playstation vs saturn vs n64

[tomcrew]

plz only pick one so no i cant chose or n64 and playstaion thanks

[alec006]

plz only pick one so no i cant chose or n64 and playstaion thanks

Depends on what type of games you like. If your real into RPG's go with the PlayStation, if your into alot of different genres go with the Nintendo 64, and if your into arcade ports or fighters go with the Sega Saturn.

All three systems have strong points and are worth owning, again just depends what you're really into that would warrant purchasing only one.

[Greg2600]

There's very little on the Saturn that wasn't released on PS1. Graphically N64 kills the PS1, 1st-party game wise too. Though I personally have far more PS1 games than N64, because PS1 had a much larger variety due to the hardships in developing for the N64.

[Breetai]

There's very little on the Saturn that wasn't released on PS1. Graphically N64 kills the PS1, 1st-party game wise too. Though I personally have far more PS1 games than N64, because PS1 had a much larger variety due to the hardships in developing for the N64.
The N64 kills the PS1 graphically? I guess if you like muddy, stretched out textures and fog, then sure... the N64 has way more of that then the PS1. Compare something like Resident Evil 2 on both systems. Even with the RAM expansion on the 64, it's still debatable which one is better graphically.


OP, I recommend getting a Saturn, a Pro Action Replay 3-in-1 cart, and getting into shoot 'em up games.

[RCM]

The N64 kills the PS1 graphically? I guess if you like muddy, stretched out textures and fog, then sure... the N64 has way more of that then the PS1. Compare something like Resident Evil 2 on both systems. Even with the RAM expansion on the 64, it's still debatable which one is better graphically.


OP, I recommend getting a Saturn, a Pro Action Replay 3-in-1 cart, and getting into shoot 'em up games.

I agree with everything in this message, heh. Saturn is the way to go, esp. in terms of imports.

[NerdXCrewWill]

There's very little on the Saturn that wasn't released on PS1.

This is very, very misleading. While there were many games that were multi-platform, the Saturn has a a huge bulk of unique games. This is especially true for arcade ports and fighters.

Although, I agree that the blurry graphics of the N64 are more sightly than the nasty, headache-inducing textures of later-era Playstation 3D.

[geezuzkhrist119]

plz only pick one so no i cant chose or n64 and playstaion thanks

PS1:
Big RPG Collection
Decent Fighter games
The Dualshock controller
Ps1 consoles are dirty cheap now.
games are compatibly with the PS2 and the PS3

N64:
Perfect Dark, GoldenEye and Conkers Bad Fur Day.
All the Mario Games

Saturn:
Good Arcade ports of fighters
i dont know much about the saturn.


I would go with the PS1.

[Hwj_Chim]

plz only pick one so no i cant chose or n64 and playstaion thanks

What?

If i read you right. You are looking at getting a PlayStation, Saturn or N64. Go for the Saturn and get a action replay 4 in1 cart. The Japanese Saturn has a ton of great games that never hit the states. Second choice would be PlayStation. Lots of good games and it is easy to find a system. N64 just has not aged well and most of its good games can be found on the Wii virtual console.
So after all that, I would take the Saturn:).

[Breetai]

PS1:
Big RPG Collection
Decent Fighter games
The Dualshock controller
Ps1 consoles are dirty cheap now.
games are compatibly with the PS2 and the PS3

N64:
Perfect Dark, GoldenEye and Conkers Bad Fur Day.
All the Mario Games

Saturn:
Good Arcade ports of fighters
i dont know much about the saturn.


I would go with the PS1.
Says the guy who knows piss all about 1/3rd of the things asked.


If you like 2D stuff at all:
Saturn>>>PS1>>>>>>>N64

If you like shoot 'em ups:
Saturn>>PS1>>>>>>>>N64

If you like 2D fighters:
Saturn>>PS1>>>>>>>>N64

If you like 3D platformers:
N64>>>>>>>>>>PS1/Saturn (no, NiGHTS is not really a platformer)

If you like rail shooters:
Saturn>>>N64>>>>>>>PS1 (I'm calling NiGHTS a rail platformer and putting it here!)

If you like sports (really???):
PS1>>>>>>>N64>>Saturn

If you like RPGs and can handle Japanese and/or walkthroughs:
Saturn>PS1>>>>>>>>>N65

If you like RPGs, but can't handle Japanese and/or walkthroughs:
PS1>>>>>Saturn>>>>>N64

If you like racing games:
PS1/Saturn/N64 (it's a tight race!)

If you like puzzle games:
PS1/Saturn/N64 (too close to call)

If you like multiplayer games:
Saturn>N64>>>>>>>>>PS1

If you like pro wrestling games:
N64>>PS1>>>>>>>>Saturn

Controller:
Saturn>>>>>>>>>PS1>N64

Console durability:
N64>>>>>Saturn>>>>>PS1

Ease of playing Japanese imports if you have an NTSC system:
N64>>>>>>>Saturn>>>PS1

Coolness factor:
Saturn>>>>>>>>>PS1>N64


Buy a Saturn!

[substantial_snake]

I would go PS1 for the best all around experience and nostalgia but it really depends on what you want now that that generation is long past.

The Saturn excels at its huge import library which is full of absolutely gorgeous 2D games along with great SHUMPs.

The N64 has what many would consider the definitive 3D entries of the various Nintendo properties along with some great third party games.

The PS1 has the best variety of software from RPGs, Platformers, FPS, etc. of the time, had the best third party support of all the systems too.

Rough Selection of games off the top of my head I enjoyed back when they were new along with a few recent discoveries:

Crash 1/2/3
Sypro 1/2/3
Grand Turismo 1/2
Final Fantasy 7/8 (haven't played 9, heard great things though)
Metal Gear Solid
Resident Evil 1/2/3
Parasite Eve 1/2
Final Fantasy Tactics
Chrono Cross
Twisted Metal 1/2/3
Meal of Honor 1/2
Cool Boarders 1/2/3
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1/2
SaGA Frontier
Xenogears
Armored Core Master's of Arena
Syphon Filter
Raystorm
Fear Effect 1/2
Jet Moto 1/2

[retroman]

over all i have to say PS1..

[Leo_A]

The Saturn might've been the more superior machine from a technical standpoint for 2D gaming and Sony may've even been anti-2D like was widely speculated on back in the day.

But by virtue of its huge library, the Playstation has far many more great 2D games than the Saturn does. So I disagree with the assessment that the Saturn was superior in this area. It wins in the 2D category in my opinion when you're actually considering the software lineups that were released rather than technical specifications on a piece of paper that nobody has cared about in 15 years.

[tomwaits]

Japanese Saturn is my all-time favorite console.

Breetai's >>>> post pretty much nailed it. The Japanese Saturn library is massive with great games in every genre.

[SpaceFlea]

Saturn, by leaps and bounds.

[kupomogli]

The Playstation is where it's at. The console has a ton of great games spread around just about every genre you can think of, where as there is a limited selection of great games in a limited selection of genres for the other consoles.

The PSX is mainly known for its RPGs, and for great reason. Hands down, the PSX has more quality RPG titles than any other system. The N64 might have what is debatably the best wrestling game ever created, No Mercy, but Smackdown 2's gameplay is almost as good and offers more content. Saturn has better ports of the 2D fighters, but just about everyone but the extremely hardcore fighting game fanatics aren't going to give a damn(sorry, but true.) All the marginally better 2D fighters the Saturn has are on the PSX and aside from Virtua Fighter 2, the PSX has a bunch of great 3D fighters. The PSX has a lot of great 3D platformers, 3D action/adventure games, 2d platformers, the best racing games, etc.

The only thing the PSX didn't succeed at is FPS games. Sure it's got Disruptor, Star Wars Dark Forces, and others, but come on. Goldeneye 64. That game alone wins the FPS genre. Then Perfect Dark. FPS is my least favorite genre and I love playing those two games with friends. PSX had Twisted Metal 2 and Rogue Trip as the exclusive kill them all party games, so it evens out.

[MarioMania]

I have say the Saturn

[The 1 2 P]

I would say PS1, Saturn then N64 in that order. The PS1 library is huge and thats before you even start considering importing. The Saturn's US stuff was pretty weak but add in imports and you have a very well rounded library of games. The N64 has a few good gems outside of the first party stuff but it's complete library pales in comparison to the other two systems.

[j_factor]

This topic has been done to death, and will inevitably turn into a multi-page back and forth about N64's lack of games (or not), and/or Sega's missteps with the Saturn.

[Ryudo]

I love the saturn and N64 and PS1.

Saturn is very expensive to collect for. The bets games fetch high prices.

N64 few games worth owning most first party

PS1 HUGE library and much cheaper to buy for and many many gems fairly priced. Some are pricey but it has so many gems you can collect for that thing for years.

Playstation is my suggestion.

