32/64 bit era: PS, Saturn or N64?

[jerry coeurl]

Saturn for sure. The best 2d titles + Sega exclusives make it a no brainer (for me, anyway).

[AD2101]

Back in the day the only system I never got to play with was the Saturn, a friend down the street had a Playstation, which all we did was either play Need for Speed or put cd's in and watch the visual player (stupid huh?). The N64 my bro had and we played that a lot, but that generation just didn't have the same charm the 16 bit one had for me.

Today though, after purchasing a Saturn and experiencing all of the consoles, its the Saturn hands down. I use mine almost exclusively for the SHMUPS on the system but it's great at what it does.

[jerry coeurl]

Saturn for sure. The best 2d titles + Sega exclusives make it a no brainer (for me, anyway).

forgot to add it is also in possession of the best controller that has ever graced my hands

[chinitosoccer]

Saturn has problems with transparencies (the lack thereof

Saturn can do transparencies, there are transparencies in some of the Radiant Silvergun's backgrounds.

[j_factor]

Saturn can do transparencies, there are transparencies in some of the Radiant Silvergun's backgrounds.

Saturn can do transparencies, but it's apparently more difficult. And I posted that two and a half years ago, gimme a break.

[Black_Tiger]

For me this is extremely simple. Saturn. Granted the PS had waaaay more games, but I modded my Saturn to play imports, and once I did that man oh man did the good games flow. The thing was just so damn fun. I loved the controller (Japanese one whch later came to the US). I hated (and still do) the Playstation controller. The Saturn just seemed sleeker. The 3D capabilities of both systems sucked ass, so that wasn't a deciding factor for me. I didn't like how the PS's 3D textures were all skewed (they couldn't draw a straight line to save their lives). As for the N64, I loved Super Mario 64, Waverace 64, and a few other games. The N64's foggy graphics actually made me go diahrrea, so I didn't play it that often. The Saturn looked incredible in S-video.

Yeah. Saturn.

This is exactly my experience, except that I never got into Waverace.

[kool kitty89]

gamegenie, you do realize the price thing is overephesized due to the initial high price of the early realease, and Sony's subsequent compeditive pricing.

By the time of the N64's release, I think the Saturn was cheaper than Nintendo's $199.

Though pricing is one thing and hardware cost is a bit different, from that standpoint I think it's true that the Saturn was less cost efficient than Sega's system could have been.
Nintendo certainly cut some costs on the console by lacking a disc drive, though considering the cartridge costs, thais didn't really offer the consumer that much better of a deal. (inless they only had a handfull of games)


I grew up a Nintendo guy kind of by default along with PC games, we had an NES and eventually got an SNES around the time the N64 was launching. The fact it was most popular with my friends and Nintendo's kid friendly nature shurely added to it. (I had a couple freinds with Genesis consoles, but in both cases they were in addition to Nintendo, and one of these 2 friends was the first I knew to have an N64)

I'm perfectly happy with my N64, I knew some with playstations, though didn't really prefer it, the Saturn did seem a bit more intriguing for whatever reason...
Of the 20 odd N64 gmes we've got many are very good, and even the worst are average, and that's lacking many of the "greats" like a lot of Rare's stuff (Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie, Conker, and a few others) SSB was definitely the winning game for me though, we'd rented the console several times up to 1999 and that christmas we finally got one, though I was dissapointed to find we had only Mario 64 rather than SSB, which we got fairly soon anyway. Star Fox (though I now prefer the original) and the previous 2 games were the main ones of interest. Though we'd played Shadows of the Empire a bit, and Goldeneye was just amazing to me at my friend's.

I do wonder how many possibilities were missed by sticking with such a limiting media (both in terms of attracting developers and technical limitations) on the N64. I understand some of the reasoning, but they certainly could have come up witha propritary disc format, partiularly given the extra time with the late release.


One thing I do like in particular with the N64 is the stock 4x controller ports and many games supporting 4 player. (Star Fox, Goldeneye, SSB all wouldn't have been the same at all otherwise)

[Black_Tiger]

The 32-bit era was great. But I'm going with the PSX here. Saturn was few games, it was expensive and it what I didn't like about it that it was incapable of playing Genesis games with it's dummy cartridge port. Sega never thought outside the box like Sony did.

Just because you are unaware of the numerous great Saturn games, it doesn't mean that they don't exist. The PSX and N64 neither played Genesis games, nor any other previous generation's games.

I'm not sure how Sony "thought outside of the box", especially considering how they controlled their software lineup to reduce variety, the PSX lacked internal backup ram, didn't have a modem or "online" games, was the only console of the generation not to release a ram upgrade when it needed it the most, released analog control last and didn't include any kind of basic 2D support, just in case the whole 3D thing didn't become as popular as it did (yet 2D is still essential today).

Sony only seemed to "think outside the box" when it came to gouging customers and working over publishers.

[Chilly Willy]

I'm not sure how Sony "thought outside of the box", especially considering how they controlled their software lineup to reduce variety,

In what way? Sony's success with the PSX was mainly due to their broad support by third parties. Reduced variety described the Saturn, whose headman pledged to not import popular games, not the PSX.

the PSX lacked internal backup ram,

Instead, it had small cards that stored far more than any internal backup ram ever. The cards allowed you to take your save games anywhere, like your friend's house.

didn't have a modem or "online" games,

It was too early for online games. It would not be until the advent of DSL and cable modems that online gained ANY popularity. That period was toward the end of the PS2 (much less the PSX), and Sony did release a modem/ethernet adapter for online gaming. I don't know a single person that played online before about 2002 or 2003, even on the PC.

was the only console of the generation not to release a ram upgrade when it needed it the most,

The only console with a successful ram upgrade was the N64, and even that was fairly low by comparison to the total base. Saturn never released theirs in the US, and hence it was never used.

released analog control last

But did it right. Even MS based their controller off the Sony dual analog (they just took Sony's controller and switched the left dpad and stick positions).

and didn't include any kind of basic 2D support, just in case the whole 3D thing didn't become as popular as it did (yet 2D is still essential today).

