Life on Saturn

Thoughts from someone who, until recently, had never owned or played a Saturn.

I love racing games. It's one of those genres, along with tower defence, which I just keep coming back to. I get a buzz from starting a race and then realising that I know the track from a completely different game (or indeed system.)

It's one of my gaming regrets that my family do not really enjoy racing games. There's no one who will go head to head with me in anything other than Mario Kart. And whilst MK has its place and is huge fun, races which aren't decided by a well placed banana hold more appeal to me.

Which brings me onto...

The only other Daytona game I've played is a Dreamcast one which I remember being extremely twitchy. So I was interested to see how its predecessor played.

The first thing that hit me about the game was the music. I'm sure there's been loads written about it so I'm not going to say much other than: it seems incredibly positive. The sort of thing which might be played at a funeral as people are leaving. So musically, it's a big thumbs up.

The other aspect about the sound which I found interesting was the voice. It's everywhere! I wondered if SEGA (or AM2?) were trying to prove a point back in the day. My favourite instance was when I inputted my initials. Especially when it said all 3 back to me like it was trying to read.

As I started the game my 14 year old daughter glanced up from her book, "Why does it say 'Gentlemen start your engines?"

Just in case you didn't hear it.

Erm.

Whilst racing, my 16 year old son wanders in to ask if I'd like a go at Tetris 99. He looks at the tv and adds, "but I can see you're playing this graphical masterpiece!"
Honestly, the youth of today.

But, in truth, I didn't really try to defend the graphics. I found them difficult to enjoy. I prefer the handling to the Dreamcast version but I find the game as a whole rather headache inducing.

As with all driving games, I'm not very good when I first start. It is easy to overtake a few cars but then I started to bump into the walls and lose a lot of speed. I liked the skid animation and the crashes were impressive. There's always something satisfying about smashing cars up. I liked the way the car took damage and the suspension started to rapidly rock up and down as if there were a couple of bunnies inside doing what bunnies do best.

The ultimate test of whether a driving game is enjoyable in our house is how long it takes someone to start driving backwards round the course. I knew the game was not going to be a winner when my 9 year old, who wanted a turn, began to do this after just a few laps.

I enjoyed Daytona but, sadly, I won't be coming back to it very often. The graphics and frame rate just hold it back for me.

Now, where's that banana?

Daytona USA returns to XBLA and PSN!

There's been a lot of love for the Saturn from Sega as of late, what with the release of Guardian Heroes on XBLA just recently complete with that brilliant Saturn avatar shirt (now can we have this game on PSN too please?) and in just a couple of weeks we also have the racing classic that is Daytona USA on the way!

As you can see from the trailer, it's a straight up port of the original arcade machine, now in wide-screen, HD and with no pop up! As Saturn gamers, we all know about pop up for this game hahaha. Saying that the first Saturn port was probably the closet to the arcade we ever got until now; this was the only version that got the handling and atmosphere down to a tee! Even with the wonky graphics it was still highly playable, I know I put a tons of hours into it! Also it is unknown as of yet if this version will have the unlockable playable horse!

Read my previous gush about this re-release over at Sega Memories! What's next from Sega, can we expect some more Saturn goodness?

Let's Go Away!

In 2009 the Sega Saturn is celebrating its 15th birthday and it is indeed a good year for our beloved Saturn. As some sort of a birthday present, Sega is releasing a 4 CD Set of one of the greatest soundtrack to ever grace mankind's ears - Daytona USA. It will feature the music from the games Daytona USA, Daytona USA 2 and Daytona 2001 not only as the arcade versions, but also the great Sega Saturn and PC versions. Also expect some smashing remixes! The release date is the 9th of April 2009! Be sure to make a note in your calendar and order it in the official Sega Direct store (or shortly afterwards on ebay probably).

GLRC- Daytona

Sega Saturn Promotional Video

Recently I managed to register myself an account at the japanese only video portal Nico Nico Douga. A search for "Sega Saturn" (in japanese of course) didn't bring too many results. Actually much less, than I was hoping for. And the results I got were your usual suspects like gameplay scenes from Daytona / Panzer Dragoon / Virtua Fighter and some Animeintros / -cutscenes here and there. But then, inbetween some weird SRPG game and a Segata Sanshiro TV commercial I spotted this very great Sega Saturn Promotional Video. It shows a super clean, absolutely brand new and astonishing looking Sega Saturn and some great video footage of something that looks like Ecco The Dolphin. This scene is pre-rendered and should demonstrate the graphical power of the Sega Saturn back then. Watching it nowadays, makes you laugh a bit, since the graphics almost look a tad like PS2 graphics. Go give it a look, it's really nice and especially hasn't been uploaded to YouTube before. That is, until I uploaded it, for your convenience. It's my very first YouTube Video ever.

