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Sega Saturn Appreciation and Emulation Thread

IrishNinja

Member
hmm...i don't recall seeing one, but ill check my copy tonight! man, i love having the spin dash in Sonic 1 sometimes, the 3D classic kept that intact too.
 

NDPsycho

Member
KC-Slater with some prime choices! never played cyberbots...gotta check that one out!

and yeah NDPsycho, like most i just go with Souky, haha...man do i love that one

I only had 3 import shumps back in the day. That one, radiant silvergun and macross. Macross was the only one still reasonably priced when I finally got around to trying to rebuild my Saturn collection. At least radiant got a xbla release and I finally got to play it in english. Still hurts to think of all the things I sold before when you look at what they cost now though. Lots of regrets, but I guess it's hardly possible to go through life without having some regrets.
 

KC-Slater

Member
Nice choices, wish I hadn't sold all my imports years ago...well all my Saturn stuff at the time. I got some back, but not many imports. The first game there, was a favorite (I'll spare everyone my attempts to spell it).

KC-Slater with some prime choices! never played cyberbots...gotta check that one out!

Thanks guys! Dracula X was the real steal--It was $75 cash Canadian, making it around $50-something U.S.!

I suppose it's good karma for every time I have been hosed with exchange/duty/shipping over eBay...
 

Conezays

Member
Ignoring the image quality and colours being a bit off, hopefully this phone picture helps show what I mean:

IMG_3241.jpg
 
That's in the original. On the Genesis, at least, it'd mean you were displaying regions outside the Genesis's 320x224 window; not sure what to make of it with regards to the Saturn, however...
 

Conezays

Member
That's in the original. On the Genesis, at least, it'd mean you were displaying regions outside the Genesis's 320x224 window; not sure what to make of it with regards to the Saturn, however...

Cool, thank you for the response. I was thinking it had something do with how it was originally presented; perhaps the Saturn is just copying the Genesis version to the T.
 
Ignoring the image quality and colours being a bit off, hopefully this phone picture helps show what I mean:

Do you have the ability to adjust your horizontal positioning of your screen? Or stretch your screen? Gross! If not you'll just have to deal with it. I can't do either so I'm stuck with it.
 

Conezays

Member
Do you have the ability to adjust your horizontal positioning of your screen? Or stretch your screen? Gross! If not you'll just have to deal with it. I can't do either so I'm stuck with it.

I can't adjust, no. It's a non-issue in the other 3 games and doesn't affect other Saturn games I've tried so not the end of the world I suppose.
 

StevieWhite

Member
but maria
and hidden areas bruh

If you haven't played the PlayStation version, you don't even notice - as a Saturn owner back in 97, it was my only option. The port is bad, but it gets a bum rap. It's still perfectly enjoyable.

Buuuuut... Maria and the new areas really aren't enough to justify choosing it over the PSX version these days.
 

KC-Slater

Member
If you haven't played the PlayStation version, you don't even notice - as a Saturn owner back in 97, it was my only option. The port is bad, but it gets a bum rap. It's still perfectly enjoyable.

Buuuuut... Maria and the new areas really aren't enough to justify choosing it over the PSX version these days.

I have the digital PSone copy, but I'm a sucker for owning a physical copy.

Saturn SotN is still getting hosed at any price tbh

I've bought worse ports...

daytonausa-cover.jpg
 
I saw someone asking about Shining Wisdom a while back, and I'm playing through it right now. It definitely picks up once you start getting new items. Having your attacks improve (do more damage, sword has more range, etc.) as your movement speed goes up is a great concept for a Zelda-style game, and the pace of the combat overall (especially once you start getting weapons that increase your max speed) goes a long way. Can't help but shake the feeling that it would've made for a really good Genesis game with how it looks, though.
 

IrishNinja

Member
If you haven't played the PlayStation version, you don't even notice - as a Saturn owner back in 97, it was my only option. The port is bad, but it gets a bum rap. It's still perfectly enjoyable.

