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[RetroGamingUK]

It’s a bit like comparing apples to oranges really simply because, at least in the west, their libraries are so different. To cover every genre you’d need both consoles really.

N64 for me was all about great 3D platformers like Mario 64, Banjo and Conker, the Saturn had literally none of these (no Croc doesn’t count).

Saturn was largely all about fighting games, both 3D like Virtua Fighter, Fighting Vipers and Last Bronx, and 2D like Street Fighter Alpha. N64 was pretty pathetic in this regard.

Really difficult to choose which why in the UK pretty much everyone just went with the PlayStation which offered the best of both worlds and then some.

I went with the Saturn initially as they were on fire in 1996. Sadly it all fell apart in 1997 and their first party lineup was pathetic so I traded it for a PlayStation. My neighbour had an N64 for anything I missed out on.

 

[GymWolf]

I only had saturn but i can safely say N64 by a landslide.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Saturn is the best console with the better library. Dark Savior, Guardian Heroes, Burning Rangers, Panzer Dragoon, Sega Rally, Grandia, Nights, Last Bronx etc the list goes on. Underrated as hell. N64 is the worst console I've ever owned. It has basically three games worth playing. SM64, Ocarina of Time and Star Fox 64. The console was also ugly and had a terrible controller. Plus cartridges, that severely limited third party support. It was a total bust.

 

[BlackTron]

The PS1 was the best console of its generation. Hands down, no one will argue against this (and if they do they are fucking idiots because come the hell on guys).

This thread was disappointing.

I expect better luck for the next round.

Stop giving the wrong answers in MY THREAD!!!

 

[RetroGamingUK]

The PS1 was the best console of its generation. Hands down, no one will argue against this (and if they do they are fucking idiots because come the hell on guys).

I’m a fan of all 3, but there’s really no debating this.

If you didn’t have a PS1 in the 90s then you really missed out on a big part of pop culture from that era. While many have not aged well the amount of great games being released on the platform from late 1996 to late 1999 was insane, I don’t think we’ve seen anything like it since (maybe the PS2).

 

[snapdragon]

The n64 is a unique console, it was hard carried by Nintendo/rare first party games and many of those games were revolutionary and era-defining but the n64s third party support was garbage

The Saturn has a more extensive, and diverse library and Sega's first-party games were pretty solid. it's also important to mention that not many of these excellent games just couldn't have any real impact on the industry due to them being released on a system that held 1-12% of the international 5th gen home console market and was dead in the West and in decline in japan during late1997/1998

it's like if Nintendo never ported Breath of the Wild to the switch or Mariokart 8 to the Switch

also how do i vote?

 

[Killer8]

N64 had revolutionary classics like Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

The Saturn was trash that only permanently online people defend.

 

[snapdragon]

N64 had revolutionary classics like Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

The Saturn was trash that only permanently online people defend.

1. Never denied that. n64 first-party support was on another level.

2. These "Permanently online people" also happen to know a whole lot about the gaming industry and it's just objectively true that the Saturn had significantly better third-party support, and a more extensive and diverse library than the n64. The Saturn had an insane attachment rate of 16-1 for a reason.

you should check out a YouTuber called sega lord x

 

[RetroGamingUK]

The Saturn was trash that only permanently online people defend.

The problem with Saturn was that outside of fighting games there wasn’t much quality in other genres compared to PlayStation. Yes you’d get the odd gem, but outside the top 10 games that get repeatedly listed it wasn’t great (unless you imported games from Japan)

3D adventure - after Tomb Raider there’s little else that was great (there was a late port of Resi 1)

3D platformers - you’re spoilt for choice on PS/N64, on Saturn you basically had Croc (Burning Rangers might fit this category)

Driving - Sega Rally was and still is great, outside of that though it’s largely bad arcade ports with abysmal frame rates

RPG - outside of Panzer Saga and Shining Force III little to write home about (Japan got Grandia)

Sports - outside of Athlete Kings there’s little of quality, bad EA ports and no ISS/PES

