Are there enough games to justify a purchase of a Saturn?

[dbiersdorf]

I'm rethinking if selling my Saturn was a good idea. I had Virtua Cop and Virtua Cop 2, but that's about it, and nothing else really seemed to interest me, well I'm sure some stuff did, but I didn't care much for it. So, I got some questions hopefully a few of you can answer.

1.) How much would it cost me if I wanted to buy a complete Saturn?

2.) I hear there are more then one versions of the system, is there a specific one that is better, I don't care much for rarity, but what's the difference?

3.) Are there enough GOOD exclusive games to verify a purchase? I hear good things about some Nights game, and the Panzer Dragoon's, but anything else? Was there any games that were actually better then they were on the PSX?

Thanks again.

[max 330 mega]

i would truthfully say , unless you love RPG's, the only way you will get a ton of enjoyment out of your saturn is by importing. he saturn was AWESOME in japan.

[Kroogah]

1. Go to www.ncsx.com

2. Buy an Action Replay 4 in 1

3. Import the following:

Vampire Savior
X-Men vs. Street Fighter
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
Pocket Fighter
King of Fighters '96
King of Fighters '97
Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
Sega Ages series
Capcom Generation series
Gradius Deluxe Pack
Salamander Deluxe Pack
Parodius Deluxe Pack
Twinbee Deluxe Pack
Konami Antiques MSX Collection Ultra Pack
Castlevania Dracula X
Sexy Parodius

Off the top of my head.

[jslithy]

1.) How much would it cost me if I wanted to buy a complete Saturn?

Between $25 and $40 is about average for a complete Saturn. I've seen them in thrift stores for $10.

2.) I hear there are more then one versions of the system, is there a specific one that is better, I don't care much for rarity, but what's the difference?

There are two versions released in the States: the early model is identified by oval buttons on the top of the unit and a disc access light, and the later model has circle bottons and no light. I don't think there are any significant differences between the two (unlike PSX models).

3.) Are there enough GOOD exclusive games to verify a purchase? I hear good things about some Nights game, and the Panzer Dragoon's, but anything else? Was there any games that were actually better then they were on the PSX?

The Saturn is my second favorite sytem behind the Dreamcast, so I think there are a lot of great games. If you like action games, there are the Panzer Dragoon games, Guardian Heroes, Nights, Burning Rangers. There are tons of great RPGs, such as Shining the Holy Ark, Shining Force, Panzer Dragoon Saga and Grandia.

Where the Saturn really shines, though, is in the shoot 'em up department. The Saturn got perfect ports of most of the major shoot 'em ups of the mid-to-late 90s, including Soukyugurentai, Battle Garegga, Radient Silvergun, Thunderforce V, Layer Section and DoDonPachi. Unfortunatly, most of these stayed in Japan.

[Ed Oscuro]

Those expecting Dracula X to blow them away will be sorely disappointed. Should've been called "SD DRACURA" thanks to all the fat, badly resized sprites. There's no transparency (really not a MAJOR issue, but something you'd think the Saturn could handle) and the new areas aren't much to lust after either. Thanks to the too-high price tag (I think it's still in the $50 range for a decent to mint copy), I would recommend giving this one a pass.

Now, Assault Suits Leynos 2 is great. Those looking for a great, virtually impossible to find RPG should treat themselves to Azel Panzer Dragoon RPG (Japanese version of PD Saga!), just be ready to do some intense coursework if you're no Japanese speaker :P I think it's just cool to own, personally. Neither of these games will break the bank and they're not to be found on the PlayStation (for reasonable money) in Japan or otherwise.

For domestic stuff, you might want to check out Defenders of Oasis (well, it's an Oasis game, anyhow...I might have the name confused with the GG game's). It's a prequel to Beyond Oasis, the much-loved Genesis game.

There's also Segata Sanshiro SHIKENYUGI!!!11, the famous collection of crazy games all about everybody's favorite spokesman (he's even better than Tony El Tigre in my opinon!). Plus it comes with a ton of the old Saturn commercials right on the disc. Again, won't break the bank, though it's more expensive than the other two.

