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[Komatsu]

As Forever Entertainment is working on its remake of the original Panzer Dragoon for the Switch, I decided to dust off my Saturn and play through this SEGA classic once again. Putting my cards on the table: I am a huge SEGA nerd and playing Orta in glorious 4K is one of the reasons why I bought an Xbox One X. The Panzer series is one of SEGA's low-sales, high-prestige franchises that show how sometimes Old Blue was too out-of-the-box for their own good. Yukio Futatsugi, the series director, hasn't thrived since leaving SEGA but it is incredible to see how many creators, from Yoko Taro to Yu Suzuki, have spoken wonders about the franchise and about its first game in particular.

Anyway, those are the facts, straight from the Wiki:

Coming back to the game after five or six years (my last major dalliance with the Saturn was before the current gen had come into the scene), the first thing that washed over me was the amazing soundtrack.



The game is also a masterpiece in art direction, from its Japanese cover, illustrated by legendary French bandes dessinées artist Moebius (somehow I can't see Nintendo doing this) to how it leverages the Saturn's polygonal limitations to paint a picture of a sparsely populated, feral, post-apocalyptic world.

And besides all that, the game is a blast. It's amazing how well it plays. The barely skips frame, there's a lot of environmental and enemy variation and unlike a lot of other rail shooters, you can rotate the camera 360o around you, which is pretty handy.

For those interested in checking it out, Panzer Dragoon is available for players that beat Panzer Dragoon Orta, and Orta can be purchased and played in glorious 4K on the XB1X.

 

[Kazza]

Lovely RTTP!

I'll just leave this here for the few people who haven't already seen it:




They made great use of the Saturn hardware, using the second video processor to draw those beautiful expansive planes. It gives the game a unique look, and I understand how some people are a little upset at how the remake has gone in a slightly different direction.

You say Panzer is a "low sales" game, but it must how done ok, seeing as it got 3 sequels. Orta probably didn't do well, considering the series stopped there (I'm not sure if any of the Sega games on Xbox did well sales-wise, except maybe Ortogi, which did get a sequel)

I never played it on release, despite having a Saturn, and only played it as an unlockable in Orta a couple of years ago. While still a fun game, it is very hard going from Orta's 60fps to the original's 20fps. Most PS1/Saturn/N64 3D games would benefit from a remake, and Panzer is no exception, so I was very happy when the remake was announced.

 

[DS_Joost]

I might be the first person on this forum to say this but... I don't get it. I don't get the special appeal of this game. To me, it just seems like your regular rails shooter. People have been asking for a new one for years upon years, while there was a sequel in the form of Lair (I know I know, controversial innit?) in my opinion. Which shat over everything Panzer Dragoon ever was (with the updated controls though, those motion once stank the place up).

It's not a bad series at all. And it is technically impressive, yes. I just don't get what makes it so special to people.

Really nice post though.

 

[Kazza]

I might be the first person on this forum to say this but... I don't get it. I don't get the special appeal of this game. To me, it just seems like your regular rails shooter. People have been asking for a new one for years upon years, while there was a sequel in the form of Lair (I know I know, controversial innit?) in my opinion. Which shat over everything Panzer Dragoon ever was (with the updated controls though, those motion once stank the place up).

It's not a bad series at all. And it is technically impressive, yes. I just don't get what makes it so special to people.

Really nice post though.

I never heard of Lair before, but it looks like a very different game from the 5 minutes of youtube footage I saw (I mean, you ride a dragon, but that's where the similarities end). It's available on amazon 2nd hand for £2 with free shipping though, so I might give it a try.

I think that Saga has much more of a mystique than the original, due in large part due to its rarity and price, but also due to the fact that is a really great RPG. I personally really like rail shooters, and there aren't many of them about, so each good one is to be treasured. I think the whole art style and world-building (including an invented language) helps it transcend most other games in the genre.

 

[ranmafan]

To me Panzer Dragoon gives me great memories of the Saturn. Everything about the game, the music, the world, the gameplay, even the graphics especially at its time was just wonderful. I really love the world SEGA created with the Panzer Dragoon series. I just hope they don't stop at 2 with the remakes. Would love an updated Saga and Orca if possible too.

 

[Birdo]

The first game I owned on my Saturn. It was actually really boring and had zero replayability.

But it had a nice art style.