 

[kevboard]

in the west N64

in japan Saturn

 

[Evil Smurf King]

The Sega Saturn, hands down, no debate.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the Nintendo 64 had its moments with some legendary titles like Super Mario 64, Wave Race 64, Zelda Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, GoldenEye 007, and a few others. But let’s be real, the game releases were few and far between, and the catalog didn’t exactly scream variety. It felt more like a secondary console or maybe just something quirky to have around. Sure, it was cool and all, but I think it was more hype than substance. I mean, they had that whole partnership with Silicon Graphics, calling it the Ultra 64 before launch, and of course, it was riding the wave of the SNES’s massive success… But then there was that weird god-awful controller, those clunky solutions like the Game Pak and cartridges, and those f* blurry graphics and fog in the games.

The Saturn, on the other hand, was way more complete and hardcore. It naturally boasted an enormous lineup of Sega games (Sega Rally, Panzer Dragoon, Daytona USA, Virtua Cop, NiGHTS—you name it). For the most part, the ports were solid — except maybe Daytona USA. Plus, it had all those niche Japanese games, 2D Capcom fighters straight from the arcades, shmups, JRPGs, FPSs… In short, a complete catalog for every kind of gamer. The Saturn also had this old-school charm even back then — especially when compared to the PSX’s futuristic and adult vibe. Sure, in the beginning, the games were super arcade-y, but it found its groove naturally, like with Panzer Dragoon evolving into Panzer Dragoon Zwei and Saga.

I loved that pixelated transparency effect and the overall naivety vibe of the graphics — they might have been a bit outdated, but they oozed personality. I had all three consoles back in the day, but for me, the real treasure was the Saturn — I think it was, and still is, my favorite from that generation. It’s a shame things went so disastrously for Sega back then, but I’d love to have a Saturn Mini or something like that today.

By the way, are that developer still planning to release that Panzer Dragoon Zwei remake?

 

[Astray]

Didn't own either, but I'd try the Saturn if I was sent back in time with some money.

 

[Thaedolus]

N64 had revolutionary classics like Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

The Saturn was trash that only permanently online people defend.

Well your first sentence was right…

N64 had AAA killer apps that matched up against the best of the PSX

Saturn and PSX had a breadth of AA titles the N64 couldn’t even begin to dream of.

Each of them has a special place in my heart.

 

[Badlucktroll]

We must respect the saturns place in gaming history, but, i say, n64

 

[Sethbacca]

I always wonder what could have been if the N64 had been disc based because FF7 N64 could have changed everything.

 

[cartman414]

N64 had revolutionary classics like Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time.

The Saturn was trash that only permanently online people defend.

Enjoy your poorly textured 3d and 2d with limited frames.

 

[AngelMuffin]

Saturn for sure if we’re counting the JPN library. Still play my Saturn today for the awesome shmups & 2D fighting games.

 

[RAIDEN1]

A no contest, Saturn struggled to replicate Mario 64 (just look at Sonic Xtreme for evidence) not to mention the transparency issues, and having a title like Wave Race 64, which wasn't only great to look at but played brilliantly as well... both the Playstation and Saturn would struggle to replicate it

 

[Ev1L AuRoN]

Being a 90's kid even back in the day I vastly prefer the Saturn over the N64, fighting games were my favourite genre and the N64 is quite weak when it comes to fighting games.

 

[Ozzie666]

Off topic, but I am looking forward to the Analogue 3D for a new solution to play N64. But I am also hoping Analogues next unit is a Saturn style machine like the Turbo Duo.

