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Sega Saturn Appreciation and Emulation Thread

M

Mzo

Member
Took both versions of Silhouette Mirage to Irishninja's place last night.

The changes were worse than I remembered =[
 
T

Teknoman

Member
cj_iwakura said:
It has its charms. Great music, too.

My favorite line:

"By the way, what the heck are you doing in my house?"

WD are definitely the pioneers. Without them, the likes of Atlus and NIS wouldn't exist.
Click to expand...

Got a point there. Its funny how long it took me to catch onto "that one entry" in the Arc the Lad collection manual. You just dont expect that lol.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
kimtish said:
I appreciate WD for pioneering weeb game localization, but sometimes they went off the rails. I guess the industry was small enough at that point that they could get away with it.

I mean, go back a read an old RPG guidebook from the mid 90s. Some of the captions and text get straight-up surreal. Its amazing what people do when they think no one is watching.

Their Albert Odyssey "translation" is a bajillion times more entertaining than the actual game script though, real talk. That game's battle system is paced so slow. The only reason I got through it is because it made me laugh.
Click to expand...

I recently picked up Exile and Cosmic Fantasy 2. Both are fairly tame so far. I'm curious as to when WD translations took such a turn for the hiliarious.
 
K

kimtish

Neo Member
Mercutio said:
I recently picked up Exile and Cosmic Fantasy 2. Both are fairly tame so far. I'm curious as to when WD translations took such a turn for the hiliarious.
Click to expand...

Is Exile considered to be a pretty awful translation?

I'm pretty sure WD often "interpreted" the original text. Sometimes just making shit up that fits the pictures.

That's what a lot of Lunar for the Sega CD and Albert are essentially.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
kimtish said:
Is Exile considered to be a pretty awful translation?

I'm pretty sure WD often "interpreted" the original text. Sometimes just making shit up that fits the pictures.

That's what a lot of Lunar for the Sega CD and Albert are essentially.
Click to expand...

It's supposed to be an okay translation, but much much better than the Genesis version, which is missing a bunch of stuff.
 
M

Mzo

Member
Cadash is fine, maybe even dry. Hard to imagine. Parasol Stars is just Parasol Stars. I don't remember Exile being wacky and I haven't yet played Cosmic Fantasy 2, but that's kind of a wacky game anyway. Never played Wicked Phenomenon or Vasteel so I can't comment on those.

By Lunar on SCD it was grating on me.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
Mzo said:
Cadash is fine, maybe even dry. Hard to imagine. Parasol Stars is just Parasol Stars. I don't remember Exile being wacky and I haven't yet played Cosmic Fantasy 2, but that's kind of a wacky game anyway. Never played Wicked Phenomenon or Vasteel so I can't comment on those.

By Lunar on SCD it was grating on me.
Click to expand...

Apparently WD accidentally made Wicked Phenomenon impossible. Something about the enemy hit counter having some crazy mistake.
 
T

theSlacker

Member
kimtish said:
Their Albert Odyssey "translation" is a bajillion times more entertaining than the actual game script though, real talk. That game's battle system is paced so slow. The only reason I got through it is because it made me laugh.
Click to expand...

That is pretty much what it comes down to with a lot of the games they did, and why I can't hate on them for their translations. It is only the gameplay adjustments that seemed off.
 
W

Wereroku

Member
Mercutio said:
Apparently WD accidentally made Wicked Phenomenon impossible. Something about the enemy hit counter having some crazy mistake.
Click to expand...

I just read that article on HG101 apparently it's not impossible just almost impossible. Apparently you have to avoid fighting at all in certain parts.
 
S

Sixfortyfive

He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Mercutio said:
Apparently WD accidentally made Wicked Phenomenon impossible. Something about the enemy hit counter having some crazy mistake.
Click to expand...
IIRC, they multiplied something when they meant to add instead, so something got exponentially more difficult than it should have been.
 
