Game Scan TV talks about NiGHTS

http://www.blisteredthumbs.net/2011/02/gamescan-tv-ep1/

Puyo Puyo Sun - It's Always Sunny on the SEGA Saturn!

I hit the local retro video game store today, and boy did I get some good stuff! I picked up the Limited Edition Shenmue (complete with the Jukebox CD) for $17, Alien Front Online in box with mic for $15 and a Shenmue strategy guide. But I'm not going to focus on those goodies, this is the Saturn Junkyard! While I only picked up one Saturn game, I cannot wait to play it. It's Puyo Puyo Sun!

The Saturn import selection was surprisingly large, despite many of the games not being priced and sitting in boxes on the floor. Still, I dug about, chose a few games and requested their prices. Puyo Puyo Sun was a very reasonable $8, so into my invisible cart it went!

Japanese manuals, particularly for Saturn and Dreamcast games, are stunning. Full color, tons of artwork, mini comics, developer profiles! It's a shame western releases are so bland by comparison.

The booklet was crammed with tons of little bits of paper. Registration cards, some flyer promoting... something and best of all: glow in the dark stickers!

I couldn't capture them in a photo, but trust me, they glow a brilliant green hue. So far the game has been great, and I haven't even played it yet! I've just been paging through the manual and holding the stickers under the lamp. Good times.

Happy New Year 2011, Go Play Christmas NiGHTS!

Happy New Year, SJY readers! Hoping you have a safe, happy and Saturn-filled 2011. May Segata Sanshiro bless you.

While you're getting over your champagne headache, why not play Christmas NiGHTS? Today you'll be treated to a special intro screen, character costumes and stage music in celebration of the new year! Just make sure that your Saturn clock is correct (mine was thanks to my replacing of the internal battery).
image courtesy of the nightsintodreams.com forums

Radient Silvergun Returns, and Introduces an Awesome Arcade Stick

While it has already been known that the Saturn classic Radient Silvergun will be returning via a release on the XBOX Live Arcade in 2011, it was just recently announced that there will also be a kick-ass arcade stick. Check this thing out! The stick is made by Hori (so it's quality) and will sell for $160. Yikes! Well, if you have that sorta dough, you can buy the stick here. If you do plan on buying one, make sure to buy a second one and send it my way.

Merry Christmas!



[source: Kotaku]

New Yu Suzuki Interview Reveals Shenmue Saturn Info!

If you haven't read 1UP's interview with Yu Suzuki, DO SO NOW! It's an excellent read and reveals many things that were unknown of Suzuki's past work, as well as hints towards what we could expect from a Shenmue 3 (he seems to favor the 360 and would work with just about anybody to get it made). But this is a Saturn blog, so let's stick to Saturn information. Part two of the interview touches on the short lived Saturn version of the game. Check out these cool factoids:

Note: JM is the interviewer, YS is Yu Suzuki and TH is Tak Hirai, Lead Programmer of Shenmue

JM: Shenmue began development on the Sega Saturn. Besides the visual elements, how much of it had changed by the time you began development for the Dreamcast? How long were you working on the Saturn version?
TH: Six months, just on programming.
YS: It's amazing how much we accomplished on the Saturn. It's unthinkable now.
TH: Yeah, it was something. I never want to do that again.

JM: What made you move it from the Saturn to Dreamcast? Was it because the Saturn was dying in terms of sales? Or was it that you realized you needed more powerful hardware to realize the game?
TH: The timing. The Saturn was coming to an end.
YS: Yeah, it was coming to a point where didn't make sense to release a game on the Saturn.
TH: There was also talk that the Dreamcast could handle the sword fight that we wanted to include in the game so we decided to reprogram the game for Dreamcast. We were also able to give input on the development of the hardware to match the game.

