My Mystery Consoles... Should I Pursue Them?

[LynxVGL]

I'm looking back a couple of generations and have toyed with the idea of adding a console or two to the collection. I've always thought the 3DO was a sexy machine, but lately I've had a desire to add a Saturn too. I was PSX in that gen, but now think a Saturn might be calling my name, so it can find a comfy home next to my Genesis/32X/Sega CD rig. And then there's the Dreamcast...

 

Each console has it's own killer app or two that look attractive.

 

My real question for the gang is how is this hardware holding up? I've heard rumors of motherboard battery issues, etc. What should I be looking for, or avoiding, when you are searching for a 3DO or a Saturn? I think the Dreamcast may have to wait.

Edited May 5, 2015 by LynxVGL

[Rhomaios]

Don't know about 3DO, but for Saturn, those things were made like a brick. As long as the laser works, you should be fine (at least in my limited experience). DC's seem to crap out a bit more quickly.

[+thegoldenband]

The 3DO is sort of like a supercharged Sega CD and/or 32X, so if you enjoy your Sega CD it's a good next step. There's a case for getting these consoles in chronological order, so that each new hardware jump feels like a revelation.

[Austin]

DCs seem to be less reliable to a degree, but they are also a lot cheaper than either of the other systems you are thinking about. Personally, I'd go Dreamcast first, Saturn second, then 3DO last--going from best to worst. For the 3DO, get a FZ-10, they seem to be more reliable than either the FZ-1 or Goldstar units.

 

 

There's a case for getting these consoles in chronological order, so that each new hardware jump feels like a revelation.

 

That's a good point.

[+madman]

I'd definitely do a DC and/or Saturn before/instead of a 3DO. If it's between a Saturn and 3DO, that's a no brainer. Get an Action Replay for the Saturn so you can boot imports. One of the best systems out there and even JP exclusives can be had on the cheap. I never got much into the Dreamcast, had one in college, returned it, then later picked one up after I graduated. It has a great library, I just haven't gotten into it enough to offer good advice.

[+save2600]

Go for it! If I were to pursue these, probably get a Saturn first, DC next and 3DO as the lowest priority if at all, because only a very small handful of games interest me for it.

[CatPix]

The Saturn is the most reliable of all those systems.

However you'll deal mostly with fighting games and shooters on this one. Which is fine if you like the arcade experience of course.

 

The Dreamcast have more varied games. The big point is the laser. Anything else is just details. Batteries are easily replaced.

As for the 3DO... Excellent games coming near utter crap. On the other hand, the most common models, the Panasic FZ 1 and FZ 10 are reliable.

 

It really depends on what you like.

Remember tha the 3DO is at the beginning of the 3D era, with games that can be gimmicky and lacking in gameplay, and the Dreamcast was a showcase of 128 bits power with elaborate graphics and gameplay.

[Austin]

However you'll deal mostly with fighting games and shooters on this one. Which is fine if you like the arcade experience of course.

 

Uhh.... No.

[CatPix]

Well tell me otherwise. Everytime I ask Sega fans about the Saturn, it's the answer I get.

If I ask about 3D adventure/exploration games, I get Tomb Raider and other games that are all available on PS11) for a tenth of the price. It's not being at fault of asking multiple times...

[LynxVGL]

The Saturn is attractive for the titles that were Saturn exclusives. I still have my 1st Gen PS1 (even though it has to be upside down to play) so the comments about lasers is important. The 3DO is more of a niche in my collection. The titles that I'm looking at are not... generally considered killer apps. I'm a WIng Commander fan, so Super Wing Commander is one of the leaders. Most of the other 3DO titles were ported to PS1. Road Rash, for example. (Which is another title I'm eyeing, but the PS1 port is what, $5? I don't need a whole new console for that.)

[Austin]

Well tell me otherwise. Everytime I ask Sega fans about the Saturn, it's the answer I get.

If I ask about 3D adventure/exploration games, I get Tomb Raider and other games that are all available on PS11) for a tenth of the price. It's not being at fault of asking multiple times...

 

Look at a US release list and you will see that fighting games barely make up the overall percentage of the library. The Saturn has a lot to offer, a lot of which forum goers may not talk about frequently (it doesn't seem to be a highly talked about system outside of hardcore circles, which then, yes, they will likely only mention the fighters and shmups--most of which are imports only).