[A.C. Sativa]

PS1 by a mile, and I hate to say that because I despise Sony, but it just has by far and away the most good games. I don't bother with imports, so the Saturn is out for me. The N64 has Mario, F-Zero, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, the (overrated, IMO) Zelda games, and a lot of great wrestling games, but not much else that isn't also on the PS1. The PS1 has great games in every genre, but the first party lineup sucks, outside of Gran Tourismo. It's also cheaper to collect for.

One thing in the N64's favor is the build quality of the system. It's practically indestructible, and with no moving parts there's nothing to really break down. Plus it doesn't need memory cards. The PS1 is notorious for laser failure, and the controllers seem to be made of that thin plastic that they pack the toys in form those quarter machines in front of the supermarket. But there's millions of them out there. The Saturn is somewhere in between.

[Black_Tiger]

For me it's the Saturn by a huge margin. Still one of my favorite libraries.

I'd rather have Shining Force III Scenarios 1 - 3 + P alone, than the entire PSX & N64 libraries combined (let alone stuff like Tengai Makyou The Apocalypse IV and Saturn Bomberman).

The Playstation would come next, followed even further behind by N64, which has few games for me.

[BlastProcessing402]

There's very little on the Saturn that wasn't released on PS1.

:confused:

Other than perpetually mutliplatform stuff like Street Fighter, and stuff released on Saturn only in Japan but later ported like Grandia or Lunar SSS (where the only English version is the PSX port), most of the good Saturn stuff was totally exclusive.

[Rickstilwell1]

My suggestion is find a Nintendo 64 console at Goodwill for $8, buy the 20 or so must-play titles one by one (unless you find a good lot of them cheap) and beat them within a short time period. Then when you're done if you still only have room for one 32-bit system, sell the N64 lot for a profit to fund your choice of Sega Saturn or Playstation. You'll have a lot of fun on the N64 but once you've beaten all the games you probably won't miss them as much as the others until later in life. If you start with a Playstation or Saturn you'd probably tend to miss the games sooner if you had sold off one of those systems first.

[FieryReign]

Wow, alot of Saturn fanboys in this thread. The OP can barely put a sentence together but from what I can make out, he/she is on a budget. And most likely just trying to buy games locally. Why recommend a system with imports and RAM carts and all that jazz?

OP didn't even mention what types of games he/she are into. There is no question ps1 has the best variety of domestic titles.

[Collector_Gaming]

or do what i did and have all 3? Problem solved!

[RPG_Fanatic]

Playstation because that had some of the best Japanese RPG's ever.

[Aussie2B]

Can we please refrain from encouraging system wars? This is Digital Press, not GameFAQs. We're all/mostly collectors, and considering these are old systems and pretty cheap, it shouldn't be hard for most of all to get and enjoy all three of these systems. Anybody who is big on retro gaming should have all three in my book (unless you have a problem with early 3D).

For myself, I'd rank them as N64 > PlayStation > Saturn, but the difference between N64 and PlayStation is pretty negligible. Saturn is pretty far behind, but it's not a matter of dislike, more a combination of lack of experience and interest. I think the US Saturn library is pretty poor, with most of the best games costing way too much, and importing for Saturn can get pricey too (and if you're not super crazy about fighters or shmups, YMMV on the appeal of the import library). I haven't gotten into the Saturn so much because I've almost never seen the games in the wild and I've yet to have the desire to drop a ton of money getting the good games on eBay.

As for the N64 and PlayStation, I love the N64 for games like Super Mario 64, F-Zero X, Goemon's Great Adventure, Wonder Project J2, Mario Kart 64, Kirby 64, etc. etc., and I love the PlayStation for games like Star Ocean: The Second Story, Valkyrie Profile, Tail Concerto, Mega Man Legends, Brave Fencer Musashi, Final Fantasy Tactics, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, etc. etc. They're pretty equal to me, but they fulfill different roles. The PlayStation more so for RPGs and 2D games, and the N64 mostly for 3D platformers, racers, etc. I also import for both, and I have a PC-FX as well. I've pretty well covered when it comes to any genre or whatever I may want between those, so that's why I've had no urgency with digging more seriously into the Saturn. I imagine the Saturn would be like the PC Engine for me, in that the US library wasn't particularly appealing, but once I was up for the effort and the cost to get importing, I found a lot to love, even if I was already pretty satisfied with having the Genesis and SNES.

[j_factor]

I have to say, I really disagree that Saturn is only good for imports. There are plenty of great Japan-only games on the Saturn to be sure, but I have a lot more US games in my collection than Japanese, and that's not changing anytime soon.

[A Black Falcon]

PS1 or N64. As for which, it really depends on which kind of games you like more. I like the N64 more, myself. As for the Saturn, that's a good system too, but it does have a lot of good import (read: expensive, buy online only) games and not as many US releases as the others, and will be harder to find games for in the wild too, and buying online will on average cost more (and isn't as fun).


Says the guy who knows piss all about 1/3rd of the things asked.


If you like 2D stuff at all:
Saturn>>>PS1>>>>>>>N64
The PS1 probably has even more 2d games than the Saturn though. It certainly does, looking at just US libraries -- the US PS1 actually got a fair number of 2d releases. I mean, yes, the Saturn does have better 2d hardware, but the PS1's not too bad, and has more games in the category that are accessible.


If you like shoot 'em ups:
Saturn>>PS1>>>>>>>>N64
Yeah, though it's more like PS1>>>>>>>>Saturn>N64 if you're just looking at US libraries.


If you like 2D fighters:
Saturn>>PS1>>>>>>>>N64
For traditional 2d fighters, sure. The major variable is Super Smash Bros.; I know it's 2.5d, but it's a fantastic game...


If you like 3D platformers:
N64>>>>>>>>>>PS1/Saturn (no, NiGHTS is not really a platformer)
Yeah, the only real 3d platformer, Mario 64-style one, is Croc. The only other things that are even sort of 3d platformers are the Bug! games. I like Bug, but it's a completely different kind of thing from Mario 64. Still though, you don't give the PS1 an advantage over the Saturn, really? I mean, I like Bug more than most people, but still, can't see putting Saturn equal with PS1 for 3d platformers... there are just so overwhelmingly more of them on PS1, and a few, at least, are good. Not as good as the N64 ones, though, certainly.


If you like rail shooters:
Saturn>>>N64>>>>>>>PS1 (I'm calling NiGHTS a rail platformer and putting it here!)

If you like sports (really???):
PS1>>>>>>>N64>>Saturn
Agreed on rail shooters, but here, no, the N64 actually has lots of quality sports games. It's more like PS1>>N64>>>>>Saturn.


If you like RPGs and can handle Japanese and/or walkthroughs:
Saturn>PS1>>>>>>>>>N64
Saturn over PS1? (Also, it certainly doesn't change its last-place status, but the N64 does have a couple of Japanese-language RPGs too.)


If you like RPGs, but can't handle Japanese and/or walkthroughs:
PS1>>>>>Saturn>>>>>N64
Maybe the Saturn should stay ahead of the N64 here, but neither one has much compared to the PS1; the Saturn and N64 each have a couple of decent or good ones, while the PS1 has dozens.


If you like racing games:
PS1/Saturn/N64 (it's a tight race!)
The Saturn has a few great ones, but too few. As much as I love Daytona and Sega Rally (and they are outstanding), there are just far too few racing games on the Saturn, and too many of the ones it has are mediocre, after that top tier. I have to give it third place as a result. Between the other two, I like the N64 most for racing, PS1 second.


If you like puzzle games:
PS1/Saturn/N64 (too close to call)
Yeah, that is pretty close.


If you like multiplayer games:
Saturn>N64>>>>>>>>>PS1
No way, N64 wins multiplayer by far! Unless by "multiplayer" you mean "fighting games only", the N64 crushes the Saturn. But yeah, PS1 probably is in last. Though I should note that the PS1 has quite a few more 4+ player racing games than the Saturn does, so really, PS1 and Saturn are pretty close to even here.


If you like pro wrestling games:
N64>>PS1>>>>>>>>Saturn

Controller:
Saturn>>>>>>>>>PS1>N64
Now this is a category that's going to be 100% opinion. Mine is quite different... N64>Saturn>>>>>>>PS1


Console durability:
N64>>>>>Saturn>>>>>PS1
Excepting those N64 analog sticks, yes.


Ease of playing Japanese imports if you have an NTSC system:
N64>>>>>>>Saturn>>>PS1
I don't know, for Saturn you just need to buy a cart, while for N64 you have to cut some plastic chunks out of the system... those should be at worst even I think.


Coolness factor:
Saturn>>>>>>>>>PS1>N64
If rarity means coolness, sure, I guess... but I think the N64's pretty cool. :)


Buy a Saturn!
If you've got money to spend and like buying most of your games on EBay. And like its games.

