Sega Saturn Birthday Article Part 3: Teeezy's Top 10 Saturn Games

 Top Ten (Personal) Sega Saturn Games

   

It wouldn't be a birthday celebration for my favorite console without a mention of some of my favorite games on the system. To me the Saturn's library is unlike any other as its filled with the best versions of a lot of arcade games, experimental software and more peripherals/expansions than a Fischer Price playset. It's because of the library that I fell in love with the system, and the reason I've looked into other Japanese game libraries in general. For that I have to thank the Saturn. So to spread the love I wanted to highlight my 10 favorite Saturn games in order. These games range a variety of genres, and as always isn't a definitive list so you might like other games more than I do. Let me know what your favorite Saturn games are in the comments down below, maybe I'll find something new to play. With that being said, lets start with a game that made me excited to be a Saturn owner early on.

#10

Daytona USA

This game usually is pretty divisive amongst Saturn owners. One of the earliest titles released for Saturn, Daytona USA was largely a rushed port of the classic 1993 Model 2 arcade game that revolutionized gaming with its texture mapped polygons running at a blazing 60 FPS. The Saturn port got the short end of the stick running on a machine that developers hadn't worked out the kinks of 3D gaming, and it affects the performance and presentation of the game quite a bit. The arcade runs at a buttery smooth 60 FPS, whereas the Saturn is lucky to go above 20-25. The pop in of the polygons ahead of you are a bit jarring at first as well, so if you don't know the tracks it can affect your overall race because the racetrack literally isn't there until you are about to drive on it in a second. This hurt the Saturn early in its life, being compared to Namco's Ridge Racer as a launch title on the Playstation. However, the gameplay of Daytona USA is fully intact. Controls have been translated to a standard controller beautifully, with enough buttons on the Saturn controller to play with a manual transmission and gear drift through turns like a pro. The music has been brought over in CD quality from the arcade game as well, and it cannot be understated how much it adds to every race. Daytona USA was one of the first three games I got with my Saturn, and as someone who hadn't played the arcade version yet, this got me well prepared and excited for the real thing. Is there much reason to come back to Daytona on Saturn today? Probably not compared to some other games on this list, but it will always hold a special place to me.

#9

Dead or Alive

If you like fighting games, the Saturn is one of the best console to invest in aside from the Neo Geo. With its variety of 2D and 3D fighting games, you'll find something that scratches that itch. For me Dead or Alive works perfectly on the Saturn while also showcasing the hardware. With a fun cast of characters, smooth controls all running in the Saturn's high-res mode, it makes for one of the Saturn's finest fighting games. I also had a lot of fun unlocking some of the costumes for characters and learning special moves to perform multi-hit combos. It's also hard not to mention the game's "physics" with the low polygonal women. My girlfriend and I had an absolute blast playing against each other and laughing whenever one of the female fighters struck a victory pose. Definitely check out DoA if you have the chance.

#8

Decathlete

If someone hasn't played on a Sega Saturn, or even heard of the Saturn and is their first time playing the system, this is almost always the first or second game I show them. With a friend, Decathlete becomes of the most fun experiences on the console, becoming a contest in button mashing, timing, and who can nail a single jump on the pole vault. With a fun cast of characters, and a menu that has a lot of personality that actually screams at you "hey hey hey! oh ho!" as you select your game mode. Another game that runs in the Saturn's high res mode, I also like to use it as an example of what the Saturn could do graphically, although its probably not the best example. I'm sure for some of my friends though the Saturn is the Decathlete console, and I have a lot of great memories playing this with all sorts of friends. Eventually though, we will have to play some Winter Heat to spice things up...

#7

Battle Garegga

With some shmup players saying this is the most quintessential shmup of all time, and being a game that helped define the genre of bullet hell, it makes sense as why it would be on my list. A late release for Saturn in '98 this port was regarded as the key way to enjoy this legendary shmup. After playing it I can see why. With amazing visuals and sprite work, a pumping soundtrack that keeps you invested in the downtime of a stage, and a brutal difficulty that demands perfection, it has been a game I come back to time and time again to see how far I can get on one credit (I made it to stage 5 one time). There's also a variety of modes for practice and understanding on the game's brutal ranking system, as well as an option to help see some of the smaller bullets. There's better ways to enjoy this game today with a revision coming to PS4 in 2016, but I prefer the Saturn version. All I have to do now is get a TATE setup to enjoy this and a few other Saturn shmups at full capacity.

#6

Sega Touring Car Championship

When I first bought this game I didn't really like it, and even still it certainly is a game with an acquired taste. That taste being achieving racing perfection in an engine that doesn't play like other arcade racers in the generation or since then. Most arcade racers rely on a drift mechanic to power most of the excitement during gameplay, while Sega Touring Car is largely a grip racer. It also, unlike other racers on the console like the aforementioned Daytona USA, doesn't work well with a standard controller. This game to me is one of the few games that are essentially playing for the 3D Control Pad. Once I had the controller, I was able to scratch the surface and start winning races. However, my love for the game really only started earlier this year with the Sega Saturn Shiro! Discord's community challenge. With serious time investment in the game, the more I appreciated the differences in its gameplay, and how much content there was to mess around with. You also can't go without mentioning the eurobeat soundtrack that enhances those time trial attempts even more. If you're looking for something different but rewarding, give this game a try. You can also check out my full review I did earlier this year for more details. 

