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

Star Soldier: A Preview of What's to Come

Why Should We Remember Star Soldier?

That's a serious question by the way. Of all games to be underappreciated, it makes sense that it would be a space shooter. The genre has evolved so much since Space Invaders, and is still innovating even today. But Space Invaders came out in 1978, over 40 years ago so it makes sense that the genre advances. With that history it also makes sense that some steps would be looked over along the way. Enter Star Soldier. For most people Star Soldier isn't a game on anyone's radar. Most mid-level NES games of this era and vintage if they don't have an explicit reason to go back or they aren't touted as a classic. Now if you are familiar with the genre, you may be familiar with some of the later games in the franchise released on the PC-Engine/TurboGrafx like Soldier Blade or Super Star Soldier. You might not have realized that this original game existed, but don't feel like you're missing out. The future games in the franchise expand on so much gameplay wise and presentation wise, so outside of curiosity there isn't much reason to go back. So if the game itself isn't impressive today and its sequels are similar but just better overall, then why should we remember the original Star Soldier? To understand this we need a little history lesson

Star Soldier was created by and published Hudson Soft originally for the Nintendo Famicom in the summer of 1986, then getting published in the US later in 1989 for the NES. The game itself is a spiritual successor of sorts to the game Star Force, which Hudson published in 1985 to home systems but was developed by Tehkan, an early name of the company later known as Tecmo. Star Force as an arcade game and early space shooter was a decent success and ended up spawning some sequels later on, but once Hudson actually published Star Force this gave them the idea to do their own space shooter. Hudson then went on to partner with electronics company NEC and helped co-develop the PC-Engine console, so it made sense that the future games would release on that console. In later years the game saw several different re-releases on virtual consoles as well as a Gameboy Advance in Japan as part of their Famicom Classics line of games. With that being said what makes Star Soldier notable? 

To understand Star Soldier's story you have to understand the context of its release and the promotion centered around the game. Like I said earlier, Japan has always had more of an appreciation for space shooters. Xevious was still one of the biggest releases at this point and countless games took what made that work and stole that for their own games and Star Soldier is no exception. Also keep in mind that for the time when Star Soldier came out on Famicom it was considered graphically impressive. Keep in mind that in 1986 the Famicom Disk System had come out a few months prior, and people were used to the limitations of early Famicom games without the add-on chips that were more frequent in later releases on the system. Hudson was also had the advantage of being one of the earliest 3rd parties to release games on the Famicom, and so they had a decent pedigree when it came to their releases. All of this would've made for a great game upon release in Japan, but the thing that stands out in my mind that contributed to Star Soldier's success was the promotion around the game. 

Hudson had these events held in Japan known as Famicom Caravans, where they would travel across the country and hold competitions and activities where people could come and compete for high scores and play upcoming games. For 1986 it was way ahead of its time and a genius way to attract business for Hudson, but what was even smarter was that they filmed the events and had broadcasts about what went on at the events for people that weren't able to go in person. These videos also included a recurring character of sorts which was the game master himself Takahashi Meijin. Takahashi was known for his impressive skill at Star Soldier which was shown on the broadcasts giving viewers new strategies and secrets on how to get bonuses and high scores. He also was known for his incredible button pressing ability of around 16 times a second. With this button pressing along with game knowledge its no wonder how he was able to achieve such high scores. Takahashi went on to be a sort of mascot for Hudson in Japan not only in appearing adverts for Star Soldier, but also appeared in games like Adventure Island. In Japan, Adventure Island is actually known as "Takahashi Meijin no Bouken Jima". The story of Takahashi goes on after Star Soldier as well, where he goes on to help develop the idea of a turbo button on controllers as well as later becoming an executive of Hudson. 

This idea of promoting the game through live events with hands-on testing along with tips and tricks from one of the games best players has evolved so well in the digital age. Now if you want to play a game before it comes out, a lot of the time they'll either have demos available to download or they're out in early access so that you can show your support for a game while they're still tweaking it. Takahashi today would be the equivalent to an esports player or notable streamer where he's known for his gameplay skills first and you are able to learn from actually watching his gameplay. Hudson was also ahead of its time here as well. While not necessarily a full blown esport by this stage, you can see the inspiration start here with a company that supports its upcoming or current game by having competitions. Hudson in my mind is the first step in the evolution of major events like Capcom Cup or the International for Dota 2 where people can tune in and see people compete. Takahashi would also have an influence on the immediate future on the idea of a game guru of sorts. Nintendo and even Sega would have something similar in the states with hotlines where kids could call in to get advice from a game expert. These phone calls along with gaming publications like Nintendo Power or Gamepro were good for giving kids tips and tricks, but these weren't anywhere near the caravans that Hudson held that were televised. Keeping all this in mind its important to remember Hudson, Star Solider and Takahashi and their influence whether intentional or not on games today.

 With that being said, unfortunately the game didn't see as much success in the states. When the game was released in '89 so many more games graphically more advance and gameplay innovations evolving at such a rapid pace, Star Soldier was already outdated by the time it came out. For example games like Life Force, Section Z, and Zanac were all already released in '87 and '88, so what does Star Soldier offer in comparison to those games? Well nothing really, compared to those releases Star Soldier is lacking in content and not as impressive presentation wise. That doesn't mean that Star Soldier is a bad game. You control your start ship and kill pretty stereotypical enemies as you try to make your way to the end of the stage and fight a boss. Star Soldier does do a few things in order to stand out. For one, its scoring system is a little more advance than other games at the time with bonuses everywhere for you to find by shooting areas to make them appear, or shoot specific enemies in specific ways. For example at the end of every stage there are 2 eyeballs that you can shoot to make them shut and then explode, and if they both explode at the same time you get a major bonus. Star Solider also has you interact with the background in stages as well. Several times throughout stages you can go underneath the background to fly underneath it and avoid enemies. However this mechanic isn't implemented to the best of its ability because you can't tell which parts of the background you'll fly over or fly under. Lastly, the bosses are pretty repetitive with the same boss appearing for 3-4 stages in a row before a larger boss appears that you have to defeat. If you don't defeat the boss within an unspecified time limit, the boss will fly away and you'll have to replay the stage in order to get another shot. Barring a few annoyances of older game design, like the aforementioned background issues and the lack of an in game turbo, Star Soldier is still a good time. Enemy patterns are varied and the challenge is still there especially without a turbo button.

Star Soldier today doesn't hold a ton of merit in terms of a game worth replaying today compared to other games of its era. However the real value of Star Soldier today comes from looking at the game comparatively to when it came out. Takahashi Meijin was not only big during his time, but also influenced the industry in ways that we are still feeling the impact on today. Stories like this are part of the reason I love video games and their history. If you're interested in trying out Star Solider, its available on Nintendo Switch Online and I recommend giving it a try to see a little bit of history. 

Thanks for reading!