Martianman Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 (edited) This is a topic for talking all about Sega's finest video game machine, the Saturn! I realize this isn't exactly a popular position but the Saturn has always been my favorite Sega game system. I really love the games for it and the only major weakness I see in the game lineup is the lack of a solid 3D Sonic game. Anyway, I recently picked up a region free cartridge for my Saturn so I need ideas for games to pick up. The games I already own are below Sonic 3D Blast Sonic Jam Sonic R Christmas Nights Nights into Dreams Burning Rangers Bug Bug Too Clockwork Knight Clockwork Knight 2 Astal Virtua Cop Virtual On Fighters Megamix Virtua Racing Sega Rally Championship Panzer Dragoon Panzer Dragoon Zwei Panzer Dragoon Saga Shining Force 3 some Japanese Lupin the third games that I haven't played the Segata Sanshiro game Games on my wishlist include Super Tempo, Tryrush Deppy, Fighting Vipers, Saturn Bomberman, and Megaman 8. I just played Burning Rangers for the first time today and was tremendously impressed. The only thing I didn't much care for was the English voice acting Edited December 4, 2014 by Martianman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BinaryStar Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 (edited) Batsugun is my favourite game on the system. Includes both 'Original' and 'Special' arcade versions, superb shooter. But beware, it ain't cheap. Edited December 4, 2014 by KidQuaalude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youki Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 My favorite sega game system is the Dreamcast. But the Saturn arrives close in 2nd place. I love it as much i hate the PS 1 !. Game like Sega Rally, Panzer Dragon, Night into dreams, the lost vikings , virtua cop , outrun .... were really great. More powerful than a PS 1 , unfortunaly too hard for developers to use that power... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I really liked the Saturn in the day. I don't think it's necessarily "essential" anymore since many of its best games were arcade ports, and the original arcade games are now playable elsewhere (kind of like the Atari 5200). It sounds like an SD card adapter might be on the way someday, which would make this system a bit more playable since it's hard to find discs nowadays. https://gdemu.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/enter-rhea/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I've felt guilty for being a Sega fan up until the Saturn's release, but I gotta blame Sega for that. Too few exclusives that were worth a damn early on, more primitive graphics compared to the PS1, a big, clunky looking console, and lousy controllers (in the USA) kept me away from it. I skipped the system until 2005 or so when my wife snagged a boxed system for $20 while traveling. Of course, I caught up on 20 years of missed gaming real quick at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhomaios Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 I really liked the Saturn in the day. I don't think it's necessarily "essential" anymore since many of its best games were arcade ports, and the original arcade games are now playable elsewhere (kind of like the Atari 5200). That was my view on it for a long time. However, I've come to appreciate home ports as something worthy of playing. I don't emulate at all now. So I can MAME it, but then I have to have a MAME set-up. Whereas with a Saturn I get excellent arcade ports (many of the fighters and shooters were much better on the Saturn than on the PS1), as well as something other than the wannabe N64 games that were offered on the N64 (I pass on Crash and especially Spyro). Virtua Cop, Astal, Sega Rally, Dragon Force, Rayman (because getting a Saturn is much better than getting a Jaguar!), Tempest 2000, Keio 2, Legend of Oasis, Panzer Dragoon series: so many quality titles that you can't get elsewhere. The "killer app" however is the ten person Bomberman. Ain't no party like a Bomberman party and 10 people playing gets very exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted December 4, 2014 Share Posted December 4, 2014 Yeah, I hear you ... but it's diminishing returns, and more so every time another of their former exclusives shows up on another platform. Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona, Fighting Vipers, and Sonic Fighters are on XBL/PSN. Radiant Silvergun and Guardian Heroes are on XBL. Rayman and Nights into Dreams are everywhere. Tempest 2000, Sega Rally, House of the Dead, Dead or Alive, and Sonic R have been superseded by updates, and Virtua Cop doesn't work on anything but a CRT. Panzer Dragoon really needs to be resurrected, but if it were easy, Sega would have done it by now. As for ten person Bomberman, I'll have to take your word for it. If I had ten willing friends I wouldn't have much need of all these video games, would I? :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gredler Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 I have been absolutely addicted to Shining the Holy Arc lately. I had it when it launched, but at the time was confused by it and couldn't get into it. I popped it in to give it another run, and not only started noticing the similarities to the golden sun series, but also how to use the pixies and how to find secrete items! When I get tired of the grind, I pop in Galactic Attack a game I picked up recently off the forums, and I love it! Before that my saturn was basically a Dragon Force machine, my favorite game on the system. I also really enjoyed Panzer Dragoon (Still on the hunt for the second one!), and Panzer Dragoon Saga (I picked this instead of Zweii back then, no regrets!), Albert Odyssey, and Magic Knight Ray Earth. There is a long list of titles I want to try for the system, but my library is limited. I loved what games I had for it growing up, but my rental store didn't have many saturn games so I wasn't able to play most. