A fine vintage, indeed: some great classics and collections are now on their way to both Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network! This selection includes both some all-time favorites as well as a few that have been very hard (or impossible) to come by.

All PSN games will be available individually. XBLA games will be available in several package deals grouped by title. Here’s a breakdown of what you get:

PlayStation Network

Release Date: May 22nd ($4.99 each)

Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Arcade)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Mega Drive)
Monster World IV (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Super Hang-On (Arcade)
Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System)

Xbox Live Arcade

Release Date: 5/23

Monster World Collection (800 MSP)
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Arcade)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Monster World IV (Genesis/Mega Drive)

Alex Kidd & Co. Collection (800 MSP)
Super Hang-On (Arcade)
The Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System)

Release Date: 5/30

Golden Axe Collection (800 MSP)
Golden Axe (Arcade)
Golden Axe 2 (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Golden Axe 3 (Genesis/Mega Drive)

Streets of Rage Collection (800 MSP)
Streets of Rage (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Streets of Rage 3 (Genesis/Mega Drive)

If you missed our write-up of some of these titles for the Nintendo Virtual Console, you can check them out here. Here’s some quick notes on what’s available:

•  Golden Axe III was originally available only in Japan and on the SEGA Channel in North America (and never in Europe)! The final entry to the Golden Axe series on console expanded on the gameplay of the previous two, offering a wider variety of moves including blocks, sweeping attacks, unique character moves, and offensive & defensive special attacks.
• Monster World IV has never been released outside of Japan — the game is notable for being one of the first to feature a female protagonist.
• Super Hang-On is the arcade version — while we sadly cannot bring you the actual arcade motorcycle via digital download, we do recommend players rock back and forth on their couch as they play in order to simulate maximum arcade-style value.
• Golden Axe was terrific on all versions — even the Master System had great graphics, if a questionable frame-rate. But the Arcade version is included for a reason, and that reason is the ending — if you’ve never achieved it on your own, you owe it to yourself, as it was one of the great payoffs of the era.
• Lastly, Alex Kidd in Miracle World is representing the Master System: more than almost any other, this game gives an idea of the quirky, experimental, hybrid of adventure/action gaming that SEGA helped pioneer during the heyday of the home console.