"Hardcore gamers love it; casual gamers might not."

The Sega Saturn was released in Japan in the end of 1994, and was greeted with great awe. The system sold very well, and was eventually released in the U.S. in 1995. The system showed off great graphics for the time, especially in the 2D department, where the console was basically arcade perfect. Those Capcom and SNK titles we all love to see in the arcades was only possible, perfectly, on the Saturn. However, it also showed a little bit of weakness in the 3D department, especially compared to the N64. The Saturn didn’t live long in the U.S., dying in 1998 because of the market juggernauts PlayStation and N64. It lived in Japan until 2000, for 6 years, however.

Most people think that the Saturn was a failure. It was in the U.S., however in Japan, the Saturn outsold the N64 by 80,000 units (5.60 Million compared to 5.52 Million for N64 in Japan), which marks Sega‘s first win over Nintendo in Japanese territory (in the previous generation, Super Famicom smoked the MegaDrive in Japan). Capcom, SNK and Treasure, the 3 masters of 2D, as well as Sega, continued to support the system in Japan. However, the PlayStation still sold large amounts over the Saturn, and the announcement of the Sega Dreamcast spelled death for the console. 2 years into the Dreamcast’s life, the Saturn ended in Japan.

I use to hate this console, and judged it based on the games I had played (of course) but playing Japanese imports and comparing some hardcore titles to what the PlayStation offered has made me change my mind about the Saturn. The Japanese Saturn, that is.

2D Graphics 9
When it comes to 2D graphics, Saturn did them best in the 32-bit generation. Saturn ran 2D games much better than the PlayStation simply because Saturn was based on arcade. Games like Street Fighter Zero 3 (Alpha 3 in the U.S.) ran better on the Saturn, and that goes for other games in Capcom’s fighting game offerings as well. Some SNK games needed RAM carts, but that was a small price to pay for a perfect arcade experience, 2D style. The PlayStation versions that reached the U.S. were usually watered down one way or another, either through animations or loading times. In a rare case, PlayStation has handled 2D better than Saturn (such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night), but the Saturn takes the lead in such a category.

3D Graphics 7.5
The Saturn did a fairly decent job in the 3D graphics department although not perfectly. The Saturn’s 3D power was severely underpowered to the PlayStation and especially the N64. The Saturn’s 3D games didn’t look nearly as detailed as any PlayStation counterpart (there are a few exceptions, but then again there are ALWAYS a few exceptions). Resident Evil was released across both the Saturn and the PlayStation. The Saturn port ran at a lower resolution, worse color scheme, lower polygon count and longer loading times. In the game’s defense, the movement animations were a little better, but that was basically it for the Saturn version. In addition, no 3D Saturn game looks as good as Super Mario 64 for the N64 or Resident Evil 3: Nemesis for the PlayStation.

Sound 9.5
The sound of the Saturn is basically on par with that of the PlayStation. However, games like Resident Evil don’t sound nearly as good as the PlayStation counterpart, so I had to subtract .5 points. However, the sound for the Saturn beats anything N64 or SNES pumped out. The sound is also basically CD-quality sound, which is a good sign.

Game Selection 8.5
The Saturn had some pretty good games. It had Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona USA, Virtua Cop, Resident Evil, Panzer Dragoon Saga and that classic, NiGHTS. It also had Sonic Jam, a compilation of the Genesis Sonic games, as well as the well sought-after Radiant Silvergun. A lot of Capcom titles were also available for the system, such as Street Fighter Zero 3, Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, Capcom Generation Series, Final Fighter Revenge, and Megaman 8. SNK also provided the King of Fighters games, Metal Slug and Samurai games.

Overall, the Saturn’s game selection caters more to the hardcore import gamer since some of these games are available in Japan only.

Controller 8.5
The Saturn controller was really meant for 2D games. Unfortunately, the controller is far from being a hand glove but luckily 6 buttons allows for smoother fighting game moves. The 3D use of the controller isn’t as solid as on the PlayStation, however. Moving characters in Resident Evil takes a bit more work than it would on the PlayStation. The controller is also basically the Genesis controller with the addition of an R and L button, which increases functionality.

Aesthetics 10
The Saturn is a nice looking console, I’ll give you that. The system looks extremely stylish, with a black color (in the U.S., at least) as well as a slick logo resembling the planet Saturn. It’s the nicest looking console of that generation.

Overall 8.83 => 9 GameFAQS Score
You’ll like the Saturn if you are a hardcore gamer. However, if you’re casual, stick to the PlayStation or the N64, because those consoles appeal to those gamers more than the Saturn does. And if you find a copy of Radiant Silvergun, buy it. Just buy it.

2D Graphics 9
3D Graphics 7.5
Sound 9.5
Game Selection 8.5
Controller 8.5
Aesthetics 10

Overall 8.83 => 9 GameFAQS Score

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/05/01, Updated 08/05/02