Saturn-era, recommend me some games please.

SinCityAssassin · May 6, 2019

I wouldn't recommend it personally on here, but there's a sizeable market of physical reproduction games for the Saturn, more often than not translated for Japanese only releases. So getting your hands on those and a special ramcart will open doors. Though it could be expensive, it's much less expensive than genuine localized copies. If that's something you're willing to do there are market places willing to provide.

RestEerie · May 6, 2019

can't complete a saturn shoutout without a dragon force mention

Deleted member 290 · May 6, 2019

Hyper Duel is one of the more expensive Saturn shooters, but imo it's the best side scrolling shooter on the system. Well worth picking up if you can find it for a (relatively) reasonable price.

clickKunst · May 6, 2019

My favourite Saturn games.

English
Die Hard Arcade - I love this one so much. Hilarious beat 'em up.
Last Bronx - Streets of Rage realised as a 3D fighter. Incredibly cool.
Mr Bones - An unusual and very clever platformer with pre-rendered CG. You play a spooky skeleton.
NiGHTS Before Dreams - I don't need to make the case for this one. A must have.

Import
SteamGear Mash - An incredible fast paced isometric platformer and shooter. A great title and a must-have for imports.
Time Gal & Ninja Hayate - Two amazing Dragon's Lair style FMV games.
UNO DX - It's Uno with high school anime characters. Very easy to understand.
Willy Wombat - Isometric platformer and shooter with cartoony graphics. Very fun and easy to pick up.

Kent · May 6, 2019

Serein said:
I'll ask again, how are the Mega Man/Rockman games onthe system?

IIRC both Mega Man 8 and X4 are the definitive versions. Mega Man 8 straight up has more content than the PS1 version (such as exclusive boss fights with Cut Man and Wood Man appearing, but there's more than that), and I remember hearing that the Saturn version of X4 having some audio differences (like seamless BGM looping) and some graphical effects present, but is otherwise identical content-wise.

I couldn't tell you much about the Saturn version of X3, though.

julian · May 6, 2019

Serein said:
I had fun with the Worldwide Soccer games back then but I doubt they hold up too well now.

But what about Winter Heat? Give it a go!

clickKunst said:
Willy Wombat - Isometric platformer and shooter with cartoony graphics. Very fun and easy to pick up.

Lol. That was my game pick in the old game nobody mentions thread. Now you made me a liar!

Kent said:
IIRC both Mega Man 8 and X4 are the definitive versions. Mega Man 8 straight up has more content than the PS1 version (such as exclusive boss fights with Cut Man and Wood Man appearing, but there's more than that), and I remember hearing that the Saturn version of X4 having some audio differences (like seamless BGM looping) and some graphical effects present, but is otherwise identical content-wise.

I couldn't tell you much about the Saturn version of X3, though.

Megaman 8 also has some anniversary collection features like artwork. It's oddly unique considering how many times it's been rereleased. Unfortunately it's also why it's pricy.

RPTGB · May 6, 2019

Import-wise I always enjoyed Bomberman Fight and the Capcom D&D brawlers. Not sure if Gun Griffon had a US release (In in the U.K) but that's a great little mech sim.

A6502 · May 6, 2019

OP seems pretty familiar with the library, so here are some very unique Saturn suggestions without listing the usual best of's... I'm not sure what is considered cheap or affordable however.

Darius Gaiden and Galactic Attack. Saturn was made to play these types of 2D shmups. I play these more than Radiant Silvergun, they are fun to dig out and play for a couple days every now and then. Mid-90s arcade feel!

Burning Rangers, but actually learn all the nooks and crannies of each stage, trying to find all the rescue victims. I did this last winter and found all but 1 victim, who never would get unlocked for some reason. It's rather satisfying uncovering all of Sonic Team's secrets, reading the emails from rescued people, finding the Nights kids.

baku baku - play against someone in your family. It's a great unique puzzle concept.

Saturn Bomberman- 1 player or multi, it is the best and most fun Bomberman I've ever played. Great music and clean 2D visuals.

Clockwork Knight 2 - try to beat it while also grabbing all the hidden playing cards. Thats where the challenge lies. There is a lot more gameplay in part 2 compared to the first game.

