Bought a Saturn, now looking for some info/advice on Sega

[Hobie-wan]

I feel stupid but what is an EMU?

Emulators for other systems.

[shega]

Saturn has some platformers that I always see recommended - rayman, astal, sonic jam, clockwork knight, silhouette mirage and tryrush deppy.

I enjoyed sonic adventure but I thought the second one was shitty.

[Ack]

Ok, since I read a few questions that I don't know if they were ever answered...

Modding will help if you're interested in playing imports, though that Action Replay on the first page will also help, can operate as a save and cheat device, and operates as a RAM expansion device, which will make some games play a lot smoother than others.

The language barrier can be difficult, depending on the game and genre. An RPG like Panzer Dragoon Saga's Japanese counterpart will be much harder than almost any of the slew of Japanese fighting games.

There are some decent platformers, as Shega mentioned. I'm also a fan of the ridiculously over-the-top Shinobi Legions, live action cut scenes and all.

And if you're a fighting game fan, the Saturn has some titles that should definitely be checked out. For instance, here are a few suggestions, though your results in finding them and the prices you end up paying may vary depending on if you go for US or Japanese versions. Also, some of these are Japan-only releases:

Cyberbots
Fighter's Megamix
King of Fighters '96
Last Bronx
Samurai Shodown 3 and 4
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Virtua Fighter 2
Waku Waku 7
X-Men: Children of the Atom
X-Men Vs. Street Fighter

There's a good mix of 2D and early 3D fighters in there, but that is by no means a definitive list. There are tons of fighting games on the Saturn, ranging from titles you can find pretty cheap(Virtua Fighter 2) to extremely expensive(Astra Super Stars).

And if you're a fan of horror games, the Saturn has a handful of games you might want to look into, especially if you haven't got access to their PS1 equivalents.

D
Deep Fear
Enemy Zero
Resident Evil

And if you enjoy light gun games, definitely grab these:

House of the Dead
Virtua Cop
Virtua Cop 2

Just a few titles for you to check out. Enjoy your Saturn!

[CRTGAMER]

Alright I went and dragged the Dreamcast out of the closet to see what games I had. I must say I am to show this list. This was a "family" system that never got played and it just kind of ended up in my possession. I have:

Rippin' Riders
Ms. Pac-Man: Maze Madness
Crazy Taxi (of course)
Sega SmashPack Volume 1
Silent Scope
Sega Rally Championship
Centipede
Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense
Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000

I will look into getting that Toy Commander game. Seems like my style of game. I really want to play the Sonic Adventure games. Any good? Also I need Soul Calibur after I just bought Soul Calibur II on for my GC and am addicted. Does the DC offer any platformers?

Also what platformers are there for the Saturn?

I feel stupid but what is an EMU?

For the Dreamcast:

This will give you an idea how many are available.
http://dcemulation.org/?title=Emulators

Crazy Taxi will get you hooked. Sonics both are great, along with Soul Caliber. Click Racketboy Topic Bar above for other game ideas.

[Original_Name]

Alright, how about this -- give us a general budget and your favorite genres (for either system) and we'll do our best for you. Because I could sit here and list off a ton of great Saturn and Dreamcast games, but I don't know what you're looking for. I don't think anyone here wants to take any chance on you being disappointed with your purchases.

[l0whit07]

Awesome, a bunch of great responses.

shega: Thanks for the platform recommendations.. Clockwork Knight has always seemed interesting. I do want Sonic Jam and I've never played a Rayman game. I'll do some more research on the other ones

Ack: Thanks A TON for answering all my questions that got lost in everything else. I still need to get an Action Replay cart, that seems like a must. I do not think playing imports is going to be for me though. From my experiences playing them, it just isn't worth it. There are so many great games released here in English for me to play.

Shinobi Legends?! Never heard of it, but that is something for sure I am going to look in to. Over-the-top action is something I love.

Fighter's Megamix and Virtua Fighter will be purchased soon and I hope to get one of the X-Men games.

I do not have a TV to play light gun games on However, I still really like the games where you point the scope on something. I've been playing Area 51 on the Saturn. very fun. D and House of Dead caught my attention earlier as well.

Original_Name: Consider these genres and budgets for both SS and DC. My favorite genre is by far platform/action platform. Mario has always been my absolute favorite and I've been playing quite a bit of Ratchet and Clank, which I love. Then I like beat 'em ups and fighters. TMNT 2: Arcade is one of my favorite games.