[M.Buster2184]

I'll start with saying I like all three systems, but I personally prefer N4 to the others. I'd go N64, Saturn, Playstation. Sidenote, I'm surprised at the amount of Sega Saturn fans on here. Each system has games I love, but the 64 wins me over everytime. Whether it's playing alone, both Zelda titles, Mario 64, StarFox, pretty much all of the first party stuff I think is great. Not to mention countless hours playing Perfect Dark and Goldeneye. Or have some friends over, we never got tired of playing Mario Party or Mario Kart. Also from a nerd stand point, I remember being so excited for Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire and Rogue Squadron. Just my opinion, I know others have the polar opposite opinion.

[Atarileaf]

If I had to choose I'd go PS1. Much better selection of games IMO. I'm one of those ones who's turned off by the early 3D efforts of these systems and it just doesn't hold up as well as earlier 2D only systems.

[Double Ugly]

Saturn.

It has a lot of great unique titles. It is not easy to collect for but that's part of the fun & satisfaction.

[BydoEmpire]

I had a PS1 & N64 back in the day, and picked up a Saturn after the DC was out and I was feeling so much Sega love.

Played the n64 the most in the day. I really liked the library - amazing single player games, and legendary multi player stuff. I loved the RE series on PS1, and played the Playstation quite a bit, I just liked the n64 better.

I played the Saturn a LOT once I got it and really enjoyed a lot of games on it.

I play PS1 games the most now, and it's the only one of the three I hung onto (I sold my n64 & Saturn collections a few yearsa go). The library is amazing. I actually enjoy it more now than back then.

[JoystickUnicorn]

yea hard question...N64 with Mario 64 and goldeneye...talk about some industry changers...for 3D shooters goldeneye was as important as the Beatles were to music

PS1, almost everyone had that...and spent way too much time playing tekken 2 and ff7 not to give it the props it deserves

Saturn...can't say I miss titles from that too much...it had its place, but not nearly as important as these other 2

[Lady Jaye]

As others have pointed out, we're missing some info about the OP to really give good, precise advise.

1. What kinds of games do you like?
2. Do you have a tight budget or the sky's (almost) the limit in terms of money? (I'd guess budget, since you want us to pick only one)
3. Do you want easy-to-find, or more challenging?
3.5. Do you intend on searching for hardware and games locally only or online as well?
4. Does it have to be all-original, or are ports/remakes and backward compatibility acceptable?

I'd personally pick the PS1 for its RPGs and for the relative ease of finding games (but would play them on my PS2) and the Saturn for the shmups (especially if I were lucky and found a bundle not too expensive and had easy access to good games I want to play).

The N64 interests me the least because 1. I don't like its controller and 2. the games that interest me the most were the first-party Nintendo titles that have since been ported to more recent consoles (3DS, the Wii's virtual console)... I already own three copies of Ocarina of Time (2 in the GameCube port, one for the 3DS) and two of Majora's Mask (the problematic GameCube port and the corrected Virtual Console port) as well as Paper Mario.

[JoystickUnicorn]

As others have pointed out, we're missing some info about the OP to really give good, precise advise.

1. What kinds of games do you like?
2. Do you have a tight budget or the sky's (almost) the limit in terms of money? (I'd guess budget, since you want us to pick only one)
3. Do you want easy-to-find, or more challenging?
3.5. Do you intend on searching for hardware and games locally only or online as well?
4. Does it have to be all-original, or are ports/remakes and backward compatibility acceptable?

I'd personally pick the PS1 for its RPGs and for the relative ease of finding games (but would play them on my PS2) and the Saturn for the shmups (especially if I were lucky and found a bundle not too expensive and had easy access to good games I want to play).

The N64 interests me the least because 1. I don't like its controller and 2. the games that interest me the most were the first-party Nintendo titles that have since been ported to more recent consoles (3DS, the Wii's virtual console)... I already own three copies of Ocarina of Time (2 in the GameCube port, one for the 3DS) and two of Majora's Mask (the problematic GameCube port and the corrected Virtual Console port) as well as Paper Mario.

Yea loved my PS1...N64 was this new thing for me at the time...I remember asking a roomate to hold on to my copy or ocarina of time until my exams at school were over haha

also, good to see a strong Canadian group here with you and atarileaf, etc...

yo joe...and knowing is half the battle.

[gameofyou]

Saturn is my favorite system of all time. I've had one since 1995, and have amassed quite a variety of games since then. I also own an N64, and that is a solid system. But to me there is no comparison.

[Wraith Storm]

So I disagree with the assessment that the Saturn was superior in this area. It wins in the 2D category in my opinion when you're actually considering the software lineups that were released rather than technical specifications on a piece of paper that nobody has cared about in 15 years.

Lies!!! I still care!


I would pick the Saturn because it has most of my favorite games of that generation across many genres.

Fighters Megamix (Fighting), Gungriffon (Mech), Astal (Platformer), Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei (Rail Shooter), Panzer Dragoon Saga (RPG), Enemy Zero (Adventure/Puzzle), Scorcher (Futuristic Racer) and there are others.

Yes the Playstation has lots of great games but for me, the Saturn usually has an equivalent game that I like far more. I could easily live without the Playstation.

For me, the N64 gives the Saturn a run for its money in the racing genre. The N64 has a TON of exceptional racers.

Unless you are a hard core racer, I would go with the Saturn.

[Tron 2.0]

Saturn:if you're into imports not to mention how well it handles 2D.

PS1:If you're into rpgs etc.

N64:If if you really like there first party titles and multiplayer games,but a arkward controller to use.


Though id vote for the saturn plenty of shoot'em ups,fighters,puzzle titles etc not to mention it's controller is so comfortable to use.

Still to be fair i went with the Saturn&PS1 in the 90's because it cover the genre i like the most,which the N64 lacked.

[Edmond Dantes]

If its not too late to insert my two quarters here...

I got the impression that the OP was on a budget, so my recommendation would be a PS1.

The PS1 has a lot of games, and there's very few genres that aren't well-represented on that system, even if you're not into imports. The console itself--even modded ones--can be found dirt-cheap as can the majority of the games.

I can't see why you'd want an N64 unless you're a Zelda or Mario fan, and while I love the Saturn, finding games for it is hard and for much of its library you'll have to love importing.

[Aussie2B]

I can't see why you'd want an N64 unless you're a Zelda or Mario fan

Banjo, Conker, Kirby, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Goemon, F-Zero, Harvest Moon, Ogre Battle, Bomberman, Star Fox, Mischief Makers, Snowboard Kids, Wave Race, Diddy Kong Racing, etc. etc.? I can think of many reasons why someone would want an N64 even if they don't care about Zelda or Mario.

[Edmond Dantes]

Banjo, Conker, Kirby, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Goemon, F-Zero, Harvest Moon, Ogre Battle, Bomberman, Star Fox, Mischief Makers, Snowboard Kids, Wave Race, Diddy Kong Racing, etc. etc.? I can think of many reasons why someone would want an N64 even if they don't care about Zelda or Mario.

Call me nuts but I only saw two games in that list that I feel are compelling arguments (Ogre Battle and Wave Race, if you're wondering).

But regardless, what I was getting at was that the N64 has a limited selection, and is certainly not the best bang for your buck. It's one of those systems you should only get if there's a particular game or games you really want to play and the N64 is the only system that has it.

I mean don't get me wrong, I'm no Sony fanboy. I just honestly think that for the OP's situation, the PS1 is the best fit.

[Aussie2B]

Limited compared to PlayStation, sure, but it's not like we're talking about a system with only a couple dozen games. It's got roughly 300 games in the US alone (and if we're counting importing for Saturn, I can name quite a few quality Japan-exclusive N64 games), and there are plenty of highly regarded titles. Mario and Zelda aren't even a big factor in my enjoyment for the system, as I haven't played Majora's Mask, am fairly lukewarm on Ocarina of Time, and either don't own or haven't put much time into most of the Mario-related games. Here are more games/franchises to consider for anyone looking into getting a N64:

1080 Snowboarding, Excitebike, Castlevania, Body Harvest, Jet Force Gemini, Space Station Silicon Valley, Star Wars, Beetle Adventure Racing, Hybrid Heaven, Wetrix, Killer Instinct, Tetris, Pokemon, Mega Man, Pilotwings, Donkey Kong, Resident Evil, Robotron, Yoshi's Story, Rocket: Robot on Wheels, Turok, WipeOut, WCW/WWF, etc.

