Thoughts on various (obscure) Saturn imports as they come

[Steven]

We did two Konami games back to back, Sunsoft shows they can too.

Hebereke Poipotto (sp?) is a puzzler featuring more cute characters, this time a frog, marshmallow, cat and penguin.



If you played Dr. Mario, it's like that. It's not your typical puzzler as when you start out playing (either in the 1P or 2P vs. mode) there are junk objects already in place. The colored blobs come down two at a time and can be rotated clock and counter clockwise.

An interesting twist is gravity means nothing to these blob colored guys. They can suspend in mid-air! You can also push it down but it takes a few blobs.

The graphics are worse than your typical Saturn puzzler. It's not bright or bold... it's just... there. It looks like an early SNES game.

One thing that really irks me is the way blobs disappear. Only a straight line works! Vertical or horizontal. You have to connect 4. So that means 4 in a square shape does nothing! This is annoying and ruins the game's chain-factor.

This is a very bare bone game, with only the story mode and 2P mode (with handicap options to make adjust speed)

Overall I found this game quite disappointing. It's different (in a not-so-good way) and it isn't quite as playable as other puzzlers available on the Saturn. I'd skip this unless you loved Dr. Mario and/or must have every puzzle game made.

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DOOM

Ah the classic FPS that redefined a genre. I have very fond memories of the original PC version and the Saturn one has always had a bad rep. The US and PAL versions anyhow... so how is the JPN version? Is the framerate as bad as people say?

I had fun with this game. I was quite surprised myself. I believe the JPN version was released after the US and PAL versions. I never played the latter two versions so I can't compare, but the JPN version has light-sourcing (though not as impressive as PowerSlave) and a 2 player link up mode. As far as I know, the PAL and US versions did not have a 2 player mode (though the US version had a false advertisement on the back of the box saying it was 2 players)

I played thru the 1st episode and there are little tweaks in how the stages look. For example, the last stage in Ep 1 with the 2 Baron of Hells, the doors they come from, there's a mutilated body with blood all over. I do not recall that from any of the PC versions.

The framerate? OK it's not hot like PowerSlave but I found it playable! Maybe the JPN version was improved slightly from the US and PAL versions??? But the framerate that so many complain about (2 monsters on screen, everything snail pace) did not appear to be the case for the JPN version.

Still, unless you're a hardcore Doom collector you should probably skip this. On the other hand, killing a Baron of Hell with a shotgun on a Saturn pad is sickeningly cool.

On the back of the JPN version box, John Romero, Doom's creator said "Best Doom Yet!"

I don't know what he was thinking but it isn't half-bad.

Heh, I actually flinched in my seat when I first came face-to-face with a Demon. Didn't see his ugly mug coming!

[Steven]

I beat Saturn Ultimate Doom and Doom II in 5 days. Loved every freaking second of it! Dunno how they tweaked the JP version but apparently they did! You get a total of 60 levels and wow -- it's been a hell of a time going through the old levels again!

I'm quite disappointed with the following batch of games but eh, you can't win 'em all I guess...

-Fantasic Pinball
Colorful, zany-looking, pinball. I thought it would be good but it really isn't. TechnoSoft made this game and it just feels off. The physics aren't realistic (not like say Necronomicon) and it just feels ... weird. I was playing it feeling "EH" the whole time. I dunno how to beat the stages but you get 3 tries then Game Over. I can't even get pass the 1st stage so far...

-Anarchy in the Nippon
3D fighter that supposedly had the input from Japan's top VF2 players. Another one with semi-high expectations... it has a cast of 8 characters including your all-around dude, strong guy, couple girls and then... 2 really strange goofballs (one is a middle-aged business man!)
Gameplay is too slow and boring for my tastes. Sound is muffled, low and generally awful.
I also played this feeling "EH."
Nice intro, though.
The game's all in JPN too... even the options screen. Give me DOA or VF2 any day.

-Street Racer Extra
This game is decent to an extent but the CPU AI is too hard. Even on easy, watch them leave you in their dust as the race starts. It's hard to enjoy a game when the AI is so impossible. I suppose it's fun with multiplayers (the game supports up to 8 but I can't help but be disappointed with my 1st impressions on SRE. I wasn't expecting it to come close to MARIO KART but....

These are my 1st impressions only, but these games haven't exactly made me sit up and take notice any. That's the thing dealing with "odd ball" games... some you find out to be true sleeper dynamic hits... and others... well, you know why they're so obscure...

sorry, I'll try to do better next time....

[Steven]

FINAL FIGHT REVENGE

The final Saturn game, released March 3rd, 2000, is a 3D fighter from Capcom. This is one of those "triple figures" Saturn games.

I remember when I first got into Saturn I always wanted FFR but everyone was quick to warn me "OH NO IT IS THE PITS!"

I even recall an EGM preview of FFR saying "For anyone with any memories whatsoever on the old Sega Saturn, for the love of God turn the page quick!"

Well, I got to finally see the game for myself, and to draw conclusions for myself. What I found.... a playable, even enjoyable brawler... but definitely nowhere near Capcom's A-list. FFR has 2 strengths of punches and kicks, taunts, and your typical power charge bars. (finish off foes with a super special and the screen flashes orange)

FFR is the closest thing to SF EX you'll find on Saturn. You got fireballs, and like Fighters Megamix there's a button that side-steps your character to avoid projectiles. FFR brings together 10 Final Fight characters and I'll break them down below.