Those Were The Days

Skip back to October 1994. The Saturn has already been anounced in Japan, but Informations are scarce. To what graphical prowess will the Saturn be up to? Hardly anyone knows yet and we can only dream about worlds, which we've never seen before. Then, new Daytona USA Screenshots appear in the german "Sega Magazin" Issue number 11. That must have been so exciting! And yes, it definitely was.

I recently bought a shitload of Sega Magazines from a mate and am now browsing them for Saturn informations. I wasn't there back then, when the Saturn arrived, so they are my only chance to get a glimpse of what was going on back then. And boy it must have been so exciting. When browsing Issue 11 I found those Daytona USA screens, which are obviously from a beta build. And I really do like the way, the Sega Magazin is writing about it. See for yourself:



I sadly never experienced that kind of thrill for a Saturn game, so it was quite a nice read for me. I especially like, how they rave about the mountain in the background, which "shows what the Saturn is graphically capable of". I mean, it is just a low-res picture, they must have thought it's completely in 3D? It's somewhat funny and somewhat sad at the same time. Back in 1994 I was playing with my Amiga and ignored consoles almost completely and when I played Daytona USA in around 2001 for the first time I thought (to be honest): "Wow, that looks crappy!". I think I would have thought different back then. But who knows. I'll never know. For everyone else: Check out the beta screens, read how amazing they were back then, close your eyes and savour it.

Here's the original german version, which shows that I didn't make that up. Hehe.

As always, click the pictures for a much bigger view.

Takenobu Mitsuyoshi - From Loud 2 Low

Do dodo do, do do dooo dooooo! Daydooonaaa!

Everyone familiar with the Sega Saturn should also be familiar with Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, who is one of Sega's most remarkable composer of video game soundtracks. He joined Sega's sound team around 1990 and quickly became a member of Sega's S.S.T. Band (Sega Sound Team). With his soundtrack to the hit arcade game Daytona he quickly built his very own monument. That didn't make him lazy or even coky, tough. No, instead he continued to fully take advantage of the medium compact disc and produced great soundtracks for games like Virtua Fighter, Shen Mue (incredible orchestra music!), Daytona 2, Sega Rally and Burning Rangers. Many of them with vocal tracks, which demonstrated his unique voice and are true classics today. Once you've played a game with his soundtrack, you'll remember a tune from him for sure.

(No Daytona without Takenobu Mitsuyoshi)

On November the 4th in 2003 he finally released a solo album (buy it here), which contains some of his best works. Many of them have previously been released but it also contains some unreleased tracks. The most noticable being an interpretation of the ending theme of Burning Rangers, which was originally sung by a women. The "interesting" thing about it: Takenobu tries to recreate that female voice. It sounds really weird at first, but fans of the Burning Rangers game will immediately recognize and fall in love with it. No matter how weird you might find his voice at first, his tunes to the Daytona racing series are instant classics. So it's a no brainer, that the album features them as well. When it comes to the Virtua Fighter Anime theme song and especially the Burning Rangers theme, Takenobu finally shows, that he can also sing a more "mature" way. You know, without all the engrish and "Do do doo" found in the Daytona music. I can really recommend the album, since it not only features 5 and more new tunes (depending on how much you know, from him! I, for example, never heard the Anime Virtua Fighter songs!) but it also gathers his best works in once place.

Whilst browsing for his name on google I also found this hilarious live performance of the Daytona Song "Let's Go Away", which he is performing together with Rony Barrak. It's a great example of how crazy he is in real life. On a sidenote: I had the pleasure to meet him at the "Games Convention 2007" in Germany, where he signed my copy of the Shen Mue Orchestra OST. Check out the video, it's... I am out of words.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

Well this is something of a comparative micro-review of three of the Saturn's driving classics! Today marks the day when I first fully road tested my Saturn steering wheel peripheral, and put some serious time in with both my oldest and newest Saturn games!

But let's start at the beginning shall we? The games I'll be reviewing are Sega Rally, Daytona USA and Sega Touring Car Championship . I have to say that the review might not be completely objective. Sega Rally was the game that came bundled with my Saturn, is the most played of the bunch and holds a somewhat sentimental place in my heart... Daytona USA is a game I fell in love with at the arcades, and was sought out on eBay to add to my collection. Sega Touring Car is the one I've played least and therefore is something of unfamiliar territory. But still, time is short, so let's crack on shall we?

First of all, let's talk about the steering wheel. Oh dear... having again sought this particular item off eBay when I first discovered there was one, I was crushed to find my new peripheral didn't work. However, I tried again to purchase one and Gamestation came up with the goods, and I managed to secure one for a fiver (£5)... (I then sneakily returned the broken one to Gamestation and swapped it for some games... ;) A word to the wise, unless your a compulsive collector, avoid this particular peripheral... Unlike light guns, it doesn't enhance your driving experience or recreate the arcade feeling...

