I'm planning on getting a Saturn, I've never played one before and I've been a Sega fan since I was born. Before I drop the cash I have a few questions though.
1. I'm looking at a white japanese model HST-3220 (I love the white, plus it'll match my dreamcast! Also it's the best deal I can find) is it the same as a NA model 2 when it comes to installing a mod chip? The last time I soldered or did anything electronic was making phone and tv remote robots as a kid so I don't want to extra work involved with a model 1.
2. Do NA controllers work fine in a Japanese console? And is the 3D controller more comfortable than it looks? For reference, I love the Dreamcast controller above all others and my hands are big enough for the original Xbox controller to be very comfortable.
3. Is it true I NEED a japanese console to link the scenarios in Shining Force 3? If so, I have no other choice than to get a japanese saturn, SF3 is my biggest reason for wanting one. (Which is also why I have to have a mod-chip, need them translations)
4. How many saves can the saturn itself and a 4-in-1 card hold between them?
5. Final question and what the heck. Is the Saturn as awesome as it seems? Would you put it on Dreamcast levels of awesome?
Thanks to anyone who answers and if I asked any stupid questions feel free to yell at me, I can take it as long as I get my Saturn.
I can answer some of these: 2. Yes - I have a Japanese Saturn Bomberman Multitap, 5x Aussie Controllers, a US multitap, 3x US controllers, and 2x Japanese controllers hooked up to one of my Saturns. 3d Controller I do not like enough to own, so I cannot fully answer that.
3. If you modchip the console you can run the games in any language on any console - with proper formatting of the isos. There was a program called Satconv.exe that converted the region of any discs. So when I burned isos I would always just set it as NTSC-U. BUT I havent burned Saturn games in years, consult the guide on this site about that.
4. Depends on the games. Fighters are small, RPGs are big. Typically around 15 on the internal.
5. Yes. Better than Dreamcast. 10 player Saturn Bomberman alone eclipses everything the Dreamcast brings to the table
I have one question that is loosely related to this conversation - is there any other version of Bomberman that could be played with 10 or more players?
deathclaw wrote:I have one question that is loosely related to this conversation - is there any other version of Bomberman that could be played with 10 or more players?
I'm pretty sure no. Bomberman Blast on wiiware has 8 players, as do a lot of the DS bomberman games. The turbografx ones have 5 players, and basically all of the others are 4 player only.
Bomberman Blast requires 4 wiimotes and 4 GC controllers.
As for the original posts questions, I'm useless for the tech help, but i can throw my opinion in on these.
2. I dont like the 3D controller much, but it feels a lot like the dreamcast controller (of which I'm also not a fan), so I reckon you'd probably like it. In my opinion though, the 2D saturn controller is one of the best controllers around, so it's good stuff either way.
5. Yes, if you can afford it. Saturn has great games, but they're often not very cheap.
deathclaw wrote:I have one question that is loosely related to this conversation - is there any other version of Bomberman that could be played with 10 or more players?
I'm pretty sure no. Bomberman Blast on wiiware has 8 players, as do a lot of the DS bomberman games. The turbografx ones have 5 players, and basically all of the others are 4 player only.
Bomberman Blast requires 4 wiimotes and 4 GC controllers.
The only other version I know that you can do it with is Atomic Bomberman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-EKIxx-GoY but unlike Saturn it is standard screen size. And then you are stuck with the Atomic Bomberman system, which is a weaker edition to the franchise - to fiddly .
I tried to get some of my programmer friends to edit the open source Bomberman clone to be 16 player with four teams and a bevy of options, but the engine for the OSS version just couldnt handle it - then we all graduated from college and got real jobs and it never happened.
Thanks for all the replies guys, still looking to see my first question answered, would really like to know if the white round button saturn is the same to mod as a NA model 2.
Between the system, controllers, mod chip and 4-in-1 card looks like I'll be paying almost as much as one of the current gen consoles for a saturn. Worth it? Totally.
1) While I don't own a JP Saturn, from everything I can find, the only internal changes between the HST-3220 and the MK-80000A, US Model 2, there are possibly some jumper location changes, but that shouldn't have any bearing on the mod chip itself.
2) Any Saturn peripheral will work on any Saturn, regardless of region. If you like the Dreamcast pad, there's a strong possibility you'll love the Saturn 3D controller. I prefer it, the analog is smoother, and the head of the analog is indented and much more comfortable to use for long periods of time.
3) Never have heard that you need to have a JP Saturn to link the Shining Force 3 scenarios, most likely you can't link the US part one to the JP parts two and three. This is most likely due to region lock on the game save, JP save is incompatible with US save. Most likely if you convert the region on the game image, you'll be able to link the scenarios no problem.
4) Between the two, internal and external, I'd say about 100-150 games, depending on the size of the save file. RPGs are going to take up much more space, as does Nights into Dreams, then Street Fighter Collection, or Sega Ages.
5) I'd rank the Saturn above the Dreamcast in terms of awesome. The Saturn represents the last Sega system that really went with the old Sega style of play and attitude. That style, as with the Genesis, is just an amazing arcade experience, and as such is filled with fighters, shooters, and over the top action games. The Dreamcast is great, but it is also the representation of Sega moving to a more general audience and trying to appeal to more people then just the hardcore arcade gamers. While the Dreamcast has many great fighters and shooter like the Saturn, the Saturn outclasses it in terms of just the sheer numbers of great games in these genres.
6) Just though I'd throw this in here. Because the Saturn is built on arcade style games, and excellent ports, make sure you get at least 2 controllers. The Saturn is best enjoyed by a bunch of friends on the couch, passing the controllers around, kicking each others asses in Street Fighter, working together to beat Radiant Silvergun, teaming up to play Guardian Heroes, playing Saturn Bomberman, and smack talking each others times in Daytona USA or Sega Rally Championship.
Hope this wall of text helps, sorry I like to explain things in detail, and I hope you get and thoroughly enjoy your Sega Saturn!
Segata Sanshiro: "You must play Sega Saturn! Play... until your fingers break! Until your fingers break!"
^ exactly. Couldn't have said it better, especially point 6. My Saturn got lugged everywhere back in the day because of 10-player Bomberman and the silly bonus tank game that was on the Duke Nukem disc. Hours and hours.
I've modded several white Japanese Saturns including my own. You can NOT do the AB method, you have to solder the power leed then the other wire has to go to a pin one of the chips on the board. It's a little tricky because you have to be careful that the solder doesn't touch the other pins on the chip or it will short out. http://www.segastyle.com/model264.html that is the best guide. All the models I have done have been the 64 pin white Saturns. I also had to mod the chip itself and bridge the connection under step 4 "Checking the 0019 / 0014 Bridge". Then once you are successful you have to boot up the Saturn to the dashboard then open the lid, close it then the S icon should appear. PM me if you have more questions. I'ts not that much harder but It was not as well documented online as the other US models.