Oh yes, during fights there are weapons littered around you can pick up and use; even toss them at your opponent once you're finished with them. Also food can be found (gee I wonder what that would do..) It's pretty cool. Among the weapons include a freezer gun, a chainsaw (!), gun, rifle, shotgun, machinegun, bomb, flame gun, etc.

CODY
This is old school-looking Cody! Not that SF Alpha 3 jailsuit crap. Surprisingly he does not have a projectile! His hadoken motion brings forth a burning fist type attack, but unlike Terry Bogard's Burning Knuckle, it's slow and has limited range. His Dragon Punch command (with kick) produces a Flash Kick.

GUY
He has a projectile! (I wish he had one in the Alpha games)
One of his super specials is called "SHINOBI"

HAGGAR
Hey, this is the only place to control Haggar on your Saturn. And for that reason alone, hey how bad could FFR really be ya know? Haggar is like Zangief. 360 degree spinning piledriver, a spinning clothesline attack, etc. But... big as Haggar is... he ain't the biggest in the game...

ANDORE
Yep. This is a monster all right. I like using him, he's quite fun. One super special he jumps and pounds the ground creating a shockwave and barrels that magically fall outta the sky. Great attack to use immediately after knocking down your foe if you're in range... it's automatic attack! Has a long chain attack, and of course he finds use for his big belly.

POISON
The only girl (though that is questionable if you followed FF's history) in FFR -- she has a fireball and Dragon Punch. Her two SS moves are really cool. One works like Ken's Vacuum Dragon Punch and the other she blows a heart-shaped kiss. If you touch it, the screen goes through a series of vintage shots of Poison. If you beat a foe using this, Poison will have a dance pole in her victory.

EL GADO
This sneaky bastard looks great because he is very slim and different-looking from the rest. He has knife projectiles that work in the vain of Sagat (one high one low) and oh, his SS move is worthy of note. He lunges and snaps your bones in several places. After each snap the screen flashes and you see bones cracking. If you win with this SS move, at the end EL GADO does some taunt as the screen flashes once more. Really quite cool.

DAMND
I always liked him back in the day. I still like him, after having played him in FFR. He's a charge character with Blanka roll attacks. Think of him like DUCK KING on steroids. He laughs and in general is a big goof ball. But don't take him lightly as he's even bigger than Haggar. His SS move is cool as he whistles and if you touch it, the screen flashes as Damnd's friends and minions take you out (one quick flash shows Andore)

SODOM
1st off, it's funny when you win with Sodom cuz the announcer says "SADAM WINS!" At any rate, this is just like the Alpha Sodom, cept in 3D. I love his 360 kick move where you grabs you and pushes your back against the ground causing a fire effect. If there is mines on the ground while he does this move -- the victim actually takes extra damage!

EDI E.
Fires gun in Sagat esque way. One of his SS moves has him calling upon his police car and you actually get to control it (in a 3D environment -- the car is exaggerately huge) and if you win via this move, EDI E. goes to handcuff you.

ROLENTO
His SS moves are the best. One is that "yank em up and down" move while the other you get to control a helicopter! If you win with the latter, the helicopter shoots down the foe. Hey it's the little things.

Sadly, FFR does lack a lot of "the little things" such an intro, extra modes (only VS and arcade), etc. The music's forgettable and the sound's only decent at best.

But overall I dig it.

Oh yeah, the end boss is Belger the zombie. He has stretch limbs and his stage is cool. A lot of the game's stages are pretty neat, ranging from wastelands to courtyards, etc. The backgrounds look good in hi-res but the polygon count on the fighters are too low. If only it looked like DOA or VF2 and had better music -- FFR could have been a serious contender, so to speak.

Still, what can I say -- I like it. Not a lot, but I like it.

[AB Positive]

Wow, great thread to come on as I've started to enjoy the japanese Saturn games myself, and the HBF hate seems a bit lost on me. I love this game! It's not the greatest beat-em-up but I enjoy it quite a bit.

Astra Superstars is HIGH on my want list, as is groove-on-fight since I'm a 2D fanatic.


-AG

[Steven]

Wow, great thread to come on as I've started to enjoy the japanese Saturn games myself, and the HBF hate seems a bit lost on me. I love this game! It's not the greatest beat-em-up but I enjoy it quite a bit.

Astra Superstars is HIGH on my want list, as is groove-on-fight since I'm a 2D fanatic.


-AG

Thanks.

Now to address your HBF thing -- it's not that I hate it. Quite the opposite. For a long time it was one of my most wanted, and when I had it for the first 2 months I ran around the net recommending it to my fellow Saturn gamers.

But the more I played and owned it -- the more I saw that it was just average, and that my lust for 2D Saturn beat-em-ups sort of, obscured my better judgement. That's not to suggest I am right and you are wrong -- quite far from it. Opinions are opinions.

I still like the game but let's just say, I would play a lot LOT other Saturn games before I get to Nekketsu Oyako (AKA Hot Blooded Family)

And overall I'd give it 6/10 which isn't bad, just not great or very good (IMO)

[ManekiNeko]

I've got to side with Steven on this one... Hot-Blooded Fighting Family is average at best. The silly humor does make it more entertaining than it would have been without it, but it just doesn't have the same impact as Streets of Rage 2, Guardian Heroes, or Final Fight.

Anyway, here's another game to add to the pot... or should I say six?

