Top imports - Sega Saturn

[maxlords]

What imports do you really recommend? For the Saturn, I'm a bit biased towards shmups, so my list is mostly those and beat em ups, but here's what's tops on my list (all of these are Jp imports):

Tenchi Wo Kurau 2 (Warriors of Fate, Dynasty Wars 2): Awesome Capcom beat em up....kinda like Dynasty Warriors 2 but in sprites! Very fun, very frantic....great stuff!

Soukyugurentai (Terra Diver): Otherwise known as the game no one can pronounce, Soukyugurentai is an unbelievable vertical shmup! Fast, well designed, and requiring thought as well as twitch reflexes, this one has it all if you dig shmups! Neat targeting system too, kinda like that weird gun in Thunderforce V!

Guardian Force: Little known tank shmup for the Saturn. Great weapons, good pacing, and it's cool to drive fast tanks, not to mention the giant death yoyo weapon! Good stuff, and not too spendy.

Donpachi : Ancestor to the FAR more well known Dodonpachi, this is afun little mindless vertical shmup. It's fast, it's ALL in English, and it has some great voiceovers!

Dungeons & Dragons Collection: It's Tower of Doom for the CPS2 on one disc, and Shadows Over Mystaria for CPS2 on the other! It's the same as in the arcade, but unfortunately, not in English! So you dont' get the great cheesy story, and it's hard to tell what magic you're selecting, but it's the ONLY console port of the arcade game. The load times are minimal, but are between every section. We're talking 2-3 seconds at the most really, so it's not bad, but it does distract a tiny bit. Some people hate that, some don't. It's not cheap, but it's classic Capcom beat em up fun!

Puyo Puyo Sun: Compile puzzling at it's best. One of my favorite incarnations of Puyo Puyo, it has different powers for each character you select! Very cool!

Twinkle Star Sprites: 2 player puzzler that's also a shmup. Very strange, but you basically shoot enemies to send shots at your opponent, even dropping bosses at him/her with combos! Great game, but kinda spendy. The Saturn version has the most extras of any version.

[AB Positive]

Shining Force III: Scenario I and II are also considered two of the best import titles on the system... I'm dry otherwise :-D

-AG

[oesiii]

I really enjoy my Jikkyou Powerful Puroyakyu 95 on the Saturn. But I would say that any Powerful Pro Baseball game on the SNES, PSX, or GBA would be my favorite imports :D

[Ascending Wordsmith]

Metal Slug for the Saturn is the second best arcade transition to a console, just after the Neo Geo AES version.

[Funk Buddy]

Well, I really like the yellow or red label Mahjong games. :embarrassed: I know I'm probably the only one, but hey... they're fun. Nothing like hearing the shame in the characters voice when you beat them, and they must remove some clothes! LOL

That being said, the Saturn has too many great games to list! It really has some great fighters, shooters and lets not forget the puzzle games!!

If you don't have to own a Neo-Geo to play some great SNK fighters. The KOF series comes to mind plus Fatal Fury.

Plus, you can't help but love some Capcom goodness.

Let's see, puzzle games... what comes to mind.

Super Puzzle Fighter II X (yes I know other systems have this too)
Cleopatra Fortune
Puyo Puyo 2
Baku Baku Animal
Monster Slider
Magical Drop III
Many more, but most are the same type of game with different characters.

The Saturn is my favorite import system I own, with the PS2 and DC right behind it. Right now I have these import systems:

DC
XBox
PS2
Saturn
Turbo Duo
Core Grafix
GC
Wonderswan

Plus the region free systems like the GG, GB/GBC/GBA and the NGPC. I have a few PS imports, but have not gotten into that system yet. Looking to get into the Nintendo systems soon, plus some Megadrive games too.

[WiseSalesman]

Baku Baku Animal


....or you can just get the american version of this game like I did. I do enjoy it though, it's also very fun in two player.

I'll second Metal Slug, it's far better than any of the PSX versions I've played so far.

And I'll add Prikura Daisakusen, but only if you find it for cheaper than its usual range ($60 - $80). I picked mine up for $45, and I still feel like I overpaid just a bit. It's a very fun isometric shooter, but it doesn't have a whole lot of replay value, and the controls are just slightly sluggish. I bought it because GameFan magazine acted like it was the second coming. If I had known about DP at the time, I'm sure I would have gone for a different import first, but PD is still something I would have eventually wanted to add to my collection.

