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[sixteen-bit]

Yeah, hindsight is always 20/20 on this shit.

 

[Mercutio]

Unless a kind soul makes you an offer your SOL and are gonna have to shell out for each one. Retro collecting is getting crazy expensive. I wish I had this drive when I was making the big bucks back in the early 2000s but I wasn't thinking like I am now.

I'm really glad I shored up my MVS collection last year before things started REALLY going wild. I've watched my copy of Garou: MOTW double in value for seemingly no reason. I only wish I'd gotten Last Blade 2 before the spike; that's the only thing I'm really missing right now. Well, that and SamShoZeroSpecial. But I have the regular version, and it really isn't good enough to warrant ownership of another version.

 

[IrishNinja]

16 nailed it for me; used to salivate @ gamefan previews of some Saturn stuff while still being sour grapes about not owning one, heh. And yeah I don't imagine stuff like silvergun or hyper duel are much cheaper in known JP stores but you never know

Use homebrew to force 240p and you're set.

How would you do this? I have HDD loader and a flip top setup, still didnt know that was an option

 

[isamu]

If you get an Action Replay 4-in-1 cart you can play any region games on any region Saturn.

As for games, here's some JP only games i'd reccomend from my collection;

AJPW featuring Virtua - dunno if you like wrestling games, but if you do you should check this out. It's the predecesor to the Giant Gram games and for it's era is a very impressive 3d wrestling game that bizarrely features Wolf & Jeffrey from Virtua Fighter :lol
Assault Suit Leynos 2 - side scrolling action game, looks like a serious Metal Slug but has a punishing difficulty
Astra Superstars - really amazing Sunsoft 2d fighter that is unfourtunatly quite rare and expensive. While it's predecessor WakuWaku 7 is more readily available, it lacks the fun factor or the visual pop of Astra, well worth it if you're in the market for a quirky and highly playable 2d fighter.
Battle Garegga - needs little explanation, one of the best shmups available on the Saturn.
Blast Wind - often overlooked Technosoft shmup that unfourtunatly is rather rare nowadays.
Chaos Seed - quirky remake of a SNES RPG that blends a weird mix of action RPG, resource management, town sim and real-time dungeon building suprisingly well.
Cotton 2 & Cotton Boomerang - pretty much the pinacle of the Cotton series, both these games are well worth your time if you like horizontal cute'em up's, Boomerang is usually a bit more expensive but it has a wealth of additions over standard Cotton 2.
Detana Twinbee Deluxe - great compilation of the Twinbee arcade games.
Dragonball Z Shinbutoden - really awesome Dragon Ball Z 2d fighter, ignore the awful DBZ Legends.
Game Paridise/Tengoku - odd shmup thats set in a video game arcade.
Gekirindan - nice shmup with a time traveling twist.
Hyper Duel - kick ass Technosoft horizontal shooter, unfourtunatly it's rather expensive.
Langrisser Complete - awesome SRPG collection of every Langrisser game that matters.
Nanatsu Kaze no Shima Monogatari - beautiful 2d point & click adventure from Enix
Princess Crown - vanillaware's beautiful action RPG, well worth the price despite the games length.
Psychic Killer Taromaru - really fun Shinobi style action game, unfourtunatly an extremely low print run makes this one of the rarest games on the Saturn.
Sengoku Blade - great port of the awesome arcade Japanese fuedal themed horizontal shooter.
Soukyugurentai - aka Terra Driver, easily one of the best shooters available on the Saturn.
Stellar Assault SS - amazing remake of the SEGA-CD 3d space shooter, unfourtunatly it's rather expensive.
Terra Phantastica - seemingly overlooked SRPG with a 80's western dark fantasy feel to it and really epic & challenging battles, seriousley one of my all-time favourite SRPGs.
Tryrush Deppy - beautiful 2d platformer.

A most definitive list of great Japanese import games for the Saturn. All of them look very fun!

 

[sixteen-bit]

16 nailed it for me; used to salivate @ gamefan previews of some Saturn stuff while still being sour grapes about not owning one, heh. And yeah I don't imagine stuff like silvergun or hyper duel are much cheaper in known JP stores but you never know



How would you do this? I have HDD loader and a flip top setup, still didnt know that was an option

Yeah jbueno turned me onto this; you have to patch the game for 240p and then run it off the HDD.

 

[cj_iwakura]

Would love to get a copy of the UK PAL version of Deep Fear, but if Japanese is the only cheap option...guess I better get back to learning Japanese.

