The Official Sega Saturn Gaming Thread

[Lord Spencer]

With the Saturn, Sega have completely dropped of the console space in a lot fo the world. Sony were dominating with the Playstation, and Nintendo's late entry into the market with the N64 completely buried them. In many ways, the decisions Sega made prior to the Saturn era, and during it, have greatly contributed to the downfall of the company.

This is why, the Saturn has a bum reputation even among Sega fans. It killed their beloved company and have setup the Dreamcast to fail.

However, the system still has its fans, and its 2D abilities are considered the best by some of its fans. It's position as the third prong in the console war meant that it could take some risks with its games, and meant that it didn't need to chase the graphical power race between Nintendo and Sony.

Regardless, I have not played any Saturn game before, and that's why I am very interested coming into this review series. I want to be pleasantly surprised with offbeat games, hidden gems, and generally have a good time.

Like with my other review series, I am going to use a top 100 list as a basis for my reviews, this time again from Retro Sanctuary:
Top 100 Saturn Games from Retro Sanctuary


So, I am going to review games that interest me from that list from 100 to 1. Like with my other review list, I am not going to review:

•    Games I already played (does not apply here).
   
•  Sports and Racing games; these genres have only gotten better with time.
   
•  Multiplayer Focused games, so that takes party and fighting games off the mix.
   
•  Genres and games that don't interest me at all, I am simply terrible at shmups.
  

[Lord Spencer]

#100

Game: Bug!.
Year: 1995.
Genre: Platformer.
Publisher: Sega.
Developer: Realtime Associates.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

Sega obviously rushed the release of the Saturn. Hearing about Sony's upcoming console, they wanted to be first in the scene to try and imitate their early console advantage of the 16bit era. Maybe that is why they didn't have their big guns ready at the start. Specially missing was their newly iconic mascot Sonic the Hedgehog.

Which is why Bug, the titular character of Bug!, was actually conceived and developed as a possible mascot for the Saturn. Both the character and the game were made to represent the capabilities of the new console. That was a big mistake.

Chucking the entire thing into the ocean would have been a better demonstration.

"Local bug scored Hollywood movie role"

Bug is an obnoxious mascot character in an obnoxious game with an obnoxious premise.

There is a reason humans have a natural aversion to bugs. In trying to overcome that aversion, media like Pixar's Bug's Life try to add some charisma to make us care. Realtime Associate's version of that attempt is making Bug the unlikely movie star of a new Hollywood movie, with the game being that movie.

Maybe, this was a good premise. However, the directors forgot to imbue their creations with any charisma. Bug is a poorly designed insect wrecking havoc, very slow havoc, in a poorly designed world. At best, these characters remind us of C level 90's kids shows. However, they mesh poorly together, and in an ugly world make for a terrible design.

Then was the decision to add some voice acting clips.

Here is where the entire thing falls apart, as Bug's lines cement the obnoxious nature of the game. A hundred times in each level, he would scream inane lines in the most nasal voice imaginable. Kiss these antenna's goodbye, kiss these antennas goodbye, kissss theeesee antennaaaaas goooodbyeeee. Whatever charm the design had completely collapses once Bug sounds his lines (without opening his mouth).

So, the game miserably fails as a mascot platformer from the get-go, because the mascot himself is completely unlikable. The closest I can compare the game' style with is Earthworm Jim. Both have an unlikely creature as a mascot and actually use similar style and attempts at humor. However, Earthworm Jim manages to craft an entire charming universe where Bug fumbles at the first spoken word.

"Kiss these antennas goodbye"

Maybe, just maybe, if the gameplay was good then the obnoxious shell it is in can be forgiven.

First, credit must be given to the game's technical accomplishments in the beginning of the 5th generation. Bug! is nearly a 3D platformer. I say nearly because there is no true 3D movement. Instead, Bug goes into the traditional 2D axis, but can also go into the screen. Except, he can only move in a straight line in whichever axis he engages with at the moment.

This translates to a psuedo-3D platformer where there is an additional axis into and out of the screen.

Too bad the whole thing is slow, unresponsive, and downright boring.

Split into 6 zones, each with three levels and a boss, the game actually has a good amount of content. Bug walks, jumps over enemies, and can gain a spitting powerup starting from the 3rd zone. He also gets access to a timed super mode and a limited zapping powerup. There are also some bonus  mini-games you access by exchanging coins with a zany spider (the only good thing about the game).

It is actually in one of these mini-games where the dullness of the game becomes extremely apparent. In a Sonic cameo, yo are tasked with racing the blue blur and getting the trophies in the way. While Bug saunters forward with his slow animation, Sonic is in the background with his traditional moving fast animation. Except, he is moving as if running in molasses, as if the entire game is played from a slow motion camera.

With its labyrinthine levels, with basic and boring platforming, a variety of technical blemishes, the game is a chore to play.

"Warning! Kamikaze cicadas"

One highlight could have been the bosses. Honestly, they are well-designed, and the fights against them can be exciting. Yet, there is something fundamentally wrong here.

With its unresponsive mechanics, wonky hitboxes, and general looseness, the game is usually generous with health items. Except against bosses, where they can one-hit kill you and have a ton of health point.

The same fight with a third of its length is exciting and varied. When something good is tripled, it does not necessarily retain its quality. When you consider that the original game did not have a save system (not even passwords), then it becomes doubly insulting that Realtime Associates put in such artificial difficulty barriers between zones.

"And so the story ends"

As an early game with 3D sprites and environment, Bug! can be excused in the graphical department. In actuality, apart from the poor artistic design, the game's sprites are not that terrible. The levels themselves, floating in space with a 2D background in the fr horizon, are not insulting, just boring.

The CGI clips are early CGI, with all the blemishes expected, but there is something historical to appreciate here.

That is clearly what the first reviewers of this game thought. Damn, these are working 3D graphics, and the whole thing can be excused.

What can never be excused though is the game's poor "musical" score. Clearly influenced by jazz, the game's soundtrack attempt to have that sweet jazzy beats. It fails. Which is not weird considering the game's entire sound design fails. From the nasal sound bites to the terrible sound effects.

Why then would the soundtrack be any good?

In Conclusion:

I like Stephen Spielberg movies. Great director.

Seeing the game and the character in the Consumer Electronics Show back in 1995, Spielberg declare: "This is the character! This is the character that is going to do it for Saturn". Between this quote and the E.T. travesty that sunk Atari, I think Spielberg should be kept away from any gaming related thing.

Due to its technical achievement, Bug! was actually well-received back in the day by critics. However, it was mostly ignore by fans, and its superior (not very difficult to do) sequel was heavily blasted.

Bug! didn't do it for Saturn, didn't do it for himself, and surely didn't do it for me.

Final: 3/10

Pros:

• It is a technical achievement at the time.
  

Cons:

• Terrible character.
  
• Boring platforming.
  
• Long labyrinthine levels.
  
• Unbalanced bosses.
  
• Bad music and sound.
  
• Kiss these antennas goodbye
  

"Tips"
1- Don't play the game.
2- If you are going to play it, try and finish it quickly, no need to "explore" the boring levels.
3- Jump while using the spit attack in order to move and shoot (Bug stops to spit otherwise).
4- Go to the bonus stages to get some lives.
5- Direct your jump after you hit the jump button, this is not like normal better platformers.


"Next Game"

I expected this and so I am not surprised. I knew I would start my review series with a bad game, and Bug! is a bad game. Maybe a historically important one, but a bad game nonetheless. Its place in this review series is then s something to compare against, a bottom of the pit, because I do not expect a list of the top 100 Saturn games to have a game that is worse than this.

