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[Team Andromeda]

To be fair most of what Sega of America produced across all platforms was trash.

Outside of STI's Sonic games (which were largely produced by Japanese staff) I really struggle to think of anything they produced that I'd define as great.

It's even more surprising that the best 32X games came from Sega's AM teams which should have been entirely focused on Saturn and Model 2 development.

To be fair, they did only really have 1 In-House team for the most part. I did like Comix Zone, but then just think of how much better that would have been on the Saturn with a 2-player mode, 24-bit colour palette, real CD sound (no need to include a CD) and one looks at Star Wars Arcade that could have been so much better on Saturn with better samples, better gfx and real CD-DA Star Wars music and one can only imagine how much better Virtal Racing Delux would have been on the Saturn with the same Japan CS Team working on it


That's not to give SEGA Japan a break, mind. Shinobi just wasn't good enough in the GFX or sound dept , Clockwork Knight and Victory Goal should have been delayed and improved and Daytona USA deylayed to improve the GFX. And to this day I do not understand why Arabian Fight and Golden Axe The Revenge of Death Adder were never ported to the Saturn when SEGA launched the multi-tap

 

[RoboFu]

I had both at launch but I really loved my Saturn more the first 2-3 years.

People here seem to not know or forgot that the PlayStation didn't start to get its legendary games until 1997. Before that it was really all about arcade games MK3 was a big deal , virtua fighter, tekken, street fighter alpha( capcom fighters in general), Daytona, sega rally, ridge racer. Tomb raider was the big break out 3d adventure game. Panzer dragoon zwei was one of the best looking games at its time. PlayStation had war hawk and wipeout as early hits some great games but nothing like its post 1996 line up.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

That's not to give SEGA Japan a break, mind. Shinobi just wasn't good enough in the GFX or sound dept , Clockwork Knight and Victory Goal should have been delayed and improved and Daytona USA deylayed to improve the GFX. And to this day I do not understand why Arabian Fight and Golden Axe The Revenge of Death Adder were never ported to the Saturn when SEGA launched the multi-tap

I'd also suggest they dropped Virtua Fighter in favour of VF Remix, which was apparently ready in completed form for the western launch.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I had both at launch but I really loved my Saturn more the first 2-3 years.

People here seem to not know or forgot that the PlayStation didn't start to get its legendary games until 1997. Before that it was really all about arcade games MK3 was a big deal , virtua fighter, tekken, street fighter alpha( capcom fighters in general), Daytona, sega rally, ridge racer. Tomb raider was the big break out 3d adventure game. Panzer dragoon zwei was one of the best looking games at its time. PlayStation had war hawk and wipeout as early hits some great games but nothing like its post 1996 line up.

I'd agree, after the release window featuring Ridge Racer, WipEout and Tekken there wasn't really anything of note on PlayStation until the release of Resident Evil in August 1996.

In the meantime Sega was putting out bangers like Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter 2, Sega Rally and Panzer Dragoon Zwei.

What's frustrating is none of these games received any TV advertising in the UK when Sega really needed to be shouting from the rooftops about how great they were.

I get that Sega fucked up the launch, but by Feb 1996 Sega had the better product and they failed to capitalise on that.

 

[Team Andromeda]

I'd also suggest they dropped Virtua Fighter in favour of VF Remix, which was apparently ready in completed form for the western launch.

It would have been touch and go.

I never knew why Tom and SOA even picked that day (please don't say SOJ made them pick it). SOA could still have gone early, but picked Aug 1995 instead when more games like Bug, Clockwork Knight 2 were ready too

 

[TheMan]

Psx only here. Did get to play Saturn here and there but didn't get one until a couple of years ago off eBay.

This is the gen of console I look back on most fondly. I was young enough to not be jaded but I was still able to follow developments from the first rumors that Sony was making a console

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Psx only here. Did get to play Saturn here and there but didn't get one until a couple of years ago off eBay.

This is the gen of console I look back on most fondly. I was young enough to not be jaded but I was still able to follow developments from the first rumors that Sony was making a console

It was an incredible leap from the generation before.

- CD as standard
- Polygon graphics
- Analogue controls
- Sony entering the market

Gaming completely changed beyond recognition in only a year or so.

Very exciting times unlike now.

 

[Elginer]

I saved up for ages when I was 10 in 1996 to buy a Sega Saturn in a deal with my parents that if I paid for half of it, they'd pay for the other half. I thought Sega was proven and that the Saturn console looked a lot cooler than the Playstation.


I was not a smart kid.

Spoiler

Still had tons of fun with Daytona USA, Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter, House of the Dead, D, Knights into Dreams, Sega Rally Championship, Clockwork Knight, and Guardian Heroes

I remember that Christmas my Dad asking me so son, what do you want this thing called a PlayStation of the new Sega?

I said what the hell does Sony know about video games?!! I want a Sega Saturn!!!

I don't regret that choice. The Saturn brought me so much joy and 2 years later I got a PlayStation for Final Fantasy.

 

[SkylineRKR]

I thought it would be a wrap for Sega. Their 16-bit was good, and Sony was new. Newcomers typically left as fast as they entered.

However my worries started when i saw the launch price of Sega in Europe, and i read the reviews of both launch lineups. PS simply looked better, and reviewers did choose RR and Tekken over Daytona and VF. MK3 being next-gen exclusive was a good get for Sony too. There was no Saturn Sonic game in sight either. Something was off.

You can write essays about it but the simple fact is Sony happened to do pretty much everything right and Sega did everything wrong. I think Nintendo also did a lot of things wrong, but they were more sustainable than Sega and had the handheld market as well. They didn't sink.

 

[Togh]

Sony's marketing strategy during the launch of the PlayStation in 1995 heavily emphasized its price point, making it a central aspect of their campaign. Sega lightly mentioned it near the very bottom of this ad, but they should have leaned heavily into it: When considering the inclusion of a second controller and a game—both standard with the Saturn—the actual price difference between the two consoles was closer to $25, not the $100 disparity highlighted by Sony. This nuance was not adequately communicated in Sega's marketing materials, so much that to this day, everyone remember that "owned" moment by Sony thinking that the PSX was $100 cheaper than the Saturn, when in reality that was not the truth.

Had Sega adhered to the original launch schedule and effectively conveyed the true cost comparison, the reception in the U.S. market might have been more favorable. The rushed release led to limited availability and a lack of sufficient game titles, which hindered the Saturn's competitiveness against the PlayStation. In hindsight, a more strategic approach, coupled with transparent pricing information, could have altered the course of the console's success in North America.