 

[Grechy34]

I hold the most nostalgia for N64 so for me it's above everything and I absolutely love that thing to death. Now having the funds to purchase multiple (US and Japanese) Saturns and having a fenrir installed in my Japanese one, I have come to appreciate the Saturn so much. The 2D on the Saturn is spectacular. The Capcom fighting ports are the closest thing to arcade you can get. The 2D fighters and Schmups in general are just magnificent on the Saturn. Anyone who has played the PS1 versions would know how much better the Saturn versions are (with the 4MB cart of course)

 

[nkarafo]

On Saturn i liked the Lobotomy FPS games. Both Quake and Duke Nukem 3D were better on the Saturn. But the N64 had the best DOOM game ever made plus Goldeneye/Turok. So the N64 still wins on the FPS department. The Saturn had better fighting games (both 2D and 3D) but i'm not a huge fan of fighting games anyway. The N64 had the best 3D platform and racing games and it also had the two best Zelda games ever made.

Also Starfox 64 > Panzer Dragoon

So N64 wins easily for me.

Enjoy your poorly textured 3d and 2d with limited frames.

The Saturn also had poor frame rates in a lot of games.

 

[Grechy34]

If not for Mario 64, OoT and GoldenEye, the N64 was abysmal. Saturn ruled.... 'til PSX stepped in the ring.

This statement astounds me. Majora's Mask, Wave Race 64, 1080 Snowboarding, Paper Mario, Banjo Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Rogue Squadron 1 & 2, literally the best era of wrestling games with WCW vs NWO Revenge, No Mercy, Wrestlemania 2000,

The people who run this bullshit never owned or played N64 extensively. or simply didn't care for the console.

 

[drganon]

Never owned a saturn, so n64 by default.

 

[FeralEcho]

OT: probably N64 due to it's library but I love the Saturn as well

 

[Hudo]

If not for Mario 64, OoT and GoldenEye, the N64 was abysmal. Saturn ruled.... 'til PSX stepped in the ring.

Shit like Super Mario 64, Wave Race 64, Golden Eye, etc. are why the N64 has a legacy. Much like how Final Fantasy VII, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Tekken 3, etc. build the PS1's legacy.

If you remove these "light tower" games, then you can reduce basically every console to "nothing special".


I mean, if you remove Astro Bot, I'd argue the PS5 has literally nothing making it worth owning it as of right now. But again, this is a doesn't seem like a solid argumentative basis.

 

[Preseznik]

Back then all I wanted was to play Virtua Fightter 2 / Sega Rally / Daytona at home, but couldn't get a Saturn anywhere.
Looking back now, I wouldn't trade Mario 64 / Wave Race 64 for any of those (I've had a Saturn for over a decade now, and do love it - but it's not better than N64).

 

[Preseznik]

I mean, if you remove Astro Bot, I'd argue the PS5 has literally nothing making it worth owning it as of right now. But again, this is a doesn't seem like a solid argumentative basis.

The sole reason I've kept my PS5 is GT7. I built *two* sim racing rigs with PSVR2 based on the fact GT7 is exclusive to this console.

Don't underestimate the power of a single game to sell systems, I say this to caution people from discounting Mario 64's influence in the 90s.

 

[cartman414]

On Saturn i liked the Lobotomy FPS games. Both Quake and Duke Nukem 3D were better on the Saturn. But the N64 had the best DOOM game ever made plus Goldeneye/Turok. So the N64 still wins on the FPS department. The Saturn had better fighting games (both 2D and 3D) but i'm not a huge fan of fighting games anyway. The N64 had the best 3D platform and racing games and it also had the two best Zelda games ever made.

Also Starfox 64 > Panzer Dragoon

So N64 wins easily for me.


The Saturn also had poor frame rates in a lot of games.

Well of course. Not every game was well optimized. But PS1 coulsn't handle various 2d games made for Saturn without cutbacks.

Preferred PD to SF64. But then I didn't care for the latter as much as OG SNES SF.

 

[nkarafo]

Well of course. Not every game was well optimized. But PS1 coulsn't handle various 2d games made for Saturn without cutbacks.

Well, the Saturn was designed as a 2D machine first. It also makes use of those RAM carts that were essential for the animation heavy 2D games of the era.

It's 3D capabilities though were not competitive.

 

[Drell]

I was a N64 kid and voted for it for that reason but to be fair, these days, I tend to think that the industry should've waited one more gen to go full 3D. These 3 platforms simply couldn't deliver us 3D that isn't ugly these days. 6th gen 3D on the contrary aged like fine wine.

