Let's talk about the Saturn

[evilmess]

Last weekend I hit up my usual Goodwill in search of video games and spotted a Sega Saturn on the shelf with the Genny's. I picked it up and after a quick inspection I decided I'd grab it, it was priced at 12.99. Then I headed to the bins where they keep the controllers and picked out two Saturn controllers, not priced. Now I was still missing the power cord and the AV cable but I figured if I could score the whole package for $12.99 that it was worth the risk and that's exactly what I paid for a first model Saturn and two first model controllers.

I'm new to the Saturn scene but as I scour the web (and this forum) for info I'm finding that this console is fucking awesome! There are so many domestic games that I want to play and the imports look absolutely amazing (especially all the 2D stuff)! And for the most part it's very affordable and easy to find complete games.

My excitement levels are really high going into this and even if my $12.99 risk doesn't pay off I'm hooked and will go out of my way to purchase a working Saturn.

By the way, using my PS2 power cord I found that the Saturn powers up and by placing an audio CD in the drive I could hear it being accessed. Now all I need is the AV cable and we'll see if this bad boy can play games. :-P

I should have all the necessary parts and games by next week to see if everything works.

Now with the questions.

I'm going to pick up a Nights into Dreams w/ 3D controller package and I'm wondering if other games (racing games?) make use of the analog stick.

Is the 3D controller good enough to just use as the main everyday controller or do most of you just plug it in for specific games that use the analog stick?

How is Virtua Racing? Is the racing as good or better than the Genesis version?
(Genesis VR is one of my top 10 favorite racing games of all time)

[Kroogah]

I'm new to the Saturn scene but as I scour the web (and this forum) for info I'm finding that this console is fucking awesome!

Ah-yup.

I haven't heard much about Virtua Racing on the Saturn, but I have heard many good things about Sega Rally Championship.

As soon as you get the cash, head to www.ncsx.com and buy a Saturn Action Replay cartridge. Best $30 you'll spend on your collection. It's a converter, Game Shark, and 4MB RAM cart, so you can play everything on your Saturn except King of Fighters '95. ^_^ (it requires its own cartridge and doesn't work with anything else)

[SegaTecToy]

I'm using only the 3D controller since I bought my saturn. I played shooters, RPGs and racing games with it and I'm very satisfied with the analog stick. I think that I'll not resort to the pad any time soon.

[evilmess]

Captain Yashiro,
I have made arrangements to buy an Action Replay cartridge! :D

This is probably a stupid question but should I buy the S-Video SVHS cable or the standard AV cable?

[Rogmeister]

For some reason, the Saturn is one system I could never get into that much except for a few games. I only have about 19 games and that includes extra copies of two games (Hexen and Duke Nukem 3D)...

[Atari7800]

I think the Saturn analog pad is one of the best controllers ever made. I have yet to use the regular pad since I got the analog pad a few years back.

Have fun with the Saturn... it's truly awesome.


:D

[sisko]

Games that support the analog controller have a "3D Control Pad" logo on the back. I know Sonic R supports it, and I'm pretty sure Sonic 3D does as well.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Saturn though! You need to start importing ASAP to experience the true glory of the system :)

[ManekiNeko]

You're looking for Saturn information? Yo.

http://grblitz.overclocked.org/lostring.htm

You'll find dozens of reviews (some with a slick new layout), information on installing a version 7 mod chip, and a Waku Waku 7 strategy guide. The Gameroom Blitz has some of the best import Saturn coverage on the Internet and I'm working to make it even better. Check it out and tell me what you think of it!

JR

[evilmess]

VERY COOL!

Thanks ManekiNeko! :)

[ManekiNeko]

You also might want to check out this link for previews of a variety of Saturn games...

http://startreksites.de/saturn/downvideo.htm

Whoever posted this link earlier in the Cho Aniki thread has my deepest respect. I LOVED watching all these games in action!

JR

[Vroomfunkel]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Saturn!

The Analogue controller was in many ways a precursor to the Dreamcast controller. It is good for many other games, you just have to try it and see if you like how it feels with each game. It is great with Burning Rangers (which is, incidentally, one of the games you *must* get!)

I have about 30 Saturn imports currently making their way to me, from Japan, Singapore and Australia :D Next few weeks are going to be very exciting .. hehe!

Vroomfunkel

P.S. King of Fighters '95 isn't the *only* game that you can't play with the AR cart. You can't play Ultraman either, for the same reason. However, you would not *want* to play Ultraman. It is pretty much the crappest fighting game I have ever played. Apart from the PAL Dragon Ball Z Legends for the Saturn also .. now that game really is shite.

