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| 25th anniversary of SEGA Saturn |
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| Warmsignal:
Well, technically this happened back on November the 22nd, when the Saturn was launched in Japan in 1994. But better late than never. What were your memories of this console, and what do you think of it today? What are some of your favorite games? As for me, it ranks as one of the biggest curiosities from my childhood. I only ever heard of this console mentioned in passing back in the day, nobody that I knew owned one. I had never even laid eyes on one by the time it was retired. Frankly I was too absorbed into the SNES, and later the N64 to pay much of any mind. By late 1998, when I was first contemplating another console purchase I was interested in the idea of a PlayStation, or possibly as SEGA Saturn. I knew very little about either. Everyone reassured me that I should go with the PlayStation, so in 1999 the PS it was. By then, I probably didn't have much of a choice anyway. It wasn't until the retirement of the Dreamcast, that I began to delve into finding out exactly what the Saturn was. My initial experience in buying one off of eBay in 2002 was not impressive, at the time. Even then, I struggled to find any games, or at reasonable prices. I didn't know what to make of the meager selection I had then. I took me many years even after getting heavy into game collecting, to realize that the Saturn was in fact, a great console. It's one that has risen in the ranks for me a lot over the past few years. For the longest time, I wrestled with the fact that Saturn wasn't/isn't another console conceived to follow in the footsteps of something like an N64, or a PS1. But in fact, it was/is intended to be something other than that. It was designed to excel at sprite based games, and to simulate SEGA's arcade-like game experience on a home console. It just so happens that the end product was modified to accommodate for the industry's big push for 3D and polygon based adventures. In my opinion, it does both well. It's easy to ruminate over the could-have-been's of this console, but I've come to appreciate what actually is. Even though the domestic library is modest, a lot like the N64, there's a lot of great games if you are a fan of late release sprite based games, and early polygon type games. The Saturn has a lot of really solid platformers, shooters, fighting games, and even racers. Nights Into Dreams, Panzer Dragoon, Clockwork Knight, Darius Gaiden, Alien Trilogy, Last Bronx, Fighting Vipers, Night Warriors, SEGA Rally, Daytona USA, and the list goes on. Then there's lots of deeper cuts like Virtua Racing, Diehard Arcade, Virtual On, High Velocity, Dark Savior, Guardian Heroes, and of course the excellent Saturn Bomberman. There are so many great games for the system if you are willing to give it a shot, and that's not even accounting for the imports. Sadly, it's become one of the most "collectible" consoles of all time in the past couple of decades. Perhaps more collected than actually played. Many people seem to collect full-sets for the system, despite not being Saturn diehard fans. The cost of admission has become far too high for many at this point, which is a shame. Without any doubt, it remains IMO the most underrated "failed" console of all time and certainly ranks within my top 10 favorite consoles. |
| ferraroso:
I remember this guy in the neighborhood, Roberto, who bought a Japanese Saturn back in early 1995. Even though he was much older than us, we used to go to his place almost on a daily basis to see him playing Sakura Taisen and, once in a while, he would allow us to play some Capcom or SNK fighting games with him. In 1996 he moved away from the town and shortly after that I got my PlayStation, but as a devoted Sega fan (and Nintendo hater), I vowed to myself that I'd own a Saturn someday. I got my first Saturn console almost 20 years after that, when I moved to Japan and I've been in love with it ever since! Even though the Master System continues to be my favorite console ever and I have to admit that the PS1's library has much more plurality in its titles, the Saturn is easily my favorite console to collect for due mostly by the low price of its games around here and the huge quantity of obscure releases that I didn't know existed and I keep finding once in a while. |
| bikingjahuty:
Two of my closest friends growing up each had one and playing their Saturns was probably my favorite thing to do at their houses. I had an N64 during that time and loved it, but as a kid what you don't have always seems way cooler. I grew up wanting a Saturn so badly, but would own one until the early 2000s when I was in high school. I bought one for like $20 from an independent game store along with Daytona USA, Nights, and Virtua Fighter 2, all games I used to play as a kid. The console brings back a flood of nostalgia for me unlike many other retro consoles and/or games. Fun fact, the Saturn was also the first game console I ever started collecting for in 2008, but gave up on it due to how expensive it had already become at that point. Still, I collected a lot of imports over the years, and earlier this year I started collecting US Saturn again. But here are some of my favorite titles Radiant Silvergun Layer Section Dodonpachi Battle Garegga Night into Dreams Virtua Fighter 1 and 2 Virtua Cop 1 and 2 Diehard Arcade Daytona USA |
| sworddude:
maybe the western library aint to big. it's only 200 300 titles. more easy to complete I'd guess. japanese library on the other hand is over 1000 also majority of the good titles for saturn are in japan unlike other retro consoles in wich we usually still got the majority of the good stuff. it's not even a close contest for saturn over here quite a shame really. |
| hoshichiri:
I wanted a Saturn badly as a kid. I even had plans to buy one with my Christmas money one year: They were doing a promotion where if you bought a Saturn, you got 3 games with it (Virtua Fighter 2/Virtua Cop/Daytona USA). These were not games I really wanted- I wanted Nights, Astal, Guardian Heroes, etc. But I was supposed to get a Christmas Nights demo with a magazine I subscribed to, so I figured that & the pack-ins could occupy me until Easter when I could get another game. Then the magazine showed up- torn cover, no demo. I was so upset I didn't buy the system at all. Probably for the best, as the PlayStation I got for Christmas a couple years later helped me make friends in high school. That desire for a Saturn never really went away, but by the time I could try and buy my own it was already getting expensive. Much like ferraroso, it was about 20 years later when I finally got my Saturn. I'd just wrapped up my summer conventions, but pickings were light & I had enough leftover money to actually afford some Saturn stuff. I love that thing- I don't often add to the collection since the games are so expensive. In a way, I like that better- the collection is ultimately very curated since I have to be so picky about what to buy. I get a little giddy whenever I turn it on- it was a long time coming to have, so that startup jingle is always exciting. And becuase it's always relevant when Saturn comes up: https://youtu.be/gc3AK8k90xw |
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