[Kroogah]

X-Men Vs. Street Fighter
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Vampire Savior
King of Fighters '96 and '97
Sega Ages Memorial Selection 1 & 2
Capcom Generations 1-5
Konami Antiques MSX Collection
Sexy Parodius

[Kroogah]

Oh my God....Policenauts. Duh. :embarrassed:

[digitalpress]

My favorite Saturn import is Radiant Silvergun. I always wanted the game, finally got it earlier this year, and have played it almost exclusively on my Saturn ever since. It's one of the best SHMUPS I've EVER played.

[Biohazard]

I think Battle Garegga is also a desireable Saturn import.. as are a lot of the JAP Saturn shmups, ie.

Stellar Assault SS, Hyper Duel, (Do)Donpachi, Strikers 1945, Thunderforce V, Gunbird, and maybe even Choaniki ;)

[JMO]

Radiant Silvergun is easily one of the top import saturn games, for a myriad of reasons.

For one thing, it commands one of the highest prices for a saturn import game, with it selling on ebay for $150+. This is even more amazing due to the fact that the game itself is uncommon. There are a lot of copies of this game floating around (there's almost always an auction for this game on ebay), and yet it still goes for over 150 bucks! I attribute this mostly to the unbelievable hype this game has garnered among gamers, which I'm still fairly convinced stem from the reviews that shot up when the game first came out, written by people who I'm fairly convinced never played the game at all. I'm referring to reviews of the game at 2 of the original shooting game webpages, namely the Starbase and Shmups! In addition, the Treasure fanboys really hype RSG... it's disturbing that they're still going at it with as much fervor as when it first came out.

Secondly, RSG is, indeed, a really good game. People overrate it heavily, but there's no denying the fact that it's a lot of fun. Don't tell me it's the best shooting game ever, though... it has an incredible amount of innovative concepts, but they're never fully explored within the length of the game, because the designers just crammed the whole game with boss fights! I will definitely nominate the game for best art direction, though. :)

[Kid Fenris]

Radiant Silvergun is at the top of my list, along with these:

Cyberbots: Capcom's robot-based fighter never got beyond location testing in American arcades, but the Saturn version does a great job of recreating the coin-op original. Great mech and character designs, loose-yet-enjoyable gameplay, and an actual story make this an unjustly obscure piece of Capcom history.

Policenauts: The follow-up to the digital comic classic Snatcher, it's perhaps more text-intensive than any other recommended import, but no game provides a better reason to learn Japanese.

Princess Crown: It may well be the single most gorgeous 2-D game I've ever seen, but there's an excellent action/RPG under the pretty hand-drawn art.

Tengai Makyo IV: As an RPG, it's decent, but the real charm of this one lies in its setting, a deliberately warped take on 19th century America. Nothing beats a Japanese actor trying to say "Alaska" in a Southern accent.

Sakura Wars: Part strategy/RPG, part dating simulator, and part anime series, the original SW is far more than the sum of its parts. The tactical portions are fun, the storyline's a interesting tale framed by a steampunk vision of early 20th century Japan, and the "dating" parts are tasteful and surprisingly fun.

Keio Yu Gekitai: A fun and uniquely Japanese platformer, this wasn't translated because American companies were dumb. Or perhaps because the game stars a girl in a bunny-waitress getup and would have sold all of twelve copies in the U.S. Take your pick.

Others: Vampire Savior, Soukyugurentai, Dodonpachi, Cotton 2 and Boomerang, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, and Batsugun.

[Dire 51]

I've got to go with RS myself, but Sexy Parodius, Capcom Generation 1-4 and Gunbird are high on my list as well.

Worth mentioning is Bulk Slash, a 3-D Hudson Soft adventure/shooter. For some reason, it reminds me of Armored Core, but it's a lot more "twitch" oriented and a lot more anime. You don't have to save up money to upgrade your mech, either - you just find powerups out in the field, plus you can transform from mech to ship at the touch of a button. I rarely see it mentioned anywhere, which is pretty sad, as it's a great game.

[WiseSalesman]

Keio Yu Gekitai

This is not the same game as Keio Flying Squadron, is it? Because it stars the same character, but I would hardly call it a platformer.

[Biohazard]

Keio Yu Gekitai

This is not the same game as Keio Flying Squadron, is it? Because it stars the same character, but I would hardly call it a platformer.

