Sega Saturn was such an underrated console

[LINK398]

All I can think about is how my other games for other consoles (including long RPG's) will never be played once I actually sit down and play my Sega Saturn. I've played it here and there but recently been actually playing the old Xbox 360 for some reason. I bought a Sega Saturn lot a few months ago and since then purchased more games. The thing is I wanted my Sega Saturn to be mostly pick up and play (Even though I did buy a few RPG's for the console) but those pick up and play games have some great replay values I don't think I'll go back to anything else in a long while lol. Even games like NHL All Star Hockey are fun to play. So far they are all fun except I couldn't really get into Robotica and havent touched Virtua Racing yet. I don't think I will be playing much Virtua Fighter Remix either but the others are really good. Any hidden gems worth knowing about? Also any opinions on some of the lesser known games I have I would love to know about games like Blazing Dragons for example. It's fun finding games I would have never picked up. Anyway here's the list

Virtua Racing (Haven't touched yet)
Virtua Fighter Remix (Can see why it was revolutionary but I'm not that interested in it)
Crime Wave (Decent game was surprised with this one)
Blazing Dragons (Haven't played yet but looks interesting like an Adventure or Platformer game)
Robotica (Not interested in this at all and for some reason it seems like it's always in lots on ebay)
Bug! (An ok little game would much rather play some of the other popular Sega platformers on the console)
Albert Odyssey (Bought this game after I had the console looking forward to playing through it)
Sega Rally Championship (A really fun Arcade racer)
Daytona USA (Another fun racer but not as good as Sega Rally Championship)
Nights Into Dreams ( Awesome game a lot of fun)
Galactic Attack ( Another really fun arcade game)
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (Completed this one only problem was that it was too short but great)
NHL All Star Hockey (Actually pretty fun game)
Burning Rangers (Just ordered should be coming soon looks great)
Shining Force III (Looking forward to this one also seems great)
World Championship Soccer (Bought this one because was curious what soccer game was always on the Sega Saturn advertisements looks cool)
Road Rash (The Genesis one was awesome when I played it as a kid this one is on its way cool though)

Gonna have to take a break collecting and save some cash for the very expensive Panzer Dragoon Saga because all of these games I got rather quick thanks

[crazyjackcsa]

Virtua Racing: Skip it for Daytona or Sega Rally
Virtua Fighter Remix: Skip it for VF2 or Fighter's MegaMix
Crime Wave (Decent game was surprised with this one)
Blazing Dragons (Haven't played yet but looks interesting like an Adventure or Platformer game)
Robotica: Junk
Bug! (An ok little game would much rather play some of the other popular Sega platformers on the console)
Albert Odyssey: Good RPG
Sega Rally Championship (A really fun Arcade racer)
Daytona USA (Another fun racer but not as good as Sega Rally Championship)
Nights Into Dreams ( Awesome game a lot of fun)
Galactic Attack ( Another really fun arcade game)
Panzer Dragoon II Zwei (Completed this one only problem was that it was too short but great)
NHL All Star Hockey: I'd say avoid all the Saturn Hockey Games.
Burning Rangers:Framerate, draw-in and resolution blow, still a lot of fun.
Shining Force III: Great Game
World Championship Soccer: '98 is the superior game
Road Rash: It's alright.

Hidden gems? Most of the good U.S. Release Saturn Games are well known. Mr Bones might be a candidate, Dark Savior another one. You can't go wrong the the Sega RPGs (Panzer, Shining series, even Mysteria is alright) Dragon Force, Guradian Heroes,

[Daltone]

Deep Fear is absolutely worth playing if you like survival horror.

You can get the Jap version dirt cheap and it is completely playable - all the voice acting is in English and the menus take about 20 seconds to get the hang of if you have ever played Resident Evil. Lots of guides online as well.

[LINK398]

Under the Sega Saturn manage data menu what does A-Link mean under Nights into Dreams and then why is scores seperate. If I could delete one of them and also continue progress throughout the game I will. Also why does it seem everyone has that game Robotica was it big back in the day or something thanks

[GhostDog]

The Saturn actually sold well in Japan but struggled in other places. That's not to say those that bought it in other parts of the world other than Japan didn't appreciate it. From what I've gathered from Youtube videos, gamers from the U.K. really appreciated the system with games like SEGA Rally being really popular. I think it had to be the U.S. market where it seemed that people were disappointed with their system purchase and many people only started appreciating the system when they got the Action Replay and were able to play imported games like many of the 2D fighters that never made their way outside of Japan. The Saturn was no doubt a great system and many games played like a dream despite having 3D graphics that looked below par from the Playstation. However, when it came to 2D games, the Saturn of course had the PS1 beat by a mile.