[PreZZ]

I have most of the rarest games for the saturn and I love collecting for this system, but it has aged BADLY... I tried playing Burning Rangers last week and man is the 3d ugly (and its not has fun has I remembered! and this game goes for 100+$)... Sure its got a couple of gems, but the USA library is not very good its got a ton of bad games. Of course I like panzer dragoon series, working designs Rpgs, Shining force 3, nights but the racers and everything 3d is not as good as I remembered it. If you like 2d fighters and schmups you will love this system, but I dont really like those games. Virtua fighter 2 is good, but its hard going back to this when you got virtua fighter 5 on your ps3. The N64 games library is hard to beat mario 64, conker, starfox, mario kart, zelda, etc. they are still fun to play. The ps1 has a lot more variety in every genre also and yes the 3d is better on ps1. I saw those shenmue demo video on saturn and it looked better than ps1 IMO, but the games released in 3d are bad by todays standards and worse than ps1. I still love my saturn and play it but I think the other 2 have better libraries overall. My 2 cents, send the hate mail! Cant wait for the new Nights on psn xbox live next month that was a true gem, but its not for everyone, its an acquired taste! But I have to say that the 3d in Nights is better than most ps1 games. Saturn is really for hardcore gamers, which isnt a bad thing... maybe if it lasted longer like the ps1 and N64 we would have truly seen its full potential but mostly its got the same crap has first wave ps1 games (pandemonium, croc, blast chamber, die hard trilogy, etc.) Also the 3d feels better with the dual shock than the saturn 3d pad (it was ok for nights but the 3d detection and feeling is funky in most games)

[kupomogli]

I would pick the Saturn because it has most of my favorite games of that generation across many genres.

Fighters Megamix (Fighting), Gungriffon (Mech), Astal (Platformer), Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei (Rail Shooter), Panzer Dragoon Saga (RPG), Enemy Zero (Adventure/Puzzle), Scorcher (Futuristic Racer) and there are others.

Yes the Playstation has lots of great games but for me, the Saturn usually has an equivalent game that I like far more. I could easily live without the Playstation.

Good post. I like the PSX better, but the way you listed your favorite games for each genre, some that I haven't played, it really gives a good visual aide(when using Youtube,) on why you like the system better.

For the PSX, I'd say.

TRPG: Brigandine, FFTactics, Vandal Hearts
RPG: Wild ARMs, Grandia, Xenogears
Shooters: Armored Core Master of Arena, Vanark, Omega Boost
Strategy(the ones I'm listing are all ports) Syndicate Wars, Warcraft 2, Warhammer Shadow of the Horned Rat
Fighting: Ehrgeiz, Bloody Roar 2, Tekken 3, Rival Schools
Racing(realistic/arcade) Gran Turismo 2, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Driver
Racing(kart/futuristic) Crash Team Racing, Chocobo Racing, Wipeout
Action/Platformer: Rayman, Klonoa, Wild 9
Action/Adventure: Brave Fencer Musashi, Blood Omen Legacy of Kain, Alundra
Other(games in genre's that aren't listed above) Twisted Metal 2, Smackdown 2, Tecmo's Deception, Ace Combat

This list is only scratching the surface, the tip of the iceberg, the... well. You get the picture.

[sheath]

I was wondering how this thread would turn out, the gamer comments are awesome. I would also have to pick Saturn because of its library and its higher end games. I prefer Action games in general, but for this generation I also prefer the Saturn's RPGs. I was playing fully 3D RPGs before the PS1 or N64 managed to do so on the Saturn, and the rest of the time I was playing nearly perfect gameplay replicas of Sega's Model 2 Arcade games and Capcom's Fighting games. Some of the 3DO and PC ports turned out alright or even better as well.

It was only after the Saturn was canceled by the enormously wonderful Bernie Stolar that I picked up a Playstation. Jeez did that system not cater to any audience that included me.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

As much as I like the Saturn, it's not a console I'd recommend for a first 5th gen console, unless they're going into it purely focused on Sega. I'd personally recommend PS1 - you can get many, many high quality games on it (although the concentration of high quality games is not as good as Saturn, or N64), but it's a good, cheap console to get a 32 bit experience. Games will be plentiful and low cost for even the best ones. N64 is another good option, though games will be more expensive.

Saturn is recommended when you've got a little collecting experience. Not too much (it's no SG-1000), but a good spate of consoles and/or games.

[Leo_A]

But regardless, what I was getting at was that the N64 has a limited selection, and is certainly not the best bang for your buck. It's one of those systems you should only get if there's a particular game or games you really want to play and the N64 is the only system that has it.


You talk as if Nintendo 64's are expensive collector's pieces that are unlikely to have anything of interest to the average classic gamer.

Some of my favorite games were on the Nintendo 64. Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wave Race 64, Super Mario 64, Paper Mario, World Driver Championship, Top Gear Rally, Rogue Squadron, Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Donkey Kong 64, Perfect Dark, Goldeneye, etc. Of course one could bring up the fact that several of its big names have seen rereleases since then (Another piece of evidence that the console is worthwhile), but something like the Zelda discs on the GCN, buying several Virtual Console downloads, or the rereleased Rare games on XBLA for $15 a pop quickly adds up. The money that just something like the Master Quest preorder discs runs for these days would get you a console and started on a collection of games.

And there's bound to be a lots of lesser gems of interest for someone. Three such personal favorites of mine are Pilotwings 64, Monaco Grand Prix, and the Euro exclusive F1 Racing Championship. Three games that are unlikely for most to solicit the same feelings I hold towards them but three games I love none the less even if I wouldn't go around speaking of them as reasons for the average person to go out and buy a console for.

It might not have an abundance of excellent software in every category, but it has several dozen excellent games and a little something everywhere. Unless someone only enjoys games from a single genre or two, there's going to be plenty of bang for the $15-$20 or so that a system will run you these days. Even perhaps the worst represented genre on the console (turn based RPG's) has an excellent game in the form of Paper Mario.

One of the best values in videogaming and a very low risk, unlike a Saturn that seems to be suggested at every turn in here. Particularly if one can score some of the in-demand 1st party classics locally instead of paying inflated online prices since many of them seem to have held much of their value like Paper Mario, it's an excellent value these days.

[j_factor]

You talk as if Nintendo 64's are expensive collector's pieces that are unlikely to have anything of interest to the average classic gamer.

I would say that N64 is unlikely to have much of interest to the average classic gamer. In my experience, the average classic gamer has little love for the system.

N64 is a very polarizing system. A good number of people like it. But mostly, N64 appeals to N64 fans. And if you're not already one, you're not likely to become one.

[Edmond Dantes]

I like the N64, its just I'd feel bad if I recommended the system and then the dude couldn't find any games he liked for it.

And to the dude who pointed out that Mega Man and Resident Evil were on N64... both are ports of games that were also on the PS1.

[Aussie2B]

Hah, I knew somebody was going to point out that I mentioned a couple multiplatform games. If they don't count for N64, then what system do they count for? Which system they came out on first is hardly relevant these days. A good game is a good game and deserves to be accounted for. People also often differ on which system a multiplatform game is at its best. There are a fair number of people who prefer Resident Evil 2 on N64 over its PlayStation version, for example.


I would say that N64 is unlikely to have much of interest to the average classic gamer. In my experience, the average classic gamer has little love for the system.

N64 is a very polarizing system. A good number of people like it. But mostly, N64 appeals to N64 fans. And if you're not already one, you're not likely to become one.

Then your experience is very limited or skewed. The N64 has several absolutely massive hits that continue to get a ton of respect even to this day. People do want to play these games and the more obscure gems too. The average classic gamer easily has more interest in the N64 than the Saturn, for one, despite what this specific topic may lead some to believe, if only for the fact that the N64 was far more popular and mainstream with entries in classic franchises with continued popularity today, as opposed to the Saturn's biggest franchises/games which are pretty much forgotten outside of the hardcore. N64 also has plenty of fledgling collectors everyday deciding that they want to recapture childhood memories. I'm sure the same can be said of Saturn, but to a much lesser extent because, again, the system wasn't remotely as popular in the US and also wasn't a likely choice by parents of young kids.

The N64 is a divisive system. A lot of retro gamers don't like 3D gaming, or at least not early 3D gaming, and while the Saturn and PlayStation can keep 2D fans happy, the N64 not so much. A lot of retro gamers also got so accustomed to the conventions of the past that they couldn't adjust to the new takes on old ideas, like the controller design and the new approaches to classic franchises. But if someone does like gaming from that era, the N64 will likely be appealing, even if they aren't already established N64 fans. The N64 is still recent enough that if someone is a fan of that era, they probably already have experience with the N64 and made up their minds, though, so the reason somebody who isn't a N64 fan isn't likely to become one is because they probably already decided against the system. Those who have absolutely no experience have good chances if they also like 3D gaming on Saturn and PlayStation. It's not these are completely isolated worlds of gaming in which no common developers or design concepts are shared. Games on Saturn, PlayStation, and N64 are all pretty similar at the end of the day, which is only natural because they existed at the same time in the same market.