[BigGeorgeJohnson]

1. Go to www.ncsx.com

2. Buy an Action Replay 4 in 1



Can that boot backups?

[evilmess]

1.) $15 or more.
2.) Correct. Model 1 (http://vidgame.net/SEGA/saturn2.htm) has oval buttons and the infamously bad model 1 controller. Model 2 (http://vidgame.net/SEGA/SATURN.html) has round buttons and the better model 2 controller. Both function the same and you can still find mod chips for the model 2 Saturns
3.)Yes!!!!!!! http://www.sega-saturn.com/reviews.htm

[dbiersdorf]

To be honest if I'm going to have to import games to get the most out of a system, I'd rather not have it at all.

If there are enough games in the Action, Adventure, Platformer, and maybe even RPG genre then I'd be willing to fork over my cash.

[EnemyZero]

theres more than enuff good US releases to fill your needs....id die without my saturn...it is true that if you can take advantage of importing it will be much more worth it..but dont pass it over, pick one up...with games like panzer dragoon, nights, enemy zero, virtua fighter just to name a few, you can't go wrong

[evilmess]

Don't forget our very own top 20 list

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1594

A great starter list

[dbiersdorf]

Alright after looking through the list of games, I might actually consider the system if someone can help me with this.

- NBA Jam T.E
Is it better then the Genny and SNES versions?

- Mortal Kombat 3 Ultimate
One of my favorite fighting games of all time, if the version out performs the SNES version then I'd be more then willing to buy a Saturn.

- Spot Goes To Hollywood
Loved Cool Spot for SNES, this one any good either? I can't belive it was even made...

- Duke Nukem 3D
Any other console versions better then this?

[stressboy]

I see a lot of Japanese Saturn's for sale on Ebay, and I have a question about that. Can they easily plug into a TV set here in the states? Or are there any special power requirements? I am somewhat of an idiot when it comes to things like that.

[soniko_karuto]

Alright after looking through the list of games, I might actually consider the system if someone can help me with this.

- NBA Jam T.E
Is it better then the Genny and SNES versions?

- Mortal Kombat 3 Ultimate
One of my favorite fighting games of all time, if the version out performs the SNES version then I'd be more then willing to buy a Saturn.

- Spot Goes To Hollywood
Loved Cool Spot for SNES, this one any good either? I can't belive it was even made...

- Duke Nukem 3D
Any other console versions better then this?

ok, don't listen to me, but, ooooh, another one of those gamers is here...

[max 330 mega]

I see a lot of Japanese Saturn's for sale on Ebay, and I have a question about that. Can they easily plug into a TV set here in the states? Or are there any special power requirements? I am somewhat of an idiot when it comes to things like that.
you can hook it up no prob, japan uses close enough to the same electrical current as US, so systems work fine, just unplug them when your done. as for the tv cables and stuff, no prob once again.

[Kid Ice]

Alright after looking through the list of games, I might actually consider the system if someone can help me with this.

- NBA Jam T.E
Is it better then the Genny and SNES versions?

- Mortal Kombat 3 Ultimate
One of my favorite fighting games of all time, if the version out performs the SNES version then I'd be more then willing to buy a Saturn.

- Spot Goes To Hollywood
Loved Cool Spot for SNES, this one any good either? I can't belive it was even made...

- Duke Nukem 3D
Any other console versions better then this?

If those are the games you like, they can all be had pretty cheaply on the Saturn, so go for it.

I have a significant collection for about 10 machines, and the Saturn is the one I most often consider unloading. I never play the US Saturn games. Virtua Cop 2, Darius Gaiden, and Galactic Attack are pretty good, but not good enough to anchor an entire collection. Panzer Dragoon Saga is great but it's not the kind of game you go back to.

Imports however, are a different story, and really the only reason I hold on to my Saturn collection. I'm still waiting for a 128-bit shooter that's nearly as good as Radiant Silvergun or Soukyugurentai. Pocket Fighter, Street Fighter Zero 3, and Space Invaders are just good games to have even though they're done on other systems/MAME.