Flon · May 6, 2019

I absolutely recommend Legend of Oasis and Shining the Holy Ark!

Deleted member 34949 · May 6, 2019

Kent said:
IIRC both Mega Man 8 and X4 are the definitive versions. Mega Man 8 straight up has more content than the PS1 version (such as exclusive boss fights with Cut Man and Wood Man appearing, but there's more than that), and I remember hearing that the Saturn version of X4 having some audio differences (like seamless BGM looping) and some graphical effects present, but is otherwise identical content-wise.

I couldn't tell you much about the Saturn version of X3, though.

Saturn X3 has better FMV quality than the PS1 version (the opposite is true for X4 Saturn vs PS1), but has a weirder resolution that necessitated the use of borders on the sides of the screen.

demi · May 6, 2019

I've been interested in some Saturn lately too, but got dang if it isn't getting up there - not NeoGeo levels of expensive but yikes. Who's got a beefy collection so I can shack up for a bit and play some Saturn. It'll be fun

E.Balboa · May 6, 2019

Astal is a great 2d side scroller with awesome music.

julian · May 6, 2019

demi said:
I've been interested in some Saturn lately too, but got dang if it isn't getting up there - not NeoGeo levels of expensive but yikes. Who's got a beefy collection so I can shack up for a bit and play some Saturn. It'll be fun

How do you feel about 2 year olds?

Deleted member 3010 · May 6, 2019

Elevator Action Returns.

Look it up, top notch Arcade goodness.

Serein · May 6, 2019

BritishMonsoon said:
Hyper Duel is one of the more expensive Saturn shooters, but imo it's the best side scrolling shooter on the system. Well worth picking up if you can find it for a (relatively) reasonable price.

I only really know of this one because of the prices it goes for lol.

clickKunst said:
Import
SteamGear Mash - An incredible fast paced isometric platformer and shooter. A great title and a must-have for imports.
Time Gal & Ninja Hayate - Two amazing Dragon's Lair style FMV games.
UNO DX - It's Uno with high school anime characters. Very easy to understand.
Willy Wombat - Isometric platformer and shooter with cartoony graphics. Very fun and easy to pick up.

Thanks. Steamgear and Willy Wombat I'm not familiar with at all but I'll look into those.

julian said:
But what about Winter Heat? Give it a go!

Lol. That was my game pick in the old game nobody mentions thread. Now you made me a liar!

Megaman 8 also has some anniversary collection features like artwork. It's oddly unique considering how many times it's been rereleased. Unfortunately it's also why it's pricy.

Never played Winter Heat as I wasn't too keen on those style games back then but that and Decathlete are on the list of games I'll pick up at some point. The Japanese Rockman 8 isn't cheap but seems to regularly go for £30-£40 which isn't too bad.

Seik said:
Elevator Action Returns.

Look it up, top notch Arcade goodness.

I always liked the look of this one but I never did get it back in the day. Pretty costly now though but I'll keep an eye out for auctions.

Doof · May 6, 2019

The Lunar games are pretty good.

sixteen-bit · May 6, 2019

Serein said:
I always liked the look of this one but I never did get it back in the day. Pretty costly now though but I'll keep an eye out for auctions.

EAR is also on the Taito Legends 2 compilation for PS2. It's a straight up arcade port though, so you don't have grenades mapped to a separate button nor the original EA game like you do with the Saturn port. Also it's in 480i instead of 240p so kinda blurry.

Way more affordable way to play the game if you have a PS2 system though.

Serein · May 6, 2019

Doof said:
The Lunar games are pretty good.

I've played the US PlayStation versions and yeah, they're great. Grandia's outstanding as well and arguably the best JRPG of the 32-bit era but I have it on PSN and there's the Switch version coming as well. I did originally play through that on the Saturn actually. Still, it's usually available for under a tenner (as is the Digital Museum) so it's a cheap enough addition to the collection.

sixteen-bit said:
EAR is also on the Taito Legends 2 compilation for PS2. It's a straight up arcade port though, so you don't have grenades mapped to a separate button nor the original EA game like you do with the Saturn port. Also it's in 480i instead of 240p so kinda blurry.

