PanzerCute
Member
"Never played it but its shit"
I thought this was a message board for adults here.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Sega Saturn turned 29 today
- Thread starter fart town usa
- Start date
- Retro
I thought this was a message board for adults here.
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
Loved my Saturn, still own it. But my Polymega finally after like 3 years is going to ship soon and I’m going to play my Saturn games on that. Dragon Force remains to this day my favorite strategy RPG of all time. And the game had some classics like Panzer Dragoon Saga, Shining Force 3, Burning Rangers. I still own a bunch. Albert Odyssey and Magic Knight Rayearth S well
Krathoon
Member
It looks like it does not. Really, now I am thinking the Beetle Saturn emulator in Retroarch is better. I noticed a tiny glitch in Panzer Dragoon Saga on Bizhawk.
U n i o n 0015
Member
Love the Saturn; it was my primary for a few years before I could afford to get an N64 and then a PlayStation.
As much as I loved it at the time, Sega focusing on porting all their arcade games to the system didn't help as it took their focus away from creating original games. The Panzer Dragoon series was amazing, and the system needed more of those types of games.
As much as I loved it at the time, Sega focusing on porting all their arcade games to the system didn't help as it took their focus away from creating original games. The Panzer Dragoon series was amazing, and the system needed more of those types of games.
squarealex
Member
The big mistake for me is I can't read Japaneese, so I miss so much gems from Japaneese Saturn wich I think is the best Sega consoles in Japan.
StereoVsn
Member
Yeah, understanding basic Japanese including Kanji helps a ton. However there have been a lot of fan translations for Saturn games over the last few years so you may want to check that out.
worldwithpyramids
Member
mini for the 30th 
VeganElduderino
Member
the Saturn was my baby , I even built a armor out of cardboard to protect it !
I must of rented Virtua Fighter 2 a 1000x back then.
I must of rented Virtua Fighter 2 a 1000x back then.
Blood Borne
Member
Lol. Who said I never played it.
I owned all three consoles at the time and Saturn was me and my brothers least played. PS1 destroyed it in games both in quantity and quality, it wasn’t even comparable.
You guys are just nostalgic fanboys. I genuinely feel sorry for anyone who only owned a Saturn at that time, they really and truly missed out.
cireza
Member
Well I only had a Saturn and never felt the need to have a PS1. During the years they shared on the market PS1 certainly didn't destroy Saturn by the way. The games library was very strong and had a lot of excellent exclusives, as well as very good third party support.
Strange attitude by the way. Entering a topic for people to celebrate something they like, to simply come and tell them how they suck, that what they like is shit etc... I genuinely feel sorry for you.
Last edited:
SkylineRKR
Member
Saturn doesn't hold a candle to PSX, which went on for at least 3 years more ofcourse, which was a LOT back then. But its one of the best systems ever regardless.
I liked the system itself more, the looks (both the OG black and grey JP are my faves) the media player, the disc drive, the internal memory (yeah ok batteries but if you change while powered on you lose nothing). The cartridge slot was an excellent way to make your console region free too. The controlpad was ace.
The problem with Saturn was, it really wasn't happy going if you had one in 1995 and you didn't go out of your way to import games. Saturn missed out on a TON of games over here. It only became top tier when I had access to Ebay and the prices of games were extremely low around the turn of the millenium. I accumulated some odd 80 games for it back then, including the likes of RSG, Groove on Fight, Princess Crown, Batsugun etc. There are many, many gems on it. About 70% are JP only. Ofcourse, some games like Sega Rally, VF2, Virtua Cop were great at the time but there wasn't really that much in the west while Playstation owners had a wealth of games to choose from by 1997. And many 3D games looked better on PSX.
Saturn was the best when it came to 2D fighters, shmups and arcade ports in general, from which many were never localized. But as per Sega, there weren't many meaty games next to it. Experiences like FFVII, MGS, RE2, GT, Silent Hill, Vagrant Story weren't really there. There are a few big games, or they are put into some sort of a niche like Dragon Force or Shining Force which were more SRPG like.
Still, it was an incredibly fun system and I'd wager its better than the Dreamcast. It was more durable, better controller and if you factor in imports, I liked the Saturn library a bit more than that of the DC.
