Gah! You just have to hate my blog titles by now! :P

After just4yoshi's immensely popular and intuitive "Friendship Blog", I was inspired to create my own "mini" version. However, I've decided to leave out ratings or favorites, although there is a meter I will include indicating how often I communicate with that specific friend (on a scale of one to four), and a "Special Trait" thingy. Simply enjoy and take a gander at what I have to say about you (in alphabetical order)...

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benjones1blj- Ahhh!! Just who is that strange figure?! :shock: I guess we'll never know. benjones...leader of The Sonic the Hedgehog Union, and GameSpot member for several years. Ever since I personally knew him, we haven't talked to each other very much. Could it be real-life duties? Other cyber duties? Unbeknownst reasons for not participating like crazy on GS? Don't know. He's still one of my friends, though, so when he wants to talk, I'll listen. :)

Stats ~~~

Level: 24

GameSpot member since: 2003

Been friends with for: A month or so

Special Trait: Formulating great ideas - Hey, he created the first Sonic union, after all!

Communication: 1 - Few and far between. Itching for more conversations.

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Dark_Mits - This GameSpot user chose to avoid making a blog, but his character more than makes up for that. I talk to him mainly through The NiGHTS Union, and occasionally via PM. He's been a big help at TNU, and no matter what, always a pleasure to speak with. :D Currently an officer at TNU and SonicSpot.

Stats ~~~

Level: 15

GameSpot member since: 2005

Been friends with for: Hmm...Two months or more, maybe?

Special Trait: Speed shoes - Always there to help. Anything Sonic Team? He's in!

Communication: 1 2 3 - Don't speak with him a lot, but when I do, it's a great experience.

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DesertClawX2X - My very first cyber friend. Met him on Wikipedia, went on to e-mailing each other, and now, we know ourselves on GameSpot. I'm not quite sure if I was the only one who encouraged him to create an account here, but I'm glad he did, nonetheless. November 9th this year marks our first anniversary. Looking forward to a dozen more... ;)

Stats ~~~

Level: 14

GameSpot member since: 2007

Been friends with for: Almost a year, if you count our friendship outside of GameSpot borders. The first Internet friend I've ever had.

Special Trait: Loyalty - First and longest, he's not one to call it quits on a rascal like me. :P

Communication: 1 - He may be my first cyber friend, and still is a friend, but we don't talk to each other nearly as much as we used to.

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DoctorEggman - If you happen to become registered friends with this man, consider yourself fortunate. With 182 users tracking him, only 20 are in his friends list. Like me, he's rather choosy about who becomes his true "friends". An insane union poster and an entertaining guy, it's difficult to find anything about him that's un-agreeable.

Stats ~~~

Level: 28

GameSpot member since: 2006

Been friends with for: Several months

Special Trait: GameSpot User Prodigy - He's been a member for around a year-and-a-half, and he possesses over 10,000 posts! Elect him for moderator already!

Communication: 1 2 3 - As busy as he is, I still manage to hold a conversation with him once in a while, and I talk with him in his blog. That's why he gets an extra number for stretching his abilities a little further.

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GabuEx - This guy's a computer science student in British Columbia, and it shows from his intelligence and experience. Unlike some computer geeks (using that term in the friendly sense), he's caring and compassionate as well. Behold, all who witness his wisdom throughout the hills and unions! Some way or another, you'll learn something valuable from him!

Stats ~~~

Level: 17

GameSpot member since: 2006

Been friends with for: A month or so

Special Trait: Don't judge an avatar by its cover - Isn't that bird from a game? A game something like "Chocobo Tales"? Whatever the case, don't let it fool you. He's no chicken. More like a falcon. With talons open for snatchin' up news!

Communication: 1 2 3 - The NiGHTS Union = main source of contact. A great officer + great friend.

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im_at_sonic - This friend is probably my newest one. Say hello to im_at_sonic, a new buddy and a new user on GS (created an account no more than two months ago). I haven't talked to him very often, but I'm hoping that'll change soon. Just get used to the feel of GameSpot's interface, dude. :)

Stats ~~~

Level: 7

GameSpot member since: 2007

Been friends with for: A few weeks

Special Trait: Since he's still sorta unfamiliar to me, I can't really pinpoint one of his traits, but I know that he has a lot. :)

Communication: 1 - You still there, dude?

