Anyone have a soft spot for the 5th generation (Saturn/PS1/N64)

[Glimlocker]

No, if you didn't grow up with it, the generation aged incredibly poorly - outside a handful of games.

The Saturn probably holds up the best, due to its amazing stock of 2D arcade games that run like a dream.

As a generation, it's obviously incredibly important for the future of video games. But, all around, pretty difficult to go back to.

 

[noinspiration]

Sort of. I find its aesthetic wonderful even when it is objectively hideous, and would love to see a more technically-advanced take on the weird colors and textures of the Playstation. But I've tried going back recently and taking a look at some of the games I missed, and I'm finding out that the shift to 3D really made for a lot of play experiences that are unpleasant today. I've been accustomed to thinking of the PS1 gen as equivalent to the NES for 3D games, but I think that with some exceptions it's more like Atari. Probably the best generation for JRPGs though, and crazy experimental titles.

 

[Trickytoon]

The most exciting video game generation for me, filled with some of my very favorite games of all time. It felt like every month there was a new innovation or creative leap being made, whether that was on console, PC or the arcades.

I'm happy for it to remain a forgotten or disregarded generation though - keep those prices low for collectors!!

 

[Gelf]

It's the gen that shaped my taste going forward like no other, opened my mind to new experiences. I love the Saturn and PS1 and wish the games where more accessible these days without having to own old consoles.

As well as top class 2D games of the time I love the experimentation we got with early 3D. There are games from that era that play differently from anything before or since and that makes it an interesting gen to go back to.

I also love fighting games and it was a great gen for those what with Capcoms CPS2 ports and both Sega and Namco's early 3D efforts. No one can tell me that Virtua Fighter 2 and Tekken 3 aged badly.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Soft spot?
It was the generation that started it all for me.

 

[Kresnik]

PS1 was and likely always will be my favourite videogames console of all time.

It probably helps massively that it was my introduction to videogames, but it goes beyond that.

Everything about the PS1 just worked for me - from the wildly varied launch lineup (I remember getting my console with the demo 1 disk and loving things like Jumping Flash, Battle Arena Toshinden and Destruction Derby) to the big blockbuster hit after hit that landed on it (more on that in a sec) to some of the incredibly experimental titles the likes of which we still don't really see anymore (things like Mr Domino, Rat Attack, Um Jammer Lammy).

I think what worked about PS1 for me is just that I wanted to try a bit of everything, because there were so many games in so many genres that worked for me. So take an 'action-adventure' game like Tomb Raider - far removed from what the series has become, it was actually a fairly sombre puzzle-platformer sim if you got down to it, but that resonates more with me than the set-piece spectacle series it has become.

When I think about my favourite videogames franchises, so many of them started on the PS1; flourished on the PS1 or had their best entries on the console. Things like:

Battle Arena Toshinden 1-3
Breath of Fire III & IV
Cool Boarders 1-4
Crash 1-3 & Team Racing
Destruction Derby 1-3
Final Fantasy VII-IX
Jet Moto 1-3
Jumping Flash 1 & 2
Metal Gear Solid
Ridge Racer 1-4
Spyro 1-3
Syphon Filter 1-3
Tomb Raider 1-5
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1-4
Twisted Metal 1-4
Wild ARMs 1 & 2
WipEout 1-3

There were so many trilogies too, in a single generation which wasn't as long as current ones either. Then there's all the hidden gem stuff - things like the console ports of Command & Conquer, Future Cop LAPD, Populous: The Beginning, SimCity 2000, Theme Hospital etc. that I loved, or the titles that no-one remembers like B-Movie, Devil Dice, Harvest Moon: Back to Nature, Hogs of War, Terracon etc.

I never owned an N64, but I would often go around to my friends' houses and play GoldenEye, Mario Kart 64, Mario Party, Smash Bros and other things together. That was part of my experience growing up and I wouldn't change it for anything.

I never owned a Saturn, but I really wish I had. Back then I was a kid and you kinda only got one console and stuck with it throughout the years, so for me it was PS1. I would love to revisit Saturn and N64 games but they tend not to get re-released in terms of the former and only on Nintendo consoles in terms of the latter. I should probably buy a Wii U one day for the N64 classics on it.

I would really love to become a retro collector of Saturn (and Dreamcast) games in the future but I suppose that depends on disposable income availability in future.

But anyway, after much rambling yes - I have a massive soft spot for the fifth gen.