[Edmond Dantes]

Hah, I knew somebody was going to point out that I mentioned a couple multiplatform games. If they don't count for N64, then what system do they count for? Which system they came out on first is hardly relevant these days. A good game is a good game and deserves to be accounted for. People also often differ on which system a multiplatform game is at its best. There are a fair number of people who prefer Resident Evil 2 on N64 over its PlayStation version, for example.

Yeah but... its Resident Evil 2. What if you want to play 1 and 3? Get a Playstation and you can get all three games for the same system. Get an N64, and you limit yourself to just the second game. That's why I think praising it for ports is a bad idea.

Ultimately, I think the only way to really answer the OP's question is for him to decide what games or type of games he's most interested in and let us go from there.

[Greg2600]

There is a segment of games on the N64, many first party, which are outstanding. So it's a system that is plentiful and you can collect a dozen or so really awesome games, and stop there. Playstation has far more to choose from. Granted the 3D games will often look much better played on a PC emulator or a PS2 with shading. There's simply a ton of them, due to how long the system lasted. In many cases the lesser graphics of the PS1 make for better games than an N64 variant. Yet N64 dominates in 3D platformers (Banjo, Mario, Conker, etc.) Both have their strengths and weaknesses.

All this said, again, I cannot recommend the Saturn over either of those two. The library is not diverse enough, and I will not count imports. The game cases are all those giant ones, which waste space, and are often broken. While the core games are available easily, most of them are somewhat rare. For someone looking to collect one of those for the first time, I would not recommend the Saturn.

PS: Don't forget, while pricey, only the N64 has a flash multi-cart by which you can play nearly every game on the system.

[123►Genei-Jin]

I agree it's very unlikely for someone who isn't already an N64 fan to become one. I could never get into the system due to basically not having a single decent fighting or shmup game (2 of my favorite genres).
It definitely has it's gems but there really aren't that many good games.

PS and Saturn both have tons of great games in all genres, lots of imports and I don't even mind early 3d graphics at all.

I would personally recommend PS 1st, Saturn 2nd and N64 last, although the Everdrive 64 is definitely a good option if you don't mind not having original carts or just want to test them before buying.

[Leo_A]

It has some decent fighters apparantly. Killer Instinct and Super Smash Brothers both seem well liked and apparantly some people still play Mortal Kombat Trilogy on it judging by a recent thread here.

Not much in the shooters category, but it does have an exclusive entry in the fairly well liked Star Soldiers franchise as well as some classic shooting gems on Namco Museum and Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits. Not that I'm suggesting someone buy those two complilations (What with several of the Playstation releases including track-ball support and the later large collections from both companies that include this content and much more as well as twin stick support for Robotron).

If a console has things like Defender on it, the shooting genre certainly has some decent material available even if they're not reasons to purchase a system for when they're so widely available elsewhere. And of course the rail shooter category has several very well liked games available on the platform.


Yeah but... its Resident Evil 2. What if you want to play 1 and 3? Get a Playstation and you can get all three games for the same system.

If someone is a really big Resident Evil fan, I suggest going for the best versions.That category hasn't included the PSOne originals in years thanks to more modern ports of it with significant enhacements on the GameCube, Wii, and Dreamcast.

At least Resident Evil 2 on the N64 still has some novelty value with seeing all the cutscenes done on a cartridge system. And I believe the game itself was considered superior to the Playstation original beyond the compressed cutscenes.

[123►Genei-Jin]

It has some decent fighters apparantly. Killer Instinct and Super Smash Brothers both seem well liked and apparantly some people still play Mortal Kombat Trilogy on it judging by a recent thread here.

I do understand a lot of people love those games, but KI Gold and MK aren't exactly good fighting games at all. They're fun for casual play but broken, too simplistic and unpolished for anyone really into the genre.
As for Smash Bros., I (and a huge part of the FG community) don't consider that a fighting game, it doesn't play anything like most games in the genre and just like KI or MK is for the most part a party casual brawler game.
This is coming from someone who loves this genre and as such I wouldn't recommend those games to anyone interested in the genre when there's a huge selection available for both the Playstation and the Saturn (Playstation having some great 3d games like the Tekken series and even underrated games like Tobal 2 and Saturn having tons of 2d arcade ports).
I would only suggest KI or MK to people who grew up with those series and only play the genre casually.

As for the Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth, it isn't a bad game by any means, but it isn't great neither. It's just not enough for someone into the genre.

Like I said in my previous post, I know the N64 has it's gems, but it just doesn't have anything for someone like me who's into fighting games or shooters.

[j_factor]

Then your experience is very limited or skewed.

Nonsense. You're already a huge fan of the system. You're just unable to see things from a different perspective. You are not average.


The average classic gamer easily has more interest in the N64 than the Saturn, for one, despite what this specific topic may lead some to believe, if only for the fact that the N64 was far more popular and mainstream with entries in classic franchises with continued popularity today, as opposed to the Saturn's biggest franchises/games which are pretty much forgotten outside of the hardcore.

The N64 is a divisive system. A lot of retro gamers don't like 3D gaming, or at least not early 3D gaming, and while the Saturn and PlayStation can keep 2D fans happy, the N64 not so much. A lot of retro gamers also got so accustomed to the conventions of the past that they couldn't adjust to the new takes on old ideas, like the controller design and the new approaches to classic franchises.

Seems like you're contradicting yourself here. I said the average classic gamer has little love for the N64, and you spell out part of the reason why in the latter part of this quotation.

The average classic gamer is not the same thing as the average gamer. N64 just doesn't have a lot to offer for the average classic gamer's sensibilities. I'm not saying zero. Just not much. Saturn in comparison (since you brought it up) has much more of a "classic" feel. It's not just 2D vs. 3D, it's also gameplay and genres.

[Edmond Dantes]

If someone is a really big Resident Evil fan, I suggest going for the best versions.That category hasn't included the PSOne originals in years thanks to more modern ports of it with significant enhacements on the GameCube, Wii, and Dreamcast.

But we're not talking about "going for the best versions." The OP specifically said he can only get one system, listing the N64, PS1 and Saturn as options. One dude said RE2 was an argument for the N64. I was just pointing out that its a better argument for the PS1.

Also, the original RE1 was only available on the PS1, Saturn and PC, and only the PS1 got the Director's Cut (two of them, with the green label version having new music). The RE1 on Gamecube really has to be considered a new game, the same way that Peter Jackson's King Kong has to be considered a new movie.

[Leo_A]

He also never said that he didn't have any other systems. I imagine if you're at Digital Press, there's an excellent chance you have a system with superior versions of the Resident Evil classics available on it. So it's certainly worth mentioning if people are using that series as a reason to go a particular way since I really doubt he's visting Digital Press of all places and considering among these three consoles for his first console...

It also wouldn't surprise me to find out that he owns a Playstation 2, a Playstation 3, or even both. Or if not that he'd like to add one later on. Certainly a factor for him to consider when both do adequate jobs of playing 99% of the library.

That said, the Playstation certainly is the way to go if he doesn't have those two other options that can already play Playstation software or isn't planning on adding one anytime soon. For every good Saturn and N64 game, there's easily 5 more on the Playstation. The sheer size of the library makes it foolish in my eyes to suggest anything else. Like 2D games that got mentioned several times as a positive for the Saturn in this thread that I already went on about. The Saturn might've had the performance edge and the 2D love, but thanks to just the massive size of the Playstation's library and the long life of the console, it still ended up with far more quality 2D releases than the Saturn did.

[j_factor]

The Saturn might've had the performance edge and the 2D love, but thanks to just the massive size of the Playstation's library and the long life of the console, it still ended up with far more quality 2D releases than the Saturn did.

I don't think that's true, but I'm curious how you quantified this. What counts as "2D"? You do realize, that when people talk about "2D games" in this context, they're generally only talking about a subset of all 2D games? They're not including puzzle games, RPGs (except maybe action-RPG), adventure games, or strategy games. 2D or 3D doesn't matter so much for those genres. Really, they just mean various forms of action games, including shooters, platformers, fighters, run and guns, beat 'em ups, and so on.

[Leo_A]

While I don't think the Playstation's edge in that category is as massive as many others, I'm quite sure that the Playstation handily leads in those areas.

Just 2D shooters alone, my Playstation library holds a fair lead on its Saturn counterpart (Although people usually seem to have 3D polygonal ones on their mind when looking at this genre on both consoles with things like Raystorm... an area that doesn't interest me nearly as much but also seems to have more quality releases on the PS). 2D fighters, an area I'm no expert in or even enjoy (Same with 3D ones), seems to have either been multiplatform with just a slight downgrade on the PS version like increased load times or slightly downgraded textures and a few less frames of animation or been a Playstation exclusive for the most part.

Even leads handily in classic compilations, my own personal favorite 2D area on that generation of consoles. For every nice Saturn compilation, I have about three Playstation releases. And that's including Japanese imports on both like the Sega Memorial Collections and the Konami MSX Collection (Far superior bundled together on the Saturn instead of the divided releases the PS saw) for the Saturn and things like the Nichibutsu and Toaplan collections on the Playstation.