When you speak of "importing" games, you sound like you are talking about actually having the games shipped from Japan. All the games I mentioned above can be purchased in the US for $50 or less with the obvious exception of RS. A Saturn import converter is not that hard to find, and conveniently plugs right into the cartridge slot.

[stressboy]

I see a lot of Japanese Saturn's for sale on Ebay, and I have a question about that. Can they easily plug into a TV set here in the states? Or are there any special power requirements? I am somewhat of an idiot when it comes to things like that.
you can hook it up no prob, japan uses close enough to the same electrical current as US, so systems work fine, just unplug them when your done. as for the tv cables and stuff, no prob once again.

Thanks :)

[Kid Ice]

Those expecting Dracula X to blow them away will be sorely disappointed. Should've been called "SD DRACURA" thanks to all the fat, badly resized sprites. There's no transparency (really not a MAJOR issue, but something you'd think the Saturn could handle) and the new areas aren't much to lust after either. Thanks to the too-high price tag (I think it's still in the $50 range for a decent to mint copy), I would recommend giving this one a pass.

I heard the same from a trusted associate. This was on my want list for a while because I like SOTN, but now it's off. Beware!

The Saturn version of Wipeout XL is bad too.

[anagrama]

Nights: into Dreams singlehandedly justifies the purchase of the console a dozen times over. Buy it. Love it. Come back here and thank me.

End.

[Richter]

1. Go to www.ncsx.com

2. Buy an Action Replay 4 in 1



Can that boot backups?no

[it290]

When people talk about the Saturn, the discussion always turns to importing. Sure, many of the best games are import-only, but the selection of US released titles is more than decent. Here are some of the awesome US-released titles in my collection- in all cases the Saturn version is either exclusive or better than the competing version(s):

Nights
Shining Force III
Panzer Dragon Zwei
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Guardian Heroes
Shining the Holy Ark
Mega Man 8
Digital Pinball : Last Gladiators
Saturn Bomberman
Sega Rally Championship
Virtua Fighter 2

[Damaramu]

A co-worker just gave me a:

1. Saturn (ver. 2, I think)
2. Controllers, including the analog
3. 3rd party light gun
4. A cd spindle full of badly scratched games.

I have yet to test the system out or the games (co-worker said he could never get them to work).

But that makes Saturn #3 for me, and now I have 2 light guns. Time to go John Woo style on VC 1 & 2! :evil:



Ps. Hi, btw! I'm a noob here, but don't let that fool you! Yoroshiku!! :rocker:

[bargora]

Galactic Attack is an ultra-sweet Saturn exclusive. Super Puzzle Figher II Turbo is excellent and can be had for about a third of what it'd run you on the PlayStation. If you like Capcom's 2D fighters, Night Warriors (the second Darkstalkers title) is neato, and was only released in the U.S. for the Saturn. For 3D fighters you have the venerable Virtua Fighter 2, another Saturn Exclusive. And I like being able to play Duke Nukem without having to figure out how to work a ten-year old computer again. Also, Panzer Dragoon and PD Zwei, both Saturn Exclusives, something to see, even today. I'm one of the few that don't "get" Nights, but maybe I just need to give it another chance. It really is a cool-looking game, though.

All of these titles are domestic. I really bought my Saturn for the imports, but the games I listed above made me doubly glad I picked one up (and then another, and then a third--it's a disease, I tell ya). Since you don't want to hear about the imports, I won't tell you more than that I have about fifteen domestic titles, but about twenty imports.

To conclude, there are definitely some good games for the Saturn, even if you don't want to import.

[Damaramu]

When people talk about the Saturn, the discussion always turns to importing. Sure, many of the best games are import-only, but the selection of US released titles is more than decent. Here are some of the awesome US-released titles in my collection- in all cases the Saturn version is either exclusive or better than the competing version(s):

Yeah, I imported heavily for my Saturn back in the day. But the one game that convinced me that I HAD TO HAVE a Saturn was Guardian Heroes.

I remember seeing those screen shots in DIEHARD GAMEFAN magazine for the first time. Oh nostalgia.... 8-)

[dj898]

see my sig for some of Saturn stuff you can collect... :D

[dbiersdorf]

What's Guardian Heroes even like?

