On reflection, you do must really feel a bit sorry for the Sega Saturn, regardless of Sega taking pictures themselves within the foot throughout its lifespan. Whereas the Saturn’s 1994 launch in Japan was deemed a hit, the North American launch the next 12 months was hampered by inexplicable selections that finally culminated within the Saturn’s early demise within the area. It’s a disgrace, as there have been some high quality titles that would go up towards what was happening for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 on the time, even when a few of them have been Japan unique. That additionally included a variety of horror titles, a few of that are bona fide classics. So, on the thirtieth anniversary of the Saturn’s launch, right here’s a collection of these titles. Clearly, some are ports from different programs, however that shouldn’t cease you from searching for them out if you happen to’re a collector for the Saturn (if you happen to can afford it).
Resident Evil
Whereas it’d be simple to say that it’s simply Resident Evil, there are just a few key variations between what PlayStation homeowners had in 1996, and what the Saturn acquired a 12 months later. For starters, the port was dealt with by a third-party developer, Nextech, and due to the Saturn’s structure, Nextech to transform the graphics. Whereas this resulted in higher color and a bit extra element within the textures, the loading instances throughout the door opening screens have been elevated. Not solely that, however the clear textures have been swapped for dithered textures (a recurring problem with Saturn video games), which didn’t look pretty much as good because the PlayStation model.
Nonetheless, Resident Evil on the Saturn bought just a few unique goodies. The precursor to The Mercenaries Mode that everyone knows and love began as a “Battle Sport” minigame, which has you taking over swarms of enemies as you progress via rooms within the mansion. There are new costumes, in addition to new enemies, together with a brand new gold Tyrant, a zombie model of Wesker, and a alternative to the Hunter within the Tick.
Dracula X: Nocturne within the Moonlight
A port of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night time for the PlayStation, this was sadly a Japan unique. It additionally sadly wasn’t pretty much as good as the unique. Very similar to what occurred with Resident Evil, transparencies have been once more modified to dithered textures, and cargo instances have been elevated, and there’s extra slowdown. Because the Saturn doesn’t have a choose button, it’s important to go to the standing menu to entry the sport map. As a result of Saturn’s totally different decision when in comparison with the PlayStation, the graphics have been stretched, leading to apparent distortion.
As for exclusives, two new areas within the fort have been added with The Cursed Jail and the Underground Backyard, every with new music that remixed “Bloody Tears,” “Starting,” and “Vampire Killer.” Additionally, very like Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, the Saturn model of Symphony allowed you to play as Maria. Her arsenal consists of kicks, however also can unleash magic assaults like in Rondo, in addition to use magic summon spells akin to Alucard’s magic. Lastly, Richter has been redrawn from his unique Rondo look to match the paintings by Ayami Kojima.
Deep Worry
Happening deep beneath the Pacific Ocean on the aquatic lab often known as Large Desk, gamers assume the function of John Mayor, a Navy Seal stationed on the lab for safety functions. An incident involving a nuclear submarine leads to an alien virus being unleashed, inflicting the inhabitants of the lab to mutate into horrific creatures. John should now combat for survival to flee.
Sega tried their hand at Survival Horror, and the outcomes have been fairly good with Deep Worry. Launched in 1998 to capitalize on a sure different Survival Horror title’s success, Deep Worry shares similarities with Capcom’s child, together with the downright terrible voice performing. Regardless of this, Deep Worry leans extra in direction of the motion facet of Survival Horror, and doesn’t use all the typical tips that Capcom employed. The cinematic digicam angles and the surroundings of the Large Desk, for instance, lack selection, leading to issues wanting fairly same-y as you play. The music additionally doesn’t fairly have the identical dramatic impact as in Resident Evil.
Nonetheless, Deep Worry shines within the graphics, with character fashions getting much more consideration than its inspiration. Additionally, seeing as you’re underwater, the air provide mechanic is used fairly nicely to get the strain going. Daniel went into element on Deep Worry in his article just a few years in the past, so verify that out if you happen to’re eager to study extra.
Corpse Killer: Graveyard Version
Very similar to Digital Photos’ different FMV title Night time Entice, Corpse Killer is dumb cheese that you would be able to change your mind off to take pleasure in, even when the gameplay continues to be suspect. Nonetheless, it’s a bit puzzling for Sega to carry this one to its new console. The story for this one has you enjoying as an unnamed marine who’s been airdropped onto a tropical island on a high secret mission to cease the evil Dr. Hellman, who plans on releasing his military of zombies on the world. On high of that, you’ve been bitten and must discover a remedy whereas additionally rescuing your fellow captured marines.