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just4yoshi a.k.a. The Ambassador - (Sorry, yoshi. Couldn't find your icon in the proper format.) The Ambassador. Endless ideas and creative thinking spring forth from him like Sonic's never-failing appetite for chili dogs. And his stories? Pft! Some of the most original stuff I've ever seen. Wise and full of advice, if you haven't met him today, then do so now.

Stats ~~~

Level: 23

GameSpot member since: 2003

Been friends with for: Several months

Special Trait: van Gogh with words - Paints beautiful pictures not with a brush, but with his adept ability to compose original literature.

Communication - 1 2 3 4 - Responds to newsletters, posts at TNU, and interacts with his fellow buddies on his blog, incluidng myself. How does he do it all?

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Lord_Alan - (Once again, could not find correct format.) Sega Saturn maniac, and all-around gamer. If something's arguable, he'll be on the case stating his courageous opinion. He's also a President! (...of the Edinburgh University Gamesoc, that is.) A combination of old-school and new-gen gamer.

Stats ~~~

Level: 17

GameSpot member since: 2004

Been friends with for: One - two months

Special Trait - Good taste - Just look at his game collection. Especially the Saturn section!

Communication - 1 - Most of the time, I only speak with him at TNU, but even then, I'm not neccessarily speaking to him, which is mostly my fault.

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Majura- His name's no spelling error. He's a GS dude with all rights secured. Currently "taking up drawing", he seems to be working on some new artworks (am I correct, Majura?). Undoubtedly a Nintendoholic, so if there are any Big-N franchises you like, chances are he's interested in 'em, too.

Stats ~~~

Level: 21

GameSpot member since: 2006

Been friends with for: 1 - 2 months

Special Trait: Stray ocarina - Hark! What's that noice! Why, it's Majura! The Robin Hood of GameSpot! From one union to the next, what a sweet song he strokes from his ocarina...

Communication - 1 2 - By now, you might have noticed that I communicate with a lot of my friends via The NiGHTS Union. No exception here. And what's so wrong with that?!

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Musashi_Humar - For some reason, I'm his only friend here. Why?! He's a great individual and a whole-hearted NiGHTS lover. Most of his posts are at, you guessed it, TNU, and also the NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams forum. A rising "star" in the NiGHT...(Ha! Get it?)

Stats ~~~

Level: 8

GameSpot member since: 2006

Been friends with for: Around two months

Special Trait: NiGHTS dedication - Is NiGHTS the only reason why he comes to GS? If so, awesome!

Communication: 1 2 - Once again, mostly TNU chats.

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SonicX18 - Known this Sonic freak for a while. Even though he has a Transformers profile theme right now, he's most definitely a True Blue. Also, even with 125+ friends, he still insists that we remain buddies. Now that's a good friend. :)

Stats ~~~

Level: 17

GameSpot member since: 2006

Been friends with for: Several, several months

Special Trait: Anything and everything Sonic-cool - Gotta go fast! Gotta go fast! Gotta go faster, faster, f-f-f-f-faster! Go-g-go-g-go-g-g-go-go! SonicX18!

Communication: 1 - Both of us are Sonic fanatics. Unfortunately, are love of Blue hasn't really tightened our bond.

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stkr - Meet GameSpot's ultimate Photoshop artist. It's simple: He makes everything look good, be it visual art or an outlook on life. Ask him for a favor, and BAM! There it is. His blog entries are detailed and interesting. He could write a 1,500 word essay on fabric softener, and the reader would never lose interest. :P

Stats ~~~

Level: 27

GameSpot member since: 2006

Been friends with for: Several, several months

Special Trait: Beauty beyond art - Ultra friendly and sociable. Needless to say, his artwork isn't the only reason why folks become friends with him.

Communication: 1 2 3 4 - My blog, his blog, PM... Speedy responses to art requests, despite his busy life. Always takes the time to reply to comments.

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Vodo-Baas - The truth: He's my real-life cousin. :shock: Yep, the only other family member that I know of who has an account on GameSpot. I've hardly ever spoken to him online, but sometimes, who needs online when you can see someone offline, right?