Buuuuut... Maria and the new areas really aren't enough to justify choosing it over the PSX version these days.

agreed, loading (especially on xrgb) isn't great but man having a map button magically happen would've solved so much for me - the PSX port is completely the way to go, i just got a deal on it & always wanted to see the extra content

I saw someone asking about Shining Wisdom a while back, and I'm playing through it right now. It definitely picks up once you start getting new items. Having your attacks improve (do more damage, sword has more range, etc.) as your movement speed goes up is a great concept for a Zelda-style game, and the pace of the combat overall (especially once you start getting weapons that increase your max speed) goes a long way. Can't help but shake the feeling that it would've made for a really good Genesis game with how it looks, though.

good to hear! it wasn't being spoken of well in here, but i'm still looking forward to it
 

IrishNinja

Member
damn, i took the greatest hits one just a little while back as a birthday gift to myself...was $40 shipped, closer to the $30 i wanted with reward money! still, i guess that's what it goes for most times now...great game
 

TeaJay

Member
I have the Saturn version of SOTN and I like it a lot despite load times. Don't have a PS1, but I have been meaning to get one, although the list of games I'd want on it is pretty short.. (FF7, FF9, Crash Bandicoot, US version of SOTN).

But I've had no troubles playing SOTN on Saturn when I feel like doing so.
 

Galdelico

Member
Ignoring the image quality and colours being a bit off, hopefully this phone picture helps show what I mean:

IMG_3241.jpg
You already had that explained, but just for fun:

100_0854.jpg


This is how plenty of Mega Drive games (and Game Gear/Master System too) look like, when fully displayed on an LCD. Back in the days, you weren't supposed to see that colored area, just because it was cut off by your TV screen (overscan). What CRT are you using? Just to see if it provides a service menu you can access, to center the picture and get rid of that line.
 

piggychan

Member
If you haven't played the PlayStation version, you don't even notice - as a Saturn owner back in 97, it was my only option. The port is bad, but it gets a bum rap. It's still perfectly enjoyable.

Buuuuut... Maria and the new areas really aren't enough to justify choosing it over the PSX version these days.

Yup some of the effects are missing or ugly, the loading between areas and slowdown during boss fights are disheartening. Plus some of the enemy death animations have been changed, the FMV is also smaller and grainy but.....

If you are a Castlevania fan I do think it's worth getting providing you can find a good deal on it. If are collecting Sega Saturn stuff I still say it's worth getting because there is nothing really like it on the Saturn. Apart from being able to choose Richter, Maria and Alucard from the start the music option is also a fantastic addition.

Also you get to fight Maria in the Saturn version!

Also there is a hidden folder that can only be viewed on pc/laptop/mac that has scanned images.
 

Galdelico

Member
One technical advantage of Saturn Dracula over the PlayStation original, is that it runs fullscreen, whereas the latter doesn't (I'm talking about the NTSC version).

Also there is a hidden folder that can only be viewed on pc/laptop/mac that has scanned images.
And one of them, you can only get it uncensored on the Saturn. :p
 

Gyrian

Member
It's kind of interesting (and ultimately a shame) that Dracula X has these deficiencies on Saturn because they completely ported over a 3D engine that displays most everything in a flat plane straight from the PlayStation original. This game could have been rather special if it had been re-worked around the 2D advantages that the Saturn is known for...

Then again, it's not as if Konami ever gave much love or attention to this platform. Or the Dreamcast coming after. Even the Mega Drive, despite the handful of really incredible games that did actually come with some dedicated effort.
 

Conezays

Member
You already had that explained, but just for fun:

100_0854.jpg


This is how plenty of Mega Drive games (and Game Gear/Master System too) look like, when fully displayed on an LCD. Back in the days, you weren't supposed to see that colored area, just because it was cut off by your TV screen (overscan). What CRT are you using? Just to see if it provides a service menu you can access, to center the picture and get rid of that line.

Interesting stuff; those blue lines are definitely more egregious! I'm using a Toshiba 14AF42. Unless I'm missing something, I just have the standard colour, contrast, tint, etc. settings with no way to change positioning, unless via some in-game options. As I mentioned, it was only evident in Sonic 1 and 2, though *barely* noticeable in 2, making it not really a huge issue. It's not even consistent throughout 1; the start menu and special stages experience no blue sides, etc.
 
You already had that explained, but just for fun:

100_0854.jpg


This is how plenty of Mega Drive games (and Game Gear/Master System too) look like, when fully displayed on an LCD. Back in the days, you weren't supposed to see that colored area, just because it was cut off by your TV screen (overscan).

Personally I have my BVM set up so I can see the overscan. I just like how it looks that way more. A lot of games have extra actual gamespace on it too that would normally be cut off.
 