Way more affordable way to play the game if you have a PS2 system though.

That's good to know. At least it's a cheap way to try the game out and decide if it's worth shelling out for the Saturn version. I'm not looking to spend excessive amounts of money but as I'll be selling off some other old stuff I don't really play or are bothered about keeping, I will have some funds to pick up a couple of the more expensive games if I really want them.

Murdamonk · May 6, 2019

Nobody mentioned Albert Odyssey?!? 😔

Deleted member 11413 · May 6, 2019

Murdamonk said:
Nobody mentioned Albert Odyssey?!? 😔

The OP says to focus on cheap games, so...

Huey · May 6, 2019

Hmm - a thinly-veiled excuse to post Panzer Dragoon gifs. I'm in.

Op, seriously the Panzer Dragoon series is bar none the Saturn's greatest achievement. Even if you can only manage to find the shooters (1 and 2, and 1 I believe is still affordable), the environments, music, creature design and general sense of place that Team Andromeda could muster on this limited hardware is essential for - I would argue - any fan of videogames to experience.

julian · May 6, 2019

Lord of Ostia said:
The OP says to focus on cheap games, so...

Precisely why I didn't mention it. Also OP asked for arcadey games. It's also not that obscure if you're mentioning Magic Knight Rayearth already.

I think Iron Storm might be Working Designs most obscure title for the Saturn. Never really got into it. Maybe Shining Wisdom, though I wouldn't recommend it without first replaying it.

Kakihara · May 6, 2019

Wanted to say deep fear, but damn. What happened to the prices there, 400€? I think I bought it for 80€ 7 years ago. Pretty happy that i got all my wanted saturn games some years ago.

Still a awesome resident evil clone!

edit: yeah I know, not what the op wants, but deep fear is really good.

Deleted member 11413 · May 6, 2019

Kakihara said:
Wanted to say deep fear, but damn. What happened to the prices there, 400€? I think I bought it for 80€ 7 years ago. Pretty happy that i got all my wanted saturn games some years ago.

Still a awesome resident evil clone!

edit: yeah I know, not what the op wants, but deep fear is really good.

The Japanese version is cheap, most of the menus are in English, and all the voice acting is in English

Danthrax · May 6, 2019

An English translation patch for Linkle Liver Story was released at the beginning of this year and they did a great job. It's a good top-down Zelda-like action RPG. Legit copies of it go for just a few dollars, too (it was a Japanese-only release).

The English translation patch is here, as well as the fully translated manual: https://aishsha.blogspot.com/2019/01/linkle-liver-story-released.html

Silvergun-Blue · May 6, 2019

So I'll throw a few more suggestions out there. It's been a while since I've really payed attention to Saturn prices overall, but I think none of these will be ridiculous cost wise.

Golden Axe: The Duel.
Totally overshadowed by Capcom's incredible Saturn output, I think this is better than people give it credit for. I particularly like its art style.

In The Hunt.
Another Saturn arcade horizontal shooter with the twist being that you play as a submarine. Gorgeous pixel art and animation which makes sense as the same team would give us the Metal Slug series later on

Tempest 2000.
It's Tempest 2000, 'nuff said.

Alien Trilogy.
You can probably get this for virtually nothing, obviously it's archaic by today's standards but it's also surprisingly faithful in terms of overall atmosphere. Easily one of the better licensed cash ins of the time. It also has a fantastic soundtrack that not enough people talk about.

Shinobi X/Shinobi Legions
If you can look past the really dated Mortal Kombat inspired digitised character sprites, it's a genuinely solid Shinobi game in the same style of the Mega Drive ones. If possible get the PAL version, Shinobi X, as it has the superior Richard Jaques soundtrack. The icing on the cake is the gloriously cheesy live action FMV intro and cutscenes that I like to pretend are satirical but probably aren't.

Deleted member 11413 · May 6, 2019

Silvergun-Blue said:
So I'll throw a few more suggestions out there. It's been a while since I've really payed attention to Saturn prices overall, but I think none of these will be ridiculous cost wise.

Golden Axe: The Duel.
Totally overshadowed by Capcom's incredible Saturn output, I think this is better than people give it credit for. I particularly like its art style.