Stats ~~~

Level: 3

GameSpot member since: 2007

Been friends with since: On GameSpot = June 9th or 10th / Beyond GameSpot = Years... :P

Special Trait: Ooo, here it comes, Lance...Your special trait is...Being a good cousin. :lol: Knew that? Okay. How 'bout kickin' stormtroopers' butts!

Communication: 1 - Unlike most of us, he doesn't visit GS that much. C-could it b-be that he doesn't...like me? :cry: Joking.

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waitaseck - Just wait a sec, will you? Me and Nightopian man have known each other for a very long time, and as a matter of fact, he might be my longest-lasting GS buddy. We have a lot in common: We like NiGHTS, Sonic, posting, union-tending, and the cute little creatures of Nightopia, Nightopians. (Yes! That's right! A Sonic Team original!) You traveled so far in one year... wait-a-decade before you leave, okay?

Stats ~~~

Level: 24

GameSpot member since: 2006

Been friends with for: Several, several months

Special trait: Unlimited flight ability - This power-up has caused waitaseck to traverse two dozen levels in only one year. Look at him go!

Communication: 1 2 - Has that power-up worn off on chats? Naw. He's just a very busy jester!

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Phew! Well, I hope you enjoyed my longest blog entry ever! :D I apologize if I offended anyone. :oops: For those of you haven't yet, it would mean so much to me if you could comment/critique your part of the blog. Thanks!

A dude with a robotic arm and a kid trapped within a metal suit of armor. This ain't your ordinary anime.

As I keep saying, I'm in Virginia right now, as part of a three-week long vacation to my grandparents (I leave on Saturday). And what luxury! Satellite television! Cartoon Network! Yippee!

I never thought I'd admit it, but I'm an anime addict. For the past two weeks, I've been glued to the TV 'til almost 2:30 A.M. Futurama, Blood+, and, the focus of this blog, Fullmetal Alchemist, are among my top pics for late-night viewing pleasure (with a tint of Ninja Warrior ;)). I've also tasted some Naruto, Avatar, InuYasha, Dragon Ball (ugh), and Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (double "ugh").

Okay. Fullmetal Alchemist. What a deep, story-rich show. Probably the most close-to-life anime I've ever laid eyes upon (Blood+ counts as well). Excellent voice acting and amazing visual effects. Great character development and intense skirmishes. There's a few components with which I disagree with, however...What the heck's with the profane language? There is a reason why most episodes are rated "TV-14", with an "L" for language. And what with all the wacky religious junk? "Gods" this and "gods" that. There's only One of 'em, 'kay? Got that, story creaters?

Don't get me wrong, though. Looking beyond those stifles, Fullmetal is astounding and addictive, and sometimes, sometimes, one needs to look past the semi-mature content. It's ironic. Some Blood+ episodes were labeled as "MA-V" (which is basically "Mature" / contains violence), yet they shouldn't be. One show had the main character slicing her finger on her sword, with her blood streaming down its shiny blade. After which, she fought some creepy monster-like figures, and when contact was made -animated blood. But it wasn't that horrible. Sometimes, I simply imagine it as juice. :) Always juice. Let's juice. Gotta juice. Sonic's juicein'. Cuttin' loosin'. Gettin' bruisin'... You know. :P

Anyway, I'd appreciate some feedback from you. What are your favorite animes, if any (*sigh* besides Sonic X, people)? What do you enjoy about them? Do you find anything controversial within them?

Living and breathing in the Eastern Time Zone, I watch (remember, all times are Eastern)...

:arrow: Futurama / weekdays / 11:00 P.M. & 2:30 A.M. / Cartoon Network

:arrow: Blood+ / weekdays / 12:30 A.M. & 4:00 A.M. / Cartoon Network

:arrow: Fullmetal Alchemist / weekdays / 1:00 A.M. & 4:30 A.M. / Cartoon Network

:arrow: InuYasha / weekdays / 1:30 / 2:00 A.M. & 5:00 / 5:30 A.M. / Cartoon Network

Wow. NiGHTS b-day, already? Yippee! Too bad I was five years old during his first anniversary, and completely unconscious of the "system wars" going on at the time. Perhaps it looked like this?...