It had the ability to render sprites. What limited the PSX for 2D was the memory, not the GPU.

[gamegenie]

Just because you are unaware of the numerous great Saturn games, it doesn't mean that they don't exist. The PSX and N64 neither played Genesis games, nor any other previous generation's games.

I'm not sure how Sony "thought outside of the box", especially considering how they controlled their software lineup to reduce variety, the PSX lacked internal backup ram, didn't have a modem or "online" games, was the only console of the generation not to release a ram upgrade when it needed it the most, released analog control last and didn't include any kind of basic 2D support, just in case the whole 3D thing didn't become as popular as it did (yet 2D is still essential today).

Sony only seemed to "think outside the box" when it came to gouging customers and working over publishers.

I saw what Saturn had e.g. Panzer Dragoon or Nights, those games had very little appeal to me, okay maybe Nights did for a little bit.

with in regards to thinking outside of the box.

PS2 does play PS1 games, and PS3 can play PS2 games and PS1 games.


SONY did what SEGADIDN'T provide backward compatibility and continued support for their older consoles, while Sega would just kill off a current system and launch a new system.

[Black_Tiger]

I saw what Saturn had e.g. Panzer Dragoon or Nights, those games had very little appeal to me, okay maybe Nights did for a little bit.

with in regards to thinking outside of the box.

PS2 does play PS1 games, and PS3 can play PS2 games and PS1 games.


SONY did what SEGADIDN'T provide backward compatibility and continued support for their older consoles, while Sega would just kill off a current system and launch a new system.

Once again, you're revealing just how unfamiliar you are with a console, citing a couple high profile American releases that in no way reflect the console as a whole, other than being considered original(or "outside the box").

The PS2 and PS3 are machines from the future. Why don't you tell us how much the PS9 pwns the Saturn? The Mark III plays SG-1000 games and the Mega Drive plays Mark III games (hell, the 32X plays Genesis games). That's at least two backwards compatible Sega consoles, both of which predate the first Sony console, so if anything Sony took a Sega idea instead of "thinking outside the box" when it comes to backwards compatibility.

Another 'outside the box' innovation by Sega for the Saturn is the mpeg card that not only plays vcds, but is also supported by games. Also, releasing a broken d-pad with SNES style button layout during the street fighting craze is a major step backwards, while the japanese/Saturn 2 pad is still considered the best non-analog pad to date.

You may prefer the Playstation and the games you're familiar with, but you're arguments against the Saturn/for the PSX are all wrong.

[nissling]

This is a really hard question to me, Playstation or Saturn. I like them both.

When I think of Saturn, I think of Resident Evil for some random reason (I think it's becuse it's the Saturn-game I play for most time). Sure that the Playstation got Resident Evil 2 and 3 which are two great games too, but the Saturn got an awesome port of the first game I think.

But if I have to choose, I'm going to choose Playstation just becuse of Metal Gear Solid. There really isn't anything bad about that game and I've never heard any complains about it either. Btw, Metal Gear Solid for the Saturn would have been a great port I think.

[Black_Tiger]

In what way? Sony's success with the PSX was mainly due to their broad support by third parties. Reduced variety described the Saturn, whose headman pledged to not import popular games, not the PSX.

Again, this is making money not "thinking outside the box". Third parties had to release set types of games and 2D was strongly discouraged. American releases are simply that, their existence doesn't negate the worldwide library.

Instead, it had small cards that stored far more than any internal backup ram ever. The cards allowed you to take your save games anywhere, like your friend's house.

The Saturn has both.

It was too early for online games. It would not be until the advent of DSL and cable modems that online gained ANY popularity. That period was toward the end of the PS2 (much less the PSX), and Sony did release a modem/ethernet adapter for online gaming. I don't know a single person that played online before about 2002 or 2003, even on the PC.

So in other words, instead of doing what everyone else was, Sega was "thinking outside the box"?

My only internet experience for years was the Saturn Netlink and I played games over the phone line, so you now know of at least one person. There were also many people playing Dreamcast games online from 2000 onward.

The only console with a successful ram upgrade was the N64, and even that was fairly low by comparison to the total base. Saturn never released theirs in the US, and hence it was never used.

The U.S. isn't the center of the universe. I bought a Saturn import cart at EB early on in the Saturn's life and later got an import mod. I picked up X-Men VS Street Fighter as soon as it came out.

No one is going to deny that the Playstation was the most successful commercially in America, but that's not what we're talking about.

But did it right. Even MS based their controller off the Sony dual analog (they just took Sony's controller and switched the left dpad and stick positions).

Sony was still just doing what Microsoft did, evolving someone else's innovation. Again, I only mentioned this against the "thinking outside the box" statement.

It had the ability to render sprites. What limited the PSX for 2D was the memory, not the GPU.

I'm just saying that it's limited 2D wasn't very revolutionary, while the Saturn was unbelievable for the time.

[jesus.arnold]

PS1 and N64 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Saturn

Worst Sega console ever

[Black_Tiger]

PS1 and N64 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Saturn

Worst Sega console ever

I didn't realize that you were such a big SG-1000 fan.