sega

How I Play: Sega Saturn

Bo Le

13 May 2024 — 6 min read

The Sega Saturn for me was a very elusive console growing up, it seemed like everyone was either on Team N64 or Team PS1; hardly anyone I knew owned a Saturn. The confusion was real when I stumbled upon Sega Saturn games for rent at my local video store. With Sega having previously released the Sega CD, it wasn't easy to discern which console was which.

I remember flipping through Playstation magzine back in the day and seeing this distinct ad which advertised Street Fighter Alpha releasing on the Saturn and Playstation.

My journey into Saturn territory began as part of my deep dive into retro gaming. Having never owned one growing I was intrigued by its game library and the abundance of Japanese imports

The Console:

I started with a broken PAL Saturn I bought off Gumtree, hoping to fix it it.

It had an issue where the games would freeze every couple of minutes and had some wavy lines after being powered on for a few hours. I soon diagnosed the issue was because of a faulty component on the power supply which once replaced resulted in a perfectly working Saturn, I added a 50/60Hz switch for full speed and full screen gameplay. Eventually, I sold this unit to fund other purchases.

My primary Saturn became a Japanese Model 2 I bought on eBay which was sold as faulty for $50.

Its sleek white design appealed to me more than the black PAL and NTSC-U versions. Despite some disc drive issues and a bit of yellowing, a quick retrobright session really cleaned it up. I installed an Action Replay Plus flashed with Psuedo Kai for playing burnt games and later upgraded to an Optical Drive Emulator (ODE) for a hassle-free gaming experience.

The Mods:

Optical Drive Emulator - Phoebe

The first thing on the list to snag was a Phoebe ODE. This little gem is an optical drive emulator for the Model 2 Sega Saturn, letting you run games straight from an SD card. Nowadays, there are a few other options like Fenrir, MODE, and Saroo, but back then, Phoebe was the only game in town. Honestly, getting one wasn't too tricky. Just had to subscribe to the blog and be quick on the draw when the orders opened up.

This is hands down my top 'mod' because I'm not a fan of messing with physical discs. Having the freedom to load up the entire Saturn ROM set and experiment with different games without needing to burn a new disc every time is a game-changer for me.

Right now, I'm rocking the Phoebe alongside the Pseudo Kai Lite loader, which sports a slick menu and offers a soft reset feature—no more toggling the console on and off when switching games. Massive shoutout to the awesome folks over at the Optical Drive Emulator Discord; with their help, I've loaded up a hefty 256GB SD card with every NTSC-U, PAL, and playable NTSC-J game. Plus, I added a neat little mount to elevate the Phoebe, giving it a snug fit in the Saturn.

FRAM Mod:

The Sega Saturn relied on a CR2032 to hold onto date/time and save data. If you caught my earlier post about swapping out an internal battery for the GameCube, you'll get why I'm all about recommending this mod. The crap thing? I didn't even realize the Saturn operated like this until I lost my saves in Panzer Dragoon Saga and Albert's Odyssey after finishing the games.

I would rate this mod pretty high on the advanced scale. You're basically swapping out the old SRAM chip for a new FRAM memory chip that's non-volatile. Translation? Your console can save games without needing a CR2032 battery.

Unfortunately you'll still need a battery for the clock, date, and settings, so get ready to set those every time. More information can be found about this mod on the ConsoleMods wiki

Display Output:

The Sega Saturn supports RGB natively and doesn't require any mods or bypass.

It can seriously output some beautiful and crispy RGB images. I'm currently using a fully shielded RGB cable purchased from Retro Gaming UK.

Controllers and Peripherals:

I really like the Sega Saturn controller, it's 6 button is perfect for the abundance of fighting games available for the console. I also picked up the 3D Pad which includes an analogue stick good for games like Nights Into Dreams.

Retro-Bit Saturn 2.4 GHz Wireless Controller

I decided to go for a wireless controller, so I grabbed a Retrobit Sega Saturn 2.4GHz controller. I wasn't too thrilled with it. The d-pad and face buttons just didn't feel right, and the L and R triggers lacked that satisfying 'click.' I even tried swapping out the buttons with ones from an original pad, which helped a bit, but it still wasn't up to par for me. Plus, it had some compatibility issues with certain games like Bug! and Mortal Kombat 2—they just didn't respond at all. As of writing no firmware updates have been released to address this problem.

Don't waste your money, get a Blue Retro adapter instead.

Blue Retro adapter with 8bitdo M30 Controller.

After catching an MLIG episode on controller adapters and witnessing the 8bitdo M30 paired with the Saturn, I knew this was the upgrade that I needed!

I've long been a fan of 8bitdo controllers, renowned for their quality. So, I grabbed 2 Blue Retro adapters from Aliexpress and 2 Saturn-style M30s to round out the collection. Despite being Bluetooth, I barely notice any lag at all.

Friendship ended with Retro-Bit, 8Bitdo is now my best friend.

The Games:

Now, what's a console without great games? After watching Hi-Score Girl, it's clear why Haruo would swear by the Sega Saturn.

This console packs heavy hitters in every genre. From fighters to shmups and JRPGs, there's always something to take your fancy. You're bound to find a game you'll truly love on this system.

Some of the games I've played and really enjoyed, there's plenty more but I could go on forever. I'll probably have to do a proper list with a mini review of each game soon.

Astal (Publisher: Sega, Released: 1995, Genre: Platformer)
Panzer Dragoon (Publisher: Sega, Released: 1995, Genre: Rail Shooter)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Publisher: Sega (Team Andromeda), Released: 1998, Genre: RPG)
Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean (Publisher: Sunsoft, Released: 1997, Genre: RPG)
Fighting Vipers (Publisher: Sega AM2, Released: 1996, Genre: Fighting)
Radiant Silvergun (Publisher: Treasure, Released: 1998, Genre: SHMUP)
Magic Knight Rayearth (Publisher: Sega, Released: 1995, Genre: RPG)

Closing Thoughts:

The Sega Saturn really deserved more love. It's kind of bittersweet how few of my friends even knew about it when we were growing up, and I didn't fully grasp its potential until I got older. It had some seriously great games backing it up. But man, the lack of marketing and distribution in Australia was a real blow. I can vividly remember ads for the N64 and PS1, but the Saturn? Not so much, if at all.

Still, despite its struggles, it's a console I've come to truly appreciate and play regularly. There are so many unique games on there that never got ported anywhere else, and that alone makes owning a Saturn totally worth it.

Thanks for reading, kicking off my 'How I Play' series with this first entry! Excited to dive into each of my consoles, from exploring the nitty-gritty of the hardware to checking out mods, accessories, and all the games that keep me hooked. Stay tuned for the ride!