IrishNinja
Member
speaking of, does everyone else's Sega Ages disc have a weird liner around it?
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Sega Saturn Appreciation and Emulation Thread
- Thread starter Seik
- Start date
Shadow Hog
Member
Intriguing, but it basically boils down to buying a disc-only copy for the same price as a CIB copy.
Genesis Knight
Member
Rental stores probably bought these.
sixteen-bit
Member
Yeah, that makes sense.
Canadian Psycho
Banned
Good point, I don't know if the people that noticed glitches in KOF 96 and SS IV had the 4 in 1 Plus.
I'm sort of in a classic fighting games kick. In the last couple of months, I purchased SFA 2, SF Collection and Fighters Megamix on US Saturn, and SF Zero 3, Vampire Savior, Final Fight Revenge (lol) and Marvel vs. Street Fighter on its Japanese counterpart. Of those, my favourite is Zero 3 with Alpha 2/Gold a close second.
Now, as you can see, I'm trying to jump into classic SNK Saturn fighters. I've played a bit of Fatal Fury and Last Blade 2 on Dreamcast, but I'm pretty new to them. Are SS IV and KOF '96 the best ones out there? (I am more interested in KOF '96 than '97 because I've read the latter doesn't have much of a soundtrack - I'm a sucker for killer shmups/brawlers sountracks.)
MikeHattsu
Member
I have the white/grey 4-in-1 Plus with Comms Port and had to perform this fix to get it to work with 4MB Ram games:
http://www.shinforce.com/saturn/information/4MBRAM-mod.htm
I've heard that the newer ones without Comms Port works OOTB with 4MB games, but don't quote me on that
Edit: Wait. This is a reverse problem of the one I had. Never mind.
sixteen-bit
Member
KOF '97 is awesome but load times out the ass. I wish it used the 4M card instead of the 1M card because I'm sure it'd alleviate that problem.
Overall, I'd recommend the SNK compilations on PS2 or Wii if you have either of those systems instead of getting any of the Saturn ports to be honest. The SamSho Anthology beats the pants off the Saturn ports of 3 and 4, and even rocks 240p true low res.
SamSho 4 on Saturn is truly atrocious. Slowdown city. Call it Samurai Slowdown lol.
I agree with sixteen on the KOF/SS games. If you're interested in other fighting games, Yakumo from Retrocore has been uploading his old videos and he uploaded a 5-part Sega Saturn fighting game special the other day! He went over 65 games. Here's a link to part 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUOhvZ6e7u8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUOhvZ6e7u8
Canadian Psycho
Banned
That bad, huh? How does the CC Pro handle fighting games - when gven the choice, I'm more of a Nintendo player than a Sony one.
P.S. Thanks Mikhal! *bookmarked*
sixteen-bit
Member
Shouldn't be a problem. Personally I use my HRAP 2 arcade stick and controller adapter, but since they're 4 button games they should map nicely to the CC Pro.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I played Elevator Action Returns yesterday.
Elevator Action Returns is still the Saturn's best kept secret. That game is awesome.
Elevator Action Returns is still the Saturn's best kept secret. That game is awesome.
sixteen-bit
Member
Good ass game. Also on the PS2 Taito Legends 2 comp if you don't mind the upscaled graphics and want it for cheap.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I seem to recall the PS2 compilation had some serious slowdown in EAR. At least, that's how I first played the game, and I really didn't enjoy it at all. Well, whatever.
I really need to pick up some new Saturn games. Last one I bought was X-Men vs. Street Fighter like 4 years ago. Still need to nab Batsugun at some point...
Edit: Also, holy shit... is it just me or have Saturn prices skyrocketed? Glad I have most of the games I want because jeez.
*Thinks back to 2008 when I paid like $30 for Mega Man X4 and $60 for Mega Man 8, both sealed*
sixteen-bit
Member
yeah aftermarket prices going ham on local stuff but imports seem relatively stable by comparison.
