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[Omie]

Do the extras in the Sega Saturn version of SOTN actually make it worth getting?

I see you have Richter, Maria, and Alucard all available to select from the start.

But then I hear that Maria's character just seems tacked on and doesn't really offer anything to the story (sorta like Richter after beating SOTN).

From the Castlevania Dungeon:

As for other improvements - there are now two whole new areas, the Cursed Prison and the Underground Garden. The Cursed Prison is in the middle of the castle and links together the Marble Gallery and Underwater Caverns. Unfortunately, this area is very small and lacks anything of real interest. The Underground Garden is out of the way, at the castle entrance, that has lots of goofy enemies and a few new items, but again, nothing of huge interest.

Other than there, there are few enhancements here and there. At the end of the first castle, Alucard gets a pair of running boots that makes exploration of the second castle much easier. Richter now wears his updated uniform when you fight him (and can be played as using a code.) The Fairy familiar will now sing a song if you meet the right requirements. THere's also some new music, included some remixed songs from old Castlevania games - they'll all very good, except for the big band arrangement of Beginning from Castlevania 3 (WHY???!)

I could take the Castlevania Dungeon recommendation and take the plunge but I'd rather get some more opinions from those who've played both.

 

[TONX]

Its been awhile but i remember playing as Maria being boring as hell. Theres significant slowdown at some parts plus lower rez sprites in the Saturn version, but its still SOTN and the core game itself is still awesome. Its just question of what you can stand.

 

[mikeGFG]

I haven't played the Saturn version, but 1UP's Retronauts recently made a video piece on the Saturn version's shortcomings.

The slowdown, loading, and extra rooms are inexcusably bad. Though playing as Richter from the start is a nice bonus..

 

[Y2Kev]

I don't remember Big Band Beginning :lol

I want to hear that.

 

[Troidal]

Graphics are definitely a downgrade. Effects have no transparencies so it looked meh.

Richter, Maria playable are cool, the new stages were not. Looked very tacked on.

The music player is great, that's where most rip the soundtrack I think. Lots of extra data to see on your PC too...lost episodes in wav format, Kojima's artworks (including the topless succubus uncensored)

Its nice to have for cheap, but don't spend a fortune tracking it down.

 

[MoxManiac]

Hopefully the new PSP collection will have these features...without the warts of the saturn version.

 

[Shard]

By an astounding coincidence the latest Retronauts: Bonus Stage features the SAT version of Castlevania: SOTN in all of its shitty glory.

 

[ferricide]

i've played through both repeatedly to completion.

i actually sold off the saturn version after beating it a few times because it fetches way more than it's worth. of the two new areas, one is actually full-sized; the other is just a corridor, more or less. neither are significant enough that it makes an overall impact on the game's quality, though the full-fledged area is up to snuff.

the graphical issues, slowdown, delay in loading the map (you have to go to the sub-screen first) make the game not particularly good. plus, the controls are so well-suited to the PS1 pad in terms of button layout (it's not a major issue however.)

if the saturn version still costs like $70, which it did last time i went to japan, i'd say skip it in favor of the PS version.

besides, we may see the SS updates on the PSP version. IGA isn't saying yet, though...

 

[Troidal]

if the saturn version still costs like $70, which it did last time i went to japan, i'd say skip it in favor of the PS version.

Nah, its like half the price now...more like $30-35. Not that rare anymore for some oddball reason.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

PSX version by far.
I think I yelled until I was blue in the face last time somebody was interested in the Saturn version.

But this time I'll just keep cool and say: It's trash.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I own the Saturn version.

I really liked it.

I played the PSX version a year or so later.

It was hard to go back. The Saturn version has weird slowdown and scaling issues. Terrible port on the part of KCE Nagoya.

 

[Red Scarlet]

There have been a few topics mentioning the Saturn version, let me find some posts.

Maria and Richter are selectable from the start, Richter has an alternate outfit, there are 2 new areas (albeit small) with new badguys and some new equipment, there's a new "key item" (just some running shoes that let Alucard dash), you fight Maria for the Holy Glasses, new music in the new areas (including a new starting theme for Richter mode and Maria mode), an audio player after you beat the game with all the voice acting things selectable too.

