FAQ - SEGA SATURN F.A.Q. v1.6
SEGA SATURN F.A.Q.
Version 1.6
Released January 8, 2000
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Compiled and maintained by John Hokanson Jr. (isamu@usagi.com)
Software list by Ken Tam
See further down for additional authors.
ATTENTION! My Usagi mail account is back up again, however, if you
e-mailed me at isamu@usagi.com between the end of July and the
beginning of October, I probably did NOT get your mail. If it's
important, please feel free to resend.
*TABLE OF CONTENTS*
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INTRODUCTION
* From the maintainer
* Authors, Contributors, and Special Thanks
* Where can I find future revisions of this FAQ?
* Revision History
* Information Needed
* Disclaimer and Copyright
* E-mail Policy
* If this FAQ is too technical...
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O. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
* A brief overview of the Saturn hardware.
* Technical Comparisons
* Pros and Cons of the Saturn (compared to PSX)
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I. SYSTEM CAPABILITIES AND GENERAL QUESTIONS
1.1 What is the Sega Saturn?
1.2 What media does the Sega Saturn play?
1.3 Does Sega still develop for or support the Saturn?
1.4 What is the relevance of "bits" in Video Game hardware?
1.5 Is the Sega Saturn really a 32-bit system?
1.6 Is the Sega Saturn backwards compatible with the Sega CD,
Genesis, or any other older Sega console?
1.7 Will Sega's next console, the Dreamcast, work with Saturn
software?
1.8 How is the Saturn related to the ST-V/Titan arcade board?
1.9 How is the Saturn related to the 32X/Mars?
1.10 How does the Saturn compare to Sega arcade technology
(Model 1/2/3/ect.)?
1.11 What is the Saturn's cartridge port used for?
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II. PACKAGING RELATED
2.1 What Saturn packages were sold?
2.2 How was Saturn software packaged?
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III. SATURN MODEL QUESTIONS
3.1 What different models of the Saturn were released?
3.2 What's with these licensed Saturns (V-Saturn, Hi-Saturn)?
3.3 What's with the Majesco re-release?
3.4 What's the deal with the different BIOS revisions?
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IV. CONNECTION INFORMATION
4.1 What different means are there for hooking up my Saturn?
4.2 What about an RGB or SCART hookup?
4.3 What monitors can I or can't I use?
4.4 What about power cords?
4.5 Can I run my Japanese Saturn using a North American
outlet or visa versa?
4.6 Can I run my European Saturn using a North American or
Japanese outlet or visa versa?
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V. AUDIO/VIDEO REALTED QUESTIONS
5.1 Can the Saturn perform transparency and light sourcing
effects?
5.2 Can the Saturn really display a 704x480 resolution?
5.3 How come the FMV on the Saturn doesn't look as good as the
FMV on the Playstation?
5.4 How come the audio is certain Saturn games sounds so poor?
5.5 What is the video decoder card?
5.6 What is Truemotion?
5.7 What is ADX?
5.8 What is QSound?
5.9 What is Cybersound?
5.10 Were there any games designs to take advantage of Dolby
Surround?
5.11 Does the Saturn ever use its FM Synthesis capabilities?
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VI. INTERNAL MEMORY AND BIOS FUNCTIONS
6.1 Help! Games won't save, or I have to constantly reset the
date and time! Why?
6.2 Okay, my Saturn is old or used, and the battery is finally
dead. What do I do?
6.3 How often should I replace the battery?
6.4 Can I replace the battery without loosing all my saved
data?
6.5 Does the date and time function on the Saturn really serve
a useful purpose?
6.6 What games take advantage of the clock/calendar?
6.7 Is the Saturn Y2K compliant?
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VII. EXTERNAL MEMORY AND RAM CARTS
7.1 What's the difference between a memory cart and a RAM
Cart?
7.2 Do memory carts require battery changes?
7.3 What memory carts & RAM carts are available for the
Saturn?
7.4 How does the block system work when saving games?
7.5 What games support RAM carts?
7.6 Are the different RAM & memory carts compatible with each
other?
7.7 What about the cartridges distributed with King of
Fighters '95 and Ultraman?
7.8 What is all the bad press concerning Interact Memory Carts
about?
7.9 I'm having problems with my Memory Card Plus. Can you
help me?
7.10 I'm having problems with my Saturn cartridge port. Can
you help me?
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VIII. TELECOMMUNICATIONS
8.1 What is the Sega Netlink?
8.2 What are the Netlink's specifications?
8.3 What Netlink Software is available?
8.4 What games support the Netlink?
8.5 Is the Netlink still supported?
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IX. MODIFICATION INFORMATION
9.1 Can I play games from another region on my Saturn?
9.2 I've decided to play games from another region. What are
my options?
9.3 What is NTSC and PAL and why might they be a problem?
9.4 How do I build a 50/60Hz (PAL/NTSC) switch?
9.5 What exactly is a MOD switch or a language switch?
9.6 How can I install a language switch?
9.7 Can I play CDR discs (copied games) on my Saturn?
9.8 What is a MOD Chip?
9.9 Is there a single "one-time" modification that will allow
me to play imports *AND* CDRs without the use of a
cartridge?
9.10 What's this about rewriting the BIOS?
9.11 What about "Disc Swapping"?
9.12 What is the Sega Satellite, ST-Key, or CDX Converter?
9.13 What is the Super Strong Card 2.0?
9.14 How can I use a Game Shark or Ineract Memory Card Plus
to play imports?
9.15 What if I have a converter cartridge like the ST Key or
Sega Satellite and I want to play a RAM cart game?
9.16 Will these methods allow me to play any game from
another region?
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X. JAPANESE IMPORT QUESTIONS
10.1 Why would I want to play Japanese imports?
10.2 Where can I get Japanese imports?
10.3 What is the "Saturn Collection"?
10.4 What Saturn games have files designed to be used by a
personal computer ("Omake" Directory)?
10.5 What is Anime?
10.6 What is Hentai?
10.7 Can you explain the Japanese rating system please?
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XI. MISCELANEOUS HARDWARE QUESTIONS
11.1 Can I build a custom joystick for my Saturn (controller
pinouts)?
11.2 Is there anyway I can use a better/faster CD drive in my
Saturn?
11.3 What's the port marked "Communication Connection" on the
back of my Saturn?
11.4 How does the link cable work and what games use it?
11.5 What about the floppy disk drive?
11.6 ...and the MIDI keyboard?
11.6 Can you "soft reset" a Saturn?
11.7 Is there any way to get Saturn software to always play
in mono so don't have to keep entering it in the game's
option menu?
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XII. ACCESSORIES, PERIPHERALS, AND REPLACEMENT ITEMS
12.1 What optional controllers are available for the Saturn?
12.2 Can I extend the cord length of my Saturn controls?
12.3 What's the difference between the new and old Saturn
control pads?
12.4 What pads and games supported analog controls?
12.5 What is the Sega Mission Stick, and what games supported
it?
12.6 What is the Saturn Mouse, and what games supported it?
12.7 What multiplayer adapters are there, and what games
support them?
12.8 I lost my manual! Can you help?
12.9 ....but what about game manuals?
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XIII. SOFTWARE RELATED QUESTIONS
13.1 How are the Capcom conversions on the Saturn?
13.2 How are the SNK conversion on the Saturn?
13.3 What demo discs were released for the Saturn?
13.4 I'm having trouble in this one part in a certain game,
can you help me? (Or: Do you have codes for this one
game?)
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XIV. EMULATION / COMPUTER RELATED
14.1 Are there any Saturn Emulators?
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XV. CONTROVERSIES AND BURNING QUESTIONS
15.1 Is it true the Saturn's processors are underpowered, and
it's hard to program 3D games for the Saturn?
15.2 Were the Saturn's 3D capabilities added at the last
minute?
15.3 What is the Sega Jupiter, and why was it never released?
15.4 Is the Satcast really a hoax? I thought it was announced
before April?
15.5 Why does Dracula X look worse on the Saturn?
15.6 Why did the Saturn fail to do better on the US market?
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XVI. COMPLETE SATURN SOFTWARE CATALOGUE
16.1 Japanese Software (A-M)
16.2 Japanese Software (N-Z)
16.3 US Software (A-Z)
16.4 European Software (A-Z)
16.5 Unreleased Software
16.6 Rumored Software
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XVII. FACTS AND FIGURES
17.1 What was the _____ Saturn Game?
17.2 How many Saturns were sold?
17.3 What are the rarest Saturn games?
17.4 What does Sega mean?
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XVIII. ALSO OF INTEREST...
18.1 What Saturn Magazines are there?
18.2 What webpages are there on the world wide web concerning
the Saturn?
18.3 What newsgroups are there for the Saturn?
18.4 What electronic mailing lists are there for the Saturn?
18.5 What IRC channels are there for the Saturn?
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XIX. CONTACT INFORMATION
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------------
INTRODUCTION
------------
-------------------
From the maintainer
-------------------
Greetings! And think you for taking the time to read the Sega Saturn
FAQ! This FAQ was a project I undertook starting in the fall of
1998. It was something I had been mulling over in my head for quite
some time, and ultimately my love for this underrated system
prevailed, and I decided to throw together the myriad of information
and frequently asked questions for distribution on the Internet and
anywhere else where it can be easily accessed.
This FAQ is a hodgepodge of info borrowed from other FAQs, USENET
posts, websites, insider industry information, and some contributions
by myself. Credit is naturally given wherever and whenever it's due.
I in no way profess to be an expert on the Saturn. Just a guy who
happens to love the system.
Questions and comments regarding information in this FAQ can me
directed towards me at isamu@usagi.com or if you can't seem to
contact me there, then try yangnewman@hotmail.com or
isamu@temecula.com.
Please send all corrections to the above address ASAP, so that I
might correct it in the next release. How long this FAQ lasts depends
very much on your support. "^_^"
Thank you, and enjoy!
- John Hokanson Jr.
"Rule #7-B: There is no topic so thoroughly covered that noone will
ever bring it up again."
- The Rules of USENET
-----------------------------------------
Authors, Contributors, and Special Thanks
-----------------------------------------
I'd like to take the time to thank the following people. Without
their kind contributions, this FAQ would not be as informative.
- Raymond McKeithen II
A lot. 'Nuff said. He is a godsend when it comes to information
about the Saturn.
- Christopher Coleman
List of Saturn demo discs.
- Chris Foulger (E-mail address withheld on request)
- Chris Heim
- Terrence Huey (aka MoonPrince)
For the list of Saturn Collection games.
- Ken Tam
Ken's Saturn Catalogue was used for the Games List and was an
invaluable addition!
- Ken Arromdee
This Ken (^_^) allowed me to use select portions of his
rec.games.video.* FAQ, thus significantly cutting down the time
it took to write certain sections.
- Barry W. Cantin
Loads of moral support and other useful tidbits.
- Richter Belmont
Japanese system information.
- Jose Barragan
Proofreading and miscellaneous input.
- The Axledental DJ
Mucho modification information.
- Jerry Lynds
Author of the language switch modification I believe. Also
provided video pinout information.
- Kirk Patten
Contributor to the language switch modification. No e-mail
address provided I'm afraid.
- Lucan Duran
Information on the video decoder card.
- Paul Carson
An absurd amount of information (not all of it added yet) on
the UK Saturn. He practically wrote the entire section on Saturn
magazines.
With additional contributions by:
- Tyler V. Snow
- Victor Ireland
- Thomas Baetzler
- Brian Osserman
- Robin Whittleton
- Michael R. Baraniecki
- Joe Ottoson
- Garrett Albright
- Adam Pavlacka (E-mail address withheld on request)
- Benjamin
Special thanks to:
- Wesley Reiser, who wrote the very first Saturn FAQ in 1996. A
pioneer!
- Dave Zydeko, who's Sega-Saturn.com was a haven (and still is!) for
all Saturn owners.
- Special greets to SR Dominguez and Rachael Ryan. Staunch UK
supporters of the Saturn (where are these two anyways?).
- Douglas Erickson, who gave me loads of moral support and never took
anything too personally while I posted to r.g.v.s. :)
- Joshua Kauffman, for being cool I guess. :)
- Sega. For developing the best 32-bit console in the world! :P
- The populace of rec.games.video.sega (with the exception of the
trolls "^_^"). You helped make this FAQ, even if you never knew.
- All Saturn fans throughout the world! Keep the memory alive! "^_^"
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Where can I find future revisions of this FAQ?
----------------------------------------------
A copy will be posted to http://www.gamefaqs.com. Following that, the
FAQ will be posted on the newsgroups rec.games.video.sega and
alt.games.video.sega-saturn, or notice thereof.
The FAQ will also be available through e-mail on request (unless I
get bombarded by requests, in which case I'll stop and just expand
the archives that carry it).
----------------
Revision History
----------------
NOTE: You CAN get old versions of the FAQ if you request them.
The exception is v1.0. Don't ask for it.
v1.0 - 01/01/00 - 180K: First Public Release, but more like a beta
than a 1.0. Intended primarily just to stir up interest. I got
impatient and released it probably sooner than I should have. Thusly,
it has some errors, and numerous grammatical and spelling mistakes
because I didn't proofread and spellcheck worth a damn. Nevertheless,
feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
v1.0a - ??/??/??: Spell and grammar corrected version of above. Tabs
fixed. For archival purposes. Not widely released.
v1.5 - 10/10/00 - 221K: Semi-major revision. Better late than never.
- Reformatted for 70 character width.
- Section 15 and 16 were reversed in the TOC. This was fixed.
- Corrected erroneous information regarding Dolby on Saturn
(section 5.10). Thanks to Joe Doucette.
- Added section regarding Saturn BIOS rewrite courtesy of
Joe Doucette (section 9.10).
- Credited BT Garner as the co-owner of the Saturn Mailing
List. (section 18.4)
- Credited Sega Force for the RAM cart list (forgot to do
this in the rush to get version 1.0 out).
- Added Video Game Depot to retailer list.
- Added information regarding analog controllers.
- Added section briefly explaining the Saturn hardware.
- Added a table that compares the Saturn's hardware to that
of the Playstation and Nintendo 64.
- Added a ton of information on Saturn magazines, and contact
information so you can acquire back issues. Thanks to Paul
Carson!
- Added information about the Saturn memory block system.
- Corrected infromation about NCS sales of the Navi
Hi-Saturn.
- Added and corrected some information about rare Saturn
games and sales figures.
- Split section 15 (software catalogue) into three parts. US
games, Japanese games A-N, and N-Z. This is essentially a
"lite" version of Ken Tam's lists.
- Correction made regarding Saturn Mouse peripheral and its
availability in the US.
- Added preliminary controller pinout information.
- Netlink (section 8) started.
- E-mail policy added (read it!). It clarifies the FAQ's
position on MOD chips.
- Various minor rewrites.
- Added link to UK Resistance website.
- Spell Checked! (Yes, I know I can't spell worth a damn)
v1.6 - 01/08/01 - 256K: Standard revision.
- Added information regarding the Saturn version of Dracula X
and why it looks worse than the PSX version.
- Added that the CR2032 is also the battery used in the
NGP and NGPC.
- Yukyu Gensokyoku Perpetual Collection is now the final
Saturn game.
- Consolidated the Sega Satellite and ST-Key questions into
one, and added the CDX converter.
- Added information about playing imports with the Interact
Memory Card Plus.
- Added to pros and cons (vs. PSX) section.
- New additions in the controller section thanks to NCS.
- Updates to Telecommunications (Section 8) including a list
of Netlink compatible games and software.
- Information on European Saturn packs added.
- Added some games to the clock/calendar list.
- Added some games to the Omake list.
- Started a section that will attempt to explain why the
Saturn didn't do so hot in the US (15.6).
- I believe I may be in error in saying that the VCD card(s)
are needed to play Kodak Photo CDs. Apparently, you can
view them just fine in the UK with a special CD (how
exactly I don't know).
- Added a list of PAL games that work on NTSC systems and
visa versa to section 9.6. Courtesy of Chris Foulger.
- Rewrites made to sections 1.5, 1.6 and 9.5. Mostly of a
clarifying nature.
- Added more entries to the "Information Needed" list.
- I have removed the (very small) list of MOD chip merchants
because it appears they have shut their doors, and I don't
want this FAQ to be used by pirates wanting to know where
to get these things.
- Various minor rewrites.
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Information Needed
------------------
The following information is needed for the FAQ. Any assistance you
can lend will be greatly appreciated.
- Need to fill the holes in the RAM cart/Memory cart listings.
Specifically regarding how many "blocks" of save RAM these memory
carts have.
- Need hookup information and serial numbers (Power Plugs, S-Video,
RCA A/V, RF Coaxial, ect).
- I believe I have every model except some European ones, and those
outside the US/Japan. Model numbers would be appreciated here.
- Need pack-in information for Saturns from all regions.
- Controller section is extremely incomplete. Need help.
- More places that sell Saturn stuff. You name 'em. I'll list 'em.
- Is anybody interested in writing about the Game Shark?
- More omake data
- More clock/calendar data
And! Anything else you want to see here but don't. "^_^"
------------------------
Disclaimer and Copyright
------------------------
Sega Saturn is a registered trademark of Sega Enterprises Ltd. All
rights reserved. No infringement intended.
All information in this FAQ is provided as is. I take no
responsibility for what you do with it. Although great effort has
been taken to ensure the accuracy of the data presented within,
this is an UNOFFICIAL document, and there is still a strong
possibility of error.
You can distribute this FAQ freely provided that it is unmodified and
the author section remains intact.
(c) 1999-2000 John Hokanson Jr. and Saturn FAQ authors.
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E-mail Policy
-------------
All contributions, big and small, are welcome. Please submit them to
isamu@usagi.com or isamu@temecula.com.
Questions can also be submitted to the above addresses, but please
understand that replies are not guaranteed, and there may be cases
I can't help you. In such cases, it might be prudent to e-mail one
of the credited authors if they contributed to a section you have a
question about.
Here are some general e-mail guidelines:
DO NOT e-mail me for information about where you can purchase a mod
chip. I don't know. I don't care. The places that sell these things
sprout up overnight and shut down almost as fast. Thus, it's very
hard to maintain a list of merchants. Mod chips are grey-market
products. I purchase ALL my games legitimately. I understand that
mod chips CAN be used to play legitimate backups, but a lot of the
time they're just used for theft. If you REALLY want a mod-chip,
you'll have to seek one out yourself.
Also, e-mail about where to get anything else used to defeat the
security lockout (NOT the territorial lockout, which is just for
legitimate imports), is a big no-no.
Ditto for CDRs and anything dealing with pirated games.
Finally, please do not send attachments through the mail without
asking for my permission first.
-------------------------------
If this FAQ is too technical...
-------------------------------
In writing and maintaining this FAQ I realize that there are certain
things which aren't really FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions).
Therefore, a lot of this info might be a little overwhelming to some.
I recommend that newbies check out Luncan Duran's excellent "Saturn
Newbies" FAQ, which addresses the most basic and FREQUENTLY asked
questions often heard on USENET and elsewhere.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/saturn/file/saturn_newbie.txt
------------------------
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
------------------------
EIGHT PROCESSORS
* 2 Hitachi 28.6MHz, 50-MIPS SH2 32-bit
RISC processors
* Hitachi SH1 32-bit RISC processor
* VDP 1 32-bit video display processor
* VDP 2 32-bit video display processor
* Saturn Control Unit (SCU)
* Motorola 68EC000 sound processor
* Yamaha FH1 DSP sound processor
MEMORY
* 2MB (16 Megabits) RAM
* 1.54MB (12 Megabits) video RAM
* 540KB (4 Megabits) audio RAM
* 540KB (4 Megabits) CD-ROM cache
* 32KB nonvolatile RAM (battery backup)
AUDIO
* 22.6MHz Yamaha FH1 24-bit digital
signal processor
* 11.3MHz Motorola 68EC000 sound processor
* 32 PCM (pulse-code modulation) channels
* 8 FM channels
* 44.1KHz sampling rate
VIDEO
* VDP 1 32-bit video display processor
* Sprite, polygon, and geometry engine
* Dual 256KB frame buffers for rotation
and scaling effects
* Texture Mapping
* Goraud shading
* 512KB cache for textures
* VDP 2 32-bit background and scroll plane
video display processor
* Background engine
* Five simultaneous scrolling backgrounds
* Two simultaneous rotating playfields
* 200,000 texture-mapped polygons per second
* 500,000 flat-shaded polygons per second
* 60 frames of animation per second
* 24-bit true-color graphics
* 16.7 million colors
* 352 x 240, 640 x 240, and 704 x 480 resolution
STORAGE
* Double-Speed CD-ROM
* 320KB per second transfer speed
* Audio CD compatible
* CD+G compatible
* CD+EG compatible
* CD single (8cm CD) compatible
* Video CD, Photo CD, Electronic Books, digital
karaoke (optional)
* 512KB memory cartridges for game save (optional)
INPUT/OUTPUT
* High-speed serial communications port
* Internal 32-bit expansion port
* Internal multi-AV port for video CD
(MPEG) adapter
* Composite video/stereo (standard)
* NTSC RF (optional)
* S-Video compatible (optional)
* RGB compatible (optional)
* HDTV compatible (optional)
* Analog control pad
POWER SOURCE
* AC120 volts; 60Hz (US)
* AC240 volts; 50Hz (UK)
* AC100 volts; 60Hz (JP)
POWER CONSUMPTION
* 25W
OPERATING CONDITIONS
* Temperature: 41 F to 95 F
* Humidity: 10% to 80% RH
DIMENSIONS (US/European models)
* Width: 260 mm (10.2 in)
* Length: 230 mm (9.0 in)
* Height: 83 mm (3.2 in)
------------------------------------------
* A brief overview of the Saturn hardware.
------------------------------------------
CPU
The Saturn is powered by two Hitachi SH2, 32-bit RISC processors.
These particular SH-2 chips run at 28Mhz (versions were developed
which ran as high as 40Mhz), and are capable of processing up to 25
million instructions per second (MIPS) each, for a combined rating
of 50 MIPS (MIPS however, is not a true indication of processor
performance in many cases). Each SH2 comes with an internal 4K RAM
cache in order to speed up processing tasks.
"The SH2 is a small (2 cm square) but fast RISC chip that has been
designed primarily to process graphics. Like all RISC processors,
it's more streamlined that conventional CISC-based chips and carries
out instructions in far fewer clock cycles."
(qtd. in Next Generation)
VIDEO
The Saturn is equipped with dual custom VDP chips for graphics
processing.
The VDP 1 chip is primarily responsible for sprite generation.
Polygon generation is accomplished through manipulation of the
sprite engine. Texture mapping and goruard shading is also handled
by the VDP 1. The VDP1 relies on a dual frame buffer that handles
rotation and stores textures in special 512K cache.
The VDP 2 serves as the Saturn's background processor. Certain
special effects such as texture transparency and playfield rotation
and scrolling (up to five fields at any given time) are handled here.
Both VDP chips have direct access to the both SH2s, as well as
direct memory access (DMA) to both the main and video RAM.
AUDIO
The Saturn Custom Sound Processor (SCSP) is manufactured by Yamaha
and consists of several components.
The SCSP is a multi-function game sound generator LSI that consists
of a PCM sound generator and DAC (Digital Audio Converter). The SCSP
creates processes sound mixes. It contains 32 slot sound generator
and sound effect DSP, 16 channel digital mixer and timer, and an
interrupt controller. The Saturn's audio RAM is connected directly
to the SCSP, and is used to store the sound programs (ie. Cybersound)
or raw waveform samples. The SCSP can support up to 32 channels for
PCM playback, or 8 channels for FM synthesis modulation. Maximum
sample rate for PCM samples is 44.1Khz (CD Quality). The SCSP is
MIDI-compliant, and can be hooked up to external equipment (such
as keyboards).
The 128 step Digital Signal Processor is capable of generating
special effects such as reverberation and different room acoustics.
The entire SCSP is controlled by a single Motorola 68EC000 16-bit
CPU running at 11.3Mhz. The MC68EC000 is essentially the same as
(and compatible with) the M68000 used in the Megadrive and several
other consoles, but without the 8-bit MC6800 interface. The SCSP can
be directly accessed by the MC68EC000 and both SH2s.
The SCSP is a fantastic system limited only by the small amount of
RAM made available to it, and a lack of hardware sample compression.
MEMORY
The Saturn is equipped with 16 megabits (2 megabytes) of main RAM. 12
megabits of video RAM. And 512K of audio RAM.
CD-ROM DRIVE
The Saturn features a double speed CD-ROM drive manufactured by
JVC-Victor (Some models may have been manufactured by Hitachi or
Sanyo). The drive has an transfer rate of 320K/s, and a 64K data
cache. Drive related functions are controlled via a single Hitachi
SH1 32-bit RISC processor operating at 20Mhz. Refer to section 1.2
for list of compatible media.
BOOT ROM
512K EEPROM. Among other things, the Boot ROM contains the Saturn's
BIOS, as well as system firmware (CD-player and system settings).
-----------------------
* Technical Comparisons
-----------------------
Because some people like this sort of thing:
SEGA SATURN SONY PLAYSTATION NINTENDO 64
_________________________________________________________________
CPU: 2x Hitachi SH2 | MIPS/IDT R3000A | MIPS/IDT R4300i
32-bit | 32-bit | 64-bit
28.6 Mhz | 33.8688 Mhz | 93.75 Mhz
50 MIPS | 30 MIPS | 125 MIPS
RAM: 2 MB Main | 2 MB Main | 4 MB Main
1.5 Mbits Gfx | 1 Mbits Gfx |
512K Audio | 512K Audio |
PPU: 2x VDP | Unknown | Unknown
SPT: Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited (?) | |
AUD: SCSP (MC68EC000,| Unknown | Unknown
+ FH1 DSP) | |
32 PCM, | 24 PCM Chns. | 100 PCM Chns.
8 FM Syn Chns. | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
And just for the hell of it, here's the two other market contenders
around the time the Saturn was released: The 3DO and the Jaguar.
3DO ATARI JAGUAR
_____________________________________
CPU: ARM60 | 2x Custom
32-bit | 64-bit*
12.5 Mhz | 26.6 Mhz
?? MIPS | ?? MIPS
RAM: 2 MB Main | 2 MB Main
1 MB Gfx |
PPU: 2x Custom | Same as CPU
SPT: ??? | Unlimited
|
AUD: Unknown | Unknown
|
| Unlimited PCM
| FM Synth
| AM Synth
| Wavetable
-------------------------------------
* It is debatable whether the Jaguar should be considered a real
64-bit system. This debate is outside the scope of this
particular FAQ, so I suggest you read Robert Jung's excellent Atari
Jaguar FAQ at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/jaguar/file/atari_jaguar.txt
KEY
---
CPU = Central Processing Unit (Main Processor)
RAM = Random Access Memory
PPU = Picture Processing Unit (Graphics Processor)
SPT = Sprites (number of)
AUD = Audio (Chipset and number/type of channels)
-----------------------------------------------
* Pros and Cons of the Saturn (compared to PSX)
-----------------------------------------------
PROS
----
* Greater amount of VRAM for texture storage and the frame buffers.
This often leads to a drastic improvement in 2D applications, although
it has helped where bitmaps in 3D games as concerned (ie. Grandia).
* 32KB of battery backed up RAM for saving games without the need for
an external storage device.
* Clock, date, language, and audio settings. Supported by a number
of games, and maintained by the same lithium battery as the save RAM.
* Versatile cartridge port allows support for memory carts, RAM
expansion, telecommunication devices, ect.
* Internal expansion port for upgrade to MPEG-1 standard video.
[NOTE: It has been brought to my attention that there is a special
"white" version of the PSX released in asia that has MPEG
decompression hardware built in, and a special peripheral released
in the UK that can play VCDs. I don't have much info about either
of these though.]
* Slightly faster CD-ROM drive (320KB/s vs. 300KB/s).
* A more logical and conservative space allocation system for save
files.
* Better temperature control (better ventilated). Consequently there
are no skipping and loading problems like those widespread (and well
publicized) among early-model Playstation consoles. This problem was
REALLY bad with UK PSX models which ran at a hotter 240V.
* No need to physically modify your system to play imports (though
electing to do so can be beneficial if you want to keep your
cartridge port free).
* Full featured CD player with screen saver (later, "Dual Shock"
PSXes acheived parity in terms of this feature, but the Saturn had
it from the getgo).
CONS
----
* Quirky dual processor architecture robs the system of some speed by
limiting the ability of both CPUs to directly access memory at the
same time.