[ls650]

Dream cast.

[Rhomaios]

Fighters and shooters are phenomenal on the Saturn, but there's so much more. Outstanding on the system is Saturn Bomberman, a whopping 10 player Bomberman game! Can't do that anywhere else. Of course, the Saturn is also known for its wonderful exclusives like Burning Rangers and Panzer Dragoon series (especially the RPG/shooter combo Panzer Dragoon Saga). You also have really fun light gun games like Virtua Cop and House of the Dead. My favorites on the system are its 2D platformers, including Astal, Rayman (which is my favorite port), Mega Man X4, Metal Slug (admittedly, both this and Mega Man I prefer on other systems), and Pandemonium. You also have a wide range of RPGs, some of which are better than the Final Fantasy series on the PS1. Notable titles include Albert Odyssey, Shining Force III, and Legend of Oasis. You also have really unique strategy RPG experiences like Dragon Force. Can't forget racing games! Make sure to get Sega Rally, and if you haven't already picked it up on the PS1, get Wipeout XL. Oh, and even a good beat 'em up is represented with Guardian Heroes. And last, but certainly not least, there is even a shout-out to old school gamers with Tempest 2000 and Death Tank Zwei, essentially a 7-player version of Artillery Duel.

 

So yeah, there's plenty of games on the Saturn that are not shooters or fighters.

[zetastrike]

The Saturn would be the obvious choice here, but I still want to give props to the 3DO. It has a very unique library unlike any other console. I know that sounds like a flaw disguised as a compliment, but I've been enjoying mine ever since I got it last summer. It's full of very experimental and ambitious titles. Just don't walk into it expecting something like the Saturn or PS1.

[Giltygear]

I've had my Saturn since 96, and its still holding up like a champ.

 

Ive had my DC since 99, and that still works like the day I got it.

 

I remember hearing horror stories about the 3DO all the way back to its initial release. Owned one BRIEFLY a few years back and was severely disappointed, but that's a matter of taste I guess.

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

The Saturn is an excellent choice and if you get one. YOU MUST buy the Action Replay 4M cart for Japanese gaming. Had mine since 1997 still runs like a champ. Lot of games are fairly pricey for the system. The Dreamcast is another great choice. Easy to find and cheap. With a great library of fighting games, racing games, and some platformers. Best to get a backup with that system as the laser is know for malfunction. Had mine since 2000. No problem with it. Never had any experience with the 3DO. Never cared for it and was never interested. FZ-10 I heard is the more durable and long lasting than the FZ1 and Goldstar models. I don't like the daisychaining of the controllers when playing 2 player games.

[+thegoldenband]

The 3DO also has the advantage of supporting unaltered burned games out of the box, BTW. The Saturn requires a modchip, obviously, and while almost every Dreamcast will boot copied games, the games are often compressed or altered to fit on a CD-ROM (vs. the GD-ROM with its larger capacity).

 

That's what's made me wary of playing burned games on the DC -- it's not that "CD-Rs wear out the laser" (debatable), but that the re-authoring process ends up putting more wear and tear on the laser because duplicated data is removed, which then forces the drive assembly to do a lot more seeking. The original games have redundant copies of data specifically to make it easier on the drive, so if you get rid of those, it's kind of like getting rid of all the trash bins in your house & having to run outside to your outdoor trash can every time you want to throw something away.

 

Personally I play my 3DO a lot more than my Saturn, and while I've logged more raw hours on my Dreamcast, it's only been in a handful of games -- most DC games aren't my speed. I like the 3DO a lot, but you have to be into mid-1990s cheese to really appreciate it -- something that shouldn't be a problem for a Sega CD fan. Like I said, look at it as a souped-up Sega CD, and suddenly it makes a lot of sense.

[Eltigro]

I'd say go for the Saturn first. I don't have a 3DO, but I have the Saturn and DC and I've had more fun with the Saturn. Just be sure to get one of those Action Replay cartridges for saves and playing Japanese games.

[82-T/A]

I've had all three.