They end the interview with a mention of Fighters Megamix:

JM: Final question. Many years ago there was a newspaper advertisement promoting a "Virtua Fighter vs. Tekken." Was that concept ever supposed to become a game? Do you think a Virtua Fighter vs. Tekken game would work and if not, what franchises would you pair up?
YS: A long time ago we did a promotion with Virtua Fighter and Tekken characters. As a promotion and advertisement to get people's attention, I think it was a success and was good. But, it's not really my style and I don't like to mix games. I'm a purist. In my opinion, the only time you mix and match is when there are no new ideas and mixing is the last resort. So, it's not a very good thing. As long as there are new ideas, I'd rather prioritize working on new ideas.
JM: Then how do you rationalize Fighter's Megamix?
YS: [Fighter's Megamix director, Hiroshi] Kataoka likes that stuff.

It has been too long. CGR looks at DOA!

This blog needs a fresh post! Well thankfully Classic Game Room took a look at Dead or Alive on the Saturn. Check out the review and boobies below:



In the comments section, tell me what your favorite Saturn 3D fighter is and why. Mine would have to be Fighters Megamix. Why? Hornet versus Akira.

The Sega Saturn Megamix

Whilst browsing Flickr for Saturn related stuff I found this amazing cover by some dude called Theodore Taylor III (the third?). The unique illustration of something that appears to be "Sonic" really caught my attention. He truly looks like the worn out, abused and resigned character he actually is these days. (Whereas Sonic 4 and Sonic Colors seem to slightly change that but who knows, what Sega comes up with next.)


Anyway. Theodore not only illustrated that very nice CD Cover, but he also made the Megamix himself. And since it's a free download, why not check it out on his blog. Personally I think he could have made some better transitions (or transitions at all?!), but the tunes are still great of course. Check out the playlist on his blog and dance to some Sega Saturn music.

Classic Game Room HD - Sega Saturn PS3 Controller

Forgive me if I'm posting stuff you've seen here before, but I've been away for while. I've been trawling the internet for youtube Saturn videos from the last year or so and this was at the top of the list. Lazy, I know, but I promise to get something posted that's a bit more personal, in terms of Saturn gaming in 2010/11... (that means playing the thing and reflecting on the experience, like I did in the early days of this esteemed organ!)

Hope you find it informative at least!

Saturn tribute in Dreamcast game on the PS3 (!)

Something rather wonderful has happened as a result of my recently accquired PS3. I've just downloaded, played and completed Sonic Adventure in two days! I've had lots of copies of this game on the Dreamcast over the years, but never played it further than the first level. I've always admired it for it's visuals and thought of it as one of the best looking game on the Dreamcast. But it never grabbed me and I've dabbled with Sonic Adventure 2 loads more in the past.

But for some reason, the idea of having Dreamcast games on my next gen consoles really appeals. I've had Ikaruga and Rez off XBLA, (and Powerstone and Crazy Taxi on my PSP) even though I've had copies for my Dreamcast for years. But Sonic Adventure has held me captivated all weekend in way that none of those other ports have.

Sonic and Sega Allstars Racing kicked off the latest Sega revival in my gaming tastes, (not that it takes much for me to get Sega-obsessive, but the strength of my passion comes in waves). Sonic Adventure is the first and only Sonic game I've ever played to completion - although I've dabbled with many of them. Others have been abandoned when they got frustratingly hard, but thanks to the convenience of having this on the PS3 hard drive, and with a bit of free time on my hands, I saw it through to it's conclusion!

The game left me swinging in opinion, somewhwere between feeling it is a masterpiece (visuals and music) and a catastrophe (story, gameplay, camera, voice acting). It had moments of beauty, but it also got me swearing a lot! I loved the soundtrack, most definitely some of the best gaming music ever to accompany a Sega title. Check out the NiGHTs '90s house remix'!

I nearly had an orgasm when I played the NiGHTS pinball machine in Casinopolis. So much Sega/Saturn fan service crammed into one level! It was the first time I had seen the Saturn tribute and I was left close to tears by the beauty of this gesture from Sonic team to it's Saturn predecessors.