* Generally speaking, the polygon count may be lower. Both in
terms of textured and non-textured polygons. How much difference
there is depends on the software title. Most polygon ceilings are
theoretical anyways.
* No hardware video compression. Relies on software codecs contained
on game CDs.
* No hardware audio compression. Samples must be contained within
RAM in raw form, or if compressed, with a codec such as ADX.
* No hardware support for 3D lightsourcing and transparency. These
effects must be generated though software code.
* Inability to swap out external memory devices while the system is
powered on (PSX memory cards can be removed at any time).
-----------------------------------------
SYSTEM CAPABILITIES AND GENERAL QUESTIONS
-----------------------------------------
----------------------------
1.1 What is the Sega Saturn?
----------------------------
The Sega Saturn is a 32-bit video game console developed by Sega
Enterprises Ltd.
Originally designed to bring the 3D arcade experience into the home
environment, the Saturn has proven to be a very capable multi-purpose
gaming machine.
Released on November 22nd 1994, the Saturn was an instantaneous
success in Japan. 170,000 machines were sold on the first day of
release. Christmas 1994 brought the userbase up to 500,000 (60% more
than the PSX at the time). On average, 17,241 consoles were sold per
day [Source: Edge - April '95 pg. 10]. Over time, five million plus
consoles found their way into Japanese homes, as Sega captured the
second place position in the "console wars", placing them above
their old rival Nintendo in in the next-gen consoles wars.
However, the Saturn began to loose steam and was soon unable to
compete with newcomer Sony. Sony had far deeper pockets and marketing
muscle (their lockup of mega-giant software developer Squaresoft
undoubtedly played no small role in the runaway success of the PSX).
The Saturn lacked hit many titles such a FFVII. In spite of this, or
rather because of it, the Saturn took the lead in other game genres.
2D shooters, fighting games, and hentai titles were all released in
spades. It is these titles which have sparked the interest of import
enthusiasts around the globe, and caused Gamer's Republic editor
(formerly of Gamefan) Dave Halverson to declare the Saturn the finest
2D console ever constructed. While Square and Enix shunned Sega, the
Saturn found allies elsewhere in developers such as Capcom, SNK,
Gamearts, and Treasure.
In May of 1995, Sega sprung a surprise launch of the Saturn in the
US a full six months before the console was supposed to be released.
The early release, coupled with the high initial price tag, has been
described by many as a marketing snafu on Sega's part.
In America, the Saturn managed only lukewarm success as Sony moved to
dominate the market as they had in Japan. Several marketing blunders
had sealed the black console's fate. Nevertheless, the Saturn proved
a respectable system with a very decent library of games. Though
unfortunately, many of the best titles remained behind in Japan,
especially where the RPG genre was concerned.
[To be completed]
-----------------------------------------
1.2 What media does the Sega Saturn play?
-----------------------------------------
Out of the box, the Sega Saturn plays standard ISO-9660 formatted CDs
with software programmed for use with the Sega Saturn (regional code
permitting). In addition, the Sega Saturn can play Music CDs
(standard and 8cm singles) by way of full featured CD player
contained in the system's firmware.
There is also native support for CD-Gs and CD-EGs.
Finally, the Saturn can also play VCDs with one of the optional
video decoder cards added in. This cards retail from about $60 to
$100 and are explained in section 5.5. In the UK, there was also
software sold that allowed Kodak Photo CDs to be viewed.
------------------------------------------------------
1.3 Does Sega still develop for or support the Saturn?
------------------------------------------------------
No. In fact, Sega (all branches) completely abandoned the Saturn
following the release of the Dreamcast in November of 1998.
The last Saturn game was released in 2000, and was by a third party.
Parts and certain accessories must be purchased through Sega Parts.
Unfortuately, their prices are a little on the expensive side.
Contact information is provided in section 19. Sega of Japan still
provides some part service.
-----------------------------------------------------------
1.4 What is the relevance of "bits" in Video Game hardware?
-----------------------------------------------------------
From the now defunct rec.games.video.* FAQ previously maintained by
Ken Arromdee:
"There are several processor characteristics that measure in bits;
whether or not a processor counts as 32-bit may depend on what you
consider important. (A 32-bit processor might have 32-bit address
space, perform operations on 32-bit quantities, or have a 32 bit
wide bus). It's never legitimate to add the bits in all a system's
processors, so a Sega CD is not a 32-bit system even though it has
two 16-bit processors, nor is a Neo-Geo a 24-bit system."
"When discussing graphics, professionals often use "bits" to refer to
how many colors there are: if a system lets a pixel be one of 2^16
colors, the system has "16-bit graphics". (A common error associated
with this definition is to say that this means the machine can show
2^16 colors at once, although video game systems don't have enough
pixels on the screen to do so.)"
"This contrasts with video game company hype, which usually says
either 1) "This is a 16 bit machine, so we'll call the graphics 16
bits", or 2) "This is a 16 bit processor, and we use it for graphics,
so we'll say we have 16-bit graphics"."
""How many bits of graphics" and "how many bits" are about equally
worthless, er, bits, of information. It's only in the FAQ because
people keep asking for it anyway."
"There also seems to be a trend for Usenet posters to deliberately
lie about the number of bits in systems, just to cause more confusion
(the 64 bit Jaguar is especially prone to this; one person even
quoted from a Jaguar developer, but altered the quote so as to read
32 instead of 64.)."
-------------------------------------
1.5 Is Saturn really a 32-bit system?
-------------------------------------
Yes.
The Saturn's central processing units and the CD-ROM controller, each
possess a 32-bit register set and internal data BUS.
The audio control processor has a 32-bit register set, but a data BUS
of only 16-bits. It controls a 24-bit DSP processor, although this
has no effect whatsoever upon the performance capabilities of the
other components. In fact, until recently, most PC soundcards were
simple 16-bit devices. Most importantly however, the Saturn is
equipped with a 32-bit wide BUS.
The Saturn's graphics chipset is 32-bit, even if the displayed color
depth is technically 24-bit (which the minimum for 16.7 million
colors). The additional 8 bits are for special graphic effects such
as Z-buffering and alpha channeling (layered transparancy). These
last 8 bits are also sometimes referred to as "check bits". I've
heard people try and claim the Saturn has a 24-bit graphics
processor, but that is simply untrue.
I can think of no legitimate argument for calling the Saturn either
a 16 or 64 bit system.
-------------------------------------------------------------
1.6 Is the Sega Saturn backwards compatible with the Sega CD,
Genesis, or any other older Sega console?
-------------------------------------------------------------
No. The Saturn uses proprietary technology that is not directly
compatible with any other console (Sega or Non-Sega). About the
closest thing to compatibility came in the form of the audio
processor (a member of the venerable Motorola 68000 series which
was used in countless older consoles). Specifically, the custom
68EC000 controlled the audio end of things, and could run the same
instruction sets as the MC68000. In fact, according to Motorola
documentation, the 68EC000 basically *IS* a MC68000 designed for
low cost embedded controller applications.
An interesting anecdote Raymond illustrates is that up until the
Dreamcast, the main processor in the previous Sega machine was the
audio processor in its direct replacement:
SMS - Z80 CPU, ? Sound CPU
Genesis/MD - 68000 CPU, Z80 Sound CPU
Saturn - SH2 CPUs, 68000 Sound CPU
Because of this, it may be possible to run 68000 based games on
the Saturn in the same vein that Master System/Mark III games could
run on the Genesis/Megadrive thanks to Sega's decision to use a
Z80 as the Megadrive's audio processor.
The Saturn also shares the same family of CPU used in the 32X/Mars
(the Hitachi SH2). There is a very loose connection between the two
(see section 1.9).
The bottom line is that emulation of older systems using the Saturn
hardware MAY be possible, but it is unknown if this was ever
officially explored.
-------------------------------------------------------------
1.7 Will Sega's next console, the Dreamcast, work with Saturn
software?
-------------------------------------------------------------
No. Given the historical failures and financial resources needed to
make backwards compatibility a reality, it may not be a prudent
business decision anyways. For the sake of argument, it might only be
a good thing for retailers who want to sell their Saturn backstock.
The Saturn never had as deep of a market penetration as the PSX to
warrant backwards compatibility (ala the PSX2).
Some rumors have been circulating about a peripheral known as
"Satcast" which would allow Saturn games to play on the Dreamcast.
The "Satcast" and everything surrounding it was an "April Fools"
joke spread primarily by "Gamer's Republic", in which they themselves
later admitted it to be a hoax. Sega officially has no such product.
For more information on this issue, see section 14.4.
-------------------------------------------------------------
1.8 How is the Saturn related to the ST-V/Titan arcade board?
-------------------------------------------------------------
The Sega ST-V (Sega Titan Video) arcade board is essentially a JAMMA
compatible mainboard that uses the Saturn's chipset but with
additional RAM tacked on. Games are stored on ROM cartridges. The
board and games were primarily marketed in Japan, although a number
of boards were seen in US arcades playing games such as Baku Baku,
Virtua Fighter Kids, and Die Hard Arcade.
ST-V to/from Saturn conversions are near perfect (if not totally)
both ways. In fact, Sega's "Hanagumi Taisen Columns" was created for
the Saturn, and then later ported over to ST-V. The ST-V was superior
to the NeoGeo/MVS put out by SNK in that it was a full 32-bit board
and could provide true layered transparencies. However, the "low-end"
arcade market was pretty much locked up by Capcom's CPS2 and the SNK
MVS boards, and so the ST-V wasn't much of a success. Much like the
Saturn, further development on the ST-V has ceased.
My MK-80000A Saturn has "TITAN" written on the mainboard. Other
Saturns may have this as well. Titan is, for those of you that don't
know, a moon of Saturn.
If you'd like to know more about the ST-V (including how to purchase
one), I suggest you read Chris Mullins' FAQ at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/coinop/arcade/file/sega_stv.txt
or
http://members.aol.com/CMull11217/private/segast-v.txt
The "Fanatics" website also has information on the ST-V at:
http://cs.slu.edu/~chunge/stv.html
----------------------------------------------
1.9 How is the Saturn related to the 32X/Mars?
----------------------------------------------
The 32X "Mars" was originally an aborted effort to market a cartridge
based Saturn to the public. This incarnation would have been called
"Jupiter". Instead of scrapping the Jupiter completely, the system
architecture was redesigned and subsequently reborn as a modular
add-on for the Genesis/Megadrive.
The 32X then fell flatly on its face due to a lack of 3rd party
support and a lackadaisical effort by Sega to see it succeed.
Although Sega promised to support the 32X, most people were keen on
the fact the Saturn was coming, and saw little point in yet another
Genesis/Megadrive upgrade.
The 32X uses some components that are very similar to those used
in the Saturn (the CPUs being the most obvious).
More information about the Jupiter and 32X can be found in section
15.3.
The 32X and the Saturn are not, repeat NOT, compatible with one
another.
----------------------------------------------------------
1.10 How does the Saturn compare to Sega arcade technology
(Model 1/2/3/ect.)?
----------------------------------------------------------
MODEL 1
-------
* Main CPU NEC v60 (uPD-70616)
- runs at 16Mhz
- 32 bit RISC
- 2.5 MIPS
* Co-Processors Fujitsu TGP (x4)
- supports Floating Point, Stem Rotate, and 3D Matrix operations
- 32-bit
- Capable of 16 MFlops
* Sound CPU Motorola 68000
- runs at 10Mhz
* Sound chips
- Sega PCM
* Video resoution
- 496x384 16bpp (65536 colors)
* Rendering specs
- 180,000 polygons/s
- 540,000 vectors/s
- 1,200,000 pixels/s
* Video capabilities
- Flat Shading
- Diffuse Reflection
- Specular Reflection
- 2 Layers of Background Scrolling
- Alpha Channel
Analysis: The Saturn is superior. It can generate 500,000 flat shaded
polygons per second, compared to 180,000 in the Model 1's case. What
really kills the Model 1's case is its inability to texture map
polygons, but back then it was pretty hot stuff. The Saturn can push
an estimated 200,000 texture mapped polygons per second.
Note that all polygon figures are theoretical.
While the Saturn was originally conceived to deliver performance
similar to Model 1, the 16Mhz NEC v60 CPU relied on specialized
support chips, and using such chips was not economical for a home
console. Instead, the far more powerful Hitatchi SH2 processors were
utilized. The Saturn also displays a full 24-bit color palette (as
opposed to 16-bit for the Model 1 board), and three different screen
resolutions ranging up to 704x480 (as opposed to the fixed 496x384
for the Model 1 board). One leg up the Model 1 might have on the
Saturn is hardware based alpha channeling, but I haven't confirmed
that yet.
MODEL 2
-------
I'm still working on this.
TITAN / STV
-----------
It's the same thing as the Saturn except with some extra RAM and
with ROM cartidges as its primary data input. See section 1.8.
MODEL 3 & NAOMI
---------------
Model 3 and Naomi are lightyears ahead of the Saturn, and aren't
at all comparable. Ergo, it's not worth talking about them here.
Under Construction.
--------------------------------------------------
1.11 What is the Saturn's cartridge port used for?
--------------------------------------------------
The Saturn comes equipped with a cartridge port located on the top of
the machine near the rear. This port is designed to act as an input
for a number of peripherals, including:
Memory carts
RAM or ROM carts
Telecommunication devices (ie. Sega Netlink)
Interact Gameshark and similar "cheating" devices
Converter cartridges (some "legit", others pirate-capable)
The cartridge port is NOT meant for game software. All Saturn games
came on the CD format.
---------------------
II. PACKAGING RELATED
---------------------
-----------------------------------
2.1 What Saturn packages were sold?
-----------------------------------
I still don't have a US or Japanese list yet, but I hope to solve
that soon.
EUROPE
------
Paul Carson has given a really good account of the Saturn packages
sold in the UK.
Late 1995: Sega Saturn, One Controller, Virtua Fighter, Power Cable,
Scart Lead, Instructions, and registration card to get a demo of
Panzer Dragoon or Flash Demo 1. Initial pack that retailed for £399
in late 1995.
1997 & mayber earlier: Sega Saturn, One Controller, Power Cable,
RF Lead, or Scart Lead, instructions, and registration card.
This pack was commonly bundled in stores with different games chosen
by the store, eg. at 'Gameplay' you could buy a Saturn in 1997 with
Daytona USA for £132.99, or a Saturn with Sega Rally for £142.99.
-------------------------------------
2.2 How was Saturn software packaged?
-------------------------------------
Japanese Saturn software usually come packaged in standard jewlcases,
much like music CDs. They also often came with spinecards. These are
three-fold pieces of light cardboard that hug the spine of the
jewlcase with the shrinkwrap holding it on (they are valuable to
collectors, and necessary if you want to sell the game "complete",
so don't throw them away). The spinecard also indicates that the CD
is for use with a Sega Saturn console. Specifically Japanese NTSC
systems. There were also "double" CD cases, and a variant of the
single case which was slightly thicker and VERY hard to replace.
Most of the time the spinecard will have a gold and black background
with the Japanese Saturn logo and lettering printed vertically.
Saturn collection games will have red and white spinecard with white
lettering, the Saturn Collection logo under that, and the 2,800 yen
price featured prominently. Manual is included with the cover seen
through the front of the jewlcase. The left side of the manual will
usually have a bar similar in design to the spinecard. The Japanese
rating, if there is one, will be included on the manual front
(usually on one of the corners). There is also the insert on the
back which may feature artwork or screenshots from the game. A
black bar on the bottom of the insert contains information much like
the spinecard, licensing information, et cetera.
The US and Europe used much larger jewlcases. On US games the left
font and spine contain a 30 degree stripe pattern (think barber
shop). In the US Sega used a different color stripe pattern for each
system. For the Saturn this happens to be gray and white, with white
outlined lettering displaying "Sega Saturn". In Europe it's just
solid black, with white lettering displaying "Sega Saturn". The
manual slides in just like a normal jewlcase. And like a normal
jewlcase, it also has an insert in the back with information about
the game. These cases in themselves have been a source of
controversy, since they were generally less popular than the
standard music CD cases. In my opinion, they're also way too easy
to scratch up or break.
------------------
III. SATURN MODELS
------------------
------------------------------------------------------
3.1 What different models of the Saturn were released?
------------------------------------------------------
Before we start, there's a couple of things I want to point out
which weren't very clear in previous versions of the FAQ.
US and Canadian Saturns are the same as near as I can tell.
Consequently, I try to refer to them as "North American" or "NA"
models throughout the FAQ.
I have been told that European and Australian Saturns are identical,
although I don't know that for sure. It would make sense since the
AC voltage and TV standard is the same for both.
Japanese models are self-explanatory.
All Saturns are either NTSC or PAL. There was no SECAM Saturn.
I'm not sure about the rest of Asia or anyplace else. I would assume
that places like Hong Kong or Korea would probably get the Saturn,
but I can't say for sure. Hong Kong is weird in that it's offically
PAL as a former British colony, but they have a VERY strong NTSC
market thanks to their proximity to Japan.
This list is incomplete, but thanks to Chuck Smith and members of the
Saturn Mailing list, as well as Raymond McKeithen II, I was able to
get this far. I would really appreciate help in filling in any gaps.
_____________________
U.S./CANADINAN MODELS
All NA Saturn models are black in color. There were at least three
different subversions were released, and the differences varied,
but were generally minor except cosmetic and jumper locations. Model
numbers can be ascertained by viewing the back of the Saturn. I
believe the Saturns sold in Canada were the same as the US models.
MK-80000 (?): Manufactured from approximately 8/95 to 3/96. Looks
very much like the Japanese Gray Saturn except in color.
MK-80000A: Manufactured from 3/96 to 7/96. It featured a notched
power cord, no drive access light, round power and reset buttons,
and a 1.00a BIOS. Jumper locations are once again different.
MK-80001: Manufactured starting 7/96. It's similar in appearance to
the MK-8000A model, with difference being the jumper locations.
_______________
JAPANESE MODELS
- Gray Japanese Saturn (1):
HST-3200 (in HST-0001 box): The original Japanese Saturn model is
virtually identical to the NA first generation model except it is
gray in color with blue buttons and the cartridge slot flap is also
black in color. Like before, it has the drive access light, and a
non-notched power cord. Production was later ended in favor of the
White Saturn.
- White Japanese Saturn (2):
There are two models of the White Saturn. The first is based off the
first generation Saturn with purple buttons, and the second is
identical to the second generation with gray buttons. The systems
came packed with a matching white controller with multi-colored
buttons similar to a Super Famicom controller except only the bottom
row buttons are colored green, yellow, and blue respectively. It is
also rumored that the White Saturn *may* have a slightly faster CD
access time. The Cartridge slot flap is also gray in color. The white
Saturns Raymond has seen all have a 1.01 BIOS, although he can't
confirm that he's seen them all.
Raymond McKeithen II writes:
"I'd also like to point out that "white" Saturns are no more white in
reality than Dreamcasts are; both are very light gray. I guess that's
an opinion, but to me white means *white* like a piece of paper, not
some off-white (gray) color like you might paint your walls." :P
- Hi-Saturn (2)
The Hi-Saturn is yet another early style Saturn but with the MPEG
decompression hardware built in, and Hi-Saturn printed on the CD
drive lid. It's manufactured by Hitachi, and was supposed to cost
less then a White Saturn with an optional MPEG card added in (so,
it's a good deal).
Richter Belmont has written the following
description:
"First off, the unit is a dark charcoal color. It's not as black in
color as the US Saturn but pretty close. You wouldn't think otherwise
unless you got really close and examined the hues. Also, the buttons
on it are circular, not oval, like subsequent Saturn units. The
buttons are a khaki looking color. The machine has a very drab feel
to it. The box it comes in is very plain looking almost all black
with a light gray/white border."
"The start up screen is different as well. Instead of a bunch of
pieces forming together, the word "Hi-Saturn" shoots out from the
middle of the screen and then flips around till it's readable and
then it flashes on screen like other Saturns do."
"Controllers have the same color layout as the unit. The buttons are
khaki and a gloomy looking blueish/gray. The controllers say Hitachi
on them."
MMP-1000NV: "Hi-Saturn Navi". This model has a lower, more square
profile, and an add-on LCD monitor for playing games on. The system
is completely flat on top and lacks the bulge of the CD drive. Also
reportedly included an modem and a GPS receiver (with only Japanese
regional software being available). This model intended to be a
"portable" system for use in luxury cars though a joint deal with
Nissan. In an earlier version of the FAQ, it was stated that NCS sold
these models for $1,000 a pop. It is now believed that this was
a somewhat misleading statement. NCS ordered the Navi Saturn only
once, and in a very limited number. Five total were purchased. Three
with the LCD screen and the special navigation software. One was
kept in their private collection. Three were sold to other stores,
and the fifth went to a private customer (who bought one of the
complete units). Due to the exceptionally high price, and low
interest, NCS never received any more than these five.
Thanks to NCS for clearing this up.
- V-Saturn (2)
Another authorized clone of Saturn. Built by JVC-Victor. There are
two versions of this system. The casing is similar to that of any
standard Saturn. The colors are different, as is the machine's
circuitry, and "V-Saturn" is printed on top of the machine.
RG-JX1: Model with oval buttons. Two toned gray with black as bottom
second tone.
RG-JX2: Model with round buttons. Two toned gray with darker gray as
bottom color. From inspecting the later version, as far as I can tell
it is identical in every way to the Sega machine aside from color and
markings, to the point I suspect both are made by the same people, or
at minimum are made out of exactly the same parts (all the plastic
moldings are identical etc.). The boot-up sequence on a V-Saturn has
the polygons form a V-Saturn logo instead of the SegaSaturn logo,
of course. The boot-up screen on the second one shows "Ver. 1.01"
just as it does on white Saturns I've seen...
- Skeleton Saturn (2)
The "Skeleton Saturns" are the final Saturn models to be produced in
Japan (and the world).
The single unique feature of the first model is the smoky
grayish/black "see-through" case (Yes, you can actually see the guts
of the machine), and "This is Cool" printed on the CD drive lid.
Other then that, it's basically identical to the second version of
the white Saturn. Quite the collectors item if you can find one. In
the US they retailed for a little over $200 (even though you could
pick up a stock US model for much less). Approximately 50,000
produced.
HST-0022: blue "Skeleton Saturn" Saturn released on 3/25/99 in a
promotional tie-in with ASCII's Derby Stallion Saturn game (it came
with stickers for the game and says something about the game on the
box). There is no "This is Cool" printed anywhere on the system, and
came with the same smoky gray controller as the other one (no clear
blue controller was ever made). The BIOS version is 1.01. Supposedly,
its easier to acquire a blue Skeleton Saturn. Though this may just
be because by the time it was released, few people cared anymore.
Approximately 20,000 produced.
Also, reliable sources have stated that the blue Skeleton Saturn
will not play the Japanese version of "Space Harrier".
__________________________________
EUROPEAN / AUSTRALIAN (PAL) MODELS
All black. Externally quite similar to the NA models except they
naturally run at a 50Hz PAL frequency. Production run model numbers
are very similar except they have a 2 in place of the third digit. I
*think* (read: not sure), a US MK-8000A would be an MK-80200A in
Europe. The odd exception is the MK-80200-50, which has no US
equivalent. Also, EU/AUS machines will have "PAL" next to the BIOS
revision number on the system settings screen instead of "NTSC",
unless the system has been modified.
There is no SECAM Saturn. The French used the same PAL Saturn as
the rest of Europe but with a different RF/SCART adapter.
MK-80200: Unconfirmed. Does this exist?
MK-80200A: Jet black, round buttons. One green power light next to
the power switch, large trapezoid like eject button, usual Saturn
styling, no air holes in the side casing like some later models.
Version 1.01a BIOS.
MK-80200-50: Has the oval buttons, plus the power and access LEDs.
Version 1.01a BIOS. This model was related to me by a German Saturn
owner.
MK-80201: Also unconfirmed.
-------------------------------------------------------------
3.2 What's with these licensed Saturns (V-Saturn, Hi-Saturn)?
-------------------------------------------------------------
After development, Sega licensed the Saturn specifications out to
the principal component manufactuers so they they could build their
own clones of the Saturn hardware. In other words, the Saturn used
a marketing model similar to that of the 3DO company, by partnering
up with other hardware manufacturers in order to increase output and
ensure better market saturation. Licenses were given to JVC Victor,
Hitachi, and Yamaha. This was not the first time Sega used this
marketing model, as clones of the Mega Drive and Mega CD hardware
were also produced previously. Only Japan got the clones.
JVC Victor and Hitachi manufactured V-Saturn and Hi-Saturn
respectively (both of these models are explained in section 3.1).
According to an 1995 story run in Next Generation magazine, Yamaha
had the option of creating their own model.
---------------------------------------
3.3 What's with the Majesco re-release?
---------------------------------------
In 1998, New Jersey company Majesco Sales Inc., announced that they
would manufacture and sell a new version of the Saturn for $49.99, as
well as certain Saturn games for $14.99. Majesco would be able to get
away with these low prices because there would be very low R&D
expenditures. Majesco previously did this with their redesigned Sega
Genesis (Genesis 3), which is still sold today in stores such as
Toys R' Us for $20. Preliminary reports seem to indicate that the
console would be more compact, and perhaps even portable. Majesco has
also been known to remove certain features or expansion options from
their redesigned systems (ie. The Genesis 3 lacks the ability to use
the Sega CD). This redesigned Saturn was to be on store shelves by
Christmas 1999.
This story repeated again in 1999 from several sources.
In July 1999, another story out of segaweb.com hinted that this deal
may have fallen through.
------------------------------------------------------
3.4 What's the deal with the different BIOS revisions?
------------------------------------------------------
Every US and European Saturn will display its set television standard,
regional ID, and BIOS revision number. This information is located on
the lower right hand corner of the system settings screen (main
menu).
I believe the middle number indicates what region coded software the
Saturn is set to play. This number will change if you have a language
switch installed.
1) Japan
2) ??? <--------| Does anybody have any idea
3) ??? <--------| what these two were used for?
4) US
C) Europe (or at least the German example I saw)
If anybody wants to confirm this. Please feel free.
The NTSC/PAL identification will also change to reflect what
television standard you're set to run on if the Saturn is modified
(ie. an NTSC/PAL switch is installed.)
For instance:
NTSC-1-v1.00a
...indicates that the system is set at at 60Hz NTSC, runs Japanese
software, and has a version 1.00a BIOS.
Japanese Saturns display the BIOS version during the bootup sequence.
For example:
"SEGA ENTERPRISES LTD. 1994 Ver. 1.00"
...is displayed on a Japanese gray Saturn.
Furthermore, Japanese BIOSes and Non-Japanese BIOSes don't appear to
be the same.
1.00 - Japan
1.00a - US and Europe
1.01 - Japan
1.01a - US and Europe
As to what was fixed or added in each BIOS revision; I honestly have
no idea. It's probably also something the fanbase won't be able to
find out for quite a while. Perhaps some documentation will be
released? Or perhaps an emulator author will stumble across something
and be able to tell us more?
--------------------------
IV. CONNECTION INFORMATION
--------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
4.1 What different means are there for hooking up my Saturn?
------------------------------------------------------------
There are five means of connecting your Saturn to a TV or monitor:
- Auto RF Switch
US Part Number: MK-80116 (Sega)
P045 (Interact)
UK Part Number: ???
Japanese Part Number: HSS-0110 (Sega)
RF mixes all the signals (audio and video) together. Decent if you
don't have any other hookups, but not as good as your other options.
This connection is also monaural only.
- Composite Video (RCA AV Stereo Cable)
US Part Number: ???
UK Part Number: ???
Japanese Part Number: HSS-0106 (Sega)
Composite separates the video from the audio providing cleaner
signals for both. Two RCA style jacks provided for stereo sound.
Just let one of the jacks hang loose if you have a mono connection
on the back of your TV set/monitor.
- S-Video
US Part Number: ???
UK Part Number: ???
Japanese Part Number: HSS-0105 (Sega)
S-video further splits the signals into Chroma and Luma for the
cleanest picture (outside of RGB). Two RCA style jacks provided for
stereo sound. Just let one of the audio jacks hang loose if you have
a mono connection on the back of your TV set/monitor.
- RGB
US Part Number: N/A
UK Part Number: N/A
Japanese Part Number: HSS-0109 (Sega)
Additionally, you can use an RGB cable with an analogue monitor, but
this is not officially supported by Sega in the US. You can however,
build a cable, or use the Japanese one.
RGB is officially supported in Japan. The genuine Sega RGB cable is
HSS-0109. In Japan there is a standard for RGB connectors on some TVs
or monitors.