It sure is pwetty. :D

If you own NiGHTS into Dreams, spare some time to play it and salute the jester. If not, why not play Sonic Adventure's NiGHTS pinball table or ride some turbulence with NiGHTS in Sonic Riders? Unfortunately, I can't play my copy of NiD because I decided not to bring my big, black box down to Virginia (which is where I'm at right now). But, what the heck? Do you need to play to commemorate? Not necessarily. But when it's something as important as NiGHTS, it's a very tempting task.

If you want, come visit us at The NiGHTS Union and "party." Oh, yeah. That's right. We have a brand new look for you in honor of you-know-who.

Have a great day, everyone. And you, too, NiGHTS. :P

Oddly enough, somehow I nailed my profile pic on the head with a Piko Piko hammer. According to a recent screenshot (ahem, Sonic Rush Adventure's site screen in the Story section), Tails and Sonic are flying high in the sky in what appears to be a Tornado plane, perhaps the same one in my little sprite picture. At the time when I created it, the screenshot wasn't even released yet. What's more, Sonic and Tails are supposedly flying over islands, and coincidentally, I created a similar effect in my image. Weird. I just thought I'd mention it for rant's sake. :P

Anyway, Sonic Rush Adventure is not the forgotten game. (Duh!) Does Sega Splash! Golf ring a bell? Many of you might've never heard of it before. And reason enough. Basically, only two loads of info were dropped on this title, and this occured several months ago.

First, do any of you remember this blog entry?:

Sega is going all-out with new games this year! NiGHTS will see a well-deserved sequel, Mario and Sonic will participate in the Olympics, a follow-up to Sonic Rush is underway (more info below), and now, yet another new titleis coming our way: SEGA Splash Golf! Of course, I wouldn't have mentioned this if it excluded our speedy blue friend, and sure enough, recent screenshots assurehis appearance. Here's the inside scoop from one of my favorite news sites, Sonic News:

Sonic Confirmed to be in the upcoming PC title, SEGA Splash Golf
By: Ryan Stanford - 23rd April 2007 (02:25)

Sonic appears as a main character in the new SEGA golf game.

In a recent announcement, it has been confirmed Sonic (and a few other SEGA character such as NIGHTS and Tails) will appear in the new and upcoming SEGA PC title, SEGA Splash Golf.

Sonic appears in the game as the caddy, he gets your balls, supports you along, and much more. Besides the fact Sonic and Tails are in the game, there's also golf courses based around Sonic, such as the Green Hill Zone. Other SEGA characters to appear include NIGHTS, the puyo pop clan, Opa Opa, and Ulalala.

The game is coming out later this year to the PC, unfortunately there is no confirmation of a US or Europe release.[END]

The accompanying screens:

I don't know about you guys, but that first image has Sonic looking a little...sickly. Thankfully, these are preliminary screens, and I'm sure that the quality offuture pics will be improved. Nonetheless, this is even more exciting news for Sega fans worldwide!

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Or is it? No more until this...

Turns out that Istumbled upontwo Japanese videos for Sega Splash! Golf from a few days ago (yes, there's an exclamation point within the title). The trailer with the girl who wants totry outfor American Idol (or, in this case, Japanese Idol) is rather...um...unique, but it'sgreat to see a brief NiGHTS and Tails appearance. The other one is more of a gameplay representation, and the various activities that the player can choose from. But what's with the dress-up? "Hm, I don't know, Ting-Wan. There's this cute blouse for 5,000 yen, but then there's this pretty pink shirt for 7,500 yen. Like, which one should I get?" C'mon Sega! We play your games for violence and adventure, not for fashion apparel! Good grief! (Alright, alright. The vids might take a while to load, but it's worth the wait.)

--------------------

Forgive my horrible sense of humor. :oops: But after this stuff, nothing was heard. It's as if it was thrown off the face of the earth! What really became of it? Was it scrapped? Hidden? ...Forgotten?

Here I am, in Virginia. I just arrrived a few days ago, and will be staying for three weeks. Summer is ending, and I should be receiving my full "pay-check" soon. Out of it, I'll be getting one of the following game platforms...