The Saturn being well known for 2D doesn't mean that the Playstation was lacking in that regard. I think it holds its own easily and in my own personal opinion surpasses it in terms of the number of good 2D games to play. As such, it's no selling point in favor of the Saturn in my book when the Playstation's library has tons of excellent 2D material available like Raiden DX.

[j_factor]

Just 2D shooters alone, my Playstation library holds a fair lead on its Saturn counterpart (Although people usually seem to have 3D polygonal ones on their mind when looking at this genre on both consoles with things like Raystorm... an area that doesn't interest me nearly as much but also seems to have more quality releases on the PS).

That's... an unusual statement. Saturn has a very high-quality library of shooters and is often considered the #1 system for the genre, or #2 to PC Engine. Playstation isn't a total slouch either, but it can't really compete. I'm sure it has more total releases in this category but it has more crap, and games on both systems were better on Saturn most of the time (with exceptions, like In the Hunt).


2D fighters, an area I'm no expert in or even enjoy (Same with 3D ones), seems to have either been multiplatform with just a slight downgrade on the PS version like increased load times or slightly downgraded textures and a few less frames of animation or been a Playstation exclusive for the most part.

Slight downgrade? Maybe if you're talking about Street Fighter Alpha 1. The rest of the Capcom 2D fighters have a large advantage on Saturn. Not sure what Playstation exclusives you're referring to -- the only ones I can think of are Darkstalkers (good, but not advantageous over the Saturn's exclusive Night Warriors, and superior port of Vampire Savior), Guilty Gear (good at the time, but hard to recommend today in light of its zillion sequels/upgrades), Gundam Battle Assault (yawn), and Dragon Ball GT (shit). Saturn did have a few exclusives as well, such as Fighters History Dynamite.


Even leads handily in classic compilations, my own personal favorite 2D area on that generation of consoles. For every nice Saturn compilation, I have about three Playstation releases. And that's including Japanese imports on both like the Sega Memorial Collections and the Konami MSX Collection (Far superior bundled together on the Saturn instead of the divided releases the PS saw) for the Saturn and things like the Nichibutsu and Toaplan collections on the Playstation.

Not an area I ever put much thought into. Personally I would put something like Toaplan Shooting Battle 1 (was there even a 2? I've only seen 1) under the shooter category, not a separate "compilation" category, especially since it's only two games. Also a lot of compilations have since been superseded by the likes of Midway Arcade Treasures.

What of the other categories? I think Saturn bests Playstation for beat 'em ups, particularly with Guardian Heroes and D&D Collection. And I think Saturn has the edge for 2D platformers, though PSX has a few good ones as well. Hardly anything on either system for run and guns, although PSX has one really good one in Gunners Heaven (Rapid Reload).


The Saturn being well known for 2D doesn't mean that the Playstation was lacking in that regard.

I'm not saying the Playstation is lacking. It's not, it's just not as good as Saturn IMO. Now N64, that's lacking.

[Rob2600]

I find it hilarious that there's three pages of arguing, all in response to this original post:


plz only pick one so no i cant chose or n64 and playstaion thanks

lol

[_joshuaTurbo]

If you are into rooting for the underdog and discovering one of the best kept secret libraries in gaming. Go for the Saturn. My favorite Saturn titles are: NiGHTS, Virtua Fighter II, Panzer (all of them) Dragoon, Magic Knight Reyearth, Shining the Holy Ark, Three Dirty Dwarves, Galactic Attack, (Imports - Salamander Collection, KOF series) honestly, I could go on forever here. :)

The PS1 is out in your face with TONS of great games, the only issue is the amount of shovelware that also came out for the PS1. My favorite PS1 games are Tetris Plus, Final Fantasy VII, and Suikoden

The N64 did a few things right. Nice FPS games and 3D platformers. But honestly, that's about all (IMO!) that it had going for it. My favorite N64 games are F-ZeroX, Mario 64, OoT, Shadowgate64, and WWF No Mercy.

[Leo_A]

That's... an unusual statement. Saturn has a very high-quality library of shooters and is often considered the #1 system for the genre, or #2 to PC Engine. Playstation isn't a total slouch either, but it can't really compete. I'm sure it has more total releases in this category but it has more crap, and games on both systems were better on Saturn most of the time (with exceptions, like In the Hunt).

The Saturn's library isn't exactly chuck full of 2D vertical and horizonal shooters (Ones that actually rely on 2D sprites probably add up to about 20 releases), so I don't think it's so unusual. In fact the things that people often go gaga on the Saturn sometimes aren't even particularly amazing or even 2D such as Radiant Silvergun (which earned its acclaim largely off of being rare and pricey after years of gamers seeking it out since it was a halfway decent game that should've been brought to our shores and wasn't).

At the very least, the Playstation holds its ground nicely in this area with often getting the same releases along with several nice exclusives like Zanac and the only arcade perfect ports of the original Raiden series. And much of what I liked on the Saturn has superior versions available on more recent systems these days (Strikers 1945 was bundled with its sequel in arcade accurate form on the PS2, all the Konami stuff that was compiled into collections on the PSP, Capcom bringing together all of its Generations releases into a single collection that finally reached our shores on last gen consoles, etc.).


Slight downgrade? Maybe if you're talking about Street Fighter Alpha 1. The rest of the Capcom 2D fighters have a large advantage on Saturn. Not sure what Playstation exclusives you're referring...

I'll give you this area since I don't even play them, but I really wonder if this downgrading is even something that anyone except a diehard player is going to notice and only after comparing them directly side by side? I suspect those that only had the Playstation versions of Capcom's fighters still found them to be excellent games which was more the point I was after anyways instead of minimizing how well the Saturn did in this area like my post came off as saying.

As for Playstation exclusives, it's an assumption. I'm sure if I were to research that area that I'd find numerous examples and at least a few notable ones that are well liked that were exclusive to the Playstation. It's not my genre though...


What of the other categories? I think Saturn bests Playstation for beat 'em ups, particularly with Guardian Heroes and D&D Collection. And I think Saturn has the edge for 2D platformers, though PSX has a few good ones as well.

Not my area, but I enjoy it in small amounts and know more about it than I do 2D (Or 3D) fighters and know that the Playstation saw several well liked releases in this category like Panzer Bandit.

I don't even understand your 2D platformers part. Where are all these excellent 2D platformers that the Saturn saw and the Playstation didn't? Other than the obvious Sonic collection that was a Saturn exclusive that collected earlier Genesis games (Now that's the console I consider the king of 2D shooters), everything I think of here was multiplatform like Rayman or a Playstation exclusive like Adventures of Lomax.

Not exactly a big genre on either console as far as I know, particularly for North American gamers. Seemed like most of what was created relied on polygonal graphics and would be best classified as 2.5D and the Playstation leads in that area.

Edit - Looks like there might be 7 or 8 Saturn platformers that might be worth checking out like Astal.

[j_factor]

The Saturn's library isn't exactly chuck full of 2D vertical and horizonal shooters, so I don't think it's so unusual. In fact the things that people often go gaga on the Saturn sometimes aren't even particularly amazing or even 2D such as Radian Silvergun.

At the very least, the Playstation holds its ground nicely in this area with often getting the same releases along with several nice exclusives like Zanac and the only arcade perfect ports of the original Raiden series.

I would not mention Raiden and especially Zanac in the same breath as Soukyugurentai, Battle Garegga, or Galactic Attack, but YMMV.


I'll give you this area since I don't even play them, but I really wonder if this downgrading is even something that anyone except a diehard player is going to notice and only after comparing them directly side by side? I suspect those that only had the Playstation versions of Capcom's fighters still found them to be excellent games which was more the point I was after anyways instead of minimizing how well the Saturn did in this area like my post came off as saying.

Depends on the game. As I mentioned, Street Fighter Alpha 1 is perfectly fine on PSX. Most others, not so much. Most egregiously, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter lack the tag-team function that was the main point of the games. Even aside from those two, few hold in high esteem the Playstation versions of X-Men: COTA or Vampire Savior.


I don't even understand your 2D platformers part. Where are all these excellent 2D platformers that the Saturn saw and the Playstation didn't? Other than the obvious Sonic collection that was a Saturn exclusive, everything I think of here was multiplatform like Rayman or a Playstation exclusive like Adventures of Lomax.

I just said I think Saturn has the edge, not that it blew the Playstation away, so saying "all these excellent 2D platformers" is blowing it out of proportion. But to answer your question, Saturn had: Sonic Jam, Mr. Bones, Shinobi Legions, Keio 2, Super Tempo, Astal, Earthworm Jim 2 (on PSX in PAL only), Tryrush Deppy, Sonic "3D" (despite its title), Willy Wombat, Bubble Symphony, Liquid Kids, the superior version of Silhouette Mirage, slightly superior versions of Mega Man 8 and X4 (not sure about X3) and Rayman. As far as I can tell, Gex is pretty identical on both.