- SCART
US Part Number: N/A
UK Part Number: N/A
European Part Number: ???
Similar to RGB, but for European televisions. SCART capable TVs are
actually more common in the UK than RGB capable TVs are in the US.
Because of this, Sega Europe released an official Saturn SCART cable.
--------------------------------------
4.2 What about an RGB or SCART hookup?
--------------------------------------
Yes, the Saturn A/V output is extremely versatile and supports RGB
without hardware modification (if you do it right). If you want the
best video quality, you simply can't do any better than using an
RGB or SCART connection.
As mentioned before, you could purchase a RGB cable for the Saturn in
Japan (HSS-0109). SCART is the European method to get much the same
results. US Saturn owners will either have to construct their own
cable, or purchase the Japanese one.
Thanks to Gamers X and Jerry Lynds, the following describes the
pinout configuration, so you can can construct a stereo NTSC cable
for your Saturn. You will need a 10 pin mini-DIN plug though. If you
can't find one, some rewiring may be necessary.
/-----------\
| O1 O2 O3 |
| |
|O4 O5 O6 O7|
| |
| O8 O9 O10 |
\-----------/ <---- Ground
1) Chrominance
2) Luminance
3) Comp Video
4) Blue
5) Green
6) Red
7) 5 VDC
8) Stereo L
9) Stereo R
10) Sync
If you require better pictures (my ASCII art kinda sucks, you should
go here:
http://www.gamesx.com/avpinouts/saturnav.htm
One might be able to coax a cable out of www.redcab.com (Redmond
Cable). In the old days NCS had them, and they're still available if
you're in Japan. UK SCART ones are probably still available as
well. Note that the UK cables and the Japanese cables look alike,
but the SCART end is wired differently (and the Japanese one isn't
called SCART).
---------------------------------------
4.3 What monitors can I or can't I use?
---------------------------------------
Information from GamersX:
Any SCART or RGB capable TV should work fine if you can find or build
a cable for one.
A VGA monitor will not work. With only a few exceptions, a VGA
monitor will not synchronize with a video display below 31kHz
horizontal sweep. Check your users guide, it will list the supported
frequencies. Current VGA monitors have a minimum horizontal scan
rate of about 31kHz. To adapt the output of a game console to a
higher scanning frequency is usually more expensive than buying
another monitor! For example, an upscan convertor can cost upwards
of $200, where an old Amiga RGB monitor can be found for $25+.
Amiga monitors will work (the Commodore 1084 is a favourite). Atari
ST (Colour) monitors should work, with some effort (They require
separated sync). Arcade monitors (Raster only!) will work. Certain
early model NEC Multisync monitors will work. Very few others will.
EGA and CGA monitors will not work - they utilize a digital signal
format and you'll only irritate yourself trying to wire these up. If
you do not have a suitable monitor, especially VGA, DO NOT USE IT!!
You will, at best, shut down your monitor temporarily. At worst, a
very nasty sounding high pitched whine, and then silence as your
monitor kills itself trying to do what you want.
---------------------------
4.4 What about power cords?
---------------------------
Sega sold both a notched and non-notched power cords. To find out
what you need, see section 3.1, or just check the back of your
Saturn. It goes without saying though that you'll have to get the
right leads based on the country you live it.
I must stress that the Saturn power cords are not special. Gone are
the days where you need to read voltage ratings on an AC adapter. You
can easily use a multi-unit AC power cord sold at your nearest Radio
Shack or any half-way decent electronics store. A Playstation power
cord will also suffice nicely.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4.5 Can I run my Japanese Saturn using a North American outlet or
visa versa?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A cautious yes.
Japan actually runs at a really bizarre 100 VAC. This is completely
different just about every place else on the globe which run between
110 and 240 VAC. North America runs anywhere between 110 and 125
VAC depending on location, with 115 VAC being the commonly accepted
average.
Most people have experienced little to no trouble with the 10 to 25%
difference in voltage. Others have said it'll work, but the Saturn
will run a little hotter than normal.
If you want to play it safe, the use of a simple step-up converter
would be wise.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
4.6 Can I run my European Saturn using a North American or Japanese
outlet or visa versa?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Absolutely not without a converter. Otherwise you'll fry damn near
every component, and there is a very real risk of fire.
You generally won't need to worry about the cycle rate (50 or 60Hz)
because the Saturn's power supply converts the AC power source into
12 VDC for internal use anyways.
Any converter that supports a 25 watt load or greater (most do)
should be sufficient.
--------------------------------
V. AUDIO/VIDEO RELATED QUESTIONS
--------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
5.1 Can the Saturn perform transparency and light sourcing effects?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The answer depends on the context in which this question is asked.
The Saturn is at *least* capable of generating transparent layers for
use in 2D spirte-based images. Furthermore, pseudo 3D transparencies
(like the water in Panzer Dragoon) are also possible. These effects
can be done directly by the VDP2.
If anybody doubts this (and there have been a few), you can check out
games such as Astal, Darius Gaiden, and Radiant Silvergun. These are
but a few examples. You can also simply powerup your Saturn and check
out the system settings. The menu screens themselves provide a
glimpse at the Saturn's layered transparency effects. Effects such as
these are nothing really new, as they were seen earlier on Nintendo's
Super Famicom, and perhaps on other platforms that preceded the
Saturn.
Where the Saturn does have trouble, is in the generation of these
effects in a 3D environment. Along with lightsourcing, three
dimensional transparency must be generated through software code.
This is not a problem if the developer is familiar with writing
Saturn software or was provided with the necessary programming
libraries. For instance, Sega's "Sonic-R" features 3D transparency
throughout the "Radiant Emerald" course, and lightsourcing can
clearly be seen along the corridors of Lobotomy's "Powerslave"
("Exhumed" in the UK).
Brian Osserman writes:
"The situation with transparencies on the Saturn is exceedingly odd.
The most common kind is via the background processor, which can more
or less put two properly texture-mapped translucent perspective
correct planes. This is what Panzer Zwei and Panzer Saga use for
water, for instance. Beyond this, I don't remember the details, but
Sonic R and Burning Rangers seem to use two different hacks to get
non-dithered transparencies. I can't remember whether there are any
other examples, though. I think these were cases of exceedingly
clever programming, though, and it's no coincidence they were both
late in the Saturn's lifetime."
------------------------------------------------------------------
5.2 Can the Saturn really display a 704x480 or 720x576 resolution?
------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes. The VDP2 can produce a maximum displayable resolution of 704x480,
with a 24-bit color depth. Only a couple of Saturn games used this
mode in-game however.
US Sega Saturn manuals related a max spec of 720x576. This may be
in reference to the PAL resolution, or it could simply be an error.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
5.3 How come the FMV on the Saturn doesn't look as good as the FMV on
the Playstation?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Full motion video on the Saturn is widely described as exhibiting
more video artifacts (granulation, pixelation, or ghosting) than
what is commonly seen on the Playstation. For the most part, this
has to do with the fact that the Playstation hardware is handling
video decoding in the form of motion JPEG, though its custom MDEC
chip. The end result is a much cleaner video image.
On the other hand, the Saturn uses a software codec written on each
game CD for video playback. This is similar to how it works in a
computer environment like Windows. In the majority of early cases the
codec used happened to be Cinepak, although the move to Truemotion
by some developers greatly increased the quality of FMV in 90% of
the cases.
Raymond McKeithen II :
"Truemotion on average looks better than Cinepak, but Cinepak done
really well beats Truemotion done badly. The very best video quality
I've ever seen (even looks better than the MPEG card, the resolution
is better) on Saturn is Lucid Motion, C's Ware's proprietary system
they use in Desire and Eve The Lost One (I suspect that this is
optimized for cartoon animation). The upcoming Friends from NEC
Interchannel is supposed to have another proprietary format that
gets hi-res mode with 24 bit color."
-----------------------------------------------------------
5.4 How come the audio is certain Saturn games sounds poor?
-----------------------------------------------------------
Although, the components used in the Saturn's SCSP chipset are of a
high quality, the system has some unfortunate limitations that creep
up every now and then. On certain games, digital PCM samples can
sound muffled and/or scratchy.
All Saturn PCM samples must be loaded into audio RAM while in raw
form, where as the Playstation supports hardware compression. Loading
files in raw form naturally means a larger file size, which in turn
means that overall sample quality will suffer in an effort to cram
everything in. This is particularly bad for games that require a
great number of samples loaded into memory all at once. Virtua
Fighter II is a good example of this. Many fighting games by Capcom
and SNK reveal similar problems. So while the Staurn might have an
audio suite rivaling that of the Playstation, memory limitations
can stymie attempts playback samples at the highest quality.
Streamed yellowbook audio plays directly off the CD. It does not need
to be loaded into RAM, and thus does not have the memory constraint
problems that the PCM samples can face. Macross DYRL, for instance,
streams Apple AIFF files recorded at 22Khz 16 bit stereo as its
soundtrack (and sounds great!).
Good programmers can often produce excellent digital sound from the
Saturn, while games that were programmed for another platform, or
directly ported from the PSX can often sound rather crude.
"Saturn's sound hardware is phenomenal. It's way, way, better than
the PlayStation's sound - you can basically plug in a synthesizer
and play it through MIDI."
--Saturn Developer, Next Generation, December 1995
-----------------------------------
5.5 What is the video decoder card?
-----------------------------------
The video decoder card is a daughtercard-like peripheral that plugs
inside the Saturn though the door the battery is accessed from. It
allows hardware playback of MPEG-1 (version 1) video in certain
games, as well as playback of Video CDs (Whitebook). There were
versions this card manufactured by Sega, JVC, and Hitachi. There
have also been reports of unlicensed video decoder cards.
A version of the card manufactured by Sega was also sold in Europe.
There are 3 versions of the JVC MPEG card. The first is more-or-less
like the Sega card, and the second was called the Twin Operator and
added support for PhotoCD. I believe the third is just like the
second but comes in a different package and sold for a lower price.
The interesting thing about the JVC Twin Operator card is that it is
both NTSC and PAL compatible and comes with instructions that are
written in both English and Japanese.
These cards are somewhere hard to find now, but probably a lot easier
if you're in Asia, the UK, or have a good import source.
Games that used the card include (not necessarily complete list):
Lunar Silver Star Story complete MPEG version
(the only game that *requires* the card)
Sakura Taisen Hangumi Tsuushin
Sakura Taisen Nekki Radio Show (a.k.a. Steam Radio Show)
Vatlva
Chisato Moritaka disc
Moon Cradle
Wangan Deadheat + Triangle Love
Falcom Classics 1 (disc 2 of the limited edition)
Gungriffon 1 (Japanese version only)
Only one of these games was released in the US (see below), and VCDs
never really caught on outside of Asia (instead, we now have DVD
which is far superior in that it uses MPEG-2 compression). VCD
resolution is 352x288 for PAL and 352x240 for NTSC.
I've been told the US version of Gungriffon still has MPEG movies on
the disc but that they are not played during the game. Instead, the
in-game movies have been apparently converted to Cinepak or
Truemotion (not sure).
The card fits in all versions of the Japanese Saturn (the Hi-Saturn
naturally comes with MPEG capability). Early Japanese Saturns (i.e.
the gray ones) have the connector for it on a second circuit board
inside the unit, later ones have the connector on the main board.
It cards should work in all versions of the US Saturn, but you'll
need a language switch to play the above list of software.
-----------------------
5.6 What is Truemotion?
-----------------------
Truemotion is a audio/video compression format developed by the Duck
Corporation. It was used by several Saturn games as an alternative
medium-quality format between standard Cinepak that many Saturn games
used for FMV, and the use of the VCD card.
Generally speaking, Truemotion is of much higher quality than
Cinepak, but inferior to the MPEG compression of the video decoder
card. Games that use Truemotion usually feature the "TM" logo both
on the packaging and before the game's title screen. Although Duck
is an American corporation, numerous Japanese licensees used TM.
Duck's webpage can be accessed at http://www.duck.com/
There have also been rumors that Truemotion would have been the
compression method used by Working Designs to achieve high quality
full screen movies without the video decoder card on Lunar SSS, had
the US Saturn version actually been produced.
----------------
5.7 What is ADX?
----------------
ADX is an audio compression method developed by the Japanese company
CRI. It appeared on the scene relatively late in the Saturn's life,
but was used in a number of Japanese Saturn games, sometimes as the
audio track for Cinepak video. Today, it's commonly used in Dreamcast
games.
-------------------
5.8 What is QSound?
-------------------
QSound is a patented audio encoding method by QSound Labs which was
created in an attempt to model a three dimensional sound environment
though two speaker stereo equipment. This is accomplished by using a
series of spatial processing algorithms that trick your ears into
thinking a sound is emanating from a different direction. QSound does
not require any special hardware to work. I say "attempt" because it
obviously will run into the limitations of using only two speakers
(Dolby Surround it is not).
QSound was licensed for use in certain Saturn games. Namely those
published by Sega and Capcom.
A number of people have commented that QSound really sounds best when
using a set of quality headphones.
QSound Labs has a webpage at: http://www.qsound.com
-----------------------
5.9 What is Cybersound?
-----------------------
Cybersound was a combination MIDI instrument set and software driver
used by many Saturn games such as NiGHTs, Dragon Force, and Sakura
Taisen. It was also used on other platforms such as the PC and
Macintosh. Since the samples are contained within the software itself
for subsequent digital playback, you could also liken the mechanics
to that of a Amiga music module or a software-driven wavetable like
those currently being offered by Yamaha. The company that developed
Cybersound (InVision Interactive) is now out of business, and a
search of the newsgroups will reveal a number of people wondering
what to do with a product that is no longer supported (doh! >.<).
------------------------------------------------------------
5.10 Were there any games designs to take advantage of Dolby
Surround? ------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Doucette writes:
"Actually, Croc uses Dolby ProLogic. I'm not sure it adds much to the
game, but it's noticeable in areas, and does identify it as Dolby
Surround in the sound config."
No Saturn games use or can use Dolby Digital (AC-3), as the SCSP
sends all signals through the DAC before outputting the signal to
your TV or receiver. AC-3 requires a raw digital bitstream.
------------------------------------------------------------
5.11 Does the Saturn ever use its FM Synthesis capabilities?
------------------------------------------------------------
The Saturn's SCSP has the ability to generate up to 8 channels of FM
synthesis effects. As of yet, I do not know if this feature was ever
used, nor do I know the quality of the FM Synth (I imagine it would
sound at least as good as the YM2612 used in the Megadrive, but that
is idle speculation on my part). The FM Synth support was likely
included because most Sega consoles and arcade boards through the
System 32 had a Yamaha FM chip in one form or another, and that would
be easier to port these games to the Saturn.
Raymond McKeithen II writes:
"Two games from adult developer KID I've heard play music that sounds
like an old PC Adlib card (I'm not kidding, even the "tempo" problems
inherent to Adlib are there), perhaps they were using it. Then again,
it might just be streamed yellowbook audio..."
--------------------------------------
VI. INTERNAL MEMORY AND BIOS FUNCTIONS
--------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
6.1 Help! Games won't save, or I have to constantly reset the
date and time! Why?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Check to make sure you pulled out the ribbon from under the battery.
It's there to prevent the battery in your new Saturn from making a
connection and draining itself before you unpack it. Not pulling it
out is a very common oversight among new Saturn owners.
If your Saturn is not new, then the battery is probably dead.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2 Okay, my Saturn is old or used, and the battery is finally dead.
What do I do?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
You can replace the battery with any type CR2032 lithium battery.
Sega recommends using only UL listed batteries. These can usually be
acquired at your local Radio Shack, Walmart, or anyplace that sells
watch or calculator batteries, and shouldn't set you back more than
$5 at the very most (probably much less).
The CR2032 is the same exact battery type used by the Dreamcast VMU
and the Neo Geo Pocket (including the Neo Geo Pocket Color). The
only difference is that the DC VMU requires two batteries, while
the Saturn and NGP/NGPC only require one.
-------------------------------------------
6.3 How often should I replace the battery?
-------------------------------------------
The battery that comes with a new Saturn lasts generally lasts about
2 to 3 years. The longest I've heard has been a little over
5 years, but that's seriously pushing it. Sega recommends you
replace your battery once a year, but again, that's not in keeping
with the norm per-say.
----------------------------------------------------------------
6.4 Can I replace the battery without loosing all my saved data?
----------------------------------------------------------------
Raymond McKeithen II writes:
If you have a memory cart, you can copy the data to the cart while
you change the battery.
You can also carefully change the battery while the system is turned
on. The manual says don't do this, but that's just for your safety
(very small chance you could shock yourself or something). The
battery is out of the circuit when the system is on so it's safe as
far as the system is concerned.
WARNING: We take no responsibility for any electrical shock that may
result from doing this.
----------------------------------------------------------------
6.5 Does the time and date function on the Saturn really serve a
useful function?
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Useful" is subjective, as there are no-doubt people who could care
less. However, it does indeed serve a purpose. There's a few games
that use the date/time function of the BIOS to trigger certain
events. Christmas NiGHTS was probably the most talked about game in
the US to take advantage of this. But, all in all, Japanese games
tended to make better use of the feature, and in turn, used it much
more often. The dating sim "Roommate" is one such game that prompted
some people to comment that it was almost surreal in its ability
to keep pace with time in the real world.
I personally consider the Saturn's clock/calander an often
overlooked and underappreciated feature.
----------------------------------------------------
6.6 What games take advantage of the clock/calendar?
----------------------------------------------------
Special thanks to:
Chris Heim
Will Shaffer
Jeremy Goodwin
Darrius Joiner
Yana
This list is NOT complete.
----
Aquazone
Atelier Marie
Bust-A-Move 2: Arcade Edition
Christmas NiGHTS - duh! Everybody knows this.
Dracula X - There's a clock room in the game that will display the
time. Also, you if you leave the title screen on, Shiina Hekiru will
anounce the time in 10 minute intervals(or was it hourly?).
Saturn Bomberman - (includes US version) extra lives if played
between 10am & 11am.
Enemy Zero - (includes the US version) New Years or Christmas
messages.
Puyo Puyo Sun - You gain additional artwork in the options menu.
Roommate \
Roommate 2 | - Life simulation game in which the game clock mimics
Roommate 3 / the Saturn clock.
Saturn Bomberman - Not THAT much, but putting in different times will
allow some cheats, like extra lives on regular mode.
Steep Slope Sliders - Whatever the time is on your Saturn internal
clock, will depend what time of day it is on the game, if it's
midnight the game will be at night time, etc.
Sokyugurentai
Tengai Makyo: Daiyonno Mokushiroku (Far East of Eden: Apocalypse IV)
Twinkle Star Sprites
Waku Waku 7
Yuna Remix
Yuna 3
Finally, the NetLink Browser uses the clock/calendar.
--------------------------------
6.7 Is the Saturn Y2K compliant?
--------------------------------
Yes. Unlike many popular computer systems, the Saturn's internal
calendar runs on a four (as opposed to two) digit year. However, the
highest date you can set it to is 12/31/2199. The date WILL roll over
to 1/1/2200, and I have no idea how high it will ultimately go.
More importantly, I can't think of any reason why the year is
absolutely critical to the Saturn's function. Most games rely on the
time, day and month, and don't even care what year it is.
Obviously, this question is less important now that we're past that
point and the world hasn't blown up. :)
----------------------------------
VII. EXTERNAL MEMORY AND RAM CARTS
----------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------
7.1 What's the difference between a memory cart and a RAM Cart?
---------------------------------------------------------------
The terminology gets rather confusing, but the general consensus is
that a memory cart will act as a repository for saved games, while a
RAM cart adds extra (R)andom (A)ccess (M)emory for texture storage
and thus allow for better and more fluid sprite animation in certain
select games. RAM carts do NOTHING whatsoever for polygon count.
That's tied directly to the Saturn's hardware rendering capabilities.
It's merely for bitmaps.
There were a few carts created and sold in the US and the UK primarly
to take advantage of imports. However, Marvel Super Heroes Fighter
and Pocket Fighter were two US games that COULD (but did not require)
use the 1 or 4 meg RAM carts. King of Fighters '95 was released in
the UK along with it's specialized ROM cart.
To make things even more confusing, Sega calls their Saturn and Sega
CD memory carts "Backup RAM" cartridges. Technically, that's correct,
but easily confused with the above. E.M.S. insists on calling
everything a RAM card; being a term usually reserved for Playstation
memory cards.
Sega manufactures both a Memory Cart and two RAM carts (the latter
being Japan only). They will always insist you use their official
products, but most people have had no problem with most of the 3rd
party products (with the exception of Interact products).
--------------------------------------------
7.2 Do memory carts require battery changes?
--------------------------------------------
Sega-brand Saturn memory carts use flash-memory and thus have no
battery to replace.
I'm not sure about third party carts, but I'd assume they'd be the
same.
---------------------------------------------------------------
7.3 What memory carts & RAM carts are available for the Saturn?
---------------------------------------------------------------
The following list is incomplete:
Official Sega Backup RAM Cart
Manufactured by Sega Enterprises.
8 megabit (1 Megabyte) capacity. ??? Blocks
Comments:
Official Saturn memory carts came in at least four different
flavors in Japan:
1) First one is gray, somewhat lighter than the gray Saturn.
2) Later ones are lighter gray, but darker than a white Saturn.
3) A pink one that came with the game Tamagotchi Park.
4) A turquoise one that came with Tokimeki Memorial limited edition.
In the US and the UK, there is only the black cartridge.
E.M.S. 8 Meg Memory Cartridge
Manufactured by E.M.S. Industries LDT. of Hong Kong.
8 Megabit (1 Megabyte) capacity. ??? Blocks
Comments: None
E.M.S. 16 Meg Memory Cartridge
Manufactured by E.M.S. Industries LDT.of Hong Kong.
16 Megabit (2 Megabyte) capacity. Approx. 32,511 Blocks.
Comments: Can serve as an import converter. Supports direct
save.
E.M.S. 64 Meg Memory Cartridge
Manufactured by E.M.S. Industries LDT. of Hong Kong.
64 Megabit (8 Megabyte) capacity. ??? Blocks.
Comments: None
Action Replay Plus
Manufactured by E.M.S. Industries LDT. of Hong Kong.
512K of backup memory. ??? Blocks.
1 Megabyte RAM Cart Compatibility.
Can link with PC Comms card.
USA/JAPAN/EUROPE Converter.
Comments: Compatible with the Sega HSS-0155. Referred to
as the 4 in 1. Does NOT support direct save.
Action Replay 4M Plus
Manufactured by E.M.S. Industries LDT. of Hong Kong.
512K of backup memory. ??? Blocks.
4 Megabyte RAM Cart Compatibility.
Can link with PC Comms card.
USA/JAPAN/EUROPE Converter.
Comments: Compatible with Sega HSS-0150 and HSS-0163
RAM Carts. Sometimes incorrectly referred to as the 5 in 1
because it covers both the 1 meg and 4 meg RAM cart. Does
NOT support direct save.
Expand RAM Card
Manufactured by E.M.S. Industries LDT. of Hong Kong.
1 Megabyte RAM Cart Compatibility.
Comments: Compatible with Sega HSS-0150 RAM Cart.
4M Expand RAM Card
Manufactured by E.M.S. Industries LDT. of Hong Kong.
4 Megabyte RAM Cart Compatibility.
Comments: Compatible with Sega HSS-0150 and HSS-0163
RAM Carts.
Interact Memory Card Plus (P-465A)
Manufactured by Interact
8 Megabits (2 megabytes) of backup memory. Approx. 15,562 Blocks.
Comments: 4 Megabits physical RAM See section 7.8 for a special
notice.
Blaze Hi-Capacity Memory Card
Manufactured by Blaze (??)
1 Megabits of backup memory. ??? Blocks.
Comments: Sold in the UK. I don't know much about it, although I
hear it loses save files just as bad as the Interact carts.
Sega Saturn RAM Cart (HSS-0150)
Manufactured by Sega
Comments: For use with games listed in section 7.5.
Sega Saturn 4 Megabyte RAM Cart (HSS-0163)
Manufactured by Sega
Comments: For use with games listed in section 7.5.
Ultra Madness 4M Turbo Key
Manufactured by ???
Acts as both a 4MB RAM cartridge (for use with games
listed in section 7.5), and as an import converter.
-----------------------------------------------------
7.4 How does the block system work when saving games?
-----------------------------------------------------
Chris Heim writes:
This gets a little tricky. You see, EMS and Sega have different
calculations for their backup memory block sizes. EMS uses a
practical method of 64 bytes = 1 block, but Sega uses an unusual
format with has just over 73 bytes (about 73.148) = 1 block. I'm
unsure of which method Interact uses although the 32768 blocks for
2 Megs looks about right based on my friend's MEMORY CARD +. Using
these methods here's how the memory carts break down:
Carts and Kilobytes | Blocks in EMS & Sega Formats
--------------------------------------------------
Internal Memory 32k = 512 EMS / 448 Sega
Carts with 512k = 8192 EMS / 7182 Sega
Carts w/1024k (1Meg)= 16384 EMS / 14364 Sega
Carts w/2048k (2Meg)= 32768 EMS / 28728 Sega
Carts w/8192k (8Meg)= 131072 EMS / 114912 Sega
----
Both methods are more efficient than the PSX block system which
fills up entire blocks regardless of whether the data requires that
much space. In other words, a PSX shooter save file would take up
as much block space as many typical RPG save files (ie. Final Fantasy
VII). On the Saturn, the blocks allotted better reflect the amount
of physical space actually required by the file.
---------------------------------
7.5 What games support RAM carts?
---------------------------------
Special thanks to Sega Force for this list:
Name Developer Required?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Groove on Fight Atlus 1MB RAM
Ultraman* Bandai Proprietary ROM
Cyberbots Capcom NONE - 1 or 3MB
modes
Dungeons & Dragons Capcom 1MB RAM (Disc 2
only)
Marvel SH Capcom NONE - 1 or 3MB
modes
Marvel SH vs. SF Capcom 4MB RAM
Pocket Fighter Capcom NONE - 1 or 4MB
modes
Street Fighter Zero 3 Capcom 4MB RAM
Vampire Savior** Capcom 4MB RAM
X-Men vs. SF Capcom 4MB RAM
Fighters History Dynamite Data East 1MB RAM
Fatal Fury 3 SNK 1MB RAM
King of Fighters '95* SNK 1MB Proprietary ROM
King of Fighters '96 SNK 1MB RAM
King of Fighters '97 SNK 1MB RAM
Metal Slug SNK 1MB RAM
Ragnagard SNK 1MB RAM
Real Bout Fatal Fury SNK 1MB RAM
Real Bout Fatal Fury Special SNK 1MB RAM
Samuari Showdown III SNK 1MB RAM
Samuari Showdown IV SNK 1MB RAM
Cotton 2 Success NONE - 2MB mode
Astra Super Stars Sunsoft NONE - 4MB mode
Waku Waku 7 Sunsoft 1MB RAM
NOTES
-----
* Refer to section 7.7 for important compatibility information.
** Refer to section 7.6 for important compatibility information.
-------------------------------------------------------------
7.6 Are the different RAM & memory carts compatible with each
other?
-------------------------------------------------------------
Nearly. Provided you satisfy the RAM requirements for a particular
game.
Vampire Savior has difficulty with older versions of the Action Reply
Plus 4MB cartridge (those manufactured before April 17th, 1998). The
newer revisions of this cartridge (manufactured 2-4 weeks after the
game's release) work fine. Special thanks to Sega Force/Shin Force
for this info.
You can modify you old Action Replay cartridge to work with Vampire
Savior by following these instructions posted on Sega Force's
website:
http://www.cyberdrive.net/~gskalba/SAT-4MBRAM-mod.htm
Some people have voiced other problems with using the EMS products,
but these problems are currently unsubstantiated. The number of
people with favorable reviews outweigh reports to the contrary.
Problems could be related to any number of issues, including a worn
out cartridge port. Nobody has isolated anything yet.
King of Fighters '95 is *not* a RAM cart game. It won't work with
anything other than its own proprietary ROM cart. See section 7.7.
Memory carts should be completely compatible with each other
regardless of the country lockout (with the caveats for the Interact
products explained below). Be advised though that both the Game
Shark and the two EMS 4 in 1s do not support direct save. Files
must be moved from the Saturn's internal memory to the card, and
back again when you want to play. All Saturns will also display
saved items in Japanese characters if a Japanese game is saved.
The same is naturally true for the internal memory.