SEGA AGES MEMORIAL SELECTION 2

When you think of classic Sega arcade games, what are the first ones that come to mind? Most likely, they'll be timeless like Sindbad Mystery, or Star Jacker, or Ninja Princess. Who could forget these amazing games?

Actually, you probably don't even REMEMBER these games unless you've spent a lot of time with MAME. For some odd reason, Sega completely ignored their greatest hits from the 1980's (Zaxxon, Pengo, and Congo Bongo) and went with obscurities like Monaco GP and Sega Samurai instead. For the most part, the games are kind of mediocre. The best titles in the collection are Ninja Princess, a fast-paced vertically scrolling shooter in the vein of Commando and MERCS, and Monaco GP, the prequel to Turbo which plays well and looks fantastic for its age (you'd never believe that the late 70's could offer graphics this good). The worst games are the horribly antiquated Sega Samurai, which looks like a TRS-80 shareware game, and Star Jacker, a paint-by-numbers shooter which forces you to play with all your ships at once. This worked in an earlier Sega game called Tac-Scan, but here, it's just aggravating.

What puts Sega Ages Memorial Selection behind other classic collections on the Saturn is that the selection of games aren't that appealing, and that there aren't many additional features. You won't find any designer interviews or galleries full of arcade memorabilia... all you get are the games themselves, presented with a time machine interface that's straight out of an H.G. Wells novel. If Sega had left out all the duds and put in their most entertaining hits from the early 80's, this would have been a much more tempting purchase, but as it is it's quite unappealing. I'd give it a five out of ten.

JR

[Steven]

DERON DERO DERO

Sounds strange? Unfamiliar?

How about then...

I just say...

TECMO STACKERS?

Yep. TS did come out on Saturn, only in the import scene known as Deron Dero Dero, or DDD or Dero for short.

If you've played the US PS1 version you know how it goes. Basically you wanna line up 4 like-colored blobs. There are pink, red, blue, green and yellow. (why does everyone hate on orange) The blobs have to be touching.

Here's the twist. When you clear out blobs, the remaining ones that were touching those blobs, will extend out their limbs or whatever to try and find their matches... so it adds a totally new twist to the PUYO PUYO formula.

Each square blob has its own little expression, like red is the happy one while blue is grumpy. The graphics, like most puzzle games, are colorful enough to get the job done adequately.

You get 1P mode, 2P, Time Trial or Chain Reaction Mode. In the CRM you get a HUGE vertical screen for maximum chain combos. I'm talking 3 stores high! It's pretty cool and can last you hours.

Overall I found this to be a decent puzzle game. I rather play Puzzle Fighter or Coin Puzzle Moujiya but I think Dero is a keeper. It has a cast of characters too, but you can't select which one you want. Includes a green elephant, a cat, a vixen, etc.

I wouldn't pay more than $15 for this, and the Saturn version seems to be quite uncommon. If you can, spring for the PS1 version for a test drive.

Some folks have called it "Scrubby" but I still found it enjoyable, though again, not as addictive or charming as say Puzzle Fighter or Bust-A-Move. It was just cool to find out that this game was on Saturn, though. It made me say "WHOA! I had no clue Tecmo Stackers, what I thought was a PS1 'exclusive,' is also on the Saturn... neat-o... I gotta check it out."

Oh yeah the music is pretty strange stuff. You'll either like it or hate it...

[Steven]

Man, I dunno how to really describe this next game but I'll try. It's pretty damn weird.

Susume Bakabons!

It's a falling piece puzzler, so how weird could it be, you asked? Well, very damn weird would be my answer.

Different colored balls with expressions on them. Typical rotation gig, except in SB the rotating looks jerky and awkward b/c you do not actually see the pieces rotating like you would in Puzzle Fighter. This was the same way with Hebereke's...

Anyway, to make "matches" it's really funky.

No, you don't match 3 like-colors in a row.

Or 4.

In fact, you won't get any where in SB unless you match up TWO different pairs of like-colors! This is really an odd twist to the genre and well -- hey at least it's something TOTALLY different.

The most basic fundamental match works like this.

One color on bottom.

Two different but like-colors on top

Then the color on the bottom, put that piece on top.

So pretend:

Red
Green
Green
Red

There ya go: a simple match. You can also do this horizontally and THANKFULLY, diagonally. It's a pretty cool hand-eye coordination test... it really is.

There's also an odd gimmick thrown in for wacky measures. At the far ends of the playing field you have two stationary um, things. These things activate as a "3some detecter." (quiet, you)

Basically you can put one pair of colors, and then you just need ANY ONE different color and bam you got a match.. so it's much more simple.

Every time you get a match the balls turns into little human faces before they vanish, as a bar on the side charges up... I can't really explain it, it's really odd. But the yellow bars to the sides show how many pieces you clear. Usually you'll see 4 yellow bars. They disappear after a second on screen. Chain some together and the bars can go high, like 15 high or something. I guess you can call it a premature "character in the middle of the screen doing some zany act" technique.

Pretty bare bone game with 1P or VS. But the game opens up with a very WHAT THE HELL intro. A rooster wakes up a Japanese family complete with dialogue and you just sit there going "this is Japanese strangeness abundance!"

The stages have different backgrounds, including one guy on a bike suspended high in the night sky (what is IT with Japanese folks and the night sky? But I like it!)

In the VS mode you can select from 9 characters, and 1 you have to unlock apparently. Each has his or her own stage.

The 1P mode is hard and opens with the odd-ballest intro I ever did seen!