I liked the system itself more, the looks (both the OG black and grey JP are my faves) the media player, the disc drive, the internal memory (yeah ok batteries but if you change while powered on you lose nothing). The cartridge slot was an excellent way to make your console region free too. The controlpad was ace.
The problem with Saturn was, it really wasn't happy going if you had one in 1995 and you didn't go out of your way to import games. Saturn missed out on a TON of games over here. It only became top tier when I had access to Ebay and the prices of games were extremely low around the turn of the millenium. I accumulated some odd 80 games for it back then, including the likes of RSG, Groove on Fight, Princess Crown, Batsugun etc. There are many, many gems on it. About 70% are JP only. Ofcourse, some games like Sega Rally, VF2, Virtua Cop were great at the time but there wasn't really that much in the west while Playstation owners had a wealth of games to choose from by 1997. And many 3D games looked better on PSX.
Saturn was the best when it came to 2D fighters, shmups and arcade ports in general, from which many were never localized. But as per Sega, there weren't many meaty games next to it. Experiences like FFVII, MGS, RE2, GT, Silent Hill, Vagrant Story weren't really there. There are a few big games, or they are put into some sort of a niche like Dragon Force or Shining Force which were more SRPG like.
Still, it was an incredibly fun system and I'd wager its better than the Dreamcast. It was more durable, better controller and if you factor in imports, I liked the Saturn library a bit more than that of the DC.
German Hops
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
Such a great console.
I definitely plan to get a Satiator next year, but a Fenrir Duo might be a good deal, as well.
I definitely plan to get a Satiator next year, but a Fenrir Duo might be a good deal, as well.
thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Gold Member
At the very least, Sega could've done a lot more in terms of adding original content to the home versions to justify the ports. Namco was way ahead of them in that respect, Capcom as well. The most extensive Sega went in this regard was Virtua Racing which was handled by a 3P team and not in-house.
While I know many don't like that port of the game, they can't deny it has a shit ton of extra content that made buying it worth the price back then. Meanwhile ports of games like VF2 and Sega Rally were more or less barren in terms of new content once they came home.
RAIDEN1
Member
Had the Saturn had as close to Model 2 tech under its hood as possible, I reckon it would have given the PSX a closer run for its money instead flagging waaaaaay behind in 3rd and not even able to overtake the N64.....which had better 3d than the Saturn could ever have, and wasn't too shabby in the 2d department either....the likes of GoldenEye and especially WaveRace wouldn't have looked half as good as they did circa 1996/1997.....and don't even go down the road of mesh transparencies which was a Saturn speciality...yeesh!
Last edited:
DownLikeBCPowder
Member
Mine is still hooked up and ready to go, too. I often will play Rockman X4 on it because I like the controller for that game far better than the PSX.
I loved the Saturn, I got one very close to release date and played tons of demos mostly.. but also Panzer Dragoon, Sega Rally, NiGHTS, Virtua Cop (!!), Virtua Fighter and other good stuff early on. Great console with a special place in my heart.
I loved the Saturn, I got one very close to release date and played tons of demos mostly.. but also Panzer Dragoon, Sega Rally, NiGHTS, Virtua Cop (!!), Virtua Fighter and other good stuff early on. Great console with a special place in my heart.
Last edited:
Trogdor1123
Gold Member
really liked my Saturn. I wish dragon force was still available somehow, somewhere.
fart town usa
Gold Member
Yea, in 1995-1998 the system would have been pretty miserable as your sole console compared to PSX, that doesn't mean it's a terrible console or that people have nostalgia goggles.
If you are a serious Saturn owner in 2023 you likely has access to the entire library and that's when the console truly shines. It's a God-tier arcade machine and has enough single player exclusives to keep you plenty occupied.
I really enjoyed my Saturn back in 1998, it was a great addition to the PSX and N64 and my friends loved playing it cause I was the only kid in school who owned one and I also had Die Hard Arcade. My older bro and I went N64, Saturn, then PSX. Paper routes had us ballin' outta control.
