Sega Saturn

Overview

In the photo below is a PAL model 2 Saturn along with Sega Rally to the right of it and the standard controller can be seen above the console which is very much like a 6-button Genesis/Mega Drive controller but additionally with left and right shoulder buttons.

The Saturn has the Power, Reset and Open buttons on the top and at the front are two controller sockets; at the back a communication connector (for linking Saturns together for multiplayer), the power socket and A/V connector. Your options for connecting a Saturn to a TV are composite, S-video and RGB SCART with RGB giving the best picture but when used on a modern TV be sure to set your TV to 4:3 aspect ratio if the picture looks distorted.

Unlike the PlaySation, for example, which saved game progress to memory cards, the Saturn had internal battery backed memory for saving but was very limited in capacity (461 blocks) and was wiped if the battery (hidden in a compartment at the back) wasn't replaced in time when it dies. Fortunately, Sega made use of the Saturn's cartridge port so that saves could be stored onto a backup memory cartridge (like a memory card) although not all games supported saving directly to such a memory card and instead the saves had to be copied from internal memory to cartridge. Other cartridges that were released for the Saturn were the Action replay to play games using cheats as well as playing imported games, and RAM boosters that added more RAM to the Saturn as was needed by a few games. Because of the Saturn's cartridge port in addition to its CD functions the console has a passing resemblance to the Sega Multi-Mega console which combined a Genesis/Mega Drive and Sega CD/Mega-CD.

When the Saturn boots it plays an animation consisting of a large number of polygons which fly together to form the screen below (UK version, also USA):

Compared to the standard Japanese version:

If the Saturn's settings have been lost because the backup battery has died, upon booting the console you will be asked for the choice of language to use and then you will need to set the date and time (both of these options are accessible from the Saturn's settings). The Japanese Saturn instead goes straight to asking for the date and time if the battery has died but you can change the language in the settings.

Here are the Set Language and Set Clock screens:

This is the date and time screen as seen in the Japanese version:

After the Saturn boots you get taken to the main interface which has a number of controls arranged in a grid of 3 x 3 buttons along with various messages and a green cube either side of the controls which 'dance' when playing music. If you haven't realised, the screen is supposed to resemble a spaceship's cockpit while the user flies through space, something that will become clearer later on.

The options are to Start Application (below) if a game disc has been inserted or to Set CD+G channel (if no game disc has been inserted or a music CD has been put in; see further down this page for more information), System Settings, Hide Controls (see further on for more information), Skip Backwards (or press L), Play/pause (or press Z), Skip forwards (or press R), Repeat option (or press X), Stop (or press Y), and Advanced Controls. On the Advanced Controls screen you get the options: Adjust vocals, Program sequence, Adjust surround, Scan intros, Show time elapsed/remaining, Shuffle tracks/reset, Clear all settings, Repeat A-B/Cancel, and Basic controls.

The Saturn could also play video CDs but required an add-on cartridge, the Video CD Card (known as Movie Card in Japan) and was released in Japan and Europe in 1995 and although not available in America at original release, the Video CD Card is region free. The Video CD Card supports MPEG-1 version 1 and because of the Saturn's support for the format through the add-on, the Saturn was an early adopter of Video CD.

If you use the option to hide the controls you will see a ship fly by in seemingly random ways:

This is referred to as a screensaver by the Saturn manual and if you would like to see more of it in action check out this video:

In addition to playing audio CDs the Saturn can also play CD+G (audio with graphics) and CD+EG (audio with extended graphics) discs as well. The following image shows the option accessible from the main interface is to set the CD+G channel:

From the main interface you can get to the System Settings which has options that lead on to the Clock, Language, Memory Manager and Other Settings screens. The following screenshot shows the System Settings for the UK Saturn but the other Saturn versions have the same screen:

The Clock and Language option screens have already been shown so we will move on to the Memory Manager screen:

There are just two options for managing game saves; Remove Item and Clear, with the Remove Item screen shown next:

As can be seen, each save is listed along with a comment and the number of blocks it takes up as well as the total number of blocks available.

The last settings screen, Other Settings, gives you options to turn the button labels on/off, change the audio between stereo and mono, and to enable of disable the sound effects for the main interface.

