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Sega Saturn Appreciation and Emulation Thread

S

Shadow Hog

Member
It's slow, but I dunno that I'd call Astal "boring". Relatively challenging in the later stages. Still, it's a pretty short game; almost like it was designed with Genesis game design sensibilities, you can get through the whole thing in an hour or so and have little reason to revisit other than to possibly experience the entire game over again (as I often do with games I really liked - and indeed, Astal got a replay or two from me).
 
Valkyria

Valkyria

Banned
SevenDevils said:
Is Astal worth my time? It looks pleasing to the eye but it's hard to get a good feel for the gameplay. Anyone recommend it, or have another game to they can compare it to?
Click to expand...

It is really charming and fun. The problem is that is really hard and you have to finish it in one go, as in the old days.
 
G

Galdelico

Member
Mzo said:
It's slow and boring! But not really bad... just not that great outside of how it looks. I can't even think what to compare it to, you have some weird attacks.
Click to expand...
Well, opinions but I wouldn't call it 'boring'. It surely is slow-paced and extremely canonical, as in, it does 4 things, and it throws them at you from the start to the end... You can't really approach Astal in so many ways, and once you figure it out, it won't last very long. That said, I never thought it did anything bad, or tedious. For me it's always an enjoyable ride, and yeah, it still looks fantastic.
 
T

thechristoph

Sir!
I was playing some Street Fighter Zero 3 today. Completed the story mode, then started playing World Tour. Was probably playing for a half hour or so. A couple matches into World Tour, the graphics glitched all up. It was like a dirty NES game. Not long after, the game froze up.

I shrugged and tossed in Dungeons and Dragons Collection disc 2. It gave me a warning that mentioned 4MB. Seemed like it wasn't detecting my 4-in-1. I took the cart out and re-seated it and restarted the Saturn. Played for about 10 minutes until that game started glitching out and it froze up on me too.

Sounds like my 4-in-1 might be on the fritz. Is this a common issue? I bought it new in box, but I assume it was new old stock.
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
It could be the port that's on the fritz. I hear that's problematic especially if you commonly replace the 4-in-1. Does it work with a regular 1st party 4MB cart at all?
 
Laws00

Laws00

Member
My Magical Knight Ray Earth finally came in! As wel las my Japanese music CD Emi Hinouchi Dramatiques (which I was hoping was my clock work knight game)

I don't think i'll play it til lI get my clock work knight game though
 
K

Khaz

Member
Does anyone know how the wireless controller work on a TV? it has a function button and indications that I can change channels and control the volume of the TV but I have no idea how.

Saturn_HSS-0126-1.jpg


http://segaretro.org/Saturn_Infrared_Control_Pad
 
T

TeaJay

Member
Just got my Vampire savior and it's definitely more everything than its predecessor - feels more fun to play and colorful to look at. Bulleta is so over the top it's funny but I didn't really get a feel for her. I played the previous ones mostly as Felicia when we had matches with my friends, of the new characters Q Bee seems good.

I'm not really an expert on fighting games so I'm at a disadvantage to start with, but I didn't have any clue on how to pull off those EX moves. It says, half circle forward and Punch Punch ... I'm doing that and nothing. Then it dawns to me, I have to press two punch buttons simultaneously instead of pushing the same one twice...
 
A Black Falcon

A Black Falcon

Member
I just got Hyper 3-D Pinball for Saturn. The game might be alright, haven't played it yet, but the manual... the manual. The first page of the manual is insane!

Introduction

So you think you're a hardened gamer? Think again. All those years that you've spent playing infinite variations on the Space Invaders theme count for nothing. All those weekends that you've spent bouncing from one day-glo platform to another in one of the in finite variations on the Donkey Kong theme count for zip. And don't even mention those dazzlingly vapid beat-'em-ups with their endless succession of moronic 'hidden' moves. Until you've mastered the silver ball, you haven't even started gaming.

