SEGA SATURN - the discussion thread

[sj33]

What a day! My new White Saturn came today! I'm onto my 5th Saturn!

First Saturn (PAL) I got back in the day was getting worse from just being used 24-7, but in the end, it was killed when I made a pretty poor attempt at a 60Hz mod on the thing.

Second Saturn was a White machine. One day I stupidly forgot to use the stepdown...

Third Saturn was a PAL machine I got at a car boot sale for a fiver, completely covered in dirt and grime, inside and out. I doubted it would work, but I cleaned it up to look good as new. Still going strong today! Also has a modchip installed.

Forth machine was a switched machine. Was stupid enough to try and solder a modchip in the machine. Killed it.

I still had the PAL Saturn, but since I had a load of JPN games, as well as a load of PAL-optomised PAL games, I really needed the ability to play games in both 50 and 60Hz. Rather than trusting the Royal Mail with my machine, I bought a White Saturn with modchip installed. So I now have 2 machines, one for 50Hz, one for 60Hz.

I also threw a Action Replay Plus 4M Auto and Mpeg card into the white machine for good measure ^_^

[Yakumo]

ah thanks! Soukyugurentai it is.
all thanks to your retrocore video, yakumo *thumbs up*

edit:
why is there a version with electronic arts on the cover and a diff. back cover?

you're most welcome junker.

The qst release of Soukyugurentai had problems working on some versions of the Saturn BIOS. So they rereleased it and added the Battle Garegga demo. I really disslike the EA logo on that game though. Just like Atari with their name on the PAL and probably US and Japanese Ikaruga for Game Cube. Makes idiots think that those companies made the game.

Yakumo

[junker]

"Makes idiots think that those companies made the game" - it does, and i hate that, too.
i have to admit, i used to think that way too way back in the day, haha

[nekroxide]

I still had the PAL Saturn, but since I had a load of JPN games, as well as a load of PAL-optomised PAL games, I really needed the ability to play games in both 50 and 60Hz. Rather than trusting the Royal Mail with my machine, I bought a White Saturn with modchip installed. So I now have 2 machines, one for 50Hz, one for 60Hz.

I also threw a Action Replay Plus 4M Auto and Mpeg card into the white machine for good measure ^_^

Yeah, a dual-Saturn setup is the way to go! I've got a JP machine for JP games (duh) and a region/60hz switched PAL machine for everything else, both model 1. Gotta love those oval buttons.

Also, anyone seen that new Doritos ad with that couple playing video games? Check the pad out, the Saturn lives!

[randombs]

What a day! My new White Saturn came today! I'm onto my 5th Saturn!

First Saturn (PAL) I got back in the day was getting worse from just being used 24-7, but in the end, it was killed when I made a pretty poor attempt at a 60Hz mod on the thing.

Second Saturn was a White machine. One day I stupidly forgot to use the stepdown...

Third Saturn was a PAL machine I got at a car boot sale for a fiver, completely covered in dirt and grime, inside and out. I doubted it would work, but I cleaned it up to look good as new. Still going strong today! Also has a modchip installed.

Forth machine was a switched machine. Was stupid enough to try and solder a modchip in the machine. Killed it.

I still had the PAL Saturn, but since I had a load of JPN games, as well as a load of PAL-optomised PAL games, I really needed the ability to play games in both 50 and 60Hz. Rather than trusting the Royal Mail with my machine, I bought a White Saturn with modchip installed. So I now have 2 machines, one for 50Hz, one for 60Hz.

I also threw a Action Replay Plus 4M Auto and Mpeg card into the white machine for good measure ^_^

you could have told me that you'd received it ok

glad you enjoyed it, and the paper shredder box caused plenty of laughs at work, especially when asked why i had a shredder, i defended it by saying "hey, this is a modded machine, man"

[saturn-gamer]

The optimizing actually sucks doesn't it, I mean it makes the games unplayable on import systems

Since I sold my PAL consoles I threw out all my common optimized games such as VF and just bought jp versions of them (what are they on ebay, 2 bucks?) as i suck with modding. But games as Deep Fear do require a pal saturn since they are buggin on 60hz.

By the way what do you guys think of Marvel Super Heroes.. I received this game some time ago (along with fatal fury 3.. talk about sloppy) and i gotta say SSM was very wrong with its high score back in the day. This is probably the weakest capcom port imo... or that might go to FFR but that one IS actually well ported, it just sucked to begin with. Really MSH is pants compared to the other non-4mb Vampire hunter and SFA 2 conversions, even the musicvolume.. its extremely low (lower than even Savior). The only good thing about it if you ask me is playing with Hulk on Shuma goraths stage with the ramcart = no slowdown and very sexy animations.