---

Starring LeLeLe and blah blah

Directed by blah blah...

---

A SCREAM IN THE DARK FOREST

---

B&W hand-drawn picture shows creepy cottage

---

This cottage looks... mysterious

---

more B&W pics

---

In the end, they actually move you in the B&W animation til you come across this figure with his back turned to you, he turns around and yells out some funky Japanese.
All done with horror movie esque music.

I like this game. It's different, hard, and unique. The music caught on with me and didn't let go, either. It's like a funky wedding theme or something...

Would I recommend it? Well, if you're a huge puzzle fan, yes. Probably something I'll play now and again. Don't say I didn't warn you how Japanese-y it is...

[Cmosfm]

I now want Astra Superstars

I can't find it on eBay, anyone have a good idea of where to get it at?

[Funk Buddy]

Hokuto No Ken - Kind of a fighting adventure game. The fights are not real time, you pick your moves then the fight begins. It may take more than one round but usually only for the bosses. I played for several hours and think I'm at the final boss. Regular attacks don't do anything to him, I may have to consult a FAQ if I can't beat him tonight.

Only two gripes, you can't skip talking to people and after every battle it gives you a code. If you just defeated the boss and got a code, you'll get another after the cut scene.

I had a big deal typed out but the computer froze. Darn the luck... I should have saved. Any questions I'll do my best to answer.


Denpa Shounen Teki Game - Strange bunch of mini games! Would more fun with multiple players, but I digress. Choose from the following games:

Slap a Person (variation of Wack a Mole)

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Red light - Green light: You must sneak up on a mistress with a whip. If she turns around and catches you moving you get whipped and back to the start for you.

Copy the design with a chisel: Using three different chisel types recreate the design under a timer and for points.

Word Guess: Words pass in a guys mouth which he blocks with flags. Move them around to see what you can and guess what the word was.

Signal caller (raise the flag): Raise and lower the flags to match what is called out to you.

Climb the Tree: Climb a tree switching back and forth to dodge coconuts being dropped.

Memory: Look at the picture, then choose what's not correct when it's re-shown.

Coin: No idea on this game?!? You move something around and time runs out.

Clock: There is a count down clock moving really fast and some blue thing rams into it and stops the clock. Couldn't figure it out at all!

[ManekiNeko]

SANDO-R: PUZZLE AND ACTION

If you loved Wario Ware and are looking for its closest Saturn equivalent, you should be quite happy with Sando-R: Puzzle and Action. Actually, the Puzzle and Action series predates Wario Ware by a decade, being first released on the Genesis and Game Gear. Sando-R is the third game in the Puzzle and Action series, and it's quite possibly the best of the bunch.

In Sando-R, you're a thief who looks like the love child of Indiana Jones and the stars of the Genesis game Bonanza Bros. As thieves often do, you've got to steal treasure while slipping out of the grasp of the bounty hunters sworn to capture you. To beat these merciless mercenaries, you'll have to win a handful of wacky, wild mini-games. These are nearly as bizarre as the ones in Wario Ware, but tend to have a little more meat to them. In one round, you've got to shoot through the center of a slab of beef so two hungry lions can share it. In another round, you've got to push a box with a fish in it toward a goal on the bottom right hand of the screen. It sounds easy enough, but keep in mind that the box flips over every time you push it to a new square. You have to push the box to the goal AND make sure that it's facing up before the fish can escape.

The graphics are only average... there's a little 3D thrown around for show but none of it pushes the Saturn to its limits. However, the game is a whole lot of fun, and you don't even need to know Japanese to play it... most of the mini-games are pretty self-explanatory.

If you loved the basic concept of Wario Ware but felt the mini-games lacked substance, you'll appreciate the extra depth in Sando-R: Puzzle and Action. I give it a solid seven.

JR

[Steven]

Saturn Bomberman Fight!!

Ah yes, 3D Bomberman. Or to be more precise, Isometric Bomberman. But now that doesn't sound as 'sexy' does it?

Do not attempt to recreate any of the events you are about to see -- Bomberman and his stunt team are highly skilled professionals, trained in the use of explosives, and there is, at all times, an emergency medical unit waiting off-screen should anything unexpected occur. What we're dealing with here is an extremely dangerous Semtex derivative -- very unstable, unpredictable and highly explosive. Remember, this material should not be handled by untrained personnel.

... Actually, it's just a bunch of dippy cartoon characters going mental with pretend bombs in a daft game, but let's not spoil the magic for the kids, eh?

[note. Credit that opening intro bit from SSM's SBF!! showcase in issue 29]

So what is Fight all about? Well I'll try to break some of it down for y'all...

-It uses polygons, and while it may look rough as a bear's ass at times, is pretty decent and gets the job done

-You now have a jump button, in fact you can double jump. Useful but you must get the timing down to a science or it won't be. The double jump flips you backward so be careful bout that

-Fight has an energy bar, and trust me, once you play it you understand why! If it was traditional one-hit-you-die, the battles would literally be 10 seconds long....

-Beneath your energy bar (you can take 3, 4 blasts... well, depends on how close you were to the bombs) is another bar. This one fills up as you lay bombs. When full it flashes and the next bomb is a HUGE bomb that, when thrown, creates a pretty well-sized blast! Anyone caught in the middle of it stands very little chance of making it through alive.
As you can guess, Fight!! stresses that you be aggressive.