[gameofyou]

Bought a Saturn in 1995, and haven't unplugged it since. There were a bunch of great USA releases, and then when you factor in all the JPN-only releases, it's just mind blowing.

I put some videos on YouTube a long time ago, which had short clips of 155 of the best Saturn games I had played. Unfortunately, Sega had volume 5 pulled, because there was SFIII footage (!?!). But you can still check out the rest, & maybe find some games that interest you.

Here is a link: www.youtube.com/user/gameofyou1

[Mr Mort]

The Saturn is my favourite console of all-time. Between the ports of Sega's fantastic arcade games, the shoot-em-ups, fighting games, the Saturn has all the stuff I love. It was a 2D powerhouse. IMHO, only the Neo-Geo could come close to having so many amazing looking 2D games.

If you really want to appreciate everything the Saturn has to offer, you have to start importing some Japanese games. There were so many great games that were never released in North America, and it's a shame. From Capcom's arcade-perfect 2D fighters that make use of the 4-meg RAM cart, to the great conversion of Neo-Geo games, to the scores of great shooters that were never released overseas, much of the consoles greatest games have to be imported. There are lots of quirky and unique games out there for the system, it's great.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

I think the saturn is fantastic, but unfortunately i find it real hard to collect for. Number one, I can never find Saturn games anywhere at retro game shops, and when I do its just shovelware sports titles which I give no shits about. Number two, everything is balls expensive on Amazon. Number 3, The games that are 3rd party non exclusives are usually DOUBLE what the Playstation versions cost, like Tomb Raider and Resident evil. Number 4, most of the RPG's are insanely expensive. I mean, Panzer Dragoon Saga will cost u like $275 loose! When you can get a copy of Final Fantasy 7 for $35, blacklabel, complete! I have only 7 games for it, a few good titles like Panzer Dragoon and Nights, and I'd love more, but I need the prices to go down. I could prolly sell the 7 games I have on Amazon and make like $300. Ridiculous.

[GhostDog]

I think the saturn is fantastic, but unfortunately i find it real hard to collect for. Number one, I can never find Saturn games anywhere at retro game shops, and when I do its just shovelware sports titles which I give no shits about. Number two, everything is balls expensive on Amazon. Number 3, The games that are 3rd party non exclusives are usually DOUBLE what the Playstation versions cost, like Tomb Raider and Resident evil. Number 4, most of the RPG's are insanely expensive. I mean, Panzer Dragoon Saga will cost u like $275 loose! When you can get a copy of Final Fantasy 7 for $35, blacklabel, complete! I have only 7 games for it, a few good titles like Panzer Dragoon and Nights, and I'd love more, but I need the prices to go down. I could prolly sell the 7 games I have on Amazon and make like $300. Ridiculous.

Get yourself a Action Replay and buy Japanese imports. Many of the imports are cheaper than their North American counterparts.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Get yourself a Action Replay and buy Japanese imports. Many of the imports are cheaper than their North American counterparts.

That's what I lack, right now. I'd love to get into all the 2D fighters that are out. It's a shame so much Japanese material never made it here. I never got into collecting Japanese games, and if I was gonna start, it'd be with the Saturn.

I will also say, I've had issues with the Saturn controllers. I have the Nights controller, and it kinda works when it feels like it. I also bought an after market controller, brand new, and when I plugged it in the first time, it just will not work.

[Bloodreign]

Nearly 40 games into my Saturn collection after 4 years (many of them imports), the Saturn isn't underrated in my house, it's downright enjoyable. Plan on picking up Vampire Savior and Vampire Hunter for it too (despite buying the Darkstalkers Collection on PS2 recently).

