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[Ironclad]

I checked in the options and Cyberbots uses 3M. So if you're wondering if it works, the answer is yes.

I always knew what I needed to play most Saturn imports, just never put aside the current hot games long enough to do anything about it. Given I have so many new games lying here I haven't played, I can justify the money spent on collecting better than I can bargainware at the moment.

And Lord knows there will be a lot of bargainware soon. So many games from Christmas and so many of them will be marked down within the next couple months to ridiculous blowout prices.

Thanks again for all the posts and keep 'em coming. Even if it's just to recall some cool thing from the Saturn days.

Another question too! Gungriffon 2... different game? New missions? I love the first and about five months ago I rebought it (owned and traded back in the Saturn's heyday) but I'd love some more missions.

Good to hear that it works. This will definetly be a good investment.
Regarding your current perdicament, I know exactly how you feel. My backlog has been very full for the longest time, and I am just now catching up to it, so this would be an excellent time to get back into my Saturn importing. Oh, and thank you for starting this thread. Absolutely excellent thread.

I dunno why Virtual Hydlide has come up. I prefer to think that game never existed.

I am terribly sorry for bringing up Hydlide. It was extremely unplayable back when I first tried it out. The odd thing is though is that it was so bad that I couldn't stop playing. :lol

 

[BenT]

Personally, I don't get the continued frenzy over Saturn shooters anymore since most of the games can be emulated on the PC now. Same deal with fighters.

Some people don't care to pirate. Simple as that.

I'm in the same boat as Dave as far as classic gaming goes. Only the real thing will do it for me.

 

[pops619]

I'm another one who prefers Saturn and PlayStation over MAME. Especially since the computer I'm using now struggles with emulators for some reason. I just prefer being able to play on a TV in the comfort of my living room and all that. It's hard to get into it when you're cramped at a computer desk. It's definitely going to be hard for me to justify paying $80 or whatever to get stuff like Battle Garegga. But for the most part, the games are affordable enough. Thank God I got Radiant Silvergun when it was $50. Same with Panzer Saga, Dragon Force, and Guardian Heroes for that matter.

 

[anotheriori]

No one recommended Groove On Fight and Bubble Symphony...two more great games.

hah for some reason i read that as Glove On Fight.

 

[Teddman]

Don't forget Silhouette Mirage, the original unmodified Treasure version as opposed the the Working Designs PSOne release, which had considerable changes.

 

[PC Gaijin]

Bulk Slash is a 3D mech action game. You zoom around a futuristic city fighting your enemies in a transformable mech (mech and jet forms, kind of like Macross). Pretty good 3D graphics for Saturn. The reason I like it is that it feels like an old PC Engine game (it's from Hudson after all) with little anime-style cutscenes and voiceovers. I don't think this is a title that sees a lot of demand, so it should be cheap.

As for the buyers you listed: I bought some games from qz-box once, and he gets a thumbs-up. Never dealt with the other guy. Some Japan-based sellers I'd avoid in particular are: Mark-in-Japan, Yamatoku, and Hit-Japan. Personally, I've had just as good luck with reputable US-based sellers as Japanese ones when it comes to grading condition. Pricing works out about the same unless you really buy in bulk (which I tend to do when ordering from Japan; I usually buy at least 10-12 games at once to make the shipping worthwhile).

As for emulation... I just don't dig it. I've tried. I played a lot of stuff in MAME and whatnot but it really just doesn't do it for me. I want that CD, the little extras in the home versions and the Saturn controller/system there in front of me. Yeah, it's probably a lot more expensive, but it's also somehow a lot more satisfying. It's what I collect. Some people collect stamps. Some collect bottle caps. I collect games.

I feel the same way you do when it comes to emulation of console games. I'll always prefer "the real thing" over emulation. For arcade games however, I use emulation and a nice joystick. I've considered building a Supergun and collecting PCBs...but I don't even have enough space for my current game collection. In fact, I just spent the last year and a half trimming down my collection and selling a good portion of it. It eventually gets to a point where you have a mountain of games you'll probably never have the time to even play, much less fully enjoy. That's what happened to me anyway

Back to Saturn: too bad we're not all prescient and couldn't have snapped up all the rare games back when they were more readily available (and cheaper!) I got lucky with a couple of games (like Radiant Silvergun and PDS) and bought them reasonably at release, but for every one of those lucky breaks, I bought ten other imports at full price that you can now get for less than ten bucks :lol On the whole, my Saturn collection could hardly be considered an investment, although I've certainly got a lot of enjoyment out of it. When I've bought any Saturns games at all in the past few years, it's mostly been stuff in genres that I had passed over in the Saturn's heyday. "Simulation" games and RPGs mostly (usually cheap because of the language barriers). You can build up a pretty interesting and unique Saturn collection on the cheap by just avoiding some of the high-dollar stuff that a lot of people clamor for.

Some people don't care to pirate. Simple as that.