Then there's slowdown, more load times and loading areas, poor visual effects in certain parts, a less accessible map screen (have to hit start, let the menu screen load, then hit L and let the map screen load..takes about 5 sec or so to view the map), and some bug fixes (no more skipping Death to get to Dracula with 4 body parts).

Oh, and another thing different in the Saturn version is that the 'wing smash' move Alucard can do does not wear off after a certain distance..it only wears off if you hit a wall, run out of MP, or change into something else, so Alucard can zoom through some areas pretty quickly. Also there were 2 fairy familiars (a blue one and a green one) and 2 demon familiars (the normal one and a masked one), which those may have been in the Japanese PS1 version but taken out of the US release (I forget).

I did a speedrun with Maria if you are really curious to see how she plays, and there was discussion in that topic about the Saturn version:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101909

What are the prices? I'd get the PS version over the Saturn one if only one can be afforded. Really, depending on how much whatever they are, what versions you are looking at/able to play (I wouldn't even get the US one for $5 but I'm in a vast minority), and if you can get the new ones fixing to come out, maybe you'd be better off waiting, or maybe it'd be better to get it now.

 

[kazuo]

The PS1 version is superior to the Saturn. I own and have played through both.

As others have already mentioned, the graphics are inferior on the Saturn (?), there's no transparencies and other cool effects (??), has slowdown (???) and Maria and the new areas are pretty lame. Short and useless. Adds nothing.

Overall the PS1 rev is superior, and both can be had for a reasonable price if you're patient and look around.

It's really sad that the Saturn version is crap, because the hardware is totally capable of reproducing it, but I guess we can blame KCE Nagoya for a shitty port.

 

[Rlan]

What a coincidence, the Retronauts "Bonus Stage 2" episode is out.

http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/8951

It's a good few bits of Saturn SOTN.

 

[speculawyer]

Castlevania: SOTN (Saturn or PSX?)

Stop living in the past . . . Castlevania: SOTN for Xbox Live Arcade!!


BTW, it is the Playstation version.

 

[Drakken]

The music player is great, that's where most rip the soundtrack I think. Lots of extra data to see on your PC too...lost episodes in wav format, Kojima's artworks (including the topless succubus uncensored)

Oh wow, that's cool. I'd like to hear those new songs.

 

[Avalon]

There have been a few topics mentioning the Saturn version, let me find some posts.

I did a speedrun with Maria if you are really curious to see how she plays, and there was discussion in that topic about the Saturn version:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101909

Maria looks fun. Does she have a lot of abilities?

 

[Red Scarlet]

Well, she has triple jump, charged fireballs, a forward kick thing, and spells with her animals like invincibility, an owl familiar, and that dragon thing. I think the Castlevania Dungeon website has a move list for her.

 

[btrboyev]

never knew how you could screw up 2d on saturn..the thing was a monster for 2d

 

[renvi]

wait for DraculaX chronicle

 

[Prime crotch]

It's funny to see how Konami made Alucard turn into mist on the Saturn since it couldn't do transparencys until later on life.

 

[dark10x]

never knew how you could screw up 2d on saturn..the thing was a monster for 2d

Well, a lot of the problems were related to the 3D elements being screwed...

 

[charlequin]

never knew how you could screw up 2d on saturn..the thing was a monster for 2d

SotN was originally programmed for the PSX, which obviously is much more of a 3D machine... my understanding is that it's actually using a 3D rendering engine to display flat, textured polys as "sprites," which is why it ported so badly to Saturn.

 

[Magicpaint]

SotN was originally programmed for the PSX, which obviously is much more of a 3D machine... my understanding is that it's actually using a 3D rendering engine to display flat, textured polys as "sprites," which is why it ported so badly to Saturn.

Yeah, that's what I heard, too.

 

[Y2Kev]

SotN was originally programmed for the PSX, which obviously is much more of a 3D machine... my understanding is that it's actually using a 3D rendering engine to display flat, textured polys as "sprites," which is why it ported so badly to Saturn.

Where'd you hear that

I still like the Saturn version. I've played them both to completion many times.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

I don't think it is, at least not completely. When you play it on PS2 with texture smoothing all the sprites remain the same... except Alucard when he turns around. So it seems they're using polygons only as an easy way to manipulate sprites beyond simply shuffling them around.