Next game in the list, at #97 is Gex, another character envisioned as a Mascot to compete with Mario and Sonic. Originally conceived as a a mascot for the unfortunate 3DO console, it was then ported to the Saturn and PS1. The Saturn is generally considered as the better version.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

#97

Game: Gex.
Year: 1996.
Genre: Platformer.
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics.
Developer: Crystal Dynamics, Beam Software.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

With the impending start of the fifth generation of videogame consoles, The 3DO Company wanted to revolutionize the console market with their new 3DO console. Of course, the 3DO Company realized they needed a mascot character to compete with Mario and Sonic, and Crystal Dynamics obliged that need with Gex. A green gecko mascot to rival Sega's blue and Nintendo's red.

It can be surmised that the failure of the 3DO, is then in part, a failure of Gex. Yet, that would be a very unfair conclusion. Even though Gex is as dead a mascot as he can be, his debut was not bad at all.

In fact, it puts him square in the running for best failed mascot of the 90s.

"That's what I call getting some tail"

Gex is an obnoxious mascot character in an obnoxious game with an obnoxious premise.

I could have easily started my review of this game the same way I started my review of Bug!. After all, two of the statements above are entirely correct. However, the difference is that Gex was designed from the ground up to be somehow obnoxious, and that's infinitely better than accidentally becoming so.

Gex is a designed in a quintessentially 90s way, with an attempt at being cool obvious n ever facet of his design. From his sly eyes to the sarcastic one-liners, Gex oozes a specific kind of personality. Unlike other mascots of the time, this gecko is not content on being a silent protagonist.

No, instead, he is going to continue making snarky comments, punchlines, and references. Honestly, a lot of his lines are genuinely funny. Even hearing them for the tenth time, the voice actor does such a good job that it is never grating. And when there is a one-liners author credit at the end, you know some real effort went into writing them.

That is true especially because the rest of the game compliments Gex's character. The game start with the evil "thing" Rez zapping our hero into the TV world. Gex then must travel through TV and pop-culture inspired levels to save himself. Here is where good character design is built, by changing Gex's library of lines depending on the level, the developers actively build-up the character.

It could have been very easy seeing Gex fail as a character. Instead, he manages to succeed, in perhaps the most endurable yet obnoxious way.

"Let's get back to the mystery van"

Unlike the travesty that was most of the early 5th generation 3D platformers, Crystal Dynamics decided to stick to the true and tested 2D platformer to show their mascot. This decisions means that they can take much inspiration from an already proven genre. Yet, it also means that Gex would be compared to excellent platformers like Sonic, Mario and Donkey Kong Country.

Knowing that, Gex offers a new way to traverse his levels; utilizing his unique lizard traits to clib up the walls.  He can attach himself to nearly ever surface in the game, and in some cases the background itself. This added a different layer to a typical 2D game, with an ability to navigate the 2D realm in different ways.

Other than his climbing abilities, Gex can use his tail to bash enemies as well as get a variety of useful power ups. Other than the customary invisibility power up, there are also three offensive power ups that add some serious "fire" power to Gex's breath.

However, there is something lacking in the characters movement. Everything feels a little bit clunkier and slower that it should be. One thing the game doesn't take from other platformers is the ability to jump on enemies; Gex must always wack them instead. That robs him from a serious momentum boost.

Otherwise, the game is rarely challenging, with only the final set of levels providing any modicum of difficulty. In some way, I understand the lack of challenge. The game is not fast and precise enough, so adding in some platforming difficulties would probably only serve to make it more frustrating than fun.

"I wanna be... the Rocket Man"

To showcase his abilities, Gex goes to some 18 or so levels and some bosses. Generally, the levels follow the Sonic formula of labyrinthine levels rather the more focused Nintendo style. Except, where Sonic's mechanics invite the player to try and master them in a variety of paths, Gex is never that kind of game.

As such, the longer levels do not feel like adding in value as much as stretching out content. They are not boring in any way, but they are dangerously close to being so.

It is only when the levels really are built around an idea that they shine. One example is maze-like level with doors changing the time from day to night. Another good example is a level that utilizes Gex's abilities well by having a conveyor belt both in the roof and the floor.

In the other hand, the bosses are in no way repetitive, with each having a unique and satisfying fight. Not easy fights, but fights that are fair and take just the right amount of time. That is excepting the final boss though, which deserves is a frustrating test of patience.

"Gecko Fry. Never Closes"

I already mentioned that Crystal Dynamics were very smart to stick with 2D gameplay with their Mascot introduction. Experience in the 3D realm and with polygon graphics have yet to be properly built, and consumers would be turned off by an ugly polygonal mess.

Instead, Gex opts to be one damn fine looking 2D platformer.

Let's get Gex himself out of the way though. While he doesn't look in any way bad, there is some clashing against the rest of the environment, almost as if he is juxtaposed against it. It is jarring at first, but you quickly get used to it.

Other than that, the environments look good, and the character design is uniformly great. In each of the game's five worlds, it offers different characters that fit really well with the theme. Especially in the Chinatown world, which looks like an excellent place for Joe Musashi to be in. A special mention should be made for the level's backgrounds, which are simply great to look at.

2D art have aged really well. The same cannot be said of the FMV scenes though, which may have been impressive at the time but only serve to remind you of how old you are today.

As for the music, it is somewhat limited in the number of its tracks, but is generally of really good quality. Of course, in saying it is of generally really good quality, I am emphatically excluding the terrible credit song. One of the best songs is the Kungfu Ville stage song, which uses the Asian influence quite well while also having some energetic beats to it.

Finally, the voice acting for Gex is quite good. With the amount of lines he says, my impression of the game may have been very different if that wasn't the case.

In Conclusion:

Gex is an obnoxious character, and that's why he works.

He is the quintessential forgotten 90s mascot, full with quips and cool, so much that he has no other decade to go to. The 2000s wouldn't accept him, nor would he work out today.

The 3DO failed, and while Gex survived its failure for sometime, he eventually disappeared. At least no one can take his debut away from him, nor the distinction of being the best sold game on the 3DO.

Final: 7/10

Pros:

• Gex works as a character.
  
• Very Good 2D Graphics and good music.
  
• Doesn't overstay its welcome.
  

Cons:

• Slow and easy gameplay.
  

"Tips"
1- If you get hit you lose the powerup.
2- You can attack while you are attached to the walls.
3- The remotes you need to get are never hidden out of your way.
4- Extra paths don't have anything more useful than extra lives or powerups.


"Next Game"

So, it is great the next game in the list is not as terrible as freaking Bug!, even it its not exactly a great game. If anything, it is a solid 2D platformer that successfully launched the career of on gecko character.

Next game in the list is another Crystal Dynamic game; The Horde which sit at #95. It's a unique strategy action hybrid that was originally made for the 3DO and then ported to the Saturn and the PC.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

#93

Game: Pandemonium!.
Year: 1997.
Genre: Platformer.
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics.
Developer: Toys for Bob.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

Pandemonium is yet another Crystal Dynamics platformer, but it is one of their lease known titles. Originally released on the PS1 in 1996, the game was overshadowed by Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot. It then went on to be ported nearly everywhere, with the Saturn getting probably the best version.

It's one of the earliest 2.5D games in the market, and through some impressive innovation at the time, in provided solid 2D gameplay in a moving 3D world.

"I am Youngo. Oh.... (Chomps an entire village) YUM"

The game starts with an admittedly not so bad CGI cut-scene. In that scene the girl character and the jester accidentally summons a monster that eats their entire village. In order to reverse that spell, they must travel far to a wishing well and wish their spell away.