So you've never played an emulated game? Listened to an MP3 of a song you don't own? You're a remarkable individual if true

 

[Shin Johnpv]

the 4in1 works great just so you know there is a mod you have to do to it to get it to work with the later Capcom games (Vampire Chronicles, SFZ3, Pocketfighters, i think theres another) I had mine modded in NYC for like 5 bucks but the site that showed where the mod had to be done seems to be down now sorry

 

[isamu]

Don't forget Silhouette Mirage, the original unmodified Treasure version as opposed the the Working Designs PSOne release, which had considerable changes.

THANK YOU TEDD! THAT'S the saturn game I was trying to think of by Teasure. SM was fucking groooovey!

 

[DCharlie]

Segata San Shiro - mini game madness, kick playstations into bins for instance. Unlock videos of Segata running through a forest with a massive Saturn on his back, punching a huge saturn controller.... madness.

Sando-R - more mini game nuttyness

The Games Paradise - already mentioned, cutesy shoot em up

Crows - super deformed side scrolling beat em up with sweary grafitti

Liquid Kids - Taito slightly side scrolling bubble bobble esque platformer

Radiant Silvergun - i'm sure mentioned a million times already - fantastic boss heavy shooter

Mr Bones , Kururun Pai, Nazomakaimura, Metal Black, Kingdom Gran Prix, Assault Suit Leynos 2, Sexy Parodius, Shienryu, Side Pocket 3, soukygurentai, Try Rush Deppy spring to mind after a quick think...

will scan through my collection tonight if i remind on.

 

[Ironclad]

Mr Bones

I was driving myself crazy trying to remember this. This game was absolutely awesome. The music and art-style were truly unique. I can't remember the name of the level, but it's the one where these small creatures are carrying Mr.Bones, bone by bone, to a lake. They are singing this really great song. Just one more reason why I love this game.

 

[Defensor]

Some Rebout screens I took recently:

hey, that looks quite good.

 

[Dave Long]

Just one last quick note about emulation. I have a friend with one of these...

http://www.slikstik.com/detail.aspx?ID=9

...and he's got the major MAME setup. All the Geo stuff, blah blah, and it's fun to go over there and play, but it's just not the real thing. Even he knows it. He's owned at least three Geo cart systems at one time or another. Bought one when it launched in the States even. He was hardcore enough to carry his damn memory card to the arcade and take headphones too for the MVS units.

Personally, I owned two Neo cart units at two separate times. Both times I ended up trading them because I felt like I couldn't afford to buy games for them. Looking back, I didn't make enough then to support them but I never should've traded them either. I got the first for $100 at the Electronics Boutique warehouse sale (1994?) and the second a few years after through an import place in New York State (not NCS). I loved those things. The first one was brand new too for that $100 and included freaking Fatal Fury 2 which still kicked major ass in '94. I had Last Resort, FF2, Art of Fighting 2, the awesome League Bowling, Magician Lord, Super Baseball 2020... and my pal was buying a lot more than me so I got access to Viewpoint, Top Hunter, Spinmasters, Windjammers, Ghost Pilots, Nam 1975, etc. My god... what a fool I was to trade them away.

Anyway, save the rest of that for another thread in a few months. I think that helps explain why emulation just doesn't do it for me. I've owned the real thing. I know what it feels like to have those amazing Neo Geo controllers (the original sticks, not any of the later stuff) in your hands and spend all afternoon with Samurai Shodown II playing til your eyes go square. That shit can't be topped by the emus. Even with that high quality, ultra expensive joystick setup I linked to, me and that friend of mine always would rather play the real thing when it comes to home games. It's nice for Asteroids though.

He doesn't have the room for the real stuff anymore which is why he spent so much for emulation on PC.

 

[Dave Long]

Segata San Shiro - mini game madness, kick playstations into bins for instance. Unlock videos of Segata running through a forest with a massive Saturn on his back, punching a huge saturn controller.... madness.

Sando-R - more mini game nuttyness

The Games Paradise - already mentioned, cutesy shoot em up

Crows - super deformed side scrolling beat em up with sweary grafitti

Liquid Kids - Taito slightly side scrolling bubble bobble esque platformer

Radiant Silvergun - i'm sure mentioned a million times already - fantastic boss heavy shooter

Mr Bones , Kururun Pai, Nazomakaimura, Metal Black, Kingdom Gran Prix, Assault Suit Leynos 2, Sexy Parodius, Shienryu, Side Pocket 3, soukygurentai, Try Rush Deppy spring to mind after a quick think...

will scan through my collection tonight if i remind on.

Segata Sanshiro definitely interests me. I remember the commercials. I think I downloaded some of them from the net back then on dial-up. I barely remember him getting a game and then I saw the thing on eBay. hee hee

I want to get the import Fighting Vipers just for Pepsiman too. Anyone have the Japanese commercial with Pepsiman? I watched that a million times. That was a great ad.

Thanks for the suggestions DCharlie. Some different stuff in there!

This is what I love about the GAF. I couldn't have posted this anywhere else on the net and found so many people that GET IT. There are a lot of folks that call themselves "gamers" but there's this tiny group that are beyond that. The GAF is where we all meet. I'm pretty sure someone said similar sentiment in one of the Gamefan threads because frankly, that magazine embodied this fanboyism that we all share. But man, it's great to speak this language with others. Before I found the GAF, it was so rare to find anyone outside of the one friend above that understood just why I get so stoked about SNK fighters or Sega Saturn shooters, etc. Awesome.