I have a copy of the JP version. I think it's an awful game, so if you want my copy, we can talk.

 

[BluePigGanon]

Unless a kind soul makes you an offer your SOL and are gonna have to shell out for each one. Retro collecting is getting crazy expensive. I wish I had this drive when I was making the big bucks back in the early 2000s but I wasn't thinking like I am now.

Yeah... I figured. Thanks for confirming my worst suspicions (lol).

So assuming I decide to take my Saturn collection relationship to the next level: which of those two games (Taromaru or Hyper Duel) do you think is more worth picking up? I mean in terms of being actually fun to play, not for value. Anyone have one or both?

 

[Khaz]

I'm not sure Hyper Duel is that much worth it. There are loads of shmups on the console, most are at least competent. If every copy of it disappeared all of a sudden I doubt you would miss it for long. Then again I'm not a shmups fan so what do I know.

Shinrei jusatsushi taromaru on the other hand seems to have some fairly original gameplay, even though it's still an action sidescroller at its core. The way it plays feels quite original, but I'm judging based on videos. I'd choose this one if I had money to throw away.

 

[MadJackChurchill]

I have no idea what you're talking about. However it's one of the, if not the, most common game for the Saturn, for all regions. You can find it aplenty online and in retail stores.

No game store near by, I'm a foreigner so it's very difficult to participate in Yahoo! Auctions. It's essentially Rakuten and Amazon.co.jp or bust.

 

[Teknoman]

I will buy Hyper Duel one day.

 

[Mercutio]

I will buy Hyper Duel one day.

No game store near by, I'm a foreigner so it's very difficult to participate in Yahoo! Auctions. It's essentially Rakuten and Amazon.co.jp or bust.

Just use a buying service like Buyee. I import the majority of my Japanese gaming stuff from YAJ.

 

[Yes Boss!]

I'm not sure Hyper Duel is that much worth it. There are loads of shmups on the console, most are at least competent. If every copy of it disappeared all of a sudden I doubt you would miss it for long. Then again I'm not a shmups fan so what do I know.

Shinrei jusatsushi taromaru on the other hand seems to have some fairly original gameplay, even though it's still an action sidescroller at its core. The way it plays feels quite original, but I'm judging based on videos. I'd choose this one if I had money to throw away.

I'd go with Hyper Duel. Taromaru is interesting for the Treasure completist but kinda boring.

 

[RiZ III]

Picked up these two gems last week online and they arrived a day apart. I was able to get Dark Savior for just $20 on Amazon which was way less then the going price on ebay.

 

[kimtish]

TLoO

UUUUURGH

Great game mired by shit music imo.

Easily the worst game Koshiro has ever done.

This is a town theme

I see what he's going for but holy cow. So boring.
I'd go so far as to say that it's GRATING at times.

This is coming from the man who gave us this.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I'd go with Hyper Duel. Taromaru is interesting for the Treasure completist but kinda boring.

Interesting, I never knew Treasure talent worked on this game. Any names specifically?

 

[BluePigGanon]

Interesting, I never knew Treasure talent worked on this game. Any names specifically?

Yeah I didn't know that either...

 

[BTails]

Picked up these two gems last week online and they arrived a day apart. I was able to get Dark Savior for just $20 on Amazon which was way less then the going price on ebay.

I can't help but think this EVERY TIME I see the Dark Savior cover now...

 

[Teknoman]

Damn it Tails.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

Interesting, I never knew Treasure talent worked on this game. Any names specifically?

I think it was Iuchi. There was a brief period where he temporarily left Treasure after work was completed on Radiant Silvergun. Then Time Warner's video game division went defunct after that one game and he went back.

 

[IrishNinja]

yeah what the fuck tails

 

[BTails]

Damn it Tails.

yeah what the fuck tails

Sorry guys. Also, at this rate, I'm never going to make it out of "Junior" status.

Spoiler

I'm not sorry

 

[MrCunningham]

Lately I have been playing around with Sega Saturn emulation. It's something I haven't really touched in years, but the latest SSF is shockingly good on my PC and i have been thinking about buying a few Saturn games to run on an emulator.

