Saturn modding

[SoulBlazer]

Okay, here's the dilema that I'm in.

In the last few years I've gotten into older gaming and checked out systems and games I never had 'back in the day'. In some cases this can be done with emulation (Sega Master System, Genesis, Jaquar, handhelds). In some cases I can borrow a system from a friend (CD-I). In other cases I can go out and pick up the system and the best games for it without spending more then two or three hundred (3DO, Sega CD).

Now comes the issue of the Saturn. There are many games I'd like to try for this. And I know the system itself can be had for pretty cheap. However, I've gone through and written down all the games I want for the system (about 20), averaged the sum total of the EBay prices they have gone for over the last six months, and added everything up, and come up with a total price tag of over $500. :eek 2:

I can't afford that, and it leaves me wondering what else I can to do to experience the system.

I'm a gamer, NOT a collector. I don't care much about how I get the games and I probaly won't even keep half of them. I just want to try out the games. But emulation of the system seems like it will be a long time before it gets really good.

So, I understand the Saturn can read CD-R's of games just fine, like other older CD based gaming systems. And I know of some places online where I can download rips.

My question is, how expensive and how much of a hassle is it to get a Saturn and mod it to play CD-R's? What else would I need to be able to do to that? And if I asked someone here to copy some games for me and pay them for their trouble and a small fee, would that bother anyone? As I said, I just want to PLAY the games, not keep them for 50 years, without breaking the bank.

It's kind of a dilema, but at this point it seems like my best bet.

[dj898]

Saturn and mod chip is purely for piracy so this thread might get locked down soon. Anyway here's my 2 cent mate.


When it comes to Saturn it's a lot trickier than other consoles simply because there have been so many revisions and the current crop of mod chip on sale only works with certain Saturn console.

Basically you need to get hold of Model 2 Saturn - the one with round button - and NO Sankyo CD-ROM drive and 32 pin instead of 64 pin.

SegaExtreme forum has long running thread on modding Saturn - it's been running for several years now so when the site is back on you will need to spend few hours to read thru all the posting there. :)

Once you have successfully installed mod chip then you will now need to tackle country lockout issue. You see mod chip has nothing to do with the country lock out when it comes to Saturn. You need either a import cart or put the country switch or convert your rip image to your Saturn's region before burning.

Being a Saturn collector I've never burnt any CD-R backup(?) but I've looked into this topic early on as its technical side fascinated me... :)

good luck and when you can afford do buy retail games. Some maybe cost a lot of money but there are enough number of titles at reasonable price...


And yes no matter how you put in it's illegal and you are breaking the law. :D

If you can't afford well there's simple solution - get a job or two, heh! :p

cheers

[max 330 mega]

ive been collecting for my saturn since 1998... i still have less than 50 games, because i refuse to buy off of ebay unless its am import title.
6 years and less than 50 titles!!!!!!!!
its almost impossible to find saturn games in the wild.. but that makes it that much funner to collect for, i maybe find a good haul of saturn titles once to twice a year.. like my mint house of the dead for free!

if i were you, i wouldnt try and get every title you want for it all at once, and definitely dont mod the poor thing! just buy a few at a time, no point in plopping down $300 bucks at once on games when you could buy$100 worth and have just as much fun until you save more money up.

[dj898]

I buy most of my Saturn titles on my business trip to Japan.
For PAL titles I buy from eBay seller if the price is low.

I've bought about dozen or so US tites mostly from eBay sellers and nothing cost me more than $20 shipped.

