On reflection, you do need to really feel a bit sorry for the Sega Saturn, regardless of Sega capturing themselves within the foot throughout its lifespan. Whereas the Saturn’s 1994 launch in Japan was deemed successful, the North American launch the next yr was hampered by inexplicable choices 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 might go up towards what was happening for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 on the time, even when a few of them had been Japan unique. That additionally included a lot 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 number of these titles. Clearly, some are ports from different techniques, however that shouldn’t cease you from in search of them out when you’re a collector for the Saturn (when you can afford it).
Resident Evil
Whereas it’d be straightforward 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 yr 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 occasions throughout the door opening screens had been elevated. Not solely that, however the clear textures had been swapped for dithered textures (a recurring situation with Saturn video games), which didn’t look pretty much as good because the PlayStation model.
Nevertheless, 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 up swarms of enemies as you progress by means of 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 Evening for the PlayStation, this was sadly a Japan unique. It additionally sadly wasn’t pretty much as good as the unique. Very like what occurred with Resident Evil, transparencies had been once more modified to dithered textures, and cargo occasions had been elevated, and there’s extra slowdown. Because the Saturn doesn’t have a choose button, it’s a must to go to the standing menu to entry the sport map. Because of the Saturn’s totally different decision when in comparison with the PlayStation, the graphics had been stretched, leading to apparent distortion.
As for exclusives, two new areas within the fort had 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 may also 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 Concern
Going down deep underneath the Pacific Ocean on the aquatic lab often called 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 had been fairly good with Deep Concern. Launched in 1998 to capitalize on a sure different Survival Horror title’s success, Deep Concern shares similarities with Capcom’s child, together with the downright terrible voice performing. Regardless of this, Deep Concern leans extra in the direction of the motion aspect of Survival Horror, and doesn’t use all the typical tips that Capcom employed. The cinematic digicam angles and the setting 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 Concern 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 properly to get the stress going. Daniel went into element on Deep Concern in his article just a few years in the past, so test that out when you’re eager to study extra.
Corpse Killer: Graveyard Version
Very like Digital Photos’ different FMV title Evening Entice, Corpse Killer is dumb cheese that you would be able to swap your mind off to take pleasure in, even when the gameplay continues to be suspect. Nonetheless, it’s a bit puzzling for Sega to deliver 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 treatment 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 comparable to full-screen FMVs versus the compressed FMVs within the different variations, problem 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 mild gun help, although that is almost certainly as a result of programmers being unable to place in a operate to pick out from the brand new a number of ammo varieties.
Crypt Killer
Already an unremarkable recreation 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 quicker load occasions when in comparison with the PlayStation port, however the graphics are someway 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 leap scare.
It’s all on high the truth that that is nonetheless the boring, uninspired recreation that was within the arcades. Moreover, except you’re a hardcore lightgun followers, when you could have the likes of Sega’s personal The Home of the Useless on the Saturn, it actually begs the query of why you’ll need to trouble with this one.
Digital Pinball: Necronomicon
Whenever 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 recreation 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, together with his visions being the pinball tables you play. After all, you may forego the story and play the tables individually.
That includes some wonderful ball physics with silky easy 60 fps gameplay and crisp graphics, your 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), every little thing 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 recreation 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 can 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 the direction of Sony, Enemy Zero‘s different noteworthy side was its gameplay. Whereas navigation is just like what gamers had 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 barely doable by listening for audio cues. Coupled with the delayed time to cost your weapon, the worry generated right here is apparent. It’s positively not for everybody, since this mechanic can simply as simply give option to frustration in a short time, nevertheless it’s this uniqueness that additionally makes Enemy Zero one to attempt not less than 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 demise, 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 wonderful arcade ports of combating video games, however The Home of the Useless nonetheless landed pretty properly. The sport wasn’t an ideal port from the arcade, with the graphics and sound taking successful, and the slowdown and mid-level load occasions being an annoyance (significantly with the latter if there have been enemies proper across the nook). It’s nonetheless loads of enjoyable despite 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 pace 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 creator 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 throughout the mansion are portals to what’s known 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 option to cease the Ancients.
One other title we’ve talked about earlier than a number of occasions, 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 accessible 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 recreation, 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 searching for 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 barely 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 recreation, your complete playthrough of Lunacy is crammed with 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 properly added a time-saving mechanic for gamers, help you replay necessary conversations from Fred’s reminiscence with the intention 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 happening in perpetual night time, and the surreal music solely accentuating that feeling. Not an outright scary title, however a positively creepy one.
Mr. Bones
It’s laborious to categorise what kind of recreation you’re getting with Mr. Bones. From the thoughts of Ed Annunziata, creator of the Ecco the Dolphin collection, Mr. Bones combines platforming mechanics, together with rhythm recreation mechanics and different minigames. Mr. Bones tells the story of the mad scientist DaGoulian, who units out to purify the world with evil by utilizing alchemy and a set of drums to summon a military of the useless from their graves as his skeletal troopers. Nevertheless, one in all these resurrected skeletons is so “pure of coronary heart” that he can’t be turned. DaGoulian shortly 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 stage 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 working down a hill avoiding logs chasing after you. Together with the distinctive gameplay, Mr. Bones sports activities stunning animation, in addition to a soundtrack by Ronnie Montrose that mixes blues and laborious rock. A particular spotlight of the Saturn library.
PowerSlave
PowerSlave (or Exhumed because it’s identified in Europe) sadly bought caught up within the Doom clone craze, and was sadly neglected by many FPS followers. That is particularly irritating, on condition that the builders, Lobotomy Software program, had been in a position to 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. Nevertheless, your helicopter is shot down, and also you’re left alone to battle the aliens, who’re in search of to resurrect the traditional Egyptian pharaoh King Ramses and use his powers to manage the world.
Whereas the primary gameplay for PowerSlave is typical FPS motion of the day, there are some platforming parts. Additionally, PowerSlave isn’t linear, as you could have a number of areas to go to throughout the map, which you’ll be revisiting with the intention to seize particular artifacts that grant you particular skills, comparable to having the ability to leap larger, breathe underwater, and so forth. The degrees themselves additionally sported advanced layouts when in comparison with one thing like Doom or Quake. Actually, the builders made it in order that when you had 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 known as Demise Tank.
