The Saturn: Sega’s Greatest Console (Part 4)

The first time I played Virtual On, at all, was at a Best Buy demo kiosk. At the time, while on a lunch break, I stopped by to try it out, having absolutely no idea what sort of game it might be, but finding interest in the giant robots. After four or five lunch breaks, I was hooked, and I bought it the next chance I could. Since then, I’ve had my fun with the original game, and while I’ve purchased VO:Mars and VO: Oratorio Tangram, the first edition still remains my personal favorite. Maybe it’s because it was the first, maybe it’s because I’d never really had a chance to play anything quite like it before, or maybe it’s because it was yet another game to justify my love of the Saturn. And hey, it is because of VO as a franchise that I’ve developed interest in similar titles, like Armored Core and Gundam titles. Whatever the case, make no mistake: when it comes to giant robot fighting games, VO is easily one of the best. If you’ve never played VO before, here’s the deal: pick a robot, drop into an arena, and beat the hell out of the opposing robot. The robots themselves were your standard Gundam-esque battle robots, from the more heroically designed Temjin right down to the traditional female robot, but they were all chock full of personality. It didn’t hurt that VO was damn sexy. The battle environments weren’t super great, but each of the robots looked great, whether stationary or in motion. The controls were complex (partly because the arcade machine had dual stick design, which the Saturn controllers didn’t emulate), but before you knew it, you’d find yourself madly dashing around the arena, trying desperately to nail your opponent before he or she nailed you. It was a definite rush at the time, and still holds up pretty well today. And this is expanded further by the Netlink Edition, which basically allowed you to play Virtual On, ONLINE, against others. While the systems were nowhere near as fleshed out as, say, XBOX Live, and yeah, you were playing with a 28.8 connection, for a primarily console gamer, this was a serious innovation, one that I embraced whole-heartedly. It doesn’t hold up as well today, sadly, but nothing really compares to getting online and jacking someone up with Temjin (yes, he’s my favorite, no shock there). Bottom line, if you played Virtual On, you remember it. It was far and away ahead of its time in design and gameplay, and with online play available, it remains one of the most entertaining Saturn games ever made. While its legacy has been eclipsed by more developed products over the years, fans know and respect what Sega accomplished with this title in creating the very first mech fighter that allowed movement in all three dimensions. Its legacy and impact lives on.

Mega Man’s appeared on many different platforms in his fifteen-plus years of existence, but during his 10th anniversary celebration in 1997-1998, Capcom saw fit to release Mega Man 8 on both the Playstation and the Saturn. Say what you will about Sega’s doomed console, but if you’re going to play MM8, the Saturn version is indeed far superior. The Saturn is and always was designed to be a 2D powerhouse. MM8 makes excellent use of this; the graphics actually do look a bit crisper and more fluid than its PS1 counterpart. Not only that, there’s a few in-game alterations, as well: the music in Tengu Man’s stage is different, and most importantly, there’s two extra bosses! But we’ll get back to that in a minute. MM8 is considered to be a “love/hate” game. While Mega Man fans as a whole couldn’t complain about an eighth installment in their favorite series, many also despised the “cartoony” look that the Blue Bomber and friends had been given. Everything was in extra bright vibrant colors, with rounded edges and pastel shades that nearly push the game into the infamous “kiddie” category. While previous Mega Man titles had their somber moments and scenes, MM8 really doesn’t. One thing all players could agree on, though, was that the dubbing was atrocious. MM8 was the first Mega Man title to feature anime cutscenes, but the English voice work was laughably bad. Why? Because they had Japanese voice actors record the English lines! Dr. Light’s voice in particular sounds like every stereotypical Asian guy you’ve seen in crappy movies. “L” and “R” are one and the same, my friends, and I’m not talking about the triggers on your controller. Comedy aside…what about the gameplay? Luckily, that’s where MMM8 really shines. Control was spot-on, and Mega Man’s new abilities (like the Mega Ball and various forms of his dog, Rush) were a thrill to experiment with. Classic baddies like Cut Man and Wood Man even showed up, and they were a Saturn exclusive. Of course, they were a cinch to defeat with your powerful new weapons, but the fact that they were in there, complete with remixed theme music, was a nice tip of the hat to longtime fans. Finally, this was the first US Mega Man title to use save slots, rather than an irritating password system. Elsewhere on the Mega Man front, US Saturn owners also got Mega Man X4, which was identical to the PS1 version. Japanese Saturn owners were more fortunate, though, as they had Rockman X3 and Super Adventure Rockman to get their Mega Man fix. The former was a port of the SNES title Rockman X3, but with anime cutscenes and a completely remixed soundtrack (which the original game sorely needed!). The latter was a rather cheesy interactive movie of sorts. But getting back, if you’re any fan of platforming games, then Mega Man 8 belongs in your library. The definitive Saturn version is an absolute must.