 

[nkarafo]

I was a N64 kid and voted for it for that reason but to be fair, these days, I tend to think that the industry should've waited one more gen to go full 3D. These 3 platforms simply couldn't deliver us 3D that isn't ugly these days. 6th gen 3D on the contrary aged like fine wine.

You could say the same thing for, say, the NES. It couldn't really deliver good 2D visuals that aren't ugly these days, the SNES on the other hand aged like fine wine.

We need to stop comparing with current standards. 5th gen visuals were great for the time. I still remember how impressed i was when i saw Wipeout on the PS1 for the first time. Or Banjo-Kazooie on the N64.

You have to take into account 3D textured graphics was like a dream in 1994. The consoles we had before that were barely able to handle a handful of solid colored polygons at even lower frame rates. Starfox on the SNES was what, 10 fps average? And that was a top of the shelf 3D game that needed an extra chip to be able to run.

Seeing 3D textured worlds at 20-30 fps in our homes was completely game changing. You also need to remember that most people back then had 20 something inch CRT TVs at best. These TVs were great at filtering those low res visuals and hiding most imperfections. And low frame rates are more tolerable the smaller a screen is. Playing those games on a huge, modern LCD panel only makes them worse than they were back then. And the same applies for 6th gen visuals, they look horrible on modern panels.

 

[Esppiral]

From a technical point of view the N64 obviously, anything else, Sega Saturn by far.

 

[Hudo]

The sole reason I've kept my PS5 is GT7. I built *two* sim racing rigs with PSVR2 based on the fact GT7 is exclusive to this console.

Don't underestimate the power of a single game to sell systems, I say this to caution people from discounting Mario 64's influence in the 90s.

Exactly.

 

[Madserb2023]

To start, I think the N64 was the best console of that generation. The Saturn was worse but that was in large part due to it not being supported. Should have focused on making the very best 2d games including Sonic. They could have easily made something like Sonic Mania on the Saturn. 2d games on the Saturn visually hold up better than 3d games of that period. Really shame.

 

[NeptuneCL]

N64 and it's not even a contest...., not even a valid question!

The relevance of Saturn was zero, none. On the other hand, N64 has an amazing list of games that still today are well remembered.

 

[Drell]

You could say the same thing for, say, the NES. It couldn't really deliver good 2D visuals that aren't ugly these days, the SNES on the other hand aged like fine wine.

We need to stop comparing with current standards. 5th gen visuals were great for the time. I still remember how impressed i was when i saw Wipeout on the PS1 for the first time. Or Banjo-Kazooie on the N64.

You have to take into account 3D textured graphics was like a dream in 1994. The consoles we had before that were barely able to handle a handful of solid colored polygons at even lower frame rates. Starfox on the SNES was what, 10 fps average? And that was a top of the shelf 3D game that needed an extra chip to be able to run.

Seeing 3D textured worlds at 20-30 fps in our homes was completely game changing. You also need to remember that most people back then had 20 something inch CRT TVs at best. These TVs were great at filtering those low res visuals and hiding most imperfections. And low frame rates are more tolerable the smaller a screen is. Playing those games on a huge, modern LCD panel only makes them worse than they were back then. And the same applies for 6th gen visuals, they look horrible on modern panels.

The thing is, I was impressed by Tekken 1 the first time, but as soon as I saw Mario 64, PS1's pixelated and warped textures along with the jittery polygons looked aweful to me. I was blind back then because I was a Nintendo fanboy and I couldn't see that N64's games weren't better with their sub-20 FPS performances and blurried textures. Arcades had better 3D even before any 32/64 bits console was released and PCs GPUs were on the rise, being largely better than any consoles very quickly.

What I mean is that technology was evolving so fast in the 90s, I know Sony and Sega (even if they failed) did the right choice commercially to launch their products so early, but in my ideal world, they would've launched their consoles a bit later and we could've had cleaner grahics on the 5th gen. I won't deny of course that 3D in itself as a new gameplay perspective was a huge advancement and it's good that 3D became mainstream early so that devs were able to familiarize with it quickly.