------------------------------------------------------------------
7.7 What about the cartridge distributed with King of Fighters '95
and Ultraman?
------------------------------------------------------------------
King of Fighters '95 used a special 1 Megabyte ROM cartridge that
predated the use of RAM cartridges. The ROM cartridge came packaged
with KOF '95, and was manufactured by SNK and Sega. It included all
the additional textures needed by the game in self-contained (R)ead
(O)nly (M)emory chips. The SNK ROM cartridge will not work on any
other game, and you can not substitute a RAM cartridge in order to
play KOF '95.
The only other game to use a specialized ROM cartridge was Bandai's
Ultraman. This cartridge would look exactly like the KOF '95 cart if
it weren't for the label. The same limitation on compatibility
applies here as well. You also can't use this cart to play KOF '95.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
7.8 What is all the bad press concerning Interact Memory Cards about?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Many Interact memory products have been getting complaints over the
years. Complaints have centered around save files suddenly being
corrupted. These complaints have held sway over both their Saturn and
Playstation memory products. The Interact nightmare really came into
the light when Victor Ireland, President of Working Designs, advised
his customers not to purchase Interact products.
---
"We are advising ALL SEGA Saturn owners AGAINST purchasing and/or
using any of the unlicensed Interact memory cartridges (pictured
below). They are sold as "Game Shark", "Memory Card", and "Memory
Card Plus."
"The problem with these devices is that they were created without
technical help from SEGA, and since this requires reverse engineering,
they CANNOT be guaranteed to be fully compatible. Also, there are
about 10 or more revisions of the BIOS in these carts, and 5 or more
revisions of the SEGA Saturn BIOS. Finding a fair match is nearly
impossible, and even then, it only means less problems, not the
elimination of Interact RAM problems."
"Another problem is that even though these devices boast "8 megs"
of storage, they actually only contain 4 megs of physical RAM, and
they therefore compress data to achieve 8 megs of storage in only 4
megs ofRAM. The problem with this is that on large save files (such
as Dragon Force, amongst others) the compression time is longer than
small save files, and this can upset the required timings on the
SEGA Saturn, thereby corrupting or even DESTROYING data."
"In fact, these carts can even corrupt the INTERNAL RAM on the
Saturn, requiring that the SEGA RAM be cleared to fix the corruption
before any games can be guaranteed to work correctly once again."
"Most users decide on these cartridges for one of three reasons:
Cheat codes made possible with the Game Shark, relatively cheap
price of these carts ($39 or so) compared to the official SEGA RAM
cart ($60 and up), or the difficulty finding the SEGA RAM cartridge
in stores, since store buyers prefer to carry the Interact carts
since they are less expensive and offer better price margins."
"We used to make the Official Saturn RAM cartridge available for
$49.95, delivered to your door, including Federal Express 2 day
shipping, as well as a custom Dragon Force Backup RAM Sticker.
However, SEGA, in their infinite wisdom, deemed that we were only
authorized to publish software and not authorized to sell hardware
(as the RAM cart is considered), and threatened legal action. Since
then, they have given us the stall for the last 5 months and
counting with regard to our request to receive authorization to
continue making these scarce RAM carts available to consumers. As
has been the case under SEGA's new and "improved" management, you,
the consumer lose."
"However, if you have a Saturn, we personally don't care WHERE you
buy the Official SEGA Backup RAM cart. Just buy IT, and not these
shoddy Interact products. These carts are our #1 support problem on
our game help lines. Users have experienced frequent lockups,
corrupt backup RAM data, destroyed backup RAM data, problems with
the Saturn recognizing the carts, Corrupt internal Saturn RAM when
an Interact card was used once or more, Saturns that load and
perform erratically with the carts installed, etc, etc, etc...the
list goes on and on. Would you risk 50, 60, even 100 hours worth
of game saves simply to save $20-30? It's just not worth it.
Just say no."
- Victor Ireland
A quick look at Dejanews archives will reveal plenty of posts made
by people who were having troubles.
This of course, it not to say that you WILL experience problems with
the Interact memory carts. I have received messages from a couple of
people stating that they have worked just fine for them.
Incidentally, a similar warning was later issued by WD concerning the
PSX memory cards, and then broadened yet again to include *most*
third party carts/cards. Following that, Interact threatened to sue
WD for slander they didn't take the warning down from their webpage.
Mr. Ireland clarified the meaning of the message, but it still
remained very critical of Interact and all their memory products.
The Working Designs page later goes on to reprint scathing
testimonials of people suffering from Interact woes. The WD webpage
can be accessed at http://www.workingdesigns.com
Check the "Newsroom" section.
---------------------------------------------------------------
7.9 I'm having some problems with my Interact Memory Card Plus.
Can you help me?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Because the Memory Card Plus interfaces with the Saturn BIOS
differently than the official Sega carts do, a couple of issues
have arisen from their use.
First of all, when booting a Saturn with an MCP in the cartridge
port, you will end up at the CD Player instead of going stright to
the game. Simply select the "Start Application" icon and you're all
set to play. If you change games by opening the lid of your Saturn
and switching out the CD, the new CD won't read the cart, and you'll
have to hard reset.
There's also a reported bug where the Saturn will lockup if you
go into the Systems Setting screen and attept to exit, forcing you
to hard reset the Saturn. There is no known workaround for this,
but the settings will be saved, so it's not debilitating.
Thanks to Garrett Albright for this
info.
------------------------------------------------------------------
7.10 I'm having problems with my Saturn cartridge port in general.
Can you help me?
------------------------------------------------------------------
Some people have argued that since Saturn cartridge port contacts are
made of cheap tin instead of a higher quality material (like gold
which is a much better conductor of electricity), and that the
contacts are much cheaper then that of an NES, SNES, Genesis, ect.,
they were never meant for frequent usage and tend to wear down
faster. This is seen as a cost cutting procedure by Sega, and thus
the connectors tend to become corroded or worn out rather easily.
I personally don't know if this is true, and I've heard some people
contest this paragraph's inclusion in the FAQ.
On the other hand, Raymond McKeithen presents a
different take on the qualitative matter:
"From my experience (a 4+ year-old Japanese Saturn that works fine
and has never had a problem plus 3 other import ones) and what I've
been able to tell from others, the only people that have trouble with
cart slots are those that use 3rd party cartridges. I believe that
once you do that, the *cart* damages the slot, and then even Sega
carts won't work reliably."
"If you look at the card edge on a Sega cart compared to most 3rd
party carts, there are 2 clear differences. The Sega carts have the
edges of the card filed/tapered so it isn't sharp/abrasive, the 3rd
party ones typically don't. Probably more importantly, look at the
thickness of the circuit boards in the two. Every 3rd party one I've
seen has a "thick" circuit board, which will spread the cart-slot
contacts which can certainly cause a problem if a non-thick one is
used afterwards; it may damage the slot in other ways since it
wasn't specifically designed for thick boards."
----
For dirty/corroded contacts:
Cleaning the contacts with isopropyl alchohol will help. Just be
sure to thin out the mixture with some tap water until you get about
a 50/50 mixture. Using a artist's erasier may also help somewhat,
as will a can of compressed air for removing dirt and deposits. The
same can be done with the cartridges themselves. Blowing on the
contacts may offer temporary relief, but you run the risk of moisture
on the contacts by way of your own saliva.
It may be possible to get a replacement contact part if yours become
too corroded and causes frequent problems. Contact Sega of America
at 1-800-USA-SEGA. Also, if anybody knows if and where these parts
can be ordered via third party, please let me know (include addresses
and contact info for these establishments please).
Raymond McKeithen II writes:
"With the machine off, remove and insert the cartridge several times.
If there's some minor corrosion on the cartridge or machine contacts,
this should clear it up. This is especially a possibility if you've
never used the cartridge slot before. I've seen exactly the same
situation on another new white Saturn..."
------------------------
VIII. TELECOMMUNICATIONS
------------------------
-----------------------------
8.1 What is the Sega Netlink?
-----------------------------
Essentially it's a 28.8bps modem designed to be used in conjunction
with the Saturn's cartridge port. You can use it to connect to the
web, read e-mail, and play multiplayer against another human miles
away who also has a Netlink and the same game. Later versions also
supported IRC chat and secure online ordering (SSL).
The NetLink can be used in conjunction with any ISP that supports
PPP (Point to Point Protocol). You can also connect to any e-mail
server that supports the POP3 and SMTP protocol.
Sega had teamed up with Concentric Network Corporation, and offered
referrals to use their own service at reduced rates. However, it
should be stressed it is NOT necessary to use Concentric's services
to connect to the net using a Netlink.
The Netlink is driven by browser software on CD. Settings and files
can be saved in your Saturn's internal memory. When you first power
up your Saturn with the NetLink, you'll be asked a series of
questions about your ISP (the number to dial, DNS, IP, ect.).
There were four different versions of the Netlink browser released.
All were programmed by PlanetWeb. Version 2.0 was incapable of
viewing framed websites. Version 3.0 added recognition of frames,
but required that you switch between each frame to view them.
Version 4.X, which is a beta version, added SSL support for secure
shopping online. All browsers were capable of viewing .JPG, .GIF,
and .XBM images up to 400K in size. .WAV, .AIFF, and .AU sound files
up to 400K in size are also supported for immediate playback (you
can not save them).
The Netlink comes packaged with a 30 foot RJ-11 phone cable, complete
instructions on how to use the Netlink, and the NiGHTs sampler CD. It
has a "pass through" phone connector so you don't have to disconnect
your phone line in order to use the NetLink.
Optional peripherals include a keyboard and a mouse.
The NetLink is a inexpensive means of connecting to the Internet,
especially if you have an existing dial up account, but I wouldn't
recommend it as a substitute for a halfway decent desktop computer.
The Netlink does not recognize Java, VBScript, DHTML, or standards
other than plain HTML. It can not download program files. It's
limited in terms of size of what it can download. Version 3.0+
includes an IRC client, but its limited as to what servers it can
connect to (ie. I can't seem to get on DALnet at all). It also
occupies the Saturn's cartridge port, meaning you can't use a memory
carts or other peripherals when the Netlink is in use.
As far as playing games, the Netlink does NOT support online play,
although you can directly dial into another Netlink and play that
way provided that both gamers have copies of the same game.
The Netlink was never released in Europe.
For more information on the Netlink, you can view the Official
Netlink FAQ, here:
http://www.planetweb.com/netlink/faq.html
Paul Carson writes:
"Netlink never made it to Britain. Apparently Sega Europe thought
that we weren't ready for it, and judging by the lack of Netlink
games available overseas, it was probably just as well. It's a
strange situation however, because in Sega Touring Car Championship
where the rest of the world played the special net event courses on
Netlink we got to play the 'extra courses' at the specified times,
we then got a password and then we had to log on to
www.sega.co.jp/stc/ to register the times within 24 hours of the
competition start. There's a bit of paper in every Euro copy of
STCC detailing this. This was their workaround! The Netlink system
was 4 years ahead of it's time, trying to ride on the wave created
by Quake and it's revolution of multiplayer. If there had been a
Netlink Quake version I'm sure the system would have gained mass
popularity because people would have been able to play Quake online
cheaply. I know there's still a group of staunch Netlink users out
there who still surf using their Saturn. They have a website
somewhere, but where..."
------------------------------------------
8.2 What are the Netlink's specifications?
------------------------------------------
INTERFACE
* Telephone Circuit
* 2 Wire Interface (RJ-11 Type Phone Jack)
NCU
* AA Type
* Pulse: (10PPS/20PPS), Tone (DTMF)
MODEM
* Complies with: ITU-T (V.21/V.22/V.22bis/V.23/V.32
V.32bis/V.34, V.42/V.42bis), BELL (103/212A), MNP 2-5
* FSK/PSK/QAM
* 75, 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 7200, 9600, 12000, 14400,
19200, 28000bps
* Transmission level less than -9dBm
* Reception level 0dBm to -43dBm
OPERATING CONDITIONS
* Temperature level 41 F to 95 F (5 C to 35 C)
* Humidity level 20% to 90%RH
---------------------------------------
8.3 What Netlink Software is available?
---------------------------------------
Netlink WebBrowser 2.0
Comes packaged with the Netlink itself. Supports all HTML 2.0 tags,
and most HTML 3.0 tags. Unable to view framed webpages, and does not
support IRC chat. Somewhat comparable to early versions of Netscape.
Netlink WebBrowser 3.0
Comes packaged with the Netlink game package. Adds support for the
viewing of framed pages, sorta. All it really does is allow you to
access each frame individually, but not view them all at once. Also
adds a fairly basic IRC client. This IRC client is crippled in that
it can't connect to major servers like DALnet and EFnet.
Netlink WebBrowser Golden 1.135
Same code as 3.0 except no CD was ever pressed and it does not
include the "Netlink City" front page. Available for download fron
Planetweb's site.
Netlink Beta 4.035
Adds SSL support for secure online ordering. Available for download
on Planetweb's site. This is the final version of the Netlink Browser
that will be offered. No CD was ever pressed, meaning you have to
redownload it each time you want to use the Netlink (It's not worth
it in my opinion).
-----------------------------------
8.4 What games support the Netlink?
-----------------------------------
Virtual On (Netlink Edition)
Sega Rally (Netlink Edition)
Daytona USA CCE (Netlink Edition)
Saturn Bomberman
Duke Nukem' 3D
Benjamin writes:
"There are only five Netlink games released in the US. Since Virtual
On, Sega Rally, and Daytona USA CCE were all released before the
Netlink came out, special Netlink Edition versions were distributed.
Saturn Bomberman and Duke Nukem 3D came out after the Netlink, so
there is no need for a second printing."
"[Virtual On (NE) and Sega Rally (NE)] were included with the Netlink
about a year or so after its release. Daytona USA CCE was only
available from Sega's web site and is perhaps the most difficult to
find Netlink game. I know [VO and DUSA CCE] came in a jewel case with
four "long box sized" black-and-white manuals. I don't know how
Daytona USA CCE was packaged, but I suspect it was similar to the
prior two released games. Saturn Bomberman and Duke Nukem 3D were
regular Saturn games with the typical packaging."
"The Netlink Editions of Virtual On and Sega Rally are marginally
better than the standard version. Virtual On has an option to let you
color your mech, and Sega Rally has two animated sprites on the
track side. Nothing spectacular. Supposedly the graphics were
improved a bit (frame rate, clipping, etc.), but I can't tell.
Daytona USA CCE reportedly is much better than the US standard
release. The Netlink Edition is based on the Japanese game; the
US one was rushed for a Christmas release and is missing several
features and options (night time courses, etc.). I never played it,
so I don't know much about it. There's been a few discussions about
that version you can look up at Deja [ www.deja.com ]."
"All are direct dial games. The Sega Netlink did not feature online
play, so to compete over a phone line meant calling someone who has
a Saturn, Netlink, and the game you wish to play with person. If it
is not a local call, then prepare to pay long distance fees."
-----------------------------------
8.5 Is the Netlink still supported?
-----------------------------------
Sega's support status of the Netlink is currently unknown. Much like
the rest of the Saturn, support is either not advertised or no longer
directly offered.
Planetweb still mainatains a section of their webpage dedicated
to the Netlink. You can download the Beta 4.0 browser, as well as
Saturn savegames. There is also a messageboard that is rather sparse
as you can imagine. Although Planetweb offers info and downloads
relating to the Netlink, don't expect anything new to pop up.
http://www.planetweb.com/netlink/
----------------------------
XI. MODIFICATION INFORMATION
----------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
9.1 Can I play games from another region on my Saturn?
------------------------------------------------------
Not out of the box. There are certain hurdles to clear and steps to
take in order to successfully play games from one region on a system
designed for sale in different region.
Briefly, these hurdles include the territorial lockouts, and the
television system your country uses (NTSC, PAL, ect.).
---------------------------------------------------------------
9.2 I've decided to play games from another region. What are my
options?
---------------------------------------------------------------
In many cases, your options of playing imports are wide. Assuming you
have a US or Japanese NTSC Saturn you have three distinct options:
1. Install a language switch.
2. Resort to "Disc Swapping" (Not Recommended!).
3. Get one of the multitudes of converter cartridges.
4. Use an Interact Game Shark.
European Saturn owners have to ensure that their system will support
NTSC if they wish to play US or Japanese games. On the other hand, US
and Japanese owners will have to support PAL if they wish to play
European games.
Still, yet another distinct possibility....
From the Saturn MOD FAQ by The Axledental DJ :
"You (in theory) could disassemble the info on the BIOS chip and
rewrite the bits where it looks for CD authentication, making your
machine a "universal" unit that plays ALL games no matter where it
came from, including a game you might of copied yourself to a gold
or silver CD-R disc. Then you would burn the patched ROM image to
an EEPROM and attempt to play foreign/pirated games."
See section 9.10 for more information on how this may be possible.
---------------------------------------------------------
9.3 What is NTSC and PAL and why might they be a problem?
---------------------------------------------------------
NTSC and PAL are television broadcast frequencies. NTSC is about 60
(actually 59.94) fields per second, 525 lines per frame (each frame
is 2 fields). PAL is 50 fields per second and 625 lines per frame.
Parts of Europe, Hong Kong, and Australia use PAL, while North
America and Japan use NTSC. There were NTSC and PAL versions of the
Saturn released in the appropriate regions, and knowing what system
you have is important when buying games from another region.
There is no SECAM Saturn. The French used the same PAL Saturn as the
rest of Europe with a SCART connector.
The Sony CXA1645M, the video output chip in the Saturn, is capable
of outputting both NTSC and PAL signals. The problem is in
instructing the mainboard to run at the correct field rate desired
by the game.
If you play a NTSC game on a PAL console and the game is not
programmed to notice what kind of console you're on, there are two
effects: first, the game's screen is squashed because the 525 lines
fit on a narrower portion of the screen, and second, the game runs
about 17 percent slower _if_ the game's timing depends on events that
happen at a specified rate compared to the frame. (Or if its timing
depends on the current, but it probably won't, because part of Japan
is 50 hertz but 60 fields per second.) The opposite happens in
reverse: the screen is stretched out (and probably rolls badly) and
the game is too fast. You can correct this problem by building a
50/60Hz Switch.
Some Saturn software will run just fine regardless of whether you're
using an NTSC or PAL console. Chris Foulger has provided a list of
what works, and what doesn't.
"In response to posts about PAL Saturn games running on NTSC Saturns
I have made a quick list of the effects this has on some titles. I
have a Saturn with a PAL/NTSC switch so this is how I have got these
results. The 3 columns relate to picture overscan, glitching (polygon
dropout, games not loading or other effects) and if the game has been
modified to play on a PAL Saturn whether the game runs too fast on
an NTSC Saturn. I made this list mostly from memory so please be
aware that there may be some errors. As a rough rule I would say that
SEGA released 3D titles tended to get a PAL enhancement and 2D sprite
based games usually received no changes."
TITLE - OVERSCAN - GLITCHES - TOO FAST
--------------------------------------
Amok N N N
Athlete Kings Y N N
Baku Baku Animal N N N
Bubble Bobble N N N
Burning Rangers N Y N
Christmas Nights N N N
Croc N N N
Clockwork Knight N N N
Dark Savior N N N
Daytona CCE Y N N
Daytona USA N N N
Deep Fear Y N N
Die Hard Arcade Y N N
DOOM N N N
Duke Nukem Y N N
Enemy Zero N Y N
Exhumed N N N
Fighters Megamix Y N Y
Fighting Vipers Y N N
Formula Carts Y Y N
Guardian Heroes N N N
Gun Griffon N N N
Highway 2000 N N N
House of the Dead Y N N
Jurassic Park 2 N N N
Kieo Flying Squadron 2 N N N
The King of Boxing N N N
King of Fighters 95 N N N
Last Bronx Y Y N
Manx TT Superbike N N N
Marvel Super Heroes N N N
NBA Action 98 N N N
NiGHTS N N N
Parodius N N N
Pandemonium N N N
Panzer Dragoon Y N N
Panzer Dragoon Saga Y Y N
Panzer Dragoon Zwie Y N N
Puzzle Figher 2 Turbo Y N N
Quake Y N N
Resident Evil N N N
Riven: The Sequel to Myst N N N
Saturn Bomberman N N N
Sega Ages N N Y
Segal Rally Y N Y
Shining Force 3 N N N
Sonic Jam (Sonic World Section) Y Y N
Sonic 3D (3D Bonus Stage) Y Y WILL NOT LOAD
Sonic R N N N
Street Racer Y N N
Steep Slope Sliders N N N
Story of Thor 2 N N N
Street Fighter Alpha N N Y
Street Fighter Alpha 2 N N N
Street Fighter Collection N N N
Theme Park N N N
Tomb Raider Y N N
Toshinden S N N N
Touring Car Y Y N
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 N N N
Vampire Hunter N N N
Virtua Cop Y N Y
Virtua Cop 2 Y N Y
Virtua Fighter Y N N
Virtua Fighter 2 Y N Y
Virtua Fighter Kids Y N Y
Virtual On Y N N
Wing Arms N N N
Winter Heat N N N
Wipeout N N N
Wipeout 2097 N N N
X-MEN Children of the Atom N N N
Of course, the easiest thing to do would be to get NTSC equipment if
you wish to play US or Japanese games, and PAL equipment if you want
to play PAL games. However, then you would need to buy a power
converter, and it can be a pain in the ass....or "arse", depending
on who's reading this. "^_^"
-----------------------------------------------
9.4 How do I build a 50/60Hz (PAL/NTSC) switch?
-----------------------------------------------
Information is provided on Tony's Sega Saturn page. His dual DPDT
switch mod also does the country modification at the same time. One
of these days I'll provide detailed instructions on building a
PAL/NTSC switch here (hopefully).
http://www.trsoft.demon.co.uk/satmod.htm
------------------------------------------------------
9.5 What exactly is a MOD switch or a language switch?
------------------------------------------------------
A MOD Switch or a language switch (it can referred to as both) is
quite simply a modification to your Saturn that will allow you to
play games designed for one region on a system originally designed
for play in another region. Each Saturn CD contain a region code
(similar to region coding for DVD players). It, in effect, configues
the Saturn's mainboard to run in either a Japanese, US, or European
configuration.
The reason why it's sometimes called a language switch harkens back
to the days when Sega used to include dual language ROMs in their
games. I've been told that this applies to certain Saturn games like
Die Hard Arcade/Dynamite Dekka. If you play Die Hard Arcade on a
Japanese Saturn or a US Saturn switched to masquerade as one, but
use a Gameshark to boot the game, what you get will be Dynamite
Dekka, complete with the original Japanese text. Don't get excited
though, as this doesn't pertain to any RPGs, so you won't get full
translated text in many of your games.
The modification usually consists of a single DPDT switch that can be
toggled between US and Japanese software. This is arguably that
best (certainly most permanent) way to play imports if you are a
serious gamer. Assuming you have all the tools and equipment, the
MOD will also cost you only about $4 for a single DPDT switch and
wiring.
This should *NOT* be confused with a MOD Chip, which is different
(see next question). The switch does *NOT* allow to to play CDRs,
pirated software, or software developed for different television
standards like PAL and NTSC.
The modification can be performed on virtually any Saturn, although
the procedure for each system is slightly different, and the jumpers
that you need to solder wires to are located on different places on
the bottom of the motherboard, depending on model. Also, performing
the modification will, of course, void your warranty.
If you'd like to do this modification yourself, see the next
question.
The video game importer NCS will also perform the modification via
mail order for $35 if you don't want to do it yourself (that price
by the way, includes return postage, but you still have to send the
system yourself and pay for the outgoing postage). Customer
satisfaction with this service has been very high.
You can visit the NCS homepage at: http://www.ncsx.com/
...or refer to the "Contact Information" towards the end of this FAQ.
----------------------------------------
9.6 How can I install a language switch?
----------------------------------------
By far, Jerry Lynds & Kirk Patten have provided the most reliable
method for installing a language switch on your Saturn. This
information only pertains to Japanese and US systems however, and
have not been confirmed to work with PAL equipment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
* For the modification of the Saturn, you will need:
* Phillips Screwdriver, Standard Size
* Phillips Screwdriver, Small
* Flatblade Screwdriver, Small
* Sidecutters
* Pencil Tipped 15 Watt Solder iron
* (1) DPDT Switch, Small
* ~8" 6 strand ribbon cable, or 6 pcs 8" wire
* Needlenose Pliers with Bent Tip
* X-Acto or other sharp knife
* Drill
In its most basic sense the modification consists of hooking a DPDT
switch up across two pairs of two jumpers to allow you to alternate
between two jumper configurations conveniently. Currently, I am aware
of four versions of the Sega Saturn Hardware that are for sale. This
document details performing the modification for each of these
versions of hardware. There do exist other versions of this hardware
(ex: the White Saturn), but they do not differ signifigantly relating
to the modification.
___________
Disassembly
Before modifying any of the three hardware configurations, it is
necessary to completely disassemble your Sega Saturn unit. The
jumpers will be located on the main PC board, and in order to access
them you will have to remove this board from the unit. In all three
versions of the hardware, this is located at the very bottom of the
case. I have found it helpful to lay out the parts on a towel or
some such to facilitate easy re-assembly. Be careful when
disconnecting wires and ribbon cables, they are fragile. Note that
on the newer versions of the Saturn, you will have to lift the CD
drive off its mounting posts, and remove a small phillips screw
holding the CD grounding strip to the metal shielding. If you do not
do this, you will be unable to lift the drive, shield, or main PC
board from the case. Take your time disassembling the unit. There
is nothing very difficult, but some components are easily damaged,
and it will be easier to re-assemble if you take care to remember
where the components are located. It is not necessary to remove the
battery from the PC board to perform the mod, but it is a wise
precaution. If you do remove the battery, your saved data will all
be lost.
______________
Wiring the Mod
The 6 posts of the DPDT switch will be referred to as A-F, as below.
B and E will be the center terminal designations in this document.
An X signifies that the connection point will not be used in the
modification. Simply connect the corresponding letters on the switch
to the corresponding letters on the main PC board for the version
of your hardware.
DPDT Switch
Left Right
A D
B E
C F
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 1
JP# LeftRight
JP11 F E
JP10 D X
JP7 A X
JP6 C B
This version of the mod is for the original version of the Saturn.
This hardware version will have the MPEG daughter board, and the
power connector will not have any notches in it. The jumpers are
located in one bank on the bottom of the main PC board.
There will be two small traces on the circuit board shorting JP6 and
JP11, or JP7 and JP10. You will have to physically cut these traces
before you wire for the switch to function properly. The common
posts of JP10 & JP11 and JP6 & JP7 are on the right side in both
instances.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 2
JP# LeftRight
JP11 X A
JP10 B C
JP# LeftRight JP# Left Right
JP6 D X JP7 F E
In this version the power cord is notched. This version was
manufactured from approximately 8/95 - 3/96. You will have to remove
two small components from either JP7 and JP10 or JP6 and JP11. They
are unimportant and serve merely to short the jumpers that establish
the world area in which your machine is designed to operate.
JP10 & JP11 are located on the top of the main motherboard near the
center in the configuration shown above. JP6 & JP7 are on the bottom
in a side by side configuration like in the table above. The common
post of JP6 & JP7 is on the right, while the common post of JP10 &
JP11 is on the left.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 3
JP# LeftRight
JP6 X A
JP7 B C
JP# LeftRight
JP11 D X
JP10 F E
In this version the power cord is notched. This version was
manufactured from around 3/96 - 7/96. You will have to remove two
small components from either JP7 and JP10 or JP6 and JP11. They are
unimportant and serve merely to short the jumpers that establish
the world area in which your machine is designed to operate.
In this version of the hardware, the jumpers are all grouped together
on the bottom of the board. The common post of JP6 & JP7 is on the
left, while JP10 & JP11 is on the right.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 4
JP# LeftRight JP# Left Right
JP6 A X JP7 B C
JP# LeftRight JP# Left Right
JP10 F E JP11 X D
In this version the power cord is notched. This version was
manufactured starting 7/96, it is the second version that does not
have a drive light. You will have to remove two small components
from either JP7 and JP10 or JP6 and JP11. They are unimportant and
serve merely to short the jumpers that establish the world area in
which your machine is designed to operate.
In this version of the hardware, the jumpers are all grouped
together on the bottom right of the board. The common post of JP6 &
JP7 is on the right, while JP10 & JP11 is on the left.
___________
Re-assembly
In all four versions, you should be able to feed the connecting wires
from under the main PC board to a location near the reset switch.