Armoured Priest
Member
Lucky for me, most of the stuff I want for Satun at this point are imports...they're still not cheap, though. I weep for my wallet
IrishNinja
Member
EAR is high on my list, think ill grab it when i order with arcade gears later this year
ugh just rub it in why don't you
ugh just rub it in why don't you
Shadow Hog
Member
I paid $25 for MM8 in 2006 <_<
Kinda wish my copy of X4 was CIB. Manual and disk isn't too bad, but I'd like a box for it.
Kinda wish my copy of X4 was CIB. Manual and disk isn't too bad, but I'd like a box for it.
A Black Falcon
Member
I paid $50 for MM8 last year (complete). I found it locally, and it was probably a bit under ebay price. Even so though it's probably the most expensive used game I've ever bought... and I had to pay to get the disc resurfaced after that because it was scratched a bit, too. But at least, for whatever reason, I had more fun with it than I had with the GC MMAC version. Yeah, it was worth it.
As for prices, yes of course Saturn games have been affected by the general retro-game-price-increases that have been going on for some years now. Second-gen consoles haven't been, the price increases don't seem to have reached most of the 6th gen yet, and I don't know if the PS1, SMS, or Atari 7800 really are affected, but pretty much every other system between the NES and Dreamcast have seen increasing prices, at least for US releases.
Imports, though? Yeah, those probably are more stable, so far anyway. Who knows if that will continue.
As for prices, yes of course Saturn games have been affected by the general retro-game-price-increases that have been going on for some years now. Second-gen consoles haven't been, the price increases don't seem to have reached most of the 6th gen yet, and I don't know if the PS1, SMS, or Atari 7800 really are affected, but pretty much every other system between the NES and Dreamcast have seen increasing prices, at least for US releases.
Imports, though? Yeah, those probably are more stable, so far anyway. Who knows if that will continue.
IrishNinja
Member
what's the big deal with MM8 anyway, is it the definitive version or what? suppose i should give it a spin; coudla sworn you guys said X4 played like poop cause of screen cropping or something.
today i got Clockwork 1 & 2, D & Sonc Jam in the mail, woo hoo! just waiting on Die Hard Arcade & Dragon Force now, still bummed that the latter was marked complete but missing the RAM cart sticker, now i wanna find a cart with said sticker on it, haha. i was this close to grabbing Shining Force 3 complete for $90 shipped but im broke as fuck. also why ebay sellers decided 3 dirty dwarves = $40+ is beyond me but fuck that
today i got Clockwork 1 & 2, D & Sonc Jam in the mail, woo hoo! just waiting on Die Hard Arcade & Dragon Force now, still bummed that the latter was marked complete but missing the RAM cart sticker, now i wanna find a cart with said sticker on it, haha. i was this close to grabbing Shining Force 3 complete for $90 shipped but im broke as fuck. also why ebay sellers decided 3 dirty dwarves = $40+ is beyond me but fuck that
Last I tried with my Action replay 4M plus (4M <-> 1M) I was able to boot 4M games but I know some 1M games couldn't start as I had a black screen asking me to put in a 1M cartridge. I was using copies and swapping, so there may be additional problems with that. I thought I bought a 1M cartridge to specifically deal with it but I can't find it so maybe I just wanted to buy one but never got one ^^.
Consider yourself lucky, PAL editions don't even ever show up on eBay, it's like this game never existed. I may go for the japanese edition, if I can find someone to confirm me it has english text.
sixteen-bit
Member
8 is indeed definitive on Saturn. 2 exclusive bosses (returning from MM1) are in that version.
X4 is great on Saturn too. It lacks some of the PS1 version's transparencies, but it has some awesome exclusive 2D effects like the heat haze in the volcano and intro stages.
The fucked up one is X3, since Capcom decided not to change the SNES resolution in that port, leaving you with a bizarre 7/8th cropped field and everything displaying too skinny. Worse music too, IMO.
Full English menus and level splash screens, but the story cutscenes are re-dubbed in Japanese with no subtitles.
Anyone try the PC version?
