A Bunch of (Specific) Saturn Questions

[thekirbster]

Hello, I am new to the forums. I am familiar with some of Racketboy's guides. Anyway, there a lot of specific questions and uncertainties I have with the Saturn. Here are the details. From the research I have done, the Saturn is a mega powerhouse (hardware wise). I am planning on getting a bunch of hardware adaptions to overcome some of the Saturn's limitations. I live the U.S. by the way.

It will take me a while to save up for all this stuff. I am planning to get a Victor Saturn that has the video card to play VCDs included. I want to get the official infrared controllers that were released in Japan only. To cope with the imports and RAM, an Action Replay 4M Plus will be of use. To handle space, I will get a floppy drive (I do not yet trust the AR's internal memory. ) I want to get a 3D controller for games like Nights into Dreams... Lastly, I want to get a SCART cable that will go into a splitter that has RCA audio and the SCART itself will be converted into component video for the BEST display usage.

I have a lot of questions that I want answered along the way, but I will toss a few out here that are my major concerns.

1. Japan's voltage: 100 V U.S.'s Voltage: 120 V
Will the power difference matter in the V-Saturn working or not?

2. What Saturn Video Card is the best (has the most features, handles with the best picture, etc.)?

3. In the Action Replay 4M Plus, I have read about faulty memory occasionally occurring. Should I stick with it of the floppy drive?

4. On the Action Replay 4M Plus, I have noticed different models. One with a port meant for the PC on top, and some that do not have the port at all. I have read that if you have that port you can back up your saves to an old computer. Which version is better? I know either one will work on the Saturn regardless. I also think it has something to do with the BIOS on the AR.

5. Finally, are the infrared controllers worth getting? I have read numerous articles on them and they have come out with positive reviews. Here is an example:http://segaretro.org/Saturn_Infrared_Control_Pad


As for the games I want to get, I like all different kings of gaming categories. I do, however, love RPGs. That is one of my main reasons for getting a Saturn. Thanks for reading this and I hope to get all my questions answered soon. Long live retro gaming!

[8bit]

I'll try to help here.

1. The japanese Saturn is totally safe to use here in the states. Just plug in and enjoy.
2. I believe they all do about the same thing but maybe someone here knows more than I do in this department. IMHO it is a rarely used feature in games so its not all that important.
3. Ive used my Action Reply 4 in 1 for years without issue. Instead of worrying about doing the floppy drive I'd just get a backup card and save my really valuable game saves twice.
4. I'd just go with the standard card or two standard cards. No need to worry about messing with an old PC.
5. While totally optional I think they are sweet! Give it a try if they are affordable enough. Otherwise just go with some extensions cords and game away!

Some additional recommendations.
1. There is nothing better looking than the white import Saturn. If I had a choice of only one system I would go with that one and use the action replay to play my US games.
2. Grab yourself a good arcade stick like the Hori SS Fightstick for those amazing fighters and shmups.
3. The Saturn can get really expensive to collect the most popular games for so consider modding the system to play backups.

[Hobie-wan]

The Saturn will run a bit warmer because of the increased voltage, but as long as it is kept cool and ventilated it should generally be fine. I wouldn't play it for 10 hours at a time though. If you want to play it totally safe, get a stepdown convertor. There are some Japanese games that use the VCD card for extra FMV sequences, but if you're not worried about those there's no reason to watch actual VCDs on a Saturn. They're just Mpeg video and can be watched with various media players on a computer.

[pierrot]

Sounds like you've done quite a bit of research on the Saturn already. It's a really great system, and I love the import side of it.

2. What Saturn Video Card is the best (has the most features, handles with the best picture, etc.)?

The Victor Twin Operator cards are the most convenient, but the RG-VC2 Twin Operator (which is the one I happen to have) apparently was falsely advertised, and does not support Photo CDs. I don't have any to try out with it, so I can't verify that for certain. As far as I'm aware, there's no real difference in video quality between the different cards. As has been mentioned, its uses outside of making Lunar Complete playable are very limited, though

3. In the Action Replay 4M Plus, I have read about faulty memory occasionally occurring. Should I stick with it of the floppy drive?

I've not had any issues with the Action Replay, but I also keep my saves backed up on two console's internal memory, and an official power memory cartridge. If money is no object, the floppy drive is a very cool item for collecting. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.

5. Finally, are the infrared controllers worth getting?

They are very nice controllers, and feel just a bit heavier, and a little thicker than a standard Saturn controller. I find them very comfortable, and they are very reliable as long as they have a direct line of sight to the receiver. So, not quite as good as, say, the Wavebird, but great controllers.



I would also recommend a Model 2 Japanese Saturn with one of the later Victor Twin Cards. (May as well add the wireless controllers, and a couple memory/ram carts as well.) It can take a bit of searching for one that isn't yellowed, but they're very stylish. I really love mine. If you're a fan of skeleton cases, the "This Is Cool" Saturn may be of interest to you, also.

I've heard that model 1 Saturns have slightly better video quality across all input types, but I have no way to verify this, and I'm not entirely sure I believe it, but it may be something you want to keep in mind. I don't prefer the model 1 of any region, and they can be significantly more difficult to work with if you want to mod it with a modchip.

[marurun]

The Saturn will run a bit warmer because of the increased voltage, but as long as it is kept cool and ventilated it should generally be fine. I wouldn't play it for 10 hours at a time though. If you want to play it totally safe, get a stepdown convertor.

I'm pretty sure the Saturn's internal power supply is rated to handle 120 volts with no problem. It's certainly flexible about the 50-60 hertz thing, because Japan's power system will do either, depending on where in the country you are.

[Hobie-wan]

I'm pretty sure the Saturn's internal power supply is rated to handle 120 volts with no problem. It's certainly flexible about the 50-60 hertz thing, because Japan's power system will do either, depending on where in the country you are.