 

[BenT]

So you've never played an emulated game? Listened to an MP3 of a song you don't own? You're a remarkable individual if true

So typical. Of course I have. I'm not perfect, but people learn and grow over time. As of maybe seven years ago, you won't find a single pirated game in my collection.

Anyway. Let's not derail this good thread.

 

[isamu]

He doesn't have the room for the real stuff anymore which is why he spent so much for emulation on PC.

And rightfully so. Your friend should not feel guilty for doing this. It's what i did. I still own numeruous MVS carts and used to own a 6-slot MVS cabinet. But that shit took up too much room so i ditched it and went down emulation lane. Emulation can duplicate and replicate the arcade cabinet experience perfectly if you know how to set it up correctly.

But for saturn and psx of course it's better to play the real thing because the curent saturn and psx emu's are far from perfect and do not run nearly as well as their real console counterparts.

And yes, sliksticks are the best arcade sticks MONEY...CAN...BUY! MAS doesn't come close!

 

[Gunstar77]

Well I have a few of those import Saturn games for sale that were listed in this thread. Just give me a list on which ones you are interested in and will tell you if I have them and for how much.

 

[PC Gaijin]

Well, it's not like I prefer arcade emulation over the real thing. But arcades aren't exactly common anymore, never mind finding the same games I used to enjoy playing when I was a kid . Hence, my consideration of a Supergun or building my own cabinet, but space is always an issue when you live in an apartment :lol Whenever I finally get a house I want to do it though. Particularly since there are still some games I want to play that either aren't emulated, or aren't emulated exactly.

However, MAME is a godsend. So, so many games I loved when I was younger that I probably would never have been able to play again if not for MAME.

 

[DCharlie]

Try Mame thru a cab via ArcadeVGA and the control mapping USB fingerboard...

The only difference you have is that the sound comes through stereo, not mono. Other than that, i can run the arcade board in one machine and on emu on the other and no one would know the difference.

 

[mr jones]

I had to post here.

The Saturn is the first system that I ever collected for. Sure I owned a NES and a Genesis before that (didn't own a SNES until after the Playstation was debuted), but it was the Saturn that truly caught my interest. And it wasn't for the US stuff, either. PSX ruled the world in the US at the time. Panzer Dragoon and Daytona USA were fun, sure. But it was seeing my friend playing Guardian Heroes, and King of Fighters '95. With almost no load time. And they looked as good as arcade games. SOLD.

Once I raped my savings to buy a Japanese Saturn, that was it, I was hooked. Badly. I was absolutely floored by DoDonPachi (that and Guwange are still my favorite shooters to this day). I could FINALLY play Metal Slug at home again (would you believe that I had, and sold at one time, the homecart of Metal Slug for the Neo?), Vampire Savior was TEH SCHITT, and I put rediculous hours into Necronomicon and Last Gladiators.

Sure, there was crap. Contrary to what folks will tell you, there is this game called Psychic Warlock Tarumaru that is HIGHLY coveted. And I'll admit, it's rare, its 2 player, and it graphically throws every 2D special effect at you. But the control is wacked, and that is the kiss of death for me. OH! I highly recommend playing Death Crimson on the Saturn. It is without a doubt, one of the most broken, ugliest, shit-on-a-diskiest piece of evil game programming that I've ever seen in all of my years of gaming. I haven't seen a game worse that it on a 32bit or higher console, ever. Why do I recommend it? Perspective. You think that Fantavision was sparkly garbage? That Superman 64 was peasoup in a cartridge? Play Death Crimson. I dare you.

But then there was Radiant Silvergun. And Elevator Action Returns. Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter. Blast Wind. Strikers 1945. Astra Superstars.

Dammit, I need to hook up my Saturn again.

Fun fact: Remember that black hole that is Death Crimson? THEY ACTUALLY MADE A SEQUEL ON DREAMCAST. Someone's dick got sucked real good for that to get a green light...

 

[drohne]

in addition to a lot of the stuff already mentioned, check out guardian force. it's a neat little tank shooter by success. horizontal format, forced scrolling in all directions, and a nifty rotating turret. one of my favorite minor saturn games.

 

[GamePnoy74]

Some obscure Saturn fighting games I've had:

Asuka 120% Burning Fest. Limited - Schoolgirl fighter, each character is representative of their respective school club (chem, bio, wrestling, softball, tennis, etc.) There was the original Burning Fest on the PSX (which I also had), but never got to play Excellent and Final though.

Astra Superstars - Aerial fighter made by I think the same people who made Waku Waku 7 (Sunsoft)...wish I didn't sell/trade this one (I think that's what I did with it =P)

EDIT: didn't know other peeps have already mentioned Astra =P

 

[DCharlie]

"OH! I highly recommend playing Death Crimson on the Saturn. It is without a doubt, one of the most broken, ugliest, shit-on-a-diskiest piece of evil game programming that I've ever seen in all of my years of gaming. I haven't seen a game worse that it on a 32bit or higher console, ever. Why do I recommend it? Perspective. You think that Fantavision was sparkly garbage? That Superman 64 was peasoup in a cartridge? Play Death Crimson. I dare you."

which reminds me.... and probably Brandonnn too....