In The Hunt.
Another Saturn arcade horizontal shooter with the twist being that you play as a submarine. Gorgeous pixel art and animation which makes sense as the same team would give us the Metal Slug series later on

Tempest 2000.
It's Tempest 2000, 'nuff said.

Alien Trilogy.
You can probably get this for virtually nothing, obviously it's archaic by today's standards but it's also surprisingly faithful in terms of overall atmosphere. Easily one of the better licensed cash ins of the time. It also has a fantastic soundtrack that not enough people talk about.

Shinobi X/Shinobi Legions
If you can look past the really dated Mortal Kombat inspired digitised character sprites, it's a genuinely solid Shinobi game in the same style of the Mega Drive ones. If possible get the PAL version, Shinobi X, as it has the superior Richard Jaques soundtrack. The icing on the cake is the gloriously cheesy live action FMV intro and cutscenes that I like to pretend are satirical but probably aren't.

The Saturn version is bad though. PS1 version of In The Hunt is waaaaay better, Saturn version has so much slow down.

Joe_Bush · May 6, 2019

Bug and Bug Too! get way too bad of a rap in gaming history

Force_XXI · May 6, 2019

+1 for Saturn Bomberman but get the JP version its way cheaper, get Batsugun if you want spend $200, my fave shooter on the system

leder · May 6, 2019

Kent said:
IIRC both Mega Man 8 and X4 are the definitive versions. Mega Man 8 straight up has more content than the PS1 version (such as exclusive boss fights with Cut Man and Wood Man appearing, but there's more than that), and I remember hearing that the Saturn version of X4 having some audio differences (like seamless BGM looping) and some graphical effects present, but is otherwise identical content-wise.

I couldn't tell you much about the Saturn version of X3, though.

This is completely unscientific, but I've switched back and forth playing both versions of X4 and 8 on the same setup and original hardware, and the Saturn versions look crisper and smoother than the PS versions to me. X4 FMV is much worse though (albeit slightly less stuttery).

TheBigKahuna808 · May 6, 2019

Keio Yuugekitai (Keio Flying Squadron) is one of my favorite Saturn games. Prices for this game have gone bonkers in recent years, unfortunately. It is incredible 2D platforming goodness, though.

JaredTaco · May 6, 2019

Winter Heat is fun and cheap if you like Track & Field style games.

Great port of Out Run.

john_ick · May 6, 2019

Steam Heart's (if you like sexy shmups)
Blast Wind
Hyper Duel

Inugami · May 6, 2019

georaldc said:
If you've never played it and are a fan of strategy RPGs, Dragon Force is an awesome game. The sequel also has a fanmade translation available but you would need a modded Saturn to play it since it would involve burning a patched copy (or I guess you could do the swap trick if you have an older Saturn model).

Thank you for mentioning Dragon Force. In a system full of overlooked games, Dragon Force is something overlooked further still.

Silvergun-Blue · May 6, 2019

The previously mentioned Shinobi X cutscenes.

Fularu · May 7, 2019

SinCItyAssassin said:
I wouldn't recommend it personally on here, but there's a sizeable market of physical reproduction games for the Saturn, more often than not translated for Japanese only releases. So getting your hands on those and a special ramcart will open doors. Though it could be expensive, it's much less expensive than genuine localized copies. If that's something you're willing to do there are market places willing to provide.

ZhugeEX just to be clear following this. Is now talk, pictures and recommandations of reproductions banned and linked to piracy?

Because I've seen them recommended for hard to get SFC/MD/PCE games and no one batted an eye.

I'm mot against that stance (I don't like repros) bit this seems inconsistent as of a few days ago. So if the policy changed shouldn't it be advertised somewhere?

My apologies if it has already been adressed

Deleted member 13155 · May 7, 2019

Those prices have really racked up. I used to buy the JP version of Die Hard Arcade for like 3 bucks but now it seems to be 40 ish. Fire Pro 6 man scramble is still cheap though, that one is good. Same for AJPW.

