Respect Your Elders: Dragon Quest 1 HD-2D Remake Thoughts

 Party Like It's 1986 

In recent years, Square-Enix has been creating and releasing games under this "HD-2D" art style and presentation. Games like Octopath Traveler were the progenitor of this movement, and several games like Live A Live and Star Ocean have been given this makeover. In 2024, Square-Enix re-released Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake, and then later announced that Dragon Quest I & II were getting the a similar treatment. I had just recently finished Dragon Quest V on my DS very early last year, and thought it was a great experience! I've heard that Dragon Quest can be JRPG comfort food from several people on social media before, and I can relay that sentiment. So, itching for some more comfort food, I recently checked out Dragon Quest I on the new HD-2D collection from late last year. Before DQV, I had played DQI on several occasions, getting about two-thirds of the way through the original US release on NES, and fully beating the IOS port on the Nintendo Switch about 4-5 years ago. With that prior experience with not just the franchise but the game itself, how does the HD-2D remake stack up?

The story to this point, as DQIII is the prequel to the original DQ

 

Presentation

 The biggest draw I think initially to this collection of games is its presentation. DQ I & II have been re-released several times since their original versions in the mid-late '80s, but not to this level of love and care that the franchise deserves. Like I mentioned above, I had played through the other Switch version of DQI but it wasn't the best experience. Some things were hit and miss with the visuals, and it was a pretty bare bones improvement overall. Thankfully, the new HD-2D remake hits pretty much every mark. The new visuals are looking great in my opinion. The sprite work on the characters in the overworld and in battle are supremely detailed while still carrying the original Toriyama art style that the series is known for. Towns, dungeons and the overworld have been revamped with a new 3D visuals that compliment the sprite art nicely. The mountains have never been larger, and the water has never looked as scenic as it does here. As the hero walks through dungeons, you can see the shadows from the torch in his hand crawling the walls and flickering as the torch does. Battles have never looked better either, with enemies greatly detailed and every strong attack has a clean animation to go alongside it. I especially like the Dragon Slash ability, with a slash summoning a screaming dragon that does well against dragon foes. Everything looks great, with a few caveats. I played my copy of the game on a Switch, and I did notice times when loading into a new area the frame rate dipping down a bit as things were loading in, mostly in the backgrounds. Additionally, playing in handheld mode did not do any favors for the sprite work in the characters. The sprites are detailed enough so that you're able to see their expressions and emotions on the current situation fairly easily, but some of that detail is lost at the lower resolution of the Switch's handheld mode. Characters become muddied together, but not in a way that makes it look better like dithering has been used in the past. Still though, I can't ignore the level of detail that has been put into the visuals. I would just recommend playing on a newer device with a little bit more under the hood than the ol' not so reliable Switch.

This definitely looks better on a TV, but even in the OG Switch's handheld mode some scenes can impress.

Visuals aren't the only part of a game's presentation however; soundtracks are an integral part of the DQ experience as a series as long running as it is. As I understand it, more recent releases of DQ games were available with a full orchestral soundtrack provided by the Tokyo Symphonic Suite in Japan but not here in the states, mainly DQVII and VIII on the 3DS. This is not the case thankfully for DQ I & II as they have a fully orchestral soundtrack that sounds amazing. Traversing Alefgard with the soft oboe and strings playing in the background really adds to the sense of wonder of the world itself. It is a soundtrack that adds to the freshness of the experience, while still giving longtime players nostalgia with Sugiyama's compositions that have graced the franchise for so long.

Gameplay and Story

(Minor Spoilers Ahead)

Erdrick's Grave found early on in the game is a key catalyst for your adventure

Being the grandfather of most JRPGs to this point, DQI is mostly a game that goes back to basics. Throughout the game you only control one character, a descendant of the legendary hero Erdrick on his quest to slay the Dragonlord and bring peace back to the land of Alefgard. In the original, this was pretty cut and dry storywise. You would go around the world collecting new equipment, learning new skills, gathering keys to progress to the next section of the world until you're at the end. This is largely the same in the remake, but much more fleshed out. Several key items are included that you have to gather that aren't in the original, making you explore the world a little bit deeper, and giving opportunities for some characters to be fleshed out. The original DQ basically didn't have characters for a lack of a better term. It was you as the hero, the king, the dragonlord, and other minor characters that would give you items needed to progress. In the remake however, you get to really experience Alefgard as a land that people live in, and you get to learn much more about their experiences and plights. As an example, part way through the journey you come across some faeries who will be vital to your quest. You get to see some friendly banter and debating on what they should do with you as humans and faeries historically didn't always get along. Then later in the adventure, you get to experience some events alongside the faeries firsthand that makes the hero's journey all the more worth it. I'm purposefully being vague in my description here, because I think its something that you should experience. In addition to there being more story and characterization in general, the writing is fairly competent as well. Dialogue is mostly written in an old Shakespearean way where most words have a -st or -eth at the endeth of every other wordeth. There were also several points where in talking with the NPCs you discover some wittier dialogue that won't necessarily have you laughing out loud, but it adds brevity to more serious moments and situations throughout the adventure. 