[mailman187666]

I love the Saturn. According to my list, there are only 61 titles out of the whole library that I do not own. Luckily for me, they are mostly cheapos with the exception of Daytona Netlink, Megaman 8, and maybe 1 or 2 other games. I try to hold off from buying them on ebay most of the time, and I'd say about 75% of my collection were all purchased for well under what they are worth. It really is a difficult system to collect for, like people have previously mentioned, with most stores being littered with the sports games. Some day, I will track down those last 61 games, with maybe the exception being Daytona Netlink.

[Garry Silljo]

My Saturn collection is nearly complete. I just need Sega Ages. I decided not to collect any of the netlink stuff though.

The Saturn is played heavily in my house. My kids love Astal and Clockwork Night. My wife loves all the light gun games. I play a little of everyting (except sports).

[LINK398]

Anyone know about the Nights Into Dreams data question I posted above and whats the difference between the two. I want to delete one of them if I can since they both take up a lot of space and cant save any other games anymore. I dont have a back up cartridge yet. Speaking of imports thats one of the problems I'm having to decide on and its a choice between the official Sega brand Sega Saturn back up cartridge or an Action Replay and I only really want to buy one. One more thing lets discuss hidden gems theres gotta be some on this console besides the main accepted good games

[Gamevet]

It's true, you can get the Japanese titles for a hell of a lot cheaper than what they are asking for the US versions. Don't believe the guys from the UK, North American gamers love their Saturns and pretty much hold onto most of their titles. The prices are pretty high for the North American titles, since they are hard to come by, and the best games are rarely put op for sale without a high price tag.

Still, you can get some pretty decent titles, without importing. I only have about 6 import titles for my Saturn and the rest of the 75 plus titles I own were titles that were released in North America; I just got them while they were still at retail.


Here's a good start:


Virtua Cop (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Virtua-Cop-Sega-Saturn-1996-/191078591430?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item2c7d2bebc6)


Dark Savior (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dark-Savior-Sega-RR437351-Sega-Saturn-/151223081707?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item2335991aeb)


Shining: The Holy Ark (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shining-the-Holy-Ark-Sega-Saturn-1997-COMPLETE-/121282787369?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item1c3d047829)


Decathlete (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Decathlete-Saturn-COMPLETE-IN-CASE-/400240405795?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item5d302fed23)


Last Gladiators Pinball (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Complete-DIGITAL-PINBALL-LAST-GLADIATORS-Sega-Saturn-1996-CIB-Case-Manual-/281273793902?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item417d397d6e)


Iron Storm (http://www.ebay.com/itm/IRON-STORM-Sega-Saturn-Game-1996-/271353027992?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item3f2de69d98)


Wing Arms (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wing-Arms-Sega-Saturn-1995-Complete-Game-Case-Manual-Foam-/221380767505?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item338b526f11)


Virtual On (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Virtual-On-Cyber-Troopers-Sega-Saturn-1996-COMPLETE-/161220575863?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item25897ec277)


Manx TT Superbike (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Manx-TT-SuperBike-Sega-Saturn-1997-COMPLETE-/121279211837?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item1c3ccde93d)


Soviet Strike (http://www.ebay.com/itm/SOVIET-STRIKE-Sega-Saturn-Game-COMPLETE-RARE-/141069376574?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item20d863dc3e)


Fighting Vipers (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fighting-Vipers-Sega-Saturn-1996-Complete-Game-Case-Manual-Foam-/221380762937?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item338b525d39)


Shining: The Holy Ark is well worth $50. It's better than buying the mediocre RPGs they have available today and I liked it a lot more than the over-rated Final Fantasy VII.

[BricatSegaFan]

So quick question. I've had Keio flying squadron 2 for Jp saturn. Is it rare? I mean I can't get a consistent price for it online.

[PizzaKat]

Mega Man 8

Resident Evil a pretty common game is really expensive. Im lucky I got it for so cheap.

Panzer Dragoon is mediocre. I do love the fighting games especially Street Fighter vs X Men. Luckily there are a lot of good imports.

[Tron 2.0]

So quick question. I've had Keio flying squadron 2 for Jp saturn. Is it rare? I mean I can't get a consistent price for it online.
JP Keio 2 is common while the pal version is rare and far more pricey.

[Retronick]

I'm not sure about hidden gems because-as someone had pointed out previously, the best American games are pretty well known. Some of my favorites though?

• Dragon Force: Incredible Strategy RPG that puts you in command of 100-troop armies and a powerful general character. Seize castles from neighboring kingdoms to build a mammoth army and save the world of Legendra.