My white Saturn just says 100v 50/60 Hz on the back. My J DC does specifically say 100-120V and 50/60 Hz. Most US power us more likely in the 115v range.

[thekirbster]

The Saturn will run a bit warmer because of the increased voltage, but as long as it is kept cool and ventilated it should generally be fine. I wouldn't play it for 10 hours at a time though.

Where would I be able to get the converter needed? I will be playing the Saturn's (limited) library of RPGs, so I will be logging in those hours.

3. I've used my Action Replay 4 in 1 for years without issue. Instead of worrying about doing the floppy drive I'd just get a backup card and save my really valuable game saves twice.

I have heard that the contacts on the cartridge on either the Action Replay or the Saturn get corroded after you pull something out of that slot a number of times. That is why I would prefer to have the AR 4M Plus and leave it in the slot if you get what I mean. I can also have the floppy drive for emergencies. I am huge on backing up files and saves. I do not want to pull different save carts out of that cartridge multiple times.

Some additional recommendations.
1. There is nothing better looking than the white import Saturn. If I had a choice of only one system I would go with that one and use the action replay to play my US games.
2. Grab yourself a good arcade stick like the Hori SS Fightstick for those amazing fighters and shmups.
3. The Saturn can get really expensive to collect the most popular games for so consider modding the system to play backups.

1. I just plan to get the V-Saturn for collector's reasons. I have seen the white Saturns which are snazzy just to look at. I do like the color combo of the V-Saturn. I love Neon Colors and I do not have a grey-colored consoles.
2. I will consider an arcade controller. I love Shmups which are second to RPGs to me.
3. Yeah, I was wanting to get a hold of Shining Force III Episodes 2-3 once they got translated into English. Those guys are doing some amazing work over there, so a mod might be a good idea. I know little about anything about modding the Saturn. Is there a source anyone could turn me over to?

Also, I have heard that the 1 Meg and 4 Megs of RAM in the AR 4M Plus sometimes just doesn't work for the extra games that need them like X-Men vs. Street Fighter. I can't remember if it is model specific or what. Others have reported that it works fine, so I am a little confused. Could anyone clarify this?

[Hobie-wan]

Where would I be able to get the converter needed? I will be playing the Saturn's (limited) library of RPGs, so I will be logging in those hours.

Just search for a stepdown convertor

I have heard that the contacts on the cartridge on either the Action Replay or the Saturn get corroded after you pull something out of that slot a number of times.

The pins are just more delicate than other systems because they're so much smaller. This means that more mechanical in and out is more likely to affect them as well as small spots of corrosion since there's less contact area. Saturn Game Sharks are notorious for causing issues so I'd avoid them.

Also, I have heard that the 1 Meg and 4 Megs of RAM in the AR 4M Plus sometimes just doesn't work for the extra games that need them like X-Men vs. Street Fighter. I can't remember if it is model specific or what. Others have reported that it works fine, so I am a little confused. Could anyone clarify this?

One of the KOF games comes with a ram cart that has some of the game data on it so it can't be played without it inserted. Some older carts have an issue with Vampire Savior, but that can be fixed.

[pierrot]

Where would I be able to get the converter needed? I will be playing the Saturn's (limited) library of RPGs, so I will be logging in those hours.

The Saturn actually has a lot more RPGs than you might think. There were really a ton of RPGs for the Saturn in Japan. I have somewhat of a list of the better ones, if you're interested.

Also, I have heard that the 1 Meg and 4 Megs of RAM in the AR 4M Plus sometimes just doesn't work for the extra games that need them like X-Men vs. Street Fighter. I can't remember if it is model specific or what. Others have reported that it works fine, so I am a little confused. Could anyone clarify this?

No issues with X-men vs SF that I've ever noticed. The main issues is that there are some games that use the 1 Meg card, and don't play well with the 4 Meg card. I'm fairly certain that the AR doesn't actually switch settings to a stock 1 Meg card for games that were made for it, and instead is just a 4 Meg card that will allow you to play games that use the 1 Meg card. Specifically, Metal Slug will have increased slowdown, KoF '96 will display garbled data for characters during certain animations, etc. For these games, you will need a standard 1 Meg card to get the proper performance.

[thekirbster]

Where would I be able to get the converter needed? I will be playing the Saturn's (limited) library of RPGs, so I will be logging in those hours.

The Saturn actually has a lot more RPGs than you might think. There were really a ton of RPGs for the Saturn in Japan. I have somewhat of a list of the better ones, if you're interested.

No issues with X-men vs SF that I've ever noticed. The main issues is that there are some games that use the 1 Meg card, and don't play well with the 4 Meg card. I'm fairly certain that the AR doesn't actually switch settings to a stock 1 Meg card for games that were made for it, and instead is just a 4 Meg card that will allow you to play games that use the 1 Meg card. Specifically, Metal Slug will have increased slowdown, KoF '96 will display garbled data for characters during certain animations, etc. For these games, you will need a standard 1 Meg card to get the proper performance.

Doesn't the AR have an automatic switch that checks what amount of RAM the game has to have? Or is it manual?

I know of a few RPGs as you can see in my signature. Albert Odyssey: LoE, Shining Force III Episode 1 (the other two episodes needs a modded Saturn or emulator due to Jap. to English translation), Magic Knight Rayearth, (the expensive) Panzer Dragoon Saga, Shining the Holy Ark, Shining Wisdom and I already own Grandia (PSX on PSP legally bought off of PSN Network Store). Do not forget the three Lunar games.

I would like that list of RPGs, though, so I can see how many more there are. I also love racing, platformers (Rayman 1, anyone?), SHMUPS(!), and some fighters.

Could that list be posted here, please?