-There are 14 characters to select from, I haven't found any real differences in any of them (the boss is Dural-like)



-1 to 4 players. Fans of Saturn Bomberman's 5 plus player modes may be disappointed but trust me, in Fight!! 4 is crazy enough. So many bombs and flames go off some times it'll be a tough task JUST locating your character on-screen!

-After you select your bomber, the characters all run into the screen as blue space streaky marks fly at you -- it reminded me slightly of the early shots shown in TRANSFORMERS THE MOVIE. Nice touch.

-Unfortunately, there are no tag team modes. Also, if you play against the CPU you cannot select who they will be -- it's done randomly. It's not quite as customable as Saturn Bomberman is...

-Speaking of bombs, EVERY character opens up the game with the ability to: lay 3 down, kick, and throw. As you can imagine, Fight!! is CRAZY! Its MAAAAAAAAD!

-There are icons you can pick up. Some come in ?'s cards. Like a box of chocolates you never know what you gonna get (I should patent pend that quote). Some affects are negative (opposite control or the inability to jump -- ARGHH!) while others are good (speed, max bomb) Most are temporary while others are lost when you grab another ? card

-Speaking of the ?'s marks, one gives you THE MEGA BOMB. Now this is the coolest, most devestating thing in the game. Be wise where you chuck this mammoth bomb! It erupts a HUGE orangey blast with an enormous radii that seems to engulf the whole playing field (about 3/5ths). Caught in the middle -- automatic death. Hit by the edges -- still -- watch precious chunks of energy go bye-bye. This blast makes the game super chaotic as you can imagine. It's WAY WAY WAAAAY bigger than the huge blast you get from filling your bar up

-No dinos here but you can get on a horse/donkey that operates like a life vessel. Get hit on it and the horse scrambles away, meanwhile you lose no energy. It's FAST too, so if you see it make sure to grab it!

-Although it's 3d/isometric, bombs still explode 4 ways, so it still feels like classic Bomberman

-9 stages total including:

*Classic type stage
Not really fun, IMO. But it's the standard must-have for every BM game.

*A rather bare "kill or be killed" stage
I don't really like this one... I need mah nooks and crannies dammit!



*A grass field with four barriers to run over
Pretty decent stage but for some weird reason it feels smaller than the others (as if the camera was afixed from farther away)

*A rooftop with 4 chimmies
Did I spell that last word right? Anyway, this is pretty damn small too, and due to the high-rising roof, one part of it you can move around and actually not see your character at all. Consider it the "tunnel" stage if you will.

*A jungle gym with a bridge
My fave. The bridge is awesome! Pretty huge playing field



*A weird multi-tiered stage with water at the bottom
This stage is evil as there are two holes you can easily drop in, and if you got the "NO JUMP" icon on you -- you're screwed (well, you have to wait til the effect wears off but um... ruthless killers will get you believe me)

*A sort of grass field with multiple walls
Not my favorite as you can't run around like a maniac...

*A Grand Canyon-esque place
Sort of like the jungle place but w/o a bridge and a much taller top. Pretty cool

*Ice stage
Hmm, it doesn't feel slippery but the blue hue makes it look awesome

Overall I like this game a bits. I started out slow on it, I really did, then it kinda grew on me. Bomberman lovers should get this. It's a new twist and hey, trust me, the amount of bombs going off in a close region in this game is frightening at times. There is ever-so-slight slowdown when say, 12 bombs go off at the same time... with the awesome flames erupting everywhere.

You think you may have room to cunningly hide out in the corner watching the other 3 kill each other but um, NO. CPU or human, they go after you and you many times have no time/room to breathe! It's kill-kill-kill.

Once you die, you remain on screen, a super small version of you, and you're liable to drop one small weak bomb, and you can't pick up icons. But hey, you get to play til the end.

Saturn Bomberman is still KING but this is a nice piece to put next to it. I think both games complement each other well. Price is not an issue either. Easily a $23 or under title, shipped.

Give it a shot!

[Steven]

Next up we have an obscure 2D fighter... I saw a picture of it once and it interested me, but I never did find out the title of the game until 1 month ago... and off I went. (thanks again, ManekiNeko)

First of all, this game seems PRICEY. It's probably 40-65-ish...

So, be careful. Not exactly pocket change.

Sonic Council

AKA Sokko Sentokai

So what's it like? First off, the game looks more like a SNES fighter than a 32-bit game. If it weren't for the nice voice samples you'd think you're playing on your Super Nintendo. The characters are slightly on the small side, and they look rather bland. (some look decent-good but some are EH, whats it to ya)

The backgrounds though, simple as they are, are ace IMHO. Ranges from a night fight in front of an Asian restaurant to the rooftop with the sun setting. One stage is at an arcade place, another in a park and so on. Though 16-bit looking, they have a nice personality to themselves.

It's anime-esque. The sound is not really great (but the voice samples are) and the music -- well... let's just say you zone it out...

What Gamest concentrated on was gameplay. And Sonic Council plays ace, with a story mode, VS, survivial and a hecky Training mode. Yeah, hecky. I made it up on the fly -- sue me. It means serviceable

There's a chain combo system called the Sonic Combo system. There's a great (or should I say hecky?) FAQ over at GameFAQs. Basically it's like the DarkStalker games, with the ability to chain hits that increases in strength. BTW, Council is 6 buttons.

