• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Sega Saturn Appreciation and Emulation Thread

discoalucard

i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Dug out my Saturn recently because I grabbed the Xing double pack of Image Fight and X-Multiply. The port of Image Right is halfway terrible if you're only playing in hori mode since the screen is scaled badly, the scrolling looks like a mess. X-Multiply is such a fantastic game though, and a great port. Pity Irem seemed to ignore the game, this release is the only place with an official home release.

The Saturn Gradius and Salamander Deluxe Packs have fucked up display resolutions compared to the PS1 counterparts. This is because the Saturn isn't capable of outputting 256 x 224 like the original arcade versions and PS1 can.

Is the same true for Sexy Parodius? The lowest resolution Saturn is capable of is 320 x 224, but SP should actually already run at that resolution, right? I wonder because the PS1 version costs so much more.

I've never actually tried the Saturn versions of any of the Konami packs, but I remember hearing somewhere, many years ago, that the Parodius ports put in a "Saturn" mode which expanded the playing field a bit vertically to accomodate for the extra resolution. This may have been only for the Parodus Deluxe Pack though. I can't remember what resolutions they all ran at originally.

The Symphony of the Night Saturn port looks terrible for the reason you pointed out too.
 
Dug out my Saturn recently because I grabbed the Xing double pack of Image Fight and X-Multiply. The port of Image Right is halfway terrible if you're only playing in hori mode since the screen is scaled badly, the scrolling looks like a mess. X-Multiply is such a fantastic game though, and a great port. Pity Irem seemed to ignore the game, this release is the only place with an official home release.



I've never actually tried the Saturn versions of any of the Konami packs, but I remember hearing somewhere, many years ago, that the Parodius ports put in a "Saturn" mode which expanded the playing field a bit vertically to accomodate for the extra resolution. This may have been only for the Parodus Deluxe Pack though. I can't remember what resolutions they all ran at originally.

The Symphony of the Night Saturn port looks terrible for the reason you pointed out too.

Thanks. Looking at emu shots on HG101 at native res, it looks like I should be fine on Sexy Parodius.

Nice pickup with Arcade Gears Image Fight and X-Multiply. I have Image fight on PC Engine, and the port is okay I guess, but I would really love to try X-Multiply. Price is prohibitive though :/
 

discoalucard

i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Nice pickup with Arcade Gears Image Fight and X-Multiply. I have Image fight on PC Engine, and the port is okay I guess, but I would really love to try X-Multiply. Price is prohibitive though :/

I "lucked" out by winning an auction for about $75, which is roughly the price it goes for on Japanese sites. It's a little high for a set that has one game I really like and another I'm ambivalent towards. I was just on a Saturn shooter binge at the time. Now, I'm really waffling on whether I want to invest in Hyper Duel or not, but that's a $200+ purchase.

Going back to the last page with Burning Rangers - I got fed up trying to get a complete copy of the US version for less than $130, so I decided to jump in with the Euro version. It wasn't recoded to run on PAL, and it works just fine with the standard region converter cartridge, so it's essentially identical to the NTSC release. It only cost about $85 shipped, which wasn't cheap but still a fair bit cheaper. The case looks weird on my shelf but I think I like them better than the NA cases, they're definitely much less fragile.

I've had the JP release for years and never got beyond the first level since the navigation was too hard to understand. Now that I'm playing it in English...I don't dislike it, but I'm still waiting for it to click. Still feels like too much clambering around dark and/or confusing hallways, even though I really like the feel of the jumping physics.
 
That definitely is the bulk of the game - going around hallways, shooting fire. Still, if your navigator tells you to go one way but another way forward is available, be sure to check out that other path, as there's probably a survivor hiding there to be rescued. And yet, you have to be quick about finding some fires nearby, because you don't want that danger percentage to reach a multiple of 20 (once it does, it can't go below that multiple, and it affects your final ranking).
 

discoalucard

i am a butthurt babby that can only drool in wonder at shiney objects
Thanks. Looking at emu shots on HG101 at native res, it looks like I should be fine on Sexy Parodius.

Double checked these today - the arcade version runs at 288x224. Both console ports pillarbox the image by default, but both also have options that expand the screen into all of the black areas, to run at 320x224. In other words, you're good to go with the Saturn version.
 

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
I'm a little drunk and MAYBE am about to buy panzer dragoon saga mint for $340.

which i can tell you even now is a fucking shitload of money for one game.
 

jay

Member
I'm a little drunk and MAYBE am about to buy panzer dragoon saga mint for $340.

which i can tell you even now is a fucking shitload of money for one game.

I haven't been watching closely lately, but it probably shouldn't cost that much. It is awesome, though, and you should consider your life an utter failure if you don't play it soon. No pressure.
 

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
I haven't been watching closely lately, but it probably shouldn't cost that much. It is awesome, though, and you should consider your life an utter failure if you don't play it soon. No pressure.

I have disc 1 and it's so cool. gonna be so sad when it's over

UNLESS
 
I'm a little drunk and MAYBE am about to buy panzer dragoon saga mint for $340.

which i can tell you even now is a fucking shitload of money for one game.

Are you cool with selling it after you beat it? If so, can you sell it close enough to that price to make it no big deal? Not up on PDS prices.
 
Don't think so, at least the later versions. The old Interact and Performance carts are like 2x as thick.

Regardless though, it's best to not plug and unplug stuff much from the Saturn... just leave your 4-in-1 plugged in permanently, that's the best way. That cart port is probably one of the only weaknesses in what is generally a very durable system, I think.
 