Initially, I thought this would be the start of a more involved platformer, but as evidenced by my own forgetfulness of the two character's names, any semblance of plot goes out of the window. Instead, there is only a vaguely fantasy medieval setting and soundtrack to pick up the narrative slack.

Of course, you are not going into a platforming game, especially in the 1990s, for any narrative depth. However, there is an expectation that the characters somehow carry the game. That's never the case with the girl and the jester, who are utterly forgettable in an utterly forgettable world.

Maybe that's unfair to the world, which tries its best to be a good fantasy medieval setting. For half the levels, where the setting is against a background of lush greenery or mystic cloud, Pandemonium shines as a game. In the other half, with boring deserts and samey swamps, the game's character becomes like that of its main characters; unrecognizable and mundane.

"Let's go tuts, make with the boo boo"

With two characters to choose from, the game offers two somewhat similar ways to play. The girl can do a double jump, and the jester has a flipping attack that defeats enemies. Since you can defeat enemies by jumping into them or shooting them with one of three similar power-ups, the girl is the obvious choice unless you are like 7 years old me who refused to play as a girl.

The jester becomes more like an unofficial hard mode, since the double jump makes everything easier. It also makes the game more fun. Since exploring the stage and finding shortcuts to go over obstacles is a significant part in each level, the double jump allows you to more easily access that.

Stages are not very varied though, with a lot of them sort of bleeding into each other. It's basic platforming gameplay, with a hop and bop style that is at times fast, and at others very deliberate.

That's mostly due to the camera.

Since this is a 2.5D games, the game's 3D engine does a lot of camera tricks. Sometimes it zooms too close, and that's when it becomes hard to avoid obstacles and enemies. The game is best when the camera changes your perspective as you go, so that the player sometimes goes into the stage or out of it, and that showcases the excellent 2D backgrounds and hides the limitations of the polygonal stages.

"I hereby wish for a chicken"

While Pandemonium's core gameplay is nothing to write about, it is solid enough most of the time. However, there is a duality to it that I think is the cause of disparity in level quality. It's evidenced by the game's access to bonus stages, which require getting 80% of all the level's treasure (coins).

In some levels, playing the best route, finishing the level as fast as you can, and generally being really good at platforming, naturally nets you that 80% count. That means that the level was designed with optimal play in mind, and those are the best levels.

Other levels seem like they want you to explore all paths to get that bonus, which means going over the two or three paths the level offers for you to choose from. That's just weird, and throws in some labyrinthine design without any rhyme or reason. In those cases, the game seems to drag on.

Bosses are one area where its consistently challenging and good. Which is not hard when you only have three bosses. They combine some light puzzle solving with a lot of jumping around, and they make the most of the 3D engine.

"Think we are gonna need another wish"

Outside of the admittedly good CGI cut-scenes, the game's polygonal design have not aged well, but have not aged terribly. They look fine, especially when the camera zones out. What's weird is that the levels are not islands in the sky, but try to have a logic within the natural world.

Of course, the 3D polygons can't hold a candle against the gorgeous 2D backgrounds, which in their design truly sells the fantasy medieval setting. One thing the camera does is showcase this marriage between 2D and 3D very well, adding some depth to the level as well as the background.

While the graphics are not the best, what let's down the production department is the god awful sound direction.

The music is suitable and good half the time, and annoyingly repetitive in the other half. That's not bad enough to condemn the game though. What is bad is the gloriously terrible sound effects.

While the 'boing' jumping sound is annoying, some of the other sound effects are genuinely offensive. In a series of level where some firework things attack you, their screeching sound drowned out the soundtrack and nearly broke my speakers.

In Conclusion:

Back in the day, I actually player this game a little on the PS1, and had some good memories with it. However, there is a reason I didn't actually complete it, and now I figured out that reason. The initial impression doesn't hold.

Pandemonium is half a good game, with one half showcasing some very good graphics, with good gameplay and sound. However, there is another face to the game, and that's one that is simply boring, with sub-par levels showcasing the most mundane aspects of it's gameplay and production values.

Then there is that SCREEEEECHING sound.

Final: 5/10

Pros:

• Very Good Half of a Game.
  
• Effective Use of the 2.5D Design.
  

Cons:

• Boring Half of a Game.
  
• Inconsistent Level Design.
  
• THAT SCREEEECHING SOUND.
  

"Tips"
1- Just Pick the Girl.
2- Usually, the safest ways involve jumping over birds to keep at the highest level of the stage.
3- There is no real difference between powerups.
4- There are some permanent power ups that increase the number of your hearts, I stumbled on them by accident.
5- Bosses will probably require you to have more than the initial two hearts you start with.
6- Health recovers only when you die or get some health, it doesn't recover when you finish a stage.


"Next Game"

I really wanted this game to justify the good memories I had with it in the past. Now, I realize it was probably not worth begging my Uncle to let me play it then. Probably had to do some chores to get the "privilege".

Next game in the list is the first, but not last, Tactical RPG. At #91, this game has two names depending on the region; Blazing Heroes and Mystaria: The Realms of Lore. Published and developed by Sega, this was another TRPG to rival their own Shining Force series.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

#91

Game: Blazing Heroes/Mystaria: The Realms of Lore.
Year: 1995.
Genre: Tactical RPG.
Publisher: Sega.
Developer: Sega, Microcabin.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

If anyone suggested that Sega's newest console would almost launch with a Sega developed and published Tactical RPG, everyone would have thought a new Shining Force game was on the way.

Instead, Sega, ever the intelligent decision-makers, decided to make another unrelated Tactical RPG instead, with Shining Force not being released for a couple of years still.

The resulting game, Blazing Heroes (changed due to copyright reasons from Mystaria: The Realms of Lore), is not a carbon-copy replacement, nor is it of the same caliber. However, it is a solid TRPG with a lot to offer, and its fair share of aging pains.

"A legendary battle which will change the face of history has now begun"

The most striking thing about Blazing Heroes is how it heralds the beginning of a new gaming generation in many ways other than the obvious graphical progress. It does so by offering its narrative front and center, to be parallel to the actual gameplay for the overall experience.

Beginning with CGI cutscenes and an opening narrative, but continuing with dialogue exchanges between the various characters in the story. In total, the narrative is almost twice as much as Shining Force II on the Genesis, despite being a shorter game.

Of course, the fact there is more story doesn't automatically mean its a better one. Sure enough, Blazing Heroes offers nothing new, other than a basic evil warlord with possible greater evil threat behind him. This works well initially, especially due to the deliciously evilness of Lord Bane, the most evil of warlord.

In many ways, Lord Bane could have been an iconic villain for his time. His evil lines often equal or better those with more infamy such as Kefka from Final Fantasy VI or Dracula from the Castlevania series.

However, he is proof that just as a hero is defined by his nemesis, so is a nemesis is defined by the hero. Since Prince Aragon and his motley crew are such wet napkins, the whole story starts falling flat in the end.

Initially, this didn't seem to be the case, with both the dialogue and overall narrative feeling tight and well-directed. However, the dialogue starts losing style, and obvious grammatical and translation errors start appearing regularly. By the end of the game, the quantity of dialogue starts working against the game, with the characters only losing likeability as their spoken words revels in sloppiness.

Overall, Blazing Heroes could have been a solid story built on a well-tested narrative, but early generational localization makes it sloppier than it should have been.

"You are traitorous rebels. To me, you are gnats to be swatted away"

Like Shining Force and Fire Emblem, Blazing Heroes is a Tactical RPG, with characters moving and fighting in a grind in turn-based battles. Unlike those two, the characters in this game have much more options, and there are less of them in the field. This is similar to another Tactical RPG hybrid game on the PSOne, Arc the Lad.