[EDIT] forgot to mention I have around 600+ titles mainly import but good number of PAL/US for collection purpose as I usually play import... been a Saturn collector for several years now...

cheers

[-hellvin-]

I've been lucky with saturn games, I got around 60 I believe, I find them all the time at most the stores around here. Even found a guardian hereoes complete for 9.99 at gamecrazy :DDD. Modding the saturn is very easy. Try out www.jandaman.com for the chip. He only charges 15 bucks for it. He might be out ATM though. Make sure you have a model 2 saturn (rounded buttons). Once you got the chip, unscrew the bottom, take off the top, find the cd drive ribbon cable, plug it into the chip, then plug the chip into a little slot and solder the red and blue wires at two different points and you're done. Pretty easy. If all you wanna play is US NTSC rips, you're fine. For imports, just get a 4in1 cart, it's the best. It allows playing other region games as well as giving every single type of memory upgrade requirement for any game out there. Mostly import fighting games (Vampire Saviour, KOF, ect.)

[max 330 mega]

poor saturns... :(
cant that ruin the laser in the cd drive?

[-hellvin-]

poor saturns... :(
cant that ruin the laser in the cd drive?

Had mine modded for about half a year, and I live right behind a huge patch of desert and usually wake up every morning with my systems covered in dust and the laser still has not had a problem. DAMN dust!

[EnemyZero]

only 20 game??? blasphemy! ^_^

[SoulBlazer]

Yeah, looking at the list, I came up with around 20 for the time being. Just US releases for now. Mostly RPG's and adventure games. I'm not much for shooters and platforms and can't stand fighters, which elimates a good chunk of the library. I'll post a list if anyone is interested.

Thanks for the comments and help, guys. I'll see what I can find on EBay. And I'll buy the cheap games -- I just never had to spend more then $50 for anything when buying for the 3DO and Sega CD and see no reason to do so again. Hence one of the problems I have. ;)

[roxybaby]

Now comes the issue of the Saturn. There are many games I'd like to try for this. And I know the system itself can be had for pretty cheap. However, I've gone through and written down all the games I want for the system (about 20), averaged the sum total of the EBay prices they have gone for over the last six months, and added everything up, and come up with a total price tag of over $500. :eek 2:

Just take Panzer Dragoon Saga out of your wants for now, and that'll save you $160 or so. ;)

There are lots of cheapies for Saturn that are good to great games. When I got my Saturn I went to a local store and just asked the counter guy for five decent non-sports games, and he gave me Astal, Marvel Superheroes, Nights, Sega Rally Championship and the Virtua Cop/Virtua Fighter/Daytona USA package. Most of those games can be had for under $10 on ebay.

[chadtower]

I have an extra Saturn and extra Modchip I'll be looking to unload very soon. I could let the modded Saturn go, with an extra backup battery, for $50 + shipping.

[tritium]

So how do you tackle the region issue if your not interested in piracy?

-Tritium

[ddockery]

Or, since you said you wouldn't keep most games anyway, you could buy a few at a time, try them, sell them off, and start again. You don't have to have it all at once.

[chadtower]

So how do you tackle the region issue if your not interested in piracy?

-Tritium

You get a region cart.

[Lost Monkey]

Or, since you said you wouldn't keep most games anyway, you could buy a few at a time, try them, sell them off, and start again. You don't have to have it all at once.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The value of Saturn games is not going to suddenly plummet.. You could buy PDS, play it, and then resell it for likely the same amount of $ or even more. No need for piracy.

Region modding is not too difficult, but you are likely better off investing in an "X in 1" combo cartridge to handle imports.

[chadtower]

Region modding is not too difficult, but you are likely better off investing in an "X in 1" combo cartridge to handle imports.

For someone who doesn't mod consoles, the region mod is pretty difficult. It's also not really worth the trouble since you can either get a region cart or change the region on a CDR copy to US. I have a modded Saturn in my living room so my kids can use backup CDRs rather than the originals I've spent nearly a decade accumulating.

Anyway, SoulBlazer, LMK on that offer.

[Raedon]

So how do you tackle the region issue if your not interested in piracy?

-Tritium

A 5in1 cart.. It's a code/region hack/ 1M 4M cart that you can find online all over.

Be careful. On Ebay the "5in1" is actually a "4in1" and they call the 5-1 a "6in1"

Also there are several REGION utils online that will take a Saturn ISO and strip the region codes make them US and burn a CD-R.