 

[Bradford]

I play games from this generation all the time and they are still excellent. Slowly whittling down my backlog, I will be sad the day I finish off the last of the titles I want to play.

Early 3d is a treasure.

Play Panzer Dragoon Saga and Vagrant Story.

 

[BetterGraphics]

After growing up with a SNES, I had the option of a Saturn or PS1 to move to.
Despite being really keen on Virtua Fighter and World Series Baseball (lol), I chose the PS1 as it was bundled with FIFA 96 and I had a glimpse of wip3out at my local store. I picked up Die Hard Trilogy early on as well and was obsessed.

Best decision. Years of Pro Evo, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, Parappa, Twisted Metal, GT, and Crash. I was in heaven.

 

[Flavius]

As a couch coop guy who fucking hates online multiplayer, probably the biggest soft spot. These were the consoles I played with my college housemates. Lots of creativity and experimentation. I felt like even the so-so games almost always something unique to offer. The consoles themselves played to different audiences/genres. We rented the Saturn from Rhino Games and that was the only one we didn't end up purchasing, but we liked it enough to rent it a couple more times.

 

[Kaguya]

It's the one generation where I was PC only lol.

 

[Deleted member 45765]

Why yes

 

[cowbanana]

Nah, it is the ugliest generation since Pong. I remember the PS1 3D being very impressive back then, but most of the games have aged like milk in both visuals and gameplay.

 

[sir_crocodile]

Nah, it is the ugliest generation since Pong. I remember the PS1 3D being very impressive back then, but most of the games have aged like milk in both visuals and gameplay.

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PSX/Saturn 2D is ace though

Like Breath of Fire 3/4 spritework is superb. Tons of beautiful looking 2D games on those consoles which hold up very well in every way.

 

[Alienhated]

I honestly miss having four platforms on the market that had their own entire libraries of exclusive genres and games, i miss the times when the production values were low enough we could get all sorts of creative and experimental AAA games from the best publishers and software houses around, i miss having lots of arcade genres on consoles.

 

[cowbanana]

PSX/Saturn 2D is ace though

Like Breath of Fire 3/4 spritework is superb. Tons of beautiful looking 2D games on those consoles which hold up very well in every way.

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That is true. Some really good 2D stuff, but it didn't really define the generation.

I had a Playstation, but I don't really have any nostalgia for the system, like I have for the Amiga. Even replaying classics such as Wipeout, I just want to play one of the newer, smoother, prettier sequels.

 

[DarkStream]

Of course. PS1 is one of the greatest consoles of all time, only bested by the PS2.
N64 was good too (Mario 64, Banjo, Goldeneye, Mario Kart, Smash) but PS1 had an insanely good library. JRPG powerhouse.

 

[Sprat]

Saturn is my second favourite system ever and has a lot of my favourite games.

I play more saturn games than I do modern games

 

[giallo]

I loved the 5th generation when it was happening, but even then, I felt like it wasn't living up to its potential. The way that generation completely ditched 2D games, for janky, ugly 3D games has always rubbed me the wrong way. Sure, there were exceptions (Saturn in Japan), but by and large, 2D games were left out in the cold, and right in their prime.

We'll always have SOTN, Megaman X4 and X5, and the Capcom fighting game though.

 

[andymcc]

The Saturn, PS1 and Mario 64 are incredible.

 

[Zool]

Never had, but thanks to new Chinese handhelds I'm totally back in these devices.

 

[Mandos]

N64 was my first system so yeah I go back to it all the time and I've had some fun with Saturn and ps1 too(Pac-Man world and Jackie Chan stunt master are big soft spots for me)

 

[Issen]

The PS1 has the highest concentration of games I adore, even though I started with the NES.

Mega Man Legends 1 and 2, Strider 2, Metal Gear Solid, the Crash Bandicoot trilogy and Crash Team Racing, motherfucking Mega Man X4, Street Fighter Alpha 3, WipEout (especially 3), Tenchu 1 and 2, Final Fantasy VII and VIII, Gran Turismo 2, Colin McRae 2.0, goddamn Time Crisis and Project Titan, Ridge Racer Type 4...

...But I'll stop there because I could actually, legitimately go on all freaking day long. I'll finish by giving a few PC games I loved SO dearly during this time: Rayman 2, Daytona USA, SEGA Rally, Virtua Cop 1 & 2 and the GOAT Sonic R. Easily my most played game of the generation. Fight me!