I have also been looking at a good six button controller that I could use for my PC. there are a few Sega Saturn USB pads out there and I was wondering what the recommended one would be? The Retrolink Saturn pads look like garbage, so those are out of the question. Another option is this one, but it looks questionable too. There are also the "Play Sega" USB branded pads out there, these are were actually licensed from Sega of America, but seem to have build quality issues too. I have read mixed opinions on this one, some say they work fine, other says the d-pad can break easily. The SLS Sega Saturn USB Control Pad apparently is the best one, and these were released by Sega of Japan, but also fetch for some obscene prices on Ebay that I am unwilling to pay for.

Another option I have been considering is to get a real Saturn pad with a Saturn to USB dongle.

What would you guys suggest?

 

[Khaz]

I own an original SLS usb model, a PlaySega and many original Saturn controllers. I have not had a Chinese one yet.

I think the quality of the Chinese ripoffs should be alright. They are most likely made in the same manufacture or with the same mould Sega used to make theirs. They appeared on the market shortly after Sega stopped making their SLS ones and I suspect some technology transfer. I heard complains of breaks, which could come from cheaper materials used. The PlaySega feels cheap too but is still alright to play. The main difference being the plastic used to make the shell. Button placement, feel and reactivity isn't affected. It should be noted that even the original SLS USB weren't exact- copies of Saturn controllers. The originally sanded part (everywhere except on the face) looks sanded but is still coated shiny, which feels strange at first.

In any case they should have a similarly shaped board with the same button placement. If I were you I would buy an original Saturn controller, a USB knock-off and swap the boards, maybe even the rubbers if they are toast.

 

[MrCunningham]

I own an original SLS usb model, a PlaySega and many original Saturn controllers. I have not had a Chinese one yet.

I think the quality of the Chinese ripoffs should be alright. They are most likely made in the same manufacture or with the same mould Sega used to make theirs. They appeared on the market shortly after Sega stopped making their SLS ones and I suspect some technology transfer. I heard complains of breaks, which could come from cheaper materials used. The PlaySega feels cheap too but is still alright to play. The main difference being the plastic used to make the shell. Button placement, feel and reactivity isn't affected. It should be noted that even the original SLS USB weren't exact- copies of Saturn controllers. The originally sanded part (everywhere except on the face) looks sanded but is still coated shiny, which feels strange at first.

In any case they should have a similarly shaped board with the same button placement. If I were you I would buy an original Saturn controller, a USB knock-off and swap the boards, maybe even the rubbers if they are toasted.

Hmm, I guess that makes sense. From what I have read, the Play Sega pads used the same molds as the SLS ones but were made out of considerably cheaper materials and tend to break easier. If I remember Sega of America were giving them away for free to people who people who signed up to one of their online services. And yeah, the Chinese knockoffs are probably cranked out by the same factory. Though I have always heard that the Retro-bit ones are the worst of the bunch.

But, buying an original Saturn pad and swapping the board with a Chinese knockoff is not a bad idea. I might do that.

Another option is to pick up a PS2/ PS3 six button fighting pad, but I want something a little more authentic.Plus some of the PS2/PS3 fighting pads have some really ugly graphic designs.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Hmm, I guess that makes sense. From what I have read, the Play Sega pads used the same molds as the SLS ones but were made out of considerably cheaper materials and tend to break easier. If I remember Sega of America were giving them away for free to people who people who signed up to one of their online services. And yeah, the Chinese knockoffs are probably cranked out by the same factory. Though I have always heard that the Retro-bit ones are the worst of the bunch.

But, buying an original Saturn pad and swapping the board with a Chinese knockoff is not a bad idea. I might do that.

Another option is to pick up a PS2/ PS3 six button fighting pad, but I want something a little more authentic.Plus some of the PS2/PS3 fighting pads have some really ugly graphic designs.

I'd go with a Saturn pad + USB adapter. I've tried a number of the ASCII pads and Madcatz fightpads and they really don't come close to a Saturn controller. The Hori Fighting Commanders for PS3 and PS4 are a nice alternative though.

 

[coughlanio]

I'll be real with you. At this stage of the game, the better Saturn stuff I'd recommend is pricey; even in Japan. If you're gonna do the damn thing, you better already be a fan of the system. Like, fawned over previews in GameFAN decades ago and shit. Otherwise, you'll end up with a bunch of expensive games you don't really give a shit about, and it'll be a total waste.

I hate to be a pessimist, but why get into something obscure like import Saturn when you don't even know what to get on it?



edit: I re-read that post and realize I sound like a real passive-aggressive shithead. If you want some help, search this forum for CoachKevin's Back in My Play podcast thread. In two of the more recent episodes, he and Greg Sewart recommend Saturn stuff and give you tips on getting started.

