ExitPlanetDust
Member
Yeah, some mad skill in those videos. It's amazing to think that there was that kind of hardcore underground following for Virtual On and the Netlink in the late 90s.
Sega Saturn Appreciation and Emulation Thread
- Thread starter Seik
- Start date
IrishNinja
Member
modded Saturn came inna mail today...and the s-vid cable also arrived! thank fuck, i don't think this set even has an RF, haha
i planned ahead for most things - the RAM/action replay thing is here, saturn controller (he shipped with a 3rd party knockoff), even got an official Sega joystick for it for like $15 shipped a few days back..only thing i fucked up on was i bought the battery the system needs on the cheap, and the seller's in china or something, so that's gonna take a bit (my auction now has a "SHIPPING WILL BE DELAYED AS SELLER IS OUT OF TOWN" message...), it's always the little things that trip you up~
i planned ahead for most things - the RAM/action replay thing is here, saturn controller (he shipped with a 3rd party knockoff), even got an official Sega joystick for it for like $15 shipped a few days back..only thing i fucked up on was i bought the battery the system needs on the cheap, and the seller's in china or something, so that's gonna take a bit (my auction now has a "SHIPPING WILL BE DELAYED AS SELLER IS OUT OF TOWN" message...), it's always the little things that trip you up~
What? That battery isn't very expensive to begin with, and is readily available at many places, even Amazon.
IrishNinja
Member
i know! i just saw "pack of 5 for $1, free shipping" and clicked...that's what i get for doing things in a hurry. if ive got that 4-in-1 pack that has room to save, i should be okay until it gets here, yeah?
Upsidedown Fuji
Member
If I had an option (US market) I would have got a white one of course. While it's pretty much the same as my black model 2 it just seemed special. But of course it wouldn't just need to be white, it would need the Japanese library as well to make it cooler. Man, just think what if the Saturn actually got proper support in the west and the 32x was skipped completely...
Seven Force
Banned
You can only backup saves from the battery to the cart, it doesn't let you save directly to the cart from the game.
Man, they sell those little 2032 batteries in the grocery stores and drug stores for crazy cheap. Last week I picked up a few for $1.04 each for my Saturn and VMU. Not 5 for $1 cheap...but cheap enough for convenience.
After you're done playing your game, you can just reset the system and copy the file over.
It is an inconvenience having to copy before and after playing a game, though.
Seven Force
Banned
Oh yeah, didn't even think of that.
If you're not paying $5 for it, it probably has about 50-70 mAh rather than 230. Not a problem if you remember to change the battery every 5-6 months.
Ah, ok. The battery that came with the system finally died. The Saturn was bought new and it lasted a few years prior to dying (but was likely in the package for about 10+ years. I'll see how long this $1 one will lasts.
I also matters whether the system is plugged in or not. Unplugged a new 230 mAh battery will only last 3 weeks.
Really? I swear I've got a few PCBs with this type of battery on them...I certainly don't leave those plugged in. Often the sit on the shelves for months and still work fine and save after that.
Got the info from this faq: http://www.assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?9053-Sega-Saturn-long-life-battery. Very interesting read.
IrishNinja
Member
okay so im kinda bummed cause my saturn's not reading anything...it doesnt seem like it's trying to read, actually
i'm mostly testing backups at the moment (waiting on stuff to come in from ebay) but it doesnt even spin, just goes to CD menu and stays there. action replay cart acts like its loading a game when i tell it to as well, but i can open the tray and see nothing moved. i don't imagine this has much to do with my dead battery, yeah? should i just wait on a legit game to get here & try that before asking for my money back? i was thinking maybe i a) burned it wrong (from .cue file) or b) maybe said chip's just not working but again i'd expect a disc to at least move around a bit for it to sort that out.
i'm mostly testing backups at the moment (waiting on stuff to come in from ebay) but it doesnt even spin, just goes to CD menu and stays there. action replay cart acts like its loading a game when i tell it to as well, but i can open the tray and see nothing moved. i don't imagine this has much to do with my dead battery, yeah? should i just wait on a legit game to get here & try that before asking for my money back? i was thinking maybe i a) burned it wrong (from .cue file) or b) maybe said chip's just not working but again i'd expect a disc to at least move around a bit for it to sort that out.
Seven Force
Banned
The laser assembly doesn't move at all? Sounds like it could be a dead laser, then.
IrishNinja
Member
crap...from reading stuff online, that was my fear too. do you normally hear the saturn physically trying to load stuff, like with the dreamcast? this is literally my first time messing with one that wasn't a demo unit
IrishNinja
Member
...yeah, just tried with a few music CD's too (even head down a little over the lid like i read online), CD menu says its looking for the format or whatever but then nothin'. green squares rotate on either side of the menu, disc hasn't moved one bit.
i think i'm boned, time to talk to this guy about a refund...sucks.
i think i'm boned, time to talk to this guy about a refund...sucks.