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydro Thunder Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 I have two Saturns, it will always have a special place for me even though its 3d graphics were never top notch and are getting worse to the eye as time goes on (I find that whole generation, Ps1, N64 and Saturn are aging the worst of maybe anything due to the fools trying to go 3d when they shoulda been perfecting 2d). Not sure where I would place it on the all time consoles list, but I do love it dearly. I think the console itself is stylish, love the six button controllers, and even love the silly cd menu with the screensaver of the starship. If you've never used it, play around with the settings and you can change the pitch of vocals on music cds to have them go all Chipmunky without increasing the tempo. My favorites are Dragon Force, Virtua Cop, Virtua Cop 2, Die Hard Arcade (not to be mistaken for DH Trilogy, different game entirely), Street Fighter Alpha 2, Nightwarriors, Fighter's MegaMix, Last Bronx, Wipeout, NiGHTs, Mass Destruction, and Guardian Heroes. I don't have a region free cart currently, but when I did have one my favorites were X-Men Vs Street Fighter and the Euro release of Wipeout 2097. Highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhomaios Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Yeah, I hear you ... but it's diminishing returns, and more so every time another of their former exclusives shows up on another platform. Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona, Fighting Vipers, and Sonic Fighters are on XBL/PSN. Radiant Silvergun and Guardian Heroes are on XBL. Rayman and Nights into Dreams are everywhere. Tempest 2000, Sega Rally, House of the Dead, Dead or Alive, and Sonic R have been superseded by updates, and Virtua Cop doesn't work on anything but a CRT. See, there's the big difference right there. I don't have and don't want a PS3/360 or anything newer, so a Saturn is vital if I want to play those games. Paying for the privilege of buying games? No thanks, XBL. And a CRT is the way to go, really, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gredler Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Panzer Dragoon really needs to be resurrected, but if it were easy, Sega would have done it by now. I agree, but hopefully this didn't ruin it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimson_Dragon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 Sounds like you're all set. Sometimes I wish I could just be happy with the (tons of) old stuff I already have. Curious Sofa -- yeah, Xmen is on the good list, as well as easily had elsewhere. I neglected to mention the Capcom and SNK games because they're so far out of my headspace as Saturn games. On Saturn, they're often imports, sometimes rare, and run best with an expensive-for-what-it-is 4MB (ooh aah) memory expansion. They run perfectly on the most modest semi-modern stuff now, from the PSP to Android and wimpy old PCs. I love the games of that era, but I feel like I've moved on from the Saturn itself. Gredler -- I kinda sorta want to try that game. I got it for free from Xbox Live but I don't have a One console to play it on. I can't justify one right now, but if and when I ever do buy one, that's waiting for me. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
82-T/A Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 This is a topic for talking all about Sega's finest video game machine, the Saturn! I realize this isn't exactly a popular position but the Saturn has always been my favorite Sega game system. I really love the games for it and the only major weakness I see in the game lineup is the lack of a solid 3D Sonic game. Anyway, I recently picked up a region free cartridge for my Saturn so I need ideas for games to pick up. The games I already own are below Sonic 3D Blast Sonic Jam Sonic R Christmas Nights Nights into Dreams Burning Rangers Bug Bug Too Clockwork Knight Clockwork Knight 2 Astal Virtua Cop Virtual On Fighters Megamix Virtua Racing Sega Rally Championship Panzer Dragoon Panzer Dragoon Zwei Panzer Dragoon Saga Shining Force 3 some Japanese Lupin the third games that I haven't played the Segata Sanshiro game Games on my wishlist include Super Tempo, Tryrush Deppy, Fighting Vipers, Saturn Bomberman, and Megaman 8. I just played Burning Rangers for the first time today and was tremendously impressed. The only thing I didn't much care for was the English voice acting I don't have but maybe a dozen Saturn games, but it is definitely one of my favorite game systems. I have more fun playing the Dreamcast, but I like the Saturn more... if that makes any sense? (Doesn't to me... but that's how I feel, haha...) Jaguar is still my favorite, with the 2600 close behind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianC Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 (edited) Saturn has some good stuff. I second Batsugun and the price warning. As far as other stuff I recommend are Saturn Bomberman (JP version is cheaper), Vampire Savior (requires 4m, but some import carts like Action Replay 4m Plus cover that), Gradius Deluxe Pack, Parodius Deluxe Pack, Twinbee Deluxe Pack (have PSX version, but heard Saturn one is pretty much the same), Last Gladiators, Necronomicon, Sega Ages Memorial Selection v. 1 (has Pengo, Flicky, Up 'n Down, and Head On), and Layer Section/Galactic Attack. Curious Sofa -- yeah, Xmen is on the good list, as well as easily had elsewhere. I neglected to mention the Capcom and SNK games because they're so far out of my headspace as Saturn games. On Saturn, they're often imports, sometimes rare, and run best with an expensive-for-what-it-is 4MB (ooh aah) memory expansion. They run perfectly on the most modest semi-modern stuff now, from