Games

The Saturn's game library includes ports of arcade hits from both Sega and other companies, such as The House of the Dead, Daytona USA, Sega Rally Championship, Virtua Fighter, Darkstalkers 3 and Street Fighter Alpha 3. Other well remembered games include the original Tomb Raider and Resident Evil but due to the poor success of the Saturn the console did not see sequels to the aforementioned games like the PlayStation did. The Saturn did get a mixture of Sonic games; Sonic R (an on-foot racing game), Sonic 3D Blast/Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island (an enhanced port of the Genesis/Mega Drive version), and Sonic Jam (a compilation of Sonic games with a roaming 3D level which has been said to be a prototype for Sonic Adventure). But the Saturn had no exclusive 3D platforming Sonic game, which would have been the 'killer app', as Sonic X-treme was cancelled, no doubt hurting the Saturn's sales greatly.

Instead of Sonic X-treme, NiGHTS Into Dreams by Sonic Team served as a sort of replacement for an exclusive platforming Sonic game and was highly praised for its presentation and gameplay, and saw a follow up in the form of Christmas Nights a.k.a. Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams. Christmas Nights is a watered down version of the original NiGHTS Into Dreams that changes elements based on the Saturn's internal clock. As a sort of 'consolation prize' perhaps for lack of an original Saturn 3D Sonic platformer is that it's possible to unlock Sonic (marking his first 3D appearance on the Saturn) in Christmas Nights and play as him and even take on Dr Robotnik in a very 'Nights' manner.

The beloved Shenmue was originally developed for the Saturn and had it of been released on the console instead of the Dreamcast it could have greatly helped sales of the Saturn, however, both Shenmue I and II ended up on the Dreamcast. As perhaps a homage to Shenmue's early days of development the console can be found in Ryo's home in the first Shenmue on the Dreamcast and a video showing the early days of Shenmue on the Saturn can be unlocked by beating Shenmue II.

The Saturn games came in different types of boxes depending on the region; in the UK there was the standard tall case (below, left), and the less common jewel case (below, right), which was more common in the US and Japan.

Here is an example of a Japanese Saturn game, Burning Rangers, which was released in a standard version as well as a special edition (below) that includes a 3 track music CD.

As can be seen below, the Burning Rangers music CD is an 8cm disc which suits the sample nature (3 tracks from the 25 track total that make up the Burning Rangers soundtrack.)

You can find screenshots of Burning Rangers further along in this section.

Now to look at some screenshots and what better game to start with than the original Tomb Raider, which was released on many platforms (some more recently); MS-DOS, Mac, Pocket PC, PS1, Saturn, N-Gage, iOS, and Android. The Saturn version hits store shelves in Europe on 25th October 1996 and in North America on 14th November 1996, and was warmly welcomed for its detailed graphics, controls and environments. As we know from history Tomb Raider became a greatly loved franchise with new games still being made today even if they are very different to the original series.

Let's first look at the very iconic title screen as seen below (UK version):

As an early 3D game and as a means to get the player used to controlling Lara, Tomb Raider provides a gym option in which the player can roam Lara's home and practice various moves:

Lara controls like a tank (not helped by the lack of analogue controls) and of course the graphics look very outdated by today's standard but if you compare to Super Mario 64, for example, which also came out in 1996 but ran on better hardware, the world of Tomb Raider has much greater detail.

On to the main game and whenever a level is loading we get to see a prerendered screen of Lara in some setting, giving us a bit more detail of the Tomb Raider world than what the in game polygonal graphics could provide:

Taken from the first level, in the next screenshot we can see Lara exploring a cave, having just come across a bridge:

Another classic Saturn game is Sega Rally Championship which originally saw release at the arcade and then on the Saturn as well as later releases on Windows, GBA, N-Gage, and PS2. The Saturn version was released on 15th November 1995 in North America, 29th December 1995 in Japan, and 26th January 1996 in Europe, and although inferior to its arcade counterpart the Saturn version was praised for its high speed, visuals and handling.