To explain the difference:

In Shining Force, each characters can move and either attack or defend. Maybe they have another mode of attack, but they rarely have more than three options, and the attacks rarely consider multiple enemies. In Blazing Heroes, attacks have considerably more range, magic is more heavily utilized, and each character have several choices. Overall, this makes for a game leaning more on the RPG side than the tactical one.

Generally, battles are mostly in the easy side. That's because Aragon and Raiko are always in your party, and Raiko can become a one-man army by the end. It doesn't mean that the game becomes mostly busy works, as the fights are fast enough that you keep having fun, although there is one integral issue.

"Twelve brave warriors to banish the dark lord forever"

Each battle, you can choose six characters, each with a unique class from classical brawlers to mages. In the actual fight, you finish your turn before the enemy can move. In your turn, you can move around the field and use your skills. Depending on how much you move, you may not be able to use some skills. The more you use a skill, you can unlock other more powerful skills in that category. Which means that despite standby characters gaining some experience, you must use a character in order to unlock the skills that make them viable later on.

Due to the way that characters level up their skills, there become little incentive to care about using characters equally, as it just handicaps you in fights, and keeps you away from gaining the most powerful moves for your key players.

With only 6 slots (Which may be useful for the turns not dragging on too much) per match, with two always fixed, this means that half of your team is in the wayside.

This may be a spoiler, but make sure at least three members of your standby team are halfway competent with their skills, and make sure all of them are equipped with the rest of the team. That will avoid creating an unwinnable situation at the end of the game.

As such, even when there is variety in characters and attacks, the game really boils down to using the most powerful attack and steamrolling your way to victory. Only when it surprises you with a sudden difficulty spike or a need to use underutilized characters does the game approach any level of challenge.

"How do we know we can trust hi? After all, he is a Ninja (RACISTS)"

For the time, Blazing Heroes was a significant step forward in graphical design. It had CGI cut-scenes, 3D animated polygonal models, a full rotatable camera, and was a clear indication of the 5th generation as a step forward.

Therefore, it's also a clear indication of how badly the 5th generation's polygonal graphics have aged (especially early one).

It's not that the game's graphics are incompetent in any way; it is the best that could have been produced in 1995. All polygonal models are unique, animations are choppy in a way but camera changes when the attacks happen add some much needed depth an action. Backgrounds and the environment are certainly ugly, with poor textures and lighting.

Just that there are no attempts to actually distract from the ugly polygons. For instance, Final Fantasy VII had those boxy character models. However, with the excellent 2D portraits s well as 2D backgrounds, it made them more tolerable.

The fact that the character's portraits are also their same polygonal in-game models just reinforces the ugliness of the graphics.

Musically, the game does not particularly excel nor does it fail. I liked the soundtrack without getting bored with any track, which is positive for a TRPG. One thing to be thankful for is, unlike the negative comments of some reviewers in the past, that there is no voice acting. The worst parts of this game's dialogue would have been much more cringe if actually voiced.

In Conclusion:

Back in the Saturn's original launch, Blazing Heroes would have been a great game to have. I can even see some play it twice just to try out the characters they didn't use. However, that was not the case for long, as games in the fifth generation quickly outgrew it, and games from past generations aging much better.

It's simply game that occupies the early band of a console's library, where its unique selling points are no longer unique, and its shortcomings are clearer because of that.

Final: 6/10

Pros:

• Solid TRPG gameplay.
  
• Variety of Characters to use.
  

Cons:

• Graphics have aged badly.
  
• Little reason to change party members.
  
• Lack of fair challenge.
  

"Tips"
1- At one point, when your party split up, make sure to save before you do so.
2- For latter matches, you will need your Elf archer or age to pull up a shield.
4- For near the end game, you will need a magic shield, so use a physical shield whenever possible to unlock it.
5- Using skills unlock newer stronger skills.
6- Enemies may be leveled according to your own level, but skills are important too. Make sure you have at least three competent fighters in your B team.
7- You usually can earn enough money to buy the strongest equipment as you passively play the game. The strongest equipment are in treasure chests.
8- Equipment that are strong but have side effects are not worth it at all.
9- Raiko easily becomes the strongest fighter in the game if you level up his Ninja skills.


"Next Game"

This is one game that I enjoyed, but that I think few others would have the patience to go through. It has little to add over much more accomplished games in the genre, and instead serves as a teaser of what the genre is capable off.

Next game on the list is running a little amok at #88, title Amok (get the joke). From what I have seen, I expect this would be a short and negative review.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

In their top 100 Saturn games, Retro Sanctuary didn't have many ringers in the last 10 in the list. From numver 100 to the 91st game, there were some unique games, and even the start of a moderately successful mascot's career. Most of all, these were early 3D games in the fifth generation, and they have suffered as a result. While Gex is probably the only one worth playing today, some of these games are intresting in their own right.

Bug! can go to hell though.

100- Bug! (1995): Check the Review

• Genre: Platformer.


• Publihser: Sega, Developer: Realtime Associates.

With no Sonic game ready for their console launch, Sega thought they could get away by aking another iconic mascot for their platform. Bug! proved that making a mascot platformer is not easy, being a game so devoid of personality or fun, making it the perfect vehicle for such a drab mascot as the titular Bug.

This is a game best forgotten, but should be remembered a little bit for the hilariously wrong Stephen Spielberg quote, where he said that this character would be the one "to do it for the Saturn". If by do it, he meant kill it clean off the gates, then he may have been on to something.

99- NBA Action! (1996):

• Genre: Sport Action.


• Publihser: Sega, Developer: Grey Matter.

NBA Action!  was Sega's exclusive basket ball sport game, based on the show with the same name. The game had many of the teams of the time, and was generally well-regarded in some ways, but not enough to continue a successful franchise. Fro what I played, I didn't get a glimpse of the game's complexity in controls, and generally found defense to be lacking.

Still, my lack of knowledge of both basketball and sport action games in general meant this title is not for me.

98- Street Racer! (1996):

• Genre: Kart Racing.


• Publihser: Ubisoft, Developer: Vivid Image.

This is a game that was released on every console under the sun. Street Racer! was one of those kart racers that just happened to be made after Mario Kart. What made this one more unique was the looney tunes style brawling in the game, which involved a lot more frequent fighting and less actual racing.

I played the game and didn't like it much. The tracks were hectic and confusing, the driving wasn't fun, and everything was too chaotic for me to get a grip on anything. Mostly, I think the zoomed in camera made things worse, and the game lacked charisma.

97- Gex! (1996): Check the Review

• Genre: Platformer.


• Publihser: Crystal Dynamics, Developer: Crystal Dynamics, Beam Software.

Ooh how did this Gecko dissapear. Before his premature demise, Gex was another one of the attitude era mascots, starting with the decent Gex! on the ill-fated 3DO. Because this game did not blindely follow the 3D craze and instead opted for a solid 2D game, it survived the ravishes of time and is a good game even now.

What it lacks in innovation or depth, it has in some attitude.

96- Hexen: Beyond Heretic (1997):

• Genre: FPS.


• Publihser: id Software, Developer: Raven Software.

For some reason, there was a trend of porting early PC FPS games like Doom into consoles, in the process distorting them beyond any parity and producing several inferior versions of the game. Hexen: Beyond Heretic is such a game, one that has multiple better versions that should be played rather than this one.

The game itself was pretty divisive, with some really liking it and other hating its guts.