the PSP to Android and wimpy old PCs. I had no problem running Vampire Savior with the Action Replay 4M Plus. Cotton 2, a 1MB ram game, detected it fine too, though it only uses it for voices, which played fine. X-Men vs Street Fighter isn't super expensive, even with the JP RAM cart. Edit: Looks like Vampire Savior is still fairly cheap, as well. Edited December 6, 2014 by BrianC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Dart Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 4mb carts were like $20 I saw, am I wrong? Off-brand ones work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 The Saturn is a favorite of mine. I owned it back when it was still alive on the market, and I've continued to own varying units as the years went on. I've always liked the design of the system, and I feel the model 2 controller is one of the best non-analog controllers I have ever used, better than the official early '90s Genesis six-button controller. The Saturn is also a platform that has a bunch of hidden gems, and while the library may be smaller than the PS1 in the US, it has the import library to make up for it and it is arguably one of the most exciting systems to import for. There is so much content released overseas that never made it to the US or the UK and there are so many English-friendly options to boot. That is of course if you are into shooters, fighters, and arcade games in general, as the Saturn really shined with those types of games and received a lot of them. The only problem I see with the Saturn nowadays is the price of entry for a lot of the truly great titles on the system. There are still some gems you can get for $10 or less (Solar Eclipse, Scorcher, and early Sega arcade ports like Sega Rally, Virtua Cop, Daytona USA, Fighting Vipers, Virtua Fighter 1 and 2, etc), but a lot of the other great games are too expensive for their own good. For instance, titles like Guardian Heroes, Dragon Force, Shining Force III, Saturn Bomberman, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Sega Ages, etc., are all ridiculously expensive now and this makes getting into the best of the platform a cost prohibitive endeavor. There are still plenty of other great games you can get that aren't too terribly expensive, like Power Slave, Virtual On, Astal, etc., but even some of these are still going to cost you $30+. I do have to re-iterate the import library though, and it should be noted that a lot of these rarer or pricier US titles can be had cheap(er) via importing. Guardian Heroes for instance is considerably cheaper for the Japanese version (although you lose the English text, obviously, which can be hilarious in this game), and Saturn Bomberman is probably $20 or less to import now, versus the $100+ for a US copy. Other $30-something games like Fighters Mega Mix and the first two Panzer Dragoons can be had for about $10 for the import versions, and the expensive House of the Dead ($100+) can be had for about $20 for the import version. Needless to say, if you work imports into your Saturn collection (to me, there is no Saturn without importing.. it's just a way of life with this platform), you can build an excellent library a lot cheaper than it might initially seem. Xmen is on the good list, as well as easily had elsewhere. I neglected to mention the Capcom and SNK games because they're so far out of my headspace as Saturn games. On Saturn, they're often imports, sometimes rare, and run best with an expensive-for-what-it-is 4MB (ooh aah) memory expansion. The Action Replay IMO is a must-have accessory for the Saturn. It combines the 4MB RAM cart, a Game Shark, the bypass function, and a huge backup memory card together (extremely important because Saturn batteries die frequently), and it only costs about $35 - $40 NIB these days. It's really not that expensive to start importing Saturn games, and for people that want to forgo the 4MB RAM option (really, only a handful of games need it), they can pick up a Game Shark in the US for about $15 and get the same functionality as the Action Replay, minus the 4MB RAM. Most of the Neo Geo and Capcom fighters are pretty cheap now, especially the Neo Geo ones (King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, etc). X-Men and Marvel Vs. Streetfighter used to be pricey but now each can be had for about $30. Not too shabby at all, IMO. Of course you have other places you can play these games via emulation or modern ports lacking a physical medium, but that's not really what this thread is about. The same point could be argued with virtually every other old platform in existence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wood_jl Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 I got PS1 first, but when I saw stuff like Sega Rally, Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Cop 1 and 2, and Daytona USA - I knew I was going to get one. I waited until the "3 Free Games" package came out. I think it was VF2, Virtua Cop, and Daytona. I still like playing those games. Powerslave (and the later Quake that used the same "engine") were absolutely excellent efforts on a system that supposedly "sucked" at doing 3D. One of the most under-utilized and exclusive features of the system is the NETLINK modem. No servers. No fees. No expiration date. Still works today (if you have a land line). Sega Rally, Bomberman, Daytona USA CCE, Duke Nukem 3D, and Virtual On. I bought (and still have, somewhere) a couple of the twinsticks that only work with Virtual on. I used to loan out the 2nd one to a friend and we'd play Virtual On for hours. The Netlink was absolutely smashing - like a PS1 link that worked over the phone, and for "free." Of course, I have (and love) the Dreamcast as well, but MY BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT with the Dreamcast was that although it included a modem (and presumably, then, Netlink functionality where you could