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Sega Saturn Appreciation and Emulation Thread

Tain

Member
The Virtual On twinsticks are good, but I honestly don't think Saturn Virtual On is at all worth playing with the PS2 and PS3 versions around. I'd sooner play one of the better ports with a normal controller.
 
Speaking of FPS ports back in the day, I saw a video on the port of Doom to the system and it's just horrible. lol

I actually have a brand new/sealed US version of Doom, got it for something like 15$ 4 years ago. I was intrigued to try it at first, but after I saw some videos and heard the general consensus about it, I won't touch it.

Papersleeves is always asking me to open it, but it won't happen. ;)

I would say that it is almost equal running with Doom on the 3D0 as one of the worst ports of Doom ever conceived. That's saying something when you compare it to something like the SNES port. Hexen on the Saturn though, was a much better port. Though the enemy sprites in Hexen were missing the back sprites, so they were always facing the player. Which means you couldn't sneak up behind enemies or get them to fight each other, like the PC game.
IIRC one of the bigger issues is that it was a port of the PS1 version, instead of being developed ground-up for the console like the Lobotomy Software trilogy were. And, well, it shows. Framerate is abysmal.

Funnily enough, the Japanese release was done by an entirely different team. It's still a port of the PS1 version, but apparently the framerate is better. I own this version, in fact.

Still... I never owned the US version to compare it to, and speaking purely as a comparison between playing this version or buying it on Steam and breaking out GZDoom... do the latter. Seriously. There's almost no reason to give Doom on the Saturn or PS1 the time of day anymore when you could be playing the game with an uncapped framerate and access to a bajillion new levels. There's even a total conversion that ported the PS1 ports of Doom and Final Doom back to the ZDoom engine, if you're really curious about what you missed.
 

woodypop

Member
The Virtual On twinsticks are good, but I honestly don't think Saturn Virtual On is at all worth playing with the PS2 and PS3 versions around. I'd sooner play one of the better ports with a normal controller.
Yikes, that's a tough call: twinsticks + Saturn Virtual On, or standard controller + more contemporary Virtual On. To me, much of the Virtual On experience lies with the sticks. But then again, I suck at the game. lol

Is there a Saturn > PS2 adapter that the Saturn twinsticks would work with?
 

Tain

Member
In what ways? The only benefit I can picture is redbook audio, and that's not worth the halving in framerate, lowered resolution, simplified arenas, removal of dash canceling, etc.

I played a ton of it growing up, but "nice for the hardware" is the best I can say about it.
 
I actually have a brand new/sealed US version of Doom, got it for something like 15$ 4 years ago. I was intrigued to try it at first, but after I saw some videos and heard the general consensus about it, I won't touch it.

Papersleeves is always asking me to open it, but it won't happen. ;)

I swear one of these days I'll make it happen. You just wait!
 

woodypop

Member
Here's the Japanese portion of my collection.

Shmups:
E8BF324A-E20B-45D0-9B4C-CA2621AAAAC5-1789-0000022025C3FDB0_zpsdbf99134.jpg


Fighting Games:
93562DA3-ACF6-4457-8816-C1AEA3BF5740-1860-000002220FEE335B_zps1eaeffbf.jpg

F660F637-5EA5-47F3-B6A0-D96965113AE6-1860-0000022220E95A90_zps58ee22f4.jpg


Action/Adventure:
73CCAF37-2882-4C6B-AB04-F7C043A1AE81-1860-000002222BA1D3D6_zps137afb26.jpg
 
IIRC they're closer to those cardboard DVD cases you sometimes find, where you have this large black plastic clasp on the opening end that goes in front of the front of the box. You open that, and the front is then free to open and close at will.

Although note that I've never once owned a PAL release, and can't say as I have much need to, either. I could be waaaaay inaccurate with this (and probably am).
 

Here's a good image of a late-release PAL Saturn game, the case was full plastic.

The problem with these cases was that the manuals weren't really held that tight, so they tended to push the CD loose in the case if you weren't careful.

Nothing beats the simple Jewel Cases/spine card combo that they had in Japan.
 
I have a soft spot for the US cases, myself. There's something awesome looking about a shelf lined with US Saturn games.

Love the simple elegance of the JP jewel cases, though.
 

woodypop

Member
Envy. Solid import collection.
Thanks! Amassed over the last 12 years or so.

Looks great man! Someday I'll have Garegga and Batsugun.
Someday...
I paid fair market value for those two; sadly, didn't come by any awesome deals. ;_; (Though I did buy Radiant Silvergun upon its release for $50.)

I prefer the US cases instead. Mainly as the USA cases are unique while the jewel case was just a normal standard storage.
I like the US cases, too. I just wish they weren't so fragile. Seems they crack if you even look at them wrong. D=
 

Vortex566

Member
I never did own a Saturn back when they first came out. I'm based in the UK, but from what I've read online it would be best to get a JAP console?
 

Valkyria

Banned
I'm European and I'm not expending a single € in pal saturn's game. They don't worth it. Go Japanese, it's the best way to experience the Saturn.
 