-

:arrow: Nintendo DS Lite

:arrow: Nintendo DS Lite (crimson & black)

:arrow: PlayStation Portable

:arrow: PlayStation Portable Slim

:arrow: PlayStation 2

:arrow: Playstation 3

:arrow: Xbox 360

:arrow: Xbox 360 Elite

-

You saw it coming. Yep, another question for ya: Which console do you want the most?

(P.S.: If you're up to it, try and guess which one I'll be getting in a few weeks! ;))

So many folks out there are dying for Super Smash Bros. Brawl...but why? Is there a certain existing character(s) in the game that you're hyped up about? (Remember: Characters that are already in it.)

Here's my top picks (in no particular order):

:arrow: Donkey Kong (Bongo baboon!)

:arrow: Ike (Fire Emblem rocks, dude!)

:arrow: Pit (What can I say? He seems like a cool character.)

In my opinion, Quarter 4 this year might just be Sega's big comeback. Sonic Rush Adventure looks very promising as a better-than-the-original follow-up. Mario and Sonic at the Olympics has the potential to become the best-selling Olympics-based video game ever. Sonic Rivals 2 could "shove" its way to glory. And, finally, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, which could be one of the year's greatest hits.

Below, you'll see a little pic I made, representing the games I would like to purchase when they're released. Fire Emblem: Goddess of Dawn is, so far, the only new-release-un-Sonic-related game (I love using dashes) on my list. :P Brawl looks awesome. (I was reluctantly caught up in the hype.) Except, the big question is: Will Sonic the Hedgehog make an appearance or not?!

Do any of you dudes hold a special date with a special game? Of course you do!

As ironic as it seems, I was participating on GameSpot quite often within the month-and-a-half of my last blog post. I guess you could say that post was "inaccurate". :oops: Anyway, for now, I'm GS-crazy again. :D

I slimmed down my friends list (sorry to those who were removed), so most of my current friends can ignore this entry, because they might already know that I've been on GS more than what I intended to.

Also, on the 30th, I'm heading down to Virginia to stay with my grandparents for three weeks. I should have loads of time to spend on here.

Finally, I apologize for that "Night Over..." entry. It was misleading. My conscience tells me that I'll enjoy many more active months with TNU, with my blog, and with your blogs... :)

NiGHTS enthusiasts will recognize the reference. I'm not leaving entirely, but I won't be able to participate on my blog and your blogs as much as I'd like to. Summertime opens up a window of opportunities for me...Now that the school year is finished, I'm not on the computer very often anymore...However, I might be receiving an old iMac, so I'll be absorbed into my all-time favorite strategy game, Total Annihilation...I'll be mowing two yards this summer (mine and a neighbor's)...a tennis program will be launching soon, and I might become an instructor there...

As you can see, I'll be busy with activities and busy relaxing. :P Even though GS is being replaced with other things, I will participate within The NiGHTS Union, however. As a matter of fact, NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams' possible release date was announced a few days ago. Does anyone know about it?

To conclude, you'll still see me on here, except about 75% less than before. Maybe the "night" isn't over just yet...;)

Gotta juice,

"Spikey"

The stage was set. Three primary competitors held high hopes and expectations. Sega, Sony, and Nintendo. Three giants. No one would've guessed back in '94 that Sega's next-gen console would further lead them to a slot as a third-party game developer.

        Prelude

The Genesis had run its successful course. Gamers were now looking to the next era, the 32-bit/64-bit era. Many were surprised when the Saturn's scheduled release date, Saturday, September 2nd, 1995 (dubbed "Saturnday"), was a ruse. It would now ship out on May 11th in North America. Sega announced this during the E3 expo, and everyone present was bewildered. Sony was especially surprised, because the PlayStation was marked for September 9th, a week after the supposed "Saturnday." Needless to say, Sega had the gaming market in its hands. The Genesis, SNES, and TurboGrafx were dying (or, in TurboGrafx's case, dead), and both of the competitor's consoles were a long way off. Sega was in control. Or was it?

Specs

The Saturn was and is a great system. It had ahead-of-its-time graphics, it had a cool design, it was the first console to feature an analog stick, and most of all, it included the masterpiece, NiGHTS into Dreams...