K

Khaz

Member
I don't get why everybody shit on Street Fighter: The movie: The Game. It has all the moves from regular Street Fighter 2? I think the addition of digitised fighters is hilarious, doesn't detract from the still solid gameplay and adds a cool twist when playing with friends.
Playing Blanka gives you a massive advantage in multiplayer. So distracting
 
Chinbo37

Chinbo37

Member
Khaz said:
I don't get why everybody shit on Street Fighter: The movie: The Game. It has all the moves from regular Street Fighter 2? I think the addition of digitised fighters is hilarious, doesn't detract from the still solid gameplay and adds a cool twist when playing with friends.
Playing Blanka gives you a massive advantage in multiplayer. So distracting
Click to expand...

whats the distraction? I barely remember this game.

I seemed to remember the gameplay was changed a bit. Jumps were more floaty?
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
IIRC the arcade version of SF The Movie: The Game is very different, and had MK-tyle command inputs. I could be wrong, but that's what I remember.
 
Salty Hippo

Salty Hippo

Member
Guys, I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but is there any way to limit framerate on SSF? I can't seem to find it. Virtua Fighter 2 runs too fast on my rig. Every other dump I tried runs normally, just as fast as a real Saturn.
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
Khaz said:
I don't get why everybody shit on Street Fighter: The movie: The Game. It has all the moves from regular Street Fighter 2? I think the addition of digitised fighters is hilarious, doesn't detract from the still solid gameplay and adds a cool twist when playing with friends.
Playing Blanka gives you a massive advantage in multiplayer. So distracting
Click to expand...

yeah i tracked it down cause i thought it'd be neat/something i'dve wanted in the day, but i ended up kinda digging it too! story mode is of course hilarious.

sixteen-bit said:
IIRC the arcade version of SF The Movie: The Game is very different, and had MK-tyle command inputs. I could be wrong, but that's what I remember.
Click to expand...

oh man, i hate MK controls so i'm kinda glad i missed that one
 
K

Khaz

Member
Salty Hippo said:
Guys, I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but is there any way to limit framerate on SSF? I can't seem to find it. Virtua Fighter 2 runs too fast on my rig. Every other dump I tried runs normally, just as fast as a real Saturn.
Click to expand...

iirc the options to drop frames and limit them are bundled in the same button, the frame limiter either drops frames if you experience slowdowns and limit them if you compute too fast. Can't remember how it's called though.
 
K

Kainazzo

Member
I've noticed over time that prices for Mega Man X4 (US ver) have grown exponentially over the last couple of years. I bought mine, complete, 4 years ago for $20 shipped. What's it doing at $150? Was it a small print run? Even though I do prefer it over the PS1 version, there's really nothing you're missing out on by sticking to that and saving $100+.
 
K

Khaz

Member
heckmanimation said:
anyone have impressions for dark savior?
Click to expand...

I like it.

It's a very good isometric 3D action platformer RPG with interesting mechanics, non problematic jumps thanks to the camera, and quite deep story-wise. Your actions during the prologue make the story diverge consequently. That's only during the prologue though, after that you can go with the flow without worrying about missing something. I enjoyed this game a lot.

You can defeat the last boss before the end of the prologue, and still have a game to play and an accordingly interesting story. That's how deep it is.
 
Salty Hippo

Salty Hippo

Member
Khaz said:
iirc the options to drop frames and limit them are bundled in the same button, the frame limiter either drops frames if you experience slowdowns and limit them if you compute too fast. Can't remember how it's called though.
Click to expand...

I think you're talking about auto field skip, which I have activated. VF2 is still way too fast for me. Any other ideas? I appreciate the help.
 
K

Krejlooc

Banned
sixteen-bit said:
IIRC the arcade version of SF The Movie: The Game is very different, and had MK-tyle command inputs. I could be wrong, but that's what I remember.
Click to expand...

Acclaim made the Arcade version. When the home ports came out, Capcom handled those internally and used the Super Street Fighter II Turbo engine instead. So the home ports of SF:The Movie are way, way better than the arcade version.
 
