Saturn

"Sega Saturn and Punk Rock: Underappreciated, Unadvertised, One of the coolest things in existence..."

The Sautrn is totally unappreciated. Period. And it doesn't deserve the treatment it got. Why did everyone want a piece of Sony anyway? For all of the good games for PSX, (FF series, a good RPG selection, etc.) there seem to be about ten bad ones (Tomb Raider, CoolBoarders, the existence of 989 Studios, etc.). The reason Saturn died is because of bad development options and poor third-party support. All I can say is: Why? Anyway...

Graphical Cababilities: 9/10

For it's time, some of the best graphics around were on the Saturn. First-gen games (Daytona USA, Virtua Cop) looked pretty blocky and couldn't even match up to fourth-generation Genesis games. But once developers dove deep into the guts of the system, the games got awesome. Look at some of the titles from Traveller's Tales/Sonic Team and you'll know what I'm talking about. The graphics are just as good as, if not better than, Sony Playstation's. The only part of the Saturn's graphics I disliked were it's FMV cababilities. Sega could've done better than this, but it would've jacked up the price to about $500-$600.

Sound Quality: 10/10

Sega, great work! A giant step up if there was one from the prehistoric sound chips of both the Genesis and the 32X. With CDs you get CD quality sound, pretty simple equation, folks. (Precious Roy equals ME!!! *ahem* Sorry, inside joke.) Once again, Sonic Team pops into mind when it comes to use of the Saturn's sound cababilities, especially NiGHTS.

Load Time/Controls/Memory: 8/10

Load times are equal to the Sony Playstation. Not fast enough to be great, but not too slow as to be too annoying. The two controllers that came out were both very cool. The first one had a nice feel, and the 3-D Analog Controller was an obvious prototype for the (in my opinion) coolest controller ever belonging to the Sega Dreamcast. Both had D-Pads of great quality, but the L+R buttons on the first one were weird and the Analog on the 3-D Analog Controller was just plain screwy. One of the best things about the Saturn was it's built-in memory bank, which works great unless you like to visit people's houses to play their games with your files. Nani? Run out of space, eh? Just peachy! Well don't fret, because there is relatively inexpensive extra hard drive meory bank! Joy!

Game Selection: 9/10

A lot like the Playstation, this system has it's fair share of ''piece of crap'' titles. But, once again like the Playstation, the ''solid gold'' titles make the system look like a dream. To name the best of most catergories; Virtua Cop 2, Panzer Dragoon 2, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Sonic Jam, Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Fighter 3, and of course, the winner of the ''If You Buy ______ System You Absolutley Must Have _____'' Game Award, NiGHTS! This system has the best of almost every world. Name your favorite genre and you'll find a title you like, Sega can guarantee it! :)

Overall Fun Factor: 9/10

Okay, you can get this thing in a FunCo Land for about $25. The best games shouldn't ever cost you more than $35. (NiGHTS is only about $5 *wink* *wink*.) What are you waiting for Mr. Lazy-Ass on a Friday with $50 in my Pocket and a FunCo Land Next Door?! Get get this thing!!!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/22/00, Updated 04/22/00