OK First Category: Steering Wheel Compatability

Sega Touring Car: Even using the options to tweak it's sensitivity, playing STC with the steering wheel leaves you crashing from one side of the track to the other. It's an unforgiveably "drifty" racer anyway and the car tends to slide all over the place, therefore, progress is nigh on impossible.

Daytona USA: Thanks to the generous choice of cars available, it's possible to select a car that has more road hold (at the expense of acceleration and speed). This actually allows for something of a counter-balance to the sensitivity of the steering wheel, and makes Daytona easily the most playable in this particular category!

Sega Rally: Equally if not more unplayable with the steering wheel, despite my familiarity with the layout of the track. Overall experience - pretty bad! Disappointing!

Category 2: Longevity

Sega Touring Car: With a limited amount of cars and tracks, STC holds the least appealing longevity. Coupled with the impossible drift, your quite likely to press the "off" button before you've even checked out what the game has to offer. The franchise is not due to be continued into the current gen of consoles.

Daytona USA: As previously stated a wide variety of cars and tracks mean that Daytona probably has the most lasting appeal. Plus the AI cars are probably the most forgiving, meaning that racers like myself will probably not throw the controller down in a hissy fit and give up on the game. The franchise actually made it as far as the last gen, with a graphically gorgeous version being released for the Dreamcast. Don't rule out a reincarnation at some time in the future!

Sega Rally: The outright winner, due to the fact that it continues to be part of my gaming life to this day, a good twelve years after I first played it. The game somehow encapsulates the driving experience, and unlike it's STC counterpart, the drift is actually useful to the rallying genre. A slightly biased winner there, but it's my review and therefore I'm allowed! It's third reincarnation is due out on the PS3 soon, and it looks like it's going to be well received!

Category 3: Graphics: There's not much between them really, compared to todays fayre, they look a tad blocky and pixellated. But they need to be judged within the context of the time they were produced, and on those terms they're all pretty good.

Sega Touring Car: Not to dissimilar to it's Rally cousin, however the mechanics that attend to you in the pits (which I keep annoyingly driving into by mistake) look like stick men drawn by a three year old. So it's losing some points on that front alone!

Daytona USA: Bright, bold and brash like it's Nascar reality. The cars look great and there are some nice touches like a cliff face with a Mount Rushmore like rock carving of Sonic in the distance on the first circuit.

Sega Rally: The first circuit will have you sucked in, with it's running zebras and hovering helicopters. For it's time it was pretty stunning. Again, I'm not sure whether my feelings for the game are romanticising my outlook, but I think this just pips Daytona in terms of visual appeal. Plus the sunset in the unlockable Lakeside circuit brings a tear to my eye... LOL!

Category 4: Wow Factor!

Sega Touring Car: Definitely a game which looks like it has more potential than it actually does. When I can play the other two, its unlikely that this game will be placed in the Saturn too often...

Still the Toyota Supra cabinet in it's arcade incarnation (see video below) is pretty impressive...

Daytona USA: The fact that you can tear arse through hordes of other cars in this game, plus its playability factor is pretty high. It says something for the game, that despite it's revamp for the Dreamcast, I'd still rather play the Saturn version. With a modicum of care, you can progress nicely through the Arcade mode. However, for the true Daytona experience, the arcade version is the only way to play....

Sega Rally: Quite possibly THE best driving game ever made, this game is worth buying a Saturn for in it's own right. From the moment, you press the start button and hear the car ignition, till you drive off into the sunset on the unlockable Lakeside Circuit, this game is a clear winner. As fresh today as it was in 1995, the attention to detail was so good that the Sega development team actually sampled the actual car engine noises for use in the game, and spent many an hour bumping round real rally circuits in real cars to ensure their virtual counterparts were accurate reflections. Plus Sega Rally had online functions... In 1995!

Category 5: Soundtracks

They are all cheesy AND brilliant. Fluctuating between rock and techno, the soundtracks to each game fit like a glove. Too close to call!

Category 6: Price

Sega Touring Car: £2.99 (plus free game as part of the BOGOF deal at Gamestation)

Daytona USA: £2.99 (plus free game as part of the BOGOf deal at Gamestation)

Sega Rally: I once picked up a copy for 20p! Beat that!

OK, so after that very unobjective and unscientific analysis, I'll just add up the secret points on my magic calculator...

And the unsurprising winner is... SEGA RALLY! Hurrah! (Whistles and Cheers!)

For great reviews of each game look here , here and here

This is FK, for Sky Sports, saying "Keep your eyes on the road and both feet on the wheel..." Goodnight!