P

Peltz

Member
New to the thread. Cheers to the Saturn!

I've never owned one myself (it's one of the few consoles I've always wanted but never bought).

Is there any advice you'd give to someone who is looking to pick one up? Are they durable? Is there a "better" model of the system than the others? (Are there different models of the system in the first place?). Is there an easy way around region lock?

Also, what types of output can it do? RGB native? S-Video? etc.

Any advice to a Saturn noob such as myself would be awesome. Thanks!
 
S

Shadow Hog

Member
Model 1s (oval buttons) are apparently easier to do a disc swap trick on. Model 2s (circle buttons) are easier to modchip. For perfectly legal game-playing, though, the differences are by-and-large inconsequential. Model 2s tend to have better controllers, though (based on the Japanese design), while Model 1s often have this really bulky thing that looks like a half-circle.

Region lock is really easy: get an Action Replay 4-in-1. The downside is that it doesn't support direct saving and apparently can lose your saves (I've not seen it happen, or even really heard of it happening, but I know at least one guy who's ultra paranoid about it - shame I can't remember who it is). The upside is that it also doubles as an expansion RAM cart for the games that need it - very few games that need said expansion RAM cart don't work with it.

Video outputs are RF, Composite, S-Video and native RGB.
 
P

Peltz

Member
Shadow Hog said:
Model 1s (oval buttons) are apparently easier to do a disc swap trick on. Model 2s (circle buttons) are easier to modchip. For perfectly legal game-playing, though, the differences are by-and-large inconsequential. Model 2s tend to have better controllers, though (based on the Japanese design), while Model 1s often have this really bulky thing that looks like a half-circle.

Region lock is really easy: get an Action Replay 4-in-1. The downside is that it doesn't support direct saving and apparently can lose your saves (I've not seen it happen, or even really heard of it happening, but I know at least one guy who's ultra paranoid about it - shame I can't remember who it is). The upside is that it also doubles as an expansion RAM cart for the games that need it - very few games that need said expansion RAM cart don't work with it.

Video outputs are RF, Composite, S-Video and native RGB.
Click to expand...

Awesome. Thanks. Any picks of the "good" vs. "bad" North American controllers?

Sega-Saturn-Controller-Mod1.jpg


I assume this is the "bad" one?
 
K

Khaz

Member
Shadow Hog said:
Model 1s (oval buttons) are apparently easier to do a disc swap trick on. Model 2s (circle buttons) are easier to modchip. For perfectly legal game-playing, though, the differences are by-and-large inconsequential. Model 2s tend to have better controllers, though (based on the Japanese design), while Model 1s often have this really bulky thing that looks like a half-circle.

Region lock is really easy: get an Action Replay 4-in-1. The downside is that it doesn't support direct saving and apparently can lose your saves (I've not seen it happen, or even really heard of it happening, but I know at least one guy who's ultra paranoid about it - shame I can't remember who it is). The upside is that it also doubles as an expansion RAM cart for the games that need it - very few games that need said expansion RAM cart don't work with it.

Video outputs are RF, Composite, S-Video and native RGB.
Click to expand...

Both are equally easy to mod chip, the V3 can be installed on both with minimal skill. A few years ago it was a real pain to find a mod chip for Model1/21pin-cable, but not anymore. I haven't heard anything about differences in disc-swapping. They both involve blocking the CD door and the timing is probably very similar.

New, mod-less solutions are being devised to play back-ups discs. One of them is showing good progress and involves flashing an Action Replay cartridge, the other uses a similar entry point and a not-yet-manufactured card to be put in the expansion slot.

It all goes down to which you think looks better. I have some fondness for the model1 and the oval buttons, and it has an access led which I think is cool.

