Best Of Saturn
Madden ‘97 #BestOfSaturn
Sports titles were a huge reason for the success of the Genesis in America, so it was perplexing that the Saturn didn’t follow suit. The system was sorely lacking a…
Articles by Peter Malek
Best Of Saturn
Best Of Saturn
Impact Racing #BestOfSaturn
A bit of a hidden gem, Impact Racing sees you combat-race on large courses, with the condition of winning being not only crossing the finish line in first place, but…
Best Of Saturn
NBA Jam: Tournament Edition #BestOfSaturn
NBA Jam: Tournament Edition “pumped up the Jam” from the title’s first iteration, retaining its progenitor’s 2-on-2 over-the-top, exaggerated arcade-style basketball fun while adding player substitutions, in-game commentary by the…
Best Of Saturn
Arcade’s Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 1 #BestOfSaturn
Compilation games were of varying quality on the Saturn, but Digital Eclipse’s Arcade’s Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 1 is one of the best. Six classics: Missile Command, Tempest, Breakout,…
Best Of Saturn
Assault Rigs #BestOfSaturn
The Psygnosis releases continued with Assault Rigs hitting the Saturn in late 1997, this time only in Japan. Again performing markedly worse compared to the PS1 original, the game features…
Best Of Saturn
Destruction Derby #BestOfSaturn
SEGA briefly basked in the positive news that Psygnosis games — some of the flashiest early PlayStation exclusives from the Sony-owned studio — were all coming over to Saturn. Then…
Best Of Saturn
G Vector #BestOfSaturn
G Vector is a 3D, third-person shmup that reminds of games like Space Harrier and Panzer Dragoon. You are equipped with both a standard shot and a lock-on laser, and…
Best Of Saturn
Blast Wind #BestOfSaturn
This is the third week in a row showcasing a Saturn shmup, and this time it’s TechnoSoft’s Blast Wind. Released in Japan in January 1997, its limited print run means…
Best Of Saturn
Hyper Duel #BestOfSaturn
Partly inspired by the ThunderForce series, Hyper Duel is a 1993 TechnoSoft arcade horizontal shmup that got a Japanese Saturn release in late 1996. Man one of the highly experimental…
Best Of Saturn
DoDonPachi #BestOfSaturn
Oh, Cave. Your bullet hell shmups are such a delight, and DoDonPachi is no exception. Hitting the Japanese Saturn in late 1997, players choose from three ships each with a…
Best Of Saturn
Prisoner of Ice #BestOfSaturn
Based on the Cthulhu mythos created by HP Lovecraft, the 1995 PC and Mac point-and-click Prisoner of Ice got a Japan-only Saturn release at the very end of 1997. Presented…
Best Of Saturn
Hissatsu! #BestOfSaturn
Based on a very long-running Japanese period drama, Hissatsu! is a side-scrolling action game very much in the vein of the Shinobi series. You and your associates travel from town…
Editorial
Why Didn’t She Just Get the Drain Cleaner??
Phantasma-what now? Phantasmagoria is a mid-1995 PC point-and-click graphic adventure from the studio that essentially pioneered the genre: Ken and Roberta Williams’ Sierra On-Line. Written by Roberta, mastermind behind the…
Best Of Saturn
Phantasmagoria #BestOfSaturn
Ohh, what a game. Coming in at a massive eight CDs, the recently fan translation patched Phantasmagoria has you, as writer Adrienne Delaney, solve the mystery of the creepy old…
Editorial
Mr. Bones Editor’s Guide – Promo Item
In the rather long list of Halloween-themed Saturn titles, one game that never seems to get the attention it deserves is Mr. Bones. A 2-disc affair, Mr. Bones is a…
Best Of Saturn
Horror Tour #BestOfSaturn
A Japanese MYST-style point-and-click horror adventure, Horror Tour (Zeddas: Servant of Sheol for the PC and Mac English release) takes place in the maze-like Rodvydel Castle. The castle was taken…
Editorial
Back to the Mansion…
This isn’t Dr. Curien’s Mansion The Mansion of Hidden Souls hit the Saturn in early December 1994, barely a month after the Saturn launched on its epic – but fleeting…
Best Of Saturn
Haunted Casino #BestOfSaturn
A red label title, the Japan-exclusive Haunted Casino is an odd mix of castle exploration and gambling. You arrive at the haunted casino and must find the gambling rooms —…
