Accolade Sports Collection brings together five sports games from the early ’90s, and they’re definitely starting to show their age. Calling these games “classics” is a bit of a stretch, especially since they’re over 30 years old now. But, having three out of these five games on my shelf as cartridges, they carry a sort of nostalgic charm for me. So, is this collection worth having on your Nintendo Switch?
Let’s start with the two games I hadn’t personally owned before—Hardball and its sequel. The original Hardball deserves some respect for what it achieved back in its day. It launched a series and even made a cameo in The Princess Bride. But, considering it first saw the light in 1985, it already felt a bit behind the times by 1991, let alone today. Speaking of 1991, I wanted to relive the days and play as the NL champion Atlanta Braves, but the game limits you to picking only city names. It’s expected but still kind of disappointing. Visually, it’s not too shabby, though the looped music might get on your nerves after a while—thankfully, you can turn it off.
The sequel shakes things up a bit with a new perspective, more stadiums to choose from, and a demo mode, which was a staple for sports games of that era. It offers depth, and the in-game manual has more than a dozen pages, as many as the Olympic-style games in this set. But that means it lacks that instant pick-up-and-play appeal. The animations, impressive back then, make everything feel slower-paced now. It’s probably not one of those instant fun games, though save features come in handy. Unless you’ve got some nostalgia for the Hardball series, especially from its days on PC, these games don’t translate well to console in today’s world.
Next on the list are Summer and Winter Challenge, packing a total of 16 events between them. I’m not really going to dive into each event, but let’s say there’s a sense of quantity prevailing over quality. Still, I find most events entertaining, probably because of my nostalgic bias.
Would it surprise me if those with a love for retro gaming enjoyed them too? Not really. The presentation does these games favors, with bold polygon visuals—a rare sight on the Genesis—and animations showing that real effort went into them. The “Behind the Athlete” viewpoint gives the games a unique, TV-style presentation in all their 16-bit glory. That view makes some events tricky, like avoiding a foot fault in the pole vault, but gather a few retro-loving friends, and you’ll have some button-mashing fun.
Finally, we have Hoops Shut Up and Jam, or as many recall, Barkley Shut Up and Jam. Charles Barkley, one of the NBA’s brightest stars in the ’90s, was the face of this game. It was a straightforward basketball game, unlike some contemporary games that took unexpected directions, like Michael Jordan’s platformer or Shaq’s fighting game. Although Barkley’s character took a bit of a redesign to avoid licensing issues now, it’s still got that NBA Jam-esque excitement.
Arguably, it’s the most user-friendly game in the five-pack, ideal for those fresh to retro gaming who Accolade Sports Collection is aiming at. If flipping through digital manuals or enduring slow-paced learning isn’t your thing, Hoops Shut Up and Jam stands out as the top pick, despite losing its iconic title character.
The Accolade Sports Collection from QUByte Classics delivers what was expected, nothing more, nothing less. But priced at $19.99 in 2025, it’s a steep ask, even for someone as nostalgic as me. Maybe pop it onto your wishlist and wait for a sale.