KC-Slater

Member
One technical advantage of Saturn Dracula over the PlayStation original, is that it runs fullscreen, whereas the latter doesn't (I'm talking about the NTSC version).

Does anyone know if it jumps between resolutions in menus, like the Playstation version does? I'm curious because I want to know how well it plays with a Framemeister.
 
One technical advantage of Saturn Dracula over the PlayStation original, is that it runs fullscreen, whereas the latter doesn't (I'm talking about the NTSC version).


And one of them, you can only get it uncensored on the Saturn. :p


Ahah so many people asked me for that image back in the day, pervs.

I really wish Konami hadn't rushhed the port out. I think it could have had real potential using the Saturn's strengths.
 

MikeMyers

Member
Then again, it's not as if Konami ever gave much love or attention to this platform. Or the Dreamcast coming after. Even the Mega Drive, despite the handful of really incredible games that did actually come with some dedicated effort.

I've always wondered but is it true that Metal Gear Solid was in-development for Saturn at one point? I've seen that thrown around but never an actual source.

It did find a way onto the Dreamcast via bleem though.
 

IrishNinja

Member
Then again, it's not as if Konami ever gave much love or attention to this platform. Or the Dreamcast coming after. Even the Mega Drive, despite the handful of really incredible games that did actually come with some dedicated effort.

yeah, Konami didn't do dick for the DC but they brought some stuff to saturn - Suikoden, Salamander, SOTN, etc...it wasn't their primary platform, but there's stories about how they got burned on CV for 32X and all, so i understand.

i don't think there's any argument to be made for them doing finder work for sega than on the genesis though, RKA + contra HC/bloodlines alone trounces most other stuff.
 

MikeMyers

Member
It seemed most of the Saturn 3rd party support was arcade ports too, lol.

I do wonder what a top 10 best selling Saturn 3rd party game would like. I imagine Robot Wars and Street Fighter would be up there.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Didn't the PSP version include the stuff that was previously only on Saturn?

I still want the Saturn version for kicks, but still.
 

Gyrian

Member
yeah, Konami didn't do dick for the DC but they brought some stuff to saturn - Suikoden, Salamander, SOTN, etc...it wasn't their primary platform, but there's stories about how they got burned on CV for 32X and all, so i understand.

i don't think there's any argument to be made for them doing finder work for sega than on the genesis though, RKA + contra HC/bloodlines alone trounces most other stuff.

That's what the biggest shame is, to me. Where they did original work, being their best selves, we got some of Konami's very best output. RKA/HC/Bloodlines might be in my Konami all-time top 10. But most of their work on Sega platforms, however little we got, tended to be less dedicated or more 'rushed' for the lack of a better word. It's even visible in all kind of games that still turned out fantastic like Hyperstone Heist (with its badly auto converted color palette). I really wish we had gotten more top tier Konami on Sega during the 90s, it would have been pretty damn special.
 

Jaeger

Member
I have yet to play through SAT Dracula X but some of you make the issues it has makes the game unplayable.

Can't be that bad, right? Considering the unique content I'm always debating getting it but then someone talks me out of it.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
I have yet to play through SAT Dracula X but some of you make the issues it has makes the game unplayable.

Can't be that bad, right? Considering 90th unique content I'm always debating getting it but then someone talks me out of it.

Some of my favorite games are janky ones that people consider 'unplayable' like Drakengard and Odin Sphere.
 

StevieWhite

Member
Some of my favorite games are janky ones that people consider 'unplayable' like Drakengard and Odin Sphere.

Yes. "Unplayable" is a word that is thrown around far too much, when you consider what it actually means. If you wanna say some is unenjoyable, that is one thing, but when you say unplayable, it kind of connotes a degree of non functionality. I really don't like that term.
 

Dazzyman

Member
Just got my originals of Batsugun and street fighter zero 3 with a virtua arcade stick. Stoked as only ever had the inferior dc port of sfz3
 

Gyrian

Member
Does anyone know if it jumps between resolutions in menus, like the Playstation version does? I'm curious because I want to know how well it plays with a Framemeister.

I'm afraid it works exactly the same as in the PlayStation original. I tried it this morning to confirm. The resolution change makes the Framemeister display a black screen for several seconds, which could be a problem if you're not careful where you unpause...
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
Didn't the PSP version include the stuff that was previously only on Saturn?