Editorial
Corpse Killer
The Perfect Halloween Game for those who have already played all the Good Halloween Games The 90s were a highly experimental time in gaming. The advanced power of 5th generation…
Best Of Saturn
Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster #BestOfSaturn
Released exclusively in Europe in 1997 as a port of the PC original, Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster is a point-and-click adventure. You take on the role of…
Editorial
The Case for Saturn Castlevania
1998 saw Konami undergo a Saturn renaissance of sorts, committing to release several of their bigger PlayStation hits onto SEGA’s machine – including the previous year’s blockbuster Castlevania: Symphony of…
Best Of Saturn
Virtua Fighter Remix #BestOfSaturn
Virtua Fighter Remix was an AM1 attempt to remake the Model 1 original on the ST-V Titan arcade board. This Saturn conversion hit worldwide in mid-1995. Gameplay remains unchanged from…
Best Of Saturn
Gunbird #BestOfSaturn
Gunbird is a Psykio arcade conversion released exclusively in Japan very late in 1995. One or two players choose from five characters and blast their way through this vertical scrolling…
Best Of Saturn
DonPachi #BestOfSaturn
Developed by Cave and hitting the Japanese Saturn courtesy of Atlus in early 1996, DonPachi is a bullet-hell shooter and the first game in the DonPachi series. Select one of…
Best Of Saturn
Johnny Bazookatone #BestOfSaturn
Early 1996 saw Johnny Bazookatone land on the Saturn. A tough little 2D platformer with some run-and-gun elements, it sports pre-rendered visuals that scream “made in the 1990s.” Johnny’s out…
Best Of Saturn
Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka #BestOfSaturn
November 1995 was bountiful for Digital Pictures fans, as the firm released what would be their entire Saturn catalogue that month — including the peculiar Quarterback Attack. Essentially an FMV…
Best Of Saturn
Nippon Daihyou Team no Kantoku ni Narou! Sekaihatsu Soccer RPG #BestOfSaturn
In mid-1998, SEGA collaborated with Enix to bring you the delightful Soccer RPG: the crossover you never knew you needed. (Full title: Nippon Daihyou Team no Kantoku ni Narou! Sekaihatsu…
Best Of Saturn
Silhouette Mirage #BestOfSaturn
Silhouette Mirage appeared on Japanese Saturns in late 1997 courtesy of fabled software house Treasure. A fast-paced action platformer, the gimmick here is that the heroine possesses traits of both…
Best Of Saturn
Fantastep #BestOfSaturn
April 1997 saw the Japan-only release of Jaleco’s Fantastep, a 3D adventure game featuring 2D sprites. Heavy on the language barrier, the adventure is more of a point-and-click affair and…
Best Of Saturn
Crows: The Battle Action for Segasaturn #BestOfSaturn
Based on a manga (as so many Japanese Saturn titles are), Crows: The Battle Action for Segasaturn is a very late 1997 Japan-only delight. A beat-em-up featuring super-deformed characters, it…
Best Of Saturn
ThunderForce V #BestOfSaturn
Technosoft’s awesome ThunderForce series arrives to 32-bit gaming, with the fifth installment featuring all-new 3D visuals coupled with traditional 2D gameplay. Master your forward and rear shots and take advantage…
Best Of Saturn
Space Invaders #BestOfSaturn
Dating back to 1978 (!), Space Invaders is a simple game of timing as you try to shoot down a horde of invading aliens that are descending ever closer. The…
Best Of Saturn
Fantastic Pinball Kyuutenkai #BestOfSaturn
Developed by Technosoft and released in Japan in the summer of 1995, Fantastic Pinball Kyuutenkai is an anime-based pinball adventure. Select one of three heroes of Flipperland and play pinball…
Best Of Saturn
Strikers 1945 #BestOfSaturn
World War 2 has just ended, but the belligerents must unite against a mysterious new foe known only as C.A.D.Y. Strikers 1945 is the first of the series, receiving a…
Best Of Saturn
Iron Storm #BestOfSaturn
Iron Storm is a World War II battle simulation game that supports the Saturn mouse. Players command armies and participate in various clashes from WW2. The play field is a…