Accolade Sports Collection is a throwback to the gaming days of the early ’90s, bringing together five sports titles that definitely show their age. While I’m not entirely sold on these being “classic” games or the collection being termed “epic,” I must admit, owning three out of these five titles as cartridges gives them a bit of a nostalgic edge for me. But is this bundle something you’d want to add to your Nintendo Switch collection?
Let’s kick things off with the two games that were new to me: Hardball and its follow-up. I’ve got a soft spot for the original Hardball because of what it brought to the table in its time, kicking off a series and even making a cameo in The Princess Bride’s intro. But having first hit the scene in 1985, by the time 1991 rolled around, it was already a bit old-fashioned compared to its rivals, and that’s even more pronounced now. Wanting a taste of that era, I thought it’d be fun to play as the NL champion Atlanta Braves from ’91, but alas, you’re limited to selecting city names. Expected, sure, but still a letdown. On the bright side, the game’s visuals are decent enough, though the repetitive tune may have you reaching for the mute button sooner rather than later.
Now, shifting to the sequel, you get a whole new perspective—literally. No in-game music, a wider selection of stadiums, and a common ’90s sports game staple: the demo mode. The game is pretty deep, as shown by its hefty manual loaded with over a dozen pages, rivaling even the Olympic-style games in this collection. But with that depth comes a lack of instant gratification. The animations, while once impressive, can make the gameplay drag a bit. Not exactly a pick-up-and-go option, although at least you have a save feature to rely on. Unless you’re nostalgic for the Hardball series (likely from the PC era), these don’t pack quite the punch you’d want on a console today.
Moving on, let’s discuss Summer and Winter Challenge. With a total of 16 events, evenly split across the two games, I won’t bore you with a play-by-play for each. You might think it’s a classic case of quantity over quality, and you wouldn’t be far off. That said, I find most of these events quite enjoyable, though my nostalgia might be clouding my judgment a bit.
Would I be surprised if retro game enthusiasts found them fun too? Not at all. The games have an engaging presentation with ambitious polygonal graphics—quite an achievement for the Genesis. The “Behind the Athlete” view adds a cool, TV-like flair in 16-bit, which may make some events a bit trickier (good luck avoiding a foot fault in pole vault), but team up with some retro-loving friends and you’re in for a button-mashing good time.
Finally, let’s talk about Hoops Shut Up and Jam, which many remember as Barkley Shut Up and Jam. Just like major NBA stars of the ’90s, Sir Charles had his video game moment. Unlike some other sports celeb games—I’m looking at you, Jordan’s platformer and Shaq’s fighting game—this one sticks to basketball. The character model is a bit altered now to sidestep licensing issues, but it keeps the same NBA Jam excitement.
Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect is that it’s the easiest of the five for quick play. I’m a seasoned player, but the Accolade Sports Collection is also targeted at folks new to retro gaming. So if you’re not keen on wading through digital manuals or dealing with slow learning curves, Hoops Shut Up and Jam is definitely the standout, even without its titular star.
The Accolade Sports Collection (QUByte Classics) meets expectations—not more, not less. But at a $19.99 price tag in 2025, even nostalgic gamers like myself might find it a tough sell. You might want to put this one on your wishlist and wait for a discount down the road.
