N64, definitely. I like the Saturn too -- I got one a couple of years ago, have a bunch of games now, and definitely like it -- but the N64 has always been one of my all-time favorite consoles, so it's not really a fair comparison.
The N64 has a lot of amazing games on it. Sure, the library isn't as big as some, but it makes up for it with its very high average quality level... the Saturn has far, far more bad games, and lots more mediocre ports too. The N64 has a large library of amazing exclusives. Part of it does depend on which genres you like, though -- the N64 is weak at RPGs and 2d fighting games, while it's strong at arcade-style racing games, 3d platformers, and some more, while, the Saturn is poor at 3d platformers, 3d action-adventure games, and Nintendo games and good at 2d fighting games and shmups, particularly, as well as Sega games. I like both Nintendo and Sega, but I like Nintendo more. They do somewhat compliment eachother, though -- the N64 has few 2d fighting games or shmups, while the Saturn has few 3d platformers or action-adventure games... both have weak English-language strategy and RPG libraries, though, for that you need a Playstation. I mean, both have a few good ones -- Paper Mario, Ogre Battle 64, etc. on the N64, and the Shining games, Dragon Force, PD Saga, etc. on Saturn -- but it's only a few titles. At least thanks to the Zelda games, quantity or no, the N64 wins the generation in that category...
As for racing games, in terms of quality both platforms are strong in the genre. The N64 has more racing games than the Saturn, though, I believe; it's one of the stronger genres on the platform. The Saturn has Daytona (three versions of it), Sega Rally, Cyber Speedway, Virtua Racing, the best version of Wipeout (worse graphics but improved handling), etc -- great games, Sega was great at making racing games. Overall though, I do give the N64 the victory in this category. First, it has Rush 2049, my favorite racing game of all time. Second, with one exception all Saturn racing games are 1 or 2 player only; on the N64 however all but one or two are at least two player, and about half are 4 player splitscreen. If you want multiplayer there's only one console to consider. Also Sega's racing game lineup slowed down a bit over time, in terms of volume at least, and just like with the DC, major Sega arcade racing games never got home ports (Motor Raid, Wave Runner, etc.) Sega did publish a lot more first-party racing games than Nintendo did on its platform, but the N64 had more third party support in the genre. Because I don't like the current trend towards greater realism, the N64 is still one of my favorite systems for racing games -- there are a lot of very good arcade-style N64 racing games. The best Saturn ones are certainly great (I'll take the first version of Daytona for the Saturn over any Ridge Racer game I've played any day...), but still the N64's is even better.
As for 3d platformers, as I said it's not really fair because the Saturn had so few. Sure, Croc for Saturn is a good game, but the N64 has a bunch of 3d platformers that good or better, and that game's also on Playstation and PC. I do want to mention the two Bug! games for Saturn, though. Bug! is an interesting early attempt at a 3d platformer -- about the only game in the genre that released before it that I can find is Jumping Flash, and that only slightly predates it. The game plays partially like a 2.5d platformer, but there is also a 3d element, so it's not 2.5d even if you're always moving along a plane (you can't move diagonally, only left/right or forward/back, and can only jump along the plane you're currently facing) and more often than not you're not in fully 3d environments to wander around. Still, I think they're good games, interesting early efforts at the genre and pretty fun, their ridiculously excessive difficulty levels and overly cruel save systems aside.
But the N64... from Mario 64 to the four Rare 3d platformers (DK64 is my favorite, it was the first Rare 3d platformer I played and I loved it) to Rayman 2, Rocket: Robot on Wheels, and more, it's just one of the best lineups of 3d platformers ever.
As for other genres, both systems have some classics, and some under-appreciated games, like Bug! above or the sort of conceptually similar and yet quite different Lode Runner 3D on the N64. But overall I like the N64 library better; sure, I like 2d fighting games and shmups, so it's certainly not perfect, but the genres it does well it does very well.
Also, I have to mention graphics. Saturn 3d isn't always terrible, but it's certainly nowhere near as good as N64 3d. The Saturn (and PSX) just can't match the N64's built-in hardware features like z-buffering, perspective and texture correction, filtering, etc. Once I got used to it I can like the look of Saturn 3d, but it'll never quite match N64 3d in quality, and that generation, when 3d was so primitive, that does matter. With the N64, blurry textures aside low framerates were the most common issue; I mostly find the framerates on N64 games tolerable, and like the better graphics that you get compared to the other systems that generation. Of course compared to newer games they don't look like much, but still I like the look of a lot of 3d N64 games. Not all of them, sure, but many. On the PSX and Saturn, it's mostly the 2d games that look best. (The N64 could do good 2d too, but so few games tried that it's hard to compare...)
Also, 3d N64 games all have analog control supported. That is absolutely not true on Saturn. Even though the Saturn did have a wheel (Arcade Racer) and joystick (the Mission Stick flightstick-style joystick), both of which are fantastic for the games that support them, many games don't. And the 3D Controller analog gamepad wasn't released until late 1996, so relatively few games support it considering how short the system's life was, and that it wasn't ever a packin as far as I know, just an optional controller. At least some games that were designed for the Mission Stick or Arcade Racer do work in analog with eachother or with the 3D Controller, but still the Saturn is left without analog in a bunch of games. This was true on the Playstation too, until 1997, but that system had a long life to go after analog became standard on the platform; Saturn had a short life, and analog never became standard. Compared to either of the others though, 3d control wise the N64 certainly shines. In 3d worlds, having analog control is important.
duckroll said:
I'm not exactly sure what this comparison is about since the OP has practically not details on what exactly the N64 and the Saturn are competing over here. If anyone is considering getting a N64 or a Saturn right now to play back catalog games, I would say the answer is definitely the Saturn.
Pretty much every good N64 game is available either on another platform, or on the Virtual Console. For those interested in playing their N64 games on the PC instead, N64 emulation is also relatively advanced and games have hi-res texture packs and whatnot.
On the other hand, Saturn emulation is still very much behind, requiring very advanced hardware to play a small amount of games properly. Many Saturn classics are not available in any current platforms, and even games which had ports to the PS1 back in the day were often inferior to the Saturn originals. There are also games like Capcom's D&D arcade brawlers which will never ever be released in any form ever again, because they no longer own the license rights.
Actually as far as emulation goes the opposite is true -- SSF is a fantastic emulator for the Saturn with pretty high compatibility, easy use, and relatively recent updates, while N64 emulation has, last time I checked, barely moved in years, with scores of games still completely unplayable, and the emulators are all harder to use and get configured right too.
I'd say that actual hardware is required for both systems, really, but more so for the N64 than the Saturn because Saturn emulation is better now. Plus you can play actual Saturn game CDs on your computer in emulation, so you can even play original media emulated on the PC.
As for Virtual Console, only a small number of titles are there; that's no solution. It is true that no Saturn games have been released emulated on other systems, but Sega has ported the PC ports of a few of them (Sega released PC versions of a bunch of its Saturn games) to new systems, such as the Sonic R version in Sonic Gems Collection.
onken said:
THERE WAS A STORY OF THOR 2!??!?!?
Yes, and it's a topdown, 2d action-RPG just like the first, but with Saturn graphics. It was titled Legend of Oasis in the US Story of Thor 2 in Europe.
