The easiest Achievements and Trophies of 2009


Above: Look at the amazing power wielded by the author a.k.a. the Magnificent Achievement King of GamesRadar. And yet, he still has so much to earn

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

Easy Achievement total: 950 points

Time necessary: Seven hours

We begin with one of the few games on this list worth owning. Sure, you could rent or Gamefly it like the rest, but this disc is a steal at less than $20. This insane package has over 40 classic Sega titles, like the Sonic, Streets of Rage, and Phantasy Star series, plus lesser known gems like Ristar and Beyond Oasis. That's less than 50 cents a title people,get it already!


Above: Haven't played this a hundred times already, right?

SUGC also has tons of unlockables and Achievements/Trophies attached to its many games, but thankfully the devs take it easy on the player, clearly explaining what's required in each case and setting the bar pretty low. There aren't Achievements for every game, but most have one (usually based on a high score or not dying), which can be completed in less than 20 minutes of playing said game. They all happen so quickly that you should be able to get all but the Columns and Mean Bean Machine Achievements (they’re pretty hard) in under four hours.

Gunstar Heroes

Easy Achievement total: 200 points

Time necessary: Two hours

Sadly not included on Sonic's UGC, this Genesis classic rolled onto Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network last year at $5, which is cheap considering what some collectors have paid for the hard-to-find cartridge. This amazing slice of hardcore bliss has some of the most inventive bosses ever made, and it’s required reading for all wannabe video game snobs. "But this has been on Wii's Virtual Console forever," a coworker once said. "Big deal." Sadly, our friend failed to see the benefits of the newly included Achievements/Trophies.


Above: It goes even faster in two-player

Yes, the game can be a little tough at times, but it isn't that long, and all the set goals save one are campaign related, and thus unmissable. And thanks to the ability to save whenever, allowing for speedy restarts, this is much easier than it once was. You could even turn down the difficulty if you're a total wuss, we won't tell. In a few hours, you'll have the dual feathers in your hat for beating this classic and getting all the points/Trophies. Bravo.

Henry Gilbert

Henry Gilbert is a former GamesRadar+ Editor, having spent seven years at the site helping to navigate our readers through the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation. Henry is now following another passion of his besides video games, working as the producer and podcast cohost of the popular Talking Simpsons and What a Cartoon podcasts.