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SlimeGooGoo
Banned
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OmegaSpirit32X
Member
Eh, that game gets too much hate. Then again most of those issues are fixed on the Gamecube and PC remasters. Even then I find the tank controls tolerable, it's still a racing game, just that people try to play it like a 3D platformer.
Honestly I wish that game got a spiritual succesor, with controls closer to a regular 3D platformer. Kinda like Sonic Rivals but in 3D. Especially considering the amount of side-characters with different abilities the series had gathered since.
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Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
Sega Saturn is an all-time great videogames console and, in my view, Sega’s best system. It’s their Velvet Underground, it’s their Pinkerton. There are so many great titles to enjoy that we could spend all day going through the software library and still won’t discover it all.
I don’t care who hated or dismissed the system back in the day. I guarantee that if I have an evening, any critic will become a convert by the end.
As always, I highly recommend visiting NeoGAF’s Sega Saturn Community forum, where we share our love of all things Saturn and especially showcase its brilliant library:
https://www.neogaf.com/threads/neogaf-official-sega-saturn-community.1507666/#post-255722281
I don’t care who hated or dismissed the system back in the day. I guarantee that if I have an evening, any critic will become a convert by the end.
As always, I highly recommend visiting NeoGAF’s Sega Saturn Community forum, where we share our love of all things Saturn and especially showcase its brilliant library:
https://www.neogaf.com/threads/neogaf-official-sega-saturn-community.1507666/#post-255722281
Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
Here is a link to four articles I wrote for Sega Saturn, Shiro last year. The Sega Saturn 3D Showcase highlights 120 videogames that demonstrate the console’s powers for 3D polygon and sprite graphics.
Let’s see how many of these titles you’ve played:
https://www.segasaturnshiro.com/author/dtm/
Let’s see how many of these titles you’ve played:
https://www.segasaturnshiro.com/author/dtm/
Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
pauljeremiah
Gold Member
Retronauts had a great episode about the Saturn back in the 1UP days.
Brazen
Member
Saturn is hard/expensive/etc excuse to emulate and yet it's already been done by a small community of individual people...
I've long given up any prospect to finish part 2&3 of shining force 3 after what, 25 years? of utter neglect from Sega.
Saturn's neglect of it's classic library is the one of the few things that actually pisses me off in the gaming world.
I've long given up any prospect to finish part 2&3 of shining force 3 after what, 25 years? of utter neglect from Sega.
Saturn's neglect of it's classic library is the one of the few things that actually pisses me off in the gaming world.
nush
Member
You've got some right stinkers in that list, any gsme that been ported from PS1 and isn't better than the original should not be on a list "Demonstrating the 3D power" of the Saturn. If it was coded for the saturn from the start then it's usually pretty good.
YeulEmeralda
Linux User
I wonder if there is a market of Japanese boomers?
I know having lots of free time is more of a European thing (36 hour work weeks and 5 weeks of paid vacation is not rare).
I know having lots of free time is more of a European thing (36 hour work weeks and 5 weeks of paid vacation is not rare).
When you hear stories about losing source code and original discs for Saturn games from Sega, it makes you wonder how much of the Saturn information they saved. Maybe they don't have anyone who could pick the Saturn apart or any technical documents. They weren't the most organized of companies.
Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
Instead of a collection they should do some remakes. Some of my favorite games on Saturn have aged horribly.
Sega's standards were consoles selling less than 20 million units.
Mega Drive was the exception, not the norm for Sega.
Master System, Game Gear, Saturn and Dreamcast all sold similarly, around the range 9M-15M.
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Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
In the US, at least, there appeared to be a ceiling for Sega consoles at 2-3 million. Genesis was the sole exception, thanks to Sonic and EA Sports.
AMSCD
Member
Duke Nukem 3D. I admit that when I think of the Saturn, Duke doesn't come to mind. What makes this port stand out on the Saturn?
AMSCD
Member
And uses rectangles instead of triangles to render 3D.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Saturn was junk. I think the only keys games that were good were JRPGs, fighters (assuming you exclude Tekken and Soul Edge) and Sega based arcade games.
Most games involving 3D were junk compared to PS1. The sports games were terrible. Whereas Genesis Sega Sports were good (that 92-94 era), I dont think there was one good Sega Sports game, and the EA Sports games were worse on Saturn too. Racing games on PS1 destroyed Saturn too. I'd put Formula One (even just the first game) better than any Saturn racer, never mind GT or Namco's racers. I remember seeing Wipeout on Saturn and it looked like slow motion.