There are 10 characters total, 9 regular and 1 boss, who is a beefy guy (who looks suspiciously like a character from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) waiting to push your fighting skills to the limit. Once you beat the story mode with 5 characters he becomes unlockable.

Speaking of he, as in MALE FIGHTERS... there aren't many. Of the 10, I can confirm 3 are male. Possibly 4. But the majority consists of females. The story is similar to RIVAL SCHOOLS.

Characters:

AI HONDA
Firey fighter who can breathe fire (Yoga Flame style) and has a burning uppercut.

YUKO SAKAKIBARA
The only fighter with charge commands. Has a wave projectile that "fierce" sees two waves instead of one. One of her super specials launches her at you, connecting 4 times while each hit brings you higher into the air. Funky thing, that. Strong, too

MIKA
I love Mika. She looks like MegaMan, er, MegaGirl. Has a ground rolling attack that when you press "kick" in mid-roll, MIKA jumps up at opponent, giving the player more options to toy with. Also has a torpedo attack. Almost like Bison meets Blanka.

AYA SAKAI
This is where STRANGE comes to the helm! She fights with a green pen -- yes, a giant green pen! One special move has the giant pen dropping an ink spill on the ground. If you touch it BAM. Another pen assault has the pen flying toward you connecting for 10 hits (if you're in the far corner)

RIKA SANADA
Throws star projectiles, has a diagonal rising uppercut, and commands "black magic."

KUMIKO GOTO
Female Zangief basically. All her moves are Yoga Flame motions. Very tall girl.

YASUNORI ISHIDA
This guy is small and fights with electricity. His super specials are easily the more impressive ones on display. Both are 16-hit combo fests. One he goes crazy on you that ends in an electric fusion, and the other is a KIM DRAGON-esque Dragon Kick (filled with electric volts). Ace

TESSHO KATO
Hulking man that resembles Franco Bash slightly.

NAOKO HATTORI
This is where Samurai Shodown kicks in. She fights with the aid of her white cat. Yeah, seriously. The cat can lunge out, and even turn into a spinning saw blade suspended in mid-ar, a la one of Jedah's moves. One Super Special has Hattori holding her foe while the cat turns into a speeding fire bomb! If Hattori fails to capture her foe, she in turn takes the hit! (less damage, of course). Nice touch.

I like this game. It does feel like a 16-bit title, with the good gameplay, which is the key. Did I mention you can launch players in the air and hit them as they're falling down? No? Well, you can, and it's fun. (especially with Mika the MegaGirl)

Again, a pricey game so... best left to the 2D fighting game fanatics out there. So far, after a slow start, I'm digging it. No, it won't give Alpha 2 or Zero 3 or what have you a run for their money but it's a solid fighter. Perhaps slightly unmemorable, but gameplay it delivers. You have to be a fanatic or else....

[Kroogah]

ISEGA AGES MEMORIAL SELECTION 2

For some odd reason, Sega completely ignored their greatest hits from the 1980's (Zaxxon, Pengo, and Congo Bongo) and went with obscurities like Monaco GP and Sega Samurai instead.

You can get Pengo (along with Up n'Down and Flicky) on Memorial Selection 1.

[Steven]

LINKLE LIVER STORY

This is an action-RPG in the vain of Zelda for the SNES. The graphics while decidedly 16-bit, is fine. You control a strange red-headed fox girl of sorts, and along the journey you meet up with lots of weirdos. Think of it as sort of a Wizard of Oz or Journey to the West (AKA Monkey King) fable.

It's too bad the dialogues are in JP, as I'd love to know what they're actually saying. Early in the game you come across this old ... er, being... and he tests you. First you're in an enclosed area forced to beat up his cane. No kidding. It disappears into the ground and pops up, with an energy bar. Dismantle that and move on to the next test.

I haven't gotten far in it but it looks like a keeper. For a more in-depth look go here:

http://dusers.drexel.edu/~stjohn/ss-linkleliver.html

WILLY WOMBAT

A funky looking adventure action game that lets you rotate the camera by using the L and R buttons.

You control Willy (a walking talking wombat -- what, you never seen one before?) and he attacks via his sharp claws or his longer ranged boomerangs, which can be used two times.

I played through the 1st 3 stages so far and it's pretty cool. The graphics are simple and nice, the enemies so far consist of floating ghosts with yellow-ish eyes that when killed, turn into skulls on the ground.

The game is voiced over in English and I kinda like the dub job myself. After beating the 1st level Willy encounters this old man and their chat goes something like this:

"Who's there? Am I being followed?" -Willy

"What have you done to make you think you're being followed?" -old man

"Who are you!"

"Never ask someone their name if you haven't state yours first."

"What's your business here eh?"

"I'm just an old man down in my luck. Who are you?"

"... Never ask someone their name if you haven't state yours first."

"... Java. I'm here to help you."

in the end Willy dashes off and Java (I swore he said JABBA) yells "Wait I didn't catch your name!" The camera swoons and Willy dramatically yells "The names WILLY WOMBAT!"

Quite ace.

You also can save the game, and when you do you go to Java's lair. "I can save your game."

"No catch?"

"Well, it will cost you some tokens."

.

Definitely a keeper. Shame SOA didn't bring this over. Its kinda cool. Go here for more info

http://www.ncsx.com/wwombat.htm

Lastly... real quickly...

DRACULA X

Finally got to play this and upon slaining the first wolf in sight, the game slowed down rather significantly. Oddly enough, after that it didn't occur again. So the sound effects isn't as sharp, and the loading might be a tad longer, and the language in JP... it's still Castlevania: SotN and gawd dammit I love it.