 

[cireza]

The problem with Saturn was that outside of fighting games there wasn’t much quality in other genres compared to PlayStation. Yes you’d get the odd gem, but outside the top 10 games that get repeatedly listed it wasn’t great (unless you imported games from Japan)

3D adventure - after Tomb Raider there’s little else that was great (there was a late port of Resi 1)

3D platformers - you’re spoilt for choice on PS/N64, on Saturn you basically had Croc (Burning Rangers might fit this category)

Driving - Sega Rally was and still is great, outside of that though it’s largely bad arcade ports with abysmal frame rates

RPG - outside of Panzer Saga and Shining Force III little to write home about (Japan got Grandia)

Sports - outside of Athlete Kings there’s little of quality, bad EA ports and no ISS/PES

This post was provided to you by IgnorantGamingUK

Oh, a Neo Member.

3D adventure was just kicking when Saturn was alive. Unless you are comparing to Playstation games from 1998/1999 which people love to do (but in this case we should look at Dreamcast games, not Saturn. Because these were Dreamcast years for Segafans, Sonic Adventure suddenly counts ! OUCH). Tomb Raider II and III might have been released if it wasn't for Sony paying for exclusivity. II was in development.

3D platformers : see 3D adventure

And yes, we got Burning Rangers that fits these categories, and this game is awesome. Bulk Slash is also pretty excellent.

Driving : so we are not counting both Wipeouts, Destruction Derby, Daytona USA and CE, High Velocity, Initial D, Need for Speed, Road Rash etc...

RPG : so Mystaria, Dragon Force and Shining the Holy Ark never existed in the West. "Japan got Grandia" lol. Japan got like a gazillion RPGs on Saturn, a ton were awesome. Lunar remakes, Wachenroder, Terra Phantastica, Atlus games and obviously Grandia.

Sports : so we are ignoring all SEGA sports games, including Sega Worldwide Soccer games, the excellent NHL and NBA games by SEGA (especially the 98 games), Winter Heat, Steep Slope Sliders etc...

You didn't talk about shmups as well, while this is an area in which the Saturn was an excellent console. You probably omitted it involuntary.

Conclusion : if we ignore all the games released on Saturn, Saturn had no games.

 

[SpiceRacz]

Sports - outside of Athlete Kings there’s little of quality, bad EA ports and no ISS/PES

Did you actually play any Saturn sports games? World Series Baseball ‘98 and the Worldwide Soccer games are among the best ever made. Most sports are represented well on the system. Hell, there’s even a really good snowboarding game I can’t remember the name of.

 

[Parazels]

I owned neither of the consoles (I had PS1),
but having watched their games on YouTube I always feel Saturn was a proper 32 bit console without serious drawbacks.
Needles to say about its 2d capabilities, but it also had very neat polygon models and textures unlike warping textures on PS1 and blurry textures on Nintendo 64.

Also didn't 90% of Nintendo games run at 20-25 fps? This is a huge disadvantage if so.

 

[Parazels]

Wave Race 64, which wasn't only great to look at but played brilliantly as well... both the Playstation and Saturn would struggle to replicate it

Rapid Racer (hi res at 60 fps) destroyed Wave Race 64.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Did you actually play any Saturn sports games? World Series Baseball ‘98 and the Worldwide Soccer games are among the best ever made. Most sports are represented well on the system. Hell, there’s even a really good snowboarding game I can’t remember the name of.

Worldwide Soccer was a nice tech demo (graphics and animation) and nothing more. I remember the adverts in the UK showing off the tricks you could pull off (first footie game to do so I believe) but when you came to play it it was unresponsive and clunky, the passing model was bad even for the time.

Steep Slope Sliders is the snowboarding game you refer to, no racing and very bland tracks. 1080 and Cool Boarders on N64 and PS1 respectively were better.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Rapid Racer (hi res at 60 fps) destroyed Wave Race 64.