Stories are only half the battle however; what does the minute to minute gameplay feel like? In a game this old yet new, I feel that Square-Enix hit a nice balance of feeling like the original while adding modern sensibilities. Battling might has well have been completely retooled. In the original game, your moves were limited to fight, item, run, and spell, all while only fighting one enemy at a time as you were just one hero. Well you're still just one hero, at no other point will you receive any other party members or help in battle throughout your playthrough. The enemies have gotten a bit more wise though, and will fight you with multiple groups of fiends at once. To compensate, the hero has a few more tricks up his sleeve. You now have access to abilities, a mid ground between casting spells and doing a normal attack. Most abilities are elemental forms of physical strikes, but you have other more status buffing effects like Dodgy Dance or Wild Side to assist in your efforts. You can also now defend on your turn! Wow! While sometimes unused in some JRPGs, defending as well as every other move in your arsenal has a time and place. Controlling only one character makes you approach battles a little differently compared to most games following it. I really noticed this in the boss battles. Some bosses aren't anything to slouch at becoming a careful dance of attacking, healing and defending, all while noticing subtle habits in how they attack you. It makes those more climactic battles feel more like a puzzle, where you're trying to find a strategy that works best for the current situation. That's not to say you don't see that in more modern JRPGs, but its more noticeable and appreciated because only control one character, not in spite of it. 

Battles are some of the best updates to the DQI, while still having that classic DQ feel.

Strategies and abilities aside, there are also some nice quality of life changes. In the overworld you can now run to get a move on, and the fast traveling options have been greatly expanded since the original game, not even costing MP to Zoom from place to place. Battles can be had at different speeds as well, making them as drawn out or as snappy as you'd like them to be. On the subject of grinding, compared to the original which was about 60% grinding, the remake is very minimal. I had about 20 hours in my play time of DQI, and I'd say a little under a full hour was spent grinding either for money or exp. I don't think it was required at all either, it was just something I wanted to do to get a better piece of equipment earlier in the game, or to make a boss fight a little bit easier. In my opinion one of the greatest quality of life features is the Recall system. Whenever you talk with an NPC, whether it be in a cutscene or some cat you found on the street that meows at you, pressing the start button allows you to save that interaction in a memory bank of sorts to recall at a later point. As someone who isn't past looking things up for a game online, but likes to try to beat the game without the outside help, this was a great feature. Being able to recall hints to find hidden equipment pieces or hidden areas on the world map made me feel that talking with every NPC was valuable, but I didn't have to worry about forgetting their information, or remembering where they were located so I could talk to them again. I would like to see features similar in other RPGs in the future, as it was one of the biggest takeaways I had from playing this remake. 

 

Closing Remarks

My itch for Dragon Quest has become ever itchier after playing this first part in a two part package. While Dragon Quest gets more recognition in the west than ever before, it feels satisfying to go back and play the series origins. I've made some remarks to the limitations of the original version of DQ over the course of this post, but don't think that I didn't enjoy my time with the original. It was a different experience than the games I had already played, but I could see the essence of the JRPGs that I've come to enjoy in DQ. The HD-2D remake captures that feeling and essence, but in a refined way that is complimentary to the original experience. The game is beautiful to see and hear, and has enough depth to its story and gameplay to keep you engaged throughout the games duration. With the complete Erdrick trilogy being out on modern consoles in HD-2D, and DQVII Reimagined being just on the horizon, I'd say that there's not going to be a better time to get into the franchise. If you like JRPGs, give this version of the game a shot to see where so many other games got their ideas from. I'd say its worth going back to the original version of the game sometime as well, as it makes you appreciate the remake even more, while also still being fun in its own right. 

 

Thank you for reading my blog. If you'd like to support me, check out the other posts on this blog, or consider visiting my YouTube channel at youtube.com/@checkthemanual. 

 2025 in review

Videos and Learning New Skills

If you've just been following this blog, then 2025 hasn't been much. Looking back I only created one post on how I was tackling my backlog. I had created a handful of other posts, but never got around to refining them or fleshing out the ideas that I once had. However, most of my time this year was spent on my YouTube channel, CheckTheManual. There I tried my best to create content semi-regularly, with the highlight being July/August leading up to Evo where I looked at several game manuals, and my collectors edition of Cyberbots in full detail. Outside of that I also made 2 Playdate reviews, which seemed to really take off and are where the majority of my views have come it seems. My goal was to try to hit 100 subscribers within the year, and currently as I'm writing this my channel is at 115 subscribers! I'd say the videos that I'm most proud of were my Cyberbots video as well as a Nintendo Power video I made looking at the launch of Nintendo's Wi-fi service and how to access it. I learned a lot of new things in editing videos, and although basic, it felt good to learn something new. My goal for 2026 isn't necessarily a subscriber count per se. I'd like to come back to writing more blog posts. Perhaps just keeping things shorter and a bit more opinion-based would be easier for this blog, still to be decided more on. As for my YouTube channel, I would like to continue in creating longer videos with a bit more substance and research needed to be put into them. My short form content which has been my bread and butter so to speak I'd like to keep more brief. Usually my videos are about 2 minutes in length for the shorts, but in checking my analytics I find that most people aren't staying for longer than 10-15 seconds. So I plan to change my shorts to be shorter just looking at either artwork or tidbits about the manual I thought were cool. I have a lot of other ideas for my videos, so stay tuned to that. 

