Some questions before buying a Saturn.

[elabit]

I can send you a picture of the inside of mine too if you want. Just figure out if you have a 32 or 64 pin

[pakopako]

I'm planning on getting a Saturn

Already you have made a good choice. It's got a good number of cheap games, but it has an even better (and as alienjesus mentioned, expensive) list of exclusives.

...is the 3D controller more comfortable than it looks?

It's a Dreamcast controller with a concave thumbstick and a slightly differently angled set of (six) face-buttons.

Is it true I NEED a japanese console to link the scenarios in Shining Force 3?

You can use your US save from SF3.1 to link to the other two. You can use any converter or region-mod to play SF3.2 and SF3.3 and SF3.P

How many saves can the saturn itself and a 4-in-1 card hold between them?

The Saturn has, what, ~500 blocks of memory? (Actually, 448/512 depending on who you ask) Saves range from 1 block (arcade high-score) to 400+ (sports games' seasonal-mode).

From JHokansonJr's very comprehensive Saturn Hardware FAQ, it also depends on the cart. You can have a simple SEGA "1 megabyte"-sized (4MB) cart, the EMS-brand 8MB/16MB/64MB carts, and the Multi-function carts (which just about all I've seen use 4MB).

Please keep in mind that the internal memory is battery-backed, the system is always leeching the battery unless powered on, and that multi-function carts do not support direct-saving which means additional steps are needed to save and keep track of saves. (e.g. RPGs will offer ten different save names that get time-stamped if you save directly to the cart)

Is the Saturn as awesome as it seems? Would you put it on Dreamcast levels of awesome?

Ah, the DC is quite the different beast with its built-in 4-player ports and web-surfing and homebrew community. But the Saturn has plenty of memorable hits though. (Like the aforementioned 10 player bomberMAN, WHAT BOMBS AT MIDNIGHT, BABY!