Let's start with the title screen:

Here is a screenshot from the rolling demo:

After pressing the start button you are presented with the main menu:

When taking these screenshots I had a go of the arcade mode which presents you with two options - championship and practice - as below:

At the car select screen you have the choice between two cars and whether to use manual or automatic transmission:

Once your car is selected you are presented with the loading screen:

Then we move on to the actual race and although it's hard to convey with an image, while playing the game you really do get a sense of high speed.

We will now look at some screenshots of the Japanese versions of a number of Saturn games and first up is legendary beat-'em-up Virtua Fighter 2 which saw releases in the arcade, and on the Saturn, Mega Drive/Genesis, PC and PS2. The Saturn version went on sale on 1st of December 1995 in Japan, 4th of December 1995 in North America and 26th January 1996 in Europe. Virtua Fighter 2 was well received and was a big hit and is highly regarded as one of the best games ever made.

On to the screenshots of the Japanese version of Virtua Fighter 2 and we'll start with the title screen:

There is a rolling demo inviting the player to press the start button:

So far you would think you was playing the English version! Next we go on to the iconic player select screen, with Pai Chan selected:

Now for some actual gameplay showing Pai V. Lau:

Finally a little bit of Japanese text, proving that even the Japanese version of Virtua Fighter 2 is very playable even if you don't read Japanese.

Ok, now for a more challenging game to play for multiple reasons, and that is Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel (a.k.a. Neon Genesis Evangelion: Iron Maiden). Released only in Japan and on Windows, Macintosh, Saturn, PS1, PS2 and PSP, with the Saturn version available 26th of March 1998. It is a visual novel type of game and is very popular amongst fans of the show of which the game is based on.

We start with the title screen:

Something that I found frustrating about this game is that you cannot skip the cutscenes (such as the one below) or at least I couldn't work out how to but the opening scene when the game first boots can be skipped with the start button.

Another cutscene, this time showing Japanese subtitle and an icon representing the character that is speaking:

It's not all Japanese though as we get some German thanks to Asuka:

When we actually get to some gameplay the options you see at the bottom of the screen are in both English and Japanese unlike the cutscenes subtitles, however, there is an English patched version you can play using an emulator.

As another example of a game released late in the Saturn's life, Burning Rangers is a game from Sonic Team in which the player becomes a firefighter with emphasis on rescuing civilians. The game did see a worldwide release, available 26th February 1998 in Japan, 31st May 1998 in North America, and 16th June 1998 in Europe. While the game was praised for its graphics and sound track, it was also criticised for the lack of in-game music and collision issues.

There is an opening sequence which shows off the main characters and has an anime feel to it:

The title screen can be seen as follows which proudly shows off that the game was made by Sonic team:

If you press start at the title screen you will be taken to the mode select screen:

Note the Mail selection: people you rescue in the various levels will send you letters.

If you choose the Story Mode selection you will then move on to the mission select screen if you have at least done the training sections previously:

Next we can choose the player character but you only have the choice between Shou Amabane and Tillis early in the game:

When starting a new game you must go though the tutorial which you can see below as Tillis:

The exact button you need to press to perform an action is shown on screen and is accompanied by vocals and note that the Japanese model 2 controller is shown as this is the Japanese version of the game (and the appropriate controller version is displayed for other regions). In case you're wondering, the timer shown counts up which is for rank purposes.

Here is an example of a loading screen which displayed after completing the tutorial:

Not surprising, as a firefighter you must put out fires, however, in Burning Rangers you use a futuristic gun to extinguish the flames:

There are lots of people to rescue but you need to collect crystals to be able to transport them to safety; crystals also protect you against fire but if hit by fire then the crystals fall out and scatter much like the rings in Sonic games.

There are a number of cameos when it comes to rescuing people, such as Yuji Naka, the producer of Burning Rangers, and Naoto Ohshima, one of the artists for the game, both famous also for their involvement with the Sonic games.

Sega released some special, limited edition, Saturn games, such as Sakura Wars which came in both an 'A type' and a 'B type' with the only difference as far as I can tell being the mouse mat design. The game is on two discs (not surprising considering the amount of animated movies and voice acting that feature in the game) and as well as the already mentioned mouse mat you get the HSS-0139 mouse (see the Accessories section for more information), various stickers of the characters, and a poster with the characters on one side and a map on the other.

