ID software is known for their legendary titles, and Quake is one of them. Not only was this another landmark for first person shooters, but it was a gigantic jump in gaming graphics as a whole. The three dimensional graphics paved the way for so many gaming companies and showed what a powerful gaming engine was capable of. This brought deathmatching to a whole new level and gibbed its enemies with the utmost amazing details that could be seen in '96. Then it was ported to the Sega Saturn. How did it make the transition? Pretty damn well!
Is it perfect and better than the PC? No, definitely not. Is it better than the Playstation port? Of course it is. There was no PSX port. It was ported to N64 and Saturn within its first release. The Saturn port was well received, despite its graphical downfalls. The controls and the killing still work just fine and the ogres are still total jerks and the super shotgun is still awesome! Quake didn't make such a huge splash as Doom, but it still has a thriving fanbase to this day, especially with such a legendary soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails. That's right, we're bringing that up!
Now, the controls work fine, but it still has its faults when it comes to gameplay. Sometimes, the auto-aim doesn't work quite so well and there are times when you can unload an entire clip into someone and hit air because the game didn't feel like your angle could shoot the wings off a fly. Jumping and platforming are hindered by using the Saturn controls, but it just takes some adjusting. It is functional, but it's not a keyboard and mouse.
The monsters have a bit of a graphical downgrade, but they're still recognizable and I don't think I've mentioned this, but the ogres are still jerks! Lobotomy Software seems to love the Sega Saturn more than any other console. Not only did they bring Duke Nukem to the system, but they also slammed Quake into a homerun with this port. This is still Quake and its still awesome. The real downfall of this port is that it has no multiplayer functions, and thus, no arena maps. The internet was sketchy to downright non-existent until Seganet came to the Dreamcast, so Deathmatching on the Saturn was a no-go.
After such a dismal port of Doom, it's wonderful to see the Saturn turn around and do justice to a far graphically superior game. Lobotomy Software's contribution to the Saturn library can never be overstated. This is legendary. Not only does it prove the Saturn's capabilities were very real but it also captured Quake in such a great way. The beautifully brown and gritty setting and the gothic tone were implemented with style and grace, although that also means the fiends are jumping at you in full force. Remember to aim both barrels at those faceless beasts!