Pinball is greater than the sum of its parts. At its core is a very simple concept -- all you have to do is keep the silver ball in play. And if this was any other plain vanilla video game, you've able to master it pretty quickly. But pinball's not like that -- it's not a game of absolutes. Even if you hit the ball with a specific amount of power in a specific direction from a specific angle, you won't achieve the same results every time. In pinball, your decision-making ability is tested to the maximum -- you simply cannot expect specific things to happen at precisely the right moment. In effect, pinball is like life. In the outside world, events don't unfurl in a preordained manner. In the real world, random things happen in a random order. Deal with it.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is real. I just copied it exactly as it is in the manual. :O
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Someone had Radiant Silvergun at Supercon for $150. I was tempted, but it wasn't in nice enough condition. Immaculate book, scratched disc.
 
M

Mzo

Member
cj_iwakura said:
Someone had Radiant Silvergun at Supercon for $150. I was tempted, but it wasn't in nice enough condition. Immaculate book, scratched disc.
Click to expand...

Owl's Treasures had a mint one for around $120 IIRC. You're near them, you should check it out. That was like a month ago, though.

edit: whoa just checked the website and I was way off, $160. But it is in great shape with the registration card (no spine card, though.)
 
J

Jaeger

Member
So after going back and forth for months about which retro console I would invest in, and it really came down to affordability and between a Neo Geo CD and the Saturn, the Saturn won out. I am now actively bidding on a few titles and a console (JPN of course). The Saturn won mostly because alot of the games I wanted to play legitimately from the Neo Geo CD's already limited library are already on the Saturn (or Dreamcast) and way more affordable, and with better load times. One day I will get one, but for now this is what my collector's wallet can afford. It does help that the Saturn is one of my all time favorite machines ever made.

With that said, I'm focusing on STG's and fighters. I am still discovering STG games I never knew existed on the Saturn. This is fucking awesome. And damn, why is Guardian Force (an STG I never knew existed until a few hours ago) so expensive? ><
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Mzo said:
Maybe you're right and it was just the packaging that looked good. I wasn't paying much attention since I'm not really looking out for it. Sorry =X
Click to expand...

It's pretty much my white whale, the only Saturn game left that I want. If she had taken my $100 offer I would have bit.

Well, that and Guardian Heroes, but I beat the game fifty ways from Sunday years ago, so I can live without it.
 
T

thechristoph

Sir!
sixteen-bit said:
It could be the port that's on the fritz. I hear that's problematic especially if you commonly replace the 4-in-1. Does it work with a regular 1st party 4MB cart at all?
Click to expand...

thechristoph said:
I just ordered one, so I'll let you know in a week. ;P
Click to expand...

No problems with a first party 4MB expansion. Just a dodgy 4-in-1 I guess. Since my Saturn is modded, I could rip my discs and use the region changer utility to re-burn then as NTSC-U discs and forgo the 4-in-1 entirely except for save RAM backup. That whole save battery thing is such a goofy setup.

I think I should get a first party Saturn save backup cart. Are they battery-powered too? Anything to look out for?
 
K

Khaz

Member
thechristoph said:
That whole save battery thing is such a goofy setup.
Click to expand...

At least you could start enjoying your console and games without having to buy another expensive peripheral, like that other console.

Backup carts don't use batteries so you're safe.

With a modded console, I don't really need the 4in1 any more. Imports play fine, I keep the Backup cart in the slot so I can save directly on it, and I occasionally swap for games needing 1M/4M RAM. I prefer that to have to manage saves on the 4in1, moving them around every time I want to play a game.
 