It also cost more and was giant sized.
The only thing that was better was it's black. Never liked console colours (NES, SNES, PS1 and 360 OG) that are white/grey. I like all my consoles/electronics black (Genesis, PS2, 360 Slim, recent Xbox consoles).
Most games involving 3D were junk compared to PS1. The sports games were terrible. Whereas Genesis Sega Sports were good (that 92-94 era), I dont think there was one good Sega Sports game, and the EA Sports games were worse on Saturn too. Racing games on PS1 destroyed Saturn too. I'd put Formula One (even just the first game) better than any Saturn racer, never mind GT or Namco's racers. I remember seeing Wipeout on Saturn and it looked like slow motion.
It also cost more and was giant sized.
The only thing that was better was it's black. Never liked console colours (NES, SNES, PS1 and 360 OG) that are white/grey. I like all my consoles/electronics black (Genesis, PS2, 360 Slim, recent Xbox consoles).
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Rykan
Member
I've used that pickup line before, but it never worked for me.
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Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
Dreamcast did not have enough years and near the end a waning budget to flex its wings, but it did manage to finally bring Arcades into the home with flawless or near flawless conversions: a library with Crazy Taxi, SEGA Rally (still had fun with it), Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter 3, Powerstone, House of the Dead, etc… was for many a dream come true at that quality… and then you had your Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, LoK: Soul Reaver (remastered), RE: CV, JGR, etc…
Saturn did not have some of those gems, but it had others and a larger library developed over considerably more years and deeper budget invested in the platform.
SCB3
Member
Pretty much this, the Saturn has always felt like a Stop gap between the Genesis/Mega Drive and the Dreamcast, what didn't help is the SEGA CD and 32X, and tbh we don't get a lot of Ports of those games either, and if I'm being honest theres nothing much on Saturn that I feel is a must play or not been ported to something else like the PSX at some point
REDRZA MWS
Member
No idea why they would be. One of the first, if not the first to launch with disc based games, 56k modem for online gaming. I had literally countless hours playing the OG NFL2K (with Randy Moss on the cover), gameplay was great at the time and the graphics and gameplay were so on point. Then games like Duke Nuke em 3D online, Saturn Bomberman was the best in series. Panzer Dragoon Saga...... i loved my saturn!
MrCunningham
Member
Duke Nukem 3D for the Saturn wasn't a very accurate port. But it was still one of the best FPS's on the Sega Saturn. It was remade by a developer called Lobotomy Software, who also did the Saturn port of Quake 1, as well as PowerSlave/ Exhumed for the Saturn/ PS1 and PC.
The Saturn port of Duke 3D is remade on the same game engine used in the Saturn ports of PowerSlave and Quake. It's not using the Build engine. The levels were altered pretty heavily in the Saturn game, because lobotomy's engine lacked some of the features found in Build. But it was generally still rated very highly, played well for the Saturn and is one of the better FPS games for the console. It also supports online multiplayer via Saturn NetLink.
The PS1 port is actually closer to the original PC game, as it seems to use the Build engine. Maps generally look identical with minor changes. Though tiles/ textures/ sprites all get reduced in resolution, and the framerate is much worse than the Saturn game.
I kind of like the N64 port, with 2 player co-op and 4 player Duke Match. This version has altered levels and weapons. It is also censored. but i generally like it.
SkylineRKR
Member
True, I've owned Duke on both Saturn and PSX. The PSX version was pretty much identical to the PC, with a bonus episode on top.
The Saturn version was very different, but it played and looked much better. Better framerate also. I think it had no quick save IIRC. You had to beat a level in 1 go. I did beat the game. It was better than on PSX which I also beat (Except for the bonus ep, that one was brutal). But Duke is also a game I wouldn't play on Saturn anymore, the Vita version and the one on the other last-gen systems is better to play and it has more content.
For the time though, Duke 3D on Saturn was fantastic and it had Death Tank. Same goes for Quake and Exhumed, an impressive feat on Saturn but the recent remasters blow them out of the water.
The Saturn version was very different, but it played and looked much better. Better framerate also. I think it had no quick save IIRC. You had to beat a level in 1 go. I did beat the game. It was better than on PSX which I also beat (Except for the bonus ep, that one was brutal). But Duke is also a game I wouldn't play on Saturn anymore, the Vita version and the one on the other last-gen systems is better to play and it has more content.