You should be able to re-assemble the machine with the top not
screwed down and the switch hanging on the outside to test it. When
you are ready to finalize the mod, there is ample room to drill a
hole in the top of the case to the right of the reset switch. In
all four versions of the hardware, there should be room inside the
case for a regular microswitch
in this area.
________________
Additional Notes
Again, if you do not understand part of this document, then it is
not a good idea to utilize any of the information contained herein.
I do not intend to answer questions about this from now until the
end of time, so only do this mod if you understand this document as
it stands. I will not answer questions about this unless I feel
like it.
You should not have to cut or change any part of your machine except
the jumpers, and drilling a hole for the switch. You can even avoid
drilling the hole to mount the switch if you make the connecting
wires long enough to feed the switch out the battery access door in
the rear of the unit.
[John's note:] You can also cut a square hole in the battery door
and mount the switch there. The plastic is very soft and easy to
work with and it holds the switch nicely.
---
On the other hand, U.K. Saturn owners may find Tony Ross's guide more
informative, as he takes PAL modifications into consideration at the
same time. You can view that particular procedure here:
http://www.trsoft.demon.co.uk/satmod.htm
-----------------------------------------------------
9.7 Can I play CDR discs (copied games) on my Saturn?
-----------------------------------------------------
Not without a MOD, a special cartridge, or an official Sega boot
disc. The Saturn has a security lockout code on each disc that the
Saturn must read in an effort to discourage piracy.
Adam Pavlaka writes:
"For playing CDRs on a Saturn there is always the "official" way -
use one of two system boot discs. Sega had a 1st party disc (which
was used to boot Sega games on CDR) and a 3rd party disc (which was
used to boot 3rd party games on CDR). These were used by developers
and press to test games on the Saturn."
No, I do NOT know where you can get these. Please don't e-mail me
about them.
-----------------------
9.8 What is a MOD Chip?
-----------------------
A MOD chip is a little dubious. Japanese, US, and UK software contain
lockout codes that prevent and discourage illegal copying of CDs.
This lockout code should not be confused with the regional
recognition codes of above. When you copy a CD, the CD Burner will
not copy this code, so whenever you put a copied CD in your Saturn
regardless of whether or not it's an import or domestic game, you
won't be able to play it. The Saturn will assume that in the
absence of that lockout keycode the disc is unsuitable to play.
The MOD chip is designed to overcome this by fitting in between the
drive ribbon cable, and the drive itself, and allow you to play
copied games. Naturally, we would hope that the only reason why
you'd want to play copied software is for backup purposes. >=)
MOD chips can also be purchased cheaply in Hong Kong, or so I'm told.
Bear in mind, MODing is much trickier then a language switch, and
the 21 pin MOD chips that are sold don't work in every system. If
you have an older Saturn with oval buttons, the MOD *may* not work
(see "Saturn Models") since those require 20 pin MOD chips. The only
way to be sure is to count the number of pins.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
9.9 Is there a single "one-time" modification that will allow me to
play imports *AND* CDRs without the use of a cartridge?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
There used to be.
Game World USA sold a MOD BOARD for the Sega Saturn. The Sega Saturn
Mod Board allowed gamers to play US Import AND CDR back up games. A
feat which no other mod has been able to match before or since.
Unfortunately, Game World USA went out of business before this FAQ
could be posted, and the board itself is no longer manufactured. If
anybody offers something similar, or has the specs for this thing,
please let me know.
------------------------------------------
9.10 What's this about rewriting the BIOS?
------------------------------------------
Joe Doucette writes:
A friend and I looked into that.
Having presumably found the location(s) that does the CD
authentication we came up with a modified BIOS image to try out.
(Could do all sorts of goofy things to the bootup sequence -- make
it not see cartridges, make it not see CD's, combinations etc.. The
development kit/documentation was very helpful looking for entry
points etc. ;) Couldn't find any EEPROMS anywhere NEAR the right
size/shape to fit where the original BIOS went. (Plus..it's surface
mount. OUCH! Could create an interconnect to a standard socket on
the board, but then it'd be too thick for the cover et al to fit on
properly.
He finally designed a LOT (a couple games worth, IIRC) of AR+ codes
to do the modification. (It was a multistage code patch, copying
parts of the rom into spare RAM locations, modifying the RAM, and
pretending that was the BIOS. No go.
Finally, looking through datasheets, I noticed that the processor on
the CD drive itself has like 32k of ROM on it. That is most likely
impossible to dump, and would require MAJOR effort to replace. (i.e.
redesign CD controller circuit board..) So it may not
necessarily even be POSSIBLE to make a BIOS replacement mod by just
replacing the main BIOS -- it may be codependent on the ROM in the CD
drive CPU. (An emulator with debugging utilities would help greatly
here to figure out if this is the case. :) )
Note that I had seen a web page where someone had claimed to have
patched his ROM on his Saturn..had some comment to the effect of
"If you can't figure out how to do it, you don't deserve to know.".
Seemed to brush it off as easy. At least a LOT easier then it really
was..
So..I think the way the mod chips work is just intercept calls to the
drive to read the security track and chessily return the security
track, so the drive is never the wiser that you even wanted to look
at it. (All in all, kudos to Sega for an EXCELLENT copy protection
scheme..If they combined circuit boards with the CD unit instead of
using ribbon cables, we might not have ever seen mod boards for the
Saturn..)
Now..here's the interesting bit..From reading around, it might be
possible to use 2 cdr drives to burn "normal" looking Saturn CD's.
One drive would need it's firmware replaced to command it to go to
position X and write the security track data. This process would
probably prevent it from ever burning a normal CD again, but you
could churn out a bunch of CD's with security tracks on them. Then
take those to a "normal" CDR and copy the game over. So..basically...
if you're willing to put several months of development/engineering
time into it, there are (probably) other ways to play CDR's. It's
very much not worth the effort, though.
-------------------------------
9.11 What about "Disc Swapping"?
-------------------------------
Disc swapping is a risky proposition, and should be discouraged.
It involves opening the lid to the drive while it is running so that
you can swap out the game after it checks and confirms the code on
the first game. Doing this repeatedly can damage your drive
electronics, and it doesn't always work all the time. It also
requires you to *short out* (!!!) the lid sensor on the CD drive,
and you constantly have to swap, or play the entire game in one
sitting (impossible for many RPGs). However, it is a last resort
measure for playing imports or CDRs.
From the Saturn MOD FAQ by The Axledental DJ :
"Either manually, or with the Super Strong Card 2.0, you can do the
infamous "swap trick" to play all foreign games on your Saturn. What
you do is short / disconnect the lid sensor, so you can have access
to the disc while the Saturn reads it. Put in an American game, let
it load, then immediately after the black SEGA logo, pop the other
disc in. If you did it at the right time and quick enough, you can
play the other game."
"The main problem is this, the Saturn also reads the American game's
TOC, Table Of Contents, which has the length of each track. The
other game you swapped may have a totally different TOC, so the
music might dropout, and (most likely)the game will freeze or glitch.
On top of all that, it's difficult to do, and swapping will
eventually cause damage to your Saturn's drive motor. Playstation
owners have this exact same problem too."
-----------------------------------------------------------
9.12 What is the Sega Satellite, ST Key, and CDX converter?
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Sega Satellite is a cheap 3rd party cartridge manufactured by
E.M.S Industries Ldt. of Hong Kong. It allows you to play import
games (USA, Japanese and European) without a switch. The Cartridge is
*ONLY* a converter cartridge and lacks the ability to save games,
or act as a RAM cart like the Action Replay 4 in 1 or 5 in 1. It
also does nothing for CDRs.
It's a plain looking white or blue cartridge with a sticker that says
Sega Satellite, and can be purchased in various places for around
$20.
I do not know how reliable they are.
The ST-Key and the CDX converter do the same thing. The CDX was only
sold in Europe as far as I can tell.
---------------------------------------
9.13 What is the Super Strong Card 2.0?
---------------------------------------
This rather unique cartridge device slows down the Saturn's CD drive
to better allow for disc swapping (see section 9.11).
From the Saturn MOD FAQ by The Axledental DJ :
"There is a rumor that some pirated HK games REQUIRE the Super Strong
Card 2.0. It's totally false, just a rumor generated so dealers can
unload those useless things that they have so much of. NO game
requires any certain brand of converter to be played."
-----------------------------------------------------------
9.14 How can I use a Game Shark or Ineract Memory Card Plus
to play imports?
-----------------------------------------------------------
From Tyler V. Snow
"You can also play imports using Interact's Game Shark accessory.
Just press Start while holding down X+Y+Z when the Game Shark asks
if you want to start the game with/without enhancements. Newer Game
Sharks apparently let you just press Start without having to hold
down X+Y+Z when it asks that question."
With the Memory Card Plus, all you have to do is boot the Saturn as
normal, and when you are booted to the CD Player screen, start the
application. You will be able to play any game, regardless of what
region it's from. Thanks goes to Terrence Huey for this info.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9.15 What if I have a converter cartridge like the ST Key or Sega
Satellite and I want to play a RAM cart game?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
You're screwed.
Well I hesitate to say, but that's not entirely true. There is a way
to swap out the cartridge, and it's rather straightforward way at
that. Simply pull out the converter and replace it with the RAM cart
after the CD player screen says "Checking Disc" and the "Start
Application" button appears.
Suffice it to say, this is stupid as it can screw up your cartridge
port. You should never insert or remove a cartridge while the system
is running.
You have been warned. If you think that the risk of screwing up your
Saturn doesn't justify the cost of getting a switch installed, or
getting a 4 in 1 cart then continue are your own peril.
From the Saturn MOD FAQ by The Axledental DJ :
"I have seen many Usenet posts about people who have damaged their
Saturn by cart-swapping to play import games like KOF'95 and Real
Bout. Despite what you might hear, cartridge swapping WILL damage
your Saturn, maybe the cart port will no longer work, maybe no games
will run, etc. No matter how much you like a game, DON'T SWAP!! It's
not worth one round of King of Fighters '95 (well, maybe =) to risk
your $200 Saturn machine."
--------------------------------------------------------------
9.16 Will these methods allow me to play any game from another
region?
--------------------------------------------------------------
Assuming that the mod you choose will allow you to satisfy any extra
peripheral requirements (such as RAM and memory carts), yes.
However, reliable information from NCS tells us the Japanese version
of the shooter known in the US as "In The Hunt" does *not* work on a
US Saturn under any circumstances (switch, converter, etc.).
-------------------
X. IMPORT QUESTIONS
-------------------
--------------------------------------
10.1 Why would I want to play imports?
--------------------------------------
"Should I, or shouldn't I?" seems to be a dilemma among many Saturn
fans. It's a big question, and many Saturn supporters have asked it
in one form or another.
The question of whether or not imports are for you rests upon how
much of a gamer you actually are. Imports open up a whole new world
of opportunity for the Saturn fan. If your into RPGs, anime games, or
just more games period, then importing is something to definitely
think about.
Importing is also a bastion for staunch supporters of the Saturn who
are displeased with the catalogues of other systems, or who simply
believe that the Saturn import tiles can offer a higher level of
enjoyment for them. This is not to say that you should limit yourself
to just the Saturn, and you should realize that the difficulty level
in acquiring imports and the ability to play them increases
significant in many cases, as well as the money involved. You should
decide whether or not the ends will justify the means in your case.
Everybody is unique.
The deciding factor should be made after through analysis of the
import environment. Check magazines, post to USENET, visit some of the
websites listed at the bottom of this FAQ and see if anything
interests you.
--------------------------------------
10.2 Where can I get Japanese imports?
--------------------------------------
Please refer to section XIX.
-------------------------------------
10.3 What is the "Saturn Collection"?
-------------------------------------
The Saturn Collection is a basically a series of re-releases in
Japan, from Sega, on some of the more poplar Saturn titles. These
were sold at a flat 2,800 Yen price. This program was extended to
third party titles as well. The following list is provided by the
Sega of Japan website, and is translated courtesy of Terrence Huey.
Current Saturn Collection (SATAKORE) titles (as of 3/11/99):
RPG:
Terra Fantastica
Dragon Force
Langrisser III
Langrisser IV
Albert's Oddysey
Shin Megami Tensei Devil Summoner
Sword & Sorcery
Falcom Classics
Princess Crown
Action:
Sonic Jam
Dynamite Deka(Die Hard Arcade)
NiGHTS
K-1 Fighting Illusion
Saturn Bomberman
Dragon Ball Z Dragon Ball Legends
Gundam
Silhouette Mirage
Rockman X4
Rockman 8
Fighting:
Virtua Fighter 2
All Japan Pro Wrestling Featuring Virtua
Street Fighter Zero 2
Sports/Drive:
Sega Ralley
DEKA Street
Fire Pro Wrestling 6 Men Scramble
Steep Slope Sliders
J-League Pro Soccer Club wo Tsukurou! 2
Pro Baseball Greatest Hits '98
Choro Q Park
Shooting:
Bulk Slash
Metal Black
Gun Griffon
Layer Section
Do Donpachi
ThunderForce V
The House of the Dead
Simulation:
Command & Conquer
Advanced World War
Sea Bass Fishing 2
Sankyo Fever Simulation S
Princess Maker 2
The KONBINII~Ano Machi wo Dokusen se yo~
Chaos Seed
Adventure:
Sakura Taisen
Tomb Raider
D
Enemy Zero
Puzzle:
Puyo Puyo Sun
Puzzle Battle 2 X
Jookai Banri no Choujou(Great Wall of China)
Baku Baku Animal World
Puyo Puyo
Tetris S
Magical Drop 3
Table:
Tou Tarou Doochuuki
Kochira ?ShokuKuKiYuu Kooen ZenHa Shussho: Nakagawa Land Dai REESU!
no Kan Honkaku Pro Majhong Tetsu? Special
Gyuwanburaa Jiko Shin-ha Tokyo Majong Land
Pro Mahjong Kyoku S
DX Jinsei Game
KARUDOSEPUTO/Culdcept
Side Pocket 3
TEKUSUTOOTO RUDO ~ARUKANA Senki~
Variety:
Koden Koosetsu Jutsu Hyaku Monogatari ~Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi
2-do Rukoto wa SANDOAARU
Techno Motor
-------------------------------------------------------------------
10.4 What Saturn games have files designed to be used by a personal
computer ("Omake" Directory)?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Some Sega Saturn imports (And even a few domestic games) will have
a directory titled "Omake" somewhere on the disc. Sega Saturn CDs are
formatted in standard ISO-9660, and can thus be read by most computer
CD-ROM drives. These "Omake" directories usually contain pictures,
text (of various subject matter), and sometimes even Screen Savers.
Other Saturn games will just mix these files into the root directory
of the CD.
"Omake" loosely translated into english means: "Extra" or "Bonus".
Sometimes it's also translated as "A gift for you".
I'd like to get a list of these games, so if somebody wants to send
in submissions of games that have these, I'd be grateful.
Games that have Omake directories
---------------------------------
Castlevania: Dracula X (also .pcm music - unknown format)
Enemy Zero (BMP Dir)
Falcom Classics II (.bmp and .mp3 files in separte Dirs)
Langrisser IV (multiple .jpg images and .scr format screensaver)
NiGHTS
Without Seperate Directories (mixed in with the regular data):
--------------------------------------------------------------
Pocket Fighter (screen saver - .scr format)
Shining Wisdom (.bmp files - unknown format)
Puyo Puyo Two (.aif sound files)
Enemy Zero - all discs (.aif sound files)
Dark Savior - .HTM file - Climax's Company info & Link (Japanese)
-------------------
10.5 What is Anime?
-------------------
From the now defunct rec.games.video.* FAQ previously maintained by
Ken Arromdee:
"Anime refers to Japanese animation. It's often better done, less
censored, and aimed towards an older audience than, American
animation. (Cautionary note: some American fans go overboard in
thinking anime adult; a lot of series popular in America _are_ aimed
at children or teenagers.) In the past, lots of anime was hacked
up and changed for the US market (Speed Racer, Star Blazers,
Robotech), but in the last few years new companies have released
unedited anime with better translations. The connection with video
games is that many Japanese video games are anime-based or have
anime-style art, and moreover such games are often either not ported
or drastically changed for American release because of supposed lack
of interest in anime. Also, much anime is made _from_ video games;
the Fatal Fury, Samurai Spirits (Samurai Shodown), and Street Fighter
II anime are available in America. (The US TV series, however, of
SF2 is not anime.)"
The Saturn has a vast number of anime based or anime themed games in
Japan. Precious few of these were released outside of Japan though.
--------------------
10.6 What is Hentai?
--------------------
Hentai is often in reference to sexually explicit or suggestive
anime. I bring this up only because there are a number of hentai
games available for the Saturn in Japan. *NONE* of these have been
ported for the US Saturn.
The amount of hentai on the Japanese Saturn is greatly exaggerated
however. ^_^ Hentai games on the Saturn basically pale in comparison
to their PC counterparts (usually for the Japanese Windows 95) and
have been censored. Nevertheless, there are nearly 50 hentai titles
available for the Saturn, accounting for about 15% of all titles
(figure is a rough estimate, and does not count illegitimate,
pirated, or non-licensed games).
A lot of the material in the Saturn versions of many hentai games
are simply suggestive (ie. underwear, but little nudity) or implied
sexual encounters with strategically choreographed fadeouts. "^_^;"
While character interaction is normally the focus of many of these
games, the artwork is usually very nice, and i've been told that the
company ELF produces hentai games that are very well written (as far
as plot is concerned).
Note: "Puppy Love" simulations like Tokimeki Memorial, Sakura
Taisen, Roommate, etc., should *NOT* be confused for hentai. Trying
to hit on cute anime chics does not automatically imply the existence
of mature themes. =P~
-------------------------------------------------------
10.7 Can you explain the Japanese rating system please?
-------------------------------------------------------
The Japanese rating system is really quite simple. On many Saturn
games you will see a little colored box (usually on the front of the
manual through the jewlcase), with Kanji in the center. The rating
system breaks down as follows:
Green: Suitable for all ages.
Yellow: Some adult situations
Red: Adult situations & nudity
There's also a blue colored box, but it states the same as the green
box.
Raymond McKeithen II writes:
"Many early Saturn adult games were what's usually referred to as
"redlabel" (there is a red rating symbol that says "X18" and some
other stuff on them). These allowed nudity to be shown, but that's
about as far as it goes in what you actually could see (in other
words, red-label equaled about PG-13 for US movie standards).
Around Oct. 1996 (think that's the right date) these were disallowed
and we were left with "yellow label" in which nudity was not allowed
but the games still contain "adult situations" (I'd say, in general,
nothing you can't see on daytime soap operas or something like
Melrose Place)."
A variant of this system was also imposed for Dreamcast games,
although it's more of a bar instead of a box, and is located on the
back of the jewlcase insert.
------------------------------------
XI. MISCELLANEOUS HARDWARE QUESTIONS
------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
11.1 Can I build a custom joystick for my Saturn (controller pinouts)?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sure, but know the joystick port appears to be of a proprietary
design. Building a connector may prove difficult. Little has been
written about the Saturn control pad other than it uses two
TC74HC153A controller chips. Here is some pinout information I've
managed to scrounge up.
Joystick pinouts:
# Name
1 GND
2 d2 (in)
3 d3 (in)
4 Vcc(5V)
5 s1
6 s0
7 d0
8 d1
9 Vcc(5V)
Some people have provided instructions for modifying an arcade control
stick to work on a Saturn. It involves using some wiring from a
cannibalized Saturn controller. It might be a good starting point.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/misc/file/arcade_joystick.txt
---------------------------------------------------------------------
11.2 Is there anyway I can use a better/faster CD drive in my Saturn?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I've often heard wild questions to the effect of "Wouldn't it be cool
to stick a Quad-Speed CD-ROM drive in my Saturn?".
The truth is, I honestly don't know if it'd work. I err on the side
of caution when I say it probably wouldn't. The CD drives controller
chip may have trouble negotiating with a different *model* drive,
much less a faster one, and most Saturn software is only designed
to be run at 2X. Sorry.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
11.3 What's the port marked "Communication Connection" on the back of
my Saturn?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
That's the high speed serial port listed in the specs.
Technically it can be used for any number of things, but only a
handful of devices actually ever used it.
1. Link Cable
2. Floppy Disk Drive
and
3. MIDI Keyboard
There may be more.
All three peripherals are Japan-only, although the port was included
on all models of the Saturn. The link cable works fine with US and
UK Saturns, although I'm not sure about the other two.
--------------------------------------------------------
11.4 How does the link cable work and what games use it?
--------------------------------------------------------
The link cable hooked two Saturns together for head to head play.
Each Saturn was in turn hooked to its own television set or monitor.
You also needed two copies of the same game. In this respect, the
link cable was reminiscent of the "Jag Link" used by the Atari
Jaguar.
One link cable was manufactured by "Custom-built". The catalog number
is FTN-6500. There might be other models.
Games that used link cables (not necessarily complete):
Doom (unconfirmed, and does not work with European copies)
Gebockers
Gun Griffon 2
Hexen (accessed through debug menu)
Steeldom
Raymond McKeithen II writes:
"AFAIK the Sega cables were never sold separately but were just
packed in with the above games. GG2 and Steeldom came both ways,
Gebockers, being the first game, I think always came with the cable.
There are 3rd party link cables that apparently don't work right
and don't work with all the games."
"One of the US FPS games (Doom, Duke Nukem, something) I think has a
hidden option for linkmode that may or may not work well. Since
there's no US linkcable they didn't document it, perhaps they didn't
finish it either? I've only read about this on newsgroup posts."
Robin Whittleton writes:
"Other link cable games are Doom (couldn't get this to work with two
European copies) and Hexen (apparently v. buggy and only available
from the debug menu)."
--------------------------------------
11.5 What about the floppy disk drive?
--------------------------------------
Raymond McKeithen II writes:
"The floppy disk drive is a rare animal it seems, and it's not even
listed on the peripheral sheet that came in late Saturns though it
was listed earlier. I can't *prove* it came out, but it is shown in
some magazines I have, and Japanese Panzer Dragoon Saga supports it
directly, as does Dezaemon 2, the shooter construction kit. I forget
the exact size, but a single save file of Dezaemon 2 takes most of
a memory cartridge (and obviously can't save to the Saturn's internal
memory)."
Joe Doucette writes:
"One other thing regarding the floppy drive. It might not have been
on external peripheral lists, but it was in the dev kit info. In fact,
it even looked like anyone who used Sega's libraries (they're in the
BIOS) to writesavegames could have supported the floppy drive. They
might have intentionally not done that, given that it would have been
impossible to test without the drive, but the save libraries do
support removable storage to some extent. (Internally, it supports
selecting partitions,directories, etc.)"
------------------------------
11.6 ...and the MIDI keyboard?
------------------------------
Not much is known about this peripheral, except that it plugged into
the communication port, and was used in conjunction with the "Saturn
Music School" game developed by Waka.
-----------------------------------
11.7 Can you "soft reset" a Saturn?
-----------------------------------
Yes. Hold A B and C, and then press start while still holding the
buttons. The game software will reset, usually to the title screen.
Pressing the buttons again will result in the system rebooting
to the CD player.
This may not work in all games, but it works in all the games I've
tried, and I'm begging to think its coded into the hardware.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
11.8 Is there any way to get Saturn software to always play in mono
so don't have to keep entering it in the game's option menu?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes. Most Saturn software will check your systems settings to
determine if you have your Saturn set to output mono or stereo. You
can change the setting by going to "Other Options" in the system
settings main menu, and then select either mono or stereo depending
on what you want.
----------------------------------------------------
XII. ACCESSORIES, PERIPHERALS, AND REPLACEMENT ITEMS
----------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
12.1 What optional controllers are available for the Saturn?
------------------------------------------------------------
The following information reflects products that are (at the time
this FAQ was written) available in the US and elsewhere. Please mail
any corrections to me. Please check with the company to ensure
availability and current price. Also, many of the information here
is taken directly from the manufacturer. None of the FAQ authors
are endorsing ANY of these sticks. What follows are NOT reviews.
This list is also...you guessed it...incomplete!
- Bomberman Joypad (JAP) | Hudson | HC-735
Boasting a rate of setting down 26 bombs in sequence with the
quickness when fully powered up, this joypad is the perfect weapon
for the Bomberman otaku who plays the game religiously. Pad design
is similar to the original, slim-style Sega pads with the likeness
of a Bomberman figure in the top-center of the pad
[Info courtesy of NCS]
- Cobra Light Gun
Compatible for use with both the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation,
auto bullet reload with programmable number of bullets from 1-15. It
has variable speed rapid fire, rapid fire + auto bullet reload
combination, a red LED shooting effect on both sides during play and
a single cable with dual end plug that simplifies hookup to both
systems.
- Densha de Go! Controller (JAP) | Taito | TC-5175290
The Saturn gets it's own special Densha device in the form of the
original train conductor controller design with swivel lever and gear
shift knob. Colored light grey and perfect for use with the Saturn
Densha de Go! EX game.
[Info courtesy of NCS]
- Eclipse Pad | STD/Interact*
8 fire buttons, slow motion, LED display panel, programmable with
extra long cord.
- Eclipse Stick | STD/Interact | SV-462A
8 Fire buttons, Independent auto-fire control, Programmable
synchro-fire, Slow motion, LED display panel, Durable metal base, and
an extra long cord. Often criticized as being the worst of the three
arcade sticks in terms of construction.
- Grip X Controller | ASCII |
Single handed jogging controller that is perfect for RPGs. The entire
controller fits in your grip and the buttons are arranged around the
directional pad for easy access to all buttons.
[Info courtesy of NCS]
- Naki Lightgun | Naki
No data. Looks like a purple .357 Magnum revolver though.
- Psychopad JR Gamepad
Unleash HYPER programmable mayhem in your favorite fighting and
action games. With HYPER programmable 10 in 1 technology, Psychopad
JR delivers up to 10 moves with a push of a button. Check out these
features: 12 HYPER Programmable buttons, 4 user defined macros, game
default setting, pause and continuous motion control and stay in play
programmability.
- Strike Pad | nYko Technologies
Original factory design layout, six front fire buttons, tip mounted
L & R buttons, an eight way directional pad and a 6 foot cord.
- Super Pad 8 | Interact*
Features auto-fire, simulated slow motion, eight way direction pad,
six fire buttons, and an extra-long cord. It carries a suggested a
suggested retail price of $14.99.
- Virtual Gun
Machine Gun fire power! Most Advanced technology! Don't settle for
less. The Virtual Gun out guns the competition with features such as
the Machine Gun mode that combines auto-fire and auto-reloading.
Three speeds of autofire or single fire action. Auto-reload up to
15 shots or reload manually. Manual reload button. Special button f
or launching other game weapons and an exciting LED shooting effect!
----
* NOTE: Slow motion on the Eclipse Pad and Super Pad 8 is achieved by
pressing the pause button rapidly. Therefore the screen may flicker
when these pads are used.
--------------------------------------------------------
12.2 Can I extend the cord length of my Saturn controls?
--------------------------------------------------------
Yes. Interact manufactured and sold a 6 foot cord extension as part
of their Performance product line. It plugs in between the Saturn and
whatever control device you are using. Finding it is the difficult
part. http://www.videogamedepot.com/ sells them for $5. You can try
E-bay or the newsgroups to see if anybody else is selling them.
Mad Catz manufactured a similar cable that was 7 feet long. You can
purchase these at Video Game Depot as well.
In the UK there's the X-tender cable, which adds an additional 1.5
meters to your Saturn control pad.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
12.3 What's the difference between the new and old Saturn control
pads?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sega manufactured two different standard control pads for the US and
UK markets.
The first of these pads (MK-80100) were packaged with the older model
Saturns (those with oval buttons). The controllers were larger, had
a different button design and featured sunken L & R buttons.
The second ones (MK-80116) were packaged with newer model Saturns
(with round buttons), and more in line with the Japanese controllers.
Most people who have used both controllers prefer the durability and
feel of the newer, "Japanese-style" model.
Surprisingly, there were also two different Japanese control pads,
although its harder to tell the difference compared to the US models.
Raymond McKeithen explains:
"I'm aware of two primary versions of the [Japanese] controller. They
look the same (not talking about the early crap US controller). They
are also all numbered HSS-0101. However, internally they are
completely different. Saturn controllers have a "plus-sign" shaped
piece of plastic inside the controller under the D-pad. The pad is
raised above this and that's what gives the pad the "rocker" feel as
opposed to the mushy feel of a Nintendo or PSX controller."