95- The Horde (1995):

• Genre: RTS.


• Publihser: Crystal Dynamics, Developer: Toys for Bop.

I have to say that this is one game I wish I could learn how to play. It is a very interesting concept. First, you build your city and you defenses, and then have to defend them in real time action gameplay. Its a uniqe mach-up of genres that was very well-recieved back in the day. However, it lacks many of the quality-of-life features we take for granted today, and it is a serious pain trying to learn how to play it.

Also, the game is ported elsewhere, with the PC having a better version of the game.

94- High Velocity-Mountain Racing Challenge (1996):

• Genre: Arcade Racing.


• Publihser: Atlus, Developer: Cave.

There are many arcade racers in the fifth generation that look very similar, but play differently with their racing mechanics. High Velocity is fast and furious, with some serious skill needed to beat the relentless computer. Of course, you can get a lot of practice in one of the only three courses available, using samey boxy cars, in a game that reuses its assets more than washed-out comedian uses their jokes.

Seriously, this game is a shell of a full game, with less content than a typical demo-disk in the day.

93- Pandemonium! (1996): Check my Review

• Genre: Platformer.


• Publihser: Crystal Dynamics, Developer: Toys for Bob.

This is one game that I played a little back then, but never ocmpleted. As such, I remeber that it was a game that I had fun with, but not to the extent that I wanted to finish it. That perception is more justified now, as the game lacks the tightness and challenge necessary to be an attractive platformer.

It also has one level with such damn SCREEEECHING sound.

92- Madden 98' (1997):

• Genre: Sport Action.


• Publihser: EA, Developer: EA.

This another game in the storied American Football (handegg) franchise, and so I know little to nothing about it, and am not intrested in playing it. One intresting thing to note about this yearly release is that it is the last one to utilize 2D sprites in a 3D playing field. All later games started using a proper 3D engine.

91- Blazing Heroes/Mystaria: The Realms of Lore (1995): Check my Review

• Genre: TRPG.


• Publihser: Sega, Developer: Sega, Microcabin.

Finally, with a game that is competent in many levels, but have aged badly without offering anything unique or special to compensate for that. Blazing Heroes was a solid TRPG back in the day, but that is not enough to intice us now, not when there are many games in the genre much worth your time.

With aging graphics, bad dialouge, and a lack of challenge, this is a game that can be enjoyed but will not be remembered. At least its core villain, Lord Bane, is something to admire.

*********************************

This report is a consolidated review of the top 100 list by Retro Sanctuary. It features the reviews I made for the list, but also has a brief paragraph about each game in the list that I didn't review. For games without an official review, the opinions I express is purely based on some little playing time and general research about the game and its reception at the time.

[Lord Spencer]

#81

Game: Shining Wisdom.
Year: 1995 Japan. 1996 NA.
Genre: Action Adventure.
Publisher: Sega, Working Designs.
Developer: Camelot Software.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

Sega's Shining series has always been one of many genres and possibilities. It started as a dungeon crawler RPG, and it thrived as one of the best SRPG franchises in the 16bit generation. As such, it was only natural that it takes a stab at the action adventure genre dominated by Nintendo's Legend of Zelda series.

Shining Wisdom is the result. A game set in the Shining universe, but with gameplay that is similar to Zelda without being a direct clone.

What is most apparent though, is that this is a game made for the Genesis, but was late enough to be released on the Saturn instead.

"The circle is coming around yet again. Behold! Your greatest trial lies just ahead..."

One thing that is surprising about Shining Wisdom is that it had a decent story and some witty writing. Which was atypical for the tie, especially for Sega RPGs which generally had poorer localization than on Sony's or Nintendo's platforms.

While not a breakthrough in narrative design, Shining Wisdom manages to hold interest in the game's world by consistent narrative engagement. As Mars, the mostly silent protagonist of the game, you are tasked with stopping the evil schemes of Pazort, whose four minions released four elemental god-like beings to resurrect some god-like great evil.

Riveting stuff, it is not. However, the game keeps the story in the forefront, and as such is more rewarding narrative-wise than A Link to the Past, for example.

What is really interesting about the story though is the conversations you can have with the town's people and castle guards. These conversations are mix off regular RPG jargon, backstory exposition, objective explanations, but also some really funny stuff. Including, but not limited to, some video game references.

Something I wish the game did more off is continue with the eventful beginning of the game. At the start, there was a reason to get into a dungeon more so than getting the magic McGuffin. Whether it was to increase your standing as a novice guard, or to escort a goose princess into a magic tree, it added an objective for Mars other than a gameplay device.

"I am Pazort, Master of Subversion! Soon all Palacia will cower before me! HA HA HA HA HA..."

Pazrort's scheme is a simple gameplay segregation tool. Release four elemental, each in one dungeon, and then converge into a final place to resurrect an ancient monster.

It neatly segregates the game's world into at least five dungeons for the player to beat. Only thing he forgot to do was kidnap the princess and keep her for the end. That part is resolved much earlier.

The game looks and controls similar to the Legend of Zelda SNES game. It is a top-down view, and the game world is open with dungeons and enemies strewn around. It is mostly linear progression though, as abilities gained in one dungeon are needed to access or beat the next.

Of course, this is the same satisfying gameplay feed-back loop that made Zelda famous, and it works well here. Not to say that Shining Wisdom is a straight-up Zelda clone.

While inspired by many elements from Nintendo's franchise, the mechanics are widely different.

One thing is a major differentiator between the two, and that's the dash meter. Instead of holding a dash button, the player must mash it to reach a certain dash speed (from 1 to 5) and then hold it to keep Mars at that dash level. If hit by anything, the dash level decreases.

Having a high dash level is necessary to move quickly, hit harder, and use the magic orbs for some useful and sometimes necessary abilities.

This introduces the game's biggest flaw. In order to be in any way remotely useful, you will be mashing the dash button a lot. You will mash to attack, get hit, and mash again. You will mash to launch some magic, and mash again. You will stop because your finger hurts from holding the dash button, and you will mash again.

In the final boss, I felt in 10 minutes what a marathon session of Mario Party would cause, minus the blistered palm.

"Your peaceful, boring world will be replaced with a land where chaos rules supreme"

Other than its mechanical issues, Shining Wisdom feels like it should have been a better game, if only some serious quality of life elements were put into focus.

Dungeons can be both fun at times, but amazingly frustrating due to their labyrinthine design. A map would have made things much simpler and more enjoyable.

It is easy to get lost, and not know which dungeon to go to. At that point, you wish the town people were less funny and more objective oriented. It is easy to lose a lot of progress in dungeon because you fell through a hole that plummeted you back into an earlier faraway floor. At that point, you wish you could punch the map designer.

What is frustrating is that the puzzles are good, and the game-play mostly works regardless of how tiring mashing the dash button can get. Shining Wisdom's dungeons make use of most of your abilities, not just the latest one (a common complaint against Zelda games).

One thing showcasing the best of the game are the boss fights, which even while needing some finger dexterity to be overcome, are exciting to play, and challenging to beat. Even then, the game's loose design is sometimes very obvious.

For instance, in one boss fight, it is nearly impossible to hit the enemy without being hit yourself. In game testing, that should have flagged, and the sword's range of attack should have been increased.

"I'm just a senile old has-been with too much time to worry about the past"

It is obvious that this was a game initially being made for the Genesis.

It is obvious for two reasons.

The first is that the game colorful graphics and sprites are all possible on the Genesis hardware. These are the charming 16bit backgrounds and sprites we fell in love with before, and they show their graceful aging here. It looks as good, and sometimes better, than any other 16bit Action Adventure game on the previous generation of consoles.