Also, any multi disc RPGs will not be able to be played via the AR cart, as they will fail when you have to swap a disc.

[PDorr3]

Im like my saturn, but I bought mine on ebay (boxed :) ) but it came without a memory card unit. This makes playing my games frustrating :angry:

[evilmess]

Those videos rock!

It's nice to see some of those game in action and to see many of them for the first time ever. Assault Suit Leynos 2 looks KILLER as do many of the shmup titles!

[Jasoco]

It's funny. After Nintendo surprised everyone with the Control Stick on the N64, everyone else just HAD to make their own. Now they're standard.

Anyway, Virtua Racing is better on the Saturn, but it's still not my favorite racing game.

I love the Saturn version of Duke Nukem 3D. It's pretty good. Sure, there are some missing things and features that the PC version does, that they didn't put in the Saturn version, but it's an all around great game. I just wish I could save mid-level because I can't even beat level 2! Quake is also suppsedly good.

I'd love to get Hexen. And I also plan on getting NiGHT's as well.

[Dire 51]

Those videos rock!

It's nice to see some of those game in action and to see many of them for the first time ever. Assault Suit Leynos 2 looks KILLER as do many of the shmup titles!

Not only does it look killer, it IS a killer. That has to be, bar none, the HARDEST game I've ever played. Still excellent, and Irecommend it, even though I got rid of my copy a little while back.

[EnemyZero]

Welcome to the world of saturn fans...saturn is my fav system of all time, was the saddest day (well one of them) of my life when it died. playstation has NOTHING over the saturn except a much ...much ..much larger game library...

[AB Positive]

If you like shooters or 2D fighters, there's nothing finer than the Saturn. I had a US saturn and was highly disappointed, but now I have a japanese one and don't have to try to mod/cart things to play japanese games... and it's bliss!

Saturn = :-P

-AG

[Algol]

Im like my saturn, but I bought mine on ebay (boxed ) but it came without a memory card unit. This makes playing my games frustrating

You don't need one! The Saturn has internal memory that you can save your games on. Hold down one of the shoulder buttons when you turn it on and select "memory manager" on the menu that appears.

[PDorr3]

Im like my saturn, but I bought mine on ebay (boxed ) but it came without a memory card unit. This makes playing my games frustrating

You don't need one! The Saturn has internal memory that you can save your games on. Hold down one of the shoulder buttons when you turn it on and select "memory manager" on the menu that appears.

really? thats great news! are you sure though? does your saturn have a cart in he back of the system? I will ahve to break out my saturn and start playin :)

[Speedy]

Perhaps yours is empty? Every Saturn i see has an empty battery. Replace it and you can save games (it's in the back, you can remove a panel frome there).

[ManekiNeko]

Perhaps yours is empty? Every Saturn i see has an empty battery. Replace it and you can save games (it's in the back, you can remove a panel frome there).

By the way, the battery is a CR2032, the same kind used in the Dreamcast's VMU units. They're pretty easy to find... just head out to your nearest retail store and they should have one for about five bucks.

It's not a bad idea to have a memory cartridge for your system, though. I'd personally recommend the Pro Action Replay Plus... that way, you can save your games permanently AND play Japanese releases AND enter cheats which will help you win the tougher games AND play all the games which require extra RAM (ie Metal Slug and X-Men vs. Street Fighter). It's one-stop shopping for the devoted Saturn fan!

JR

[evilmess]

Hold down one of the shoulder buttons when you turn it on and select "memory manager" on the menu that appears.

Without a manual I may have never know this little bit of useful info.

Is there a Saturn manual online for those of us who bought used consoles?

[digitalpress]

Normally I'd lock this thread because we've already got a similar one in the Classic Discussions Forum.

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18291&highlight=official+saturn

But I haven't been keeping up with the posts lately so carry on! All I ask is that in future check to see if a thread like this has been started - general discussion about a particular discussion should be able to continue forever, there's never a problem with picking up the thread where it left off, even if it's a year old.

Game ON.

[evilmess]

just a quick udate to let you all know that my $12.99 risk paid off!

And I have the weekend to play all the shiny new games :D

I all i need to do at this point is replece the battery :D

Thanks all!

[Funk Buddy]

I bought my batteries on eBay and saved a ton from getting them in the store. I also have the DC, so bulk didn't bother me at all... those VMUs eat batteries.

[roxybaby]

Just got a Saturn this week myself, and went to this place to get the battery:

http://www.electricquarter.com/battery.htm

They also list on ebay but I didn't want to wait...and the battery shipped in the US was cheaper than the batteries at Radio Shack!