Outside of the videos and posts I'll be creating, I'd also like to focus more attention on things that could aid in bringing new ideas to the table. I've always heard that game developers do better when their interests are more varied, and that they take the medium of video games as a creative outlet first as opposed to making entertainment or as a job. With that being said, in 2026 I'm going to be putting more effort into reading, and learning Japanese. The latter I've already taken some great steps towards, as in the last quarter of 2025 I've been taking in person Japanese classes with my fiancé. My main intention behind this is to experience Japan and its culture to the fullest extent, and so I don't look like a total tourist when we eventually are able to make the trek across the Pacific. Additionally, it would allow me to experience things that most western gamers wouldn't be able to because of the language barrier. Maybe one day I could contribute in a meaningful way to a fan translation of a game! On the flip side, reading has been something I've always enjoyed, but never put serious time into. I have a handful of books down that I'd like to read, but most of them are nonfiction. I'll do my best to find some great fiction to read throughout this year as well, in the hopes to expand my horizons and potentially improve my amateurish writing on this blog. 

Games 

Most years I look back on and realize I acquired more games than I did play them. This was thankfully not the case this year. About two-thirds of the way through the year, I looked back and really started to keep track of every game that I spent more than a few hours or so playing. For me, I usually spend my evenings playing one game for several hours. That doesn't necessarily mean that I beat all of the games I played, but I did beat quite a few of them. Using the website topsters.org I compiled all of my games into one helpful image I could add to and revisit over the course of the year, while also placing them in the order I enjoyed them the most. Here is a list of everything I played! 

Wow! Right at 50 games this year across a variety of platforms, genres and timeframes. This list is ordered in its entirety, with some room for games to move around. Now I'm sure I forgot some games to add to this list that I did end up playing, but I can always add it to next year's list if needed. Additionally, here are some brief thoughts on the games that I either enjoyed the most, or have something to add to for clarification. 

1. Virtua Fighter 5 REVO/World Stage: A fighting game player's fighting game. Playing this game semi-seriously for the first two-thirds of this year was nothing short of one of the greatest experiences I've had playing a fighting game. The epitome of simple to understand, difficult to master. The VF community is awesome, and I look forward to hopping back on the grind in 2026. 
2. Unicorn Overlord: Easily one of my favorite tactical RPG's and probably now in my top 10 JRPG's. Beautiful presentation overall, with deep mechanics and gameplay that can be as long or as short as you'd like it to be. The story is pretty cut and dry, but there's a lot of character growth and finality to the story that really made me enjoy it. Can't recommend enough, thank you Vanillaware. 
3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Don't play this without playing the rest of the series up to this point. If you haven't, you won't care. If you have, easily one of the most memorable experiences you'll have and a true love letter to the players of the franchise.
4. Fallout New Vegas: The sleeper hit of this year for me. From Novac to Nellis, from Vegas to Hoover Dam, everything about this game is memorable. Some of the best character writing and decision making I've ever encountered in a video game, and something everyone should play.
5. Animal Crossing Wild World: I loved when the villagers were a little more snarky, and the mechanics not so over tuned with crafting and durability. Easily my favorite Animal Crossing. 
6. Lumines 2: Has Missy Elliot and Gwen Stefani saying "super kawaii"
7. Baroque: Game I wish I played more of award. I'll definitely be coming back to this one throughout '26
8. Freedom Wars: Neat premise, and the gameplay is fun, but a bit grindy in single player. I wish I would've played this game when the online was working on Vita, or just played the remaster on modern consoles/Steam. If you like Monster Hunteresque gameplay, give this a shot.
9. Clair Obscur Expedition 33: I only played like 5-6 hours of this while it was on game pass. Kind of a neat premise, and it was a game that I had on my radar, but I didn't really feel like there was anything that I hadn't already experienced in other games before. I might come back and give it another shot, but at this point the community around the game is kind of keeping me from playing it. 
10. Spotto: Play more DSiware games. Cute and charming puzzle game that doesn't overstay it's welcome

If you'd like to know more of my thoughts on any of the games I have listed above, feel free to ask in the comments or send me a DM on my Bluesky or Twitter. In the year to follow, I also have some games I'd like to play sooner rather than later. So, I've also made a list of games in my backlog that I can check off my list as 2026 continues. 

As you can see, I started this list back in September or so, and I've already played the first two games on this list, so I'm making some headway. I'm thinking of playing something with a bit more action next, so maybe I'll check out Ranger X. It's also Persona's 30th anniversary next year, and I've always wanted to play the OG. We will see.

Overall my 2025 was great. In my personal life things are going quite well, and my passion of video games grows stronger by the year. I'm really proud of myself for growing my YouTube channel to the point that it is today, and I look forward to creating even more videos in the future. Keep an eye out here as well for posts ranging all sorts of game topics. I hope you have a happy New Year!

How I found to have fun with my backlog, fun with games again, and moving forward

 I'll play it someday...why not today?