For the time though, Duke 3D on Saturn was fantastic and it had Death Tank. Same goes for Quake and Exhumed, an impressive feat on Saturn but the recent remasters blow them out of the water.
cartman414
Member
A normie says what?
cireza
Member
And it actually had a lot more going on. It was a full 3D engine to begin with, so the view would tilt when walking. It has some very nice dynamic lighting. It was also pretty smooth. The Saturn version is unique and I personally really like it. Still have a blast playing these games on CRT to this day.
By the way, Vandal Hearts as got an English patch and I am currently playing it on Saturn. For now I have been having a great time. The game is really fun and makes a good use of the hardware. Nice and clean graphics, pretty smooth overall, good transparency as well.
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AMSCD
Member
Thanks for the indepth reply!
cireza
Member
Best soundtrack from Motoi Sakuraba, by the way.Make it happen SEGA
Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
Quads look better. There, somebody actually said it.
Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
Duke Nukem runs fast and smooth, looks great, has lots of action, and did you know that you can still play 1v1 online matches?
The “Lobotomy Trilogy” of Powerslave, Duke Nukem 3D and Quake are three of Saturn’s very best games. And they’re still awesome to play. Just be sure to use the 3D analog controller.
dreamcastluvr
Member
Seems like there was a lot less image warping in the 3D games because of this.
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Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
Generation 5 is the “awkward teenage phase” for videogames. The move towards cutting edge 3D polygons was far from smooth, and visual design could be both beautiful and ugly at the same time. You had to deal with a host of glitches and graphical hiccups, and even the Nintendo 64 was not fully spared.
The great thing about enjoying this era of gaming today is making your peace with these issues and even learning to love them. There’s a certain charm in Saturn’s mesh transparencies and PlayStation’s poly zig-zags and N64’s chuggy frame rates. It is what it is. As always, what matters is having fun, and I’d still rather play Goldeneye, Powerslave or Tony Hawk Pro Skater than almost anything on the current super-consoles.
(Seriously, have you seen Spider-Man on PS5? Holy buckets!)
saturnalian
Member
Edit
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He may have thought about it, but if he were committed to the idea, he wouldn’t have bankrolled the Dreamcast. All I know is, after he passed, there wasn’t anyone around to bail Sega out of their poor decisions anymore.
saturnalian
Member
Edit
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cartman414
Member
Sorry not all consoles can be AAA game machines.
Daniel Thomas MacInnes
GAF's Resident Saturn Omnibus
To be fair, Sega managed as well as they could, and there really isn’t any scenario where they could have survived as a hardware company into the new century. Certainly not when major players like Sony ($30 billion) and Microsoft ($ infinity) have entered the market. You can’t survive in that poker match. All your Rivas have to do is start a price war and squeeze you out. Just ask Jack Tramiel about that.
If Okawa-San was actively considering exiting the console market in 1993, I’d have to assume it was after the Sony PlayStation specs were leaked. It certainly was a possible option, as they knew at that point they were facing a rival that knew what they were doing, had done their homework and was serious about conquering the living room (videogames were, as always, the Trojan horse). At that point, Sega is in a lot of trouble, surely not an insurmountable challenge, but they’re in for the fight of their life.
Fast forward two years and Microsoft unveils Windows 95, marking their entry into the gaming market. A home console was only a matter of time. And if Sony was large enough to buy Sega for less than a rounding error, Microsoft could swallow Sony. At this point, Sega is actively looking to get the hell out.
In order to survive, Sega would need a) another hardware company to partner with and shoulder the burden of expensive consoles, b) new revenue streams, c) guaranteed blockbuster hits, or d) exit the hardware wars and go third-party. Sega of America was scrambling on the first two points, going so far as attempting to kill the Saturn (in classic MN passive-aggressive behavior, no less) in 1995 and replace it with a new 64-but console in 1996, first the Lockheed Martin Real 3D and then the 3DO M2. They nearly succeeded in buying 3DO, but they could never convince Matsushita (who were worth $100 billion) to make an exclusive partnership. The latter party had no real interest in videogames & just wanted to license the M2 to multiple parties, like the original 3DO.
Heck, if it weren’t for VF2, Virtua Cop & Sega Rally, Kalinske’s plan might have succeeded. But that’s a long and, strangely, overlooked story. The news reports were everywhere, yet nobody ever put 2 and 2 together at the time.
The problem with Saturn wasn’t its hardware specs (I’ve disproven the “can’t doo three-dee” shtick well enough, don’t make me tap the sign), it was its cost. At that time, what Sega, Nintendo and Sony needed was a box they could sell for $149. That’s the mass market price—we’ll call it the “Kalinske rule.” With its Complex architecture and off-shelf parts, Saturn could never reach $149 at the same time as Sony (who could eat their hardware losses) and Nintendo (who launched N64 at $200).