The second reason is the ugly, horrendous, and down-right terrifying CGI intro for the game. It looks like an afterthought to showcase the Saturn's increased power, and it aged like an afterthought. I would pay it no consideration whatsoever.

While the graphics are good, I cannot say the same for the mundane design of most enemies in the game. They won't win any minion design awards. Still, the main characters and bosses have some really good portraits (two characters are obviously missing theirs for some reason), and their design is good.

Musically, the game doesn't have a lot of tracks. However, it has at least five really good ones. Both over-world themes are great, and the Odegan castle theme is something else. This is the only part of the game where the Saturn's increased power is obvious, and it is used in making both complex and catchy tunes.

One complaint in the time was about the lack of voice acting. All I can say is that it gives me one less thing to complain about, as I don't believe the VA of the day would have been anything but terrible.

In Conclusion:

Shining Wisdom is a frustrating game to review. While it began strongly, with good story, funny dialogue, and some great graphics and music, it's shortcomings were eventually exposed.

The dash mechanic is innovative at first. However, it soon becomes an inescapable annoyance. Inescapable because you will always need to be dashing to keep the game from being a slog, and because the game' lack of directions will keep you dashing more time than you will otherwise need to.

As a straight-up Legend if Zelda clone, it would have been better, but its lack of fine-tuning is obvious. Mostly though, it is all the bloody dash button mashing that frustrated me.

Final: 6/10

Pros:

• Good story and dialogue.
  
• Very good graphics and music.
  

Cons:

• All that dash button mashing.
  
• Easy to get lost.
  
• finger arthritis.
  

"Tips"
1- Mash the run button and then hold to keep your running speed.
2- You can farm money by killing the spiders that multiply at the millennial tree.
3- Try and get enough money to buy the pajamas (you don't need more than one) at the secret shop (which you need the freeze orb to access).
4- Each orb interacts differently with some equipment (boots and gloves only).
5- Collect blue diamonds to increase your health, and orange diamonds to increase you recovery health.

"Next Game"

I cannot say that I didn't enjoy this game. Camelot's credentials were obvious in the parts that were good, and their naivety were obvious in those that were not so good. Ultimately, this wasn't a highlight in the Action Adventure genre, and its innovations hurt more than helped it..

Next game on the list is helicopter shooter game, Soviet Strike in #80. The Strike games were fun on the 16bit era, with Desert Strike on the Genesis and SNES, and Soviet Strike is the definitive version of the game on the fifth generation.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

In their top 100 Saturn games, Retro Sanctuary didn't have much quality in the 80s. There were a couple of sport games competing against other console's titles, and there was an ambitious port of an early PC FPS. That was generally the case for some of the games, with inferior ports of Arcade or PC games. Also, at 81, there is Camelot's first game on the Saturn. Shining Wisdom could have been a much better game if not for some wierd design choices.

Astral Superstars looked like an interesting fighting game though.

90- Grid Runner (1996):

• Genre: Action Multiplayer.


• Publihser: Virgin Interactive, Developer: Radical Entertainment.

Grid Runner is one of those early Saturn/PS1 games that crafted an entire game out of a single idea. Something that now would be an exciting, although a rather non-essential mini-game in the latest Mario Party game. It’s basically a grid-based game of digital tag. To be fair, tag has always been a fun a game to play with friends, which is something I tried to convince my younger cousins with their faces glued to the iPad screens.

The central limitation of the game is that it is simply not fun against the AI, so human opponents are advised. The second biggest limitation is that only two players can be involved, which makes for one boring game of tag.

Beats being an only kid though.

89- Crusader: No Remorse (1997):

• Genre: Isometric Action.


• Publihser: Electronic Arts, Developer: Origin Systems, Realtime Associates.

 

The advertisement for this game proclaimed: “Nonstop actin from a different perspective”, the perspective being an isometric view. It is difficult imagining this being said today, although the isometric style is being revived with some good indie games.

Regardless of the style’s pros and cons, the console port of this originally PC game did not translate the critically acclaimed title well. Which is a bummer, because Crusader seems like a genuinely interesting game.

Set in a dystopian society with supersoldier and stuff, the player character eventually joins the rebels against the World Economic Consortium. Heavy stuff. Maybe I will give it a try someday on steam or something.

88- AMOK(1997):

• Genre: FPS.


• Publihser: Scavenger, Developer: Lemon.

 

I tried playing AMOK, but I couldn’t enjoy it. This is a poor port of a PC release, and it shows in the difficult FPS controls. That alone could kill a game with a good concept

This is not such a game. Even with better controls, the environments are drab, the story uninteresting, and the game an utter drag.

It’s basically nothing to run AMOK about.

I am here all week.

87- Astra Superstars (1998):

• Genre: Fighting.


• Publihser: Sunsoft, Developer: Sunsoft.

Astral Superstars is a strange 2D fighting game. It is perhaps the only fighting game that exclusively features two air-borne fighters wailing at each other. Yes, you read that right, there is no ground in the game.

This means that you can “jump” over your opponent, or dive under them. Hits propel players like pinballs all over the screen, and movement is significantly floatier. This makes for some uniquely chaotic fights, especially with the game’s focus on elaborate combos and use of a special meter.

Never making to the West, this means few players were ever introduced to its excellent 2D animations and unique character designs. Still, outside its unique fighting style, the game failed to make any lasting legacy for itself. In the crowded fighting market, Sunsoft simply could not fly over the competition.

86- Mass Destruction (1997):

• Genre: Tank Action.


• Publihser: ASC Games, BMG Interactive; Developer: NMS Software.

In actual warfare, Tanks are either escorted by an infantry squadron, or by lighter vehicles. That is because Tanks, while ultimately devastating, are some pretty dumb machine that require ton of recon support to be effective.

That is why tank games like Mass Destruction are a puzzle to me. It is no my idea of fun to go an entire mission controlling a tank, not without the complicated gizmos of a game like Armored Core.

Here, only one shoulder button works to change the direction of the cannon, meaning that in order to return it to its previous location, you will need a 360 turn to do so. That is only one control issue that makes Mass Destruction an unplayable archaic mess.

85- Alien Trilogy (1996):

• Genre: FPS.


• Publihser: Acclaim Entertainment, Developer: Probe Entertainment.

Early FPS games somehow melt into each other, especially out of the PC. The generic mazes of Doom can easily be the layout of the ship in Alien Trilogy. Likewise, the Xenomorph can double as a generic enemy on Doom, sine this is how he is treated in the game.

To be fair, Alien Trilogy is probably one of the better FPS games on the Saturn, and anyone playing it at the time would have probably enjoyed it a great deal. Still, the FPS is one genre that kept progressing forward in many ways, and its earlier days did not age as well as platformers or JRPGs.

84- Tempest 2000 (1996):

• Genre: Tube Shooter.


• Publihser: Atari, Interplay Corperation; Developer: Llamasoft.

Tempest 2000 is not one of the Shmups the Saturn is known for. Instead of the gorgeous 2D visuals and ridiculous bullet hell parades, this a Tube shoot featuring vector graphics. That in itself is not a bad thing. There are excellent indie shooters utilizing the same style, and Tempest 2000 is still a challenging Tube shooter in its own way.

Of course, it also has some rad disco tunes (I need to use more 90’s lingo in these reports), and some ridiculous explosions of color and sound.

Unfortunately, I don’t think it has anything on the indie games that utilize the same style today but with better production and replay value.

83- World Series Baseball (1995):

• Genre: Sports Baseball.


• Publihser: Sega, Developer: Sega.