Piggychan · May 7, 2019

Saturn Bomberman. The Japanese import scene has quite a few other Bomberman titles but go for the original

Lots of play modes, multi player death matches and a decent story mode too

My UK copy

Force_XXI · May 7, 2019

Piggychan said:
Saturn Bomberman. The Japanese import scene has quite a few other Bomberman titles but go for the original

Lots of play modes, multi player death matches and a decent story mode too

My UK copy

Off topic but the Bomberman multitap might be the cutest peripheral in history

Bradford · May 7, 2019

Hello friend have you heard the gospel of our Lord and savior Panzer Dragoon

Please play the Panzer Dragoon games.

ZhugeEX · May 7, 2019

Fularu said:
ZhugeEX just to be clear following this. Is now talk, pictures and recommandations of reproductions banned and linked to piracy?

Because I've seen them recommended for hard to get SFC/MD/PCE games and no one batted an eye.

I'm mot against that stance (I don't like repros) bit this seems inconsistent as of a few days ago. So if the policy changed shouldn't it be advertised somewhere?

My apologies if it has already been adressed

We just looked into the ban and decided to overturn it.

In general our policy is that discussion of reproduction cartridges is okay, but users should own the game in some way. So suggesting people buy repros for games they don't own (e.g. the Japanese version) is no good.

Serein · May 7, 2019

Silvergun-Blue said:
So I'll throw a few more suggestions out there. It's been a while since I've really payed attention to Saturn prices overall, but I think none of these will be ridiculous cost wise.

Golden Axe: The Duel.
Totally overshadowed by Capcom's incredible Saturn output, I think this is better than people give it credit for. I particularly like its art style.

In The Hunt.
Another Saturn arcade horizontal shooter with the twist being that you play as a submarine. Gorgeous pixel art and animation which makes sense as the same team would give us the Metal Slug series later on

Tempest 2000.
It's Tempest 2000, 'nuff said.

Alien Trilogy.
You can probably get this for virtually nothing, obviously it's archaic by today's standards but it's also surprisingly faithful in terms of overall atmosphere. Easily one of the better licensed cash ins of the time. It also has a fantastic soundtrack that not enough people talk about.

Shinobi X/Shinobi Legions
If you can look past the really dated Mortal Kombat inspired digitised character sprites, it's a genuinely solid Shinobi game in the same style of the Mega Drive ones. If possible get the PAL version, Shinobi X, as it has the superior Richard Jaques soundtrack. The icing on the cake is the gloriously cheesy live action FMV intro and cutscenes that I like to pretend are satirical but probably aren't.

T2K is a good shout. Never played it but of course I'm aware of the Jaguar version and I really enjoyed TxK on the Vita. Shinobi X is a game that passed me by first time round so I'll give that a go.

JaredTaco said:
Winter Heat is fun and cheap if you like Track & Field style games.

Great port of Out Run.

I have Outrun on the Dreamcast as part of the disc that comes with the Yu Suzuki Game Works book. That disc also has the other 2 games on the Sega Ages release, Space Harrier and After Burner II (as well as Hang On and Power Drift).

Piggychan said:
Saturn Bomberman. The Japanese import scene has quite a few other Bomberman titles but go for the original

Lots of play modes, multi player death matches and a decent story mode too

My UK copy

Saturn Bomberman is definitely on the list. Depending on the version a Japanese copy can be had for under £25 too which is decent.

HueyFreeman said:
Hmm - a thinly-veiled excuse to post Panzer Dragoon gifs. I'm in.

Op, seriously the Panzer Dragoon series is bar none the Saturn's greatest achievement. Even if you can only manage to find the shooters (1 and 2, and 1 I believe is still affordable), the environments, music, creature design and general sense of place that Team Andromeda could muster on this limited hardware is essential for - I would argue - any fan of videogames to experience.

Griff said:
Hello friend have you heard the gospel of our Lord and savior Panzer Dragoon

Please play the Panzer Dragoon games.