GuitarAnthony
Neo Member
Probably because it was done by Working Designs and some just need to have that complete Working Designs Sega Saturn collection.
IrishNinja
Member
geez...this might not be a bad way to go, honestly
ah, that explains it! thanks man, looks like ill have to play it after all then. and yeah i guess it was x3 i was thinking of, that sounds pretty dumb.
haha, i am sadly among this number...to my credit, i got my copy for cheaper than it would've been to import SA Harrier, OutRun & After Burner anyway.
Shadow Hog
Member
Just for the full run-down of differences, as I know it:
Mega Man 8
Mega Man 8
- Tengu Man's stage music is completely different. YMMV on whether it's better or worse, but I appreciate it for what it is.
- Duo's intermission stage, played between the first four Robot Masters and the latter four, has a hidden fight with Cut Man from Mega Man [1], complete with a remix of his theme, up near the top of the stage, and you get a bolt for beating him. In the PS1 version, IIRC the bolt's just there, no fights to be had.
- Search Man's stage has a mandatory fight with Wood Man from Mega Man 2, complete with a remix of his theme, at the end of the first part of his stage (where normally it'd immediately transition to the second part in the PS1 version). I believe you get a bolt for beating him that the PS1 version doesn't have, and can't fight him a second time, but don't hold me to any of that.
- Aqua Man's stage and the underwater part of the opening stage have some warping effects in the background that the PS1 version simply does not have.
- The Saturn version has a sound test and a gallery of Robot Master concepts submitted as part of some contest. I swear there was a third bonus mode, but can't remember what it was - probably nothing of particular import, if it even exists.
- FMV quality is lower than the PS1 version, not atypical for games ported to both consoles across the board.
- Music properly loops. The PS1 version of the game will have the music stop and start over, but the Saturn version loops correctly instead. In addition, the theme for the fight against opening stage boss Eregion and the second half of Frost Walrus's stage have a few additional seconds of music at the very beginning, inexplicably not present in the PS1 version (since, y'know, they're at the beginning, it's not like it'd have been impacted by the lack of music looping).
- The second half of the opening stage and all of Magma Dragoon's stage have another background-warping effect going on that isn't present in the PS1 version.
- Polygonal transparencies use the much-hated mesh transparency effect. This is generally limited to things like Storm Owl's weapon or the searchlights in the first half of the opening stage, so it's not common, but it's not pretty when it comes up.
- FMV quality is lower than the PS1 version, not atypical for games ported to both consoles across the board.
BluePigGanon
Member
Random post: I finally fired up my SCART to HDMI converter last night, and it. is. glorious.
A Black Falcon
Member
One other thing to note, versus the MMAC version but most likely not the original PS1 release, is that on the MMAC the games all have a little border around the screen, for whatever reason. On the Saturn though (and probably PS1, but I don't have that version), it's fullscreen. Also the graphics are a bit more detailed and clear on the Saturn than they are in the MMAC -- the game looks better on Saturn than Gamecube. Maybe it's because of some filtering effect on the GC MMAC release? I don't know, but it looks worse. That's one reason why I liked it more, in addition to being able to use the Saturn controller in the game, and also the nice additions of the two hidden bosses and art gallery.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Pretty comprehensive. The other thing I'd note is that the sound effects are slightly lower quality in the Saturn versions of those games, but the music sounds much better.
I'd consider the Saturn version to be the preferable version of both, but obviously, the differences between the PS1 and Saturn ports are minor.
PC version of X4 is pretty good, too (better than some of the other Capcom ports from that era, at least.) But either of the console versions would be preferable.
X3 had a better port on PC than the Saturn or PS1 versions, due in part to not having the stupid load times that were in those ports. The two downsides to the PC version of X3 are that:
1) The music streams from the CD, so it takes a while to load the music for a stage and it just replays the song once it ends.
2) There's a glitch that can (somewhat hilariously) cause the final boss to appear upside down. Like, wut.
Still, PC version was the best release of X3 (if you like the redone music, at least) until the MMX Collection.