direct-dial your friend), it went the way of this server bullshit, instead, where now NO Dreamcast games are playable online, but if I can find an aging nerd with a Saturn Netlink, it's game-on. WTF didn't they include *both* direct-dialing (since it worked so well with Netlink) and also the temporary server bullshit option? I've never figured that one out. I suppose the answer lies in "built-in obsolescence" so you'll buy new games and systems in order to remote-play with friends. The fact that you could save games (to internal memory) without having to buy anything was cool. The fact that you could buy a 4MB RAM cartridge, a region-free cartridge, or a combo of both was freakin' excellent! The Saturn "lost," and there were tons of great games on the PS1, but I still feel that the system was under-appreciated. It had many great games and some definitely-exclusive features. People love to "diss" on the Saturn, yet love other underdog systems (which I won't mention) that have a pretty-much mostly-shit game library, compared to the Saturn. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentlegamer Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Saturn is one of the systems I know the least, and each time I look for some games I find the usual suspects "collector price inflated." I wish I had gone out looking for more games when I bought the system in 2006. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giltygear Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Got my Saturn with the "3 Free Games" deal back in the day. It was perfect because all three of those games (Daytona, Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter 2) were my favorites in the arcade. I didnt need to ask for a new game until the following X-Mas. Flash forward to today and the system still works. Sega knew how to build them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentlegamer Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Got my Saturn with the "3 Free Games" deal back in the day. It was perfect because all three of those games (Daytona, Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter 2) were my favorites in the arcade. I didnt need to ask for a new game until the following X-Mas. Flash forward to today and the system still works. Sega knew how to build them. Is it a model 1 with oval buttons? I heard those were less reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 Is it a model 1 with oval buttons? I heard those were less reliable. No, the 3 Free Games deal was only with the Model 2/round button models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gredler Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 No, the 3 Free Games deal was only with the Model 2/round button models. I'll take pics of the box I have, I am curious if this is correct, but mine has oval buttons and came with 3 games. It may've been a Electronics Botique's mixup where they swapped the console out of the box. I don't remember what the picture on the box shows, but I wound up with oval button model and model 1 controller with 3 games in 1998/99 when I bought the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted December 9, 2014 Share Posted December 9, 2014 I'll take pics of the box I have, I am curious if this is correct, but mine has oval buttons and came with 3 games. It may've been a Electronics Botique's mixup where they swapped the console out of the box. I don't remember what the picture on the box shows, but I wound up with oval button model and model 1 controller with 3 games in 1998/99 when I bought the system. Interesting. I got my system in '97, I believe, and it was a round button model with the three free games. It came in a smaller box as well, as did most round button models (custom packages like the Netlink bundle aside). Yours may have been a mix up because I'm pretty sure they had discontinued the oval button model by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hydro Thunder Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I actually lost my mind and bought a Saturn for $400 on launch day. Just had to have it when I saw it. I only had Virtua Fighter and Panzer Dragoon, but it was just amazing. And though on a limited budget, I wound up buying a bigger TV to showcase it (the 27" Trinitron CRT flatscreen I still have to this day). And yeah, it was the Oval button model. It died after about 10 years I want to say; I always blamed my using an Action Replay in it (but maybe it's true that the Oval Button ones were worse). But I played _the unholy hell_ out of it. Used to have a weekly pizza / Nightwarriors tournament during which we'd play all night. Speaking of Nightwarriors, I remember that came out the same exact day that Panzer Dragoon II came out. Both games just blew me away, and got so so so many hours from me. Later, I believe I bought Die Hard Arcade and Wipeout on the same day, both incredible also. And no matter what argument people will make for the Guncon, Virtua Cop with the Saturn's Stunner remains my favorite light gun game of all time. The challenge level is just perfect, it's fun every time you play. Still mad that they never released Virtua Cop 3 anywhere near me or for any home system. WTF, Wii, come on! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SabertoothRetro Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 I loved the Saturn. One of the great underdog systems in the history of gaming. I got rid of mine in 1998 and have regretted it ever since. Some of my favorites off of the top of my head: Shining the Holy Ark Iron Storm Virtual Fighter Kids Sonic Fighters Virtual Fighter 2 Fighting Vipers Virtual Cop Virtual Cop 2 Sega Rally Championship House of the Dead Panzer Dragoon Panzer Dragoon 2 Panzer Dragoon Saga Bug! Tomb Raider Croc Virtual On Nights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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