 

The first time I understood Baseball was on the Wii Sports Baseball game on the, you guessed it, the Wii. I didn’t understand it immediately. In fact, I had no idea how the score was kept, or why I was hitting the ball. Then, like an epiphany, I just understood nearly everything. As if all the Baseball movie information I ever watched all converged at one moment, fully explaining the game to my subconscious brain.

No such epiphany will happen with 5^th generation Baseball game.

This sport series is simply the Baseball placeholder for the Sega consoles. It looks to be a well-made game, with many teams, some voice commentary, and a number of cool modes. Reportedly, it was considered a good Baseball game at the time.

82- Steep Slope Sliders (1997):

• Genre: Sports Snowboarding.


• Publihser: Sega, Developer: Cave.

My experience with snow sport games begin and ends with SkiFree on Windows 95. I never managed to get past the Yeti for more than a minute, and I never saw snow until 20 or something years into my life.

Steep Slope Sliders is a snowboarding game ported to the Saturn from the Arcades. The port job downgraded the graphics, lost some of the nuances of control, but kept all the characters and environments otherwise intact.

Generally, this is not a Snowboarding game that is much talked about, but it looks par the course for its time.

81- Shining Wisdom (1995): Check my Review

• Genre: Action Adventure.


• Publihser: Sega, Developer: Camelot Software.

After finishing my review of this game, I realized that the localization that I enjoyed so much was actually panned by critics, who did not like the references liberally strewn about. Many said those references would cease to be funny later. I disagree, as I think the localization added a lot of character to the game, and that’s one of the game’s few saving graces.

This would have been a very good answer to Zelda by Sega if they didn’t complicate things too much. With a very poor dashing mechanic that spills misery on every other aspect of the game, the game fails to reach the potential it indicated through its story, music, and very good 16bit visuals.

*********************************

This report is a consolidated review of the top 100 list by Retro Sanctuary. It features the reviews I made for the list, but also has a brief paragraph about each game in the list that I didn't review. For games without an official review, the opinions I express is purely based on some little playing time and general research about the game and its reception at the time.

[Thimmy]

Spencer, did you ever play a Michael Jackson game on Sega or Nintendo? I vaguely recall being at a friend's place in kindergarden and playing a game based on him, where you could throw your hat to damage enemies. I was really young back then, but the game looked, felt and sounded incredible at the time. If I ever get a retro console, I'll want to play that game.

[RealGunner]

Spencer, did you ever play a Michael Jackson game on Sega or Nintendo? I vaguely recall being at a friend's place in kindergarden and playing a game based on him, where you could throw your hat to damage enemies. I was really young back then, but the game looked, felt and sounded incredible at the time. If I ever get a retro console, I'll want to play that game.

I remember that lol. 100% on sega

[silver]

I recently started watching videos on Youtube about speedrunning old console games. There's actually a massive community for speed running. Quite interesting. Anyone else follow it?

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

I recently started watching videos on Youtube about speedrunning old console games. There's actually a massive community for speed running. Quite interesting. Anyone else follow it?

Have you ever seen Games Done Quick they do every year on twitch?

https://gamesdonequick.com/

[Lord Spencer]

Spencer, did you ever play a Michael Jackson game on Sega or Nintendo? I vaguely recall being at a friend's place in kindergarden and playing a game based on him, where you could throw your hat to damage enemies. I was really young back then, but the game looked, felt and sounded incredible at the time. If I ever get a retro console, I'll want to play that game.

I played it. It looked incredible for the time, and it still had good music, but the gameplay was incredibly basic, repetitive, and is not considered a very good game.

So I did not review it as part of my Genesis reviews series.

[Lord Spencer]

#80

Game: Soviet Strike.
Year: 1996.
Genre: Helicopter Action.
Publisher: Electronic Arts.
Developer: Electronic Arts.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

The Strike series is a product of its time. An entire game based on a single premise, that of a lone helicopter pilot raining hell on his enemies. Other than predicting the infatuation of Western developers with military settings, the series quietly retired into the sunset.

That doesn't mean the games are bad or anything. In fact, the strike games are known for frantic and tactical action. In this case, it should also be known for its hard as ball difficulty.

"We measure our success by the wars that do not happen"

As a step into the 5th generation, Soviet Strike went all-in with its story. Except, instead of in-game cinematics, it uses live-acted FMV scenes. The kind of FMVs headlines by bit-part actors that somehow fit their cliched roles.

I say cliched roles because the entire premise is born from 90's B-movie ideas.

Take for instances the character of "Hack". An African-American hacker who is depicted like the fresh prince with weird "hacking" googles. The entire dialogue between characters consists of catch phrases, to the extent that the entire script can be made into quotes.

Which is not actually a bad thing, as it gives the game an endearing B-Movie feel. If the acting was simply bad, it wouldn't have worked. However, in this case of over enthusiastic bad acting, it feels right at place.

So what is all the bruhaha about?

Basically, Strike is an elite unit consisting of an extensive intelligence network and one chopper that aims to prevent wars from breaking out. As such, the extensive intelligence apparatus and single chopper attempt to surgically remove (kill, blow up, destroy, obliterate) the causes of a conflict.

This time, it is a typical corrupt Soviet general trying to plunge the world into World War III, and that's where Strike and the single chopper comes in.

"Remember. If you do not think, you will not win"

If you think this is just going to be a brainless shooter where you can march your helicopter around and rain hellfire against your enemies, then you are wrong.

Soviet Strike is hard as balls, and your enemies can ruin you in matter of seconds. The enemy consists of foot soldiers, soldiers with rocket launchers, light tanks, heavy tanks, anti-air guns, helicopters, light gun ships, big gun ships, and even freaking submarines.

You have a single chopper.

Thankfully, the extensive intelligence apparatus usually does a good job. For each of the game' five levels, you have several missions. The level of detail that went into the briefing for each level's objective, each mission's goal, and what your enemies have in store is amazing. You would think that just by absorbing all that information, you would easily have the upper hand.

Coupled with that, your allies have spread some resources in the level to help you out (but no other chopper).

Even then, they offer  lot of support as each level changes due to some scripted emerging objectives. It gives you a clear pathway through the level (which you can ignore to your peril), but also adds a feeling of tactical depth.

Still, you are only one chopper.

"Evil Helicopter!!!"

This single chopper is equipped with a light gun, two kinds of missiles, and drop-able bombs. IT controls well, with a tight control scheme and high agility. However, I found trouble aiming, with the guns shooting haphazardly sometimes.

While this contributes to the game's difficulty, it is not the prime culprit. You see, in the game there are three resources that you need to keep an eye for. Your ammo, your armor (health), and your fuel. So, while you navigate the level, you will need to frequently recover one or two of those meters.

Since there is a finite number of resources in each stage, this can put you in unwinnable situations whenever those resources are depleted. While this can be considered part of the game's challenge, the fact that it is impossible to predict what you are facing (despite the excellent Intel) makes resource management a matter of luck.

In fact, there is always a singular path of success that you can take, and it requires multiple playthroughs to discover. This is not a case where you play the game multiple times to get better at it. It is a case of playing it multiple times in order to just beat the damn thing.

Because of that, the level of stress is always high, and not in a good way. I am never sure if I have enough resources, and an unexpected emerging event may kill me off. Worst of all, it stops being fun, and is just a pain to play.

And you are only one lonely chopper.

"The way I see it, the only good enemy ship is a burning enemy ship"

Graphically, the game is in my opinion a step down from the 16bit Strike games. The 16bit sprites are more colorful and defined, and the game pops with more color. Now, the environment is drab, and the polygonal models, while not exactly ugly, are a downgrade.