I remember people hating Mega Man 8 so viciously at the time it came out. Everyone was so angry at it, and I think the reviews savaged it. Things are so different now and people really crave the kind of gussied up retro experience it offers... I really need to sit down and give it a full play through. I never have.
At times I feel kind of... lousy about the nature of my Saturn (it plays any disc you put in it) because I love having shelves of actual software, but man. Saturn game prices are just getting silly. It seems insane to me that I can get even the best Neo Geo MVS carts for cheaper than a lot of Saturn stuff.
At times I feel kind of... lousy about the nature of my Saturn (it plays any disc you put in it) because I love having shelves of actual software, but man. Saturn game prices are just getting silly. It seems insane to me that I can get even the best Neo Geo MVS carts for cheaper than a lot of Saturn stuff.
Sixfortyfive
He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Even today, I can't think of MM8 without anything but "Doctah Wahwee" coming to mind first. One of the smartest things Capcom did last gen was intentionally avoiding all of that baggage for MM9.
Anyway, I've finally beaten Shining the Holy Ark, and I've made a late New Years Resolution to not buy another single RPG until I've at least cleared out or sold everything in my backlog. Alright game, but I feel like I'm worse off for powering my way through it just to get it done and move onto the next game. I don't have time for this stuff anymore.
Anyway, I've finally beaten Shining the Holy Ark, and I've made a late New Years Resolution to not buy another single RPG until I've at least cleared out or sold everything in my backlog. Alright game, but I feel like I'm worse off for powering my way through it just to get it done and move onto the next game. I don't have time for this stuff anymore.
sixteen-bit
Member
Elmer Fudd ass motherfucker.
Lol, the VA was so bad. I mean the actor literally flubbed his lines mid-sentence and they still used that take.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
We must wecovew all de enewgy immediatewy uwwwh Megamayn.
When we find that meteeow, we'ww find docta Wiywwey!
When we find that meteeow, we'ww find docta Wiywwey!
IrishNinja
Member
haha okay im booting up MM8 tonight then
did you play Shining in the Darkness for Genesis, or otherwise dig dungeon crawlers? i recently picked that one up myself and am hoping to get into it like its predecessor, but i hope to not make a chore of it like this.
if your list gets you around to Shining Force III, Shining Wisdom, Albert Odyssey or Magic Knight Rayearth lemme know, i'm looking to buy those!
did you play Shining in the Darkness for Genesis, or otherwise dig dungeon crawlers? i recently picked that one up myself and am hoping to get into it like its predecessor, but i hope to not make a chore of it like this.
if your list gets you around to Shining Force III, Shining Wisdom, Albert Odyssey or Magic Knight Rayearth lemme know, i'm looking to buy those!
Shining Wisdom is such a good game but I am kinda partial to Zelda clones.
Sixfortyfive
He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
2 Qs:
1) Is there any benefit to playing the Saturn version of Rockman X3 over other versions? I know some of the differences were just discussed on this page but I'm looking for an exhaustive list if possible, and if the Saturn version has anything of specific merit. Input on MMX4 compared to other versions would also be appreciated.
2) Is there a reason why the JP version of SimCity 2000 comes in a 2-disc case? I don't have a 2nd disc with my copy and I'm wondering if it's missing or if it simply doesn't exist, as the western versions seem to have been a single-disc game in standard packaging.
1) Is there any benefit to playing the Saturn version of Rockman X3 over other versions? I know some of the differences were just discussed on this page but I'm looking for an exhaustive list if possible, and if the Saturn version has anything of specific merit. Input on MMX4 compared to other versions would also be appreciated.
2) Is there a reason why the JP version of SimCity 2000 comes in a 2-disc case? I don't have a 2nd disc with my copy and I'm wondering if it's missing or if it simply doesn't exist, as the western versions seem to have been a single-disc game in standard packaging.
sixteen-bit
Member
Sim City 2K had a poster packed with it, hence the double case. There is no 2nd disc.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
There is no benefit to the Saturn version of X3. If you want the original OST, SNES is the only option. If you like the redone soundtrack, get the MMX Collection. The Saturn version is shoddy, and contains no bonuses over other versions aside from some impressively awful load times.