 

[Komatsu]

The first game I owned on my Saturn. It was actually really boring and had zero replayability.

But it had a nice art style.

Considering it is one of the most fondly remembered games from the Saturn, I wouldn’t say it has no replayability. That being said, Futatsugi upped the game with alternate routes, hidden secrets, etc, with the release of Zwei a couple of years later.

 

[SirTerry-T]

I might be the first person on this forum to say this but... I don't get it. I don't get the special appeal of this game. To me, it just seems like your regular rails shooter. People have been asking for a new one for years upon years, while there was a sequel in the form of Lair (I know I know, controversial innit?) in my opinion. Which shat over everything Panzer Dragoon ever was (with the updated controls though, those motion once stank the place up).

It's not a bad series at all. And it is technically impressive, yes. I just don't get what makes it so special to people.

Really nice post though.

The series is held in such high regard for a lot of the same reasons Shadow Of The Colossus is. There is something very appealing about the somewhat melancholic and desolate world both games have, the art direction, soundtrack...plus as far as rail shooters go, the first two PD games are both bloody good ones.
The strengths of the third game are clear enough to anyone lucky enough to play it.

 

[Azelover]

This series is very precious to me.

I love the art, I love the music, the story and the setting, the gameplay. I was a child back when I first played PD, and it blew my mind instantly. Zwei is the best one of the shooters.. I'm so glad it's getting remade. Hopefully we eventually get a remake of Saga too.

 

[Komatsu]

You say Panzer is a "low sales" game, but it must how done ok, seeing as it got 3 sequels. Orta probably didn't do well, considering the series stopped there (I'm not sure if any of the Sega games on Xbox did well sales-wise, except maybe Ortogi, which did get a sequel

It's been a looong time since I've taken a look at SEGA sales figures from the mid-90's, but I'd be absolutely shocked if Panzer Dragoon moved more than 50,000-100,000 copies across all territories. Same thing for Zwei. Saga had a print run of 5,000-10,000 in the US and probably no more than 30,000 in Japan. Which is a pity, as all games are fantastic. All of them.

 

[Elginer]

This series is dear to me. It's one of the reasons why I loved the Saturn. Music and art is timeless.

 

[Enjay]

I might be the first person on this forum to say this but... I don't get it. I don't get the special appeal of this game. To me, it justseems like your regular rails shooter. People have been asking for a new one for years upon years, while there was a sequel in the form of Lair (I know I know, controversial innit?) in my opinion. Which shat over everything Panzer Dragoon ever was (with the updated controls though, those motion once stank the place up).

It's not a bad series at all. And it is technically impressive, yes. I just don't get what makes it so special to people.

Really nice post though.

I feel the same way. Video game hipsters will swear up and down this was a great game too. Also i really hated the endings, they shat all over the world and storyline that the game built up.

 

[cireza]

To me, it just seems like your regular rails shooter.

And what were these regular rail shooters before Panzer Dragoon ? How did they even compare to PD ?
We are talking about full 3D rail shooters with free camera movement released before PD. I am interested by your list.

You don't seem to know much about PD, saying it looks like a regular rail shooter, but that's enough knowledge for you to say that a game that had some of the worst reviews ever shits on it.

 

[Starlight Lotice]

Artstyle and lore are amazing for the game which used the Saturn hardware smartly (making it desolate made the capabilities of the Saturn look pretty decent for a near launch game).

On Rails wise I do agree that it is pretty basic but you played it for the scenary anyway and the world it took place in as it was very mysterious.

Transformed made the game come alive with everything taken from those 3 games and felt like what a future sequel should be made from.

 

[Kazza]

It's been a looong time since I've taken a look at SEGA sales figures from the mid-90's, but I'd be absolutely shocked if Panzer Dragoon moved more than 50,000-100,000 copies across all territories. Same thing for Zwei. Saga had a print run of 5,000-10,000 in the US and probably no more than 30,000 in Japan. Which is a pity, as all games are fantastic. All of them.

I can't imagine that they would have continued to make sequels if they had sold so badly. I'm not sure how accurate sales figures from the time are.

 

[Alexios]

I only give it points for being the precursor to Zwei which did pretty much everything better (and Saga which let us take a deep dive into that wondrous world).