[Steven]

If you are not going to import, is a Saturn worth it? Hmm, tough question to answer. But personally, if you really enjoy video games you should buy it and a few US games to get you started. Then, later on, you might buy a 4-in-1 adaptor and explore the Import world.

The US library isn't half shabby though. Just, to get the UTMOST out of the Saturn, your system should be able to play any region of game (US, JP or PAL).

Some US games I enjoyed:

2D fighters
----

-Night Warriors
-Street Fighter Alpha 2
-Street Fighter Collection
-Mortal Kombat Trilogy
-Primal Rage (hey, I liked it)
-Dark Legend (ditto)

3D fighters
----

-Virtua Fighter 2
-Fighters MegaMix
-Last Bronx

Platformers
----

-Pandemonium!
-Gex
-Astal
-Clockwork Knight 2
-MegaMan X4
-MegaMan 8
-Sonic Jam

Adventure
----

-Herc's Adventures (kinda like a Zelda meets Zombies Ate My Neighbors)
-Legend of Oasis
-Resident Evil
-Tomb Raider
-Burning Rangers

Shooters
----

-Quake
-Duke Nukem 3D
-PowerSlave
-Galactic Attack
-Darius Gaiden
-In The Hunt
-Panzer Zwei
-Virtua Cop 2

Misc
---

-Saturn Bomberman
-Worms
-Norse By Norsewest: The Lost Vikings 2 (very underrated IMO)
-Die Hard Arcade
-Hyper 3D Pinball

Puzzle
----

-Puzzle Fighter
-Bust A Move 2
-Bust A Move 3
-Baku Baku

Sports
----
-World Series Baseball '98
-Slam N Jam '96 (I really enjoy this game, reminds me of Konami's Run N Gun!)
-Worldwide Soccer '97
-NHL All Star Hockey '98
-Sega Rally

etc. Saturn's my favorite system by far.

[Push Upstairs]

What's Guardian Heroes even like?

Think "Streets of Rage" but with magic & some minor RPG-ish stat stuff.

It is a must buy if you enjoy beat'em ups (Double Dragon, SOR, Final Fight)

[-hellvin-]

Well I've amassed a large saturn collection in quite a short time and it's probably my favorite system. Here's a list of us copy games that I personally own that I play A LOT:

Albert Odyssey - RPG
Astal - Platformer
Bust A Move 2 & 3 - Puzzle
Darius Gaiden - Shooter
Die Hard Arcade - Beat em up
Earthworm Jim 2 - Platformer (I like it a lot more than the genesis version)
Fighter's Megamix - Fighter
Galactic Attack - Shooter
Guardian Heroes - Beat em Up
Marvel Super Heroes - Fighter
Mr Bones - Platformer
Night Warriors - Fighter
Panzer Dragoon Zwei - Shooter
Powerslave - FPS
Sega Ages - Arcade Compilation
Sega Rally - Driving
Shinobi Legions - Platformer
Spot Goes to Hollywood - Platformer
Three Dirty Dwarves - Platformer/Puzzle
Xmen: Children Of The Atom - Fighter

So right there is a list of a good mix of different genres and they're all great games and I highly recommend them. There is of course QUITE a few more wonderful gems in the us ntsc set, but I decided to stick with ones I actually own. I think it's quite an underrated system and if you're a 2d shooter/fighter addict like me, the import world will be glorious.

If you're really worried about the money aspect in importing, don't be. You can buy a mod chip and check out tons of great import games since some of them do actually run very high (Sengoku Blade, Radiant Silvergun), but often you can find imports in more plentiful supply and sometimes a lot cheaper than some of the hard to find us games. Get one, you must.

[Steven]

What's Guardian Heroes even like?

Think "Streets of Rage" but with magic & some minor RPG-ish stat stuff.

It is a must buy if you enjoy beat'em ups (Double Dragon, SOR, Final Fight)

Let me also add a touch of "Real Bout Fatal Fury" as well (3 plane system!)