This leaves only one avenue left: software. On that front, Sega was entering a golden age. Unfortunately, the kids never bothered to notice. Hardly anything sold: Panzer Dragoon, Nights, Powerslave, Tomb Raider, Dragon Force—mother luvin’ Dragon Force!!—nothing. Anything 2D? Forget it. Those killer arcade hits? Nada. Anything that arrived after Super Mario 64? Don’t make me laugh.
All of which is to say that our beloved Sega, despite any cheers from the few true diehard fans, was doomed by 1995. But, hey, the first Velvet Underground album only sold 30,000 copies and we know how that turned out.
thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
I think there was another option for Sega, one that they didn't necessarily begin to seriously explore until it was a bit too late: fully synergize their arcade and home console models into a properly unified business chain.
Nintendo survived Sony entering the market because they realized both very early and due to working with Sony previously on both the SNES sound chip and Play Station, that they could not compete with Sony's resources head-on. So they doubled down on their niches, those being handheld gaming and consoles with unique controller/multiplayer features. Combined with the strength of their IPs and the impending megaton of Pokemon, it was enough to see them carve out some healthy marketshare, tho it'd of been less if Sega were operating as a coherent whole during that period.
Like Nintendo, Sega should've realized that they could not have competed directly with Sony, but unlike Nintendo they probably lacked particularly close working relations with Sony Japan, because IIRC Sony Imagesoft was an American publishing label, not a Japanese one. Sega probably also saw how systems like the 3DO were struggling and felt that if a company in that type of project like Panasonic/Matsushita, or as a better example, the struggle and failure of PC-Engine in the West and PC-FX in Japan by NEC (who were also a very big company at that time), they could've expected similar mistakes and failure from a similar electronics mega-conglomerate like Sony. The pattern was already there, only hindsight shows how they were wrong to assume such.
If Sega were more cognizant of those facts, they probably could've stopped the internal conflict and bleeding between East & West divisions, and focused on what they were excelling at. They could've found some inventive ways to tie their arcade projects and initiatives, perhaps by working with various arcade and family entertainment chains, into their Saturn initiative and create some type of a virtually unified ecosystem between the two. Maybe even changing the design target of the Saturn from a mass-market console, to a smaller-market specialty console, maybe essentially a consolized Model 2 system, where you could play Model 2 games both at the arcades and at home. A (for the time) modernized Neo-Geo approach, basically.
Meanwhile, they could've focused on what the Neptune was essentially going to be, a combined Genesis/32X system, but also added CD-ROM functionality partially for Sega CD BC (and maybe two cartridge ports instead of one if technically possible; the first for Genesis games (and Neptune games that would've came in cart/CD combo packs), the second for expansion carts like a SVP 2), and use that as a pseudo next-gen "mainstream" system they could've focused on additional 1P software for which would've also been compatible for those with a combination of Genesis/32X/CD type of setups, earning goodwill, being cheaper in terms of BOM and production costs, and technically supporting those platforms especially the Genesis which was by far their most popular device at the time. Such a device I think, wouldn't of needed to cost any more than $199 MSRP, maybe even cheaper than that. I think they would've needed to focus on original 1P software for the Neptune and that device combo setup for the gen, at least for a few years, and selectively resign themselves into a 3P-like relationship with Sony and Nintendo, porting some of those games over to one or both platforms a couple years or so after they appeared on the Neptune.
The Neptune, in that scenario, I think would've been lucrative enough to justify supporting, and you'd get 3P licensees like Capcom to support it as well at least with games like Street Fighter, Darkstalkers etc. It would basically be Sega carving out a lower-end entry-level product for the nextgen market, similar to what we've seen Microsoft do now with Series S, but almost three decades earlier. Meanwhile, Sega could've taken some of those Neptune 1P exclusives and, in addition to making ports for some of them to PS1 and/or N64 a couple years later, also developed versions of some of those games for Model 2 hardware in the arcades, with game settings and modes friendly for an arcade environment. These versions could've been upgraded with advanced graphics, basically among some of the first "remakes" of games in the industry really, especially among 3D games, and also maybe get some arcade-exclusive content added to them. By the time Sega could've ported those games to a PS1 or N64, they'd also be able to bring the arcade-exclusive content to those versions as well, and the Neptune version, which would've been available for cheaper since it'd just be something like an expansion disc and could use save data from the original version released on the system prior.