• Virtual On: Port of the Model 2 arcade mech brawler. Unlike its Dreamcast sequel, VO-OMG is actually quite playable with the standard Saturn controller, but you can get a scaled-down version of the arcade controls if you're a purist (they're amazing by the way).

• Mega Man X4: Sure, it came out on the Playstation... But who cares? Get the Saturn version. It's the best game in the X series IMO.

There are lots more that I really dig (Darius Gaiden, Saturn Bomberman, Street Fighter Alpha 2, etc...) The one game I would count as a hidden gem that no one mentioned yet, would be Shinobi Legions. On the surface, it's a sort of kitsch FMV platformer, but when you actually PLAY the game; it harkens back to the classic Shinobi formula, but really screams of Ninja Spirit as well. One of the best platformers on the console. Barnone.

Also, I feel like I'm in the minority for my hatred of Mr. Bones. I can't get past the first part... Maybe I suck, but every time I try to go back I get seemingly punished over and over again.

[A.C. Sativa]

I feel like the Saturn is so underrated that it's become overrated. If I were to try to collect every system it would be one of the last I got.

[Retronick]

I feel like the Saturn is so underrated that it's become overrated. If I were to try to collect every system it would be one of the last I got.

My love for the Saturn comes from the countless hours I spent in front of mine throughout my teenage years. There's a lot of hype behind it these days because most people in the U.S. didn't get to really experience all it had to offer in its hay day. The hype you can believe is that it's probably the most powerful 2D box of its time (The Neo•Geo being the possible exception), and it's really the only box you can get an arcade-perfect port of Street Fighter Zero 3 on, since the Dreamcast version was just a port of the inferior PSX version.

There's a number of consoles I would put behind it, especially since its newfound popularity has been driving prices up. These include Jaguar, Lynx, PC-FX, 3DO, Playstation, Xbox, GameCube, N64, and even the Genesis (which I owned before my Saturn), and Dreamcast.

Don't let the hype sway you, it is the hardcore gamer's console of choice for a reason.

[Retronick]

My love for the Saturn comes from the countless hours I spent in front of mine throughout my teenage years. There's a lot of hype behind it these days because most people in the U.S. didn't get to really experience all it had to offer in its hay day. The hype you can believe is that it's probably the most powerful 2D box of its time (The Neo•Geo being the possible exception), and it's really the only box you can get an arcade-perfect port of Street Fighter Zero 3 on, since the Dreamcast version was just a port of the inferior PSX version.

There's a number of consoles I would put behind it, especially since its newfound popularity has been driving prices up. These include Jaguar, Lynx, PC-FX, 3DO, Playstation, Xbox, GameCube, N64, and even the Genesis (which I owned before my Saturn), and Dreamcast.

Don't let the hype sway you, it is the hardcore gamer's console of choice for a reason.

All that said... The port of Symphony of Night that came out for it was utter crap, but Konami tailor-made that for the Playstation. Compare SoTN with ANY 2D Capcom fighter, and that's a different ball game.

[BricatSegaFan]

Well as far as hidden gems go, my vote is for Baku Baku. Yes it's a puzzle game but it's super fun and a very original concept.

Not to mention it can had for pretty cheap with a domestic release too.

[xelement5x]

Anyone know about the Nights Into Dreams data question I posted above and whats the difference between the two. I want to delete one of them if I can since they both take up a lot of space and cant save any other games anymore. I dont have a back up cartridge yet. Speaking of imports thats one of the problems I'm having to decide on and its a choice between the official Sega brand Sega Saturn back up cartridge or an Action Replay and I only really want to buy one. One more thing lets discuss hidden gems theres gotta be some on this console besides the main accepted good games

Here's info on the A-Life system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nights_into_Dreams...#A-Life

I remember deleting mine, but it will just recreate it when you play the game again.

Also, Saturn Backup Carts are region free so you can probably grab a JP one much cheaper than a US one.

[Garry Silljo]

The one game I would count as a hidden gem that no one mentioned yet, would be Shinobi Legions. On the surface, it's a sort of kitsch FMV platformer, but when you actually PLAY the game; it harkens back to the classic Shinobi formula, but really screams of Ninja Spirit as well. One of the best platformers on the console. Barnone.