Impressive tech demo for the time with some decent gameplay.

Nice avatar btw

 

[Parazels]

Impressive tech demo for the time with some decent gameplay.

Nice avatar btw

Tech demo? I played it a lot.
By your logic most of arcade racers were tech demos.

 

[nkarafo]

3D adventure was just kicking when Saturn was alive. Unless you are comparing to Playstation games from 1998/1999 which people love to do (but in this case we should look at Dreamcast games, not Saturn. Because these were Dreamcast years for Segafans, Sonic Adventure suddenly counts ! OUCH). Tomb Raider II and III might have been released if it wasn't for Sony paying for exclusivity. II was in development.

3D platformers : see 3D adventure

Wait what? You count games released on other machines and games that were not released at all?

This is beyond reaching.

Driving : so we are not counting both Wipeouts, Destruction Derby, Daytona USA and CE, High Velocity, Initial D, Need for Speed, Road Rash etc...

Need for Speed and Road Rush were multiplatform releases that were about the same quality on PS1. The Wipeout games were pretty bad ports that run at 20fps, which is just bad for such speedy games. We all know how bad the original Daytona USA port was, at least visually. CE looks better but i hear fans don't like how it plays. Not sure about the rest since i haven't played them but yeah, i wouldn't say racing games were Saturn's strong hand.

Rapid Racer (hi res at 60 fps) destroyed Wave Race 64.

The game isn't really high-res and the water looks like shit in comparison.

Also didn't 90% of Nintendo games run at 20-25 fps? This is a huge disadvantage if so.

No. The N64 got that reputation because some of it's more popular games had frame rate issues such as Turok 2 and many games by RARE. And also because the Zelda games run at 20fps.

There are plenty of stable 30fps games and most multiplatform games also run smoother on the N64 vs the PS1/Saturn, with some exceptions. But it has the lowest ratio of 60fps games.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

I do hope we get Saturn and Dreamcast games on Switch 2 in some form. There are so many gems lost to time..

 

[Parazels]

The game is not high-res, doesn't run at 60fps and the water effects look like shit in comparison.

Not sure which Rapid Racer you played but sure as hell it's not the PS1 version.

The game was a PSX exclusive, I played it a lot there. It ran at 50/60 fps (Pal/NTSC) at high resolution.
The developers spent 6 months on creating its physical engine alone.

 

[nkarafo]

The game was a PSX exclusive, I played it a lot there. It ran at 50/60 fps (Pal/NTSC) at high resolution.
The developers spent 6 months on creating its physical engine alone.

You are right it runs at 60fps (US version) but it's not really high res... I mean, the screen is but the internal resolution is not.

The water looks really weird and not at all like water. There is no transparency and it looks like some sort of solid gel.

Waverace has it's issues (it runs at 20fps) but it looks miles better and it's superior as a game because the waves actually have physics and your jetski reacts realistically to them, which is part of the gameplay.

I think even Hydro Thunder (for both the N64 and PS1) looks better than Rapid Racer.

 

[Parazels]

You are right it runs at 60fps (US version) but it's not really high res... I mean, the screen is but the internal resolution is not.

The water looks really weird and not at all like water. There is no transparency and it looks like some sort of solid carpet.

Waverace has it's issues (it runs at 20fps) but it looks miles better and it's superior as a game because the waves actually have physics and your jetski reacts realistically to them, which is part of the gameplay.

I've never played Wave Race 64, but in my opinion a racing game, which runs at 20 fps, can't be good by default.

 

[nkarafo]

I've never played Wave Race 64, but in my opinion a racing game, which runs at 20 fps, can't be good by default.

Generally i agree. But in the case of Waverace i didn't mind it much because it's slower paced than other racers and the waves add a lot to the gameplay.

I wouldn't rate it as one of the best N64 games but saying Rapid Racer "destroys" it is too hyperbolic, especially when you never played Waverace, like you said, to form such a strong opinion.