Several days ago, I bought a handful of import games online which I was excited about, because my game purchasing has drastically gone down over the past few years. Several years ago, I knew exactly what games I had and which I didn't. However, as my collection has grown, I've started using an app on my phone called GameEye to enter and keep track of my collection in its entirety. This came about after buying several lower dollar games that I already had bought years ago and never realized. After receiving my new import games, I entered them into my collection app, when I realized I had just passed the 700 physical games owned threshold. Even typing it out it seems like so much! It made me stop for a moment and think back on how many of my games I've actually played or enjoyed vs. how many I've never even touched. It also made me think of how many times I had thought about starting a game, but never actually did. Whether it was the game that was just purchased, or something that was sitting on the shelf for years it gave me a call to action. Earlier this year, I set some ideas/goals that I wanted to follow when playing games that were reinforced after adding my 700th game to my collection. I feel like it's really helped me overall with my enjoyment of games, so I wanted to share some concepts that I've been practicing and see if it helps other people!

 

1. Don't hesitate to play something just because you haven't finished what you're currently playing 

This was a big one for me personally. I would start a game that I knew had a reputation of being a bit on the longer side. I'd play around 20-30 hours of that experience, but I would get burnt out around that point. However, because I just invested 20-30 hours of my time, I now am pushing through the rest of the game trying to finish it to make the experience feel worth it. Because I've now locked myself into one game, I felt guilty playing another game or starting a brand new story out of fear that I would never get to finish the first game. I realized this more than ever when playing Elden Ring. I started playing Elden Ring for the first time early 2024. It was my first true soulslike experience, and I was having a ton of fun fighting difficult enemies and traveling an amazing, uniquely built world. I felt like this for about 30 hours, when I started to feel fatigued after playing nothing but Elden Ring for the past 2 weeks or so. Even though I was fatigued, I said to myself "well I must be close to the end, I'll just keep pushing to the credits". I played the game for about another 15 hours in total over the next few weeks, but in doing so I was not having as much fun. I wasn't exploring the side dungeons as much as I was. I found myself just running past enemies just to get to the next point in the story. I felt like I lost my sense of curiosity and was just going through the motions so I could play something else. I stopped playing Elden Ring around the 45 hour mark and felt kind of crappy about it, but I just wasn't having the same amount of fun. That's usually where my story would end with games like Elden Ring, but earlier this year I decided to play a little bit more, picking up where I left off. I ended up falling in love with the game all over again, and put another 40 hours into the game! I realized that I shouldn't just rush through a game to say that I beat it. Fun is king when it comes to games, and if I wasn't having fun, then I'll just play something else. My save file will be there when I'm ready to play again, and there's plenty of resources both in games and online to help me remember where I left off if I forgot. Because of this mentality, in 2025 I've played more games than ever!

2.  Replaying is fun, but I could be missing out

Earlier this year, I was playing through Pokemon Platinum when my roommate walked over, saw what I was playing, and said "ah the annual Pokemon playthrough". I hadn't realized it, but every year we had lived together and even some before that I had played through an older Pokemon game once a year. I don't think that there's anything wrong with replaying a game that you enjoy, but what about the games that you might enjoy even more? I love when I find out that a game that I've had on my shelf for years becomes a new favorite. After playing some Pokemon, I decided to try out Dragon Quest V for the first time, and it easily became one of my favorite RPGs on my DS. Now this isn't to say you should never replay your games. Just before you decide to boot up a game that you've experienced before, think about the stuff you haven't experienced yet!

 3. Spread the love across your consoles/devices

 Now obviously your mileage may vary with this point, but I still think it's worth making even if you only have 2-3 devices. I have a wealth of consoles and handhelds to play stuff on, but I tend to stick towards my favorites. In turn, because I play those consoles more often, I tend to feel like I'm running out of things to play. In actuality so much of my collection is underplayed or consoles just unexplored. It's important to pick up a console or handheld you haven't touched in a while to help remember why you have it in the first place. For example, I've had my PSP for quite some time at this point. Most of it's library that I owned I had already played through when I was younger, but I had never forgotten that I had a PSP and always kept an eye out for new games to add to my collection. Although my collection had grown by double, I wasn't using it. So I decided to charge my PSP for the first time in about a year and check out some of the games I had purchased. I had played Lumines as one of my favorite games growing up, but I never played Lumines 2 so I started there. Did you know that Lumines has not just unique music created for the game, but also some licensed tracks from the early-mid 2000's like Hollaback Girl and Pump It? It reminded me in a more literal sense that these retro games are a product of their era, and they're fun to experience past the time they were originally released. Also that Pump It is dangerously easy to get stuck in your head. 

4. Play games in handfuls

 Whether just for the evening or over a longer period of time, it's good to have a few games that you're "currently playing" at any given time. I usually split things up into a console RPG or action game as well as a handheld game for a more relaxed experience. For my older consoles that have more arcade experiences like my Genesis or NES, I'll play several games over the course of one evening. That way if there's an experience that really grips me, I can continue to play that while still actively trying the games that I haven't touched whatsoever.