1) First version. Easily breakable within hours of play. This plastic
piece *is* plastic, and has ridges in it in such a way that it adds
to its fragility. I don't use pads at all, and a friend broke this
one day, the first time it was ever used. I had a second one that
I'd made a joystick out of, I switched the housings, and that one
broke quickly too. This version has a tan circuit board, and the
primary chip on it is a regular"through-hole" IC with the markings
sanded off. The board doesn't even say "Sega" on it, if I didn't
know better I'd think it was a counterfeit (since one came with the
system and the other was a separate controller it's near impossible,
besides it still has the official plug that says Sega on it etc.).
2) Second version. Durable. Plastic piece is now nylon, and no longer
has ridges. Circuit board is now green, says "Sega" on it, and uses
surface mount chip. With some minor changes all controllers were
still like this until the end.
"The gray Japanese controllers that Toys R Us sold were the second
version (ones I've seen anyway) so it must have been changed
relatively quickly. The switches for L/R are different on the two
versions too, they were softer on the first version and I think felt
better. Parts between the two versions for the most part are not
interchangable, most of the plastic parts have been altered in one
(non-obvious) way or another. However, the nylon piece will fit in
the old-style, so if there's some source for that part..."
---------------------------------------------------
12.4 What pads and games supported analog controls?
---------------------------------------------------
Certain Saturn controllers featured analog directional controls, and
quite a few games took advantage of this.
Controllers:
Sega Saturn 3D Control Pad*
Sega Arcade Racer
Sega Mission Stick
* The Saturn 3D Control pad supports both analog (thumb pad) and
digital (standard directional pad) control selectable via a two-way
switch on the pad.
None: Although many games will recognize an analog control pad, some
can not decern between the different types. Daytona USA and Sega
Rally will read the 3D pad as if it were an Arcade Racer, and the
options screen will reflect this. Despite this disorienting flaw,
you should have no trouble with a little work.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
12.5 What is the Sega Mission Stick, and what games supported it?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Phaedrus writes:
"More or less. It's an analog stick, with the usual Saturn buttons
(which can be flipped to the left or the right of the stick), as well
as trigger buttons on the stick. Interestingly enough, there's an
expansion connector on the bottom of the stick, as well as support
for mounting something else on the opposite side of the stick from
the button panel, so there's a possibility that someone could add a
slide throttle/extra buttons/whatever at a later date."
As far as anyone knows, no expansion accessory was ever developed for
the Mission Stick. It was also one of the more expensive Saturn
control peripherals.
Because of design differences from the regular digital control pad,
not all games will recognize the Mission Stick (ie. Thunderstrike 2).
Furthermore, certain games such as Solar Eclipse will ignore custom
button configurations you set. I'd like to get list of games that
support/do not support/have problems with the Mission Stick.
There have been rumors on r.g.v.s. that an undocumented feature in
Panzer Dragoon II would allow a gamer to pair up two mission sticks
for dual controls (one controlling your dragon, and the other your
crosshairs). I have no found confirmation of this though...
As with most Sega accessories, a white version was released in Japan.
-----------------------------------------------------------
12.6 What is the Saturn Mouse, and what games supported it?
-----------------------------------------------------------
Sega released a four button (three mouse buttons plus a start button)
mouse peripheral for the Saturn in Japan. The first model was gray in
color with the second being white. They were both sold separately.
White versions came packaged with the Limited Edition of Sakura
Taisen, but these were no different than those models that were
sold separately.
In the US, a similar four button mouse was released for use with the
Netlink system, except it was black. The US Mouse is compatible with
the Japanese mouse.
A UK release was planned for late '95, but I'm told it never reached
stores.
As of yet, I don't have a list of mouse compatible games, but I hope
to have one in a future release.
----------------------------------------------------------------
12.7 What multiplayer adapters are there, and what games support
them?
----------------------------------------------------------------
A multiplayer adapter is a peripheral that plugs into one of your
Saturn control ports, and acts as a junction box for more than two
controllers to be used simultaneously through one port. Two
muliplayer adapters exist for the Saturn.
The first is the official Sega version which supports up to six
controllers. This version WAS released in the US (MK-80102). The
second, is a special licensed Hudson Soft adapter (HC-736) packaged
with the Japanese Bomberman game and shaped like Bomberman's head.
This version also supports up to six controllers, and was NOT
released in the US.
There are several multiplayer games designed to take advantage of
these multiplayer adapters, and I'd imagine they're great to have
around for parties.
Games that supported multiple players (not complete):
Blast Chamber (up to four players)
Bomberman* (up to ten players)
Bomberman Fight! (up to four players)
Duke Nukem 3D** (up to six, maybe seven, players)
Firepro Wrestling: Six Man Scramble (up to six players)
Guardian Heroes (up to four players)
Madden '98 (???)
NBA Action '98 (???)
NHL '98 (???)
Powerslave (Exhumed in the UK)** (up to six players)
Three Dirty Dwarfs (up to three players)
Worldwide Soccer '98 (???)
* Bomberman will work with Hudson Soft's own adaptor, or with the
official Sega one. Only one level supports all 10 players, and you'll
need two multitaps . However, the multitaps can NOT be linked
together, so both control ports must be utilized.
** Powerslave has a hidden multiplayer game called "Death Tank",
which supports the multitap. Duke Nukem 3D has the sequel, "Death
Tank Zwei".
Worms was a 1-16 player game, but it did NOT support the multitap.
One controller was passed from player to player.
True Pinball supports up to 8 players but in the same respects that
Worms supports up to 16 (controller sharing).
-------------------------------------------
12.8 I lost my Saturn manual! Can you help?
-------------------------------------------
Sega of America sold new Core System manuals for $3 plus S/H. They
still might, so give them a call at 1-800-USA-SEGA.
-------------------------------------
12.9 ....but what about game manuals?
-------------------------------------
You'd have to contact the individual company that makes the game.
That's too much contact information to list here, but GameSages
provides a handy reference guide at:
http://sages.ign.com/features/developers/
This is assuming the companies can or will even provide this service
anymore.
--------------------------------
XIII. SOFTWARE RELATED QUESTIONS
--------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
13.1 How are Capcom conversions on the Saturn?
----------------------------------------------
To be completed.
-----------------------------------------------
13.2 How are Neo-Geo conversions on the Saturn?
-----------------------------------------------
Short answer: Close, but not quite the Neo. Much better than the PSX.
Long answer: The Saturn WILL seem inferior to an actual Neo-Geo
system, but not because of anything relating to processing power. If
you were to compare the Neo Geo CD to the Saturn and PSX, you would
find the Neo-CD has 56 megabits (7 megabytes) of RAM, compared to the
16 megabits (2 megabytes) of RAM in the Saturn and Playstation. What
this means is that Neo Geo conversions on either system may miss
frames of animation, and probably experience added slowdown. The
absence of load time with the Neo Geo cart system will obviously
appeal to arcade purists as well. The Neo Geo cart system is also
free of most memory constraints as it using the ROM contained inside
the cartridge itself for storage and quick access to textures. A
similar feature was used with the KOF '95 for the Saturn, which came
with its own special ROM cart.
The 1 megabyte RAM cart brings the Saturn's total RAM up to 24
megabits (3 megabytes), which allows for far smoother animation over
PSX conversions. The difference can clearly be seen when playing PSX
and Staurn Neo Geo conversions side by side. The number of animation
frames are greater. Metal Slug on the PSX has to stop and swap out
RAM data in mid-level!
Unfortunately, when all is said and done, some of the larger Neo Geo
games will still suffer. SNK never used the 4 megabit RAM cart as
Capcom did, which is a shame, as the added 4 megabytes would have
brought the Saturn very close to the Neo CD's full capabilities.
Furthermore, there have been complaints about the clarity of sound
effects in many of the Saturn Neo Geo ports.
One thing the Saturn does surpass the Neo-CD in is loading time. The
Saturn's CD drive has a faster access time than the 1X drive in the
Neo-CD, and there have been reports that it is faster than the 2X in
the CDZ as well. The Saturn also supports CD-XA which allows music to
play as the system loads new data into RAM. The Neo-CD does not
support CD-XA, which means that music playback must stop as the game
loads between levels.
All Neo Geo conversions were released in Japan only. None of these
were censored, so you can play with all the blood and Mai's
bounciness. Of course, when fighting censorship, it's not the
content, but the principle behind it. ^^;;
--------------------------------------------------
13.3 What demo discs were released for the Saturn?
--------------------------------------------------
Christopher Coleman has taken the time to
compile a list of every Saturn demo disc (that we know of) released
for the Sega Saturn. I have since added to this list. If you know
more, please e-mail the FAQ maintainer or Chris directly.
Special thanks is extended to:
Chris Evans, Ryoni Schouten, Glen Varley, Clint Dyer, Robert Worne,
Gloworm, Steve Wargo, Barry W Cantin, Bruce Tomlin, Glen Bussell,
Rich Depping, Chris Foulger, Pat Strobel, and Adam Pavlacka.
Also you may elect to check out Mr. Coleman's Demo CD gallery here:
http://users.wantree.com.au/~coleman/updated/gallerynew.htm
- Special Discs Section:
** Ferrari Demo
This demo, although never released to the public (it was
in-house only), was a FMV demo of a Ferrari racing through
town that was made to show off the Saturn's prowess when it
comes to FMV.
** In House Demos (seen so far: Virtua Cop 2, Virtua Fighter,
Virtual Hydlide)
These demo CDs were circulated internally to SoA, sent from
SoJ to be used to showcase/preview titles, and/or to
demonstrate progress made in the completion of development
on a game, and are labelled "Work in progress" Examples can
be seen at the above demo CD gallery.
** Trade Demos
A few games were released as "trade demos." These discs are
labeled as demo discs, but have the full game program on
them. They shipped in simple blue and white Sega Saturn
sleeves. Three that I know of are Time Warner's Virtua
Racing, Last Gladiators Extreme Digital Pinball and the TNN
4x4 game. All the demos have the same disc ID as the release
version. The main reason for these demos is that no licensing
fee was charged to produce them. Cheaper for a developer to
distribute review copies this way (or to give in-store play
copies to retailers). This is also done with PSX games.
** Panzer Dragoon E3 Demo
Don't have any information about this, but judging by the
title it seems pretty clear what it was.
- NTSC/American Demo CDs:
** Bootleg Samper Vol. 1
Playable: World Series Baseball, Sega Rally Championship,
Clockwork Knight 2, Bug
Video: Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Cop, Mystaria, Wing Arms, NHL
All Star Hockey, Panzer Dragoon, Daytona, "other games" (brief
shots of Ghen War, Cyber Speedway, Virtua Fighter Remix,
Black Fire, Astal, Mr Bones, Congo: The Movie, The Mansion of
Hidden Souls)
** Bootleg Sampler Vol. 2 (Aka. Sega Screams Vol. 1)
Playable: Virtual On, Daytona CCE, Bug Too!, Three Dirty
Dwarves, Baku Baku Animal
Video: Mr Bones, Sega Worldwide Soccer 97, Fighting Vipers,
Virtua Cop 2, Dark Savior
** Bug! Sampler
Contains a playable level from Bug. Came with the second run
of Saturns in the USA.
** Choice Cuts
A non-playable set of video sampler clips from the following
games: Black Fire, Bug, Clockwork Knight, Myst, Panzer
Dragoon, Solar Eclipse, Virtua Fighter, NHL All Star Hockey,
Pebble Beach Golf, Worldwide Soccer, Daytona USA, VR Virtua
Racing
** Christmas NiGHTS
A playable level of NiGHTS with Christmas and winter-specific
graphics added, along with other in-game extras.
** NiGHTS into Dreams Sampler
Two playable levels from NiGHTS (one for Claris, and one from
Eliot). Came with some new Saturn units.
** Panzer Dragoon Playable Preview
A playable level from Panzer Dragoon.
** Rayman Sampler
A playable level from Rayman, produced by Ubi Soft, "Rayman's
Dream Forest". Contained a $5 coupon off on purchase of the
full game (It expired on 5/1/96).
- PAL/European Demo CDS
** Block Rocking Beats
Audio CD - contains tracks from various games. From Saturn
Power #3.
** Bootleg Sampler Vol 1
See the entry in the NTSC/American section.
** Christmas NiGHTS
See the entry in the NTSC/American section.
** Eidos Sampler
Contains playable levels of Tomb Raider, Blam Machinehead and
Fighting Force
** Total Saturn #1 coverdisk
Playable levels of Europe '96, Loaded and Actua Golf
** Saturn Power #2 coverdisk
Playable levels of Reloaded, Hardcore 4x4 and Actua Soccer
Club Edition
** Panzer Dragoon
Playable demo of level 2 of Panzer Dragoon. Received when
sending in console registration in the UK.
** Pinball Graffiti
A playable table from Pinball Graffiti - "Circus Fantasia"
** Sega Flash Vol 1
Playable: Virtua Fighter 2, Baku Baku Animal, Golden Axe: The
Duel, Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei, Sega Rally Championship
Video: UEFA Euro 96 England
** Sega Flash Vol 2
Playable: NiGHTS, Sega Worldwide Soccer 97, Athlete Kings,
Panzer Dragoon 2 Zwei, Baku Baku Animal
Video: "Demo Movie" - Virtua Fighter Kids, The Story of
Thor 2, Three Dirty Dwarves, Exhumed
This CD was also a pack-in with Australian Saturns.
** Sega Flash Vol 3
Playable: Daytona CCE, Virtual On, Tomb Raider, Worldwide
Soccer97 Video: Bug Too!, Fighting Vipers, Virtua Cop 2,
NiGHTS, Dark Savior, Mr Bones
** Sega Flash Vol 4
Playable: Sonic 3D, Die Hard Arcade, Virtual On
Video: Manx TT, Fighters Megamix, Mass Destruction, Saturn
Bomberman, Sky Target, Torico, Amok, Scorcher, Sega Ages
3 in 1
** Sega Flash Vol 5
Playable: Sonic Jam, Sonic 3D, Sega Rally Championship,
Die Hard Arcade
Video: Last Bronx, Resident Evil, Dragon Force, WipeOut 2097,
Duke Nukem 3D, Sega Touring Car, Enemy Zero
** Sega Flash Vol 6
Playable: Sega Touring Car, Steep Slope Sliders, World Wide
Soccer 98
Video: Lost World, NBA Action 98, Sonic R, Enemy Zero (the
intro), Panzer Dragoon Saga (the intro)
** Sega Flash Vol 7
Playable: World League Soccer, Steep Slope Sliders, Sega
Touring Car Video: Burning Rangers, Panzer Dragoon Saga,
Enemy Zero, Shining Force III, House of the Dead,
Winter Heat, Sonic R, NBA Action 98
** Sega Preview Vol 1
Playable: Alien Trilogy, Loaded, NHL Powerplay '96, Keio
Flying Squadron 2
Video: Tomb Raider, Exhumed
** Total Saturn #2 coverdisk
Playable demo of Impact Racing
** Victory Boxing
Playable demo of JVC's Victory Boxing, was Saturn+ #1's cover
disk.
** WipeOut 2097/Saturn Power 5 coverdisk
A playable track from WipeOut 2097. From Saturn Power #5(?),
a UK magazine.
- NTSC/Japan Demo CDs
** Ma Jan Kyo Jidai/Ma Jan Kaigan Monogatari/Sekushi Aidoru
Hen
Translating to "Mah Jong Seaside Story - Sexy Idol Edition"
(roughly), this is a playable demo of a rude mahjong game,
more details unknown.
** Teikoku Kageki Dan Tai-in na Meibo
This translates to "Imperial Radical Group Member Name List",
but other than that, not a clue yet as to what the demo CD
contains. A quote from the owner, Clint Dyer: "I have to say,
though, that even after playing it and choosing everything,
I have NO idea what the game is like. The disc didn't have
anything playable (that I could find), but had character
bios, interviews, etc."
** Silhouette Mirage
Mentioned in a preview in the UK's Sega Saturn Magazine, this
may be a press only demo, or a Japanese release one.. no
other info available.
** Grandia
There is a sampler/preview demo CD of Grandia available in
Japan, but that's all the info available at the moment.
** House of the Dead
There is a demo CD included in a special pack from Japan that
includes Virtua Cop 1, Virtua Cop 2 and a black stunner as
well.
** Sega Flash Vol 1
Playable: Darius Gaiden, Sega Rally Championship, Mobile Suit
Gundam
Video: Magical Drop, (some isometric Godzilla game?),
Guardian Heroes
** Sega Flash Vol 9
Playable: Magical Drop 2, Steeldom (a bad Virtual On
clone),
Video: SNK Real Bout , Ogre Battle , Sakura Wars [NB:
This demo CD wouldn't work with an analog controller in
either port..a single screen with a giant exclamation mark
and a bunch of Japanese text came up, and exited to the
Saturn startup screen]
** Sega Flash Vol 10
Playable: Tryrush Deppy, Fist, Master of Monsters, Le Livre
De Lulu
Video: Riglord Saga 2, World Series Baseball 2
** Tech Vol 1 Spring 1995 - Saturn Tsuukei (Total Saturn)
Has an assortment of demos and FMV clips and other oddities:
- graphics of ships, tanks and planes, possibly from a game
- a playable demo of Side Pocket 2
- Interview clips with a Japanese woman (singer? actor? who
knows)
- Video clips of two different standup comedians' acts.
- Screenshots from (a lot of) upcoming games
- A couple cartoon strips (manga?) of Sir Polygon
** Virtua Fighter CG Portrait Collection demo disc.
This disk contains CGI images of Virtua Fighter characters
from the individual portrait collections. Each character had
their own collection, with about 10-13 different hi-res pics
and this disc contains 1 picture from each.
---------------------------------------------------------------
13.4 I'm having trouble in this one part in a certain game, can
you help me? (Or: Do you have codes for this one game?)
---------------------------------------------------------------
I can certainly point you toward those who can:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/ is the ultimate archive of video game
FAQs (you might already know this if you're reading this FAQ there).
http://www.gamesages.com/ is the ultimate repository of game codes
(including those for Game Shark).
Please do NOT e-mail me requesting help with a certain Saturn game.
These two sites can help you far better than I can. I'm a really lazy
person that has to reprimand myself just to get this FAQ and other
commitments done. Trust me. "^_^"
---------------------------------
XIV. EMULATION / COMPUTER RELATED
---------------------------------
------------------------------------
14.1 Are there any Saturn Emulators?
------------------------------------
Several Saturn emulators have been in development for a while now.
All of them are very incomplete, and *none* of them currently run
any games. All of these run on PCs, save for one Unix emulator. For
more information, or if you wish to download any of these, I
recommend you visit Zophar's Domain at:
http://www.zophar.com/
- Satan was the very first "emulator", although it really nothing
more than a CD header reader, and doesn't really emulate anything.
Development was discontinued at version 0.1a. Satan ran on Windows
95.
- UltraSat is another CD header reader, and can only read the
copyright information from 15 games. This is a DOS program which was
discontinued at version 0.04.
- SSEmu was the first emulator to emulate some of the instruction
sets. It only emulates the Saturn control unit however, and nothing
else. This project has been discontinued at version 0.7a, although
the author is willing to sell his research documentation to
interested parties. For Windows 9x platform.
Homepage: http://www.zianet.com/marshallg/ssemu/
- A-Saturn seems to be the one most along in development. It
currently emulates 99% of the main SH2 processors, 96% of the
680MC00, and considerably less of the other chips. A-Saturn runs on
Windows 9x and DOS, and requires Direct X 6.1 or higher. This
emulator is still being developed.
Homepage: http://www.emuunlim.com/A-Saturn/
- Lucifer (previously Sat'On'Em) is closer to where A-Saturn is. It
can currently emulate 89% of the CPU core. It is a Windows 9x
emulator, and is still in development.
Homepage: http://www.emuunlim.com/Lucifer/
- Semu is the only UNIX/Linux emulator for the Saturn in development.
Currently very incomplete, but development is continuing.
Homepage: http://emu.simplenet.com/semu/
---------------------------------------
XV. CONTROVERSIES AND BURNING QUESTIONS
---------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
15.1 Is it true the Saturn's processors are underpowered, and it's
hard to program 3D games for the Saturn?
------------------------------------------------------------------
In a 1995 Next Generation article, it was explained that the
Saturn's twin SH2 processors not only don't run in tandem, but also
have trouble accessing memory at the same time (although a RAM cache
will help). The article further went on to explain developers like
Peter Molynuex of Bullfrog and Yu Suzuki of Sega voiced strong
dissatisfaction with the Saturn's processing architecture.
Quoted from Yu Suzuki:
"Trying to program for two CPUs has its problems. Virtua Fighter uses
a different CPU for calculating each character. The two CPUs start at
the same time but there's a delay when one has to wait for the other
to catch up. One very fast central processor would be preferable. I
don't thank that all programmers have the ability to program two
CPUs - most can only get about one-and-a-half times the speed you can
get from one SH-2. I I think that only one 100 programmers are good
enough to get that kind of speed out of the Saturn."
Furthermore, the problem is compounded by the fact that most Japanese
programmers use the C programming language, where as Assembly is
needed to achieve optimal performance from the Saturn. Virtua
Fighter uses Assembly, and runs 1.8 times faster than it would on
a single SH-2.
I've heard that "Alien Trilogy" has the dubious honor of using only
one SH-2 chip.
----------------------------------------------------------------
15.2 Were the Saturn's 3D capabilities added at the last minute?
----------------------------------------------------------------
The claim that the Saturn was originally developed without 3D in mind
appears to be popular USENET myth. In a 1995 Next Generation article
it was mentioned that the Saturn was originally intended to be more
like a home version of the Model 1 arcade mainboard. Therefore, the
Saturn was always designed with 3D capabilities. However, the myth is
not too far from the truth in that modifications were undertaken to
the hardware after Sega caught wind of the Playstation specs in 1993.
Hayao Nakayama, then president of SEL, demanded that the Saturn be
improved to put it on more even terms with the PSX. At the cost of
several months delay (leading some to speculate the Saturn might be
canceled), an additional VDP chip was added to give the Saturn better
texture mapping capabilities in both 2D and 3D applications.
So, simply put, the Saturn was always designed to push polygons. The
difference is, after the PSX specs were leaked, it pushed better
*looking* polygons.
-------------------------------------------------------------
15.3 What is the Sega Jupiter, and why was it never released?
-------------------------------------------------------------
When the Saturn was under development, there were plans for two
different variations using the same chipset. One would use a CD-ROM
drive, and the other would use ROM cartridges for primary input.
The latter cartridge based machine was codenamed "Jupiter". The
Jupiter would also support an add on CD-ROM drive with additional
RAM, which would make it in effect, a Saturn. However, it was
decided that it would be a illogical to sell inferior cartridge
based versions of games when cheaper CD versions were available.
Consequently, the Jupiter project was scrapped.
Shortly thereafter, the Jupiter project was retooled to become the
"Mars" (which we know as today as the ill fated 32X). The Mars was
primarily and interim machine created to fill the time gap between
the phaseout of the Genesis and the appearance of the Saturn in the
North American market (where the Genesis was still popular). This
way Sega of America would not loose their well established userbase.
Contrary to popular belief, the 32X was released in Japan as well,
although it did very poorly in terms of sales and was regarded
somewhat as a novelty item.
The Jupiter and Saturn were to be compatible with each other, while
the Mars was no longer compatible with the Saturn. The Mars used two
slower running SH-2 chips (23Mhz as opposed to 28Mhz), but an
otherwise completely different architecture.
Finally, it's interesting to point out that the ST-V/Titan arcade
board is more or less a cartridge based Saturn (see Section 1.8).
--------------------------------------------------------------------
15.4 Is the Satcast really a hoax? I thought it was announced before
April?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Some people have said that the Satcast must be real because other
websites broke the news before April '99. There seems to be some
truth in this. Indeed, in March of that year, the infamous
"Magic Box" reported a surprise announcement by SEL regarding the
Satcast, and this was later picked up my katana-edge.com, and
numerous other non-professional or semi-professional gaming sites.
The rumor mill *MAY* have originated inside Sega of Japan. However,
it is important to stress that these sites are often prone to
posting rumors. As near as anyone can tell, Dave Halverson and the
jokers over at Gamers Republic decided to report this established
rumor as a bonifide fact for an April Fools joke (in other words,
"Satcast" was never their idea from the beginning). Other gaming
sites quickly picked up the story, and it spread like wildfire
from there (IGN editors were *not* amused when they found out
it was hoax). With the combined strength of rampant internet rumors,
the GR article, and thanks in no small part to a slow-coming
clarification on the issue by the editors of Gamer's Republic,
some people still cling on to the belief that the Satcast is
coming.
The important thing to remember is that Sega of Japan has officially
denied that the Satcast exists or will exist.
-------------------------------------------------
15.5 Why does Dracula X look worse on the Saturn?
-------------------------------------------------
While most 2D games look great on the Saturn, Dracula X was a rather
perplexing exception. The Saturn version lacked a lot of the special
effects (transparency and light sourcing mainly) present in the PSX
version, and there was a noticeable increase in slowdown and loading
time. There's really no logical reason as to why this is the case.
The most often heard reason for why the Saturn falls short is that
the two versions of the game were not handled by the same division
within Konami. KCET was the original programming team that did the
PSX version, while KCEN ported the game to Saturn. In other words,
it was a poorly done port farmed out to a second party within Konami.
-----------------------------------------------------------
15.6 Why did the Saturn fail to do better on the US market?
-----------------------------------------------------------
This subject has been bantered around a bit on rec.games.video.sega
and an overview of the answers and theories bear repeating here.
I'll add to this list as time goes on.
Sega Saturn: "The Chimera Console"
----------------------------------
There's absolutely no reason why the Saturn needs 11 processors,
and not all the problems were last minute changes made with good
intentions. The dual CPUs were part of the package even before the
PSX was announced. The Saturn was a needlessly complex system that
was needlessly difficult to develop on. The proprietary toolkit
distributed to developers was met with a poor reception. Programmers
were initially receptive to Saturn development, but jumped ship upon
discovering what a nightmare it was.
See section 15.1 and 15.2 for more on this.
The general perception that Sega was damaged goods
--------------------------------------------------
SOA amputated a fair share of their credibility with the 32X and
their earlier mishandling of the Sega CD.
High price and early launch
---------------------------
Michael R. Baraniecki writes:
"The 6 month early release was a mistake, pure and simple. (though
personally, I loved playing Daytona that whole May and the rest of
the summer before the Playstation was released) The Saturn had an
initial price tag of $400. But the suprise early launch (May 1995)
excluded many retailers, such as WalMart, KayBee Toys, and much
more. It was only really released in game stores, and Toys R Us,
as far as I know. Later on during the 'real launch' in 9/95, the
retailers wouldn't stock the Saturn out of choice, partially
because of this."
Joe Ottoson writes:
"At the time, the Saturn actually sold quite well. It was the fact
that Sega's early launch meant that gamers had to sit though a long
drought until the other developers were able to release their
products at the original Sept release date that really hurt Sega.
VF1 gave a bad first impression and Sega's lack or promotion when
the games actually started coming in really hurt the system badly.
Didn't help that EGM and Next Generation blatantly went out of their
way to make Sega look as bad as possible. EGM screwed Sega over in
their 1995 buyer's guide, ignoring Virtua Cop, Sega Rally, and VF2
in their awards and system ratings etc. Next Generation INVENTED
stories stating that Sega was dreaming of becoming a PSx only
developer and dropping the Saturn. Bad press and no advertising
castrated the Saturn."
Six months later, Sony countered with a price tag $100 lower and
better advertising.
Sony's deeper pockets
---------------------
We must also consider the fact that Sony has deeper pockets. This
allows them to sign exclusive contacts with powerhouse developers
like Eidos and EA.
Allergic reaction to RPGs
-------------------------
It was no secret that SOA had a problem with RPGs. CEO Bernard Stolar
even went as far as to discourage their development. As a result, SOA
had next to nothing available to counter hit PSX titles like FFVII.
PDS and SFIII were too late coming to turn the situation around, and
while Grandia was reportedly considered, it wouldn't have made any
difference that late in the game.
No "mascott" game
-----------------
History shows us that mascott based games are usually good sellers.
Especially among the younger crowd.
Sonic was nowhere to be seen, while Sony actively promoted Crash
Bandicoot as a PSX icon, and Nintendo retained Mario. By the time
Sonic 3D Blast and Sonic R came out, virtually nobody cared anymore.
Poor marketing
--------------
Sega failed to run many television and print ads for the Saturn, and
when they were run, they were often very sparatic.
