Is the Sega Saturn overrated?

[equalsign]

If you like shmups and maybe fighting games, I would think it isn't overrated. The fighting games are pretty outdated but some of them are still great.

I agree. The only individual Saturn games I think get a bit too much praise are the 2D games like Treasure's Silhouette Mirage, Princess Crown, Crow: The Battle Action, and Astal. These games look beautiful, but they are about as much fun as watching paint dry while on tranquilizers.

But the system as a whole was well done, both from a hardware and software standpoint.

I've only played Silhouette Mirage and Astal from that list, but I'd agree with you.

[xan_racketBOY_fan]

Overrated, not the slightest. If you're not into, you're not into it - plain and simple. Obviously, there's a sizable fan base that love what the Saturn provides because it caters their interest. If you come in knowing what the Saturn's library is like, and you find yourself not digging it, it's just not for you.

[theclaw]

Also, I'm pretty sure the OP was talking about it being overrated on this forum. People talk like the Saturn is REALLY AWESOME BEST SEGA SYSTEM 2D GRAPHIX! On this forum, I think the Saturn is extremely overrated, unless you're an individual with certain niche tastes.

Oh, I forgot to comment on this earlier. The people on this forum whose loud praise you parody are individuals with those same certain aforementioned niche tastes. That satisfies your "unless" statement, so by the standards you've given, the Saturn is therefore not overrated. QED.

Not quite what I was saying. Let me reiterate what I think:

If you have niche (arcade, fighting, shmup, import) tastes, then the Saturn is amazing system. Listen to the fans and go buy one now. Not overrated.

If those tastes do not apply to you there are systems that you will likely enjoy more. The Saturn has some games, but skipping the niche appreciated genres you'll probably find it lacking. Overrated.

Unless you have those tastes, you they're a good chance you would think the praise for this system on this forum is more than it deserves. I do not enjoy those kinds of games. I am not trying to to say people who think otherwise are wrong. It is my opinion that the Saturn if the weakest console of that generation, so in the context of this forum and this thread I think the Saturn is overrated. The OP did not state his tastes (unless I missed it), and without info on what type of games he likes I think it is impossible to properly answer HIS question of whether the Saturn is overrated. I do think his question of what is so good about it has been aswered by myself and others. My opinion is clear at this point. You are of course welcome to state yours.

I do think it's a little silly that you've quoted the two of us here who think it is overrated just to say "Ah hah!~ Based on what you said the Saturn is NOT overrated." No. In our opinion it is (in the context of this forum, as stated in the OP).

Niche tastes? Well yeah... You're looking at one of those few natively English speaking Americans who watches the anime Urusei Yatsura. Can't get much further out there than that. Some of us are borderline X-Files episode subjects with our weird habits.

[AppleQueso]

I don't think american fans of Ursei Yatsura are particularly rare...

At least among anime fandom that is.

[Inazuma]

I don't think american fans of Ursei Yatsura are particularly rare...

At least among anime fandom that is.

Count me in. I watched every TV episode, OVA and movie for Urusei Yatsura, without subtitles. It was a great anime! (^_^)

[flamepanther]

I do think it's a little silly that you've quoted the two of us here who think it is overrated just to say "Ah hah!~ Based on what you said the Saturn is NOT overrated." No. In our opinion it is (in the context of this forum, as stated in the OP).

I'm pointing out a logical flaw in some people's interpretation of what it even is for something to even be overrated. In your case, you seem to be switching contexts midstream. If it isn't overrated among a certain niche, but you aren't part of that niche group, then the opinions of that group aren't where you should be looking.

Lets suppose I think the Master System has a very weak library in North America, and therefore doesn't deserve to be rated very highly. In my demographic, the Master System isn't rated very highly, so all's well there. But I could look at Brazil where that console was rated very highly and received a much larger library of interesting games. Is the console overrated in my demographic because people in Brazil like the console so much more? That would be silly. Is the console overrated in Brazil because I am not Brazilian? No, that would be an even worse claim.

[marballz]

Nostalgia, great times. At least that's how i feel about the system.

[scarper]

One buys the Saturn for interest in high quality 2D games (fighters/shmups/platformers) and its foray of abstract games.

You also gotta notice how well it did in Japan compared how well it did in the US to truly respect what it had to offer. The obscure games like Panzer Dragoon, Nights into Dreams, Virtual On, and Silhouette Mirage were simply not seen in any form or mimic on the other two consoles. Castlevania Symphony of the Night was ported to the Saturn with improved 2D graphics, a larger castle, and a character selection (and for some reason, that alone has influenced people to buy one.)

Essentially, I bought a Saturn for the intense arcade style of gameplay, and the handful of quality adventure titles not seen anywhere else.

[Anthony817]

Overrated, not the slightest. If you're not into, you're not into it - plain and simple. Obviously, there's a sizable fan base that love what the Saturn provides because it caters their interest. If you come in knowing what the Saturn's library is like, and you find yourself not digging it, it's just not for you.

THIS!

I have to agree. If you didn't grow up with it, or ever play one when they were still relevant, you might not get why people like it.

I thought it looked way more high-tech than the PSX. I wanted one because Saturn was the underdog, much like the Dreamcast at the dawn of the PS2 era.

I just got mine less than a week ago, traded my Dreamcast sd adapter, and 2gb sd card chock full of homebrew games, got a Saturn and 7 games, I can't say I did too shabby! Made out like a bandit with that deal!

Like others said before, if you like arcade games, Sega systems are for you, as they based their home systems off of their arcade hardware, so arcade perfect ports were the norm.

[deathsled]

Castlevania Symphony of the Night was ported to the Saturn with improved 2D graphics, a larger castle, and a character selection (and for some reason, that alone has influenced people to buy one.)

and the crissaegrim! Makes the game kind of a cake walk though lol.

Turns out back in the day I managed to find one (without even knowing what it was since the game is in japanese) on my first play through, worked out that it had great stats, and completed the game with relative ease haha