Not exactly a big genre on either console as far as I know, particularly for North American gamers. Seemed like most of what was created relied on polygonal graphics and would be best classified as 2.5D and the Playstation leads in that area.

I guess, but there's not a lot of them I don't think. I do love me some Wild 9 though.

[A Black Falcon]

I would not mention Raiden and especially Zanac in the same breath as Soukyugurentai, Battle Garegga, or Galactic Attack, but YMMV.
Maybe not, but Souky was on PS1 too in Japan, and the PS1 has a pretty substantial shmup library too. Yeah, the Saturn's is probably better overall, but the PS1's certainly one of the better shmup platforms. And a pretty respectable number of them released in the US, too, quite unlike the Saturn. In US libraries there's absolutely no contest, that's for sure. The US got stuff on the PS1 like Einhander, Raiden Project, Mobile Light Force (Gunbird minus the story and highscore save), R-Type Delta, Strikers 1945 (II), Shooter: Starfighter Sanvein, and more. Both got In the Hunt, but the PS1 version is a lot better. All the Saturn got in the US are Galactic Attack and Darius Gaiden; both are great, but don't outweigh the PS1 library certainly (and of the two, only Galactic Attack was a true Saturn exclusive, Darius Gaiden had a PS1 version not released in the US). And Japan-only the PS1 has some more great ones like Gradius Gaiden, too. And while many, probably most, shmups on both PS1 and Saturn are better on Saturn, some, like In the Hunt, Strikers 1945 II, and RayStorm are better on PS1. Maybe also Thunder Force V.


Depends on the game. As I mentioned, Street Fighter Alpha 1 is perfectly fine on PSX. Most others, not so much. Most egregiously, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter lack the tag-team function that was the main point of the games. Even aside from those two, few hold in high esteem the Playstation versions of X-Men: COTA or Vampire Savior.
Hey, Darkstalkers 3 on PS1 isn't that bad. Sure, it doesn't match the Saturn version in animation or load times, but it destroys Darkstalkers 1 on PS1, ant looks just as good as Night Warriors on Saturn did (and has similar load times too). It's also got a whole lot of extras not present in Vampire Savior on the Saturn, which are nice to have.


I just said I think Saturn has the edge, not that it blew the Playstation away, so saying "all these excellent 2D platformers" is blowing it out of proportion. But to answer your question, Saturn had: Sonic Jam, Mr. Bones, Shinobi Legions, Keio 2, Super Tempo, Astal, Earthworm Jim 2 (on PSX in PAL only), Tryrush Deppy, Sonic "3D" (despite its title), Willy Wombat, Bubble Symphony, Liquid Kids, the superior version of Silhouette Mirage, slightly superior versions of Mega Man 8 and X4 (not sure about X3) and Rayman. As far as I can tell, Gex is pretty identical on both.
Are you listing just ones you like? I presume so, because you leave out some. Also, uh, Sonic 3D Blast and Willy Wombat aren't 2d games, or even 2.5d... they're both isometric 3d games in 3d worlds with free-roaming 3d gameplay. Willy Wombat even has fully polygonal environments and camera-rotation buttons. How in the world is that 2d? Just because they have sprite characters? That doesn't make it a 2d game when the world is 3d and it's all made of polygons... but even for Sonic 3D Blast, the isometric 3d world isn't 2d, even if the graphics are all drawn and sprites. Apart from that though, that's pretty much the whole library... and as for 2.5d platformers, isn't all the Saturn has Clockwork Knight 1 and 2, and two games also on PS1, The Lost World and Pandemonium, and that's about it (Bug! I'd call 3d, not 2.5d)? Those are three good 2.5d platformers, but the PS1 has so many more...


I guess, but there's not a lot of them I don't think. I do love me some Wild 9 though.
Not a lot of them?[/quote]
What do you mean, not a lot of them? Not a lot of 2.5d platformers on the PS1? I hope you don't mean 2d, because the PS1 certainly has plenty of those, but it has 2.5d platformers too, and not just Wild 9... other 2.5d platformers on PS1 include the two Pandemonium games (only the first was on Saturn), the two Tomba! games, Lucky Luke, several Japan-only Goemon games, etc. As for 2d... Castlevania Chronicles, Mega Man 8 and X4 through X6, Punky Skunk, two Oddworlds, Heart of Darkness, Norse by Norsewest (also on Saturn), Adventures of Lomax, various Japanese games, etc.

Really, both the PS1 and Saturn have fairly decent 2d and 2.5d platformer selections, in terms of quality. Yes, I like the Saturn a lot and dislike Sony, but you're not giving enough credit to the PS1's 2d and 2.5d library. Overall the 2d/2.5d platformer genre certainly declined a lot in volume versus the 4th generation, but while there weren't nearly as many of them, some were still pretty good.


Edit - Looks like there might be 7 or 8 Saturn platformers that might be worth checking out like Astal.
Eh, Astal is boring. The Clockwork Knight games are cool though, as well as some others like Tryrush Deppy, Shinobi Legions, Mr. Bones, and some very expensive, import-only (for the US) ones like Keio 2 and Super Tempo. The Bug! games are also good, and are 2.5d/3d platformer hybrids essentially. The Saturn's exclusive 2d/2.5d platformer library is quite thin. Some are good, certainly, but as far as exclusives go there aren't many. The PS1 probably has more exclusives, but they aren't all better, so I'm not sure which offhand I like more in the genre...


Even leads handily in classic compilations, my own personal favorite 2D area on that generation of consoles. For every nice Saturn compilation, I have about three Playstation releases. And that's including Japanese imports on both like the Sega Memorial Collections and the Konami MSX Collection (Far superior bundled together on the Saturn instead of the divided releases the PS saw) for the Saturn and things like the Nichibutsu and Toaplan collections on the Playstation.
There are some nice classic collections that gen, but the ones on PS2/Xbox/GC generally have many more games in them than PS1/Saturn collections. Still, there are a few games in the PS1/Saturn collections not redone in collections the next generation, like that Konami MSX collection for the Saturn for sure, or a few of the games in the PS1 Namco Museum volumes -- Namco Museum Vol. 5 contains the only ever Western-released, English-language version of Legend of the Valkyrie, for instance. Namco Museums 1 and 3 are very common and contain mostly games that have repeatedly been re-released, but the others have some other stuff like Legend of the Valkyrie, because Namco is annoying and never released large, complete compilations on the PS2/Xbox/GC like Capcom, Tecmo, Midway, and Taito all did.


The Saturn being well known for 2D doesn't mean that the Playstation was lacking in that regard. I think it holds its own easily and in my own personal opinion surpasses it in terms of the number of good 2D games to play. As such, it's no selling point in favor of the Saturn in my book when the Playstation's library has tons of excellent 2D material available like Raiden DX.
Yeah, the PS1 has a great 2d library. People weren't paying much attention to it at the time in the US, but the games are there, and many even have US releases... not all unfortunately, but a lot more than you'll find on Saturn certainly.

[Leo_A]

There are some nice classic collections that gen, but the ones on PS2/Xbox/GC generally have many more games in them than PS1/Saturn collections.

Several are still worth owning though even if on the surface they appear to have been surpassed by subsequent collections. Take the Digital Eclipse ones done for Midway back then (And Atari Anniversary Edition for Infogrames). Most every track-ball game that was on Atari Anthology and Midway Arcade Treasures for last gen consoles is available on various Playstation discs with proper track-ball support (And it also works well for things like Super Breakout that are otherwise unplayable). One collection also has Burgertime (Besides there, it has only seen release on a Dreamcast compilation and Data East Arcade Classics for the Wii) and the only arcade emulation ever of Moon Patrol.

And that's just for the Digital Eclipse stuff.


PS1 Namco Museum volumes -- Namco Museum Vol. 5 contains the only ever Western-released, English-language version of Legend of the Valkyrie, for instance.

Assault is another favorite of mine that has never been touched since. Also plays well with Dual Analog compatible controllers.


Namco Museums 1 and 3 are very common and contain mostly games that have repeatedly been re-released, but the others have some other stuff like Legend of the Valkyrie, because Namco is annoying and never released large, complete compilations on the PS2/Xbox/GC like Capcom, Tecmo, Midway, and Taito all did.

Some of those games that are common though are still very worthwhile in their Playstation incarnations. Take Pole Position and Pole Position II for an example. They're actually playable and quite enjoyable with the Namco racing controller accessory. So even with some of the common stuff, there's a reason to still look at the Playstation library (Any compilation release since then is absolutely unplayable with these two games... they just don't work with an analog stick or a d-pad).