[randombs]

don't forget to turn off the, umm, thingies. they had a name but can't remember what. they're the little faces next to the character's life bars that spin around when you get hit. turning them off helps immensely with the slowdown.

i did not like marvel super heroes on saturn (i was given it by mistake instead of msh vs sf when i bought it from my local cex. i took it back the next day, but not after playing it for a while first!). i think if it had been 4mb-only it would have been miles better. having the option didn't really help that much (only in terms of animation, really), and the loading times were just as bad. i can't see how the added ram would lessen the slowdown, not least as it is accessed via an external cart so can't be as fast as the internal ram anyway. mind you, i only played it for around half an hour before giving up, going to sleep and dreaming about the imminent msh vs sf that was waiting for me the next day

and when that day came, it was bliss. it was the most expensive game i'd bought on any of my consoles (paid for it all by myself!) at ?45, and remains the most expensive to this day.

[sj33]

By the way what do you guys think of Marvel Super Heroes.. I received this game some time ago (along with fatal fury 3.. talk about sloppy) and i gotta say SSM was very wrong with its high score back in the day. This is probably the weakest capcom port imo... or that might go to FFR but that one IS actually well ported, it just sucked to begin with. Really MSH is pants compared to the other non-4mb Vampire hunter and SFA 2 conversions, even the musicvolume.. its extremely low (lower than even Savior). The only good thing about it if you ask me is playing with Hulk on Shuma goraths stage with the ramcart = no slowdown and very sexy animations.

Eh I dunno, it still has all the playability of the arcade game, and to me, that's the main thing. It was always going to be much harder game to convert than SFA2 or Vampire Hunter. At the time, it really was the best Marvel game going.

Playing the game though, I agree with Rich Leadbetter when said they should have made MSH the first 4Meg game - it clearly needed it. I really notice no difference when using the 1Meg cart, dispite it supposedly using it.

[saturn-gamer]

Also, the speed setting doesn't even work it seems... its always 1 fixed gamespeed. The ramcart does make a difference; it adds all the coin op animations such as crouching, walking back etc. Its also supposed it adds a bit of extra slowdown although I think the slowdown is just as bad without it (yes turning off the "thingies" do work). Ofcourse, in the arcade this was easily the best looking CPS2 game in its time.. but it could've gotten a bit of an improved Xmen cota style port (in the arcade graphically quite equal to MSH) which lacked in animations but was not slow at all.

MSH vs SF, yeah this is easily the best port capcom has ever done on the Saturn. While its not my fave (its zero 3) it has no muffled speech, crystal clear music, zero loading and its lightning fast.

[sj33]

I agree, MSH Vs. SF was a stunning port, it was the first 4M game I played, and it just blew me away... difficult to go back now.

I guess MSH was my favourite Marvel game in the arcades though, so I always managed to find enjoyment in the Saturn port. Besides, it's miles better than the PS version.

I think I'm just not eagle-eyed enough to notice the extra animation added when using the 1Meg cart, I don't see very much difference at all. From what I gather though, while it adds extra animation, that's all it does - they didn't do anything to the general speed of the game when using the cart, so the extra animation slows it down, supposedly.

[saturn-gamer]

The game surely gets boring fast, it does not really have the depth of Zero and sheer crowd pleasing of the Crossovers. So I replaced the disc by Fatal fury 3. One thing about it: bad buy, I already had RB Special which is just over 100 times better. So it was time for Savior which I didn't fire up until months ago, well this game is still one hell of a beat em up. Sure its on PSP now but it does not beat the good ol saturn gameplay. The English mode is a nice touch.. but I forgot about the censor it comes with

I'm still waiting for a new Zero 3 to arrive, sold my old with profit (but still not a smart move in the end, this game seemed to be the daily dope i'm missing) and can't wait to play dramatic battle with a few dudes again. I did receive Winter Heat today, which I never played before.. but this is a blast!! I like it more than Decathlete already, I just wonder how many beatings the pads can take ^_^

[eastyy]

Vampire saviour for the saturn i was so happy when i found out it had a english mode

[SuperDanX]

Currently thinking about dipping my toes in this pond,what would you recomend i go pal switched or jpn for the console?Cant get both though and im not to bothered about playing pal games as the games im intrested in playing are all arcade style games.What sort of price are things like rsg,battle garegga,Dungeons and dragons collections going for these days for playable condition copys not mint/collectors grade stuff?Are prices generally speaking,on the up?Going down or what?Thanks.

[muse hunter]

go for a jap saturn, a far better choice.

Apart from a few titles i think that on a whole the prices for saturn games have dropped slightly. Regarding rsg i wouldn't bother well too overpriced for what it is you could get a handful of quality titles for the price rsg goes for which is probably best seeing that you would have only started your collection. Try buying games from snk and capcom they had some of the best releases.

[SuperDanX]

Thanks for the advice.