Saturn is cool.

[EzraPound]

So I just bought a Saturn with Virtua Fighter 2, Panzer Dragoon Saga, and NiGHTS Into Dreams. These are all fantastic games - does anyone known why the Saturn failed other than because of its multiple CPUs? Given Sega's solid line-up and name branding, it seems strange to me the PS1 so swiftly surpassed it in sales.

On a slightly different note, did anyone here purchase a Saturn at release? How did they feel about it? Any noticeable marketing gaffes? Let's inflect.

 

[Fire Daemon]

I came in here expecting a thread about the Celestial Body.

I've never played a Sega Saturn but if given the option I would buy one. It would have to be under $30 though.

Does anyone know how it got it's name?

 

[EzraPound]

I came in here expecting a thread about the Celestial Body.

I've never played a Sega Saturn but if given the option I would buy one. It would have to be under $30 though.

Does anyone know how it got it's name?

Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast - they're all cosmologic-ish, so it fits the bill. Sega had the best-named consoles, IMO; certainly far less obtuse than the 'Wii', 'PlayStation 3', 'Xbox', etc.

 

[Fire Daemon]

I came in here expecting a thread about the Celestial Body.

I've never played a Sega Saturn but if given the option I would buy one. It would have to be under $30 though.

Does anyone know how it got it's name?

Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast - they're all cosmologic-ish, so it fits the bill. Sega had the best-named consoles, IMO; certainly far less obtuse than the 'Wii', 'PlayStation 3', 'Xbox', etc.

The name Dreamcast was a bit strange but generally they did have the best names. Can't beat Super Nintendo Entertainment System though. It is super AND entertaining.

 

[rossatdi]

I'm a proud Saturn owner. I would recommend Sonic Jam if you don't have access to the classic sonic games. Also Guardian Heroes if you can get it, side scrolling beat 'em up with RPG elements.

I think it failed because it didn't managed the line up its rivals did, plus it cost a lot when it came out. I think I waited about a 6/months year and me and my brother got it as a joint Xmas present.

The PS1 just blew everything out the water with its huuuuuge lineup. Weren't all that good but the change in technique to Nintendo and Sega's limited numbers was a winner.

Oh shit yeah. Die Hard Arcade = the shit. Die Hard Trilogy = awesome. Virtua Cop 2 = completed blind folded (I shit you not).

 

[mintsauce]

Good stuff, I'm a huge Saturn fan. Well done for getting Panzer Saga, what a fantastic game!

Off the top of my head, I can give you several contributing factors to the Saturn's failure in the west. Sega's name was already somewhat tarnished after the Mega CD and 32X failed to catch on, and I'm told that the Saturn was fairly difficult to program. At launch, there were very few games available as the system was really rushed onto the market. It took a while for there to be any must-have games, whereas the Playstation had a few available on launch day.

Also, Sony's marketing was exceptional, they took the machine out on the road and showed it off at some very influential events. The Playstation pad was lovely to hold, the games line-up was pretty good early on, and the system looked a lot nicer. It was just a much better machine than the Saturn, and most people could see that straight away. I'm not saying the Saturn was a bad system, but it took time for the real classics to arrive, and some of them were never even imported. Unfortunately, you need to build momentum early in the life of the system and keep it going, and that just didn't happen with the Saturn.

 

[misterkittles]

Well i had a saturn, but I was far too young to remember about marketing...but I loved it, first concole I ever owned.

I had rayman, super sonic racing (Best game EVAR!) and some strange RPG which I was too young to properly understand or get very far. Part way through everyone in the city is magically put to sleep while someone steals the princess, and trying to talk to anyone gave the message 'sleeping like a log' (how I can still remember that after all these years I don't know) If anyone can name the game I would appriciate it.

 

[rossatdi]

Forgot about Rayman. Best thing France has ever done.

 

[Syphonz]

I think it didn't do well because a lot of people were swayed with possiblity of seizures

 

[sirdanrhodes]

I came in here expecting a thread about the Celestial Body.

You're on the wrong forum.

 

[Raynaux]

Forgot about Rayman. Best thing France has ever done.

Thats now my favourite quote evar.

 

[MurderousToaster]

I came in here expecting a thread about the Celestial Body.

I've never played a Sega Saturn but if given the option I would buy one. It would have to be under $30 though.

Does anyone know how it got it's name?

Me too. I was just about ready to flame this saying "Saturn sucks it's own little rings while Jupiter dances on it's piss-encrusted grave!". Personally I never knew the Saturn existed and the last Sega I ever owned was a Sega MegaDrive 2. Seriously.

 

[clarinetJWD]

THe Saturn was a very good system, that eventually got a decent lineup. Unfortunately, the lack of a killer app (sonic!) at launch probably cost them the console war. Sonic X-treme was supposed to be out at launch, but due to horrible management both at SoJ and SoA, and an inability to cooperate on the title (which could have been amazing), it was never released

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_X-treme

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

Good stuff, I'm a huge Saturn fan. Well done for getting Panzer Saga, what a fantastic game!

Off the top of my head, I can give you several contributing factors to the Saturn's failure in the west. Sega's name was already somewhat tarnished after the Mega CD and 32X failed to catch on, and I'm told that the Saturn was fairly difficult to program. At launch, there were very few games available as the system was really rushed onto the market. It took a while for there to be any must-have games, whereas the Playstation had a few available on launch day.

Also, Sony's marketing was exceptional, they took the machine out on the road and showed it off at some very influential events. The Playstation pad was lovely to hold, the games line-up was pretty good early on, and the system looked a lot nicer. It was just a much better machine than the Saturn, and most people could see that straight away. I'm not saying the Saturn was a bad system, but it took time for the real classics to arrive, and some of them were never even imported. Unfortunately, you need to build momentum early in the life of the system and keep it going, and that just didn't happen with the Saturn.

Couldn't have put it better myself.

The Saturn itself wasn't that bad a system but Sega's bad rep pushed it into an early grave, which in turn only fuelled peoples distrust of Sega and that then shot them in the arse when the absolutely brilliant Dreamcast hit the market. They had a winner there but just couldn't market it.

Anyway, Burning Rangers and Guardian Heros are must haves. If you can find Project Zero that is worth getting. Also, Fighters Megamix is to die for.

 

[Amnestic]

Sega MegaDrive 2

*Amnestic equips Nostalgia Glasses +2*

Best system ever.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It was the original home of Grandia. I'm sold. The rest is gravy.

 

[Raregolddragon]

I miss the Saturn but lets face it SAGA had been hinting hard times. If they could only make a good sonic game.

 

[LivemeLifefree]

Forgot about Rayman. Best thing France has ever done.

Thats now my favourite quote evar.

I'll agree.
Also, the Saturn also had problems because their 3D wasn't as good as 64's or PlayStation's. Also, with the constant switching of MegaDrive,32X, Sega CD, and such developers weren't sure if they could trust the Saturn staying onthe market. The Saturn did have a lot of good games though.

 

[Amnestic]

It was the original home of Grandia. I'm sold. The rest is gravy.

I never knew that. Only played the PS version, which I guess is a port. Loved Grandia though. Completely blew FFVII out of the water for me.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It was the original home of Grandia. I'm sold. The rest is gravy.

I never knew that. Only played the PS version, which I guess is a port. Loved Grandia though. Completely blew FFVII out of the water for me.

And then there was Grandia 2, which was on the Dreamcast. It was funnier but the overall plot was worse, and the PS2 port was buggy as hell. No game-ending glitches though. Just graphical.