at a lack of quick accessibility. The animations, while advanced for their time, make the pace feel quite slow. It’s not exactly a pick-up-and-play type of game, but the save feature is handy. Unless these Hardball titles hold some PC nostalgia for you, they don’t quite translate well to a console experience.
Now, let’s turn our attention to Summer and Winter Challenge. Boasting 16 events in all, evenly split between both games, I’m not really in a position to discuss each event separately. You might assume these games sacrifice quality for quantity, and that’s not entirely wrong. Still, I found most events enjoyable, though my nostalgia goggles were definitely on.
I wouldn’t be surprised if others with a fondness for retro gaming found these games entertaining too. Their presentation shines with ambitious-looking polygons, a noteworthy achievement on the Genesis, and animations that prove these games weren’t just thrown together. The "Behind the Athlete" view lends these games a TV-style flair in their 16-bit glory. These perspectives do make some events trickier (the pole vault’s foot faults, anyone?), but with some retro-minded friends, there’s button-mashing fun to be had.
Rounding out the collection is Hoops Shut Up and Jam, which many remember as Barkley Shut Up and Jam. Sir Charles, like a true ’90s NBA icon, headlined his own video game. And, unlike Jordan’s platformer or Shaq’s fighter, his game stayed true to basketball. While the character model has been tweaked to sidestep licensing issues, it offers the same NBA Jam-style fun.
Arguably the most accessible of the five, it’s perfect for players wanting to dive right in. Although I’m a veteran gamer, the Accolade Sports Collection also appeals to those new to retro gaming. For anyone not keen on sifting through digital manuals or facing steep learning curves, Hoops Shut Up and Jam stands out as the clear winner of the collection.
The Accolade Sports Collection, brought to you by QUByte Classics, delivers exactly what I anticipated—nothing more, nothing less. But, in 2025, $19.99 feels a bit steep for what’s offered, even for a nostalgia fan like me. Maybe add it to your wishlist for when the price drops.