I don't consider the first game a must play. I'd probably rank it under Orta which I didn't like very much and thought it watered down the concept solidified by Zwei and Saga too much (except for a few superb instances like the imperial soldier's side story).

But for fans of the series and enthusiasts of gaming it's definitely worth checking out as it does have sweet elements like the soundtrack and was quite an achievement for its time even if later games did it better.

That said, the 360 degree gameplay it pioneered makes it quite unique compared to other rail shooters and there weren't many (good) 3D ones at the time anyway to call it average.

I think even Panzer Dragoon Mini or the Tiger Electronics game or the promotional Orta flash web game might be better than Lair though, you have to be pretty ignorant to compare them as such.

 

[JohannCK]

I absolutely loved Zwei and Saga back in the day, and the final boss of Zwei waking up and becoming a boss fight in Saga is still one of my favourite moments in all of video games. The original was alright I guess, but I didn't like it as much.

I tried replaying Saga a few years back but couldn't handle the ridiculous encounter rates and ended up stopping halfway through the first dungeon, maybe I just had more patience as a kid or something.

Oh and I'd also like to shill this doujin game in the works that's basically "what if Panzer Dragoon, but VR".

 

[xpresstuning]

What a wonderful coincidence, I was actually thinking about re-playing the entire series (except Orta) a couple of days ago, through Retroarch. It's been, i think, 8 years since my Sega Saturn obsession period, and i haven't touched any of the games since then. I sold the system 8 years ago, i actually sold everything for which there is an emulator available, but i always keep the physical video games for collector's purposes. Good thread, you've convinced me to setup Retroarch and backup some of the games on my PC, starting with the original Panzer Dragoon.

Yes, Panzer Dragoon is a great video game. The gameplay is good as far as i'm concerned, but significantly surpassed by its sequel - Zwei, which also runs at a steady 30 FPS, compared to the original which runs at 20 FPS. The elements that push the original Panzer Dragoon to be a great video game is its brilliant art direction (inspired by Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind) and soundtrack (which i think is the best in the series).

I'm glad they're getting remakes, i want as many people as possibly to experience them. I'm not glad that the availability of them is severely reduced if they're exclusive to the Switch.

 

[GrayFoxPL]

I'm glad they're getting remakes, i want as many people as possibly to experience them. I'm not glad that the availability of them is severely reduced if they're exclusive to the Switch.

I hope it's timed exclusivity at worst, if not:

 

[Punished Miku]

I might be the first person on this forum to say this but... I don't get it. I don't get the special appeal of this game. To me, it just seems like your regular rails shooter. People have been asking for a new one for years upon years, while there was a sequel in the form of Lair (I know I know, controversial innit?) in my opinion. Which shat over everything Panzer Dragoon ever was (with the updated controls though, those motion once stank the place up).

It's not a bad series at all. And it is technically impressive, yes. I just don't get what makes it so special to people.

Really nice post though.

We're old. I remember renting a Saturn from Blockbuster because no one I knew ever had one. Rented this game along with it. 3D game. Extremely interesting art design and world setting. Totally mysterious and weird. And then the series just kept building up on that appeal with part 2, a giant RPG, and even a game on Xbox.

It's largely nostalgia, but the series really is fun. It's like playing Starfox, only you could look in all directions and you have a badass dragon.

 

[EightBit Man]

I hope it's timed exclusivity at worst, if not:

Damn right. Every SEGA fan on every platform should be able to enjoy this game, the SEGA AGES titles, and more.

 

[xpresstuning]

I might be the first person on this forum to say this but... I don't get it. I don't get the special appeal of this game. To me, it just seems like your regular rails shooter. People have been asking for a new one for years upon years, while there was a sequel in the form of Lair (I know I know, controversial innit?) in my opinion. Which shat over everything Panzer Dragoon ever was (with the updated controls though, those motion once stank the place up).

It's not a bad series at all. And it is technically impressive, yes. I just don't get what makes it so special to people.

Really nice post though.

What makes you think the appeal is special? It's no better than the natural appreciation you have for a video game you like.

Lair (post-patch) doesn't play nor look like Panzer Dragoon, the common elements they share is the camera design, a few combat similarities and the dragon. Here's an example. Is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 a sequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl because they share combat similarities, camera design, human encounters, and the use of firearm weapons?