There was too much of an effort to best the PSX in high performance
3D games, and a reluctance to coast on the substantial 2D software
that was available in Japan. Solid titles like Thunderforce V were
passed over because they looked "out of date". When SOA adopted it's
"Five Star" policy in '97, it became clear that games were being
judged more on an aesthetic level than anything else (TFV was an old
school shooter).
-----------------------------------------------------------
15.7 What's the deal with Sega and Neon Genesis Evangelion?
-----------------------------------------------------------
Sega was one of two sponsors offering financial backing for Gainax's
anime hit "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (the other was Kadokawa Shoten,
a popular publisher).
Sega apparently got a really nice merchandising deal out of Gainax,
that involved "Real Models" (toy figures), video games, and probably
some other stuff. All Saturn EVA games up until "Girlfriend of Steel"
were and remain Saturn exclusives.
The Saturn also makes an appearance in the actual anime.
Olivier Hagué writes:
"In episode 6, you can also see Kensuke playing with a Sega Saturn
(a _1000 bit_ Sega Saturn, according to the staff ^_^; ) at Touji's
house. I'd have to check, but so does Asuka at Hikari's, in episode
23, if I remember well."
Menacer writes:
"1000 bit? Maybe 1024 bits, since these game systems like to run
on binary powers (e.g. 2^3 [8], 2^4 [16], 2^5 [32]) and since I
can't see Sega deviating from their binary path just because half
of the world population dies, my guess is 2^10. ^_-"
Special thanks to the EVA FAQ and the above members of
japan.anime.evangelion for some of this info.
------------------------------
XVI. SATURN SOFTWARE CATALOGUE
------------------------------
Ken has given me permission to reprint his Complete Saturn Catalogue
here. Please be advised however that this list is only about 98%
complete, there may be duplicate entries, and neither Ken or myself
make promises as to its accuracy.
----------------------------
16.1 Japanese Software (A-M)
----------------------------
Japanese Complete Catalog A-M
Vers. 2-4-00 with 362 items listed here
702 Japanese items total
By Ken Tam (PaladinKen@hotmail.com)
Acknowledgements:
Bobby Alexander
Matt for having screenshots
Daigoro
Shou-Sama
Rich Harper
Craig , Matt
Damian Gick
The members of the Saturn-list@joyce.eng.yale.edu
If you're going to repost this list, please give us credit.
Especially me. It isn't easy gathering all this information.
Need help finding a game?
Netscape and Internet Explorer have `Find' options.
You can use this to search the list for games by using keywords.
---------------------------------------
Legend
(H) - hentai/yellow label
(HH) - HENTAI/red label
(SC) - Saturn Collection Re-release
Title Catalog
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2DO Arukotowa Sandoahru (Sega Ages Classics) T-5802G
3x3 Eyes T-21301G
6 Inch My Darling T-19721G
Advanced VG T-32506G
(SC)Advanced World War
After Burner 2
Air's Adventure T-20301G
Akumazensho 2 T-14421G
(SC)Albert Odyssey Gaiden: Legend of Eldean T-1517G
(H)Album Club
(H)Alien Trilogy
All Japan Pro-Wrestling Featuring Virtua GS-9158
Alone in The Dark 2 T-10206G
Anarchy in the Nippon T-28902G
AnEarth Fantasy Stories T-27801G
Angel Grafitti S T-7308G
Angel Paradise 2 T-2405G
(H)Angel Lips T27001G
Angelique Duet
Angelique Premium
Angelique Special T-7615G
Aponashi Gals
Aquazone T-24001G
Arcana Strikes T-10311G
Assault Suit Leynos 2 T-2501G
Astra Superstars T-1521G
Asuka 120% Ltd T-16708
Atelier Marie T-15033G
Augusta Masters T-11401G
Ayakashi Ninden Kunoichiban Plus
Backgainer Act 2
Bakabones T-17001G
Baku Baku Animal (SC) GS-9144
Bakuretsu Hunter R T-24903
Baroque T-33901G
Batsugun
Battle Atheletes Daiundoikai T-24601G A
Battle Cos-Player T-34501G
Battle Garegga T-10627
Battle Monsters T-18701G
Beach De Reach
Become the Coach for the National Team
Bio Hazard Dash
Black Matrix T-20113G
Blast Wind T-1810G
Blue Breaker T-4314
(H)Blue Chicago Blues T-5302G
(H)Blue Seed GS-9014
Body Special 264 T-21003G
Bomberman T-14314G
Bomberman Wars T-14320G
Breakthru T-21501G
Bubble Symphony T-19905G
Bulk Smash
Burning Rangers GS-9174
Campaign Girl '97 T-30808G
(H)Can Can Bunny Premiere T-19703G
(H)Can Can Bunny 2 T-19705G
(H)Can Can Extra
Capcom Generation 1 (1940 series) T-1232G
Capcom Generation 2 (G&G series) T-1233G
Capcom Generation 3 (Sonson,Higemaru,etc) T-1234G
Capcom Generation 4 (Mercs,Commando,Gun Smoke) T-1235G
Capcom Generation 5 (Street Fighter 2,etc) T-1236G
Cebu Island '96 T-2204G
Choaniki Kyukyoku Otokonogyakushu T-2503G
Chaos Seed Ltd T-30902G
Chatting Parodius(Forever w/me) T-9513G
Chibi Maruko Chan T-9507G
Chisato Moritaka GS-9172
Choro Q Park T-10314G
(H)Classmate ~if~
(H)Classmate 2
Clockwork Fukubuku (1&2)
Clockwork Knight GS-9004
Clockwork Knight 2 GS-9029
Clockworks T-22302G
Code R
Columns Collection GS-9161
Cotton 2 T-9904G
Cotten Boomerang T-9906G
Coveni 2, The T-4317G
Creature Shock T-1303G
(H)Cross Romance T-7103G
Crossworld T-10503G
Crystal Legend GS-9019
Cube Battler Ltd T-21004G
Culdcept T-31401G
Cyberbots T-1217G
Cyberbots: Limited T-1216G
D
Daina Airan
Daisenryaku: Strong T-21202G
Daisuki T-18510G
Daitoride T-29201G
Darius 2 T-1104G
Darius Gaiden T-1102G
Dark Savior T-22102G
Daytona USA GS-9013
Daytona USA: CCE GS-9100
Dead or Alive T-3603G
Deadalus GS-9008
Death Crimson T-23202G
(H)Debut S
Decathlete GS-9150
Deep Fear GS-9189
Deka 4 - Tough the Truck T-4313G
Densetsu Ogre Battle T-5305G
Densha de Go! EX T-10317G
(H)Desire T-15031G
Destruction Derby T-18604G
Detana Twinbee Yahho-! Deluxe T-9505G
Devicereign
Devil Summoner(SC) T-14417G
Dezaemon 2 T-16804G
Digital Angel
Digital Dance Mix: Amuro Namie GS-9133
Digital Monster Ver. S. Digimon Tamers
DJ Wars T-18807G
Do Don Pachi T-14424G
Doukoku Soshite T-1315G
(H)Doukyuusei Special T-25302G
Dracula Detective T-2103G
Dracula X: Noctourne in the Moonlight T-9527G
Dragon Ball Z: Legends T-13305G
(SC)Dragon Ball Z: Legends T-13317G
Dragon Ball Z: Shin Butoden T-13302G
Dragon Force GS-9028
Dragon Force 2 GS-9184
Dragon Knight 4
Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes I & II T-37101G
Dragonmaster Silk T-19503G
Dream Generation T-2511G
Dream Square
Drift King '97 T-15019G
Dungeons and Dragons Collection T-1224G
Dungeon Master Nexus T-9111G
D-Xhird T-10307G
Dynamite Dekka (Die Hard Arcade) GS-9122
El Hazard T-22202G
Elan Doree T-38202G
Elevator Action Returns T-19903G
Emit T-7602G
Enemy Zero T-30001G
Eternal Melody T-27802
(H)Eve Burst Error T-15032G
Eve the Lost One T-15035G
Falcom Classics (Ys, Xanadu, Dragon Slayer)
(SC)Falcom Classics (Ys, Xanadu, Dragon Slayer) T-31506G
Falcom Classics Ltd (Ys, Xanadu, Dragon Slayer) T-31502G
Falcom Classics 2 (Ys 2, Asteka 2) T-31505G
Falcom Classics 2 Ltd (Ys 2, Asteka 2) T-31504G
Fanta Step T-5710G
Fantastic Pinball T-1801G
Fantasy Zone GS-9136
Farland Saga T-32507G
Feda Remake! T-21001G
FIFA Soccer 96 T-10606G
Fighter's History Dynamite (Karnov's Revenge)
Fighter's History Dynamite (Karnov's Revenge) GS-9107
Fighters Megamix GS-9126
Fighting Vipers GS-9101
(H)Final Romance IV T-3003G
Find Love
(H)Find Love 2 T-34604G
Fire Pro Wrestling: Blazing Tornado T-4302G
Fire Pro Wrestling: 6 Men Scramble T-4308G
(SC)Fire Pro Wrestling: 6 Men Scramble T-4316G
Fist (Pretty Fighter X 2) T-15015
Fist of the North Star T-20601G
From TV Animation Slam Dunk T-13301G
Funky Fantasy T-20002G
Funky Head Boxers T-20003G
Gaia Breeder T-34801G
Gakko No Kowai T1205G
Gal Act Heroism
Galaxy Fight T-1510G
Galaxy Force II GS-9197
Galaxy Fraulein Yuna 3: Lightning Angel T-14311G
Galaxy Fraulein Yuna Remix
Gale Racer (Rad Mobile)
(HH)Galjan Mahjong T-29101G
Gal's Panic SS
Game Basic T-2111G
Game of Life DX T-10302G
Game of Life DX 2 T-10310G
Game Paradise, The T-5711G
Gameware Vol. 1
Gameware Vol. 5 T-17006G
Garoudensetsu 3: Road to the Final Victory(FF3) T-3102G
Gebockers T-5303G
GeGeGe No Kitaro T-13310G
Gekirindan
Genso Suikoden
Girl Revolution Utena GS-9182
Girls in Motion Vol 1 T-21002G
Godzilla Rettousinkann GS-9050
Golden Axe: The Duel GS-9041
Good Island Cafe T-25201G
Gotha GS-9009
Gotha 2 T-7608G
Gotha 3 T-2205G
Gradius Deluxe(1&2) T-9509G
(H)Graduation 2: Neo Generation T-5301G
Graduation 3: Wedding Bell T-10506
Graduation Album T-10504G
Graduation Crossworld T-10503G
(H)Graduation S T-20103G
Gran Chaser GS-9022
Grandia T-4507G
Grandia Digital Museum T-4512G
Grandread T-20603G
Great Adventure T-23101G
Greatest Nine '97 GS-9139
Greatest Nine '98 GS-9185
Greatest Nine Summer Action 98 GS-9202
Groove on Fight (Power Instinct 3) T-14413G
Groove on Fight (Power Instinct 3)
GT-24 T-5714G
Guardian Force T-9905G
Guardian Heroes GS-9031
Gulliver Boy T-14303G
Gun Bird T-14402G
(H)Gun Blaze S T-19710G
Gun Frontier
Gungriffon T-4502G
(SC)Gungriffon T-4509G
Gungriffon 2 T-4510G
Gunbuster XTO
Gussun Oyoyo S T-26101G
Gussun Oyoyo S 2 T-20604G
Guyferd T-1242G
Hakaider
Harukaze V-Force T-19904G
Hat Trick Hero S T-1103G
(H)Haunted Casino
Heartbeat Scramble
Henry Explorers(Crypt Killer)
Hideo Nomo World Series Baseball GS-9061
(H)High School Terra T-19715G
Hokago Renai Club Ltd T-19714G
Hokuto No Ken T-20601G
Hop Step Idol T-20507G
Hot Blooded Fighting Family
House of the Dead, The GS-9173
Hunter Lime Collect T-22402G
Hyper 3D Pinball T-7007G
Hyper Dual
Hyper Reverthion T-1803G
Hyper Securities S T-9105G
(H)Idol Star Mahjong T-31001G
Image Fight & XMultiply T-2611G
In the Hunt T-15005G
Inspector Minton T-5307G
International Victory Goal GS-9044
Irem Arcade Classics T-22403G
Jajamaru Ninja
Japan Super Bass Classic '96
Jewel Bem Hunter Lime
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball '95 T-9502G
Jissen Mahjongg T-15002G
JL Go Go Goal! T-3602G
J-Swat T-20602G
Jung Rhythm T-16607G
Jungle Park Island T-18009G
(H)Kakyusei T-28002G
Keio Yugekitai 2 T-6003G
King of Boxing (Center Ring Boxing) T-6001G
King of Fighters '95 T-3101G
King of Fighters '96
King of Fighters '96 T-3108G
King of Fighters '97 T-3120G
King of Fighters Best Collection T-3125G
King of the Spirits
Kingdom Grand Prix T-18506G
Kisuisyoudensetsu Asutaru (Astal) GS-9019
Kiwame S
Konami Antiques MSX Collection T-9530G
Krazy Ivan
Kunoichi Torimono
Kururin Pa! T-24201G
Kururin Pa 2 (Shingata Kururin Pa!) T-24202G
Kyukyoku Tiger 2 T-18715G
Kyuutenkai (Fantastic Pinball)
Langrisser III T-2504G
Langrisser III Ltd
Langrisser IV Ltd T-2505G
Langrisser V: The End of Legend T-2509G
Langrisser Drama(I & II) T-2507G
(H)Lapis Lazuli Ltd T-19722G
Lapurus Panic T-21503G
Last Bronx GS-9152
Last Gladiators T-18901G
Last Gladiators T-4804H
Last Gladiators V9.7 T-18903G
Layer Section I (Galactic Attack) T-1112G
Layer Section II T-26409G
Lemmings 3D T-15013G
Let's Make a Pro Baseball Team! GS-9165
Let's Travel in Japan DX T-10306G
(H)Lindacube Again
Linkle Liver Story GS-9055
(H)Literary Fragment, The T-21204G
Lode Runner: The Legend Returns T-25101G
Lode Runner Extra T-25103G
Logic Puzzle Rainbow Town
Lost World GS-9162
Lovely Pop 2-in-1 Ltd. ed T-5802G
Lulu de Livre GS9118
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue T-27905G
Lunar: Silver Star Story T-27901G
Lunar: Silver Star Complete T-27904G
Lupin III
Lupin III: Chronicles T-18806G
M ~kimi wo tsutae~ T-31202G
Machi T-34081G
Macross: Ai Oboete Imasu Ka T-23403G
Madou Monogatari T-6607G
Magic School Lunar T-27902G
Magical Drop 2 GS-9104
Magical Drop 3 T-1318G
Magical Girl Pretty Samy: Heart no Kimochi T-20112G
Magical Hoppers (Pandemonium)
Mahou no Janshi
(H)Mahjong Gakuensai
Majong Goku T-10601G
Majong Taikai 2
(HH)Majong Wakakusa
Mansion of Hidden Souls GS-9005
Manx TT Super Bike GS-9102
Marica T-6008G
Marie Atelier T-15033G
Marriage T-10501G
Martian Successor Nadesico GS-9142
Martian Successor Nadesico 2
Marvel Super Heroes T-1215G
Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter T-1239G
Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter
Master of Monsters: Neo Generation T-5301G
Masters Harukanaru Augusta 3 T-11401G
Meltylancer Ltd
Metal Slug T-3111G
Mighty Hits
Miku The Metal Fighter T-6002G
Milky Way Heroes T-22301G
Milky Way Plus T-22303G
Minataka Hakudo T-14414G
(H)Minisuka Polis (Miniskirt Police) T-30812G
Mizubaku Adventure T-19910G
Mobile Suit Gundam T-13303G
Mobile Suit Gundam Gaiden I T-13300G
Mobile Suit Gundam Gaiden II (Side Story) T-13309G
Mobile Suit Gundam Gaiden III (Side Story) T-13312G
Mobile Suit Gundam Giren T-13327G
Mobile Suit Gundam Z T-13315G
Mobile Suit Gundam Z Houhen T-13320G
Momotaro Dochuki T-14309G
Monster Slider
(H)Mujintou Story R T-28901G
(H)My Best Friends
My Dream: On Air Ga Matenakute T-21303G
My Fair Lady Virtual Mahjong 2
----------------------------
16.2 Japanese Software (N-Z)
----------------------------
Japanese Complete Catalog N-Z
Vers. 2-4-00 with 340 items listed here
702 Japanese Items total
By Ken Tam (PaladinKen@hotmail.com)
Acknowledgements:
Matt for having screenshots
Daigoro
Shou-Sama
Rich Harper
Craig , Matt
Damian Gick
The members of the Saturn-list@joyce.eng.yale.edu
If you're going to repost this list, please give us credit.
Especially me. It isn't easy gathering all this information.
Need help finding a game?
Netscape and Internet Explorer have `Find' options.
You can use this to search the list for games by using keywords.
---------------------------------------
Legend
(H) - hentai/yellow label
(HH) - HENTAI/red label
(SC) - Saturn Collection Re-release
Title Catalog
Nanatsu Kaze
National Wrestling: Featuring Virtua GS-9158
(H)Natsuiro Memories
Necronomicom T-18902G
(H)Neo Generation 2 T-5301G
Neon Genesis Evangelion GS-9141
Neon Genesis Evangelion 2nd Impression GS-9129
Neon Genesis Evangelion Digital Card Library GS-9159
Neon Genesis Evangelion Eva and Good Friends T-35103G
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel GS-9194
New Theme Park T-10618G
Next King Ltd.
(H)Nightruth T-20204G
Nights (Into Dreams) GS-9046
Ninku GS-9036
Ninpen Maru T-35502G
Nobunaga Returns T-7614G
Noel 3 Special Edition T-22205G
(HH)Nonomura Byoin no Hitobito T-28001G
Noon T-5206G
Ochige Designer T-9106G
Ogre Battle T-5305G
Oh-Edo Renaissance T-9104G
(H)Ohsama Game T-21904G
(H)Ojousama wo Nera T-38101G
Omakase! Savers GS-9030
Outlaws of the Lost Dynasty T-1302G
Outrun GS-9110
Paneltia Story T-21510G
Panic Chan T-15010G
Panic Chan Ltd T-15029G
Panzer Dragoon
Panzer Dragoon Azel (Saga) GS-9076
Panzer Dragoon Zwei GS-9049
Parodius Deluxe Pack T-9501G
Pastel Muses T-30602G
Phantasy Star Collection GS-9186
(H)Pia Welcome Carrot T-19708G
(H)Pia Welcome Carrot 2 T-20114G
Pinball Graffiti T-9101G
Planet Joker
(H)Playboy Karaoke
(H)Playboy Karaoke 2
Pocket Fighter T-1230G
Policenauts
Popoitto Hebereke T-1504G
Power Drift GS-9181
Pretty Fighter X T-15001G
Princess Crown T-14418G
Princess Crown (SC) T-14425G
Princess Maker
Princess Maker 2 T-5203G
Princess Maker: Faery Tales Come True T-35101G
Princess Quest T-24604G
Prisoner of Ice
Private Idol 1 T-30801G
Private Idol 5: Nanako Fujisaki T-30811G
Private Idol 6
Pro Baseball '95 Double Header T-5703G
Purikura Daisakusen T-14409G
Puyo Puyo 2 T-6604G
Puyo Puyo Sun T-6603G
Puzzle Bobble 2X T-1106G
Puzzle Bobble 3
Pyon Pyon Caruru's Mahjongg Diary T-31101G
Quantum Gate T-18502G
Quiz Nanairo T-1220G
Quo Vadis T-174901G
Quo Vadis 2 T-17402G
R?MJ T-13322G
Rabbit T-10610G
Race Drivin T-4802G
Radiant Silvergun T-32902G
Real Bout Best Collection (RB & RBS) T-3124G
Real Bout Fatal Fury
Real Bout Fatal Fury T-3105G
Real Bout Fatal Fury Special T-3117G
Real Bout Fatal Fury Special T-3119G
Real Mahjong Adventure T-16511G
Real Sound
Refrain Love T-5308G
Riglord Saga 2 GS-9084
Rise 2: Resurrection (Rise of the Robots 2) T-8104G
Road Blaster/Thunderstorm T-20701G
Road Rash T-10609G
Robopit T-16603G
Rockman 8
Rockman X3 T-1210G
Rockman X4 T-1222G
Rockman X4 Ltd T-1221G
Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV T-7601G
Ronde T-14415G
Roommate T-19502G
Roommate Ryoko
Roommate in Summer Vacation T-19504G
Roommate III
Roukanitcaidantoa GS-9043
Ryouko's Chatting Room T-19509G
Ryuteki 5000 years (Dragons of China) T-15025
Sailor Moon Super S T-15701G
Sakura Radio Show GS-9160
Sakura Taisen GS-9037
Sakura Taisen Columns GS-9138
Sakura Taisen Ltd GS-9109
Sakura Taisen 2
Sakura Taisen 2 ltd GS-9169
Sakura Teigeki T-32602G
Sakura Hanagumi Tsushin GS-9134
(H)Sakura Tsushin: Remaking Memories T-38401G
Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus
Samurai Spirits 3 T-3105G
Samurai Spirits 4 T-3118G
Samurai Spirits Collection (3&4) T-3123G
Samurai Spirits RPG T-3112G
Sangokushi Eiketsu T-7603G-11
Sangokushi V T-7606H-11
Saturn Bomberman T-14302G
Saturn Bomberman Fight T-14321G
Savaki T-5208G
SD Gundam G Century S T-13324G
Sea Bass Fishing 2
Sega Ages Memorial GS-9135
Sega Ages Memorial 2 GS-9163
Sega Ages Mickey Mouse/Donald Duck
Sega Rally Championship GS-9047
Sega Touring Car GS-9104
Sega Worldwide Soccer '98 GS-9187
Segata Sanshirou Shinkenyuki GS-9204
Sengoku Blade
Sentimental Grafitti T-20106G
Sexy Parodius T-9514G
Shadows of the Tusk T-14319G
Shanghai: The Great Wall T-1505G
(H)Shes'n T-19717G
Shienryu T-29102G
Shin Kaitei Gunkan
Shin Megami Tensei
Shin Shinobi Den GS-9010
Shining Force 3 GS-9175
Shining Force 3: 2nd Scenario
Shining Force 3: 3rd Scenario GS-9203
Shining Force Premium Disc
Shining the Holy Ark T-33101G
Shining Wisdom GS-9057
Shinoken/Ragnagard T-3113
Shiroki Majou T-14322G
Shukudaiga Tanto GS-9042
Side Pocket 3 T-1314G
Silhouette Mirage T-32901G
Simulation Zoo T-18811G
Six Man Scramble T-4316G
Skull Fang T-1311G
Sky Target GS-9103
Slayers Royale T-27903G
Slayers Royale 2 T-27907G
Snatcher T-9508G
Soccer Kids
Sol Divide T-14423G
Solo crisis T-23501G
Soldnerschild GS-9155
Sonic Council T-20611G
Sonic Jam GS-9147
Sonic R GS-9170
Sorvice T-16609G
Soukyugurentai Otokuyo T-10626
Soul Hackers T-14420G
Space Harrier GS-9108
Space Invaders T-1107G
Stakes Winner T-3107G
Stakes Winner 2 T-3115G
(H)Stand By Say You T-4312G
(H)Stand By Say You T-4311G
(H)Stand By Say You T-4311G
(H)Stand By Say You T-4311G
(H)Steam Hearts T-32502G
Steamgear Mash T-10301G
Steeldom T-1805G
Steep Slope Sliders T-9112G
Stellar Assault T-4403G
Strahl T-20501G
Street Fighter Anime T-1204G
Street Fighter Collection T-1223G
Street Fighter Real Battle On Film T-1201G
Street Fighter Zero T-1206G
Street Fighter Zero 2 T-1244G
Street Fighter Zero 3 T-1247G
Street Fighter Zero 3 T-1246G
Street Racer Extra
Strikers 1945 T-14407G
Strikers 1945 2
Suchie Pai Adventure T-5713G
Suchie Pai 5 Year Anniversary Ltd T-5716G
Suchie Pai Secret Album T-5717G
Suikoenbu T-1302G
Suikoenbu Fuunsaiki T-1305G
Sugoventure (Dragon Master Silk Gaiden) T-19505G
Summer Fantasy
Super Casino Special T-7306G
Super Factory Ltd. ed
Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo T-1213G
(H)Super Real Mahjong
(HH)Super Real Mahjong Graffiti T-16504G
(HH)Super Real Mahjong PVI T-16507G
(H)Super Real Mahjong P7 T-16509G
Super Robot Wars F T-20610G
Super Robot Wars F Deluxe
Super Robot Wars F Final T-20612G
Super Tempo T-26413G
Sword & Sorcery T-5202G
(SC)Sword & Sorcery (Lucienne's Quest) T-5207G
Tactical Fighter T-21402G
Tactics Formula T-34101G
Tactics Ogre T-5306G
Taiheiyo No Arashi 2
Taiheiyo No Arashi 2 Premium Pack
Tama T-4801G
Tamagotchi Park T-13325G
Tenant Wars T-19707G
Tenchi Muyo 4
(HH)Tenchi Muyo Gokuraku
Tenchi Muyo Touko Muyo T-26103G
Tenchi Wo Kurau 2
Tengai Makyo: The Apocalypse 4 T-14301G
Terra Cresta 3D T-7102G
Terra Phantastica GS-9054
Tetris Plus
(SC)Tetris S T-20804G
Texthoth Ludo T-23102G
Thor (Legend of Oasis) GS-9053
Those Who Hunt Elves T-16605G
Those Who Hunt Elves 2
Thunder Force V T-1811G
(SC)Thunder Force V T-1814G
Thunder Force V Ltd
Thunder Force Gold Pack 1 (TF2 & TF3) T-1807G
Thunder Force Gold Pack 2 T-1808G
Thunderhawk II
Tiger 2 Plus (Kyukyou Tiger 2 Plus) T-18715G
Tilk T-32508G
Titan Wars (Solar Eclipse) T-15503G
Tokimeki Columns T-9512G
(H)Tokimeki Mahjong Graffiti T-20202G
Tokimeki Memorial T-9504G
Tokimeki Memorial Drama
Tokimeki Memorial Drama Vol. 2 T-9529G
Tokimeki Memorial Drama Vol. 3
Tokimeki Memorial Selection: Fujisaki Shiori T-9517G
Tokimeki Memorial Taisen Tokkaedama T-9524G
Tokyo Mahjongland T-4504G
Tomb Raiders T-5010G
Top Angler
Torico GS-9056
Toshinden S GS-9078
Toshinden URA T-10305G
Tournament Leader T-6007G
Tower, The T-21601G
Tryrush Deppy
Turf Wind '96 T-5707G
Twinbee Yahoo Deluxe Pack T-9505G
Twinkle Star Sprites 37301G
Tuukai! Slot Shooting T-21504G
Ultraman T-13308G
Ultraman Collection T-25501G
Universal Nuts
Uno DX T-26414G
Valhollian
Vampire Hunter (Night Warriors) T-1202G
Vampire Savior (Darkstalkers 3) T-1228G
Vampire Savior (Darkstalkers 3) T-1229G
Vandal Hearts T-9526G
Vatlva T-31501G
Victory Goal
Victory Goal '96
Victory Goal '97
(H)Virtua Call S T-19718G
Virtua Cop GS-9060
Virtua Cop 2 GS-9097
Virtua Fighter GS-9001
Virtua Fighter 2 GS-9079
Virtua Fighter Kids GS-9098
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Akira
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Jacky
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Jeffrey
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Kage GS-9067
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Lau
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Lion
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Pai GS-9066
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Sarah GS-9062
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Shun
Virtua Fighter Portrait: Wolf
Virtua Fighter Remix GS-9039
(H)Virtua Photo Studio
Virtual Casino T-27301G
Virtual Hydlide
Virtual On: Cyber Troopers
Virtual On: Cyber Troopers (SegaNet vers.) GS-7106
Virtual Open Tennis
Virus T-14304G
Voice Idol Maniacs
Wachenroder GS-9183
Waku Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon T-6508G
Waku Waku Seven T-1515G
Waku Waku Seven
(H)Wangan Deadheat Real Arrange T-9103G
Wangan Deadheat 2
Wara Wara Wars T-21507G
Whizz T-36102G
Willy Wombat T-14306G
Wing Arms GS-9038
Winning Post 2 T-7612G
Winning Post 2 Program '96 T-7620G
Winning Post 3 Program '98 T-7671G
Winter Heat GS-9177
Wipeout XL
With You T-20137G
Wizard's Harmony
Wizard's Harmony 2 T-22004G
Wizardry Llyllgamyn Saga (1-3) T-38601G
Wizardry VI & VII Complete T-1306G
Wizardry Nemesis T-37001G
Wonders 3 T-26107G
World Advanced 2
World Advanced 3
World Cup Soccer '98
World Evolution Soccer
World Heroes
World Heroes Perfect T-3103G
X-Men: Children of the Atom T-1203G
X-Men vs Street Fighter T-1227G
X-Men vs Street Fighter T-1226G
Yakyuken Special T-27901G
Yellow Brick Road
Yukyu Gensokyoku Ensemble T-27805G
Yukyu No Kobako T-27806G
Yukyu Gensokyoku 2nd Album T-27807G
Yumimi Mix Remix
(H)Yu-No T-28004G
Zap! Snowboarding Trix
Zap! Snowboarding Trix '98 T-7504G
Zero 4 Champ Doozy J Type R T-21401G
Zero Divide: The Final Conflict T-31001G
(H)Zoku Hatsukoi
Zoop T-26406G
Zork 1
----------------------
16.3 US Software (A-Z)
----------------------
US Complete Catalog - Vers. 12-31-99 with 301 items in all listed,
25 unreleased items, 3 demos, and a partridge in a pear tree
By Ken Tam
If you see wrong or missing info, e-mail me the info that I need.