The same way Neo-Geo allowed save transfer between home and arcade, I think this hypothetical Sega Neptune (with a built-in CD drive) and "Model 2 home console" could've allowed this as well. Other benefits too, like special token discounts redeemable for prizes, special memberships at participating chains for people with Sega consoles, etc. The "Model 2 home console" could've been something provided exclusively through partnered arcade chains for patrons wanting to play those games on a home system with the exact same specs, in a rental fashion (likely tied to credit card and bank for payments). Sega'd probably need to design some lockout features to where arcade operators wouldn't of been able to use a Model 2 home console as an arcade cabinet, at least not without Sega's approval, but hopefully you can see where I'm going with this.
Basically, Sega needed to think outside the box and probably consider their brand and products as more of an ecosystem with some hardware-agnostic degree. They'd of been able to establish a pretty healthy loop between a featured Neptune, Genesis/CD/32X combo unit setups, Model 2 cabinets, Model 2 home consoles, and even PS1 & N64. However, all of this would've required Sega to admit that they would not have been able to compete head-on with Sony, would've needed to establish a niche the way Nintendo cleverly did, and most importantly, be united as a corporation in order to see any of this in the first place and be inventively proactive instead of stagnantly reactive.
Sadly those things didn't happen and while the Saturn (and Dreamcast) have some absolutely amazing classics, Sega as a platform holder could've been a lot more IMHO. Lots of untapped potential.
Part of the problem with their arcade ports to Saturn was that they were forcing magnitudes-superior Model 2 games onto the Saturn hardware. Down-porting those games to Saturn was always going to cause problems. What they should've done, was prioritized games like Daytona, Virtua Fighter 2 etc.
Erdrick
Member
I imagine sadly... That Sega probably lost a lot of the source code for much of their Saturn stuff. With all the infighting they had back within their company back then, preservation was likely not even a thought. Let alone having hardware back then that was appealing to most other developers to work on.
Just a guess on my part, mind you.
Just a guess on my part, mind you.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Problem with Sega (aside from them shotgunning a million pieces of hardware) is that they didn't change. Their games had always been heavily rooted in arcade games which have the attention span of a fruit fly.
Sega released a ton of racers on Saturn. None compared to Gran Turismo. They had some good Sega Sports games on Genesis. All stunk on Saturn. They made tons of fighting games. Tekken (add Soul Edge too) were better than all of them.
What could had helped them out were third party games to balance out their aracdey games. But the likes of Square games and Metal Gear were on PS1 to boot.
Saturn was a system best appreciated if someone was into Capcom fighting games, JRPGs (assuming there was localized content) and if they are a big fan of Sega arcade games.
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rnlval
Member
Saturn hardware is based on a four-sided sprites engine that faked a four-sided polygon.
93xfan
Banned
Fighting Vipers and Virtua Fighter 2 are Xbox bc as well
SkylineRKR
Member
Nintendo survived because they had a few advantages. They had the handheld space, they still have in fact. And they have some sort of a consistent quality with iconic videogame characters suited for all ages. Mario, Zelda etc. There will always be a market for these games and Nintendo is careful about these IP where Sega kind of did whatever they felt like with Sonic (and even ignoring the IP for Saturn). On top of that, Nintendo had more financial wealth than Sega to begin with.
But yes, after the 16 bit generation Segas days were kind of numbered. Even with good management I doubt they would persist against companies like Sony and Microsoft. You can't expect Sega to pay a few billion for a studio like Bungie, or 70 billion for a publisher like Activision. Nintendo can't do this either, but they don't need to.
In fact, its not like Nintendo kept fighting spec wars either. Even they couldn't hang on. The Gamecube was their final cutting edge piece of hardware, which has been released well over 20 years ago. Spec wise GC could engage the Xbox and PS2. After that Nintendo went for innovation like motion controls. And they always had handheld to fall back to. But Nintendo simply backed off as well, what they offer is completely different from the others.
But yes, after the 16 bit generation Segas days were kind of numbered. Even with good management I doubt they would persist against companies like Sony and Microsoft. You can't expect Sega to pay a few billion for a studio like Bungie, or 70 billion for a publisher like Activision. Nintendo can't do this either, but they don't need to.
