El Viento: Collector’s Edition (Genesis/Mega Drive)

A Peruvian sorceress fighting a Lovecraftian wind cult through 1920s New York City. If that pitch doesn't sell you, nothing will. The El Viento Collector's Edition for Sega Genesis and Mega Drive is one of the most distinctly weird and wonderful action platformers the console ever produced, and this release treats it with the reverence it deserves.

El Viento drops you into 1928 as Annet, a sorceress who wields the elemental magic of Hastur against the very cult trying to resurrect him. You'll fight through speakeasies, factories, and alleyways as mob bosses and cultists throw everything they've got at you. The game's blend of Lovecraftian horror, roaring twenties Americana, and Japanese action game design is unlike anything else in the Genesis library. It's the kind of title that made the console feel dangerous and unpredictable.

This Collector's Edition comes housed with a Rosa Intensa cartridge (yes, that color is as striking as it sounds), a full-color instruction manual, reversible cartridge inlay sleeve, embellished cartridge slipcover, and an individually numbered certificate of authenticity. The presentation matches the game's own boldness.

El Viento sits in that sweet spot where genuine rarity meets genuine quality. For Genesis collectors who've already locked down the obvious heavy hitters and want something that'll make other collectors do a double-take, this is the one. Annet's been waiting long enough.