Being that that is the Saturn, Sega upgraded this model of Corpse Killer to the “Graveyard Version”, which options just a few exclusives resembling full-screen FMVs versus the compressed FMVs within the different variations, issue choice, new objects and power-ups, and new zombie assaults the place enemies pop up in entrance of you and assault. Oddly, the Saturn model lacks gentle gun help, although that is probably as a result of programmers being unable to place in a operate to pick out from the brand new a number of ammo sorts.
Crypt Killer
Already an unremarkable sport within the arcade when it comes to its graphics, story and gameplay, Konami ported their lightgun shooter Crypt Killer to the Saturn, with the anticipated outcomes. Granted, the Saturn does have sooner load instances when in comparison with the PlayStation port, however the graphics are by some means worse on the Saturn. Textures are a pixelated mess on the 3D belongings, whereas the 2D sprites for the enemies are made all of the extra horrendous once they resolve to pop up proper in entrance of you as a bounce scare.
It’s all on high the truth that that is nonetheless the boring, uninspired sport that was within the arcades. Moreover, until you’re a hardcore lightgun followers, when you may have the likes of Sega’s personal The Home of the Useless on the Saturn, it actually begs the query of why you’d need to hassle with this one.
Digital Pinball: Necronomicon
While you consider horror pinball video games, likelihood is you instantly go to Satan’s Crush or Alien Crush on the TurboGrafx-16. In the meantime in Japan, developer Kaze had Digital Pinball: Necronomicon, a pinball sport impressed by the works of H. P. Lovecraft. Surprisingly, Necronomicon does have a narrative, the place a monk has found the textual content of the eponymous Necronomicon, and is slowly being pushed mad as he reads the e book, along with his visions being the pinball tables you play. In fact, you may forego the story and play the tables individually.
That includes some glorious ball physics with silky clean 60 fps gameplay and crisp graphics, the complete expertise is complemented by an superior soundtrack by John Petrucci of Dream Theater. Better of all, for these seeking to import the sport (seeing because it was solely launched in Japan), all the pieces from the menus to the choices to spoken dialogue is all in English.
Enemy Zero
The second entry in Kenji Eno’s “D Trilogy” (the primary sport can be on the Saturn), Enemy Zero follows Laura Lewis, who awakens from cryosleep aboard the organic analysis spaceship AKI on its return to Earth. Evidently aliens which might be invisible to human eyes have boarded the ship and are killing off the crew. Laura should now navigate the ship and cease the alien menace.
Other than blatantly ripping of the plot to Alien and Eno’s animosity in direction of Sony, Enemy Zero‘s different noteworthy side was its gameplay. Whereas navigation is just like what gamers have been doing in D, Enemy Zero utilized the distinctive mechanic of sound when it got here to its invisible enemies. Getting their location and distance from the participant is simply doable by listening for audio cues. Coupled with the delayed time to cost your weapon, the concern generated right here is apparent. It’s undoubtedly not for everybody, since this mechanic can simply as simply give method to frustration in a short time, however it’s this uniqueness that additionally makes Enemy Zero one to attempt at the least as soon as.
The Home of the Useless
You knew this was coming. The story for The Home of the Useless (very like the sport itself) is over-the-top hilarity: Dr. Roy Curien, obsessive about discovering the secrets and techniques of life and loss of life, unleashes his military of the undead on an unsuspecting populace. It’s as much as AMS brokers Thomas Rogan and his accomplice “G” to cease the scientist.
The Saturn is thought for its glorious arcade ports of combating video games, however The Home of the Useless nonetheless landed pretty nicely. The sport wasn’t an ideal port from the arcade, with the graphics and sound taking a success, and the slowdown and mid-level load instances being an annoyance (notably with the latter if there have been enemies proper across the nook). It’s nonetheless quite a lot of enjoyable regardless of these niggles. And as soon as once more, Sega tried to offset these points with console-exclusive extras. The Saturn Mode permits gamers to select from totally different characters, every with their very own stats like clip measurement, reload velocity and life bar. There’s additionally a boss rush mode the place you combat the sport’s bosses in succession.
Darkish Seed
Darkish Seed tells the story of Mike Dawson, an writer who has simply purchased a spacious mansion in Woodland Hills. On the primary night time in the home, Mike has a nightmare the place a machine shoots an alien embryo into his brow. Upon waking up, Mike discovers that inside the mansion are portals to what’s referred to as the Darkish World. The Darkish World is being taken over by aliens calling themselves the Ancients. The Ancients are actually seeking to get into our world, and Mike (with the embryo in his head) is the important thing. Consequently, Mike should now discover a method to cease the Ancients.