You don't like it because you're an individual with different preferences. I am not a fan of Demon's/Dark Souls/Bloodborne/Sekiro at all, for example. And i wouldn't question the validity of my preference by dismissing the love people have for Dark Souls, which i believe you're attempting in your case by offering an inaccurate comparison and announcing that the flawed comparison is not only justifiable, but proof that Panzer Dragoon isn't worth the appreciation. It's not a good thing to simultaneously ask fans about something while trying to subtly attack the object they are a fan of.

In order for me to completely understand why i don't like these games, i have to also to understand why people love them. Right? If you want to understand why these games are appealing, but they're unappealing to you, find people that love these games and ask them. Don't immediately presume that they're not as justified to enjoy the video game as much as you are justified to not "get it". That's arrogance.

 

[Komatsu]

There's a reason why youtubers from all over the world were losing their minds during the Nintendo Direct in which the remake was announced.



For those us who were kids when the Saturn was the future, WE ARE COMING HOME. I'm hoping that this kickstarts a trend in which SEGA allows outside developers to explore some of their dormant IPs. They have nothing to lose but their chains. Let's do it!

 

[Team Andromeda]

Yes, Panzer Dragoon is a great video game. The gameplay is good as far as i'm concerned, but significantly surpassed by its sequel - Zwei, which also runs at a steady 30 FPS, compared to the original which runs at 20 FPS. The elements that push the original Panzer Dragoon to be a great video game is its brilliant art direction (inspired by Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind) and soundtrack (which i think is the best in the series).

I'm glad they're getting remakes, i want as many people as possibly to experience them. I'm not glad that the availability of them is severely reduced if they're exclusive to the Switch.

Well, the original did have the Wizard mode cheat when you could really up the game frame rate and for me, the 1st game features the better art, music and better boss battles.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

On rails shooter.

Arguably the best genre to rent the game for $2 and return it the next day.

 

[stranno]

Playstation 2 version ultra-widescreen, seen on PS2 WS forums.

 

[Vorg]

Playstation 2 version ultra-widescreen, seen on PS2 WS forums.

Damn this looks gorgeous.

 

[stranno]

Damn this looks gorgeous.

Rengoku avatar!! One of my favourite games in PSP

 

[Otterz4Life]

Best rail shooter series ever. I’m getting the remake day one.

Orta is amazing as well.

 

[cireza]

On rails shooter.

Arguably the best genre to rent the game for $2 and return it the next day.

This applies to all arcade games. Does not make them bad games. These games have a very high replayability.

 

[Romulus]

There's just not a single 3d game that I think aged well during that generation. For me, the 6th gen started the trend of being able to go back without vomiting at the 3d visuals.

 

[Otterz4Life]

There's just not a single 3d game that I think aged well during that generation. For me, the 6th gen started the trend of being able to go back without vomiting at the 3d visuals.

Orta is one of the best looking Xbox games. Maybe the best.

Looks better than some 360 games.

But, yes, Saturn/PS1/N64 games look pretty bad today.

 

[Romulus]

Orta is one of the best looking Xbox games. Maybe the best.

Looks better than some 360 games.

But, yes, Saturn/PS1/N64 games look pretty bad today.

Yeah Orta still holds up.

 

[KAOS]

Orta looks great on Xbox One X!

In that reaction vid I love that he recognized the game as soon as he heard the music!

"F*cking Panzer Dragoon"!

 

[Komatsu]

Yeah Orta still holds up.

I wish the unlockable PD1 available on Orta after you beat the game had been given the whole upscale treatment. It doesn't look that much better.

 

[Skyfox]

Can’t wait for the remake!

 

[RAIDEN1]

They should have brought it out as a remake trilogy or something...instead of just the first game....as now it will seem like an eternity until the 2nd part gets a HD-Remake....

 

[Kazza]

They should have brought it out as a remake trilogy or something...instead of just the first game....as now it will seem like an eternity until the 2nd part gets a HD-Remake....

They have already started work on Zwei, so there shouldn't be a large gap between the two releases.

 

[Bar81]

Orta is one of the best looking Xbox games. Maybe the best.

Looks better than some 360 games.

But, yes, Saturn/PS1/N64 games look pretty bad today.

Yes generally, but most SS shmups (and a bunch of PSX shmups) look as amazing today as they did on release. But most of those remain JP exclusives and never made it stateside.