JUNGLE PARK (SATURN)

Worst "game" ever? Gets my vote.

 

[PC Gaijin]

Wow, thanks for the heads-up on ArcadeVGA DCharlie. I was wondering how you would go about hooking up a PC to an arcade monitor .

I have Death Crimson OX for Dreamcast. Not a great game by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not that bad.

 

[radios shipping overview]

Can't believe I've neglected this thread for so long. My Saturn library has grown and shrunk, but it includes some of my all-time favorites. They've been mentioned already, though, so on with the show!

Bulk Slash is a 3D mech action game. You zoom around a futuristic city fighting your enemies in a transformable mech (mech and jet forms, kind of like Macross). Pretty good 3D graphics for Saturn. The reason I like it is that it feels like an old PC Engine game (it's from Hudson after all) with little anime-style cutscenes and voiceovers. I don't think this is a title that sees a lot of demand, so it should be cheap.

Nice to see that it's become more available recently. I should pick it up again.

The Saturn market really hasbroken wide open in the past few years, hasn't it? I almost wish I'd got into it a couple-few years later than I did (I jumped in around late '99), after all the searching and overspending I used to do on Saturn shooters. Nearly everything on the system is cheaper and more readily available these days. I certainly don't regret finding that $29 sealed copy of Garegga at GameCave, though.

Never dealt with the other guy. Some Japan-based sellers I'd avoid in particular are: Mark-in-Japan, Yamatoku, and Hit-Japan. Personally, I've had just as good luck with reputable US-based sellers as Japanese ones when it comes to grading condition.

Wait, you avoid them? Those are some of the best sellers I've had experience with. Japanese sellers consistently have better inventory and games in better condition (though Yamatoku's storefront is pretty damn ghetto, and the condition of some of their stuff is not so hot).

Palet's web storefront is definitely worth a look, and while Matt at Wolfgames doesn't get new inventory in as often anymore, he's still got plenty to see.

I have to agree with BenT on the emulation issue. Sure, I emulate all the time to evaluate stuff I might like to play more, but if I find something I like, I buy it. I'm no saint, but I like to own stuff I find to be quality work. That, and emulation always has niggles and technical issues that make extended play no fun for me.

Besides, Battle Garegga, Sengoku Blade, and Layer Section (three of my favorites) have Saturn ports that are superior to the arcade versions.

in addition to a lot of the stuff already mentioned, check out guardian force. it's a neat little tank shooter by success. horizontal format, forced scrolling in all directions, and a nifty rotating turret. one of my favorite minor saturn games.

That one ticked me off a lot when I tried it. The FM-synth music sounded chintzy to me then, and I think I didn't like the multi-directional shooting much. After trying certain other tank-based shooters, though, I'd be willing to try it again.

 

[PC Gaijin]

Nice to see that it's become more available recently. I should pick it up again.

I don't know if it's more available now, I bought it years ago. I haven't checked prices on it, I just assumed it didn't fall into the typical categories that demand high prices on Saturn (i.e. shooters). Good game, but if it happens to be some crazy price (like over $40) I wouldn't buy it again .

Wait, you avoid them? Those are some of the best sellers I've had experience with. Japanese sellers consistently have better inventory and games in better condition (though Yamatoku's storefront is pretty damn ghetto, and the condition of some of their stuff is not so hot).

Well, in all three cases I received merchandise that wasn't graded properly or was misrepresented. Hit-Japan in particular had some very dodgy grading while Mark-in-Japan misrepresented a Saturn collection re-release and being the original release. Once burned I stay away on eBay, no matter how good they might be otherwise . I can vouch for Matt at Wolfgames though, he's been reliable in all my dealings with him. I believe he is getting out of selling though.

I have to agree with BenT on the emulation issue. Sure, I emulate all the time to evaluate stuff I might like to play more, but if I find something I like, I buy it. I'm no saint, but I like to own stuff I find to be quality work. That, and emulation always has niggles and technical issues that make extended play no fun for me.

<shrugs> I agree with your stance on emulation when it comes to console games. I don't like emulation for a number of reasons, such as I prefer to play on a TV, the emulation isn't always perfect, and there's nothing like using the original controllers, but I have no moral qualms about emulating arcade games. If BenT hasn't played an emulated game in the last seven years like he said, hey more power to him and I respect his integrity. However, if he has emulated games then he doesn't have much of a moral leg to stand on to cry piracy at the mention of someone enjoying MAME.

 

[drohne]

jiji - out of curiosity, how is the saturn version of layer section better than the arcade version? it's one of my favorite games as well, and i recall hearing that the saturn version is actually missing some graphical touches.

and definitely give guardian force another chance. i really like the way it uses the playfield and sends enemies and bullets at you from all directions.

i have few ethical qualms about emulating arcade games, but for some reason i can't really get into emulated games. i'd rather play a console port, even if it's somewhat inferior. and most 2d arcade to saturn ports are accurate enough, anyway.

