Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Sega Saturn’s release in America and we Saturn fans will dance and sing its praise with unconditional love, even today! I count myself proudly among them and who would I be if I didn’t give it the best article I could possibly give? This is a flawed but gorgeous system that deserves all of the praise and a fraction of the criticism it has gotten over the years. Whatever your thoughts are on the Saturn are, so long as you believe that we love it, that’s all that it takes.
.jpg)
Whatever genre you want to play, the 5th generation Sega system has it in spades. It has its terrible games, just like any other console but it also has its gems where it counts. Compare it to the Playstation all you want and turn your nose up toward it if you feel like it, but your opinions are your own and we will give this system the celebration it truly deserves right here!
People love awards, and developers love to win awards for the effort they put into their games. So, since the Saturn Awards have already been taken, we’ll be presenting some games with the Golden S Awards in their own respective categories. This will be a mixture of personal preference as well as popular opinion all rolled into one big package. Please, if you have a pick for these awards, don’t be shy, talk about it in the comments and express your love for the Saturn! Be respectful and courteous while letting your love shine through.
RPG
The first category we’ll be viewing today is the Roleplaying Games! There are so many great RPG’s on the system and it’s really hard to choose from its gigantic library as such. Among such amazing titles as Shining the Holy Ark, Shining Force III, Dark Force and Magic Knight Rayearth, picking out one single title seems like a daunting task for anyone, let alone Saturn Fanatics.
Panzer Dragoon Saga
On another note, though, some would call this a no-brainer. The Panzer Dragoon series is no stranger to greatness and many consider Panzer Dragoon Saga not only the greatest RPG on the Saturn, but the greatest game on the console, period! Flying through landscapes and fighting monsters of all shapes and sizes in gameplay so vastly different from its predecessors was pulled off with absolute grace and glory. Taking place thirty years after the first Panzer Dragoon, you are Edge. Flying on your Dragoon through treacherous landscape never looked better as it pushes the system to its very limits on four discs. Calling this an epic seems like small potatoes by comparison to its definition. If you are an RPG fan, you are depriving yourself of enormous experience if you miss this title. Do not pass this game up!
Fighting Games
If you thought the Saturn had a great selection of RPG’s, you better strap yourselves in for the Fighting Games! To say there are a lot would be the understatement of the year. Both Capcom and Sega themselves developed multiples upon multiples of titles and slapped that beautiful S on each and every single one of them. From 3D, 2D and 2.5D fighting games, there are some incredible titles to cover and we need to pick two of them.
2D Fighting Game
The first game will be less pixels but just as much action. With such titles as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Darkstalkers and SNK, you better believe choosing a title among them is going to be more than a little difficult. The greatest thing to note about the Sega Saturn’s fighters is that its controller was seemingly created with arcade fighters in mind as the button and D-pad were set up very similarly to the big machine cabinets. This makes the system ideal for competitive fighting gameplay. The 2D Fighters alone include Street Fighter Alpha, Fatal Fury 3, X-men: Children of the Atom, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and King of Fighters ‘97. The list goes on and on! However, in the end, there can be only one.
X-men vs Street Fighter
That’s right, Capcom wins the day with their amazing Marvel vs Capcom precursor and it is beyond amazing! In the world of home consoles, no one came close to the Sega Saturn version of this game. The character selection is beautiful and the animation is gorgeous, especially for the era it was created in. With 17 characters in all, the battles are fearsome and the action is non-stop so long as you have the courage to go on! Widely considered one of the best Saturn games around, this is a title to put on your shelf, ASAP!
3D Fighting Game
The Saturn’s 3D Fighters are also no slouch when it comes to choices. Some of its first games were arcade ports of arcade 3D brawlers that showed off its capacity for bone crunching action of the finest caliber. True Saturn fans will have Fighters Megamix come to mind, as well they should. With Fighting Vipers and Virtua Fighter clashing together head to head, why wouldn’t it be a top pick? Others will cite Virtua Fighter 2 as some of the finest punch and kick gameplay around, this is also a strong argument. Even its predecessor, Virtua Fighter, which launched the Sega Saturn, while lacking in graphics, still had gameplay far and away as some of the finest of its time. Then, when you want to ramp up the technology and put your fighters into massive machines of mayhem, look no further than Virtual On.
Virtual On: Cyber Troopers
Stay with me on this one. This was top of the line fighting for several reasons. Not only did it have a complete change up of the genre but it also boasted some of the most original gameplay as far as fighters went. With your choice of vastly different cyber troopers and long range to close range combat systems, you really couldn’t go wrong with this title. The gameplay takes some practice to get use to because it’s so much faster than your run-of-the-mill fighters and you’ll be begging for more once you’ve had a taste of the lasers and missiles flying every which way on the screen!
Platformers
While not as plentiful as the Fighters and RPG’s the Saturn boasts a healthy helping of platformers of all kinds, and I mean ALL KINDS. They may be small in numbers but they are quite unique as the genre goes. We like to celebrate those differences with praise, though, that’s for sure. With such legendary titles as Clockwork Knight, Mega Man X3, Mega Man 8, and Mr. Bones, you really couldn’t go wrong. Let’s not forget that it also houses all three of the original Sonic games (plus their Knuckles equivalent) on Sonic Jam, which is a must-own if you are a true blue fan of the Blue Blur. A close runner for the platformer genre is the amazing Nights Into Dreams, which revolutionized the system and pushed its very limits in both graphics and 3D Gameplay, it even inspired the creation of the 3D Gamepad controller! However, there is one other title that is just a little more beloved.