It's the exact same title actually, Keio Flying Squadron. I would hardly call that a platformer, more of a schmup-like adventure. Keio is very good though, get it anyway ;)

[WiseSalesman]

Keio Yu Gekitai

This is not the same game as Keio Flying Squadron, is it? Because it stars the same character, but I would hardly call it a platformer.

It's the exact same title actually, Keio Flying Squadron. I would hardly call that a platformer, more of a schmup-like adventure. Keio is very good though, get it anyway ;)

Ugh! Are you serious? What's the big deal about this game? I can't figure out what people like about it.

[Kid Fenris]

Keio Yu Gekitai

This is not the same game as Keio Flying Squadron, is it? Because it stars the same character, but I would hardly call it a platformer.

It's the exact same title actually, Keio Flying Squadron. I would hardly call that a platformer, more of a schmup-like adventure. Keio is very good though, get it anyway ;)

No, they are two different games. This is Keio Flying Squadron, a shooter which was released in the U.S. for the Sega CD.

http://www.angelfire.com/ny/dezmoowu/Sega/keioad.jpg

And this is Keio Yu Gekitai: Katsugekihen, known as Keio Flying Squadron 2 in Europe, and often referred to as Keio Yu Gekitai.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~bevhome/keio2sale.htm

It includes a few shooting stages, but it's primarily a platformer. Here's a review.

http://www.geocities.com/opcfg3/keiossreview.html

[WiseSalesman]

Ahhhhh....good. Now I understand.

[Dire 51]

I enjoyed KFS on the Sega CD, but it didn't really seem as wacky as I thought it would be. The story, on the other hand, is bizarre. I have yet to play the Saturn game, though.

[GaijinPunch]

As stated, Keio Yuugekitai is AWESOME. Hence, I picked it as my logo. Need to make an avatar out of it. :)

Skimming through the scans at my site, I'd say:

-Arcade Gears Wonder 3
-Assault Suit Leynos 2
-Astra Superstars (and I hate 2D fighting games)
-Dracula X
-D&D Collection
-Elevator Action Returns
-Space Harrier
-Fantasy Zone
-Game Tengoku
-Nekketsu Oyako
-Night Striker S
-Princess Crown
-Purikura Daisakusen
-Sengoku Blade
-Silhouette Mirage
-Time Bokan: Bokan to Ippatsu (great shooter)

[devilman]

Damn.. the two games I was going to recommend have already been suggested - Magical Drop III & Radiant Silvergun.

I played MD III to death on the Neo Geo emulator so I was chuffed to find that it came out on the Saturn as the chance of me getting it for my AES were pretty remote. I've got MD II too and the first game which was called Chain Reaction.

Radiant Silvergun is a great game and actually worth the high price it commands. I'll probably never finish it, as shooters are NOT my speciality (in fact, I've no idea what my speciality is) but every time I play it I think "how the hell did they do all this on a Saturn" where a lot of other games just didn't push the system in the way that Treasure did.

Just as an aside, was Sega Ages released in the US? I know that us PAL gamers got all three games (Out Run, Space Harrier & After Burner 2) as one compilation while in Japan they were all released separately. What did the US get?

[GaijinPunch]

The US got screwed. Japan got more than those three. Sega Ages Collection 1-2 and Fantasy Zone come to mind. Phantasy Star Collection was technically a Sega Ages release, although you'd not know from the packaging.

[devilman]

Ah, I'd forgetten about the others. I quite like Sega Ages Collection 2. :)

[Lost Monkey]

Gals Panic
Radiant Silvergun
Thunderforce V
X-Men Vs Streetfighter
Vampire Savior
Dead or Alive
Sega Ages Volume 1 & 2

There are so many good shmups - way too many to list...

I think the Saturn is my favourite import system with the PCE a close second.

[Kroogah]

The US got screwed. Japan got more than those three. Sega Ages Collection 1-2 and Fantasy Zone come to mind. Phantasy Star Collection was technically a Sega Ages release, although you'd not know from the packaging.

Oh, did we ever.....

Sega Ages Japanese discs:
Space Harrier
After Burner 2
OutRun
Power Drift (not 100% sure on this one)
Mickey & Donald
Columns Collection
Galaxy Force 2
Fantasy Zone
Shukudaigan Tant-R
Rouka ni Ichidant-R
Memorial Selection 1
Memorial Selection 2
Phantasy Star Collection

[Jive3D]

12345

[maxlords]

I have the US Guardian Heroes and honestly I like the Japanese one better. The reason being is that not only is the US one prohibitively expensive, but it's also got one of the worst hack translation jobs I've EVER seen! BLEAH! It's a lot more fun to play hte Jp one and just make up the dialogue! Usually makes more sense too!