Also, I feel like I'm in the minority for my hatred of Mr. Bones. I can't get past the first part... Maybe I suck, but every time I try to go back I get seemingly punished over and over again.

Seconded. Shinobi Legions is one of my favorites that I go back to very often. I also don't see the big deal about Mr. Bones. Being unique doesn't automatically make a game good. I've played through the whole game and while it certainly has variety I find all of the sections to be rather shallow and in one case completely unnecessarily frustrating (the icy lake).

[Mr Mort]

...The one game I would count as a hidden gem that no one mentioned yet, would be Shinobi Legions. On the surface, it's a sort of kitsch FMV platformer, but when you actually PLAY the game; it harkens back to the classic Shinobi formula, but really screams of Ninja Spirit as well. One of the best platformers on the console. Barnone..


Agreed. Shinobi Legions is way better than you would ever expect it to be. Digitized graphics or no, the game is very smooth and controls very well, and actually looks good too. Lots of cool special effects in there, and it really feels like a genuine Shinobi title. Don't make the mistake of discarding it because it has digitized graphics.


...and it's really the only box you can get an arcade-perfect port of Street Fighter Zero 3 on...

This is literally my favourite game of all-time. I've spent hundreds of hours playing it. The Saturn version has some animation (such as T. Hawk's backwards walking animation) that is missing from every other version of SFZ 3 except for maybe the Anthology on the PS2 (which is excellent, BTW). It also has some gameplay tweaks that are uniqe to this version. Dee Jay is quite over-powered in this version. It was also one of the last titles released on the Saturn in Japan.


...Unfortunately, Sega had volume 5 pulled, because there was SFIII footage (!?!)...

Hold up, are you saying you have footage of Street Fighter III for the Saturn? I had heard rumours of it being made (along with Virtua Fighter 3, and Metal Slug 2), but I never knew they had actually had a beta running on the Saturn.

[Mr Mort]

As for lesser-known titles, I'd recommend Last Gladiators Pinball if you like Pinball. It runs in the Saturn's hi-res mode, has really cool themes and layouts for its tables, surprisingly good ball physics, and has a ridiculously good rock/metal soundtrack.

Also, Three Dirty Dwarves is an interesting title. It's 3-player simultaneous with good animation and a bizarre sense of humour. I rather enjoy it.

[gameofyou]

Agreed. Shinobi Legions is way better than you would ever expect it to be. Digitized graphics or no, the game is very smooth and controls very well, and actually looks good too. Lots of cool special effects in there, and it really feels like a genuine Shinobi title. Don't make the mistake of discarding it because it has digitized graphics.



This is literally my favourite game of all-time. I've spent hundreds of hours playing it. The Saturn version has some animation (such as T. Hawk's backwards walking animation) that is missing from every other version of SFZ 3 except for maybe the Anthology on the PS2 (which is excellent, BTW). It also has some gameplay tweaks that are uniqe to this version. Dee Jay is quite over-powered in this version. It was also one of the last titles released on the Saturn in Japan.



Hold up, are you saying you have footage of Street Fighter III for the Saturn? I had heard rumours of it being made (along with Virtua Fighter 3, and Metal Slug 2), but I never knew they had actually had a beta running on the Saturn.

No, sorry. It was meant to be shorthand for Shining Force III.

[BricatSegaFan]

So no one can back me up for Baku Baku?

[GhostDog]

The Saturn was an an amazing system. It's just a shame that I wasn't able to appreciate it back then because all of my attention was either on the PS1 or arcades back in the 90s. It's only when I really got into retro games back in 2005 or so where I bought a Saturn and a Action Replay and the rest was history. From then on I soon bought a bunch of Japanese imports and really got a taste of what the Saturn was about. Had all of these games came out that came out in Japan then no doubt the Saturn would have caught on much better in the U.S. than it did. The Saturn after all was a big success in Japan and still popular because games are readily available at the game shops. When I went to Japan back in 2008 I went through the game shops in Tokyo and Osaka and managed to bring back a ton of Saturn games. Most of the deals were found in Osaka's Den Den Town district and the prices for Saturn games were outrageously cheap.

[Rickstilwell1]

No, sorry. It was meant to be shorthand for Shining Force III.

Was it ever proven that it was Sega that did that and not a troll?

[BlastProcessing402]

No love for Guardian Heroes? That game's a must have.