Seven Force
Banned
It's nowhere near as loud as the Dreamcast (Not much is, to be fair), but you'd definitely be able to hear something working inside if it was working properly.
But yeah, refund might be your best bet there.
But yeah, refund might be your best bet there.
White.
I've been casually looking on eBay for a deal on a white one, but think the price its going for is a bit outside what I'd be willing to pay. Usually is the shipping cost that kills it.
IrishNinja
Member
IrishNinja
Member
okay, so the guy mailed back & says
a) for me to claim the insurance on said saturn
b) try a retail disc, as he thinks the modchip came loose during shipping (i don't know how much this'll change things, if you guys just tossed a PS2 game into your saturn, you'd still hear it spin/get some acknowledgement it was the wrong thing, yeah?)
c) finally, he's talking to someone who repairs these things and is offering to pay for it, as well as shipping
there aren't many other options for such a system around right now, so i'm tempted to see how this plays out. i hate taking the long way around the barn, but it'd be happy with it if he got it working - still, isn't the cost of replacing the laser assembly possibly more than it's worth?
time to look into how to file insurance claims.
a) for me to claim the insurance on said saturn
b) try a retail disc, as he thinks the modchip came loose during shipping (i don't know how much this'll change things, if you guys just tossed a PS2 game into your saturn, you'd still hear it spin/get some acknowledgement it was the wrong thing, yeah?)
c) finally, he's talking to someone who repairs these things and is offering to pay for it, as well as shipping
there aren't many other options for such a system around right now, so i'm tempted to see how this plays out. i hate taking the long way around the barn, but it'd be happy with it if he got it working - still, isn't the cost of replacing the laser assembly possibly more than it's worth?
time to look into how to file insurance claims.
All the caveats make me nervous. Personally I'd pass, but if it turned out to be an easy fix, you'd be getting a pretty good deal. Decisions!
Genesis Knight
Member
Saturn modchips are hilariously simple, like one wire and a ribbon cable. Have you opened it up? A dislodged modchip will kill power to the drive, which would prevent disk spinning.
Seven Force
Banned
A PS2 game won't spin, but something like a Dreamcast/PS1 disc would. I'm not exactly sure how much laser assembly replacements tend to cost, though.
That sucks IrishNinja. I got a bum Saturn from a guy some time ago as well. I wrote it off as a $40 loss at the time. I had my original, day one on sale Saturn die on me because it got construction dust into it during a home remodel. That always ticked me off. Fortunately I have a functioning one now that's pretty nice.
As an aside to the IrishNinja affair, I won an eBay auction for Last Gladiators v.9.7 a week ago or so. Looking forward to playing that all these years later!
I've been pretty much all retro purchases lately with the exception of Fire Emblem on 3DS. I have Kuru Kuru Kururin on the way for GBA with the Last Gladiators, and I finally got Fatal Fury Wild Ambition on PSX along with Carnage Heart and Disruptor in another eBay batch.
Expect a pic or two from my collection soon. I'll be cleaning and rearranging so it's a good time to spread it all out for a nice floor photo.
As an aside to the IrishNinja affair, I won an eBay auction for Last Gladiators v.9.7 a week ago or so. Looking forward to playing that all these years later!
I've been pretty much all retro purchases lately with the exception of Fire Emblem on 3DS. I have Kuru Kuru Kururin on the way for GBA with the Last Gladiators, and I finally got Fatal Fury Wild Ambition on PSX along with Carnage Heart and Disruptor in another eBay batch.
Expect a pic or two from my collection soon. I'll be cleaning and rearranging so it's a good time to spread it all out for a nice floor photo.
IrishNinja
Member
huh! didn't know that, that could very well be the culprit then.
just tried Shenmue (of course!), "checking disc format" then nothing like usual. i think Genesis Knight might be onto something here!
That sucks IrishNinja. I got a bum Saturn from a guy some time ago as well. I wrote it off as a $40 loss at the time. I had my original, day one on sale Saturn die on me because it got construction dust into it during a home remodel. That always ticked me off. Fortunately I have a functioning one now that's pretty nice.
As an aside to the IrishNinja affair, I won an eBay auction for Last Gladiators v.9.7 a week ago or so. Looking forward to playing that all these years later!
I've been pretty much all retro purchases lately with the exception of Fire Emblem on 3DS.
ah, that sucks as well man, but congrats on the auction!
and that's pretty funny, running over to grab FE last week was also my only modern purchase, i know that series is a bitch to find later, but yeah, literally everything else in 2013 so far has been ebay/CL stuff no later than '98, haha
Trying to decide whether to go emulation or try to find a working console. I'm leaning emulation for a couple of reasons - I already have 8 consoles hooked up in my component closet & space is at a premium, and if remember correctly, the cords for the controllers are pretty short and won't reach the 6-7 feet from the closet to the couch. Also since I'm primarily doing this for PDS, a game I sadly missed back in the Saturn days, it would cut the (significant) cost of entry a bit.
