The unexpected 2016 release of the NES Classic Edition kicked off a micro-console fad that saw a wide variety of systems from generations past miniaturized and brought to market, capitalizing on older gamers’ pent-up nostalgia for the machines of their youth. Following the massive success of the NES Classic, Nintendo wisely followed up with the Super NES Classic, and a whole host of other consoles subsequently flooded the market. SEGA got in on the game, too – although the firm had bowed out of home console development at the turn of the millennium, the 2019 release of the SEGA Genesis Mini was a very well received return-to-hardware of sorts for the gaming giant. As with Nintendo and a possible Nintendo 64 Classic, rumors ran rampant that SEGA was preparing both a Dreamcast Mini and a Saturn Mini. As of 2021, none of these have materialized, and are unlikely to ever do so.
But why? Here, we take a quick look at the top 3 reasons why a Saturn Mini is a highly unlikely proposition.
Not enough interest outside of Japan
The Genesis was the most popular console of its generation in the West, and the Dreamcast’s strong western sales and cultural impact cannot be denied. The Saturn, however, never had the same broad appeal with Western gamers. Nostalgia is a huge factor in the allure of a micro-console, and the Saturn, sadly, was utterly out-marketed by Sony and Nintendo. The demand for this product simply wouldn’t be there in the same scale as the demand for Nintendo’s (or even Sony’s) offerings.
Almost certainly more expensive than previous micro-consoles
An important aspect to marketing the micro-consoles is price. The 2018 PlayStation Classic Mini was the only mini console from the 5th generation, and it launched with two non-analog controllers and no USB brick… and still retailed for USD $99.99. Further, at sub-$100, the innards of each console aren’t going to be overly powerful. Performance of the PlayStation games, for instance, was criticized as being worse than the original console’s.The Saturn’s innards were more complex than the PlayStation’s and would likely require a more powerful SoC (System on a Chip) to properly run its games. A more powerful chip means a higher price point. Without question, only standard controllers would be included… but games such as NiGHTS simply couldn’t be played properly with standard pads. As with the original machine, the price of a decently built Saturn Mini would quickly put an anchor around the console’s sales aspirations.
Licensing
The 5th generation of gaming saw the rise of licenced brands, names and properties in games, and these licenses simply wouldn’t be cost-effective (or available) to reacquire for a micro-console. If the Saturn Mini would include a cross-section of the system’s best games, surely a title such as Daytona USA deserves to be on the system? Ah, but Daytona Properties would be unlikely to grant a license to a 25-year-old video game at a cost that SEGA could afford. What about SEGA Rally, then? Since there is no ‘real’ SEGA Rally in the world, licensing shouldn’t be an issue… but the vehicles featured in the game are from Toyoda and Lancia, not to mention feature advertising from brands such as Castrol. Despite SEGA owning all other aspects of the game, these multiple licensing issues would likely sink SEGA Rally – or ANY other racer – from appearing on the Mini. This would clearly not be a problem for all of the system’s best games (Panzer Dragoon, for instance, would face no licensing hurdles), but it would be enough of a problem to noticeably impact what could appear on a Saturn Mini. One of the chief complaints about the PlayStation Classic’s library is the lack of bona-fide classics such as Gran Turismo, Tomb Raider, Castlevania SotN, and so on.
In short, whilst a Saturn Mini would be loved by Saturn die-hards, the relative obscurity of the original system in the West, the cost to produce a decently running micro-console, and the myriad licensing problems would almost certainly keep it from ever becoming reality. Still, why not when appetites at the thought of a Saturn mini with these screenshots from the host of excellent, and expensive, Saturn games? And while we’re at it, what games would YOU love to see on a hypothetical Saturn Mini?
A Saturn fan since the beginning, Peter plays Saturn almost exclusively. For Peter, Saturn represents a moment in time where 2D games were at their best, 3D was just rising, and fascinating gaming ‘firsts’ were commonplace. There are very few Saturn games that Peter cannot find some enjoyment in!
The Menu Music which has the Sega Mega CD EU/JP Music from the sega mega drive era.
I wish that three games comes out again for Sega Saturn. Black Dawn, The Butter Fly Mansion, and Robotica game for Sega saturn