[bargora]

Aside from the excelllent shmups already mentioned, I'd throw in Strikers 1945 II. I know that it's available as a U.S. release for the Playstation (as "Strikers 1945"), but the Saturn version has "Arcade" (or "tate") mode where you can flip your TV on its side and play it like it was meant to be played. I like this feature a lot, and I have an old beater TV I keep on its side just for this purpose.

Another shmup I enjoy that gets almost no press is Blast Wind, which is a Technosoft vertical. While I can't get down with Thunder Force V yet (still hacking at TF2 on my Genny, and TF5 just hands me my butt), Blast Wind is a fun little ride and has a great Technosoft cheese-rock soundtrack. If you pick it up, though, please explain to me if the intro's lingering CG "bust shot" of the female pilot has a deeper implication for the plot...

I've been thinking about picking up Strikers 1945 (JP, Saturn). Any recommendations?

[Iron Draggon]

OK, if you're a shmup fan, these are the ones that I have, and I recommend them all:

Thunder Force V
Blast Wind
Sonic Wings Special
Strikers 1945
Strikers 1945 II
Sol Divide

[maxlords]

OK, if you're a shmup fan, these are the ones that I have, and I recommend them all:

Thunder Force V
Blast Wind
Sonic Wings Special
Strikers 1945
Strikers 1945 II
Sol Divide

Sol Divide? seriously? UGH! I have the US PSX version...it's painful.

[GaijinPunch]

Yeah, Sol Divide is pretty lame.
Unique, yes, but not a good shmup. I think it'd be fine if there wasn't so much scene-changing going on.

[link1110]

Tengai Makyou 4: Not a popular one, but still awesome. Basically its the FF10 of anime graphics, all voice, Plus its funny as hell. Like Working Designs' humor but not that their ploping it in other games? You'll love this, Its a WD game in japanese, too bad they didn't translate it, it was made for them.....

[Iron Draggon]

Wow, I forgot all about this thread! Sorry for the llllooonnnggg delay, but here's the story on Sol Divide for those who are still interested in hearing it:

The US PSX version is a pathetic insult to the Japanese original on Saturn!

What they did was they cut out all the dialogue sequences, of which there are many, instead of translating them into English. That's probably why it seems to have so much scene changing going on. The US version is missing all the dialogue scenes that explain what's happening and blend each scene into the next. Of course I can't read a word of Japanese, so I have no idea what's going on either, but at least I'm not missing all the expressions on the character's faces during all the dialogue scenes. These scenes contain quite a few impressive animations as well, so the US version has been butchered beyond playability, IMO. Without all the dialogue scenes, you're missing half of the scenes in the game. So it's like cutting half the pages out of a book.

I bought the US version hoping that I could finally find out what all those cutscenes are talking about, and I was absolutely horrified by what they did to it. The control is abysmal too, so they really messed it all up. The Saturn version is smooth and fluid, fast and furious at times, and always a joy to play through. It's a bit easy with continues, and it is mostly boss fighting, but if you're into that you'll love it. But I got the impression that the dialogue really is half of the game though, so it really should've been translated instead of getting butchered. As the US version stands now, it's almost completely worthless, unless you don't own a Saturn or you can't track down a copy of the original anymore. It's a bit short to recommend paying too much money for it, but with 3 different characters and 3 different endings, at least it does have some replayability. And there's probably tons of hidden extra stuff that I don't even know about yet because I can't read all the Japanese in the cutscenes. I bet it has more than 3 endings, but I've only seen 3 so far.

Anyway, if you ever get a chance to play the Saturn version, go for it and see what I mean. Especially if you've already played the US version on PSX before. The difference is astounding. Yet more proof that the Saturn kicked ass all over the PSX, but a sad twist of fate prevented it from defeating it like it should have. I think that we might very well still be seeing tons of new releases for the Saturn to this very day, if it had been able to survive it's war with the PSX as the superior console that it was. I have several games on both Saturn & PSX, and the Saturn version is always graphically superior to the PSX version. They usually control much better on Saturn than PSX too.