 

[radios shipping overview]

I haven't checked prices on it, I just assumed it didn't fall into the typical categories that demand high prices on Saturn (i.e. shooters). Good game, but if it happens to be some crazy price (like over $40) I wouldn't buy it again.

Yeah, I just checked eBay and was surprised to see two copies for around $25-$30. I wouldn't mind having it again for that price. I got it as part of a big Yahoo JP auction and enjoyed it, but I think I gouged somebody for it when money was tight once.

jiji - out of curiosity, how is the saturn version of layer section better than the arcade version? it's one of my favorite games as well, and i recall hearing that the saturn version is actually missing some graphical touches.

It's missing some scaling/warping effects if you play it in Saturn (yoko) mode, but Arcade (tate) is spot-on. The Saturn version removes the PCB's slowdown, and I like the arranged soundtrack better.

 

[Izzy]

No mention of Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru?

 

[ourumov]

All the SNK fighters are of varying quality and none of them use the 4MB RAM cart. Most use the 1MB RAM cart and should work with the 4MB cart anyway, but they wouldn't take advantage of it. I remember reading that SNK never wanted to use the 4MB cart since Capcom developed it, which is a shame, since their ports could have been perfect. :\ I'd recommend the Real Bout Fatal Fury/Real Bout Special collection, Samurai Shodown III, KOF '95 (it actually uses its own ROM cart and is one of the better Neo ports), KOF '96, and KOF '97. They made a KOF collection with all three games, BTW. Samurai Shodown IV is unfortunately plagued with slowdown. Avoid Fatal Fury 3; it doesn't use a RAM cart and has terrible loading times. Galaxy Fight is a good port and a decent game, Waku Waku 7 is an awesome game but it doesn't look as good as the Neo version, and while not a Neo-Geo game, Astra Superstars is the follow up to Waku Waku 7 and is definitely recommended. The game plays very differently than other fighters, but it's good wacky fun, and one of the best-looking Saturn fighters out there.

SNK fighters are probably some of the few cases where the PSX versions were better overall: RBFF has better sound quality and only one win pose was cut from the animation, SS4 is missing frames but plays very smoothly (and got Cham Cham in Vs. Mode), and RBS on the PSX is actually an upgrade to the game with new graphics, anime cut scenes, a new boss, and new moves.
Oh, and avoid Final Fight Revenge at all costs, unless you want it just for the sheer novelty of owning such a horrible game. I couldn't resist it for $20 some years back myself.

Along with Vampire Savior, Marvel Vs. Street Fighter, X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, and Street Fighter Alpha 3 are all excellent conversions. Alpha 3 does have load times despite using the 4MB RAM cart, but it's the best version of the game on a home console. D&D Collection is a great BEU, but be warned that it is also plagued with long load times.



Word of warning: The Japanese Panzer Dragoon Saga does not work on U.S. systems, even with a converter IIRC, which is why it never sold for very much in the aftermarket. (The U.S. version also doesn't work on Japanese Saturns)

Samurai RPG is only recommended if you are a HUGE Samurai Shodown fan. If you are, go for it; it's very linear and straight-forward; I beat the Neo CD version years back before I knew one word of Japanese.

This thread makes me want to hook up my Saturn now. I actually have yet to try the English Keioyugekitai I got months back from work (used to own the Japanese version). I stopped playing my Saturn once I got my Xbox modded. I don't mean to derail the thread, but nothing beats being able to play the arcade versions of all the 2D fighters mentioned in this thread with zero load times, no crappy sound problems, and no slowdown.

Some of the games mentioned in this thread (particularly in Mr Furious' post) are pretty rare; not sure how much they go for anymore though. If you are interested in the Cotton games, just get Boomerang; it's an upgrade to Cotton 2 so don't bother getting it. Elevator Action returns ROCKS. Damn, I am hooking up the Saturn tonight.

I would like to add to this that when using the 4MB cart from SEGA|CAPCOM, the SNK games won't work properly. It's sad that an official product gives that kind of trouble but it's true.

No mention of Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru?

Awesome game...

 

[jarrod]

I actually have yet to try the English Keioyugekitai I got months back from work (used to own the Japanese version).

Wait... there's an english release of Keio 2?

 

[mr jones]

No mention of Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru?

Yup. I said I was told it was Psychic Assassin Taromaru, but its the game I was talking about earlier. Graphically, its cool, but the control doesn't make it all that enjoyable.

 

[Lyte Edge]

Wait... there's an english release of Keio 2?

From Europe, yes. I was surprised myelf when I saw someone was trading it in at work and snapped it up. Box wasn't in the best condition, but it's clearly legit.

EDIT: This tiny image was all I could find on google of the box art:

I can take some pics with my camera if you want.

 

[jarrod]

From Europe, yes. I was surprised myelf when I saw someone was trading it in at work and snapped it up. Box wasn't in the best condition, but it's clearly legit.