'Nuff said.

[Steven]

KYUKYOKU TIGER II PLUS

They say the Saturn is a shooter's paradise. Well, I'm glad to say this game certainly won't harm that image.

I was playing this and had this thought.

"Damn. Batsugun. Strikers 1945 II. Battle Garegga. Shienryu. Galactic Attack... THIS FEELS THE SAME... so freaking what! I love it."



I've been trying to get this one for some time now, but the price has never been in the range I like (I see it usually goes $35+)

I liked the graphics. The sound was meaty. Explosions, particularly on bosses, are very loud and sickeningly cool. The music is not bad, consisting of some rock-esque tunes. The boss themes are nice, rocking your bones as you fight each of the 6 mechancial menaces.

Here's a quick look:

Boss 1
This guy is a twin looking ship thingie. Yes. After you destroy its initial phase it breaks up in two and drops these huge balls at your ship. I will not type that again, so reread it if you have to!

Boss 2
A long sleek red looking ship in water, Fires fast bullets and this is where you need your reflexes to really kick in gear!

Boss 3
A quadruplet of square machine thingies... that rotate around firing at will. Save those bombs...

Boss 4
A pretty big tank machine thing in the middle of the hot desert. This boss is easier than the previous 3, and plays more like a "level 1 boss" but nonetheless it was fun to fight. It's such a huge stationary target too. You gotta love the feeling of zipping in and out sniping away its precious health!

Boss 5
A huge red-pink looking ship. Lots of attack patterns.

Boss 6
This boss and his little machine goons take up about twice the screen! You can literally go up to see its base, or go down and you won't see it. Pretty cool.

Of all the Saturn shooters I'd say this reminds me of Shienryu the most. Like Shienryu, KTiger II Plus isn't a household name by any stretch of the imagination, nor does it have the best shmup gameplay of the lot... but for shooter fans this is practically shooter heaven... an oasis of goodness awaits in K Tiger II Plus.

Hey, whats one more shooter in the library gonna hurt eh?


http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~be...tiger2scan.htm

http://www.classicgaming.com/shmups/.../kyukyoku2.htm

[Steven]

COLUMNS ARCADE COLLECTION

You get 4 games in 1 package, and it can be had for quite cheap (mine cost 13 dollars shipped, brand new too). Columns (the one in the arcade moons ago, upon which the Genesis version was based), Columns 2 (flashing jewels that you have to get rid of, tough cookie here folks!), Columns Stacker (where the field below you rises up) and Columns '97, which is like the 1st one only with lovely rotating hi-res jewels.

This is a puzzle game every Saturn owning puzzle fanatic should own. You get great value here and Columns, it's a tricky game. It looks so simple and perhaps dull even, but once you pick up the controller you find yourself losing track of time and mumbling "one more game" as life's priorities loom over the horizon. The original is still ace as ever, I love the sound of jewels disappearing. Ever get like 7 chain? Music to mah ears! Simply music!

To me, I found Columns 2 and Stacker Columns to be a little too different for my tastes, but think of them as bonuses nonetheless. This is worth it for the original and '97 alone. '97 is ace. Though the way the jewels disappear in '97 throws me off from time to time (it disappears pretty much instantenously as opposed to the original's deliberate removal of jewels)

Recommended. Much bang for buck. 2 players as well.

BREAK-THRU!

I have been told this is like Sega Swirl. The premise is different but simple. You get a well already filled up with tiny blocks and it's your job to guide the on-screen cursor to eliminate blocks. The catch? You cannot destroy blocks which are only by itself. You need at least 2 touching.

It is a little "bare bone" (but there is a nice 2 player mode; competitive, dual and cooperative) and not as "sexy" as say, Puzzle Fighter, but it's a good game. You can literally knock out dozens of bricks in a blink of an eye... it's very cool to see the bricks disappear, the chain reaction of bricks falling down and the sound it makes.

Lots of stages and I believe this game was made by the guy who made Tetris. If you can land it cheap, like $5 cheap, it's worth it. Otherwise, only for the fanatics.

I have to admit the game made me play longer than I expected. It's pretty decent fun. Oh, pieces overhead fly across the screen, so if you get stuck press B and a brick (or 2 or 3) will float down for you to try and figure out. You get bombs too.

ZOKU GUSSUN OYOYO



More puzzle action ensues but this is more of an action-puzzler. Or an platform-puzzler if you will. It's like Lemmings meets Tetris.

Here's some visual aid. It's a pretty popular series I think, spanning back to the SNES days... Zoku is the sequel, the Saturn also saw the prequel (Gussun Oyoyo S)... Zoku is much harder to find, and more sought after.

the following pics are from Gussun Oyoyo S... Zoku's graphics are slightly better...



So yeah, you guide that little bloke to the exit. He can only climb up if it's one brick high. You get different shaped bricks and you got to manage a way to get the little guy to the exit safely. You also get bombs for destroying unwanted bricks or enemies. Bricks can be used to crush baddies.

In addition to being killed by an enemy, or crushed under your own brick (it was an accident, really I swear...), you also have to worry about the time limit. After a while it signals and water starts rising. As you can guess, these dudes can't swim to save their lives... therefore... they drown. Logic... see how powerful it is?


now's a good time to panic

The stages get harder and harder til you'll struggle DAYS to beat one stage. It's a brain racker but it's fun and never really feels too unfair. The music and sound in general is also charming like you won't believe.