#5

Magical Drop III

One genre of game that certainly didn't have a shortage on Saturn was the humble puzzle game. With so many good puzzlers on Saturn, it was difficult to pick just one, but ultimately I had to go with Magical Drop III. This fast paced, competitive puzzle game sets itself apart by having the puzzle pieces pile up at the top of the screen and trying to crush you at the bottom. The more colors you match together, the more opportunity you have to get a crazy combo and flood the opponent's half of the screen with junk pieces that they have to grab. Another thing I really enjoy is that each character has their own special powers and ways that they add junk pieces to the opponent's board, making the gameplay deeper than your usual Puyo Puyo of the era. This game is a perfect balancing act of mindfulness of your board state, and the franticness of moving faster than your opponent, and is especially fun with a friend. 

#4

Nights into Dreams

For a lot of people this is their favorite Saturn game and for good reason. It highlights everything that Sega was about for the console generation. Fluid arcade score attack action with a personality all its own. When paired with the 3D Control Pad that was bundled with the game, it unlocks a special experience. Nailing a section of a stage and achieving that A rank for the first time is a lot of fun. Thankfully this game has been brought to more modern systems for people to enjoy, definitely give it a shot!

#3

Thunder Force V

One of the earliest shmups I ever beat without a continue, Thunder Force V thus far has been my favorite entry in the series. Although also being released on the PlayStation, this is one of the shining examples of the Saturn version having some upsides thanks to its 2nd graphic processing chip. I also prefer the Saturn controller for this game, as it makes it very easy for each button to control one of the different types of shots. Similar to other games on this list, the soundtrack is one of the highlights of the experience for me, with some seriously rocking guitars and synths on some tracks, and a call back to Thunder Force 4 on Stage 5 that's pretty cool. This game feels really good to come back to now, especially once you've routed the levels and know which weapons work best for each situation. If you haven't played a shmup before this one wouldn't be a bad place to start. The difficulty curve feels just right, and its one I come back to often.

#2

Grandia

One of my favorite parts of the Saturn is its community. With so many great resources and projects being worked on constantly, it continues to give life to Sega's 5th planet from the Sun. It's always exciting to see is a new fan translation for a game that was previously only playable in Japanese on the console. Even if the game was playable in English on other systems, I'd almost always try to play on the Saturn. In this case, Grandia was made for the Saturn first before getting ported to the PlayStation a year or so later. From the same developer as the Lunar games, this would become a spiritual successor and go on to have sequels for later systems, but I think this first entry is going to be hard to beat. You follow Justin whose father was an adventurer, and he wants to be just like him. He goes on a adventure of epic proportions, and along the way the story becomes a coming of age story, and tackles themes of young love, friendship, and the ecosystem/planet. Traversing the world is always exciting with varied locales and 3D environments with 2D sprites, something that was essentially made to work well on the Saturn. The thing that really stands out as the game changer is the combat system. You're able to see the turn order of events, and each battle happens on its own contained battlefield that the enemies and your characters move around on. Positions on the field help determine which attacks hit, and how quickly your moves will land. Spells are also universal for the most part, but each character has weapons that they specialize in and skills that only they can learn. Playing Grandia earlier this year quickly was one of my favorite experiences on the console, and I can thank only the community for allowing me to experience such a great game on my favorite console. 

Before we get to number 1, lets take a look at a few honorable mentions that didn't quite make it.

Sakura Wars

Part dating-sim, part SRPG, all a great time. One of the first translation patches I ever played for Saturn, and a great experience for any anime fan as the production values in this game and it's presentation are spot on.

Virtua Fighter 2

Many people would have this game in their top 10, and its easy to see why. With great graphics and translation from the arcade game, its one of the best arcade ports on a console full of arcade ports. 

Rockman 8

I've been a Megaman/Rockman fan for a long time, and this game slowly has become one of my favorites. One of the best presentations of any Rockman game in the classic series, along with the standard tight controls, better accessibility options for weapons and some Saturn exclusive content make the game a personal favorite for the system and in the series.

#1

Sega Rally Championship

Sega Rally Championship on Saturn exemplifies everything great and not so great with the console. A wonderful arcade port with added content and smooth gameplay with 3D visuals on a console that had a difficult time presenting them, but there's only 4 courses in total. However, the track designs are sublime, and with the main mode of gameplay requiring proficiency on each track in order to win it makes it all the more natural that you'd be looking for spots to decrease your time. When I first started playing Sega Rally Championship, my main goal was just to beat the arcade mode, but then you start shaving seconds off of the default time with each second barrier passed feeling as a major accomplishment. The strategies for each track are deep on the arcade mode and in time trials. Strategies like bumping into walls, opposing cars, and nailing that hair pin on the mountain course turn a novice/intermediate player into an expert. Every few months or so I always find myself coming back to Sega Rally for a good while trying to decrease my times on any one of the game's various modes. The gameplay isn't all though, as this game also has my favorite presentation and soundtrack on the console. All of this on a standard Saturn d-pad as well, serious props to the developers for taking the time to make this game translate well on a standard Saturn controller. It doesn't get much better on the Saturn than Sega Rally Championship, and it's easily one of my favorite games ever as well as my favorite game on the console.

Thanks so much for reading my list of my favorite Saturn games. Let me know if you've played these games before, and what your favorite Saturn games are!