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Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:03 pm
by BEERS AND VIDEOS
I'm considering investing in a Saturn and wondering what I should be looking out for to avoid any noob mistakes. Ideally, a Saturn that plays English and Japanese games would be great. Any advice?

Re: Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:04 pm
by BoringSupreez
Look for: the second controller, the 3D controller, the save cartridge.

Watch out for: the original controller, cracked boxes, warped manuals, as-is systems.

Re: Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:06 pm
by AznKhmerBoi
get a ntsc saturn model 2 with the round buttons and put a modchip in it.
Reason for the model 2 saturn is because its the easiest to mod, even a noob can do it in just 5 minutes :D

Just remember round buttons for power buttons and not oval.

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Here is the website for the modchip and instructions on how to. I bought it from there before and its a reliable site.

http://www.segastyle.com/saturnmod.html

Re: Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:08 pm
by BoringSupreez
AznKhmerBoi wrote:get a ntsc saturn model 2 with the round buttons and put a modchip in it.
Reason for the model 2 saturn is because its the easiest to mod, even a noob can do it in just 5 minutes :D

Just remember round buttons for power buttons and not oval.

Image

Yeah, get the second model. It's easier to mod, and plus, it looks cooler. 8)

Edit: if you aren't planning on modding, don't get the second model if it costs more than the first model. Neither model is better when it comes to playing NTSC-U games.

Re: Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 7:09 pm
by ZenErik
Make sure the laser assembly is working correctly. And just as important for imports, make sure the cart slot works.

And yes, if you want to play backups a model 2 is best. But beware, some model 2 systems, like mine, have a sanyo board.

Re: Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:29 pm
by flojocabron
sometimes you can find sega saturn games mixed in with sega CD games!

There are too many sports games for the saturn, and those are the easiest to find.

You will be lucky to find a pristine game in its box for your saturn.

Its kinda hard to find the AV cable that will connect it to your tv, its easier to get the RF one.

There's like three or four orginal controllers for the saturn, not to mention the 3rd party ones. Try them out and see which one you like best.

The 3D controller is my fave, its the same size as the dreamcast's.

When you get the power cord, check and see that it fits snugly, some other plugs that aren't original fall out sometimes. So dont yank your saturn!

Re: Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:36 pm
by AznKhmerBoi
flojocabron wrote:Its kinda hard to find the AV cable that will connect it to your tv, its easier to get the RF one.


They even had pre-modded saturns too :D


if you need svideo for your saturn this site sells them, thats where i got mine.
Image

http://www.segastyle.com/store/

Re: Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:40 pm
by ZenErik
Racketboy store also has Saturn s-video cables. It makes a huge difference on my LCD. The dull blurry picture from composite cables becomes much sharper and colorful with s-video.

Re: Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:11 am
by BEERS AND VIDEOS
Hey guys, big thanks!

All great advice. I knew there were some "things to look for" about this system and you guys have really helped me hone in on what I need to get.

Re: Sega Saturn: What to look for, watch out for?

Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2011 12:17 am
by Flake
I'll tell you what to watch out for:

TOTALLY GETTING YOUR FACE ROCKED OFF BY AWESOME SAUCE.

Oh, and systems with bad on-board memory. Make sure the thing can still write save files since not every game can save directly to the memory card slot.