Does the emulator emulate the RAM cart & allow imports? I'd assume yes, but just confirming (since some of the fighters require the RAM cart).
Does the emulator emulate the RAM cart & allow imports? I'd assume yes, but just confirming (since some of the fighters require the RAM cart).
Indeed! Thanks for sharing that! Won't look at those batteries the same. Probably make a Dreamcast VMU sing a bit longer too!
Sorry to hear about your Saturn problems IrishNinja. Hope the proposed fix will be simple enough. :'(
IrishNinja
Member
well, as an update: the guy's serious about paying for repairs, as he thinks it's just soldering points for the modchip, as Genesis Knight was saying, i believe. he's a really nice guy (dude's selling other retro games, and tossed in NES tetris & star tropics with this lot!), and ive talked to his friend before through CL, guy might be able to set it up with universal BIOS while he's at it, so i'm feeling a bit better about, sending it back out tomorrow afternoon. really hoping it works out, it's a nice unit.
the s-vid cable gets a slight fuzzy/feedback but i gotta mess with the switchbox, cause the SNES & genny on it look just fine. i forget what analog signals are like, it's been so long sinc ei had to fiddle with wires for clarity, haha
the s-vid cable gets a slight fuzzy/feedback but i gotta mess with the switchbox, cause the SNES & genny on it look just fine. i forget what analog signals are like, it's been so long sinc ei had to fiddle with wires for clarity, haha
Seven Force
Banned
Damn, great deal. Sounds like everything worked out in your favor.
Genesis Knight
Member
Soldering POINT singular. It just piggybacks onto a ribbon cable and then solders onto a electricity-carrying pin. You could make it work without solder if you used tape and you were desperate.
metsallica
Member
How much does a used copy of SOTN generally run these days?
Probably like $80. You'd be better off with the Playstation version.
metsallica
Member
I have a friend willing to sell it to me for $80 along with 4 other import games (don't know the names yet but will post when I learn them)... Might bite. If only I could find a dang S-Video cable! I want to give my Framemeister a workout!
randomengine
Banned
Two of my favorite games of all time are Mystaria and Guardian Heroes.
I had no idea it was rare either. I bought mine nearly 10 years ago, in a similar situation. Found a brand new official Japanese one on eBay by chance. I can attest to the quality of this. The official one has amazing quality (gold plated audio contacts too). Hooked up straight to my TV it was damn near component level quality (it's now routed through a switch box and the quality has dropped ever so slightly.
papersleeves
Member
Two of my most exciting pieces have arrived tonight 
So excited right now! Can't wait to finally receive my damn RGB SCART cable so that I can once and for all plug my Saturn in my XRGB-3!
So excited right now! Can't wait to finally receive my damn RGB SCART cable so that I can once and for all plug my Saturn in my XRGB-3!
ExitPlanetDust
Member
Gotdamn, that's money on the counter.
papersleeves
Member
Both Hyper Duel and Radiant Silvergun came with their spine card and the little white card as well as borderline immaculate condition. I'm about to give the most positive feedback I gave in a long time haha!
No regret!
Emperor Bohe
Member
I've had a Action Replay for my Saturn for years, but I never really take advantage of the ability to play imports. What are some good games imports that are light on Japanese text and have a lot of English text? Genre doesn't really matter, but I prefer arcade games that don't require a lot of dedication
edit: I don't really want to spend a lot of money on a single game either... $60 maximum
edit: I don't really want to spend a lot of money on a single game either... $60 maximum
Nice.
As far as I'm concerned the two biggest games one can get for the Saturn are Panzer Dragoon NA version and Hyper Duel Japanese. None of them are too exorbidant, but still cost upwards of $200. Better to get them in the collection sooner rather than later, I feel.
papersleeves
Member
Shoot'em up would be a good choice. Very light on Japanese (most of them contain English text in abundance) and you get some decent ones way below $60 (Layer Section series, Donpachi and Darius series). Fighting games too like Xmen vs Street Fighter, Marvel vs Street Fighter, the Vampire series or the King of Fighter series.
metsallica
Member
In all this s-video craziness I totally forgot the Framemeister can accept a SCART cable... Those seem easier to find and should produce an even better picture, right? Does it provide audio as well? I have no experience with SCART whatsoever!
papersleeves
Member
So fun mah man. I was supposed to play RSG but I can't put Hyper Duel down for the last hour. There's just something about the low quality stage clear music that pushes me to keep playing just one more stage...
SCART will provide an even better picture quality, can't really argue with this. Even a decent third party SCART cable will provide a significantly better picture quality than the official S-Video cable from SEGA. Also, SCART does provide audio as well. I don't know about the Framemeister, but for the XRGB-3, make sure you're using a Japanese RGB SCART cable otherwise you will blow up your SCART port. I guess this won't be an issue with the Framemeister because you are already using an adapter to plug it in, but I really am not sure about it so take it with a grain of salt.