The game can be operated with a standard controller or the mouse and the game will detect what peripheral is connected with the mouse having the advantage of being a more natural interface when selecting objects, however, the times you need to quickly select a dialogue option it's easier to use a controller. The game was developed by Sega/Red Entertainment and was released in Japan only on 27th September 1996 and is a mixture of visual novel, RPG and dating sim but with two main game modes: social interaction and turn-based battles. Sakura Wars was very successful, resulting in merchandise and adaptations (anime and manga), and helped the Saturn to live on for a while longer in Japan.

Let's look at some frames from the opening movie, showing one of the main characters, Sakura, and a glimpse of a Kobu (steam powered armour):

The quality of the movie isn't amazing but we must remember that the game is from 1996 and the animations had to be compressed on to CD and overall looks very good.

In the next image we can see the title screen, which prompts us to press the start button:

Since I don't speak Japanese I have to use Google Translate but I was at least able to get quite far into the game and understand what was being said.

After the start button is pressed you are presented with the following screen:

Since I didn't have any save files (note that the game saves at key points automatically) they aren't listed and instead you have the option to start from the beginning; the bottom selection takes you to the options screen which you can also bring up by pressing start while playing the game.

Here is a scene in which Sakura is talking against a backdrop; press A, B, or C to advance the text:

There will be times, as below, when you'll be presented with a dialogue response selection and you'll have a time limit to answer, which affect the relationship with the character:

There will be times when you will need to click on something specific and the pointer will change how it looks to indicate the type of interaction:

In the above example, the pointer has changed to a hand and by pressing the 'A' button the hand will knock on the door as to further the game (that is, see who is in the room).

Accessories

3D Control Pad

Sega did later release a 3D pad, the 3D Control Pad (below) featuring a single analog stick, and analog shoulder buttons (a first for any system), that was designed initially for NiGHTS, but is also compatible with other games including Duke Nukem 3D, Burning Rangers, Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Sonic R and Sonic Jam. Like with the PlayStation 1 Dual Analog Controller, the 3D pad could operate in both analog and digital mode (in which case it is treated as a standard controller).

The overall shape and the placement of the controls are similar to that of the Dreamcast controller but unlike the Dreamcast controller the 3D pad's cord is at the top and is detachable.

Action Replay Plus

The Sega Saturn Action Replay Plus from EMS Industrial Ltd. is an improved version of the Pro Action Replay cheat code cartridge. It plugs into the cartridge port of the Saturn and has these features:

* Lets you play imported games.

* Add and select codes to change gameplay.

* Storage to back up your game saves (cannot save direct to the Action Replay, must transfer from the Saturn's internal storage).

* Increases the Saturn's RAM to 4MB for games that need the extra memory.

Here you can see the Action Replay Plus:

At the top of the cartridge is a DB25 port for connecting to a PC to transfer game saves and for creating codes but it requires a special PC ISA card, software and cable. Newer versions of the Action Replay lack the port but the connector can still be added to some revisions of the circuit board.

To use the cheat code cartridge it needs to be inserted into the Saturn's cartridge port and then upon booting the console the Action Replay (AR) boot menu should shortly appear:

The options are to start the game, select cheats, enter the memory manager or to view the credits (all names are first names only which is a bit unusual). The start game option lets you load a game to play either with or without cheats on-this also lets you play imported games but you will need a master code. There are already a lot of codes that come preloaded on the AR for various region versions of the games and you can easily add new games and codes. It is when you are selecting codes for a game that you will find the option to press 'X' to 'start with comms' which is for communicating with a PC but there is no such option in the start game menu.

On the memory manager screen you can view game saves in the Saturn's system memory (which is only 510 blocks that are battery backed up) and the AR's game save area (which is a massive 8,190 blocks and stored in flash memory). Using the manager you can transfer game saves between system memory and AR and delete any saves you wish to.