EDIT: This tiny image was all I could find on google of the box art:

I can take some pics with my camera if you want.

Holy crap... Europe always gets great under the radar imports. Who published it there?

 

[Lyte Edge]

Holy crap... Europe always gets great under the radar imports. Who published it there?

JVC, 1996 release. Really surprised me to a localized version since I had never seen or heard any mention of the PAL version before.

 

[Izzy]

Holy crap... Europe always gets great under the radar imports. Who published it there?

JVC - it was a Fall 1996 release. If I ever dig out my old CVGs, I'll give you the exact release date for the UK.

 

[Tsubaki]

Awesome. The only posters worth anything are probably in this one thread.

My recommendations lean on the Japanese-heavy side:

Sakura Taisen - classic adventure game with strategy isometric battles. see what the hype is about, and be blown away. it's like playing an anime.

Grandia - the definitive version of my favorite RPG of all time. the game was made centered around the Saturn architecture, and the voice actors are all top notch (Inoue Kikuko, Hidaka Noriko, Touma Yumi, Hisakawa Aya, Yamaguchi Kappei among others)

Grandia Digital Museum - although it is a fandisc, it's also a complete game in of itself. it's got 4 large dungeons to clear, with stuff to find. once you find everything, the game gives you an ending. best of all, they put effort into this fandisc by giving all the characters new spell chants, and for at least one character, spells you likely never saw in the original Grandia

Chaos Seed - incredible gem of a game that is a mix of aRPG, resource management, and building. it's a remake of a SFC game, and was voted among the top 10 of Favorite Saturn games by Japanese gamers. (FYI others on the list included Langrisser IV + V, Shining Force III Sce. 3, Yu-No (ranked #1), Thunderforce V, etc)

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together - don't really need a whole lot of Japanese to play IMO, but it's the better of the 32 bit remakes as it has voice acting and rearranged music, and minimal load. It's an excellent (hard) strategy game that requires planning and trying different things.

Langrisser IV + V - another recommendations for these great SRPGs. it's kind of like fire emblem except it has generals. units close to the general get bonuses. so it has a unique element.

Some non-Japanese intensive games include:

Burning Rangers - you asked about this, and someone answered and I would have to disagree with their reply. Is Japanese required? It is true that Kris gives you instructions vocally on where you should go to finish the stages. But 1) in any other normal game, you just explore and figure it out anyway. There's no reason why you can't do that here either. I've done it as I wasn't as fluent in Japanese as I am now when I played BR. and 2) For the meat of the game, once you beat the game once, then the game is all about finding the most hostages in the fastest time before clearing a stage for Stage Rank. But after you beat it once, all the hostage locations are randomized. Kris' vocal instructions do not help you at all with the hostage locations, and only tell you how to navigate through a stage. Since you already beat it, you already know how to beat the stage. So it's a matter of exploring every nook and cranny -anyway- for hostage locations.

Thunderforce Goldpack 2 - contains Thunderforce AC and Thunderforce IV. TF4 in particular is better here than the Genesis version because it removes the slowdown.

Radiant Silvergun - love it or hate it, it's a showcase of what the Saturn can do. beautiful looking game. and the game is sort of like a puzzle game in a shooter costume. not everyone's cup of tea, but it's extremely well made. I personally have more fun with it than Ikaruga.

Vampire Savior - great fighting games. 4MB RAM cart makes Savior far better than the wannabe PSX one.

Fire Pro Wrestling 6 Men Scramble - at the time it was the most revered wrestling game because of the technique it involved. but since they have FPWD for Dreamcast, and also the GBA iterations, I'm not sure if this one is the king anymore. Still a great game, and 6players on the Saturn.

Sakura Taisen Hanagumi Taisen Columns - basically columns with a ST theme, which changes the gameplay since there are "supers"/hissatsu that you do once you fill up the meters. Kind of like SPFIIT in that way.

The other Capcom 4MB ram cart fighters depend on how much you like those respective games (XMvsSF, Marvel vs SF, SFZ3). But SF Zero 3 in particular has the correct aspect ratio compared to the arcade. The Dreamcast Zero 3 is like an upgraded version of the PSX port.

 

[Dave Long]

Whew...been busy today.

Tsubaki, that's an awesome list with some great description. Grandia interests me most since I never played it on PSX (US) but I have played Grandia II on Dreamcast and really enjoyed it. I've always read how the Saturn game was the better one but the language barrier was always the thing.

That brings me to something that might shift the thread a bit but people would probably like to know. For those of you that have played a lot of JP import RPGs, how much Japanese do you know and if you don't know much (any), how do you tackle them? Up to now, my imports have all been action (Napple Tale DC), shooting (Ikaruga DC, Cotton 2 SAT, Radiant Silvergun SAT) or fighting (various Saturn fighters). Napple Tale is probably the most JP-text heavy game I've played. There I just did trial and error til I got to the action sections. Is that the standard procedure for the rest of you?

I totally forgot about those Thunderforce Goldpacks. I'd love to have a no slowdown TF4. I've got Lightening Force on Genesis and it's a fantastic game, but the slowdown is excruciating at times and not in a Viewpoint or Pulstar "you-need-slowdown-to-survive" kind of way.