Ahh, Saturn Bomberman. The pinnacle of the series. Sure you had him on the Super Nintendo, the Nintendo 64, the Game Cube, the Game Boy, the TurboGrafx-16, the Sega Genesis, the PlayStation, the Dreamcast, the Sega Super Neo 32X 64 360, and just about every other blasted console since the original NES version, but Bomberman’s Saturn excursion stands tall over them all. Considered one of the greatest multiplayer franchises ever made, it’s little surprise that Saturn Bomberman’s greatness is in no small part attributed to its staggering 10 player Battle mode capability. That’s right kids, up to 10 players worth of frantic bomb throwing action. I remember buying Saturn Bomberman and on the same day I picked up four extra controllers and two six-player adapters, knowing full well that no other Saturn game would require that many peripherals. But no other game was necessary. This is literally THE REASON to own a six-player adapter. Hook up two of them, scrounge together 10 controllers and 9 friends and it’s sheer lunacy; the type of insane, addictive fun that needs to be experienced to be appreciated. And this is on top of the supported 4-player online play via the Saturn’s Netlink. For the unfamiliar, Bomberman’s gameplay centers on players navigating various mazes while using bombs to pave their way through the brick and any opponents. Besides battle, the game features a 1-2 player story mode where the objective is to defeat the diabolical plans of Bomberman’s long time rival Mr. Meanie. There’s also master mode, which is a series of courses in which you are rated according to how fast and how well you complete each course. Both pale in comparison to battle mode, but do provide a fulfilling single player experience. A unique addition to Saturn Bomberman is Dinosaurs which hatch out of eggs. Coming in 5 different colors, each type has a different ability from jumping over enemies and blocks to sending out a sonar beacon to tell which bricks are hiding power-ups, of which there are several to discover. And if you truly want to master the way of the bomb you must master the power-ups. There’s the Kick power-up that allows you to kick a planted bomb across the screen, sometimes directly onto the head of your enemies. You have the Power Glove which allows you to pick up and throw a planted bomb. And my personal favorite, the Remote, allows bombs to be planted and detonated whenever you wish. These among many others add endless strategy and excitement to an already frenzied game. The graphics are the best out of any 2D versions of the series with more animations, vibrant colors, and the best battlefields of any Bomberman title. But know this isn’t the most technically advanced looking game you’ll ever see. It’s not supposed to be. This isn’t some awkward looking quasi-3D version of Bomberman that hampers gameplay like Atomic Bomberman for the PC and PSOne. The art style, the fun, the effortlessness of gameplay stays true to the soul of the series. To get right to it, this is all about blowing the other guy up. That’s the beauty of Bomberman. Its simplicity. Its pick up and playability. Anyone can play and once they do they become uncontrollably addicted. And with more options, more new power-ups, and the most extensive multiplayer capabilities ever, it’s impossible not to become obsessed like never before. If you want a reason to own a Saturn, this is it. Saturn Bomberman is arguably the best Bomberman game ever created and as a result one of the best multiplayer games off all time.

Devil Summoner is a Shin Megami Tensei game, and like Persona, is a Megaten spin off not directly connected with the parent line in this franchise. The Devil Summoner line was a Sega Saturn exclusive (as Persona was the PSX spinoff) and like Persona, this spin off achieved a stronger level of popularity than the original SMT games, with Devil Summoner being re-released a whopping THREE times (The original, the special boxed version, and the Saturn collector’s edition). In Devil Summoner, you have a typical Megaten character (High School/College student) who is forced into events beyond his understanding and must come to grips with the fact reality is not as stable as he previously assumed. In the game, your main character is rescued by a mysterious Devil Summoner. Through a chain of wacky events, your soul becomes places within the Summoner’s body and you are infused with his powers. You and a girl named Rei, along with your demon horde must then save your girlfriend from Things That Should Not Be. Unlike Persona, which has a more Lovecraftian feel to it, and SMT which has a more apocalyptic theme to it, Devil Summoner is best classified as “Cyberpunk Horror” which recaptures the mood and feel of the very first Megami Tensei game. In Devil Summoner, there are a lot less random battles than normal, and like the Last Bible Megaten Spin off, you recruit demons, instead of gaining their ‘cards’ like in Persona. You can talk to demons instead of fighting them, which is a staple in Megaten games, but there is a loyalty system to boot, meaning that if your party or your main character has a different alignment from the demon you are trying to recruit, you will almost always be unsuccessful. You can also fuse your demons together to make a new, more powerful one. There are literally hundreds of demons that can join your party, all springing from mythology and folklore, another constant aspect of the Megaten series. In all, Devil Summoner is considered the easiest of the Megaten games, although there are a few tough dungeons. The game’s focus is less on man vs god, and a much stronger emphasis on humans vs. humans, with demons and spirits playing a minor role; an irony considered the title of this game. The one lone fault of Devil Summoner is that you really need a strong knowledge of Japanese due to the text heavy nature of this game. Conversing with demons about philosophical aspects on existence is far easier when you’re not playing “Random button pushing.” If you can read it, then by all means, track down a copy of this game (very cheap when you find it) and enjoy a well written, and enjoyable game that features a lot of customization and more demons than you can shake a stick at.