Lol, you're preaching to the choir. :) Panzer 1 and Zwei are literally the first games I picked up when I decided to get back into the Saturn game. I've purchased Azel as well and I'm waiting on that arriving. I had Panzer Dragoon Saga back in the day so I know the game well enough to save quite a bit of money and just get the Japanese version. Funny thing is I managed to get a copy of Saga for the princely sum of £15 back then. It was an ex-rental copy from a shop that was shutting down and while it wasn't in the best condition, the discs were fine. I don't still have it as I ended up trading it in for brand new copies of N64 Smash Brothers and Saturn Street Fighter Zero 3. That was a good deal then and still would be now actually given how expensive Zero 3 is. Shame I don't still have that Zero 3. :(

I have to say that I really love the cover art for the Japanese Panzer Dragoon:

Huey · May 7, 2019

Serein said:
Lol, you're preaching to the choir. :) Panzer 1 and Zwei are literally the first games I picked up when I decided to get back into the Saturn game.

To be fair, I did make clear this was a thinly veiled excuse. BUT... you didn't mention it in your OP, so it's still justified!

I've purchased Azel as well and I'm waiting on that arriving.

Holy shit. You are doing this correctly. Man I hate how that game is gated behind having enormous disposable income tho :(

Serein · May 8, 2019

I won't argue with Panzer gifs lol. You're spot on with your assessment of the series as well, it's one that defines the console really. Unique, under-appreciated at the time but recognised now as one of the greats. It's a shame that the English language Saga does go for so much with no other (legit) alternatives available as it's game that deserves to be played by everyone.

Lord of Ostia said:
The Japanese version is cheap, most of the menus are in English, and all the voice acting is in English

I wasn't aware of this, thanks for this info. My brother had it but I don't think I ever played it myself.

Danthrax said:
An English translation patch for Linkle Liver Story was released at the beginning of this year and they did a great job. It's a good top-down Zelda-like action RPG. Legit copies of it go for just a few dollars, too (it was a Japanese-only release).

The English translation patch is here, as well as the fully translated manual: https://aishsha.blogspot.com/2019/01/linkle-liver-story-released.html

Thanks, I don't know this title at all but I'll add it to the list.

neonxaos · May 8, 2019

I enjoy Manx TT, but it almost requires the analog controller. Fighting Vipers is also a fun, albeit janky oldskool fighter from Sega AM2. I believe it's 1-player only on the Saturn though.

Danthrax · May 8, 2019

neonxaos said:
I enjoy Manx TT, but it almost requires the analog controller. Fighting Vipers is also a fun, albeit janky oldskool fighter from Sega AM2. I believe it's 1-player only on the Saturn though.

Fighting Vipers allows for two players. I don't think I've ever seen a fighting game that doesn't.

It's also one of my favorite Saturn games. The feeling of winning a mtach by smashing an opponent's armor off and sending them flying through a wall, breaking that, too, is amazing.

Piggychan · May 8, 2019

also regards to Fighting Vipers the Japanese version is the best

Pepsi sponsoring!

Funkallero · May 8, 2019

Super random top of my head list:

Symphony of the Night, KOF series, Thunderforce 5, Psychic Killer Taromaru, Clockwork Knight 1/2, Dungeons and Dragons, Elevator Action Returns, Gale Racer, Guardian Heroes...

El Metz · May 8, 2019

Some recommendations...

Parodius - doesn't matter which of the three, they're all good!
Detana TwinBee Yahho! Deluxe Pack - still pretty cheap
Digital Pinball: Last Gladiators - one of the best pinball games
Digital Pinball: Necronomicon - see above
Blazing Dragons
Mass Destruction
Shingata Kururin Pa!
Puyo Puyo - you can never go wrong with these
Fire Pro Gaiden: Blazing Tornado

In any case, get yourself a 4 MB RAM card and some SNK and Capcom games like

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special
etc....

These I don't have yet, but they look fun and are not that expensive yet

Hattrick Hero S
Kingdom Grand Prix

neonxaos · May 8, 2019

Danthrax said:
Fighting Vipers allows for two players. I don't think I've ever seen a fighting game that doesn't.

It's also one of my favorite Saturn games. The feeling of winning a mtach by smashing an opponent's armor off and sending them flying through a wall, breaking that, too, is amazing.

Strange, I have the PAL version, it says "1 player" on the box, but I got it recently and didn't investigate further. I'll take your word for it.

Saturn-era, recommend me some games please.

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