Great suggestions though. I'm building a list from this thread.

No one has said anything about Gungriffon 2 yet (unless I missed it) and I'm also wondering about In the Hunt. PSX or Saturn?

A website with a definitive listing of which games are better on which platforms (opinionated to be sure) would be an awesome thing.

 

[Lyte Edge]

Some obscure Saturn fighting games I've had:

Asuka 120% Burning Fest. Limited - Schoolgirl fighter, each character is representative of their respective school club (chem, bio, wrestling, softball, tennis, etc.) There was the original Burning Fest on the PSX (which I also had), but never got to play Excellent and Final though.

The Asuka games never saw too much improvement from a game play standpoint, but IIRC Excellent (and Final) got redone sprites, so it looks a little bit better than the original. More characters were also added, and I believe that the only difference between Excellent on the Saturn and Final on the PSX is that Final has one additional playable character. I currently only own Final so I can't go back and check.

Not a saturn game, but the same developer, Fill-In-Cafe, also made the Guardian Heroes clone Panzer Bandit for the Playstation. It's certainly no GH, but still a really fun game; even has a 4P battle mode.

Interesting story about PB completely unrelated to anything in this thread, or "How I used Panzer Bandit to help pay for an Xbox."

I don't know how rare Panzer Bandit is now, or if it ever was, but I only saw the game once, and that was through a customer who had a habit of bringing his ENTIRE collection of Japanese PSX games with him and pulling out all of them to see what they were worth. We got the game new and he bought the only copy we got in stock; he did let us open it up and try the game beforehand, and it was definitely a title I wanted. Over the next few YEARS, He'd always pull out PB when he came in, but never traded it. Finally in 2001, I came into work and saw the game used for $40. I was able to get it for $30 and was happy that my PSX collection was almost complete. Another guy (who I hesitate to call a "customer") that used to be so bored with his life that he'd attempt to hang out in the store ALL DAY found out I had it, and told me he knew the guy that traded it in and he's always wanted PB as well. He begged me to sell it to him, but I refused. For the next week or so, he call or come in and keep raising his price. He went from $40 up to *$120*, which I couldn't resist. I gave him the disc (box and docs were at home) and told him I'd bring in the case the following day. Then I went to EB and put the $120 down on an Xbox system. 1/3 was paid for, all from a $30 purchase. The guy never came back for the case.

Several months, he calls up work and wants to sell me back the game...I told him he was nuts if I thought I was giving him $120 for it. :lol I ended up giving him something around $50 for the game and the whole story always makes for a laugh at work.

 

[radios shipping overview]

Not a saturn game, but the same developer, Fill-In-Cafe, also made the Guardian Heroes clone Panzer Bandit for the Playstation. It's certainly no GH, but still a really fun game; even has a 4P battle mode.
...
I don't know how rare Panzer Bandit is now, or if it ever was, but I only saw the game once...

It's quite scarce, and when I find myself craving it (like right now) I usually kick myself for not buying it when I've had the chance. I've, uh, evaluated it, and it's great stuff. I hope to own it...someday.

 

[Jr.]

What a freaking let-down of a game! I got this thinking it would be like Gaurdian Heros(what is though ) and it sucked! Not to mention at the end of it you have to fight like every freaking boss over like three times! This is one of those games that reminds you why you have to be carefull what you import!

As for Sega Saturn Import games, no "IMPORT" Saturn collection can be complete without:

 

[GamePnoy74]

It's quite scarce, and when I find myself craving it (like right now) I usually kick myself for not buying it when I've had the chance. I've, uh, evaluated it, and it's great stuff. I hope to own it...someday.

I have, uh...'evaluated' PB too, nice little gem of a game...I should 'evaluate' it again =)

 

[Mr_Furious]

Yeah, yeah. BUT TRYRUSH DEPPY COME ON WT.. alright, sorry.

...

(TRYRUSH DEPPY?!)

I found the game to be quite enjoyable and a little unique (for a platformer). It can be found super cheap (sub-$20) which is also nice.

No mention of Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru?

Regardless how cool I may find the game, I couldn't in good concience recommend a game that demands such a price ($250-$350). Try before you buy!

 

[radios shipping overview]

What a freaking let-down of a game!

Sell it to me!

As for Sega Saturn Import games, no "IMPORT" Saturn collection can be complete without:

I've considered picking that up, but I've been too fuzzy on what sort of game it is. How does it play?

 

[pops619]

This really is a great thread. I thought I was aware of most of the major Saturn imports, but I hadn't heard of Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru until now. Based on the screens, it does look cool, but I don't care how good a game is, I couldn't justify spending $300 on it. At least not in my current financial shape. Who's the developer behind this beast?

 

[Jr.]

Sell it to me!


I've considered picking that up, but I've been too fuzzy on what sort of game it is. How does it play?

Its kinda a mix between platform and shooter. It has some of both elements in it, it is also a 3/4 view perspective game. You are a robot who's creator has been kidnapped, you are trying to get him back, you have like 3 or 4 weapons to use at a time, and there are upgrades.