The Saturn had its own problems. I went through 3 Saturns that all ended up having Memory Card/expansion slot issues.

same here...my dad got me zap snowboarding tricks and an import game memory card one christmas since that was the only snowboarding game available for saturn. i was so excited as i'd never played a 3d snowboarding game before and that game looked awesome, back when electronics boutique (or was it software inc i forget) used to keep imports in shop.

then i get the game on xmas and poof, my memory card slot is dead forever. really sucked having to rely on the battery for everything, couldn't even save some stuff like iron storm and shit

i bought panzer dragoon saga at funcoland for $50 used back in the day. fantastic game. also got guardian heroes for $2.50 from the exchange. i package sold them on ebay when i beat them, and got enough money to buy those boing shoes nike had that were all the rage at the time. first day at school every fucking person in the hallway had to ask if my shoes actually made the boing sound when i walked. coincidentially, the only time i have ever spent > $100 on freaking footwear.
 
I just moved back into my parents house and discovered that not only do I have a copies of PDS, Guardian Heroes and Burning Rangers, but I also have Shining Force III. I don't remember when I picked it up, but my eyes turned this color: $$
 
I just moved back into my parents house and discovered that not only do I have a copies of PDS, Guardian Heroes and Burning Rangers, but I also have Shining Force III. I don't remember when I picked it up, but my eyes turned this color: $$

million-dollar-eyes.gif
 
PDS, BR, and sf3 seem to have only gone up in value with rereleases being extremely unlikely. Id just hold on to them at this point as they will only get rarer. Guardian heroes has a superior version out on xbox tho so trade that for sure
 

Fabrikator

Neo Member
Miss the Saturn days.. the days when Capcom was producing game after game of awesomeness. Grab a ram cart, and get the best experience in 2d fighting games on console during that time.

also.... <3 Guardian Heroes <3
 
The Ages ports on Saturn are generally great. I only know of Power Drift making compromises.

GK, looks like you're going hard on Keio. Only missing that rare PS1 board game!
 

Slermy

Member


A Mega CD slipped in there but oh well. I think I paid $100 shipped. Ugh EMS. At least all have obis.

Yeah, but it's Keio Flying Squadron! I haven't priced the imports myself, but that seems like a great deal!

^ I've been looking to get Galaxy Force II, but wonder if I shouldn't instead just get the Sega Ages volume for PS2.

I have both of them, and while the Saturn port is pretty good, the PS2 one IS superior. You have practically every version on there, and the PS2 exclusive mode is very nice (widescreen, fades out the sprites instead of "popping" them). Plus, you have analog controls with the Dualshock. It's a really nice package.
 
I have both of them, and while the Saturn port is pretty good, the PS2 one IS superior. You have practically every version on there, and the PS2 exclusive mode is very nice (widescreen, fades out the sprites instead of "popping" them). Plus, you have analog controls with the Dualshock. It's a really nice package.

I think the PS2 version is also 60FPS, while the Saturn is 30FPS. Makes a difference.
 
Wow. Keio Flying Squadron for SEGA CD is $300-500 for complete copies? I've been way out of touch. Had no idea it was that much these days. Collecting is getting out of hand.

Keio's been a three-figures game for years, actually. It's been one of the most expensive US Sega CD games for quite some time, right behind Snatcher...
 
Wow. Keio Flying Squadron for SEGA CD is $300-500 for complete copies? I've been way out of touch. Had no idea it was that much these days. Collecting is getting out of hand.

Definitely one of the few games I missed the boat on. Got in on PDS and Snatcher before the explosion, but delayed too long on Keio.
 

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
Any BULK SLASH owners? Game looks incredibly cool, and was developed by Computer Artist Production, "a company based in Nagasaki with strong links to the Hudson of old, and responsible for various popular games including Hagane." (hg101).

O1zup9o.jpg


Here are some snippets from the hg101 article:

Bulk Slash is not only incredibly fun, but it deserves to stand alongside the Panzer Dragoon series, Radiant Silvergun and Burning Rangers, as the pinnacle of what the system was capable of.

Described loosely: it's like a cross between Virtual On and Burning Rangers, with simple controls and an instantaneous mecha-transformation mechanic. It's much simpler than either of those two though, playing more like a traditional arcade action title.

(. . .)
The colours are so explosively bright you're left with the feeling the game is bleeding liquid neon into your eyes; a gorgeous multihued cosmic salad of luminescent polygons which is utterly hypnotic to behold.

That's some pretty high praise! Here are screens:

lBW5Jgx.png
8PARjBm.png

X6YwIjc.png
vvxBWVr.png


I just ordered a copy from Arcade Gear (jap-sai) for 6000 yen. Seems like the price has gone up a bit over the years.

So, anyone got it? Curious to hear the GAFcensus about this one.
 
Bulk Slash is decently good. It's got some issues (short length, somewhat depressing story, you can move the camera through walls and stuff and do so all the time, can't save your progress during play so you have to play it in one sitting (but it saves how many times you've beaten it with and which girls' endings you got, if any), and it stupidly has no analog control support (big mistake!), but the mech action's pretty solid, and yeah, it's a good game. I got it last month from ebay for $35 complete (well, with no spine card, but who cares), plus shipping (got multiple things, so shipping averaged to $3 a game, though it'd have been like twice that if I'd gotten only the one game).
 

oneida

Cock Strain, Lifetime Warranty
Meanwhile, finally got a CRT for my dorm room so I can play my Saturn.


It's a WEGA, an offshoot of the Trinitron line from what I understand. just using composite cables, although there's an S-video in if I ever decide to go that route.
 

IrishNinja

Member
^lookin good! its just the colors id wanna see, find that s-vid if you dont have an RGB converter...cause the picture itself is so clean
 
Top Bottom