I'm actually optimistic that the PS5 might approach this level of greatness, as the PS4, especially toward its later years, already recovered some of this spirit with unexpected releases like Devil May Cry 5, Ace Combat 7 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. PS5 starts thing off on the right foot with Final Fantasy XVI. But the 5th gen will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[SpotAnime]

Absolutely. That gen was magical in terms of the technical advancements in gaming.

• Finally arcade-perfect ports
• Developers understanding and embracing high-quality CD audio and video enhanced the gaming experience
• Not just the shift to 3D, but a shift to HQ 2D sprites and animation as well
• Enhancements to the control of games, i.e., analog control and rumble

It was also the first generation for me as an adult living on my own. These consoles were the first I had to budget and save for, which is important to me. It was also the first generation I had a mature perspective on and appreciation of games and their development cycles. Lastly, it was the first generation I had truly boundless amounts of time to play games. Outside of work, I could decide to plan to stay in and play games all weekend, or stay up late.

Nonetheless, the PS1, Saturn, and N64 had some amazing game libraries which contain some of the best games ever released.

 

[eXistor]

I consider the Saturn one of the greatest consoles of all time (you have to include the Japanese library though) and I love the PS1 for its great RPG's. The N64 is my first real Nintendo disappointment, outside of a handful of classics, the system offers me almost nothing. There's a few hidden gems there like Space Station Silicon Valley and Beetle Adventure Racing, but overall, I consider the N64 to be bottom-tier Nintendo.

I still regularly play both Saturn and PS1.

 

[Deleted member 56752]

64 is the best of those imho. Loved that system

 

[KingDrool]

During that gen, I started with an N64 and loved it. Got a PS1 later in the generation, and didn't get a Saturn until much later. Over time, the Saturn has become one of my favorite consoles, and of the three it's the one I play the most nowadays. I really love the 2D games from that era, and the Saturn and PS1 had some great choices.I find the 3D games haven't aged well at all, and are hard for me to play. But I could play those 2D games all day.

 

[SilverArrow20XX]

Of course.
The N64 came out when I was 7, making it the first new generation to happen in my memory.
It was also an enormous change where gaming entered the 3D era and the excitement for that was crazy.
It was also the generation I played throughout elementary school, so it definitely played a formative role in the games I like.
It'd be impossible not to have a soft spot for it.

 

[halcali]

The 2nd greatest gen., for me.

SNES/PC-E/MD/NG was the greatest, but I have the biggest "soft spot" for PS1/SAT aesthetics, right now. <3

 

[HylianMaster2020]

I want an N64 mini, everything loaded on a quiet system going about playing the GOAT games Nintendo should put one out immediately

 

[ShinUltramanJ]

Console generations take me back to where I was in my life at the time. The Saturn/PS1/N64 generation was one of the greatest for me, so yeah - soft spot for sure!

 

[Simba1]

I am playing games from 80", and I and can say that PS1/N64 makes easily best generations ever,
at least for me, also for me N64 and PS1 are best and 2nd best consoles ever.

I mean, Zelda OoT, Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie, M64, Golden Eye 007, Diddy Kong Racing, Tomb Raider 1-3, Resident Evil 1-3, Twisted Metal 2, Silent Hill, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII...I mean so many games in single generation that considered for best games of all time.

 

[supercommodore]

Yes, it has some of the best games of all time as well as by far the best Final Fantasy generation.

• Final fantasy 7, 8, 9
• Final Fantasy Tactics
• Metal Gear Solid
• Mario 64
• Super Smash Bros
• Mario Kart 64
• Ocarina of Time
• Mischief makers
• Perfect Dark
• Goldeneye
• Tony Hawk 1 and 2
• Banjo Kazooie
• Crash 1, 2 and 3
• Vagrant Story
• Tomb Raider
• Symphony of the Night
• House of the Dead
• Xenogears
• Legend of Dragoon
• Chrono Cross
• Gran Turismo 1 and 2
• Rayman

It also has the magic of going from 2-D to 3-D that no other generation will be able to recapture.

 

[halcali]

The Saturn, PS1 and Mario 64 are incredible.

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that's kinda how I view it, too.

SAT / PS1 / Mario 64 machine. lol

 

[sir_crocodile]

The Saturn, PS1 and Mario 64 are incredible.

Click to shrink...