Laws00

Laws00

Member
After almost a month my Clockwork Knight ~Pepperouchau no Fukubukuro~

Not buying anything from Japan for awhile..........lol

fucking burning rangers calling my name....wish the singing sung better English. Is it the Daytona USA guy who's singing? I actually like that guy
 
M

Moor-Angol

Banned
Laws00 said:
After almost a month my Clockwork Knight ~Pepperouchau no Fukubukuro~

Not buying anything from Japan for awhile..........lol
Click to expand...


just choose a faster shipping method than SAL ;)


everything I send with registered mail from Japan arrives in around 10- 15 days, lucky countries like France in one week; worst case scenario is around 3 weeks if you live in particular countries like Italy (sigh...) or Brazil due to very long custom operations
 
ResidentDante

ResidentDante

Member
thechristoph said:
That whole save battery thing is such a goofy setup.
Click to expand...
No it wasn't. Back in the day a memory card for that other system cost me almost half a game. So the first months of having that other system I had no way to save. I would have loved Saturns built in save option.

I don't think Sega planned the Saturn to be played 20 years later and the batteries running out and deleting saves.
 
J

Jaeger

Member
My console was shipped out today. Eagerly awaiting for it's arrival. It's been 10 years since I owned one and long overdue.
 
J

Jaeger

Member
sixteen-bit said:
Ice Cube approved.



Congrats! It's a super cool system. Let us know if you want any recommendations.
Click to expand...

STGs brother. Any and everything worth playing. Picked up Sonic Wings Special first. Next up when I am able is;

Layer Section
Guardian Force
Strikers 1945
Sengoku Blade
Darius Gaiden
Battle Garegga when I get rich
Metal Black
 
ACESmkII

ACESmkII

Member
Can somebody verify something for me? I was just playing Elevator Action Returns and Darius Gaiden yesterday and I noticed when I just started playing both today, my high scores were gone. Do these titles not save data? I did not see a save or auto save feature in the options menu for either title.
 
S

sixteen-bit

Member
ACESmkII said:
Can somebody verify something for me? I was just playing Elevator Action Returns and Darius Gaiden yesterday and I noticed when I just started playing both today, my high scores were gone. Do these titles not save data? I did not see a save or auto save feature in the options menu for either title.
Click to expand...

I know Layer Section / Galactic Attack doesn't either. Yo these Taito ports can't catch a break. Anyone wanna report on Gekirindan and Metal Black too?
 
O

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
sixteen-bit said:
I know Layer Section / Galactic Attack doesn't either. Yo these Taito ports can't catch a break. Anyone wanna report on Gekirindan and Metal Black too?
Click to expand...

I can check Metal Black tonight. Would love an excuse to boot it up! I've got my Saturn hooked up to my stereo too, and MB deserves it!
 
A Black Falcon

A Black Falcon

Member
sixteen-bit said:
I know Layer Section / Galactic Attack doesn't either. Yo these Taito ports can't catch a break. Anyone wanna report on Gekirindan and Metal Black too?
Click to expand...
Galactic Attack does save your top high scores. They're in that table that appears if you leave the start screen on for long enough. I think it saves your top seven scores, if I remember right.

However, the other two US-released Saturn shmups, Darius Gaiden and In the Hunt, don't support saving. Most Saturn shmups do save, but we were somewhat unlucky and got two of the few ones that don't...

It's easy enough to tell if a game saves if you look at the Japanese game case backs -- that yellow box in the bottom corner tells you all that info. Here's a relevant list I made years ago on exactly this subject:

Yellow-Box Dot Color Codes

Blue -- Number of Players -- All games have this, with a number between 1 and 12, for the number of player supported.

Red -- Genre -- Yes, each games' genre is listed in the info box. All games have this.

Purple -- Backup Save (ie the game supports saving) -- Games that have saving have this. Games that don't save to the system or backup RAM card won't, so a game with password-only save, for example, would not have this -- it only refers to actual save files.

Green -- Accessories Supported -- this category will list the System Link Cable, 3D Controller ("Multi Controller", it's called in Japan), Mission Stick, Arcade Racer, Mouse, Keyboard, Virtua Gun, and such. There is no listing for the standard controller, since all games support it. If alternate controllers or accessories are supported, they are listed here. Each accessory gets a separate green-dot listing, so games that support multiple accessories will have several of them.