Just two screws hold the AR together and having a look inside you can see it is quite a complex circuit:

The two largest chips, both an at29c010a are each 128K x 8 flash memory IC's which most likely holds the firmware, cheat codes and game saves. There are 2 surface mount IC's, 2x8edj-ss, which are unknown but are possibly RAM chips. We also have a PALCE22V10H and a PALCE16V8H PLD's for some custom logic, a couple of 74HC157 quad 2-input multiplexer chips, and a 74HC245 8-bit transceiver for the communications connector.

Internet Modem

Japan got their own exclusive dial-up modem for the Saturn which was released in 1996, giving users limited internet services like web access and email and online gaming. Grey in colour and rated for 14.4kbps and was packaged with appropriate software to get online, such as Sega Saturn Internet Vol. 1 and Sega Saturn Internet 2. The modem connected to the Saturn via its cartridge port and in turn a phone line and phone was connected to the modem (the phone connection acts as a passthrough). Rather than make do with a monthly subscription a user had to purchase a Sega Saturn Media Card (which plugged into the side of the modem) which gave the player the ability to connect to the Saturn internet service.

Games that support the modem include Daytona USA Circuit Edition, Habitat II, Puzzle Bobble 3 and Saturn Bomberman. For a complete list of games please see:

https://segaretro.org/Sega_Saturn_Modem#Compatible_games

For a look at the modem please check out this video:

There was no official Saturn modem available in Europe but North America got their own version, the NetLink modem, which provided basic internet functions such as browsing and emails, as well as online gaming. The NetLink Internet Modem is a 28.8kbps modem that made use of Sega of America's NetLink dial-up internet service but was only available in North America and Brazil, in 1996. The modem is black and slots into the Saturn's cartridge port with an attached phone line and a telephone can also be connected to the modem to act as a passthrough so there is no need for an adapter for the phone. To be able to use the NetLink service, in addition to the modem appropriate software must be used, such as the NetLink Custom Web Browser disc or compatible game.

The only compatible games are Daytona USA: CCE NetLink Edition, Duke Nukem 3D, Saturn Bomberman, Sega Rally Plus - Netlink Edition and Virtual-On Netlink Edition and it was partly the lack of supported games that did not help with the modem's popularity. Although the modem was not that successful it no doubt helped pave the way for Internet gaming on consoles as seen with the more popular offerings by Sega with the Dreamcast internet services.

Please see this site for more information about the NetLink Internet Modem:

https://segaretro.org/NetLink_Internet_Modem

For a video overview and unboxing of the NetLink please see below:

Keyboard

A Japan exclusive, the Saturn Keyboard was released in 1996 and is a white PC-like keyboard (with some resemblance to the Dreamcast keyboard) that connects to the Saturn's controller port and is supported by a selection of games as well as the Sega NetLink internet service (North America only). The games that can make use of the keyboard include Dragon's Dream, Duke Nukem 3D and Panzer Dragoon Saga; for a full list please see:

https://segaretro.org/Saturn_Keyboard#Supported_games

Outside of Japan, North America got the NetLink Keyboard designed for the online NetLink service and only sold with the NetLink bundle and unlike the Saturn Keyboard available in Japan the NetLink keyboard was black in colour. Related to the keyboard was the NetLink Keyboard Adapter, released in North America only, which allowed the use of PS/2 keyboards to work on the Saturn including the NetLink keyboard and thus the NetLink bundle included the adapter. No such keyboard adapter made its way to Japan or Europe.

Here is a video showing the NetLink keyboard, keyboard adapter and mouse:

Pro Action Replay

Making use of the Saturn's cartridge slot, the Pro Action Replay by EMS Industrial Ltd. is a cheat code device that also allows you to play imported games and manage game saves. Check out the cartridge in the photo that follows:

With the Action Replay (AR) inserted into the cartridge port and the Saturn powered up you should be greeted by the boot menu which has options to either start a game, select cheats, manage game saves or to see the credits:

If you select to start the game you can put a disc into the Saturn and then start the game with or without cheats being active.

To manage the cheats you go to the select cheats option at the main menu which takes you to a screen where you can add games and codes and from there you can move on to another screen to delete or edit cheats.

When you are selecting codes for a game there is an option to press 'X' to 'start with comms' which is for communicating with a PC to make codes, by making use of the DB25 connector on the top of the AR and a special PC ISA card.