GulAtiCa

Member
I read that using a S-Video cable is better then the RF (which is what I'm using) and composite video. Is that true. Any example of how much better?

Edit: I see prices for $70+ online. Composite prices are $5. Holy crap that is expensive. Is it worth it? What do you all think?
Edit 2: I actually found 1 for $50 from the UK. I'd assume there is no region coding in the cables right? lol
 
Yes, S-Video is better than composite. I've got no good images to illustrate, but y'know the mesh transparencies most Saturn games have? On composite and RF, those actually kinda look transparent. On S-Video, you see them for what they are: meshes of fully transparent pixels with fully opaque ones. Generally sharper image all around, too.

Composite is definitely better than RF, though, so, uh, there's that.

$50? You kiddin' me? I paid $10 or so for one from Racketboy. Jeez, this S-Video cable shortage is obscene.
 

Tain

Member
I read that using a S-Video cable is better then the RF (which is what I'm using) and composite video. Is that true. Any example of how much better?

Edit: I see prices for $70+ online. Composite prices are $5. Holy crap that is expensive. Is it worth it? What do you all think?
Edit 2: I actually found 1 for $50 from the UK. I'd assume there is no region coding in the cables right? lol

I got some Saturn S-Video cable on eBay for very cheap (~$12?). And yes, it is miles better than composite, let alone RF. You'll be stunned.

edit: ouch, looks like the seller I bought 'em from doesn't have any up right now. Weird.
 

GulAtiCa

Member
I see Sega Saturn SCART is kinda pricey, but cheaper at $30. I don't think any of my TVs even have SCARt input though.

I'll keep an eye out for S-Video cables, as I think I'd rather spend some extra $ for the nicer look.

I got some Saturn S-Video cable on eBay for very cheap (~$12?). And yes, it is miles better than composite, let alone RF. You'll be stunned.

edit: ouch, looks like the seller I bought 'em from doesn't have any up right now. Weird.

Good to know. Btw: who is the seller? I'll watch his store for them in the future
 
$50? You kiddin' me? I paid $10 or so for one from Racketboy. Jeez, this S-Video cable shortage is obscene.

Yeah, seems like the stock for it has dried up for a lot of online sellers, unfortunately. When I did see them for sale, they never seemed to be more than $20. (I paid around $18 for mine)
 

GulAtiCa

Member
I checked Racketboy and they now list it for $25. Granted of course they are out of stock. Someone in the UK is selling it fairly cheap. but because of lousy exchange rate, it comes out to $50 USD..

Oh well, at least for now I found a seller selling the composite version for $7 inb my own state. So should be here within a few days.
 

televator

Member
Those VO sticks push you pretty close to "best from now" tier.

I'll take it! Oh yeah, I'm almost cool! :p

In a somewhat related note this thread now has me obsessing over the Mission Stick... I must play Panzer Dragoon at max level.

Also this lack of S-vid option is making me consider just jumping onto the RGB -> component route sooner rather than later.
 

Quackula

Member
Also this lack of S-vid option is making me consider just jumping onto the RGB -> component route sooner rather than later.

Keep going down that rabbit hole and you'll be like me and end up playing with commercial broadcast monitors and seriously considering picking up a $500 scaler like the XRGB.
 

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Keep going down that rabbit hole and you'll be like me and end up playing with commercial broadcast monitors and seriously considering picking up a $500 scaler like the XRGB.
I just caught this disease. RGB's a hell of a drug.
 

IrishNinja

Member
yeah, that seller never put em up but again she did say she would soon...i could always contact her again. i gave up because late the other night someone had a pair for $16 shipped, so i just jumped on that! hoping ti gets here around the same time as the system. keep an eye on ebay, they totally happen but yeah, current one from EU is like about $50 shipped for me as well.

also since i have so many loose PSX/DC/Sega-CD etc discs ive just given up and have everything in regular DVD cases with covers printed from The Cover Project, they don't have everything but they're pretty thorough. and i missed that whole gen but while US saturn cases look interesting, those JP ones are dead sexy.

Keep going down that rabbit hole and you'll be like me and end up playing with commercial broadcast monitors and seriously considering picking up a $500 scaler like the XRGB.

honestly, i was this close to doing SCART to component for SNES, genesis, saturn etc but im out of outlets and i think ill just s-vid everything and skip phase 2, one day when i have a house/am balling ill have a dedicated Classic Game Room/bar and just bite the scaler bullet...im still dying to see it in motion though
 
For those wondering about the differences between composite and S-Video, I took some comparison shots just now of Last Bronx:

Composite said:

S-Video said:

Even from these off-screen shots, you can tell that there's a noticeable difference. The difference in person is pretty huge.



As a bonus, here are some shots from Guilty Gear X2 on the PlayStation 2 which should make it even more obvious. Composite, S-Video. I was playing it right before I took the Last Bronx ones, so I decided to try taking some shots of that first.
 
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