Yellow -- ?? I'm not sure what this one means. Hopefully someone can answer this question, what does the yellow dot line mean? Or is there not actually a yellow one, they're just faded green dots?

Black -- Black -- Multiple Discs? But some with it seem to be one disc games... maybe those are games that also come with a soundtrack disc, a demo disc for another game, and such. It says "CD-ROM something".


Saving in Saturn Shmups

Notes: Games are Japanese-only releases unless noted with a (JE) or (JUE) to note the other regions. Games are listed by their US or Japanese release name; other region titles are in (parenthesis). Games are in alphabetical order within each list.

Saving
--
Blast Wind
Batsugun
Battle Garegga
Capcom Generation 1
Capcom Generation 3
Capcom Generation 4
Bokan to Ippatsu! Doronbo Kanpekihen
Cotton 2
Cotton Boomerang
Darius II (JE)
Detana Twinbee Yahho! Deluxe Pack
DonPachi
DoDonPachi
Dezaemon 2
Galactic Attack (JEU) (Layer Section/GunLock)
Game Tengoku - The Game Paradise
Gokujou Parodius Da! Deluxe Pack (JE) (Parodius)
Gradius Deluxe Pack
Guardian Force
Gunbird
Hyper 3D Taisen Battle Gebockers
Hyper Duel
Keio Flying Squadron 2 (mostly a platformer) (JE) (Keio Yugekitai 2)
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius: Forever with Me
Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus
Layer Section II
Macross: Do You Remember Love
Planet Joker
Radiant Silvergun
Sega Ages: Fantasy Zone
Salamander Gold Pack Plus
Sengoku Blade
Sexy Parodius
Shienryu
Shippuu Mahou Daisakusen
Skull Fang
Sol Divide
Sonic Wings Special
Soukyugurentai
Soukyugurentai Otokuyo
Steam Hearts
Terra Cresta 3D
Strikers 1945
Strikers 1945 II
Thunder Force Gold Pack 2
Thunder Force V
Tsuukai!! Slot Shooting
Twinkle Star Sprites (has black symbol)
Wolf Fang: Koukiba 2001 SS


No Saving
--
Choaniki: Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko
Darius Gaiden (JEU)
Gekirindan
Gun Frontier (has black symbol)
In the Hunt (JEU) (Kaitei Taisensou: In the Hunt )
Konami Antiques MSX Collection Ultra Pack
Prikura Daisakusen (has black symbol)
Thunder Force Gold Pack 1
 
ienjoyrawfish

ienjoyrawfish

Member
Zello said:
Just got my Vampire savior and it's definitely more everything than its predecessor - feels more fun to play and colorful to look at. Bulleta is so over the top it's funny but I didn't really get a feel for her. I played the previous ones mostly as Felicia when we had matches with my friends, of the new characters Q Bee seems good.

I'm not really an expert on fighting games so I'm at a disadvantage to start with, but I didn't have any clue on how to pull off those EX moves. It says, half circle forward and Punch Punch ... I'm doing that and nothing. Then it dawns to me, I have to press two punch buttons simultaneously instead of pushing the same one twice...
Click to expand...

If you're keen to learn how to play Vampire Savior well you could always consider getting Darkstalkers Resurrection purely for its tutorial mode. It's really good because you'll come out of it feeling like you actually understand how to use your character strategically in battle properly, as opposed to merely memorising combos.
 
T

Timu

Member
A Black Falcon said:
Galactic Attack does save your top high scores. They're in that table that appears if you leave the start screen on for long enough. I think it saves your top seven scores, if I remember right.

However, the other two US-released Saturn shmups, Darius Gaiden and In the Hunt, don't support saving. Most Saturn shmups do save, but we were somewhat unlucky and got two of the few ones that don't...

It's easy enough to tell if a game saves if you look at the Japanese game case backs -- that yellow box in the bottom corner tells you all that info. Here's a relevant list I made years ago on exactly this subject:

Yellow-Box Dot Color Codes

Blue -- Number of Players -- All games have this, with a number between 1 and 12, for the number of player supported.