Hey, Hybrid Heaven, Doom 64, ISS 64 & 1080 snowboarding were something special

Prob others but those are the ones I replayed recently enough to say it wasn't nostalgia

 

[Sprat]

The most exciting video game generation for me, filled with some of my very favorite games of all time. It felt like every month there was a new innovation or creative leap being made, whether that was on console, PC or the arcades.

I'm happy for it to remain a forgotten or disregarded generation though - keep those prices low for collectors!!

Click to shrink...

You clearly haven't tried buying pal saturn games...

 

[mrbogus]

I really like the PS1 and the Saturn. I have the most games for the PS1 but my rarest titles from that gen are on the Saturn.

For the N64 I have exactly five games for it and like only three of them. (Super Mario 64, F-Zero X, and The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time).

 

[sn00zer]

Definitely the most "creative" gen. Lotta weird games as everyone is trying to figure out new mechanics. I think that's why PS1 era remakes (Tomb Raider Anniversary, RE2, CTR) are typically make the best remakes since they have so many interesting mechanics/level design that have been "lost" in recent years that it feels "fresh" playing now.

 

[asd202]

Yes, PSX will always be the best console of all time for me.

 

[PcPlasticFuzz]

It is my favorite generation by a wide margin. Saturn and PS1 especially.

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I'm with this guy 100%!!

 

[Deleted member 81119]

I personally think every generation of consoles has been better than the last. But PS1 specifically made gaming more mainstream and it had dozens of games that were transformative for the industry, and the N64 obviously had games like Mario 64 that defined 3D gaming so it's definitely one of my favourite gens.

Edit: actually I kind of conflate that era with PC games like Doom and MDK. Were those the same era? In which case 100% the most important gen.

 

[Tailzo]

I was stupid and bought a playstation, while my brother got the sega saturn. Many years later I realised I prefered the saturn library. I have some great games (shining force games, panzer dragoon saga, guardian heroes, ect) but I lack a ton since my brother sold his Saturn and I started collecting late.

 

[Firebricks]

The jump from 16 bit 2D graphics to early 3D is really understated these days. It was absolutely mind blowing at the time. I'm guessing its because it's aged so poorly, but if you can still put yourself in the mindset you were in in the mid 90s, its still pretty great today.

 

[Tailzo]

Also, check out

Weird and beautiful Sega Saturn games

I was looking at a database for Sega Saturn games and I must say many Sega Saturn games just hold up so well. Sega Saturn is the console I wish I bought instead of Playstation (I did buy it later, but if only I had made my collection earlier it would have been cheaper. Both Playstation and N64...

www.resetera.com

 

[Eppcetera]

I have a softer spot for the SNES generation, but the N64 has Super Mario 64 and two classic Zelda games, while the PS1 has many of my all-time favourite RPGs (too many to list), so I'm a fan of this generation.

 

[Deleted member 17210]

After the rocky start with Jag and 3DO, it became an awesome gen with SS/PS1/N64 along with huge advancements in PC gaming (Quake engine, 3d cards). There was a lot of innovation and experimentation. Coming off the 16-bit era, it felt like 2d platformers were sacrificed at the altar to give us this new era, though. Other 2d genres fared better that gen although there was a legitimate worry at the time that 2d gaming in general would die off.

 

[Deleted member 18021]

I still dearly love the low poly models from this generation. Pokemon Stadium in particular:

 

[andymcc]

Other 2d genres fared better that gen although there was a legitimate worry at the time that 2d gaming in general would die off.

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Felt this was especially true if you didn't import. I remember being so pissed at SCEA for blocking so many PS1 compilations/releases due to how they viewed 2D games at the time.

 

[Ocean Bones]

N64 was amazing.

The Majoras mask Gold cartridge and Donkey Kong 64, the expansion card.

Yoshi at the end of Mario 64

Mario kart and Mario Party, Smash bros and Golden Eye with a group of friends all night

Banjo and Conkers.

What an incredible system.

 

[Deleted member 11413]

The most exciting video game generation for me, filled with some of my very favorite games of all time. It felt like every month there was a new innovation or creative leap being made, whether that was on console, PC or the arcades.

I'm happy for it to remain a forgotten or disregarded generation though - keep those prices low for collectors!!

Click to shrink...

Lol wut it is not at all

 

[dtcm83]

I have a ton of nostalgia for the 5th gen since that was a prime teenage video-game playing period for me and I spent many many hours playing games. Quite a few games from this period did NOT age well though . But, many of the long-standing franchises still out there today had their debuts in the 5th gen.