Action Replay Plus 4M

[Nico87]

Well, got one today for the Saturn. Now, it does seem that the internal memory is busted, because it tells me to set the language and the date/clock each time I boot up the Saturn, however, when I try to load a game, the save is there and can be loaded. I'm worried, though, that if I start playing a game, say Magic Knight Rayearth which I'm gonna play first, that maybe the save file will suddenly dissapear from the internal memory at any moment.

If I assume correctly, the Action Replay let's you copy save files from the internal memory to the cartridge, but this would be useless if the save from the internal memory is busted (?), and I don't get any options on the loading screen to load the save up from the cartridge. Do I have to like keep copying all the time? From internal to cartridge, and then back again if the internal memory is busted?

Could anyone please clarify this a little bit for me?

[megasdkirby]

Just replace the battery inside the Saturn (CR2032 I think) and you regain the option to save on the console itself...

Oh and you can then copy the file to the cart, but you cannot load the game save directly from the cart.

Still good for a backup.

[grolt]

For the Saturn you really have to go for the official Sega brand memory card to get the functionality of writing directly to the cart. Having to save to internal memory, go into the Action Replay menu and copy over the backup and then repeat the process each and every time you want to back it up is just not practical. It's only like $20 whenever it pops up on eBay...pony up!

[megasdkirby]

For the Saturn you really have to go for the official Sega brand memory card to get the functionality of writing directly to the cart. Having to save to internal memory, go into the Action Replay menu and copy over the backup and then repeat the process each and every time you want to back it up is just not practical. It's only like $20 whenever it pops up on eBay...pony up!

Agreed.

Always wanted one, mainly for games like Hexen. But never had any luck finding an official one.

[Nico87]

So what do you guys recommend? Paying $2 for a new save battery, or just buy the official backup cart for like $40?

[grolt]

So what do you guys recommend? Paying $2 for a new save battery, or just buy the official backup cart for like $40?

Both. There are a handful of time sensitive games on the system (NiGHTS and Christmas NiGHTS especially) so it's great to be able to have a trackable internal clock to get the most out of the experience.

[megasdkirby]

Both.

[Nico87]

Alright, then! You guys best be recommending me some imports that I can enjoy without knowing how to read japanese, though, so the 4M doesn't become entirely useless. By the way, would a PAL memory card work on a NTSC system? I reckon it would, but you can never be sure.

[megasdkirby]

Not too sure there, but I don't see why not.

[Kitsune Sniper]

A memory card is a memory card is a memory card. There is no such thing as region. I have a US and a white Japanese Memory Cart and it works fine on my busted US Saturn.

[Nico87]

Bought a card from the US for $40 anyway, couldn't find any cheaper on eBay. Anyway, I take it RBG is the best to use for the Saturn. If I connect the composite cable that came with my Saturn to a PS2 scart cable, would it give the same performance as a RGB cable for the Saturn?

[TonyTheTiger]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say that with the 4M Plus you don't need to bother with an official memory cart. The Saturn's internal storage (provided the battery is good) offers more than enough space to store any save file you'll actively need for a game you're currently playing. You won't have to swap the saves back and forth every single time you want to play. I'd say that with the 4M Plus, an official cart would be relatively useless unless direct save is that important a feature. The only situation I can imagine it being a problem is if there are games on the Saturn like Shining Force CD where the internal storage is too small for certain purposes. But I've never seen a Saturn game that has that issue.

[Wraith Storm]

There are a handful of time sensitive games on the system (NiGHTS and Christmas NiGHTS especially) so it's great to be able to have a trackable internal clock to get the most out of the experience.

Can't forget Enemy Zero. It had some time released stuff too!

As for the memory cards... I always just saved to my internal memory and then once I made a High Score, beat the game, or accomplished something big, then I would back it up to my Game Shark. I eventually got a Memory Card Plus (the Performance model) and it saves directly and lets you play imports so I didnt have to worry about backing up my gamesaves..

[vipor231]

i just got myself one of these too,now i just gotta buy imports cuz thats what i bought it for..alot of great shooters for the saturn that were never released here

[The 1 2 P]

I got one of these when I got my Saturn several years ago. Unfortunately I still haven't gotten around to playing it yet. But I will probably try to pick up an official Saturn memory card just in case.

[eskobar]

I always thought that the inability of my 4m action replay was a hardware error :S

It's quite impractical the way it works but i managed to play with a fresh CR2032 + 4m Action replay combo for years


If you can afford the sega memory back-up, is worth every penny

[aclbandit]

Alright, then! You guys best be recommending me some imports that I can enjoy without knowing how to read japanese, though, so the 4M doesn't become entirely useless. By the way, would a PAL memory card work on a NTSC system? I reckon it would, but you can never be sure.

My recommendation honestly doesn't include the official memory card-- it's only a very minor inconvenience to use the Action Replay stuff to copy from internal memory to the cart.

Also, yeah, replace the battery-- it's behind a little door in the back and is incredibly easy to do.

Third, you asked for recommended Japanese games that don't require knowing Japanese. I recommend House of the Dead (entirely english dialogue and menus, the only japanese is the subtitles. It's also WAY cheaper to import the japanese than the english), as well as Christmas Nights (basically the same as the US release, also entirely in english; the only reason I recommend the japan version is that it's WAY cheaper-- I got mine for $14 shipped, whereas the US release is ~$70).

[grolt]

A memory card is a memory card is a memory card.

Is it? I've read the contrary when it comes to the Saturn, and I haven't been able to get my first-party Japanese memory cards (I acquired two in a lot once) to work on my US Saturn systems. And I know with the SMS, the German PAR will not work on NTSC consoles, whereas the UK one will. In theory these should all be non-issues, but practice has proven otherwise.

And whomever is paying $70 for a US Christmas NiGHTS I've got a copy with your name on it.

[xDerekRx]

I bought the Saturn official memory card just to make it 100% sure Im saving my games. IT works great with many bigger games like Hexen and so on.

I also have the AR4 cart to play imports but having an official Sega mem card to transfer memory and know it will never delete or mess up is comforting. I paid 35$ for a boxed one, cool for the collection to but I hightly recommend it to anyone even over a 2$ battery which can die.

[Nico87]

Third, you asked for recommended Japanese games that don't require knowing Japanese. I recommend House of the Dead (entirely english dialogue and menus, the only japanese is the subtitles. It's also WAY cheaper to import the japanese than the english), as well as Christmas Nights (basically the same as the US release, also entirely in english; the only reason I recommend the japan version is that it's WAY cheaper-- I got mine for $14 shipped, whereas the US release is ~$70).

I was thinking about some schmups, mainly DoDonPachi and Radiant Silvergun, the latter being a bit too expensive, maybe. It can't really be worth $200, can it? I was considering House of the Dead, too, but I'd get a light-gun to play it, and light-guns doesn't work on newer tv's, although I have an old CRT which I play Elemental Gearbolt on.

I found a top50 list over Saturn imports on the forums here, but it's too much of a hassle to check out all those games on YouTube to get a slight first-impression. It's not like I'm going to buy JP RPG's, either, and I suppose probably 15 of the games on the list are RPG's.