[Iron Draggon]

OMG, if you never get any imports for your Saturn, you are so missing out! There are so many great imports for it that are all in English or almost all in English, and you would never know that they weren't domestic releases, if you didn't know that they were imports. And once you play them, you will not only never ever regret it, you will wonder why you didn't start importing sooner. But most of all, you will wonder why so many great games for the Saturn never got an official American release. It's just unbelievable how many totally awesome Japanese games Sega of America foolishly passed on in their suicidal efforts to kill the Saturn prematurely in America. Trust me on this, the only reason I can see for not wanting to get tons of imports for your Saturn is the expense of buying them all. Most of them really don't cost anymore to import than the typical common domestic releases will cost you now, but the massive number of top quality imports can surely break your bank very quickly if you catch a severe case of the importing bug like I did last year! This time last year, I only had about 5 imports for my Saturn, and I thought that I had almost all the ones I wanted. Then I found a couple more that I wanted, and a couple more, and a couple more. Now I just can't seem to stop myself, I have about 35 imports for my Saturn, and I'm getting to the point where most of the imports that I want now have triple digit prices! So some of them can get very expensive, but believe me, I have a very limited income, and I was still able to buy dozens of top quality imports, all brand new and still factory sealed. So if you're willing to go with used imports, you could really go nuts on them, because you can get even better deals that way. Having a Saturn without having any imports for it is almost a sacrilige. (sp?) Of course you should only buy what you want, but seriously the import scene for the Saturn is one of the most rewarding import scenes there is, and it is well worth investigating, even if you're totally new to it. Plus, there are plenty of us hanging out in Import Mania to help you with any questions or problems that you may have with it, and there are many great reviews there to help you make well informed choices on what to buy and what to avoid. I write reviews of almost every import that I buy, both for the Saturn and for other systems. And I can't read a word of Japanese, so I for one can tell you that you don't have to know a thing about the language to be able to have an extremely enjoyable import experience. Importing for the Saturn is one of the greatest joys that a gamer or a collector can know!

[Raedon]

The Saturn is easily EASILY the best disc based system to collect for that is 3D. I wouldn't collect for it because it isn't my style (I hate movable part systems) but right now there is a feeling out there that people missed something in the Saturn but prices are not going up yet like $15 SMB3 carts.


Personally the only optical system I collect for is the Neo-Geo CDZ and I have problems bringing myself to spend $100+ for the 2-3 rare games.

[evildead2099]

Is the Saturn port of Duke Nukem 3D censored like the PSX / N64 versions?

[OldSchoolGamer]

1. Go to www.ncsx.com

2. Buy an Action Replay 4 in 1



Can that boot backups?

NO! it merely boots imports (IE: any region) a modchip is required to boot backups!

[crazyjackcsa]

The Saturn is the Only system I really actively collect for. and I only collect U.S Releases. It has the best version of Duke that isn't edited. And Tones of great games, Most of which have already been mentioned. Also the system is very, very sturdy and doesn't have many of the problems associated with most disc based systems.

[Mr Mort]

Is the Saturn port of Duke Nukem 3D censored like the PSX / N64 versions?

If you're refering to the strippers that take their tops off, and the vulgarities, then no, the game is NOT sensored. That stuff is in there.
The graphics engine in the game is pretty impressive, it's the same engine used in Quake and Powerslave, developed by Lobotomy.
And the Saturn version of Duke Nukem can be played online with the Netlink adapter.


As for the topic itself, the Saturn is my favorite system of all time, I highly recommend it, although you'll get much more enjoyment out of it if you're willing to import. Even if you're not though, there are plenty of domestic titles to warrant the investment.

[evildead2099]

... The graphics engine in the game is pretty impressive, it's the same engine used in Quake and Powerslave, developed by Lobotomy.
And the Saturn version of Duke Nukem can be played online with the Netlink adapter.

That would mean that the Saturn version of Duke 3D is technologically superior to the PC version in terms of graphics. Quake is a 'true' 3D game since its characters are composed of polygons, whereas those featured in Duke 3D are mere sprites. Is that in fact how the Saturn version of Duke 3D plays?