I've listened to the podcasts, and as someone who has a considerable MS/MD/DC collection, I kind of want to fill in that void that I'm missing. I was moreso looking for GAF recommendations.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I've listened to the podcasts, and as someone who has a considerable MS/MD/DC collection, I kind of want to fill in that void that I'm missing. I was moreso looking for GAF recommendations.

Kevin and Greg are both gaffers though

 

[Mercutio]

I've listened to the podcasts, and as someone who has a considerable MS/MD/DC collection, I kind of want to fill in that void that I'm missing. I was moreso looking for GAF recommendations.

Panzer Dragoon I and Zwei are excellent starting points. If you haven't played NiGHTS, you fucking should. There are plenty of fighters that trend under $20, or not much more. You've also got a cool selection of the arcade racers to pick from. What kind of games are you into?

 

[oneida]

I've listened to the podcasts, and as someone who has a considerable MS/MD/DC collection, I kind of want to fill in that void that I'm missing. I was moreso looking for GAF recommendations.

commonly overlooked:
Last Bronx

get the JP version if possible

 

[RoryDropkick]

I've listened to the podcasts, and as someone who has a considerable MS/MD/DC collection, I kind of want to fill in that void that I'm missing. I was moreso looking for GAF recommendations.

Necronomicon and Last Gladiators pinball. Also I like DBZ legends but someone else disliked it. YMMV really. I'm not a fan of the 2d fighting game personally

 

[Teknoman]

Sorry guys. Also, at this rate, I'm never going to make it out of "Junior" status.

Spoiler

I'm not sorry

lol we're just messing.

Spoiler

seriously though, we're just kidding around

.

 

[MrCunningham]

I'd go with a Saturn pad + USB adapter. I've tried a number of the ASCII pads and Madcatz fightpads and they really don't come close to a Saturn controller. The Horn Fighting Commanders for PS3 and PS4 are a nice alternative though.

The Hori Fighting commander looks nice, but it is a bit too pricy at the moment. They seem to range from $60-100 Canadian.

I did just purchase a grey Japanese model Sega Saturn pad from a seller in Japan. It was a reasonable price too, under 20 dollars with shipping to Canada no less!

It seems like both the Japanese grey and transparent "cool pad" models are much easier to come across on Ebay than the black US model 2 Saturn pads. But I am having a hard time finding a Saturn to USB adapter, any idea where I could get one, other than Ebay?. I may also just buy a really cheap Chinese USB knockoff and swap out the PCB board.

 

[dreamcastluvr]

It seems like both the Japanese grey and transparent "cool pad" models are much easier to come across on Ebay than the black US model 2 Saturn pads. But I am having a hard time finding a Saturn to USB adapter, any idea where I could get one, other than Ebay?. I may also just buy a really cheap Chinese USB knockoff and swap out the PCB board.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006ZBHXEO/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Khaz]

commonly overlooked:
Last Bronx

get the JP version if possible

Why? I've been wondering which version to get, they're all in my price range.

Also what do you guys think of Anarchy in the Nippon ?

 

[sixteen-bit]

Anarchy in the Nippon is pretty fun. IIRC it was actually made by ex-Sega programmers who did the home port of VF2. The VF influence is blatant but the AitN characters have way more personality.

 

[JLateralus]

I've been really contemplating getting a Saturn again, but the one thing I'm worried about is it looking like dogshit on my TV.

I can't afford to throw down for a Framemeister at the moment, so is SCART my best option? I'm not really familiar with that.. Is it similar to RGB?

 

[Mercutio]

I've been really contemplating getting a Saturn again, but the one thing I'm worried about is it looking like dogshit on my TV.

I can't afford to throw down for a Framemeister at the moment, so is SCART my best option? I'm not really familiar with that.. Is it similar to RGB?

SCART is a specific type of connector common in Japan and Europe / UK that carries an RGB signal. If you have a TV that can accept SCART, you are already getting RGB. The TV might not upscale it well, but that's a whole other thing. Make sure you know if your cable is Euro SCART or Japanese RGB 21 though. Both look exactly the same, but have a different pin arrangement. They are not only not compatible, but can fry each other.

Just don't get a SCART to HDMI converter. They're mostly garbage and you may as well stick with composite until you get a Framemeister.

 

[Ms. Tea]

Does SSF support games that use the MPEG card? I noticed that the MPEG version of Lunar: SSS goes for pretty cheap on eBay.