As we all know, NiGHTS is now scattered far and wide from titles as divergent as Sega Superstars Tennis, to the Wii Nights sequel, in Sonic Pinball on the GBA, and is probably right now trying to sell his psychedelic concoctions to impressionable minors in a Chao garden near you! But this must have been pure joy to those Saturn nostalgics who had begrudgingly swapped there big black Sega boxes for a slightly smaller off-white one and were patiently awaiting Dreamcast sequels to great games like Burning Rangers, NiGHTS, Clockwork Knight, and Manx TT Super Bike.

I have to say, Sega did as shocking a job of porting the title to it's new incarnation on the PS3, as it did when it rush released it for The Dreamcast. It's flaws are absolutely hideous. No attempt has been made to tidy up the games bugs and glitches, which I would have to admit is slightly annoying. And there's no way to get your Chao onto a PSP or online to race against other owners. Come on Sega!

But I'd reccomend this title to all you Sega junkies with shiny PS3s/360s if only for the Saturn fan service alone!

Game (Not) Over Yeah!

Hi folks, it's your seldom seen correspondent and Saturn Junkyard founder, Father Krishna here! Just popping in to inform all you Saturn Junkies, that there is an exhaustive and authoritative feature in this months Games TM magazine (Issue 101) about every body's, favourite racer... Sega Rally! Now we're not talking Sega Rally 2, Sega Rally GBA, Sega Rally Revo, or the Japanese only PS2 rehash... we're talking the Saturn version.

It was the game that came bundled with my Saturn and the main reason I was unwilling to convert to the PS1. From the initial sound of an ignition key being turned, to the iconic "Game over yeah!", Sega Rally kept it simple and kept it sweet. In short, it's the best driving game I've ever played (to this day) and over-taking an opponent whilst drifting round a tight bend still gets me slightly aroused!

The article itself is six full pages of glossy A4, packed with lovely images, interesting facts about the development, and even a news of a secret feature hidden within the game that has never been revealed before!

I'd re-write it but there is too much to feasibly reproduce. I will try and get some scans of it and get it up here. If you're stuck trying to find it on the high-street you should be able to pick up a copy here.

Meet Segata-chan!

Well... yeah.

Let's see a Playstation do THIS!

http://gizmodo.com/5641776/jupiter-and-saturn-played-pong-with-uranus

Scientists theorize that Jupiter and Saturn played catch with a neighboring planet, passing it back and forth between their gravitational fields for thousands of years before it broke off into its own orbit. Now that's power! You'd be lucky to find a Playstation that works after five years, let alone a thousand.

By the way, all jokes about the name of the planet in question will be politely ignored.

Panzer Dragoon spiritual successor coming to Kinect

Alright, alright. So this is neither a Saturn game, nor is it published by SEGA. However, the director of the original Panzer Dragoon Saturn trilogy, Yukio Futatsugi, is responsible for this piece of news. Yesterday at the Tokyo Game Show, Yukio Futatsugi took the Microsoft stage to announce the spiritual successor to Panzer Dragoon, Project Draco! While it hasn't been said officially that the game will take place in the Dragoon world, the visuals and fact that the gameplay remains the same makes it pretty apparent that this is what they're going for. Also: Panzer/Project, Dragoon/Draco? PD and PD? Hmm...

The game will be playable via Kinect, though it hasn't been said if the game will also be playable via standard controller. Microsoft describes the game as an “epic 3D flying shooter.” Via the Kinect, players nurture and communicate with the dragon to help develop its skills and train it in combat. Project Draco also includes online multiplayer over Xbox Live.

Very cool to see the series return in some form, especially with the creator behind the project! 

Radiant Silvergun coming to XBLA

Announced yesterday at the Tokyo Game Show, Treasure's Saturn classic is heading to current gen consoles by way of the XBOX Live Arcade.

Some juicy details by way of Co-Optimus.com:

Radiant Silvergun features two player co-op and much like Ikaruga there's a detailed chain system in place to really rack up high scores.  In addition to that there's the seven weapon system which you can see detailed in the screenshot above.  While the graphics have been upgraded slightly the game will also see some variations of the chain system.

No release date or price has been given, but the news is very cool!

I need me one of these!!

Just like the title said....I need me one of these....

http://shoryuken.com/content/control-pad-arcade-stick-how-about-both-1562/