The Accolade Sports Collection rounds up five sports games from the early ‘90s, each showing signs of their age. While some might not necessarily consider these over-30-year-old titles as “classics” or warranting an “epic” label, they’ve earned a place in my collection. I’ve got the cartridges for three out of the five, so they hold a special, nostalgic value for me. But the big question is, should you add this compilation to your Nintendo Switch library?
Let’s kick things off with the two games I didn’t previously own: the baseball game Hardball and its follow-up. Respect where it’s due—the original Hardball made quite a splash back in the day. It paved the way for a series and even featured a cameo in the opening of The Princess Bride. But it kicked off in 1985, and by the time it rolled into 1991, it was already starting to feel a bit past its prime, even among its peers then—let alone now. Playing it today, I wanted to take a nostalgic stroll down memory lane as the NL champion Atlanta Braves. Unfortunately, you can only choose city names, which is a bit of a letdown. Still, the visuals hold up pretty well, although the music quickly becomes grating if you’re playing for any stretch of time—thankfully, you can switch it off.
Hardball’s sequel switches things up a bit with a different perspective, no in-game music, a wider variety of stadiums, and a demo mode, a staple for sports games of that era. The game’s depth is apparent in its lengthy in-game manual, which rivals even the Olympic-themed carts included in this package. However, that also signals a lack of immediacy. You’ll notice the game drags a bit due to animations that were impressive for their time but feel sluggish now. This doesn’t exactly scream “pick-up-and-play,” although the save feature is a big plus. If you’re not carrying a nostalgic torch for these Hardball games—likely from the PC days—it’s tough to recommend them for modern console play.
Moving on to Summer and Winter Challenge, which together bring you 16 events, eight per game. I’m not quite in a position to dive deep into each event individually, but you might guess it’s a case of quantity trumping quality—and you wouldn’t be far off. Even so, there’s a decent amount of fun to be had, especially when nostalgia is clouding your vision just the right way.
For those with a taste for retro gaming, these events could definitely offer some entertainment. The presentation helps too, featuring audacious polygons and animations that clearly demonstrate these titles weren’t made on autopilot. The “Behind the Athlete” view adds a cool TV-style flair in 16-bit form, though it can make some events, like pole vaulting, a bit tricky. Gather a group of retro pals, and you’ve got a recipe for some button-mashing good times.
And then there’s Hoops Shut Up and Jam, once known better as Barkley Shut Up and Jam. Sir Charles made a slam dunk into the gaming world with this release, quite unlike the platformer Jordan or Shaq’s fighting game endeavors. These days, they’ve adjusted his character model to side-step licensing issues, yet it remains the same NBA Jam-like fun as it was.
Crucially, Hoops Shut Up and Jam stands out as the most user-friendly game of the five. While I’m a seasoned player, this collection also caters to newcomers to retro gaming. If the thought of diving into digital manuals or slowly climbing learning curves doesn’t appeal to you, Hoops Shut Up and Jam shines as a standout option, even if it’s lost its star player’s name.
The Accolade Sports Collection (QUByte Classics) essentially delivers what I anticipated, without exceeding expectations. With a $19.99 price tag, it’s a bit of a stretch for a package like this in 2025, even through the lens of nostalgia. I’d suggest keeping an eye on it and maybe grabbing it later at a discount.