Will these little dudes make it out alive? Find out tomorrow. Same bat time, same BAT CHANNEL!



There are plenty of modes in ZOKU and it even has an ace 2 player mode... where each player tries to keep his little guy alive longer than the other. It's pretty good stuff.

This is a solid SOLID game, and worth the hunt. You can save your progress and it's just a charmer.

[Steven]

TWINKLE STAR SPRITES

Well it's not too obscure but how many Saturn owners have played this one before? I'll make this very brief. It's mainly a shooter with some puzzle-esque implications.
The screen is split down middle vertically. You face either a CPU or 2P. You're basically playing a vertical shmup split screen, and the more chains you get, the more debris that gets dumped on over to your enemy's playing field.

You get 2 bombs and 5 life portions. There's an arcade and Saturn mode. 9 selectable characters in ARC, 14 in Saturn mode. Each character is different in strengths and weaknesses (well, there are only 2 categories though...)

It's a cute-sy shooter, don't expect anything grim in tone a la Soukyugurentai. Iit's pretty cool. Great anime intro. And the loading's damn ace.

http://home.netvigator.com/~tarot/Games/TSS01.html

COTTON BOOMERANG



Again, same as TSS in that it's not really that obscure, but I don't consider it as one of the "more commonly played" Saturn games...

Now there's also Cotton 2 on Saturn, so how does CB differ? It has a 3 ship system... meaning you select 3 different characters from the list of 9 you get. And once one gets high, the next character flies in. It's quite different and leads to a good amt of strategy.

It's a cute-sy type shooter... you know, you probably seen the pics of it; girl riding on a broom taking on the undead and all.

There's quite a bit to unlock... and yes, it's a horizontal shooter. Also, the play system is unique in that you get to trap enemies and launch them back at the rest of the goons. There's also MK-ish motions to produce different kinds of shots. Like back forward gives you a 3 spread shot, etc.

The bosses are all huge, beastly and TOUGH! They take forever to kill also. Save those bombs!



CB is very difficult. It'll be a while before you can reach the final stage, level 7.

I personally have not yet fully embraced this game yet, one which has received plenty of love over the years. I hate the fact that there's no RAPID option (that I know of) as if you hold down A, it charges a mega-blast a la MegaMan. I didn't enjoy tapping A madly every single second. However, once I turned on Auto Fire it made the game easier and more enjoyable. I was able to play it much more mindlessly.



Of the two, Cotton 2 is much more cheaper than CB. And it's more common as well. CB seems to have jumped in price... it usually goes around the 50 mark, but lately seems to have gone to 60+...

GODZILLA

This is a real time strategy game. It's cool, but heavy on JP and only for Big G diehards. You play the army and you must defend the city from Big G and his foes... great opening intro with the infamous Godzilla theme and scenes from G films...

I've managed to beat the first 2 stages but on stage 3 MechaGodzilla kicked my ass....

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2063/rtmas.html

[Steven]

LAST ONE!!!

It's been a fun ride with this thread, but after this I'm shutting it down. Hope y'all found some measure of enjoyment reading some of this.

This last game... was kinda the one I based this thread upon... hoping that it would turn out to be a smash sleeper hit. I'm proud to say... IT IS.

KERIOTOSSE!

This is like Poy Poy! 4 characters on a flat surface... the goal is to be the last person remaining! You eliminate your foes by kicking them out of the playing field.

The game's 3D graphics were more than adequate I felt. The sound and music was very catchy, especially the bop bop tunes of stage 1.

There are a total of 17 characters to select and 8 stages with which to do battle.

1. Playground called "Welcome to Keriotosse"
Very cool! Complete with see-saws and swings that you can interact with!

2. Water on the edges stage
Get on the water and watch out for the slippery effects!

3. Waterfall down the middle
Get dumped on this waterfall and watch as your characters drowns down screen for a while... if he's close to the edge off he goes.

4. Stage with major wind
Transparent-ish clouds fog this stage... it looks ace.

5. Ice stage
Slipping to and 'fro!

6. A rotating stage known as MALFUNCTION
Coooool...

7. Volcanoes
Volcano rests in the middle of the screen, bursting out molten rocks. Watch out! Great blazing red hues streak this stage all over.

8. The cool see-thru battle in space!
You see orange blazing meteors in the background... and a vast blackness. Think of it as sort of RainBow Road (Mario Kart 64)... this stage looks AWESOME.

A does a special move according to your character
(everyone has a different one, and can only be used once per round)

B kicks

C jumps.

3 wins equal the conquering of that stage. Kudos!

Yes, it's 4 players.

There are also beach balls that drop down on the playing field... and they work like green shells from Mario Kart fame.

You can play any combo of human and CPU in the battle mode. In the story mode you play thru the 8 stages as status quo and in stage 9 you battle this huge polygonal dragon! He's extra tough!!!

This game is very charming and cool. It is one of a kind on Saturn, and it's QUALITY.

http://vgrebirth.org/games/game.asp?...s%3Dkeriotosse

It's supposedly a 15 dollar or under title too. Well worth checking out.

[hu6800]

"I recently got a flood load of JPN Saturn games... mostly the ones many folks haven't played yet... and I figure instead of creating multiple threads for each little game I jam it all in one over the course of the next 2 weeks or so... so let's start off with... "

Can't anybody buy a game and just play it anymore?