I still want the Saturn version for kicks, but still.
Nah, as far as I know, the playable Maria in the PSP version is a different character/moveset/etc. than on the Saturn. And the new areas aren't in the PSP version. I think they were considered mediocre. Which is sad 'cause I remember them being described as a ghost prison, which sounds awesome, and an underground garden which also sounds great on paper.
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Nah, as far as I know, the playable Maria in the PSP version is a different character/moveset/etc. than on the Saturn. And the new areas aren't in the PSP version. I think they were considered mediocre. Which is sad 'cause I remember them being described as a ghost prison, which sounds awesome, and an underground garden which also sounds great on paper.

Good, I'll eventually be justified in getting it.
 

MikeMyers

Member
Well, I ended up getting Virtual-On. I know the PS360 version is meant to be better, but I don't have a Japanese account, so I settled for the Saturn version. I'll share my thoughts later on.
 

IrishNinja

Member
Didn't the PSP version include the stuff that was previously only on Saturn?

I still want the Saturn version for kicks, but still.

yeah, not all but some stuff, and the OG rondo unlockable too! such a fantastic game, and if i'm not mistaken, the translations now used for fan discs on PCE came directly from there (i forget, wanna say german with english subs?)
*edit wait wait are we mixing up Rondo & SOTN here? or is that just my drunken ass haha

That's what the biggest shame is, to me. Where they did original work, being their best selves, we got some of Konami's very best output. RKA/HC/Bloodlines might be in my Konami all-time top 10. But most of their work on Sega platforms, however little we got, tended to be less dedicated or more 'rushed' for the lack of a better word. It's even visible in all kind of games that still turned out fantastic like Hyperstone Heist (with its badly auto converted color palette). I really wish we had gotten more top tier Konami on Sega during the 90s, it would have been pretty damn special.

100% cosigned - you're not wrong in saying the gems we saw on saturn were often simply not as polished as the PSX counterparts, with the MSX Antiques Collection all-in-one disc as a rare excpetion coming to mind. grateful for what we got (as an SMS kid, i couldn't even picture konami stuff on sega, haha) but could've been amazing, no doubt.

silver lining: those ex-konami dudes at Treasure kept the hits coming straight through to the end~

I have yet to play through SAT Dracula X but some of you make the issues it has makes the game unplayable.

Can't be that bad, right? Considering the unique content I'm always debating getting it but then someone talks me out of it.

gonna agree with StevieWhite here; "unplayable" is not how i'd describe it - imagine some loading to get at menus/map that you're not used to, i guess a la FF anthology on PSX? not the preferred way, but say RE2 (N64) on framemeishter, there's literally parts of the game where it feels like more loading than cinema/gameplay due to so many res switches on the fly...that is what i call unplayable, personally

Some of my favorite games are janky ones that people consider 'unplayable' like Drakengard and Odin Sphere.

as a Killer 7 fan - this, all day

Just got my originals of Batsugun and street fighter zero 3 with a virtua arcade stick. Stoked as only ever had the inferior dc port of sfz3

goddamn, if you got that without selling a kidney, props!

Nah, as far as I know, the playable Maria in the PSP version is a different character/moveset/etc. than on the Saturn. And the new areas aren't in the PSP version. I think they were considered mediocre. Which is sad 'cause I remember them being described as a ghost prison, which sounds awesome, and an underground garden which also sounds great on paper.

exactly this - PSP port is still fantastic
 
Is there any way to play the translated shining force 3 parts 2&3 on a saturn instead of an emulator?
I have a saturn and they aren't that expensive, but i don't want to use an emulator

I guess I am basically asking if it is possible to make it read backups
 
Well, I ended up getting Virtual-On. I know the PS360 version is meant to be better, but I don't have a Japanese account, so I settled for the Saturn version. I'll share my thoughts later on.

One of my absolute favorite games of all time. I have the fondest memories of sitting in the twin stick arcade cabinet for the first time. I felt like I was in another world :)
 
I have yet to play through SAT Dracula X but some of you make the issues it has makes the game unplayable.

Can't be that bad, right? Considering the unique content I'm always debating getting it but then someone talks me out of it.

The Saturn version was actually my first play through of Symphony. I didn't play the ps version until years later. I'd say it's absolutely playable. The one major(minor) gripe I would have with the Saturn version is how often you want to look at your map. Going into a menu to only to have it take a moment to load up can really feel like a waste of time. However if you're already familiar with the game then it's not going to impede your enjoyment of it.
 
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