Red -- Genre -- Yes, each games' genre is listed in the info box. All games have this.

Purple -- Backup Save (ie the game supports saving) -- Games that have saving have this. Games that don't save to the system or backup RAM card won't, so a game with password-only save, for example, would not have this -- it only refers to actual save files.

Green -- Accessories Supported -- this category will list the System Link Cable, 3D Controller ("Multi Controller", it's called in Japan), Mission Stick, Arcade Racer, Mouse, Keyboard, Virtua Gun, and such. There is no listing for the standard controller, since all games support it. If alternate controllers or accessories are supported, they are listed here. Each accessory gets a separate green-dot listing, so games that support multiple accessories will have several of them.

Yellow -- ?? I'm not sure what this one means. Hopefully someone can answer this question, what does the yellow dot line mean? Or is there not actually a yellow one, they're just faded green dots?

Black -- Black -- Multiple Discs? But some with it seem to be one disc games... maybe those are games that also come with a soundtrack disc, a demo disc for another game, and such. It says "CD-ROM something".


Saving in Saturn Shmups

Notes: Games are Japanese-only releases unless noted with a (JE) or (JUE) to note the other regions. Games are listed by their US or Japanese release name; other region titles are in (parenthesis). Games are in alphabetical order within each list.

Saving
--
Blast Wind
Batsugun
Battle Garegga
Capcom Generation 1
Capcom Generation 3
Capcom Generation 4
Bokan to Ippatsu! Doronbo Kanpekihen
Cotton 2
Cotton Boomerang
Darius II (JE)
Detana Twinbee Yahho! Deluxe Pack
DonPachi
DoDonPachi
Dezaemon 2
Galactic Attack (JEU) (Layer Section/GunLock)
Game Tengoku - The Game Paradise
Gokujou Parodius Da! Deluxe Pack (JE) (Parodius)
Gradius Deluxe Pack
Guardian Force
Gunbird
Hyper 3D Taisen Battle Gebockers
Hyper Duel
Keio Flying Squadron 2 (mostly a platformer) (JE) (Keio Yugekitai 2)
Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius: Forever with Me
Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus
Layer Section II
Macross: Do You Remember Love
Planet Joker
Radiant Silvergun
Sega Ages: Fantasy Zone
Salamander Gold Pack Plus
Sengoku Blade
Sexy Parodius
Shienryu
Shippuu Mahou Daisakusen
Skull Fang
Sol Divide
Sonic Wings Special
Soukyugurentai
Soukyugurentai Otokuyo
Steam Hearts
Terra Cresta 3D
Strikers 1945
Strikers 1945 II
Thunder Force Gold Pack 2
Thunder Force V
Tsuukai!! Slot Shooting
Twinkle Star Sprites (has black symbol)
Wolf Fang: Koukiba 2001 SS


No Saving
--
Choaniki: Kyuukyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko
Darius Gaiden (JEU)
Gekirindan
Gun Frontier (has black symbol)
In the Hunt (JEU) (Kaitei Taisensou: In the Hunt )
Konami Antiques MSX Collection Ultra Pack
Prikura Daisakusen (has black symbol)
Thunder Force Gold Pack 1
Click to expand...
Fantastic post, I'll keep this in mind.
 
K

Khaz

Member
I almost bought a European copy of Deep Fear, only to find out that an image of the unreleased American edition was on the internet. Considering the PAL release is "PAL-optimised" and the Japanese edition is unplayable in my opinion, It's the only solution to play the game in an acceptable state.
 
J

Jaeger

Member
Khaz said:
I almost bought a European copy of Deep Fear, only to find out that an image of the unreleased American edition was on the internet. Considering the PAL release is "PAL-optimised" and the Japanese edition is unplayable in my opinion, It's the only solution to play the game in an acceptable state.
Click to expand...

Had no idea that existed.
 
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