 

[JLateralus]

SCART is a specific type of connector common in Japan and Europe / UK that carries an RGB signal. If you have a TV that can accept SCART, you are already getting RGB. The TV might not upscale it well, but that's a whole other thing. Make sure you know if your cable is Euro SCART or Japanese RGB 21 though. Both look exactly the same, but have a different pin arrangement. They are not only not compatible, but can fry each other.

Just don't get a SCART to HDMI converter. They're mostly garbage and you may as well stick with composite until you get a Framemeister.

Thanks for the info. My TV won't do SCART then - it's from the US and three years old. Composite will have to do for the time being then.

 

[Mercutio]

Thanks for the info. My TV won't do SCART then - it's from the US and three years old. Composite will have to do for the time being then.

S-Video is vastly superior to Composite, if you have it. Not as good as RGB, but certainly worlds better.

 

[Khaz]

SCART is a specific type of connector common in Japan and Europe / UK that carries an RGB signal. If you have a TV that can accept SCART, you are already getting RGB.

Now let's not be too hasty. Scart can also carry Composite, and S-video with a trick. Composite is commonly sent together with RGB to 1) carry the sync and 2) act as a backup signal if the receiver doesn't accept RGB.

I have seen many TV with multiple Scart inputs, accepting RGB only on the first connector. If you plug your console on another Scart you"ll just end up with Composite and wonder why RGB looks like shit.

Many people make the mistake of thinking Scart = RGB and end up buying a composite to scart adapter for their console, when it wasn't already included (I'm looking at you, Playstations and Xboxes). Obviously such adapter, while providing a picture, isn't the best Scart can offer. I think it's also the reason why so many gamers, in Europe, were so ecstatic when the first generation of "HD" consoles arrived: they finally swapped Composite for real RGB through HDMI. They all thanked their flatscreens LCD for bringing them the light, but they never understood it was Composite who kept them in the dark, not the CRT or the Scart.


It's late and I need to get to my bed instead of rambling about the past like and old man.

 

[Mercutio]

Now let's not be too hasty. Scart can also carry Composite, and S-video with a trick. Composite is commonly sent together with RGB to 1) carry the sync and 2) act as a backup signal if the receiver doesn't accept RGB.

I have seen many TV with multiple Scart inputs, accepting RGB only on the first connector. If you plug your console on another Scart you"ll just end up with Composite and wonder why RGB looks like shit.

Many people make the mistake of thinking Scart = RGB and end up buying a composite to scart adapter for their console, when it wasn't already included (I'm looking at you, Playstations and Xboxes). Obviously such adapter, while providing a picture, isn't the best Scart can offer. I think it's also the reason why so many gamers, in Europe, were so ecstatic when the first generation of "HD" consoles arrived: they finally swapped Composite for real RGB through HDMI. They all thanked their flatscreens LCD for bringing them the light, but they never understood it was Composite who kept them in the dark, not the CRT or the Scart.


It's late and I need to get to my bed instead of rambling about the past like and old man.

Huh! I had no idea. SCART is a fairly new concept for me, no device I own (being an American) has ever had it. That's pretty interesting!

 

[sixteen-bit]

Yeah SCART is just a type of connector. It alone does not designate what signal it'll carry.

 

[Ingueferroque]

Picked up these two gems last week online and they arrived a day apart. I was able to get Dark Savior for just $20 on Amazon which was way less then the going price on ebay.

I love love love love love Dark Savior!!!!!!!

 

[Friend of Sonic]

I can't help but think this EVERY TIME I see the Dark Savior cover now...

If the Dark Savior movie ever happens, they have their actress.

 

[oneida]

Why?

disc 2

 

[RiZ III]

I can't help but think this EVERY TIME I see the Dark Savior cover now...

Lol wtf?! Cannot unsee. Clearly Sega was just way ahead of it's time.

 

[isamu]

Blue Seed Kushinadahirokuden

Any of you guys played this? Would love to see it fan translated someday. Looks like an awesome rpg.

Man, the Saturn had so many crazy good import games that never saw the light of day here

 

[isamu]

Am I the only one that would love to see an English fan translation of the original Grandia for the Saturn? From what I understand the PS1 version is terrible, from the ear grating dub to the horrible text translation, to the inferior graphics, it's all around bad.

 

[sixteen-bit]

you are not the only one, there was interest earlier in the thread for such a thing