The memory manager option from the main menu gives you the ability to copy game saves between the Saturn's internal memory and the AR's memory and also to delete saves. As the Saturn only has 510 blocks but the AR has a very generous 8,190 blocks you can see how useful the AR is although games cannot save directly to the AR.

You can see the AR's internals below which are revealed by taking out 2 screws:

Below the DB25 connector is a 74F245 8-bit transceiver for the communications connector and to the left is a PALCE16V8H likely for custom logic. The remaining 2 chips both are 29EE010 128K x8 EEPROM which contains the firmware, game saves and cheat codes. Compared to the Action Replay Plus (see section elsewhere on this page) the Pro Action Replay has a much simpler circuit.

Shuttle Mouse

Released only in Japan in 1994, the Shuttle Mouse is a ball mouse peripheral for the Saturn featuring four buttons A, B, C and START, which map to the left button, middle button, right button and coloured button respectively. The mouse was originally sold with a mouse mat and was also packaged with some games, such as the limited edition Sakura Wars; please see the Games section for more information.

The mouse has two colour variations to coincide with the Japanese Saturn console colour schemes: grey body with blue START switch (model HSS-0102) and white body with red START switch (model HSS-0139). The mouse attaches to the Saturn via the controller port and is compatible with a large number of games (Japanese versions only) such as 3D Lemmings, Dark Seed, Myst, Panzer Dragoon Zwei and Worms. Please see this site for a full list:

https://segaretro.org/Shuttle_Mouse#List_of_supported_games

In the following photo you can see the Shuttle Mouse model HSS-0139 appropriately sitting on top of a Japanese Saturn box:

Note that the mouse connector has yellowed on one side only.

The mouse can be used sort of like a standard controller in that movement of the mouse emulates the d-pad so it is possible to operate the Saturn and non-mouse games using the mouse, although with difficulty of course.

If you find that your Saturn doesn't detect the mouse or the connection is intermittent then it may be that the internal connector has come loose, which shouldn't happen as the mouse cable is held securely but I found this to be the case with my mouse. There are just two screws holding the mouse together so it's just a matter or removing those screws and then taking the mouse apart and then you'll be able to get to the connector plugged into the circuit board.

While both North America and Europe never saw the release of the Shuttle Mouse (there was a version planned for Europe), North America did at least get their own Saturn mouse, the NetLink Mouse released in 1996 and sported a different design and colour (black) to the Shuttle Mouse. The NetLink Mouse is compatible with the same software as the Shuttle Mouse but also additionally supports the NetLink Internet Modem (North America and Brazil only).

Taisen Cable

Released in Japan only in 1994 the Taisen cable allows two Saturn consoles to connect to each other via the Communication connector for local multiplayer provided two consoles, two TVs and two copies of the same game are available. There are very few Japanese versions of Saturn games that support the Taisen cable, such as Daytona USA Circuit Edition and Doom, and less so for North America (Hexen only) and Europe (Hexen and Doom). The reason there are non-Japanese versions of Saturn games that support link-up is because third-party substitutes for the cable were released outside of Japan.

For a complete list of supported games please see:

https://segaretro.org/Taisen_Cable#Compatible_games

A video showing the Taisen (or compatible) cable in action follows:

Discontinuation

The Saturn only lasted from 1994 to 2000 in Japan, and survived for an even shorter time in other countries yet it had the potential to do so much better. Maybe it was Sega's money troubles, or their inability to get enough really good games out in time for the Saturn; either way the Saturn surely will be remembered as a very good games console that should have lasted a lot longer. The successor to the Saturn, the Dreamcast, was a powerful machine but perhaps partly because of the failure of the Saturn, Sega ran into financial troubles and the Dreamcast was soon discontinued.

Resources

Link to a scanned version of the PAL Saturn manual:

https://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/images/Manuals/95_Sega_Saturn_PAL_MK-80200A-50.pdf

Saturn Boot ROM User's Manual:

https://antime.kapsi.fi/sega/files/ST-079B-R3-011895.pdf

All content of this and related pages is copyright (c) James S. 2009-2021