Still no new imports for me on the Saturn or any of my other systems yet, but I'm working on that as we speak. I have my eyes on a couple of things.

[-hellvin-]

I'm gonna throw in a vote for Sengoku Blade. I LOVE this shooter. What's better than playing some anime chick who can summon a racoon "bomb" which breathes fire in the enemies fucking EYES?

[EnemyZero]

http://www.importgamesjapan.com/SegaSaturnGames/SegaSaturnAThruDFolder/AkumajoDraculaX.jpg


:-P oh anywho...I have ALOT of fun playing willy wombat....it doesnt seem to popular but its one of my fav saturn games

[SegaAges]

radiant silvergun
I know, everybody has probablt already said this 1 (I didn't read any of the other posts)

Capcom Generations 5 (I think)
This is also known as Street Fighter Collection 2. Even though it is a capcom generations disc and says nothing about it being a street fighter collection disc, well, you guys get the point.

marvel vs. street fighter
excellent game. i love it to death. i think the graphics for this are far supirior to those of ps1.

xmen vs. street fighter
you guys knew i was going to say it.

those are he only imports that i have personally played that i can vouch for being good.

[digitalpress]

Reviving a dormant topic because I'm looking for something new to play on my Saturn. I've got about 30 import Saturn games - all of them suggested by various knowledgeable gamers over the years - so if you haven't already added to this thread, please do now!

[Funk Buddy]

Ok, so whatcha' got Joe?

[digitalpress]

Ok, so whatcha' got Joe?

Everything I've got is already covered in the lists above. My favorites are the D&D game, Radiant Silvergun, the Ages series, DoDonPachi, and Keio 2. So I'm pretty much "game" for anything that's recommended and not already stated.

[Funk Buddy]

Ok, I'll see if I can come up with something not listed.

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Everything I've got is already covered in the lists above. My favorites are the D&D game, Radiant Silvergun, the Ages series, DoDonPachi, and Keio 2. So I'm pretty much "game" for anything that's recommended and not already stated.

Are you mostly looking for cheaper or commen titles? If not, I know Prikura Daisakusen (http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fs earch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DPrikura%2BDaisakusen%26sm%3DY ahoo%2521%2BSearch%26toggle%3D1%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3DFP-tab-web-t&h=324&w=488&imgcurl=www.maniac.de%2Foldhome%2Freviews%2Fsaturn %2Fmr%2Fprikura%2Fp2b.jpg&imgurl=www.maniac.de%2Foldhome%2Freviews%2Fsaturn% 2Fmr%2Fprikura%2Fp2b.jpg&size=76.9kB&name=p2b.jpg&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maniac.de%2Foldhome%2Frevie ws%2Fsaturn%2Fmr%2Fprikura%2Fprikura.html&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.maniac.de%2Foldhome%2Freview s%2Fsaturn%2Fmr%2Fprikura%2Fprikura.html&p=Prikura+Daisakusen&type=jpeg&no=11&tt=12) is a solid title you could probably find for around 50-60 dollars at videogamedepot (http://www.videogamedepot.com/shop/games.asp?PS=Saturn). You sould also try checking out the other Konami "deluxe pack" games such as Detana Twinbee Yahho! Deluxe Pack, or Gokujou Parodius Da! Deluxe Pack.

EDIT: Whoops, looks like Prikura Daisakusen was already listed on the first page.

[MuppetMaster]

Wow no one has mentioned Bomberman yet :/ great multiplayer(10 people) and it costs a fraction of the US version! a must play.

I would also put Vampire Savior on my list, this is the best conversion of this fighter!! Arcade perfect!

[Steven]

bargora's probably bought it since but I'll answer his question nonetheless... Strikers 1945 for Saturn is a solid solid shooter. It can be had for approx. $30 or so and if you can get it for under $25 like I did, it's a great deal. I like SII better, but the original is still loads of cappin' fun.

I agree, Blast Wind is a good one, although the rarity and price of it has really shot through the roof. My copy recently cost me freak... close to 80 bucks IIRC, and I've seen copies go in the low-mid 90's even.

Kyukyo Tiger II Plus (sp?) is a not often talked about shmup that I absolutely recommend. It was six stages of good times I recall.

What I enjoy about the Saturn so much is that it has a wide variety of quality games, from the well known (Metal Slug) to the not so well known (Keriotosse!). There are many pearls waiting to be discovered and played. 8-)