5. Bring friends along for the ride!

Just because you're experiencing a game for the first time doesn't mean you can't share that experience! As mentioned above, I recently bought some import games with one of them being a Sega Saturn game called "Anarchy in the Nippon". It's a 3D fighting game similar to Virtua Fighter 2, and I mainly purchased because it was cheaper and looked to run pretty smooth on the Saturn. However, fighting games are always meant to be played with an opponent, and thankfully my fiancé was down to play as well. She honestly beat me pretty bad overall, but we both really enjoyed some of the characters. The game primarily consists of what I assume are high school students (I can't read Japanese) but also features two older people. One is a middle-aged Japanese salary man type, while the other an older businesswoman or teacher, but both play nothing how they appear. I don't think I would've liked the game as much as I did if I was playing it by myself. So recently, I've been more encouraged to share my new experiences with friends and family, because what good is having such a collection if I can't play with or talk with them about it?

Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

Sega Saturn 30th Birthday Article Part 1, 1994 launch

 Sega's 6th Planet From the Sun Celebrates its 30th Anniversary

If you weren't able to tell from some other articles on this blog, my favorite console is the Sega Saturn. Its library is quintessential for the arcade enjoyer with dozens of home ports and peripherals to bring the arcade home, while still offering unique experiences at a time when the standards of 3D gameplay were not yet fully defined. This year on November 22nd will be the 30th anniversary of when the Saturn was released in its native country. To celebrate this anniversary, I wanted to take look back at the Saturn's reception upon launch in 1994, review some notable software, as well as a bit of the year that followed with the U.S release of the console. I'll also be looking at the very first issue of Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) which covers everything you'd need to know about the Saturn if you were on the edge of purchasing the system. The magazine look through will be part 2 of this blog post, so keep an eye out for that. 

Before the Saturn launched in Japan, Sega had been producing home consoles since 1983, and arcade hardware long before that. However, despite being a player in Japan's home console market, they never had the opportunity to be the country's top dog. Sega's first home console, the SG-1000, famously released on the same day as Nintendo's Famicom later known in the states as the NES. Even as Sega created their future consoles, the Mark III and Mega Drive, they never had gotten majority share of the console market over Nintendo or NEC. However this time around would be a little different for Sega, as by the end of 1995 Sega would go from 12% of the console market to 32%. Comparatively, longtime competitor Nintendo had dropped from 75% to 33% of the console market in 1995. With a console specifically made for the Japanese audience, and software to boot, the Saturn would be Sega's most successful console in its native land, eventually having over 1000+ pieces of software released there, and getting support until the year 2000. One other interesting aspect of the Saturn was that Sega was not the only manufacturer of the console. On its release day in 1994, consumers also had the option of purchasing a JVC/Victor V-Saturn. The console itself functioning the same as a Sega produced console with the only difference being a slight change in bios. Eventually, Hitachi would also produce several Saturn systems that had a few other perks, but that wouldn't occur until 1995. The console sold well at launch, reportedly selling 170,000 units on day one, and by mid-1995 Sega had sold 1 million units, celebrated by a price drop on the console and a new pack-in title being Virtua Fighter Remix. When it was all said and done the Saturn sold about 6 million units in Japan alone, outselling the later released Nintendo 64. The Saturn's fortunes wouldn't be so great in the U.S., but that's a story for later. A console would be nothing without its games, and luckily for the Sega Saturn it came bundled with a port of one of Japan's hottest arcade games, Virtua Fighter. 

Frankly, when you're looking at the Saturn's launch titles without Virtua Fighter it looks a little bare. Thankfully for Sega, AM2 and Yu Suzuki had created an arcade phenomenon when Virtua Fighter released the year prior. Essentially creating the 3D fighting genre, Virtua Fighter took a more realistic take on fighting games, using fighters with real fighting styles. Additionally, the game took advantage of its new found dimension with more camera angles as you're fighting and in the replay system after a round end. With fighting games being as popular in the early '90s as they were, Virtua Fighter found a way to stand out with more methodical and precise gameplay and visuals that couldn't be replicated on a home console before the 5th generation of consoles. It truly was a cultural phenomenon, and this is reflected in the sales numbers of the Saturn which came bundled with a home port of the original release in the U.S. As for the port itself, it’s still fun, but graphically it has some downgrades from the arcade release. When playing it can be hard not to notice the occasional polygon pop-in on characters and on the battle arenas themselves. Its especially noticeable on the attract screen with the quads on Akira's arms flashing in and out. Thankfully the gameplay was brought home intact, and pulling off moves with each character is the same as in the arcade. Despite the graphical flaws, people still bought the Saturn and its port of Virtua Fighter. Additionally, in 1995 Sega would release Virtua Fighter Remix, and updated port with new texture mapped graphics, and Virtua Fighter 2 which to many would be a graphical showcase for the system and the system's best selling game. However, Virtua Fighter wasn't the only game available on launch day. The launch also featured a port of PC game Myst, and a few weeks later games like Gale Racer and Clockwork Knight released. Although software was slow to release at first, the games slowly picked up through 1995 as more notable 3rd parties like Capcom, Konami, Taito, Atlus and Sunsoft to name a few started releasing games for the Saturn. Sega didn't have a shortage of 1st party support either releasing games like Panzer Dragoon, Sega Rally Championship, Virtua Cop, and Magic Knight Rayearth along with the aforementioned hit Virtua Fighter 2. Software like this was able to keep the Saturn competitive with the newly released PlayStation until 1997, when Square released Final Fantasy VII and Sony never looked back.