In fact, its not like Nintendo kept fighting spec wars either. Even they couldn't hang on. The Gamecube was their final cutting edge piece of hardware, which has been released well over 20 years ago. Spec wise GC could engage the Xbox and PS2. After that Nintendo went for innovation like motion controls. And they always had handheld to fall back to. But Nintendo simply backed off as well, what they offer is completely different from the others.
thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
I think some of those "the source code's gone" stories are just fables. Didn't someone from the PD Saga team come out a couple years ago saying they found the source code?
I don't think it's so much the source code gets deleted, so much as it just gets buried under tons of old documents and shifting through them is a job upon itself.
Actually if you look at most of PS1's early releases, they were also very heavily arcade-like. Not just talking about ports like Sexy Parodius or Raiden Project, even games like Twisted Metal, Destruction Derby, Battle Arena Toshindan etc., these were all very arcade-like in game design and would've worked just fine in an arcade back at the time they released with minimum changes.
The difference between those games and Sega's arcade ports is, the former had more content specifically targeted at home audiences. Sega's arcade ports were usually barren in terms of extra content, outside of Saturn Modes in some ports with a few changes here and there. Most of the big exceptions to this were with games licensed out to 3P partners, like Time Warner with the Saturn Virtua Racing port.
Not a fair comparison; arcade racers are way different by their very nature to something like a car simulator. The only 1P GT-like game Sega attempted for Saturn was Sega Touring Car, and that predated GT by at least a few months (which came out in Japan around the end of 1997).
That's true.
Eh, this is debatable. Tekken 1 may've looked better than Virtua Fighter, but Virtua Fighter had better gameplay and character designs. Tekken 2 is where the character designs started actually getting good, and it was a big improvement, but again gameplay-wise a lot of people considered VF2 the better game. Tekken 3/VF3 gets complicated because visually VF3 stomped all over Tekken 3 but Tekken 3 was targeting weaker hardware from the jump.
FWIW I think Tekken 3, particularly the PS1 port, is where that series finally came into its own gameplay-wise with as much depth and complexity as VF 2 and 3 had (tho less technical than VF3 at the high-level), and the aesthetic really came into its own. IMO it's the single best full-package fighter from that entire generation, and one of the few PS1 fighters that could actually go up against something like VF2 not just visually but also in terms of gameplay and come out winning. Tho TBF, it came out three whole years after VF2, so that's something to keep in mind.
More games like FFVII (which they did get, both 1P and 3P-wise with stuff like Shining the Holy Ark, Dark Savior, Beyond Oasis, Shining Force III series, Dragon Force series, Grandia etc.) and MGS would've been great but honestly I think Sega should've just added a lot more home-centric content to their arcade ports for Saturn. The core gameplay in most of those games was already very strong, there just wasn't a lot for home players to do with them if they weren't interested in mastering the mechanics themselves.
It's a problem games like Halo Infinite find themselves in almost three decades later, but at least in the mid-'90s it was more forgivable due to the transition to 3D. Also keep in mind while games like MGS, Parasite Eve, Fear Effect etc. would go on to define the PS1 in retrospect, almost ALL of those games came in 1998 or later. That's at least four years after the system's release in Japan! By 1998, Saturn was commercially dead in terms of AAA games outside of stuff like Panzer Dragoon Saga and Burning Rangers.
In other words, most of PS1's biggest games AAA-wise started coming just around the time AAA development was dying off for the Saturn. Very important to keep in mind.
More or less true. In modern times tho, that audience is a lot bigger than it was during the system's commercial run, which has done very well for its legacy going forward.
Saturn hardware is based on a four-sided sprites engine that faked a four-sided polygon.
TBF, the PS1 also faked its polygons, as both it and Saturn lacked Z-mapping. By that metric, the N64's the only "real" 3D system that generation, out of the Big 3 anyway. But I think 3DO's setup was similar to Saturn's, and the Jaguar had some advanced blitter, so the idea N64 was the only "real" 3D platform that gen probably still holds true.
xpresstuning
Member
Yeah, Vandal Hearts has a whole bunch of improvements over the PSX release, and the people who made the translation patch went above and beyond to further improve the game. Check out Densetsu no Ogre Battle (Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen) as well, which also recently got a translation patch, and is much improved over the SNES & PSX release.
I'm hoping for a few other translation patches to come out, but even as it stands i've come to the conclusion that the Sega Saturn is, by far, SEGA's best machine by its sheer number of quality video games that are not only worth playing today, but also either exclusive on that machine or notably better compared to other alternatives.
Grechy34
Member
I think it's more an emulation issue then anything else. The Saturn is a fantastic console but a really unique piece of hardware in terms of hardware specifications. Emulation to this today is still not 100%.