Are there any reliable Saturn emulators out there that would allow me to play this particular version of Duke 3D?

[dj898]

there are couple but don't expect PSX kind of compatibility...
Some will run at reasonable speed while others either will at 5fps or won't at all...
still nothing can beat the real thing... :D

[crazyjackcsa]

Is the Saturn port of Duke Nukem 3D censored like the PSX / N64 versions?

If you're refering to the strippers that take their tops off, and the vulgarities, then no, the game is NOT sensored. That stuff is in there.
The graphics engine in the game is pretty impressive, it's the same engine used in Quake and Powerslave, developed by Lobotomy.
And the Saturn version of Duke Nukem can be played online with the Netlink adapter.


As for the topic itself, the Saturn is my favorite system of all time, I highly recommend it, although you'll get much more enjoyment out of it if you're willing to import. Even if you're not though, there are plenty of domestic titles to warrant the investment.

Ummm the engine is different. Those are spritesi n Duke, just like the PC version. I'm sure the engines have their similarities, but they are different.

[Mr Mort]

... The graphics engine in the game is pretty impressive, it's the same engine used in Quake and Powerslave, developed by Lobotomy.
And the Saturn version of Duke Nukem can be played online with the Netlink adapter.

That would mean that the Saturn version of Duke 3D is technologically superior to the PC version in terms of graphics. Quake is a 'true' 3D game since its characters are composed of polygons, whereas those featured in Duke 3D are mere sprites. Is that in fact how the Saturn version of Duke 3D plays?

That's exactly right. The game uses a 3D engine (the enemies are sprites, the levels are 3D, except for Quake where it's all 3D). That's part of what made Powerslave so great. The game engine allows for multi-tiered rooms, etc. The frame rate is also very nice, although it sometimes drops a bit in Quake. I highly recommend picking up all 3 games if you can, especially Powerslave if you're into Egyptian mythology & architecture.

[Rogmeister]

It's ironic that we're talking about the Saturn now because Joe's Collector's Corner in the newest Tips & Tricks magazine discusses this very system. Many consider World Series Baseball '98 for it one of the best baseball games. It's one of my favorites though I'm one of those with just a limited library of Saturn games (so far).

[bargora]

It's ironic that we're talking about the Saturn now because Joe's Collector's Corner in the newest Tips & Tricks magazine discusses this very system. Many consider World Series Baseball '98 for it one of the best baseball games. It's one of my favorites though I'm one of those with just a limited library of Saturn games (so far).
It's funny that you mention that. I just looked at my collection and discovered that I have a minty fresh WSB '98 on the shelf. I must have picked it up with a raft of other sports games when I was buying out the local CD/Game Exchange's stock (at $1.00 apiece) just for the cases. It even still has the foam insert.

Now you've piqued my interest. I suppose I shall have to sample this bit of video sports history...

[vulcanjedi]

What do you guys think about Mr. Bones? That like Baku Baku was a Sega exclusive.
I finally got one of those a few months back and if I could just get off the third level I think I would be loving it :)

VJ

[Mr Mort]

On a different note can someone fill me in on Soukyugurentai? I've been eyeballing it for a bit now, but I'm still on the fence. Any opinions/details would be appreciated.

[Steven]

On a different note can someone fill me in on Soukyugurentai? I've been eyeballing it for a bit now, but I'm still on the fence. Any opinions/details would be appreciated.

Get Souky. IMO it's in the "top five Saturn shmup" list. It is definitely a good shooter, and I'd get the Otokuyo version. It's a little cheaper and is the same exact game, but it includes a 1 level demo of the equally spectacular BATTLE GAREGGA, and if you use the 4-in-1 cart, Otokuyo fixes some bugs that plagued the reg. version when using the 4 in 1.

It can be had for around 30 bucks total, and at that value is an absolute bang for the buck. There's a real dark steely feel to the whole game, as if you were mankind's last hope on a desperate mission against an empire of evil. Good stuff all around. Tough as nails too, but not as unforgiving as Batsugun or DoDonPachi (thank God)