X4 comparisons were listed a few posts above.
Sixfortyfive
He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
Thanks guys.
I'm rummaging through some of my old games now and trying them on my capture equipment... VF2 Saturn is apparently 480i in gameplay instead of 240p. First game on the console I've come across for which this is the case. (Most of the times when 480i is used, it's only for menus.) Explains why it seemed to be far and away the most detailed 3D game for the system that I owned back in the day.
I'm rummaging through some of my old games now and trying them on my capture equipment... VF2 Saturn is apparently 480i in gameplay instead of 240p. First game on the console I've come across for which this is the case. (Most of the times when 480i is used, it's only for menus.) Explains why it seemed to be far and away the most detailed 3D game for the system that I owned back in the day.
IrishNinja
Member
geez, yeah the megaman games on saturn are stupid-expensive...how are the JP counterparts for 8 & X4? also i dont know what super adventure Rockman is but im getting weird vibes from it
Super Adventure Rockman is an FMV game.
All 3 episodes on the disc were subbed and put on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBs6kTUDZ2A&list=PLe_hOk5Pa8lJJiuXPBwDQ0drJOPMHrqI6
All 3 episodes on the disc were subbed and put on Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBs6kTUDZ2A&list=PLe_hOk5Pa8lJJiuXPBwDQ0drJOPMHrqI6
I have the white/grey 4-in-1 Plus with Comms Port and had to perform this fix to get it to work with 4MB Ram games:
http://www.shinforce.com/saturn/information/4MBRAM-mod.htm
I've heard that the newer ones without Comms Port works OOTB with 4MB games, but don't quote me on that
Edit: Wait. This is a reverse problem of the one I had. Never mind.
I can confirm that the newer 4 in 1s do work with the later 4MB games out of the box. I had an older model and Vampire Saviour glitched like crazy on it. I had a friend do that fix and it basically bricked the cart. I had to buy a new one and the game ran flawlessly.
Sixfortyfive
He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
I will be offloading X3 and X4 in the near future. Due to a refresher course that I've taken since my last post, I have very clearly remembered that I don't care for the X series and am just going to wash my hands of it.
My X4 copy is in pretty beat-up shape so I'm planning to let it go on the lower end of its market value, if you're just interested in having the game with no particular regard for its condition.
IrishNinja
Member
...an FMV MM game? this i have to see
i don't mind at all, i'm just hoping for manual & case with a disc that works. ive got more than a few here that have broken hinges/case scratches etc and im prolly just gonna switch them out for sports game cases one day anyway. about how much you think you'd be looking for? i have X3 for SFC so i dunno but 4 sounds good.
There is also a FMV Street Fighter game...
Honestly I thought the game was extremely lacking. The music was terrible and the whole momentum thing, where you run by constantly pounding the Y button, was really strange (and if you don't do this you run at a snail's pace). Hit detection also seemed extremely off. Probably one of the worst Zelda clones I've ever played.
I went to a flea market last night and there were 2 Saturns for sale... a couple Saturn games but nothing really that interesting. Bought a Saturn for my friend for his upcoming birthday, since he LOVES fighting games and doesn't have one for whatever reason.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Japanese counterparts for 8 and X4 are fine. There aren't any region differences, outside of the language... obviously. Shop system in 8 might be slightly obtuse without English, but it'd hardly be difficult to navigate. You do miss out on "Whh.... WHAT HAVE I BEEN FIGHTING FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR?" in X4, which is sad.
As for Super Adventure... it's not anywhere near as interesting as it sounds. Keep your expectations *WOO HAH* in check.
Shadow Hog
Member
Pretty sure the Mega Man comic by Archie was doing a Super Adventure Rockman adaptation of some sort. This is the game with Ra Moon, right? The comic's take on the storyline is pretty damn dark...