Acknowledgements
Rich Harper
Marlin Bates IV
Bruce Wayne
Jair Whitlock
Avery Moore"
the members of the Saturn-list@joyce.eng.yale.edu
If you're going to post this list elsewhere, please give us credit.
Especially me. This isn't easy to do, especially counting ever single
title by hand.
Need help finding a game?
Netscape and Internet Explorer have 'Find' options.
You can use this to search the list for games by using keywords.
---------------------------------------------------
Legend
(U) - unreleased
Title Catalog
3 Free Games Pack 81606
3D Baseball T-15906H
(U)Abuse -
Albert Odyssey T-12705H
Alien Trilogy T-8113H
All Star Baseball '97 T-8150H
Alone in the Dark T-29401H
AMOK 81604
Andretti Racing T-5020H
Arcade's Greatest Hits: Atari T-9706
Arcade's Greatest Hits: Williams T-9703
Area 51 T-9705H
Astal 81019
Baku Baku 81501
Bases Loaded '96 T-8150H
Bases Loaded '96: Double Header T-5703H
Batman Forever: The Arcade Game T-8140H
Battle Arena Toshinden Remix 81029
Battle Arena Toshinden Ultimate Revenge Attack 81054
Battle Monsters T-8137H
Battle Stations T-5021H
Battlesport T-8149H
BioHazard Five
Black Dawn
Black Fire 81003
Blast Chamber T-131003
Blazing Dragons T-15907H
Blazing Heroes (Mystaria) 81303
Bootleg Sampler 81031
Braindead 13 T-12103H
Break Point Tennis T-8145H
Bubble Bobble (& Rainbow Islands) T-8131H
Bug! 81004
Bug Too! 81040
Burning Rangers 81803
Bust a Move 2: Arcade Edition T-8132H
Bust A Move 3 T-31103H
(U)Buster Bros Collection -
Casper T-12512H
Center Ring Boxing T-6005H
Christmas NiGHTS 81067
Clockwork Knight 81007
Clockwork Knight 2 81036
College Slam T-8111H
Command & Conquer T-7028
Congo: The Movie 81010
Contra: Legacy of War T-9507H
Corpse Killer: Graveyard Edition T-16201H
Courier Crisis T-25415H
Creature Shock SE T-1304H
Crime Wave T-8807H
Criticom T-2302H
Croc: Legend of the Gobbos T-16105H
Crow, The: City of Angels
Crusader: No Remorse T-5014H
Crypt Killer T-9509H
Cyber Speedway 81205
(U)Cyber Sled -
Cyberia T-12508H
D T-8106H
Darius Gaiden T-8123H
Dark Legend T-1305H
Dark Savior 81304
Dark Sun
Darklight Conflict T-5022H
Dawn of Darkness
Daytona USA 81200
Daytona USA: CCE
Daytona USA: CCE 81213
Decathlete 81115
Defcon 5 T-1301
(U)Destruction Derby -
Die Hard Arcade 81057
Die Hard Trilogy T-16103H
Don Pachi
Doom T-25405H
Double Switch
Dragon Force T-12703H
(U)Dragon's Lair II -
Dragonheart - Fire & Steel T-8117H
Duke Nukem 3D 81071
(U)Dungeons & Dragons Collection -
Earthworm Jim 2: Special Edition T-13203H
Enemy Zero 81076
(U)Eternal Champions: Challenge from Dark Side -
Extreme Pinball
F1 Challenge MK-81206
FIFA Soccer '96 T-5003H
FIFA Soccer '97 T-5017H
FIFA Road to World Cup 98 T-5025H
Fighters Megamix 81073
(U)Fighting Force -
Fighting Vipers 81041
(U)Fox Hunt -
Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball T-8138H
(U)Free Runner -
Galactic Attack (Layer Section) T-8116H
Galaxy Fight T-1504H
Gex T-15904
Ghen War 81001
Golden Axe: The Duel 81045
Grand Slam Baseball
Grid Runner T-7025H
Guardian Heroes 81035
Gungriffon 81046
Hang-On GP 95 81202
Heir of Zendor: The Legend of the Land T-7605H
Herc's Adventure T-23001
Hexen T-25406H
High Velocity T-14402H
Highway 2000 T-31101H
Hi-Octane
Horde, The T-15909H
House of the Dead, The 81802
Hyper 3D Pinball T-7015H
Impact Racing T-8139H
In the Hunt T-10001H
Incredible Hulk T-7905H
Independence Day: The Game T-16104H
(U)Iron & Blood -
Iron Man, XO Manowar in Heavy Metal T-8119H
(U)Iron Rain -
Iron Storm T-12701H
Johnny Bazookatone T-7909H
(U)K-1 The Arena Fighters -
Last Bronx 81078
Last Gladiators Digital Pinball T-4804H
(U)Legend of Kain -
Legend of Oasis, The (Thor) 81302
Loaded T-12519H
Lost World: Jurassic Park 2 81065
Lunacy T-14403H
Machine Head T-7914H
Madden NFL '97 T-5010H
Madden NFL '98 T-5024H
Magic Carpet T-5006H
Magic Knight Rayearth T-12706H
(U)Major Damage -
Mansion of Hidden Souls, The 81012
Manx TT 81210
Marvel Super Heroes T-1214H
Mass Destruction T-18007
Maximum Force T-9707H
Maximum Surge
Mech Warrior 2 T-13004
Mega Man 8 1216
Mega Man X4 T-1219H
Minnesota Fats Pool Legend T-1302H
MLBPA Bottom of the 9th T-9505H
Mortal Kombat II T-8103H
Mortal Kombat Trilogy T-9704H
Mr. Bones 81016
Myst T-8101H
Mystaria 81300
NASCAR 98 T-5028H
NBA Action 81103
NBA Action '98 81124
NBA Jam Extreme T-8120H
NBA Jam: TE T-8102H
NBA Live '97 T-5015H
NBA Live '98 T-5027H
Need for Speed, The T-5009H
Netlink Browser Version 2.0 80118B
Netlink Browser Version 3.0 80118D
Netlink Game Pack 81608
NFL '97 81111
NFL Quarterback Club '96 T-8109H
NFL Quarterback Club '97 T-8136H
NHL '97 T-5016H
NHL '98 T-5026H
NHL All-Star Hockey 81102
NHL All-Star Hockey 98 T-7013H
NHL Breakaway 98
NHL Powerplay '96 T-7013H
Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge T-1208H
NiGHTS Into Dreams 81020
NiGHTS Into Dreams 81048B
Nights Into Dreams Sampler 81063
(U)Ninja -
Norse by Norsewest T-12522H
Off-World Interceptor Extreme T-15908H
Olympic Soccer
Olympic Summer Games 96
Pandemonium T-15914
Panzer Dragoon 81009
Panzer Dragoon Playable Preview 81018
Panzer Dragoon Saga 81307
Panzer Dragoon Zwei 81022
Pebble Beach Golf Links 81101
PGA Tour '97 T-5011H
Powerslave T-13205H
Primal Rage T-4802H
(U)Primetime NFL Football -
Prize Fighter
Pro Pinball T-12520H
PTO 2 T-7604H
Quake 81066
Quarterback Attack T-16213
Rage Racer
Rampage World Tour T-9708H
Rayman T-17701H
Resident Evil T-1221H
Return Fire
Return to Zork
Revolution X T-8107H
Rise 2: Resurrection T-8114H
(U)Riven -
Road Rash T-5008H
Robo Pit T-10002H
Robotica T-8104H
Romance of the 3 Kingdoms IV T-7601H
(U)Sacred Pools, The -
Saturn Bomberman 81070
Scorcher 81214
Scud: The Disposable Assassin 14003
Sega Ages T-12707H
Sega Rally Championship 81207
Sega Rally Championship Netlink Ed. 81215
Sega Saturn Choice Cuts 81600
Sega Screams 81075
Sega Touring Car 81216
Shanghai: Triple Threat T-13001H
Shellshock T-7901H
Shining Force 3 81383
Shining the Holy Ark 81306
Shining Wisdom T-12702H
Shinobi Legions T-2301H
Shockwave Assault
SimCity 2000 12601
Skeleton Warriors T-13204H
Sky Target 81051
Slam 'n Jam '96 T-15902H
Solar Eclipse T-15911H
Sonic 3D Blast 81062
Sonic Jam 81079
Sonic R 81800
(U)Sonic X-Treme -
Soviet Strike 5013
Space Hulk T-5007H
Space Jam T-8125H
Spot Goes to Hollywood T-7001H
Star Fighter 3000 T-8135H
Steep Slope Sliders 81128
(U)S.T.O.R.M. -
Street Fighter Alpha T-1206H
Street Fighter Alpha 2 T-1213H
Street Fighter Collection T-1222H
Street Fighter: The Movie T-8105H
Street Racer
Striker '96 T-8133H
Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo T-1215H
(U)Swagman -
(U)Syndicate Wars -
Tempest 2000 T-12516H
Ten Pin Alley T-13705
Tetris Plus T-5704
Theme Park T-5001H
Three Dirty Dwarves 14002
Thunderstrike II T-7902H
TNN Motor Sports 4x4 T-13703H
Tomb Raider T-7910H
True Pinball T-16406
Tunnel B1 T-8144H
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 T-9701H
Valora Valley Golf 2303
Viewpoint
Virtua Cop 81026
Virtua Cop 2 81043
Virtua Fighter 81005
Virtua Fighter 2 81014
Virtua Fighter Kids 81049
Virtua Fighter Remix 81023
Virtua Fighter Remix 81027
Virtua Fighter Remix 81028
Virtua Racing T-4801H
Virtual Casino T-31102H
Virtual Hydlide T-14401H
Virtual On: Cyber Troopers 81042
Virtual On: Cyber Troopers Netlink Edition 81072
Virtual Open Tennis T-8129H
VR Golf '97 T-12518H
VR Soccer T-12517H
WarCraft II T-5023H
Wing Arms 81024
Winning Post T-7602
Winter Heat 98 81129
Wipeout 81211
(U)Wipeout 2097 (XL) -
World Cup Golf Pro Edition 7903
World Series Baseball 81109
World Series Baseball 2 81113
World Series Baseball '98 81127
Worldwide Soccer 81105
Worldwide Soccer '97 81112
Worldwide Soccer '98 81123
Worms 16403
WWF In Your House T-8126H
WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game T-8112H
X-Men: Children of the Atom T-8108H
Zoop
(U)Zork -
----------------------
16.4 European Software
----------------------
Under Construction.
------------------------
16.5 Unreleased Software
------------------------
This section contained a list of software titles that were either in
development or officially announced, but either never released, or
had changes made that confuse some people.
US
--
Iron Rain (US) - Sega/Game Arts
This is actually Gungriffon. Sega originally planned to change the
title to "Iron Rain" and distributed preview copies of the game using
this title. It was later released in the US after changing the title
back to Gungriffon, so this doesn't really count as an unreleased
game, just an unreleased "title". :)
Policenauts (US) - Konami
Released in Japan
Canceled indefinitely. Konami never gave an explanation, other than
it was a decision made by their marketing department. It has been
alleged there was an issue with the main character smoking, but
many people assume this to be a cover story as there have been
plenty of games released in the US where characters have smoked
(I mean, Solid Snake smoked in Metal Gear Solid for Christ's sake!).
The smoking excuse COULD be a rumor that got out of control.
Another, more sinister theory is that Sony rejected the PSX version
using their adversion to sprite driven (non 3D) games as the basis
to their decision. As a result, Konami didn't see the trouble in
going recoding, translating, and dubbing the game purely for the
comparatively weaker Saturn market.
The third theory is simply that Konami felt they wouldn't make enough
money off the title at all to make it worth while.
All theories are just that. Believe what you want.
The game case was pictured on a poster that came with the 80000A
Saturn, and listed as "Coming Soon". Translation was started, and
was reportedly 75% complete when it got the ax. A beta CD was NOT
burned (so don't bother looking for one). The Playstation version
was also canceled. Konami has a policy forbidding other firms to
translate their own titles so this means the prospects of seeing
this game in the US (even on PSX) are very low.
I don't know if Konami was ever set to release it in Europe (though
Snatcher, it's pseudo-sequel was released on the PAL Mega CD, so it's
a definite possibility that they were).
Sonic X-Treme (All Regions) - Sega
Sega felt the game stood up poorly against it's 32-bit competitors
(namely Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot), and it was canceled.
Some have speculated that it was reprogrammed as Sonic Adventure on
the Dreamcast, but this seems unlikely given that X-treme was created
in the US by Sega Technical Institute (Comix Zone, Bug!, ect.),
while Sonic Adventuer was a genuine Sonic Team project from the
beginning. There's also a few differences in terms of Gameplay and
the screenshots released to the public don't look anything like Sonic
Adventure.
Also, here's a list of software that was apparently coded to some
degree, but never released:
Major Damage
Abuse
---------------------
16.6 Rumored Software
---------------------
Under Construction.
-----------------------
XVII. FACTS AND FIGURES
-----------------------
------------------------------------
17.1 What was the _____ Saturn Game?
------------------------------------
First Public Saturn Game: Virtua Fighter
First RPG (Japan): Virtual Hylide
Last US Saturn Game: Magic Knights Rayearth
Last European Saturn Game: Courier Crisis*
Last Japanese Saturn Game: Yukyu Gensokyoku Perpetual Collection**
* I've also heard it might be Deep Fear (October, 1998)
** No, it's not Final Fight Revenge as previously thought. NCS is
taking preorders for Yukyu Gensokyoku Perpetual Collection, and it
will ship on December 7, 2000.
--------------------------------
17.2 How many Saturns were sold?
--------------------------------
It depends entirely on who you ask (or want to believe). Sega quotes
figures slightly under 2 million units in North America, while Next
Generation only claims a 1.6 million unit userbase in North America
(source: December 1997 issue). IGN once gave an a low figure of 1.2
million that has drawn criticism.
In Japan, between 5 and 6 million seems about right.
The sum total of systems sold worldwide is in the neighborhood of
8 or 9 million.
I have no data on Europe, or other regions, so I don't know what
percentage of the pie chart they account for.
--------------------------------------
17.3 What are the rarest Saturn games?
--------------------------------------
There's been some debate on USENET as to exactly what Saturn games
are the rarest. I have composed a list of titles which consistently
come up. All these titles *HAVE* been released one way or another.
They are not vaporware. Also, don't confuse rare with uncommon. There
are many games not on this list that are still hard to find in their
own right. This list could also be slightly skewed as it's being
presented from an American perspective. Foreign perspectives are
welcome.
NEVER under any circumstances let anybody on Ebay persuade you into
thinking an item they'll selling is rare just because they say so.
This is often not the case.
USA
---
Title Publisher Manufactured
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Buster Bros. Collection Capcom ???
Panzer Dragoon Saga(US)*** Sega 20,000 (???)
Return Fire* Crystal Dynamics (?) ???
Mysteria ** Sega ???
---------------------------------------------------------------------
* Return Fire *WAS* released. Some people on USENET claim it wasn't,
but this is simply untrue. It has been reportedly seen in a few
bargain bins back in 1998 as well.
** Pretty rare under the "Mysteria" name. Changed to "Blazing Heroes"
becuause of copyright issues.
*** The Japanese version of Panzer Dragoon is not rare, and in fact,
it sold relatively poorly. You should be able to find a copy.
- Contrary to popular belief, Christmas NiGHTs is not thought to be
rare. Some Blockbuster Video chain stores are (or were) selling off
their copies for $5. The only time it might presumably become rare
is if they don't sell to the point that Blockbuster destroys all
their backstock.
- Reportedly, 10,000 copies of Magic Knights Rayearth were pressed.
However, it appears to be a semi-common item up for sale on Ebay
and USENET (Not to mention WD's own page), and doesn't seem to
qualify at this time (at least nowhere near the level Lunar:
Eternal Blue for the Sega CD does). This may change in the future
however.
- Galaxy Fight by Sunsoft *may* be rare. It can be at least
categorized as uncommon.
Japan
-----
Title Publisher Manufactured
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Black/Matrix* NEC Interchannel 60K/40K/2K
Blue Seed Sega Unknown
Psychic Assasin Taromaru** Time Warner Interactive 7,500
(Japan)
Sakura Taisen LE*** Sega/Red 100K/???
---------------------------------------------------------------------
* Approximately 60,000 were originally pressed. Supposedly if you
didn't pre-order it in Japan, you didn't get it. It sold about 47,000
the first week according to Saturn Fan and was out of the top list the
next week. NCS never got it at all. There were two reprints. The
first one had a different cover and 40,000 were pressed. The second
had basically the same cover as the original, but only 2,000 were
pressed. Thanks to Raymond McKeithen II and Shou-sama for the info.
** Only a mere 7,500 of these were pressed before Time Warner
Interactive (Japan) folded.
Joe Petrancosta writes:
"The company folded because Midway a couple months previous bought
out Time Warner Interactive ala Atari Games (basically the new name
at the time for Tengen, Atari Games' home brand)."
*** The limited edition box set contains, in addition to the regular
edition Sakura Taisen 2-CD set, a white Saturn mouse, a Sakura Taisen
mouse pad (one of two designs) and a laminated character sheet. Only
100,000 of these were made originally, and all were sold almost
instantly. It was re-released 6/20/97 to celebrate Sakura Taisen
winning the CESA Awards, says Red.
(Info courtesy of Ming's Sakura Wars Page at:
http://pei.physics.sunysb.edu/~ming/anime/sakura.html)
I don't know how many were made in the re-release, but the game is
not available from nearly all importers. NCS used to sell copies
briefly for $115 before it ran out of stock. Never to be reordered.
-------------------------
17.4 What does Sega mean?
-------------------------
Sega is short for "Service Games".
Amusingly enough, it's also slang for "masturbate" in Itallian when
it is pronounced in the same way it's pronounced here in the U.S.
What a coincidence! ^_^;
(No)Thanks to Ken Arromdee's rec.games.video.* FAQ for pointing
this out.
----------------------
XVIII. OTHER REFERENCE
----------------------
-------------------------------------
18.1 What Saturn Magazines are there?
-------------------------------------
Unfortunately there are no US Saturn magazines (an indication of the
respect the system holds in the US, or lack thereof).
There was however two UK-based Saturn Magazines, and a prominent
Japanese one.
First of all, let me say this section would not have been possible
had it not been for the selfless effort put forth by Paul Carson.
'Sega Saturn Magazine' This one ran for 37 issues, up to November
1998. It covered absolutely everything and anything to do with Sega.
It covered the first technical demos of the Dreamcast, got all the
latest games first from Japan and even gave walkthrough guides to
games in Japanese like Grandia so that people who couldn't
understand the game could get an idea of what was happening and
appreciate it. For an 'Official Sega Magazine' who were only
supposed to cover most of the Sega Europe things they spent most of
the time covering imports because towards the end of the Saturn's
life Sega Europe were getting more and more lax with releases and
they (Sega Saturn Magazine) were concerned with the Saturn gamer
having to retire their saturn early. I think they did more for the
Saturn in terms of keeping it alive than Sega Europe did! In the
last two issues (36 and 37) there was an enormous two part tips
section which covered as many UK releases as they could manage. You
can try their back issues department at:-
Sega Saturn Subscriptions,
Sovereign Park,
Leicester
LE98 4PA
UK
Phone (01858) 435350 (+44 1858 435350 outside the UK)
...or you could try their editorial offices:-
Sega Saturn magazine
37-39 Millharbour,
The Isle Of Dogs,
London
E14 9TZ
Editor's Note: Sadly, the demo disc(s) you could get in the UK with
the purchase of the mag were not available outside the country
(something to do with trade laws).
'Saturn Power' This was a magazine that renamed itself. It used to
be 'Sega Power' until the June issue of 1997 when it changed it's
name and format to 'Saturn Power'. It only ran for 10 issues before
it folded. It promised a cover disc every month, but only delivered
4 in it's short lifespan. It covered UK and some import games and
had what was probably the best tips and cheats section out of the
three magazines, usually in the form of a pull out section you could
keep by your saturn. The interviews were usually spot-on and the
style of writing was usually jokey and fun. It also carried an
invaluable 'top 100' saturn games list every issue which I use as
my 'Bible' for buying saturn games! There was also a great Cheat
book in issue 3.
The Address for the magazine's back issue department is (although I
wouldn't get your hopes up):-
'Future Publishing Ltd'
Cary Court
Somerton
Somerset
UK
TA11 6TB
Phone (01125) 822511) (or +44 1225 822511 outside the UK)
You could also try:-
Future Publishing,
Beauford Court
30 Monmouth Street,
Bath
BA1 2BW
Phone (01225) 442244 (that's +44 1225 442244 outside the UK) or Fax
(01225) 732274 (+44 1225 732274 outside the UK)
The Japanese magazine was titled "Saturn Fan", it was a very popular
monthy Japanese magazine that covered all aspects of the Japanese
Saturn market. It was renamed to "Dreamcast Fan" when the
Dreamcast came out, and no longer covers the Saturn. I've mentioned
it just in case anybody is interested in acquiring backissues.
I'd like to get phone numbers and addresses for getting back issues
of Saturn Fan. If somebody wants to write a review, that's great
too.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
18.2 What webpages are there on the world wide web concerning the
Saturn?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The ebb and flow of Sega Saturn related webpages has dwindled
significantly in recent months. However, there are some still alive
that should be worth a visit:
Dave's Sega Saturn Page
http://www.sega-saturn.com/
Now back online! Hands down the best Saturn site on the Internet.
Sega Force
http://www.cyberdrive.net/~gskalba/
Great source of Saturn information. Including reviews, and analysis
of the Saturn hardware/software.
TK's Saturn Page
http://www.crl.com./~tehyang/
Effectively dead since late 1997, but still up (mostly). Back in
the day, this site was really great for Japanese Saturn info in
English. Also includes a sub-site dedicated to the SRPG series,
Langrisser.
Dimension S
http://www.dimension-s.com/
Covers Sega Saturn, and the Dreamcast. Has reviews, editorials,
news, screenshots, ect. All reader submitted.
Gaming Age - Saturn Section
http://www.gaming-age.com/saturn/
Has many in-depth reviews and previews of import and domestic
games with accompanying screenshots.
UK Resistance
http://www.mars01.demon.co.uk/saturn/ or
http://www.ukresistance.com/
A site started up by members of Sega Saturn Magazine disgruntled
with Sega Europe's ridiculous treatment of the Sega Saturn. Really
funny stuff on this site.
Please also check out the Yahoo search engine (http://www.yahoo.com)
under Sega Saturn. There are a couple of fan pages still alive.
----------------------------------------------
18.3 What newsgroups are there for the Saturn?
----------------------------------------------
- rec.games.video.sega is the most populated, but you'll have to wade
though a lot of Dreamcast stuff lately.
- alt.games.video.sega-saturn is not as populated, but entirely
Saturn oriented.
- fj.rec.games.video.home.saturn is a Japanese-language Saturn
newsgroup.
- alt.games.video.import.japanese is a good group for import
information.
- rec.arts.anime.games is a good group if your interested in anime
derived video games (plenty of which are on Saturn).
Your newsreaders may or may not carry these groups. You could also
use Deja.com at http://www.deja.com/ to read and post.
------------------------------------------------------------
18.4 What electronic mailing lists are there for the Saturn?
------------------------------------------------------------
The Sega Saturn Mailing List is maintained by BT Garner & Rich Harper
and you may join the list my accessing the following webpage and
following the directions:
http://joyce.eng.yale.edu/~bt/saturn/subscribe.html
You can also join manually by sending a message to:
saturn-list-request@joyce.eng.yale.edu
...with the word "subscribe" in the body of the message.
The list has medium traffic and it *IS* moderated. Flaming or abuse
will not be tolerated, and neither will CDR trading. You will receive
a note outlining the rules of conduct upon sending your subscription
request to the listserver.
Recently the Saturn Mailing list has added Dreamcast discussion to
its itinerary (Boo!!! Put it on a separate list!).
Be sure to tell those deadbeats I sent you. Maybe they're actually
contribute more to the FAQ. "^_^"
-------------------------------------------------
18.5 What IRC channels are there for the Saturn?
-------------------------------------------------
I only really know of one channel.
There is a Sakura Taisen DALnet channel named "#SakuraTaisen". For
information on connecting to DALnet, please visit:
http://www.dalnet.com/.
I'm a semi-frequent lurker on #SakuraTaisen and maintainer of their
webpage, so I guess this is a shameless plug.
------------------------
XIX. CONTACT INFORMATION
------------------------
SEGA:
-------------------------
Sega of America
Sega appears to have dropped most Saturn support.
Although they do seem to provide repair service.
Homepage: http://www.sega.com/
-------------------------
Sega of Japan
Still offers quite a bit of Saturn support.
Homepage: http://www.sega.co.jp/
-------------------------
Sega of Europe
266-270 Gunnersbury Avenue,
London W4 5QB UK
Phone: +44 181 995 3399
Fax: +44 181 996 4499
Homepage: http://www.sega-europe.com/
--------------------------
IMPORTERS:
-------------------------
National Console Support
Monday through Friday
10AM to 6PM Eastern Standard Time
121 Baxter St, Suite #1
New York, NY 10013
Phone: (718) 523-5774
Fax: (718) 523-7069
Pager: (917) 788-0699
E-mail: ncs@escape.com or
ratnuts@panix.com
Homepage: http://www.ncsx.com/
-------------------------
Tronix
347 Fifth Avenue, Suite # 1508
New York, N.Y. 10016
Phone: (212) 447-5980
Fax: (212) 727-8934
E-mail: tronix2@worldnet.att.net
Homepage: http://www.tronixweb.com/
-------------------------
Video Game Depot
10:00 A.M. - 8:00 P.M. Mon thru Fri.
Video Game Depot Corporation
130 Hoffman Lane
Islandia, NY 11722
Phone: (631) 582-5663
Fax: 1-800-327-0455
E-mail: Sales@videogamedepot.com or
pac_jr@videogamedepot.com or
tk@videogamedepot.com
Homepage: http://www,videogamedeopt.com/
-------------------------
Video Source
Mon-Fri: 9:30 AM PST - 6:00 PM PST
Sat: 10:00 AM PST - 3:00 PM PST
Sun: Closed
973 Foxglove Drive
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
Phone: (408) 720-8575
Fax: (408) 720-8576
E-mail: vidsourc@netcom.com
Homepage: http://www.video-source.com/
-------------------------
Wolfgames
http://www.wolfgames.com/
Note: This is an online dealer based in Japan that does mail
orders to the US. Has many rare and hard to find games.
-------------------------
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES:
-------------------------
Sega Parts
Phone: (888) 271-5678
Fax: (714) 569-0204
Homepage: http://www.sega-parts.com/
Sells parts and accessories for Sega's "Legacy" series (ie.
Everything predating the Dreamcast).
-------------------------
Highly incomplete!
------------
*END OF FAQ*
Thank you for reading. Please feel free to contribute anything you
feel is needed to make this FAQ more complete.
(c) 1999-2000 John Hokanson Jr. and all FAQ authors. All rights
reserved.
(FAQ source)