One thing that isn't talked about as much with the Saturn, and a personal highlight for me is the console's personality in its UI and presentation, in addition to its promise to bring the arcade experience home. When I first started playing around with my Saturn, one of the first things I noticed was that the controller had indentations on it meant for CD playback. I enjoy using my Saturn on occasion as a CD player, and the spaceship visualizer is one of my favorite parts of the system. I also really enjoy the sounds with each button press and menu that gets closed, they just add a lil’ something special, similar to when you're messing around with other console's menus like the PS2. Outside of the console and games that you would get on launch day, you also had several peripherals that you could purchase. For starters we have the backup memory cartridge for when your console has a little bit too much data stored on it. One of the cons of the PlayStation at launch was that everything was separate, so games and memory cards had to be purchased separately whilst the Saturn was ready to go straight out of the box. That memory built into the system wasn't permanent however, as a watch battery can be accessed on the back of the system that powers your internal memory and clock, so its important to get a backup cart at some point. Less essential perhaps were other control options such as the Shuttle Mouse and Virtua Stick. The Shuttle Mouse came in handy on launch day for Myst specifically, but would later have much more functionality in PC ports, dating sims/ADV games, and strategy rpgs like Sakura Wars and Iron Storm. The Virtua Stick was built for the Virtua Fighter fans that wanted a closer to arcade experience with an arcade controller. This controller would have a few revisions, including one that closer resembles the controller from Sega's own Astro City line of arcade cabinets, as well as a pro variant which was 2 controllers built into one for the ultimate 2-player home arcade! Curiously, the Saturn Taisen cable was also released on launch day allowing 2 consoles to connect to allow for multiplayer across 2 televisions, but no games at launch or even in 1995 supported it. Plenty of other peripherals would be launched for the system in the years to come like the Virtua Gun, Netlink Modem and 3D Control Pad for analog control. 

The Japanese launch of the console being well received, Sega of America was hoping for something similar in the states. However, a number of issues would come up that hindered the launch of the Saturn. Even before the Saturn launched, Sega was already producing the Sega 32X, an add-on for the Genesis that used the same chips as the Saturn itself, the Hitachi SH-2. This add-on would launch in the holiday of 1994, even coming out after the Saturn console in Japan! This was intended to give a longer lifespan to the aging Genesis hardware, which was still performing quite well in the USA. However, this caused a rift among consumers who were hesitant on purchasing an originally $160 add-on, when the new console was literally right around the corner. This shot Sega in the foot, because they expected the 32X to sell better, and many chips that could've been used in Saturns were instead in hardware that quite literally was sitting in a warehouse. Check out the FY 1996 documents that were released last year for some interesting sales data from Sega of America on both the Saturn and its other systems. Another issue comes up with the Saturn's launch. Saturn was originally planned to release on September 2nd 1995 dubbed "Saturnday". This would not be the case however, as Sega was worried about the upcoming PlayStation and its impressive 3D capabilities and games. Because of this, Sega decided to surprise launch the console on May 11th, 1995 at the very first E3 launching with 6 different games. This was bad for a handful of reasons. For one, a lot of stores didn't actually have the console on the 11th, with some stores not getting them until months later. The console was also only released at specific retailers, and this hurt Sega's relationship with other big name stores like Kay-Bee Toys. Lastly was the consoles price point, originally launching at $399. This led to Sony's infamous speech at E3 the same year, where Sony president Steve Race walked up to the podium and just said literally "299" and walked away. It was clear that Sega's pricing on the console was too high, and that reflected in the sales numbers. Reportedly the Saturn sold around 80,000 units from May to September when the PlayStation launched. In its first week, the PlayStation sold 130,000 units. So much for a getting a leg up. Problems would continue throughout the years, with a lack of some major Japan releases not getting localized, franchises that were big on the Genesis not coming over to the Saturn, and more. Nevertheless, the Saturn still had its fanbase, but they wouldn't be around for very long because the console essentially got the boot at the end of 1997, with a few pieces of software coming out in '98. There's a lot more that goes into the Saturn's failures in the U.S market, and I have the major source I used linked down below if you're interested in reading more about the system in the coming years after its launch. 

Overall, the Saturn had a better launch in Japan than the US, and that launch helped it perform better in the former rather than the latter. There's a number of things that Sega could've done better to set the Saturn up for more success, but lets not focus on Sega's shortcomings especially on the Saturn's birthday. For more information on the Saturn's launch in Japan, check out part two for the Saturn's celebration where we go over the 1st issue of Sega Saturn Magazine (JP). Thanks for reading!

