Accolade Sports Anthology (Nintendo Switch)

The Accolade Sports Collection brings together five sports titles from the early ‘90s, and boy, do they show their age. I’m a bit skeptical about how “classic” these games really are and whether they truly form an “epic” collection. But, given that I already own three of these five as cartridges, they sit somewhere as quasi-classics for me. So, is this collection something you’d want to add to your Nintendo Switch library?

Let’s dive into the pair that I didn’t previously have: the original Hardball baseball title and its sequel. I’ve got a soft spot for Hardball, mainly because of what it offered back then, its role in spawning a series, and its cameo in The Princess Bride’s intro. But let’s face it—debuting in 1985, it already felt a tad old when ’91 rolled around, let alone today. I was all geared up to relive the ’91 era and play as the Atlanta Braves, the NL champions, only to find you can only select city names. A bit of a letdown, but not unexpected. Visuals are decent, yet the soundtrack could start to grate your nerves if you play for too long (luckily, it can be muted).

As for the sequel, it switches things up with a new perspective, ditches the in-game music, adds more stadiums, and even offers a demo mode—pretty standard fare back then. The game manual boasts over a dozen pages, matching some Olympic-style carts in the collection, indicating some level of depth. Unfortunately, this also translates to a lack of immediacy. The animations, impressive once upon a time, feel sluggish now. It’s not quite a game you can just dive into, although saving features do come in handy. Unless you’re harboring nostalgia from the PC versions of these Hardball games, they don’t hold up too well on the console.

Moving on to Summer and Winter Challenge, you’ve got 16 events split evenly between them. I can’t get into each one, but there’s a whiff of quantity over quality here. Nonetheless, I find most of the events enjoyable, though that might be the nostalgia talking.

Would I be surprised if retro enthusiasts found them entertaining as well? Not at all. The ambitious-looking polygons and animations suggest that these titles weren’t just thrown together. The “Behind the Athlete” view gives the games a neat TV-like presentation, even in 16-bit form. Sure, the views add challenge to some events (just try the pole vault without a foot fault), but with a couple of retro-loving pals, you’ll have a blast mashing those buttons.

Finally, we have Hoops Shut Up and Jam, a game many remember as Barkley Shut Up and Jam. Like any ’90s NBA superstar worth his salt, Sir Charles had his own game. Unlike some, it was actually about basketball. They’ve altered his character model for licensing reasons nowadays, but the gameplay retains its NBA Jam-style fun.

More importantly, Hoops Shut Up and Jam is hands down the easiest to pick up and play from the five. As a seasoned player, I find it refreshingly accessible, but the Accolade Sports Collection also targets those “new to retro gaming.” If you’re not in the mood for digital manuals or long learning curves, this game outshines the rest, even without its original title star.

Accolade Sports Collection (QUByte Classics) is exactly what I anticipated—nothing more, nothing less. However, at $19.99, it’s a tough sell in 2025, especially when nostalgia isn’t your driving force. You might want to keep an eye on this one for a potential discount later.