I actually think Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Collection had a decent size lineup for the first time in a Namco compilation (16 games). It's the first Namco Museum release that didn't have a pitifully small selection of games and actually included some new games, something they hadn't done since concluding the initial PS lineup of releases. Also was their first emulated collection which meant that you could use your patterns in Pac-Man and other little details that were off on the earlier Playstation recreations. And of course they released a decently sized PSP collection in the last gen as well with 17 games (Not including the arrangement games).

Virtual Arcade on the 360 though is certainly how they should've been doing it a decade ago though (28 arcade classics, not to mention several modern classics from XBLA)..

[WanganRunner]

I always liked Nintendo software but the N64 is the first time I looked at a Nintendo hardware design and really got a boner.

Largely because the N64 was the beginning of Ninty telling 3rd parties to f**k off. The console/controller was designed 100% to maximize the experience with Miyamoto's 1st party games, and everything else was absolutely an afterthought. The cart medium minimizing SM64 load times, the controller being effectively tailored to SM64/OOT control, the Rumble Pak for Starfox/OoT, etc.

I like specialists. I buy every piece of hardware released so I don't much value a jack-of-all-trades or a compromise. I like hardware that is very specifically tailored to be great at one thing*, and Nintendo used the N64 as a showcase for it's own software, with everything else being compromised. Maybe not the best business decision, but definitely the best for the experience.

The GCN, Wii, Wii/U are similar in their design philosophy, whereas the NES/SNES really were not. The N64 started Nintendo's hardware design philosophy of "our software first, at the expense of everything else".


I love shmups and JRPG's and fighting games and whatever just as much as anyone, but I can play those (at the time) on PS1/Saturn, and I did, a lot. The N64 was special, it was a pure expression of Shigeru's will, of what he wanted us to play and the way he wanted us to experience it. It was the archetype for every piece of Nintendo hardware since in that way.



*Other examples include the PC-FX (made for anime games), the AES, the Saturn for 2D titles (what it was really built to do), and the GB for recognizing that what makes console games great (immersion, scale) isn't what makes handheld games great (simplicity, accessibility).

[djshok]

While I like the Saturn for it's small library of great exclusives, I'd have to say go with the PS1. It has a massive library of basically every genre you could ever want and if you want to save space on your gaming shelf you can always play the games on a PS2 and not have to buy another console. As for the N64, I consider that thing a grotesque monstrosity of a system and would never recommend it to anyone. Unless you really REALLY want to play Golden Eye (which is the only game I'd ever recommend playing on the N64).

[Edmond Dantes]

and the only arcade perfect ports of the original Raiden series.

Actually, speaking as an owner of the Raiden Project, it's not arcade perfect. Although the differences are small things (the music sounds slightly different, and in the arcade version you respawn where you die rather than being sent back to a checkpoint)

My OCD compelled me to point that out. Carry on.

[kupomogli]

As for the N64, I consider that thing a grotesque monstrosity of a system and would never recommend it to anyone. Unless you really REALLY want to play Golden Eye (which is the only game I'd ever recommend playing on the N64).

I'm extremely anti Nintendo, but I don't agree with this comment. It's got a decent amount of must have exclusives. Not nearly as many as the PSX has, but atleast worth owning the console for.

[A Black Falcon]

Several are still worth owning though even if on the surface they appear to have been surpassed by subsequent collections. Take the Digital Eclipse ones done for Midway back then (And Atari Anniversary Edition for Infogrames). Most every track-ball game that was on Atari Anthology and Midway Arcade Treasures for last gen consoles is available on various Playstation discs with proper track-ball support (And it also works well for things like Super Breakout that are otherwise unplayable). One collection also has Burgertime (Besides there, it has only seen release on a Dreamcast compilation and Data East Arcade Classics for the Wii) and the only arcade emulation ever of Moon Patrol.

And that's just for the Digital Eclipse stuff.
Well, Moon Patrol is actually also in Midway's second Dreamcast collection, so it is there too. But yes, since they lost the rights to it after that, it hasn't been seen again since.


Assault is another favorite of mine that has never been touched since. Also plays well with Dual Analog compatible controllers.



Some of those games that are common though are still very worthwhile in their Playstation incarnations. Take Pole Position and Pole Position II for an example. They're actually playable and quite enjoyable with the Namco racing controller accessory. So even with some of the common stuff, there's a reason to still look at the Playstation library (Any compilation release since then is absolutely unplayable with these two games... they just don't work with an analog stick or a d-pad).

I actually think Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Collection had a decent size lineup for the first time in a Namco compilation (16 games). It's the first Namco Museum release that didn't have a pitifully small selection of games and actually included some new games, something they hadn't done since concluding the initial PS lineup of releases. Also was their first emulated collection which meant that you could use your patterns in Pac-Man and other little details that were off on the earlier Playstation recreations. And of course they released a decently sized PSP collection in the last gen as well with 17 games (Not including the arrangement games).
Midway and Capcom's first PS2/Xbox(/GC) collections both included all games they still had the rights for from their PS1/SAT/N64 collections. That is, Midway couldn't re-release the pre-1984 Atari collections or Moon Patrol because they didn't have those rights anymore, but put everything else into Midway Arcade Treasures 1. MAT 2 and 3 were all-new titles. Similarly, Capcom Classics Collection 1 included pretty much everything from their series of (Japan-only) PS1/Saturn collections. There were feature changes, sure, but the games themselves were all there.

In comparison, Namco did nothing of the sort, and released a collection with only certain titles. And then did so again, and again, and again, often re-releasing the same games every time, only with a handful of other random titles that may be exclusive to that collection. Meanwhile, Tecmo released a collection with a decent amount of stuff in it, and Taito released a series of massive collections of their arcade games. Namco's collections are pretty bad in comparison. And there are STILL games only ever re-released on the PS1! It's insane.

[Leo_A]

Well, Moon Patrol is actually also in Midway's second Dreamcast collection, so it is there too. But yes, since they lost the rights to it after that, it hasn't been seen again since.

Yep

I had it reversed. It's Burgertime that only appeared in one Midway Playstation compilation. It was Moon Patrol that saw a release on two Midway compilations (One for the Playstation and another for the Dreamcast).

And of course arcade Burgertime was seen again semi recently on Data East Arcade Classics for the Nintendo Wii.


Midway and Capcom's first PS2/Xbox(/GC) collections both included all games they still had the rights for from their PS1/SAT/N64 collections.

What games included in their Capcom Generations releases weren't on Capcom Classics Volume 1?

I'm aware of why the Atari Corp releases and Burgertime and Moon Patrol weren't on MAT1. But no matter the reason, two exclusive games not seen in the following generation on the Midway Arcade Treasures lineup along with trackball support in multiple releases for the trackball releases that have been seen since then on MAT and on Atari's own Atari Anthology without trackball support are still reasons to pay attention to the Digital Eclipse work on the original Playstation.


In comparison, Namco did nothing of the sort, and released a collection with only certain titles. And then did so again, and again, and again, often re-releasing the same games every time, only with a handful of other random titles that may be exclusive to that collection. Meanwhile, Tecmo released a collection with a decent amount of stuff in it, and Taito released a series of massive collections of their arcade games. Namco's collections are pretty bad in comparison. And there are STILL games only ever re-released on the PS1! It's insane.

While the first Namco Museum on last generation consoles is 100% guilty of this (As was every release they brought to the GBA, Dreamcast, and N64 after their PSOne lineup concluded), I think you're far too harsh on Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Collection, Namco Museum Battle Collection, and Namco Museum Virtual Arcade.

Virtual Arcade in particular isn't lacking in the slightest compared to any of the great compilations we've recieved. While it doesn't bring every last thing together that has ever seen in a prior Namco compilation that they still hold the rights to (Unlike what MAT1 and CCC1 did), it's not too far off the mark, brings a tiny bit of new content to the table (Sky Kid Deluxe), and most importantly is well done and offers a very large lineup of arcade classics. Here's the lineup (And keep in mind that it also includes the very well recieved Pac-Man Championship Edition and some other modern remakes).

BaRaDuke
Bosconian
Dig Dug
Dig Dug II
Dragon Buster
Dragon Spirit
Galaga
Galaga '88
Galaxian
Grobda
King and Balloon
Mappy
Metro-Cross
Motos
Ms. Pac-Man
New Rally-X
Pac & Pal
Pac-Man
Pac-Mania
Pole Position
Pole Position II
Rally-X
Rolling Thunder
Sky Kid
Sky Kid DX
Super Pac-Man
The Tower of Druaga
Xevious

Missing from earlier collections are Toy Pop, Super Xevious, Gaplus, Phozon, The Tower of Druaga: Another Tower, The Tower of Druaga: Darkness Tower, The Return of Ishtar, Genji & Heike Clans, Assault (And Assault Plus), Ordyne, Pac-Land, Legend of the Valkyrie, Cutie Q, and Pac-Attack.

At least it's not what I'd call pretty bad...