Last edited:
fart town usa
Gold Member
The battery lasts ages too if you leave the console plugged in. I had to swap mine out the other week because I didn't realize it had been unplugged for a few months but prior to that, the battery legit lasted a minimum of 2 years, maybe longer.
Biggest thing with the Saturn these days is to just leave it be if you have a PAR cart plugged in. That RAM slot is notorious for losing the ability to read carts. Mine sits in the same spot, disturbed as little as possible
. Got a hand vacuum that I use on it once a week. It's the prize jewel in my gaming collection and the one thing I still collect for, though not on the regular. Just need the Virtual On twin sticks and my collection is complete.Geometric-Crusher
Member
I like the Saturn as it is.
I think Sonic Adventure should have an SS-DC port just like Zelda GameCube-Wii or Zelda Wii U-Switch.
Virtua Fighter 3 should have come out on the Saturn instead of the DC, even if the Saturn version was a VF 2.5 it would be more praised than the Dreamcast version.
D2 warp had to be a Saturn game.
I'm not going to propose other modifications otherwise the Dreamcast would never have existed.
But without a doubt, the PS1 was a juggernaut that continued to evolve in the period after Saturn 98-2001.
Soltype
Member
Really wish the console had more support, it was so unique would have loved to have seen more games on the system. Nothing on the other systems looked anything like panzer or radiant silver gun, just those big sweeping vistas with infinite draw distance , it was so different at the time.
TheMan
Member
Would much rather have a compilation released on modern consolesStill waiting for that Sega Saturn mini.
memphistora
Neo Member
Definitive
Guardian Heroes
Shining Force 3
Dragon Force 1 & 2
Guardian Heroes
Shining Force 3
Dragon Force 1 & 2
Happosai
Hold onto your panties
I bought Saturn many years after it launched in about 2011. Action Replay cart was an absolute too as the first thing I did was start importing all the games the were never licensed outside JP. This was also that time when you could buy the JP games for Saturn like $5 a piece in near mint condition. Really enjoyed it. Curious if there's that one GAF member who owns one of the 6 functional proto releases (Sega Pluto).
DeaconOfTheDank
Member
Recently got my own Sega Saturn from Japan after constantly hearing about its solid library:
I admit - this console is fucking awesome. Long live the Saturn!
I admit - this console is fucking awesome. Long live the Saturn!
Crowza
Member
Living through the launch, modding my Saturn to import games, playing through entire Japanese games without the ability to understand anything and driving 50 miles to pick up a copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga on launch day... So many memories that made this my favorite console of all time. Even though the Dreamcast felt much more like a short-term success here in the US, there is something about the Saturn that still draws me to it and the games. I don't think Japan has ever had a better generation.
I only keep current generation consoles hooked up to my TV. Except, the Saturn. I've always kept my Saturn connected.
FWIW - Get a SCART cable for your Saturn and a SCART-HDMI adapter for modern televisions and then... Welcome to a whole new world!
I only keep current generation consoles hooked up to my TV. Except, the Saturn. I've always kept my Saturn connected.
FWIW - Get a SCART cable for your Saturn and a SCART-HDMI adapter for modern televisions and then... Welcome to a whole new world!
TronNerd82
Member
Best Sega console imo.
EverydayBeast
thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
Good console from sega.
Nostalgic Nightmare
Member
Playin Space Harrier with the analog controller
StereoVsn
Member
Any and all Capcom arcade games. They were pretty damn awesome. I also have a soft spot for Sega Rally on the Saturn.
S0ULZB0URNE
Member
Probably the most underrated console and my second favorite Sega console.
StereoVsn
Member
This is true. I only gained appreciation for the Saturn once I started going heavily into Japanese library.
It was same way with Dreamcast and also PC Engine. English library was quite lacking, but Japanese library was very solid.
JC 1080P CRT
Member
Fantastic fucking console. It must've been heaven for people in Japan and import gamers, who got to play very faithful conversions of great arcade games and cool 3D originals.
It was touted as a 3D console, but some of its strongest titles were 2D. It's a must-have if you're into shmups, fighters, or sidescrollers, in particular.