Fun game, if you are into "old skool" stuff!

 

[Jr.]

I would like to add to this that when using the 4MB cart from SEGA|CAPCOM, the SNK games won't work properly. It's sad that an official product gives that kind of trouble but it's true.

Awesome game...

Don't look like anyone is gonna be playing it... very soon either if they haven't! :lol

Damn, lloks sweet, but not $350.00 sweet!

 

[Tsubaki]

That brings me to something that might shift the thread a bit but people would probably like to know. For those of you that have played a lot of JP import RPGs, how much Japanese do you know and if you don't know much (any), how do you tackle them?

I only had the confidence to take the plunge into j-games once I enrolled in beginning Japanese, but it was an illusion. Even though I could read hiragana and katakana, my minimal kanji comprehension really meant that I was going at games blind for several years.

So yeah, at the time, I pretty much played jRPGs the way I play american RPGs. Talk to every character. And when events happen, the triggers are evident once you come across it. The only thing is, while you are not absolutely required to understand the text to go through the game, one thing you should be able to do is recognize text. That is to say, you go to the person you're supposed to talk to. They tell you to go to XXX and retrieve YYY. Many times, I can't really read XXX or YYY. But I'm able to recognize it in the sense that if I happen to arrive in XXX, I'm like "Oh hey, this is where I'm supposed to go." Being able to recognize characters when you see it is a valuable tool.

If all else fails, there is also help you can get. The obvious choice is searching the internet for FAQs. But there's also other sources like asking people on message boards or whatever questions when you're stuck. But I've rarely ever had to resort to this.

Fast forward to now. My comprehension is a lot better and although I've only formally taken 2 yrs of Japanese, I'm a lot better at it than 99% of 2yr students. I've learned a lot of kanji and terminology because I played import games. So although I may not understand every nuance of RPG stories, I don't get stuck on games at all because of language issues.

 

[Jr.]

I only had the confidence to take the plunge into j-games once I enrolled in beginning Japanese, but it was an illusion. Even though I could read hiragana and katakana, my minimal kanji comprehension really meant that I was going at games blind for several years.

So yeah, at the time, I pretty much played jRPGs the way I play american RPGs. Talk to every character. And when events happen, the triggers are evident once you come across it. The only thing is, while you are not absolutely required to understand the text to go through the game, one thing you should be able to do is recognize text. That is to say, you go to the person you're supposed to talk to. They tell you to go to XXX and retrieve YYY. Many times, I can't really read XXX or YYY. But I'm able to recognize it in the sense that if I happen to arrive in XXX, I'm like "Oh hey, this is where I'm supposed to go." Being able to recognize characters when you see it is a valuable tool.

If all else fails, there is also help you can get. The obvious choice is searching the internet for FAQs. But there's also other sources like asking people on message boards or whatever questions when you're stuck. But I've rarely ever had to resort to this.

Fast forward to now. My comprehension is a lot better and although I've only formally taken 2 yrs of Japanese, I'm a lot better at it than 99% of 2yr students. I've learned a lot of kanji and terminology because I played import games. So although I may not understand every nuance of RPG stories, I don't get stuck on games at all because of language issues.

This is all you need!

 

[PC Gaijin]

That brings me to something that might shift the thread a bit but people would probably like to know. For those of you that have played a lot of JP import RPGs, how much Japanese do you know and if you don't know much (any), how do you tackle them?

My experience is somewhat similar to Tsubaki's. However, I only took two semesters of Japanese in college and never followed that up with any more instruction. So I do okay with hiragana and katakana, but my kanji recognition is really weak. I took those classes over ten years ago as well, and outside of playing a Japanese game on occasion, I don't ever really practice reading. So I guess my Japanese is actually quite poor .

That's one reason that when it comes to RPGs, I prefer strat RPGs (besides also really liking the genre). Those types of games usually give me something to sink my teeth into gameplay wise even if I miss a lot of the story. I also do fine with games that feature a lot of voice (games that are entirely voice-acted are great for me). The only really text-heavy, gameplay-light games that I have played have been some of the "simulation" games, particularly the Sakura Taisen series. The Sakura Taisen games are interesting because periodically they spring a menu of timed story branching responses (called LIPS) on you. I struggled with those games until I finally bought a guide book that had all the LIPS in it that I could translate at leisure :lol.

Also, there are FAQs and walkthroughs out there for a lot of the games. For example, someone has done a very nice (and comprehensive) series of walkthroughs for the Sakura Taisen series. I had already played (struggled) through the first two games on the Saturn before they ever appeared, but I did use one on ST3 to speed up my first playthrough of the game. It's done in a style where someone who doesn't know a bit of Japanese could play through the entire game. The only drawback is that you're stuck following the "path" that the walkthrough writer took through the game.

Btw, if you do decide to play some ST games, I'd recommend skipping the Saturn and getting the series on the DC. And if you're only going to play one, pick up part 3 .

 

[PC Gaijin]

Oh, and speaking of surprising European releases, wasn't Parodius also released there?