As far as all the other genres go, I really like games with Co-op function and multiplayer, mainly co-op though. I love Horror and FPS games that have Co-op.

I don't like to spend more than $25 on a game unless I am absolutely certain I will love it. I don't mind taking chances on a games $25 and under. I have pretty much decided I am ok getting disc only games for the Saturn. I don't think I could afford anything else, the prices are ridiculous. Every other disc-based system I only buy completes.

I hope this covered everything.

P.S. Random questions... why are there some Dreamcast items where the DC logo (spiral) is blue? Namely the controller. Are these knockoffs or did Sega try a different color.

Thanks a ton everyone.I'm trying to give these 2 systems some love.

[Original_Name]

Okay, well I'm in the middle of exam studies, so I'll get back to you when I can.

For now though, a blue swirl means it's from Europe -- the hardware will work just the same on an American system.

[Ack]

Hey chief, it's Shinobi Legions, not Legends. I'll link the Wikipedia article for you to look over, and a gameplay clip, so it'll make it easier for you to check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinobi_Legions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6M3bu6_KLY

As for a television to run light guns on, if you're willing to spend only a few bucks on a small one, try your local thrift stores. I've seen CRTs there for sale at $25 or less. They won't be the best, but they're a cheap option since you don't want to spend too much.

And if you enjoy FPS, there are a few titles to look into on the console, though they vary in quality and price, and I don't remember if many of them are co-op. While your best bet will probably be Powerslave, though it tends to sit around the mid-$20s in price and has recently jumped up to $30.

Hexen, which ranges from $2-$10 depending on the day and is misspelled in that video's title, does support link-up co-op, but only through the cheat menu apparently. And then there are classics like Doom and Duke Nukem 3D, or other titles like Robotica and pseudo-FPS Ghen War(which I'm not a fan of).

[Hobie-wan]

As for a television to run light guns on, if you're willing to spend only a few bucks on a small one, try your local thrift stores. I've seen CRTs there for sale at $25 or less. They won't be the best, but they're a cheap option since you don't want to spend too much.

Unless you're looking for a high end CRT, people are giving old TVs away all the time around me. Check Craigslist and Freecycle. Heck, if you're in an apartment, just pay attention to the dumpster every time you pass it.

[Original_Name]

Okay, it breaks down like this:

Sega Saturn:

Must-haves under $25 regardless of taste:

NiGHTS into Dreams...
Panzer Dragoon series
Sega Rally
Die Hard Arcade
Fighters Megamix

Great platformers under $25:

Astal
Rayman
Clockwork Knight series
Metal Slug
Assault Suit Leynos 2
Dark Savior (platformer/Zelda-type)

Great platformers over $25:

Burning Rangers
Silhouette Mirage
Mega Man series
Shinobi Legions

Great beat-em-ups under $25:

Three Dirty Dwarves
Die Hard Arcade

Great shoot-em-ups under $25:

Galactic Attack
Darius Gaiden
(Damn shame -- this is the Saturn's bread and butter, but they don't come cheap)

Great fighters under $25:

Ack's got'cha covered

The Saturn's a system where spending $60 on one game is way better than having 3 $20 games. I mean, if you like co-op beat-em-ups, Guardian Heroes is totally worth the investment, just like Soukyugurentai is worth the investment if you like shmups, Shining Force III is worth the investment if you like strategy RPG's, and Bulk Slash is worth the investment if you like mech-action titles -- all at around $60 (or less if you get a deal).

Now the Dreamcast -- this is easier -- these are all about $25 or less, although some push it kinda close:

Great platformers:

Sonic Adventure series
Jet Set Radio
Rayman 2
Fur Fighters
MDK 2
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Great fighters:

Soul Calibur
Power Stone series (especially 2)
Dead or Alive 2
Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Street Fighter III: Third Strike
Guilty Gear X

Great Adventure/RPG games:

Skies of Arcadia
Shenmue
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Ecco the Dolphin
Grandia II

Just because you have a Dreamcast, dammit:

Seaman
Chu Chu Rocket
Toy Commander
The Typing of the Dead
Virtua Tennis

And Rez... well, Rez is my favorite game ever, but it goes for $50, so that's up to you.