Sources:

https://retrocdn.net/images/e/e1/Edge_UK_032.pdf

https://segaretro.org/images/8/8c/SegaFY1997BrandReview_US. pdf

https://segaretro.org/History_of_the_Sega_Saturn/Release

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E3_1995

Sega Saturn Birthday Article Part 2, Sega Saturn Magazine Issue #1 Spotlight

 Birthday Celebration Part Two: Straight From the Source

Welcome to part two of the Sega Saturn's 30th birthday celebration where today we will take a look at the very first issue of Sega Saturn Magazine (JP). Previously a Mega Drive/Genesis centered magazine called Beep! Mega Drive, when the Saturn released they shifted their focus almost entirely and immediately to the brand new console. I think we take for granted the frequency and ease of access of new game news with things like social media, conferences and more developers than ever before to share information. However, back in 1994, outside of commercials a gaming magazine was one of the best ways to learn about what was on the horizon. I happen to have the first issue of Sega Saturn Magazine, so lets take a look at the media cycle, advertisements and previews that gamers were fawning over in 1994. Keep in mind that the publication itself is in Japanese, and I'll mostly be using Google translate off of my phone to get a better idea of interviews and information.

One of my favorite parts of any magazine and especially new console cycle are the advertisements. Sega had a great run in the U.S with their "Genesis does" advertisement campaign, and so you would hope that some of that magic would carry over into Japan's ads. So, how did the initial ads turn out? 

That's right, coneheads... Certainly memorable but perhaps not for the right reasons. Sega would later redeem themselves with the Segata Sanshiro line of commercials that are pure gold today. The coneheads however are what we have for now, and they're featured right as you open up the magazine and they give you quite the look as if you're interrupting their ever so important Virtua Fighter time. You'll also see ads for some games in particular, like on the back of the magazine is a prominent Virtua Fighter ad, and there's a Myst before a bulk of the game coverage. If you've read the first post already, then you know that Sega wasn't the only one producing Saturn systems on launch. Victor/JVC had their hand in console production launching their V-Saturn variant on the same day as Sega's console. [why did Victor produce Saturns?] I really like Victor's ad on the new console, with the system front and center with an early 3D futuristic, almost apocalyptic civilization on the horizon. Additionally, you'll also see at the back of the magazine what you would get if you decided not to purchase the latest and greatest system, which was the 32X. Logistically it is insane to me that the 32X came out after the Saturn in Japan and only in Japan. The Mega Drive install-base in Japan was already diminished compared to the competition, and then you're going to ask them to buy the second add-on for the console, even though the new hotness is on the market? Putting that into a modern context exasperates the issue even further. Can you imagine purchasing a new PlayStation 5, and days after the console comes out, Sony comes out with a new VR headset that's only compatible with the PS4, and is supported for less than a year. The 32X would get more coverage, some in later issues of Sega Saturn Magazine where a few pages were reserved for the aging Sega hardware, but also in the last issue of Beep! Mega Drive. 

Game coverage in this issue was in depth for not only launch titles but also software to come. Let's start with the cover title and pack-in game, Virtua Fighter. If it wasn't understood yet on how important this game was in Japan, there is an almost 40 page section of the magazine solely dedicated to Virtua Fighter, where other games are lucky to get 2 pages. In this section aptly titled "All About Virtua Fighter" you get an in depth walkthrough of the arcade mode, a basic operations guide for things like guarding and jumping, character-specific movesets and tips, as well as every feature of the game and addition to the home port of this game. It really leaves nothing for the imagination when compared to magazines of the time that would usually have a handful of screenshots and basic information on the game. Something interesting to note is that Virtua Fighter is the only game that got reviewed in this particular issue, receiving a 9.5/10 overall with separate reviews from 4 individuals. One reviewer whose name I believe is Kobayashi says something along the lines of "moreover, the severity of command input and the operating feel are exactly the same as the arcade version! The Sega Saturn is a must-buy as it allows you to recreate the latest techniques and battle tactics used in popular arcades". He does note that some minor graphical details weren't fully carried over to the Saturn port, like the hands not having fully defined fingers or movement. One of the new features of the home port of Virtua Fighter is a new arranged soundtrack. It doesn't adjust a ton from the arcade original, with a lot of compositions just being longer because of new home port options to allow for longer matches. This is detailed in full for each song with an interview from the Saturn's and arcade version's composers respectively. 

After this, we get an insider look at the Sega Saturn from Sega's perspective through a full interview with multiple key personnel. This includes the product manager Hideki Okamura, hardware R&D department head Kazuhiko Hamada, and famed arcade developer and producer of Sega AM2 Yu Suzuki. Talking with Yu Suzuki, who was the lead developer on Virtua Fighter in the arcade as well as the Saturn port, says this about developing on the Saturn. 

Yu Suzuki also directed many Sega Arcade hits, like Outrun, Space Harrier, After Burner II and Virtua Racing.

"If I start talking about the details, there'll be no end to it, but honestly I'm glad it's finished. From the beginning I aimed to make an exact copy, but I feel like if we had a little more time, we could have added a few more extras. For the time being, we were able to add a rank certification mode, but we'll save the ideas that didn't make it in this time for the next time we port "2" (laughs)".