 

The 3D0 was cool, but the loading times were extremely painful to the point that I pretty much stopped playing it all together. 90% of the games are also available on the PC (if not all?) so why spend 5 minutes letting a game load, when you can play it instantaneously on a computer with better graphics and sound?

 

The Saturn is very cool... definitely worth it, in my opinion. You will enjoy that system.

 

Dreamcast is also cool... I think I LIKE the Saturn more than I do the Dreamcast, but the Dreamcast still has many games that are not too far off from what is considered "standard" for today's good graphics.

[+thegoldenband]

The 3D0 was cool, but the loading times were extremely painful to the point that I pretty much stopped playing it all together. 90% of the games are also available on the PC (if not all?) so why spend 5 minutes letting a game load, when you can play it instantaneously on a computer with better graphics and sound?

 

Which games in particular? The only games that come to mind with long-ish loading times are BattleSport, and maybe Jurassic Park Interactive. BattleSport's 30-45 second delay to set up the arena before each match is a little bit irritating, but at least they add some humor to the mix.

 

I don't recall anything over the 60 second mark, let alone the 5 minute mark! I assume it wasn't a burned disc issue? Cheap CDRs can take a long time to load (if ever) on many 3DOs.

 

BTW there are tons of 3DO exclusives -- you definitely won't find 90% of the library on the PC, not sure where you're getting that figure. A lot of the games were ultimately ported to PlayStation or Saturn once the 3DO went under, but the console-to-console ports are a mixed bag, and some definitely got screwed up.

[82-T/A]

 

Which games in particular? The only games that come to mind with long-ish loading times are BattleSport, and maybe Jurassic Park Interactive. BattleSport's 30-45 second delay to set up the arena before each match is a little bit irritating, but at least they add some humor to the mix.

 

I don't recall anything over the 60 second mark, let alone the 5 minute mark! I assume it wasn't a burned disc issue? Cheap CDRs can take a long time to load (if ever) on many 3DOs.

 

BTW there are tons of 3DO exclusives -- you definitely won't find 90% of the library on the PC, not sure where you're getting that figure. A lot of the games were ultimately ported to PlayStation or Saturn once the 3DO went under, but the console-to-console ports are a mixed bag, and some definitely got screwed up.

 

 

Well... I shouldn't be exaggerative. No game has a loading time of 5 minutes! But realistically, there were some games where it was like a minute for loading times. Wing Commander 3 was a big one. But I also had StarControl 2. Only thing I liked about SC2 is that the sound was cleaner than it would be when played through a Sound Blaster. But... SC2 on a computer with a Gravis Ultrasound, there's no comparison due to the fact that it used the GUS natively. As if it was done in General MIDI.

 

There were some other games, it's been at least a few years since I sold all my 3D0 stuff. I had the Goldstar system. The system was nice, but games loaded too slow. Just too painful.

 

On the other hand, I didn't feel that same kind of load time on Saturn games, or Dreamcast. I'm not downing the 3DO, nor am I a Sega FANBOY... but for value, I think you get a lot more for the Saturn. Value... maybe even more for the Dreamcast because it's in that time period where it's not worth much, but not old enough to be rare. ...or, maybe no one cares? hah...

[CatPix]

I don't remember much loading times on the 3DO, weither for 2D games (Samurai Shodown, Gex) or 3D games (The Need for Speed). Well there is loading times of course, but I do'nt really remember them impairing the gameplay.

Then again, I grew up with games loaded from floppies and cassettes tapes, and later with all of the CD game systems...

Including PC. When you had a computer with a 300MO Hard drive, installing the whole game on it fro mthe CD was a no, so you had to deal with PC CD loading times. And some of them were the longest ever since cassette loading

 

I do noticed that at some points the 3DO freez for a second on animations, probably because it's loading. But that's for level starts, never durign gameplay. And it might be because I have burned games.

[Clint Thompson]

Reliability aside, I would say shoot for the Dreamcast first and foremost because the titles are cheapish, multiplayer games are a blast and getting the DC itself is also rather inexpensive. The Saturn definitely feels more Japanese to me in terms of games overall.. and dated. I had like a dozen of them at one point but unfortunately sold them all because having 10 Saturns is kind of pointless. I'm not going to tell you that I paid $25 each for them complete in rental case, that would be mean