One other title we’ve talked about earlier than a number of instances, this was oddly given a Saturn port that was unique to Japan. Even weirder was the truth that regardless of the improve in each division when in comparison with its unique PC model, the Saturn port doesn’t enhance the visuals in any respect. This meant that the 16-colour VGA palette used on the PC model has Darkish Seed wanting extraordinarily misplaced when in comparison with what was additionally out there on the Saturn on the time. The textual content was additionally translated to Japanese, however the voice performing continues to be in English.
Lunacy
One other FMV sport, Lunacy was developed by System Sacom, who additionally made Mansion of Hidden Souls on the Sega CD. The sport centres round a person named Fred, who finds himself imprisoned in Misty City jail, with no recollection of who he’s, or simply how wound up in jail. The participant quickly learns that Fred got here to the village seeking solutions. As soon as Fred is launched, he learns that the city ruler, Lord Gordon, has taken fairly an curiosity in Fred, as a result of unusual mark on Fred’s brow. The mark, it seems, is simply given to those that have been to the fabled Metropolis of Moons, of which Lord Gordon is kind of obsessive about discovering.
Being that that is an FMV sport, the complete playthrough of Lunacy is full of characters that you just’ll be interacting with to tease out data in your journey, in addition to including color to the sport. System Sacom correctly added a time-saving mechanic for gamers, help you replay vital conversations from Fred’s reminiscence so to “recall” particular items of knowledge. One other time-saver is the truth that strolling sequences are fairly fast, avoiding the dreaded molasses motion of some FMV video games. The entire ambiance of Lunacy has an eerie feeling to it, with the sport going down in perpetual night time, and the surreal music solely accentuating that feeling. Not an outright scary title, however a undoubtedly creepy one.
Mr. Bones
It’s exhausting to categorise what sort of sport you’re getting with Mr. Bones. From the thoughts of Ed Annunziata, creator of the Ecco the Dolphin sequence, Mr. Bones combines platforming mechanics, together with rhythm sport mechanics and different minigames. Mr. Bones tells the story of the mad scientist DaGoulian, who units out to purify the world with evil through the use of alchemy and a set of drums to summon a military of the useless from their graves as his skeletal troopers. Nonetheless, one in every of these resurrected skeletons is so “pure of coronary heart” that he can’t be turned. DaGoulian rapidly turns into conscious of Mr. Bones, and sends the skeletal military after him.
Whereas Mr. Bones employs platforming for a great deal of its gameplay, it’s not the one mechanic you’ll encounter. The opening degree is a 2D platformer, whereas the following employs rhythm mechanics as you keep away from skeletons making an attempt to seize you. You’ll even have sequences of Mr. Bones jamming on his guitar or drums to show components of the skeleton military away from DaGoulian, otherwise you’ll be operating down a hill avoiding logs chasing after you. Together with the distinctive gameplay, Mr. Bones sports activities lovely animation, in addition to a soundtrack by Ronnie Montrose that mixes blues and exhausting rock. A particular spotlight of the Saturn library.
PowerSlave
PowerSlave (or Exhumed because it’s recognized in Europe) sadly bought caught up within the Doom clone craze, and was sadly ignored by many FPS followers. That is particularly irritating, on condition that the builders, Lobotomy Software program, have been capable of produce some spectacular graphical results and gameplay on the Saturn. PowerSlave centres on the Egyptian metropolis of Karnak, which has been taken over by alien forces within the late twentieth century. You together with a staff of troopers are to uncover what occurred. Nonetheless, your helicopter is shot down, and also you’re left alone to battle the aliens, who’re searching for to resurrect the traditional Egyptian pharaoh King Ramses and use his powers to manage the world.
Whereas the principle gameplay for PowerSlave is typical FPS motion of the day, there are some platforming components. Additionally, PowerSlave isn’t linear, as you may have a number of areas to go to throughout the map, which you’ll be revisiting in an effort to seize particular artifacts that grant you particular skills, resembling with the ability to bounce greater, breathe underwater, and so forth. The degrees themselves additionally sported complicated layouts when in comparison with one thing like Doom or Quake. Actually, the builders made it in order that if you happen to have been up for a problem, you possibly can discover “Staff Dolls”, dolls with faces of the members of the event staff on them, scattered all through the degrees. Discovering all 23 would unlock a minigame referred to as Loss of life Tank.