 Early in the Saturn's life it seemed like the crunch for games at Sega, even for important developers like Yu Suzuki, was abundant (see Pandamonium's video on Virtua Cop for more information on how early Saturn development evolved as '95 went on). Suzuki also talks about the pros and cons of using CD technology with their new system. When asked if next generation games could be made on ROM cartridges he replies 

"it's possible with ROM, and I can say this with confidence, based on the hardware. Even if the capacity is large, that is, when all you have to do is compress it." The con that Suzuki adds comes into affect more for the consumer than anything. He states "however, in this case the software will be expensive, costing around 15,000 yen (which currently is about $97 USD in today's money, but the yen is weak so it likely was even higher in '94). Also, it may be difficult to stream large amounts of image data, such as interactive movies using ROM".

Also speaking at length with the editorial department was Hideki Okamura. As opposed to the more game development questions that they asked Suzuki, with Okamura they focus more of their questions towards the Saturn's place in the market. When talking with Okamura about the Saturn's launch, he has this to say about the initial sales.

After being in charge of marketing for the Saturn, he later made campaigns for the Dreamcast. Okamura is still at Sega today, and is an Executive Manager and COO for the company.

"We have closed the first order. I can't tell you the exact number, but it's amazing. The initial response is very good. This time, when we set the goal of selling 2 million units in one year, we wanted to strategically create a boom. So what should we do? First of all, it was the boom of Virtua Fighter."

It can't be understated how big Virtua Fighter was in this point of time, as well as how hard it carried the system to a strong launching point in Japan. Think of Zelda BOTW as a comparison of importance for a system. Additionally, Japan historically was not Sega's strong region, and only gained a foothold in America within the last few years. To sell 2 million units in the first year was almost unheard for Sega at this point, with even the Mega Drive only selling around 3.5 million units in 6 years on the market. The editorial department then goes on to ask about the price of the system at launch compared to some competitors.

Editorial Department: "The price of the Sega Saturn is 44,800 yen. The Sony PlayStation is 39,800 yen, and the new Real 3DO machine is 44,800. What about the price?" Okamura responds "I don't mind at all. I think I set the price appropriately for the product, and I tried my best to set it as cheaply as possible."

It seems that the Japanese system compared more favorably to the PlayStation price-wise unlike the U.S release. The editors even go on to say that the PlayStation’s price doesn’t include a memory card or game, another thing that the U.S market seemed to overlook at the time when Saturn announced its price of $399 compared to Sony’s $299.

Virtual Fighter was the main selling point of the Saturn at launch, but there were some other titles that released at/near launch that were covered in a smaller, yet still detailed section of the issue. Some games, like "WanChai Connection" and "Mahjong Gokuu Tenjiku" were clearly geared towards a Japanese audience, and didn't take advantage of the hardware the same way that other games in '95 would do. Interestingly, most of the coverage on all games in this section are more informational or promotional than anything. For example, the mahjong game's text in the article is actually a conversation between the characters you encounter in the game about buying a Saturn and how they're in one of the launch titles. One character, Gojo, says something along the lines of "I was just talking to this pig about the Sega Saturn. I think I'll buy the console and Virtua Fighter first, then I want Panzer Dragoon and Daytona USA...". Goku, another character replies with "wait a minute, aren't you forgetting something important?" to which Gojo replies "That's right, Blue Seed...". Goku hastily replies "no you idiot! There's a Saturn game in which we appear!". Definitely an interesting way to promote your game, but understandable with so many mahjong games being prominent on other consoles. Aside from more Japan-centric games you had games like Clockwork Knight that took advantage of the hardware a bit more. The game features a 2.5D point of view with pre-rendered characters and some fully 3D environments and bosses as well. Another interesting game titled "Tama: Adventurous Ball in Giddy Labyrinth". From what I've seen it looks like a game where you control a ball through a fully 3D maze to get to an exit. The game wasn't exactly a system seller, but a bit more notable for featuring visuals that you couldn't replicate on other systems. Also featuring coverage in quite a bit of the magazine was Myst, the first of many PC ports to the console. Showcasing that the Saturn could play a contemporary PC game with relative ease was a strong showing for Sega's console, and the magazine highlights this with a 4 page spread about the game. Lastly, there is coverage for a game called Gale Racer. Also known as Rad Mobile in the arcade, this port wasn't exactly doing the system any favors, as they switched out some of the sprites of the opposing vehicles with polygons that don't look the best. The draw distance/pop in is also pretty bad making this game a hit or miss for most players. In the last section of the magazine, they highlight some upcoming software to look forward to in the coming months. Games such as early progress on Daytona USA, and the magazine even asks if a Virtua Fighter 2 port would be worked on for the console as well!

Overall, the first issue of Sega Saturn Magazine was a great indication of what to come, with unique advertising, in depth developer interviews and information on games and strategies for the most popular titles. If you liked what you read, you can also see more of the magazine for yourself on my new YouTube channel, CheckTheManual, for more coverage and visuals on the articles in this first issue. As always, thanks for reading and celebrate the Saturn's birthday any way you can!

Sources and Youtube Channel:

YouTube.com/@checkthemanual

https://segaretro.org/Hideki_Okamura

https://segaretro.org/Yu_Suzuki

https://retrocdn.net/images/8/85/SSM_JP_1994-01_941201.pdf

https://segaretro.org/Sega_Mega_Drive

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!