Besides playing back-ups, an action replay is the only thing you need
if you don't live in PAL-land, else you want a 60Hz switch
. You can play imports, and it doubles as every other cartridge ever released (except King of Fighter 95 and that other japanese exclusive game) so you won't ever need to take it out of its slot, which is good because apparently Saturn cartridge slots aren't very reliable. The one inconvenient thing is the memory part can't be accessed ingame, unlike a regular save cartridge: some save files are bigger than the console internal memory, so you won't be able to save them ever. Luckily these saves are very rare and only concern racing games where you can save your replays as a separate file (Sega Rally, Daytona USA, probably the other Sega racers like ManxTT and Touring Car).

Oh, and backup regularly your internal saves onto your Action Replay or Memory cartridge! You never know when the battery will die but it will probably be sooner rather than later. And you will get no warning, some day you will just be greeted by the date setup at boot, with all internal memory wiped out.
 
M

MaGnUmKiLLa

Banned
I'm having a spot of bother with the SSF if anybody can help me out.

I'm trying to get X-men vs Street Fighter to play but all it does it show the Capcom logo then go back to the Saturn home screen. I've tried multiple copies of the game and multiple versions of the bios and I just can not get this thing to go any further than the Capcom logo.

If anybody has any idea on what I could do, I'd greatly appreciate the help.
 
P

Peltz

Member
Khaz said:
Both are equally easy to mod chip, the V3 can be installed on both with minimal skill. A few years ago it was a real pain to find a mod chip for Model1/21pin-cable, but not anymore. I haven't heard anything about differences in disc-swapping. They both involve blocking the CD door and the timing is probably very similar.

New, mod-less solutions are being devised to play back-ups discs. One of them is showing good progress and involves flashing an Action Replay cartridge, the other uses a similar entry point and a not-yet-manufactured card to be put in the expansion slot.

It all goes down to which you think looks better. I have some fondness for the model1 and the oval buttons, and it has an access led which I think is cool.

Besides playing back-ups, an action replay is the only thing you need
if you don't live in PAL-land, else you want a 60Hz switch
. You can play imports, and it doubles as every other cartridge ever released (except King of Fighter 95 and that other japanese exclusive game) so you won't ever need to take it out of its slot, which is good because apparently Saturn cartridge slots aren't very reliable. The one inconvenient thing is the memory part can't be accessed ingame, unlike a regular save cartridge: some save files are bigger than the console internal memory, so you won't be able to save them ever. Luckily these saves are very rare and only concern racing games where you can save your replays as a separate file (Sega Rally, Daytona USA, probably the other Sega racers like ManxTT and Touring Car).

Oh, and backup regularly your internal saves onto your Action Replay or Memory cartridge! You never know when the battery will die but it will probably be sooner rather than later. And you will get no warning, some day you will just be greeted by the date setup at boot, with all internal memory wiped out.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the tips. How delicate is the laser? Do they wear out cheaply like model 1 Sega CD systems?
 
K

Krejlooc

Banned
Er, not to, like, promote piracy or anything, but since you said you tried multiple copies of the game, I assume you mean you've downloaded multiple rips, not that you actually have multiple discs. In which case... why not just play the CPS2 version instead?
 
K

Krejlooc

Banned
Peltz said:
Thank you for the tips. How delicate is the laser? Do they wear out cheaply like model 1 Sega CD systems?
Click to expand...

Someone is developing a replacement for the laser that'll let you load games on the saturn directly from an SD card, like they did with the dreamcast.
 
M

MaGnUmKiLLa

Banned
Krejlooc said:
Er, not to, like, promote piracy or anything, but since you said you tried multiple copies of the game, I assume you mean you've downloaded multiple rips, not that you actually have multiple discs. In which case... why not just play the CPS2 version instead?
Click to expand...

You don't have to own multiple copies to download various rips from different sources.

I mean, I guess I don't really have a good reason. It's just that I was trying to get SSF to work right and the second game I tried was X-Men and it's immediately messing up on me. It kinda drives me insane when I can't get these things to work or, at least whenever I have no idea why it isn't working. I was just hoping somebody had encountered a similar problem and could help me out.
 
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