My Saturn memories:
1. The first time I played Saturn was actually in an emulator (Yabuse) on my laptop back in college. First game I played on it was Biohazard (Japanese release of Resident Evil). I'd played the shit out of the PS1 and DS versions and the GameCube remake, but I heard that the Saturn version had a Battle game, so I wanted to try it out. Ended up playing through the whole game with both characters!
2. Years later after graduating college, I ended up buying a Japanese Saturn, a bunch of games, and a few peripherals (light gun, stick, etc.) at a retro gaming store. These were still the days when retro gaming prices weren't through the roof like they jumped in the 2020s, so I was able to get a nice library for not that much. Scores over the years included a few Virtua Fighter and Virtua Cop games, Virtual On, Daytona USA, Biohazard (finally owned it!), Policenauts, Darius Gaiden, and my personal GOAT, Saturn Bomberman.
It was touted as a 3D console, but some of its strongest titles were 2D. It's a must-have if you're into shmups, fighters, or sidescrollers, in particular.
My Saturn memories:
1. The first time I played Saturn was actually in an emulator (Yabuse) on my laptop back in college. First game I played on it was Biohazard (Japanese release of Resident Evil). I'd played the shit out of the PS1 and DS versions and the GameCube remake, but I heard that the Saturn version had a Battle game, so I wanted to try it out. Ended up playing through the whole game with both characters!
2. Years later after graduating college, I ended up buying a Japanese Saturn, a bunch of games, and a few peripherals (light gun, stick, etc.) at a retro gaming store. These were still the days when retro gaming prices weren't through the roof like they jumped in the 2020s, so I was able to get a nice library for not that much. Scores over the years included a few Virtua Fighter and Virtua Cop games, Virtual On, Daytona USA, Biohazard (finally owned it!), Policenauts, Darius Gaiden, and my personal GOAT, Saturn Bomberman.
cartman414
Member
Enjoy your mid 2d, inferior d-pads, janky polygons and smeared textures, pleb.
Last edited:
cartman414
Member
This. Also, that DC d-pad? Huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge ass downgrade.
cartman414
Member
PS1 and its controller were flimsier, and lest we forget, RPGs made the system.
cartman414
Member
Geometric-Crusher
Member
maybe it will happen maybe it won't, we can't predict the future.Saturn Mini next year, I hope!
The important thing is to keep that flame alive. Because, truth be told, Sega's new management has really put some effort into migrating its facilities and philosophy to becoming a third-party developer. Prohibiting 20 questions during the interview, including Shenmue 3, new Sega's console and Dreamcast 2.
However, the fan community always kept the idea of a Shenmue 3 alive and it ended up that Shenmue 3 happened, with great difficulty the community achieved this victory. Simply because the idea lived.
a game called Dreamcast Collection - has its existence linked to a series of rumors (most of them completely false) of a new console a Dreamcast 2.
Genesis Mini in 2018 was an initiative by Sega, but it gave up on Atgames and did everything in-house, including the global distribution of the product - a huge effort for a company that hadn't done this for 18 years.
October 6, 2020 Sega launches the GameGear Micro only in Japan.
Before launching this GameGear Micro, Sega made several allusions to the Sega Saturn.
Since then, the company has done everything to try to demotivate fans for a Saturn Mini, using various techniques, including the lie that making one is impossible.
The Sega Saturn is in the spotlight, many streamers who are Sega fans have their content built from Saturn games.
Things tend to happen as Saturn continues to be in evidence.
cireza
Member
This is entirely wrong and the narrative that Saturn had nothing meaningful in the West is absolute BS.
Let me guess, that's a list of 1998 and later games. Obviously they weren't going to be there, focus had moved on the Dreamcast.
StereoVsn
Member
It is through emulation! Love both the first game and its sequel.
Esppiral
Member
Most of those games were launched when the Saturn was long gone what the actual f* are you saying?
MonkeyClaw36
Member
Yup. It was trash. And I owned one. Just for Daytona and Sega Rally.
Ended up trading it with a kid across the street for a PS1. He saw you could drive a horse in Daytona and wanted to trade.
Yeah, I'm an evil SoB.
cireza
Member
Thankfully you didn't get run over by a car (or a horse) when crossing the street, so we can read your exciting testimony of how Saturn was trash 29 years later.
Last edited: