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i ran out of good snes games to play (never thought i'd say that), and i thought about getting a saturn cuz of how awesome all the games look..but its probably the most expensive retro system to invest in since all the good games are upwards of at least $25 dollars and that will add up with the amount of retro games i keep buying
i was just wondering if it was worth all the trouble? and also some general opinions on the system and some games?
The Saturn is nothing compared to the Turbo Duo in terms of expensive games. But expect to pay from $50 and up for a lot of the best games.
Also, most of the best games are Japanese only.
Then again many Saturn games are better than most games being released nowadays.
If I had to choose, I'd rather spend $60 on a legendary game than on a common current gen game.
Then again many Saturn games are better than most games being released nowadays.
If I had to choose, I'd rather spend $60 on a legendary game than on a common current gen game.
Panzer_Zwei
I agree mostly. I would much rather spend $50 on an awesome retro title that's hard to find than play a current gen title that can be finished in 10 hours or so.
If you had 200 US$ to spend, you'd probably put it all toward a single copy of Radiant Silvergun instead of three or four new games, right? Anyway, the Saturn's expense largely depends on which games you want. Unfortunately for me, I'm the most interested in the games that coincidentally happen to be the most expensive (Panzer Dragoon Saga, Radiant Silvergun, Virtual-On: Operation Moongate with twin sticks), and I certainly can't afford even ONE of them at this point. Also, there are several variants of the Saturn. I just remembered about the V-Saturn, the Hi-Saturn (IIRC), and a few other Japanese models having enhanced capabilities, usually to do with video playback. There's even a Navi model with GPS capability, but that one's rare and thus rather expensive, not to mention the fact that there are only Japanese GPS maps for the thing. I'm not really sure which one to go for at this point, but what I do know is that I do want to know where I can get one of those video decoder cards in case I get any games that will take advantage of them FMV-wise (the Lunar Complete remakes do, but I'd rather play the Sega CD versions; know any other games that use it?), because the Saturn I'll end up getting will probably be a cheaper model without the card. Finally, would any of you happen to have used any USB controller adapters for Saturn pads? I'd like to get one of the analog pads and connect it to my PC while I save up for a Saturn to use it with, but I am concerned about 64-bit Vista driver support.Then again many Saturn games are better than most games being released nowadays.
If I had to choose, I'd rather spend $60 on a legendary game than on a common current gen game.
Panzer_Zwei
[QUOTE="Panzer_Zwei"]If you had 200 US$ to spend, you'd probably put it all toward a single copy of Radiant Silvergun instead of three or four new games, right? Anyway, the Saturn's expense largely depends on which games you want. Unfortunately for me, I'm the most interested in the games that coincidentally happen to be the most expensive (Panzer Dragoon Saga, Radiant Silvergun, Virtual-On: Operation Moongate with twin sticks), and I certainly can't afford even ONE of them at this point. Also, there are several variants of the Saturn. I just remembered about the V-Saturn, the Hi-Saturn (IIRC), and a few other Japanese models having enhanced capabilities, usually to do with video playback. There's even a Navi model with GPS capability, but that one's rare and thus rather expensive, not to mention the fact that there are only Japanese GPS maps for the thing. I'm not really sure which one to go for at this point, but what I do know is that I do want to know where I can get one of those video decoder cards in case I get any games that will take advantage of them FMV-wise (the Lunar Complete remakes do, but I'd rather play the Sega CD versions; know any other games that use it?), because the Saturn I'll end up getting will probably be a cheaper model without the card. Finally, would any of you happen to have used any USB controller adapters for Saturn pads? I'd like to get one of the analog pads and connect it to my PC while I save up for a Saturn to use it with, but I am concerned about 64-bit Vista driver support.Then again many Saturn games are better than most games being released nowadays.
If I had to choose, I'd rather spend $60 on a legendary game than on a common current gen game.
NamelessPlayer
No. Personally I would never spend even $100 on any Saturn game period. Radiant Silvergun cost me around $38. It was even released at a cheaper price tag than most Japanese games as it was common of the ESP publisher. AZEL cost me $50 which was the common price tag of Saturn games the time. The Japanese import (which nowadays goes for $30) actually cost me more. Virtual-ON with the twin sticks eventually was sold for below the price of a standard game. If you have some mags of that era you can see how much they were worth at the time. Radiant Silvergun was even bundled along DonPachi and Gun Bird for almost the same price of a by then newly released import game.
I can spend $200+ for Arcade PCBs because that's what they cost. But I'm not gonna spend $200 for a game that I know used to cost $38. If I hadn't bought those games when they were released, I doubt I would be buying them now.
But the Saturn is not an expensive console. Lets say that out of 800 games only 10 of them are above the $100 range and another 10 linger close to $100. The rest of them are either cheap or at best have retained their original retail price tag.
I don't know why you would want any other version of the Saturn. Is a mini-screen or car playback ability really that important to you? As for the MPEG cart, Gun Griffon also makes use of it for the intro, which I have over in my videos.
And the only PC controller I've ever owned and used is the X360 controller that came with my system.
No. Personally I would never spend even $100 on any Saturn game period. Radiant Silvergun cost me around $38. It was even released at a cheaper price tag than most Japanese games as it was common of the ESP publisher. AZEL cost me $50 which was the common price tag of Saturn games the time. The Japanese import (which nowadays goes for $30) actually cost me more. Virtual-ON with the twin sticks eventually was sold for below the price of a standard game. If you have some mags of that era you can see how much they were worth at the time. Radiant Silvergun was even bundled along DonPachi and Gun Bird for almost the same price of a by then newly released import game.Unfortunately, I don't have a time machine to send me back to a time period when people didn't jack up the prices for games like Radiant Silvergun. At this point, I don't have much other choice than to pay the triple-digit figures or not have them at all, unless you happen to know of someone who's selling such games for reasonable prices. As for you spending 200+ on arcade PCBs, that reminds me a bit of myself in the sense that I'll pay up 100 US$ or a bit more for a Steel Battalion set or Virtual-On with twin sticks, but can't stomach paying that much just for some game discs that don't come with any extravagant, obviously expensive peripherals or whatnot. You mention cheap Saturn games. Are you only factoring the Japanese versions, which tend to be cheaper than the Western counterparts (especially Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG vs. Panzer Dragoon Saga), or are you talking about games that were released on this side of the planet as well? In any case, eBay isn't the place to look, if only because most of the game listings there tend to be in the 40-65 US$ range. Do you have a better source? I don't care about mini-screens or car playback capabilities, but I'll probably be more tempted to go for a Saturn that already has the MPEG cart. You also don't seem to have experimented with getting USB adapters that let you use console gamepads on a PC. I guess I'll just have to go in blind and hope that I can get an analog Saturn pad working with my gaming PC with such an adapter. (Sure, the X360 pad has more controls, is very comfortable to hold, and will suffice for most modern games, but it just feels wrong for any game built around the use of six face buttons.)I can spend $200+ for Arcade PCBs because that's what they cost. But I'm not gonna spend $200 for a game that I know used to cost $38. If I hadn't bought those games when they were released, I doubt I would be buying them now.
But the Saturn is not an expensive console. Lets say that out of 800 games only 10 of them are above the $100 range and another 10 linger close to $100. The rest of them are either cheap or at best have retained their original retail price tag.
I don't know why you would want any other version of the Saturn. Is a mini-screen or car playback ability really that important to you? As for the MPEG cart, Gun Griffon also makes use of it for the intro, which I have over in my videos.
And the only PC controller I've ever owned and used is the X360 controller that came with my system.
Panzer_Zwei
[QUOTE="Panzer_Zwei"]No. Personally I would never spend even $100 on any Saturn game period. Radiant Silvergun cost me around $38. It was even released at a cheaper price tag than most Japanese games as it was common of the ESP publisher. AZEL cost me $50 which was the common price tag of Saturn games the time. The Japanese import (which nowadays goes for $30) actually cost me more. Virtual-ON with the twin sticks eventually was sold for below the price of a standard game. If you have some mags of that era you can see how much they were worth at the time. Radiant Silvergun was even bundled along DonPachi and Gun Bird for almost the same price of a by then newly released import game.Unfortunately, I don't have a time machine to send me back to a time period when people didn't jack up the prices for games like Radiant Silvergun. At this point, I don't have much other choice than to pay the triple-digit figures or not have them at all, unless you happen to know of someone who's selling such games for reasonable prices. As for you spending 200+ on arcade PCBs, that reminds me a bit of myself in the sense that I'll pay up 100 US$ or a bit more for a Steel Battalion set or Virtual-On with twin sticks, but can't stomach paying that much just for some game discs that don't come with any extravagant, obviously expensive peripherals or whatnot. You mention cheap Saturn games. Are you only factoring the Japanese versions, which tend to be cheaper than the Western counterparts (especially Azel: Panzer Dragoon RPG vs. Panzer Dragoon Saga), or are you talking about games that were released on this side of the planet as well? In any case, eBay isn't the place to look, if only because most of the game listings there tend to be in the 40-65 US$ range. Do you have a better source? I don't care about mini-screens or car playback capabilities, but I'll probably be more tempted to go for a Saturn that already has the MPEG cart. You also don't seem to have experimented with getting USB adapters that let you use console gamepads on a PC. I guess I'll just have to go in blind and hope that I can get an analog Saturn pad working with my gaming PC with such an adapter. (Sure, the X360 pad has more controls, is very comfortable to hold, and will suffice for most modern games, but it just feels wrong for any game built around the use of six face buttons.)I can spend $200+ for Arcade PCBs because that's what they cost. But I'm not gonna spend $200 for a game that I know used to cost $38. If I hadn't bought those games when they were released, I doubt I would be buying them now.
But the Saturn is not an expensive console. Lets say that out of 800 games only 10 of them are above the $100 range and another 10 linger close to $100. The rest of them are either cheap or at best have retained their original retail price tag.
I don't know why you would want any other version of the Saturn. Is a mini-screen or car playback ability really that important to you? As for the MPEG cart, Gun Griffon also makes use of it for the intro, which I have over in my videos.
And the only PC controller I've ever owned and used is the X360 controller that came with my system.
NamelessPlayer
You have a choice. Not buying it. Which is what I would do if I had to pay $200 for a Saturn game.
There are countless cheap Saturn games. Both Japanaese and home releases. Not every single Saturn game gathers demands. Clockwork Knight, Daytona USA, Enemy Zero, Baku Baku Animal, Virtua Cop, D, Astal, Shining: The Holy Ark, Riglord Saga etc. can be bought for around the $30 price range.
And $40-60 dollar is not expensive at all for collectible games. It's less than what many of those games were originally worth.
So are you even planning on getting the 5 or so games that actually make decent use of the MPEG cart?
I said "I don't have much other choice than to pay the triple-digit figures or not have them at all", the latter basically translating to "not buying it". Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. As for cheap Saturn games, it's mostly a matter of not being informed enough on some of the titles. I'm familiar with Astal, but not Clockwork Knight, Shining: The Holy Ark, and many other games that I just know titles to. (The prices can also build up quickly if they're multipart games; Shining Force III's second and third parts were Japanese exclusives, and I just now learned that Clockwork Knight has two parts in Japan.) The moderately expensive games (30-60 US$) look as if they'll be the starting point of my Saturn library. Soukyugurentai is listed for 39.95 US$ + shipping, and that's one title I'd really consider getting for some affordable SHMUP action if it weren't for all the Japanese text to sift through...then again, it's not as if I can't figure out the menus with a little trial and error (which I tend to do with games that aren't translated yet). There's also DoDonPachi for 49.95 US$ + shipping, but anything from Cave will probably push me to the brink of frustration with the endless streams of bullets and all (though I suppose I could just use another continue at the cost of 1CC bragging rights). Bulk Slash is 59.95 US$ + shipping, and while definitely on the expensive edge, still a heck of a lot cheaper than a certain two games you always hear me mention. Japanese Virtual-On discs are astonishingly cheap (one of them being under 10 US$!), and I saw the Saturn twin sticks somewhere else on eBay for just 50 US$ + shipping or somewhere in that price range (without which I dare not play it), so that's another possible route. Dynamite Deka is 12.99 US$ + shipping, and IIRC, you said that it'll play in English when run on a US Saturn if I bypass the region lock. Twinkle Star Sprites is 59.95 US$ + shipping, and you say that it's one of the best versions, if not THE best version overall. Keio Yugekitai is 45.00 US$ + shipping; I wonder how that compares with the PAL version (Keio Flying Squadron 2), and also its Sega CD predecessor (the English version of which is said to be rarer than Snatcher!). The Japanese release of Saturn Bomberman (NOT Saturn Bomberman Fight-I checked it carefully) is only 25.90 US$ + shipping; while that's much cheaper than most of the other games I've mentioned, will the savings allow me to purchase two multitaps and 11 gamepads to make the most out of it? Oh, and one more thing-the Saturn apparently has this Netlink modem for online play, which shows that Sega was trying to push console online gaming forward officially instead of letting a third-party like the Xband operators carry the slack, even before the Dreamcast. Virtual-On is one of the supported games. However, I would think that the Netlink capability is dependent on some sort of central server that's been shut down by now...and in any case, it's a dial-up modem, which doesn't fly in a household that's commented by way of cable modem. Can you educate me a bit more on the system?You have a choice. Not buying it. Which is what I would do if I had to pay $200 for a Saturn game.
There are countless cheap Saturn games. Both Japanaese and home releases. Not every single Saturn game gathers demands. Clockwork Knight, Daytona USA, Enemy Zero, Baku Baku Animal, Virtua Cop, D, Astal, Shining: The Holy Ark, Riglord Saga etc. can be bought for around the $30 price range.
And $40-60 dollar is not expensive at all for collectible games. It's less than what many of those games were originally worth.
So are you even planning on getting the 5 or so games that actually make decent use of the MPEG cart?
Panzer_Zwei
[QUOTE="Panzer_Zwei"]I said "I don't have much other choice than to pay the triple-digit figures or not have them at all", the latter basically translating to "not buying it". Sorry if I didn't make that clear enough. As for cheap Saturn games, it's mostly a matter of not being informed enough on some of the titles. I'm familiar with Astal, but not Clockwork Knight, Shining: The Holy Ark, and many other games that I just know titles to. (The prices can also build up quickly if they're multipart games; Shining Force III's second and third parts were Japanese exclusives, and I just now learned that Clockwork Knight has two parts in Japan.) The moderately expensive games (30-60 US$) look as if they'll be the starting point of my Saturn library. Soukyugurentai is listed for 39.95 US$ + shipping, and that's one title I'd really consider getting for some affordable SHMUP action if it weren't for all the Japanese text to sift through...then again, it's not as if I can't figure out the menus with a little trial and error (which I tend to do with games that aren't translated yet). There's also DoDonPachi for 49.95 US$ + shipping, but anything from Cave will probably push me to the brink of frustration with the endless streams of bullets and all (though I suppose I could just use another continue at the cost of 1CC bragging rights). Bulk Slash is 59.95 US$ + shipping, and while definitely on the expensive edge, still a heck of a lot cheaper than a certain two games you always hear me mention. Japanese Virtual-On discs are astonishingly cheap (one of them being under 10 US$!), and I saw the Saturn twin sticks somewhere else on eBay for just 50 US$ + shipping or somewhere in that price range (without which I dare not play it), so that's another possible route. Dynamite Deka is 12.99 US$ + shipping, and IIRC, you said that it'll play in English when run on a US Saturn if I bypass the region lock. Twinkle Star Sprites is 59.95 US$ + shipping, and you say that it's one of the best versions, if not THE best version overall. Keio Yugekitai is 45.00 US$ + shipping; I wonder how that compares with the PAL version (Keio Flying Squadron 2), and also its Sega CD predecessor (the English version of which is said to be rarer than Snatcher!). The Japanese release of Saturn Bomberman (NOT Saturn Bomberman Fight-I checked it carefully) is only 25.90 US$ + shipping; while that's much cheaper than most of the other games I've mentioned, will the savings allow me to purchase two multitaps and 11 gamepads to make the most out of it? Oh, and one more thing-the Saturn apparently has this Netlink modem for online play, which shows that Sega was trying to push console online gaming forward officially instead of letting a third-party like the Xband operators carry the slack, even before the Dreamcast. Virtual-On is one of the supported games. However, I would think that the Netlink capability is dependent on some sort of central server that's been shut down by now...and in any case, it's a dial-up modem, which doesn't fly in a household that's commented by way of cable modem. Can you educate me a bit more on the system?You have a choice. Not buying it. Which is what I would do if I had to pay $200 for a Saturn game.
There are countless cheap Saturn games. Both Japanaese and home releases. Not every single Saturn game gathers demands. Clockwork Knight, Daytona USA, Enemy Zero, Baku Baku Animal, Virtua Cop, D, Astal, Shining: The Holy Ark, Riglord Saga etc. can be bought for around the $30 price range.
And $40-60 dollar is not expensive at all for collectible games. It's less than what many of those games were originally worth.
So are you even planning on getting the 5 or so games that actually make decent use of the MPEG cart?
NamelessPlayer
Clockwork Knight I&II were released overseas. There's just a Japanese version which contains both CDs.
There's a whole bunch of cheap and great Japanese games: Deep Fear (only localized in Europe) is on the $30 range price and it has English dialogue. same with the great SRPG Wachenroder (which is fully translated, including the manual). AZEL, Shining Force III, Magic Knight Rayearth, Dragon Force and pretty much all the Japanese versions of the expensive NA/PAL games are way cheaper in Japan.
Both AZEL and Shining Force III have fully translated scripts making them easy to import for people not wanting to spend $100+ on them . Both have everything translated: Dialogue, item description, (including books and such) menus and everything. So if I was
I never bought the NetLink adapter since when it was released I didn't even had a PC, even less internet connection. But I did played the game a lot online at a friends house. The game is a total blast to play, online and offline. It is undoubtedly the finest Bomberman game ever made.
IIRC there's this community dedicated to continue playing Saturn's NetLink games. Most likely you can still find people to play, but more than likely it will not be that numerous.
My Saturn collection is larger currently then any console I own, even the Wii and PS3 combined. That being said, yes it is expensive to invest in but most games are actually better then what is being offered for the current gen systems. If you can get your hands on one you probably won't regret it. Check out racketboy.com, this guy offers all the cables and VGA boxes to get Saturns and Dreamcasts running on newer TVs, but the forum community is large and they are always selling consoles with games. One guy was selling two Saturns, one chipped for imports and one normal one for only 80 bucks with like 20 gamesxXDrPainXx
Just as a note on that, the saturn doesn't need a chip for imports, just an adapter cart. I assume they're still for sale in multi-function type carts that offer the RAM cartridge/cheat codes/import play & such in one cart. That's what I've used forever for imports. You need a chip to play copies IIRC but not japanese originals.
Fantastic system if you like great shooters, fighters, and RPGs but some of the most popular titles are FAR overpriced for their actual rarity.
edit--lol just looked at ebay and apparently if I shrink wrapped it & stuck a weathered price tag on it my mint panzer dragoon saga could go for 250+. Ridiculous!
There is another means of region bypassing-there's a bunch of jumpers that set the region that you can bridge/isolate. However, they're not like the jumpers you'd find on a PC motherboard (for example), so you'll have to perform a bit of soldering. The 4-in-1 cart would probably be the most convenient route, though, simply because it works on any Saturn, no internal modification needed. It also provides 4 MB of extra RAM for games that use it (usually arcade fighting game ports), more backup save RAM, and Action Replay-style cheat capability. (Did I get all of that correct?)NamelessPlayer
Yeah, that's what my cart does so sounds right :)
The Saturn was freaking great if you can find the games for it, thats the problem now. Try any of the panzer dragoons,Virtua fighter 1 and 2, bug and bug too and there are still more just do some research.
I favored the saturn more than the 64, and the ps 1 and it had great games it just didnt take off like the others.Although the others were still cool.
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