Positive aspects:

:arrow: First mainstream console of the 32-bit/64-bit era. (Excluding other less-popular systems.)

:arrow: Many processors allowed for the opportunity of mindblowing graphics. In addition, the Saturn was boasted as being a console for dedicated gamers, claiming that it was more powerful (in terms of hardware) than the Nintendo 64 and the Sony Playstation.

:arrow: Featured mostly high-quality games, including NiGHTS into Dreams and the surprisingly good Sonic 3D Blast port. The N64 and PS were plagued with shoddy third-party titles. (The Playstation suffered more from crappy games than the N64 did.)

:arrow: As stated above, it was the very first console to sport a true analog stick. The next time you play with the Wii Nunchuk, the Xbox360's controller, or the PS3's controller, thank the Saturn.

:arrow: The Saturn was the console for Japanese gamers. It fared well in the Japanese market, while the PS and N64 tried to keep up. There were many high-quality Japanese anime games available as well, which contributed to its great success in that country.

Negative stifles:

:arrow: Although early to market, this "fortunate" move wasn't so "fortunate" after all.

:arrow: Developers for the Saturn were few and far between. They lost confidence in the Saturn when it began to fair poorly in the marketplace. In addition, most developers didn't realize the full potential of the hardware. They didn't take advantage of the Saturn's components. The Saturn was a very powerful system for its time. The reason why PlayStation and N64 graphics might look nicer than the SS is most likely due to the fact that many of the veteran game developers headed for those two other consoles. They mastered the competition's hardware, and the Saturn was at a loss.

:arrow: Imported games are very difficult to play on a US Saturn.

:arrow: Supported only two players. However an add-on was released later which allowed for six-player support.

:arrow: Nowadays, Saturns are expensive due to rarity and demand.

Conclusion

The surprise move by Sega backfired on them. The Saturn was priced at $400, and even though this pricetag seemed lofty, Sega was sure that gamers would purchase it anyway. Third-party developers were upset because they had planned to release their games alongside the Saturn on its original release date, September 2nd. Large store chains such as Wal-Mart and KB Toys felt that they had been ignored and/or betrayed by Sega. Now their competition was benefiting from Saturn sales. KB stores were so upset, in fact, that they refused to supply Saturns to customers.

Get this (taken from Wikipedia): "By the time of the PlayStation's release on September 9, 1995, the Saturn had sold approximately 80,000 systems. The PlayStation sold over 100,000 units upon release in the U.S., a record at the time for a new system." So you see, the Saturn had several months to sell itself before the Playstation was released, and yet the Playstation outsold the Saturn in one day. That's incredible.

Sadly, as years went by, the Saturn became known as the "other" game console. The PS and N64 were enjoying marketshare and success. By the end of 1997, Sega turned its attention to its next system, the Sega Dreamcast. Thus, a legend sprang up and died down within the course of two years in North America.

I hope that you enjoyed this first edition of VGS Profiles! Look for a Nintendo 64 profile soon.

My Sega Saturn "collection"

For credibility so that all of you know for sure that I actualy own a Saturn, here's a picture of mine along with some boxes, cases, games, etc. To the left is, as you might have guessed, my NiGHTS into Dreams copy. The game came packaged in a large box in order to leave space for the 3D control pad (right, top). At the very top of the picture you can see a "bootleg sampler" in a thin tan slip (the Saturn box has a bright yellow sticker that says "Video Game Sampler Enclosed"). Below that is a NiGHTS manual, followed by Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition, Impact Racing, Virtua Fighter 2, NHL Powerplay '96, and Madden NFL '98. And then, of course, is the original box that the Saturn (bottom) supposedly came in. To the bottom-right is the regular (and very durable) controller. I forgot to include Sonic 3D Blast in this picture, but I only own the disc, so it wouldn't be very exciting to look at anyway.

Every Saturn object you see in the image cost me, in total, around $90 on eBay. This price is inexpensive for such a rich, exhilerating experience, most notably with NiGHTS into Dreams... I encourage every serious gamer to pick one of these powerhouses up.

Related Links

Sega Saturn article on Wikipedia

Sega Saturn game music from dedicated fans

Looking for a Saturn to purchase? There are several available on eBay.