Sega announced today the spring 2009 release of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, which has not only six 16-bit Sonic games, but at least 34 other games from the Sega Genesis. A complete list is available at their Web site and includes Golden Axe I-III, Phantasy Star II-IV, Streets of Rage 1-3, Shining Force 1-2, and several others. As much as I love the Virtual Console and its ilk, paying $40 for such a comprehensive package is far preferable to being nickeled-and-dimed to death at $5-10/game.

The Ultimate Genesis Collection also offers a feature not found in a pure emulator: Scale2x, a "real-time graphics effect able to increase the size of small bitmaps guessing the missing pixels without interpolating pixels and blurring the images." That means that graphics can be upgraded on-the-fly to be smoother and less pixelated. As an example, observe this before-and-after comparison of a scene from Sonic & Knuckles, one of the many games on the disc:

Purists need not worry, as this upgrade filter is optional and can be disabled.

In my heart, I'm a Nintendo fanboy, and though I'm more cosmopolitan now, in my youth, I eschewed anything without the Nintendo Seal of Quality. That focus has robbed me of the history and nostalgia necessary to fully appreciate a collection such as this, but it is nonetheless a great offering to Xbox 360 & PS3 gamers everywhere.

… or at least he'll pay for one, if you want. Various tax rebates and "economic stimulus payments" are headed taxpayers' way, with a minimum of $600 guaranteed. That was the launch price of the top-end PlayStation 3, so when Computerworld asked for suggestions of how to blow this money, I recommended the PS3 and the MacBook Air.

Ironically, I do not own either of these computers, nor do I see myself purchasing such. My reasons for recommending them are true enough — "The PS3 offers all the features of your typical Blu-ray DVD player, as well as access to exclusive PS3 video games… [such as] Metal Gear Solid 4[, which] comes out on June 12." But I don't believe Blu-ray is the next big thing, and for a game console that is flagging in most other respects, $400 is too high a price. I can get an Xbox 360 with its bountiful online network for less, or enjoy my Wii for no further investment (beyond the inevitable WiiWare on May 12th, and Wii Fit a week later).

Same with the MacBook Air. Were I planning an extended intercontinental excursion or perhaps a lengthy bicycle trip, the MacBook Air's slim figure would be a blessing. But the most travelling my MacBook Pro does is from outlet to outlet, so its additional heft is not noticeable nearly as much as its full feature set is.

I'm sure gamers can find better toys to spend their money on anyway. What are your suggestions?