Burning Rangers
Saturn 3D Platforming at its finest. This rare game is among the most engrossing in every facet. There are relatable characters (that you love and hate and love to hate) that carry out daring rescues as they plunge into burning buildings to save civilians. If that weren’t enough, there’s even boss battles that will grip you like none other! Even though it’s a somewhat short game, its control and soundtrack are just icing on the cake. If you can find this at a decent price, do not let it escape your grasp!
Racing Games
In the young days of 3D gaming, 32-bits could pull off some seriously awesome racing games! From race cars to motorcycles, there’s racing fun to be had all around! Wipeout is always there for those of you who love rocket powered racers of the future but for those of you loving the raceways with the likes of Nascar, Daytona USA and its Champion Circuit are there to quench your thirst. GT24, Sega Touring Car Championship, and the original Need for Speed are all lovely gems of this genre! If you delve deep into this group, you’ll find more than one that you’ll like or even love. Again, though, we’re whittling it down to one single diamond among the jewels.
Sega Rally Championship
Among Sega Saturn fans, this is definitely the most popular choice as racing games go, and there is a very good reason for that! The starting race course is iconic and its graphics are stellar in the world of 32-bit delight! The best thing about it is the detail in the landscape and the control in which to make your opponents eat your dust! It’s high octane speedy fun and you can tear into the road over and over again without a single care in the world. Keep your eye on the road!
Rail Shooters
Games in which bullets go into bad guys and you’re left with the satisfaction of moving on to the next section to take on another barrage of them. Whether they be criminals, zombies or aliens, it doesn’t matter! Keep shooting that gun across the screen and you’re bound to have a good time in this uncomplicated but riveting genre of games! Sega Saturn had some titles that you may have seen in more than one arcade. I mean, Area 51 is one of the LESSER shooters on this system and that’s a high standard already! Panzer Dragoon 1 and 2 were marvels of their time and deserve more than just a mention to be sure, but as rail shooters go, they are not the kind we’re targeting (Not to mention, Saga already took home a prize). Then there’s the amazing House of the Dead, even though it wasn’t quite as good as its arcade counterpart, it’s still fantastic!
Virtua Cop 2
You can argue this point, that much is certain. However, this title is a peak that so many gamers revel in. It’s a very close race between the first and second game, but while Virtua Cop 1 was a more pure experience, you can’t deny that the second one was better in the ways of detail and environments when it comes to the arcade shoot’em up. With the inclusion of Virtua City’s new recruit, Janet Marshall, this game has that fast pace shooter aspect that fans really crave. Those baddies need to be taken out and now you have the arsenal to do it! Pick up that light gun and dive right in!
Are there more genres to look over? Of course, but let’s just simmer down from popular opinions and just bask in the love we have for our 5th gen system. It wasn’t the most popular console, by any means, but it certainly was full of personality and did its own thing and did it very well. This isn’t even my first game system that I played, nor is it the first Sega game system that I had as a kid. It was, however, the first 3D game system I had and I was caught in its magic the moment I opened it up on Christmas morning of 1996. Me as a 10 year old child glimpsing upon its wonder with three full games that it came with.
Call Saturn fanatics nostalgic old farts with rose colored glasses all you want. You can talk about the Playstation all you want but get that overhyped garbage out of my face! It’s all about the Saturn for me! Not only the Saturn but the Dreamcast which can be considered a perfect sequel to an already marvelous first. Both of them together make for an experience like none other and it is just a shame that they did so terribly in the states.
To say this system is a cult classic would be a drastic understatement! The Saturn has a loyal fanbase, and that’s enough to show that it is still a titan of its era. Under appreciated in its time but it has aged like a fine wine for those who are willing to give it a fair chance.
I’m not the only one who feels this way. There are plenty others who have a soft spot for the Sega legend. It’s full of flaws but we love it for what it is. Now, I have invited a good bunch of folks to type up a little bit about the Sega Saturn. Read what these Saturn-heads have to say and please post your thoughts in the comments. Even if you don’t love the system, post your thoughts. Be courteous and be kind. Thanks for reading and remember to drink water.
“The Saturn is a console that time has been kind to, as gamers find a real and heartfelt connection to the system. Up against the then newcomer in Sony’s PlayStation, it was home to some genuinely unique games that some argue optimise the very pinnacle of SEGA’s creativity.
And while third party support dwindled due to the complex architecture of the system, in the hands of SEGA’s first party studios, the Saturn would sing, with titles like Virtua Fighter 2, SEGA Rally, Virtua Cop, NiGHTS, and Panzer Dragoon, providing gamers with hours of entertainment.
It’s arguable that the Saturn is THE cult SEGA console, whose collectibility and timeless blend of original and arcade titles make it a favourite for retro gamers young and old.”
--Dreamcast Addict
“Dear Sega Saturn, It's your birthday, and I love you.
I remember when I first got you. You were my first home console. I remember the rain animations and background animals in Sonic 3D Blast. I remember looking out into the skybox in Croc and thinking "I can see so far from up here!" Nights will always be MY first sandbox.
I'll never forget telling my friends, "No, I don't mean Sega Genesis." I'll never forget how cartridges on the 64 seemed like a step backwards. I'll never forget Clockwork Knight; whether or not I knew what was going on in it.
Most of all, Sega Saturn, I'll never forget you.”
--EjFellner
