System Overview
The Saturn was launched in North America not long after the Sega 32X, ushering in mixed emotions from Sega fans and potential Saturn gamers. If Sega would so quickly abandon the 32X, what hope could gamers have of another console succeeding, and for how long?
The Saturn is said to be a victim of circumstance. It was released earlier than expected, at a high price, was 'out-dated,' and it's killer launch title was buggy (Virtua Fighter). Throughout the rest of it's life, the Saturn was home to a number of excellent titles, including some which were the first of their kind and
still remain as unique experiences.
Sega of America ended it's support of the Saturn after a last breath of AAA titles (Burning Rangers, Panzer Dragoon Saga, and Shining Force III). Saturn gamers continued to fuel their fires with new Japanese imports, all the way until 1999. And after that? Well, we're still playing. :)
The Best Sega Saturn Games
Below are some of my favorite games for the Saturn.
Daytona USA - Port of the arcade racing game.
This is considered to be the racing game on the Saturn by some,
and the other racing game by others.
Dragon Force - A very nice Strategy/RPG published
in the US by Working Designs. Features a cool plot and interesting
characters. You control an ever-growing army of soldiers, monks, and
some odditties as you battle against your opponents. Ultimately, the
goal is to unite the holier forces of your continent and overcome a
great evil. The battles in this are a treat to watch. Two huge armies
rush towards each other, and only one General comes away standing!
Grandia - A much-lusted for Japanese RPG that
never made it to US shores, Grandia is loved by many. A Playstation
port in English exists, but is considered to be inferior.
Guardian Heroes - A beat'em up that features an
experience level system, user-defined character growth, and multiple
paths to take. If that wasn't enough, you can play in a Versus fighting
mode with the dozens of characters you've ran across in the game. Oh,
did I mention that this was a superbly fun Treasure game? That too...
NiGHTS Into Dreams... - A charming platformer
that focused on you collecting orbs and racing against the clock. You
spend the majority of the time flying in this beautiful Sonic Team game.
Panzer Dragoon series - Each of these three
titles - PD, PD Zwei, and PD Saga - are classics. PD and PD Zwei are
"rail-shooters," while PDS is a unique RPG experience in the PD world.
PDS is loved by almost everyone who plays it and usually fetches a
somewhat high price.
Princess Crown - An absolutely gorgeous 2D
Action/RPG that has some of the largest sprites I've ever seen. Pretty
decent game, too. :D
Radiant Silvergun - The most-hyped Saturn game in
existance, RS is a cool shooter from Treasure that features weapon
levels that increase in power as you earn points, tons of weapons, and
a sweet chain combo system. This Japanese game receives way too much
praise and definitely isn't worth $150... but it's still damn good!
Sakura Taisen series - Sakura Taisen is an
interesting mixture of Strategy and Dating game elements. You are the
commander of a force of armored maidens in an alternate dimension's
version of Japan in the early 20th century. Their performance in
battles depends on wether or not you earn their respect.
Saturn Bomberman - Hands down the best Saturn
party game available, and one of the finer Bomberman releases to be
released since the 16-bit era. If you have friends who play games, get
a multi-tap and invite them over. This game is a blast!
Sega Rally - Port of the arcade racer. This is
considered to be the racing game on the Saturn by some, and the
other racing game by others.
Shining Force III (Scenario 1) - Unfortunately,
the latter two Scenarios in this trilogy never made it to US shores and
aren't available in English. You can find translation guides online
that help you follow the plot, though. SF III Scenario 1 by itself is
an excellent continuation of the series.
Street Fighter Zero 3 - The third game in the
Alpha series, SFZ3 comes home to the Saturn in this excellent port.
Requires RAM cart.
Virtua Cop 2 - Easily the best light gun arcade
game for it's time, VC2 makes a great transition to the Saturn. You
should buy a Saturn light gun for this game alone, even though the
game's completely enjoyable without it.
Virtua Fighter 2 - Best. Saturn. 3-D Fighter. No
contest. VF2 features a lifetime's worth of challenge for those who
dare to attempt to 'master' any of it's fighters. Excellent port of the
AM2 arcade game.