It is significantly better-looking on the Saturn compared to the PS1 though.

As for the FMVs, they are simply live-action clips, and EA wisely choose to go with that easier option instead of trying to use poor CGI. The B-Movie style of acting and FMVs work for the game. Soviet Strike is generous in using those scenes for every part of the mission briefing.

Like with the graphics, the game's audio is lacking. The soundtrack is almost uniformly poor and/or non-existent. That at least gives you a chance to appreciate the decent sound effects.

And the sound of that single lonely chopper.

In Conclusion:

It is ironic that Soviet Strike's biggest flaw may be its biggest draw today. The fact that it is almost unfairly difficult may attract some real masochists.

Otherwise, the helicopter action games the series popularized have already declined into oblivion. These games were good for what they were; focused action games designed to keep you from reselling the game for as long as possible.

Final: 4/10

Pros:

• Cheesy story and FMVs.
  
• Levels with plenty of intel and objectives..
  

Cons:

• Almost unfairly difficult.
  
• Inconsistent aiming.
  
• Built in order to be replayed often just to win.
  
• Poor graphics and music.
  

"Tips"
1- Protect your supplies from enemy fire.
2- Finish your missions in the suggested order.
3- Save Ammo, Armor, and fuel supplies for when you really need them.
4- Save strangled allies to get some Armor.
5- Learn how to strafe fire often.
6- Learn the health of your enemies to know how much to fire.
7- If you fail, try and try again (which will happen often)

"Next Game"

Desert Strike is the better game when compared to this one, even though Soviet Strike's cheesy story and presentation nails that B-Movie feeling (even if unintentionally). Mostly, the game was a pain to play, and I am glad I am done with it.

Next game on the list is not known for being easy, but Rayman at #79 is known for being a wonderful-looking platformer. This is a game that I am looking forward to.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

#79

Game: Rayman.
Year: 1995.
Genre: 2D Platformer.
Publisher: Ubisoft.
Developer: Ubi Pictures (Ubisoft).



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

Back in the time where every developer and their mother were chasing the latest trend in 3D graphics and blocky polygons, one small developer in France decided to go the other way. Instead of the latest in technology, they decided to go back to what worked in the past and make a 2D platformer that would have been impossible to make on earlier hardware.

As such, Ubisoft got their first big hit with Rayman, which is a game that is as good now as when its first released, ridiculing in the process the early adopters of 3D technology like the absolutely horrendous Bug!.

"They definitely need a hero to save them now!"

Mascot platformers classically had little narrative. Instead, they must focus on crafting a character and personality to the game's world and setting; especially regarding the protagonist. That's what made the difference between utterly forgettable games and the stuck and gained iconic status.

Rayman clearly crafts a world that blends and works together. In some ways, it reminds me of the dreamy setting of the Kirby series, yet with a more surrealistic style.

Regardless of style, the game's world gives it more of a narrative than the basic hero saving the kidnapped things motif. It's a world that makes sense for the limbless Rayman, as many of its inhabitants share the same visual design cues.

As for the mc himself, he follows the 90s school of "cool" design, like other mascots of the era including Gex and the Sonic redesign. With his blonde parted hair and red bandana, he would have fit in any famous 1995 boy band. Except, what makes Rayman an endearing character is a goofiness to the character that belays his cool factor.

All in all, it's a game world and character that was clearly going to be iconic, as was proven later with time.

"I'm Betilla the fairy, and I'm going to help you in your quest"

No matter how good the world design is, it wouldn't hold muster if the gameplay wasn't good. Thankfully, I can clearly say that Rayman is a fun game. True, it doesn't add much beyond adhering to the standards of platforming, but it does it well enough to be enjoyable.

Rayman can jump over obstacles and punch enemies by throwing his limbless hand. He gains some standard power-ups like gliding and grappling hands. Late in the game, you get access to the dash ability, which exposes one major weakness in the game.

It is somewhat slow.

You get the feeling that is slow for two reasons. First, to support the zoomed-in look the game is going for, most probably to showcase its gorgeous graphics and animations. Second, to reduce the difficulty of a game that has surprising spikes.

Honestly, the game would be slightly boring if the levels did not have such a great variety. Levels have different mechanisms that change-up platforming a great deal. Some levels require you to vertically escape an increasing flood, while others remind me of the tree sliding scenes in Disney's Tarzan. It's a variety that distracts from the few shortcomings of the game.

"You're courageous Rayman, but you have to keep at it"

What doesn't distract from the shortcomings of the game is, essentially, its two biggest shortcomings. An almost broken difficulty sometimes, and a surely broken endgame collectathon.

First, the much-vaunted difficulty of Rayman is actually very manageable. For most of the game, you have the tools available to surmount any challenge, with fair checkpoints available, and health items as well. However, against bosses, that changes. Since your powerups rest on death, dying against a boss means a more difficult time fighting them again. Until you get a game over, you are fighting without powerups.

Second, in order to actually get into the final level of the game, you need to free all caged "Electoons" in all levels, with six cages per level. Initially, the game doesn't give you any indication that you need to do that, and as such you will need to revisit a lot of those stages.

Worst yet, many of the cages are invisible in the level until you do some oblique jumps and punches, or are inaccessible until you get a later powerup.

That just sucks the enjoyment of trying to get into the end boss, especially when it turns out to be one of the unfairest boss gauntlets I ever faced.

"Go and free the Electoons, Rayman, and bring back The Great Protoon from its mysterious kidnapper"

The only part of the game that I cannot have any "buts" or "howevers" is ints graphical and musical presentation.

Simply put, this is a game that truly stood the test of time, and its 2D graphics and animation look as amazing now as they did in 1995. Clearly inspired by cartoons of an earlier era, the game's drawings would fit in any of those cartoons.

Backgrounds are lush and imaginative, and apart from one or two uninspiring levels, they are among the best in the generation. That is supported by the synergized denizens of the world, with their well-animated movements and their expressiveness.

This expressiveness is further accentuated by the several sound effects in the game, from the "yeah's" you get when finishing a level to the various bops and sounds Rayman makes while traversing the grounds.

Not to be outdone, the musical composer pulls a truly immersive and atmospheric score, reminding me of David Wise's Donkey Kong Countrysoundtrack. These are some impressive tracks, from the eerie style of "Lost in the Woods" to the chill piano of "Entering the Cavern". The soundtrack has a wide breadth of style and each track and ambient sound adds a third dimension to each stage.

In Conclusion:

Here is a game that didn't chase the trends of the time, and instead focused on crafting something that is true and tested, and looks great in an absolute term.

As such, despite some obvious shortcomings, Rayman manages to be a game with an ageless quality. It's excellent graphics and music will stand the test of time, and the variety of its levels are worth playing even if you never end finishing the game.

Final: 8/10

Pros:

• A lot of level variety.
  
• Excellent graphics and music.
  
• Great world and character design
  

Cons:

• End of game Collectathon.
  
• Unfair boss battles.
  

"Tips"
1- Pay attention to audio cues, as they alert you to spawning enemies and Electoon cages.
2- Stacking up in lives isn't worth it if you are playing the game without save-states.
3- Once you get the dash ability, go back and use a guide to get all the cages (if you want to finish the game).
4- Getting 100 orbs nets you a life and recovers your health.

"Next Game"

I knew I was going to enjoy Rayman, which I finally beat after first playing it way back in the day and never going past the 7th or 8th stage.

Next game on the list would have been Bubble Symphony at #74, but no Western version was ever released. So, I am going to be playing Enemy Zero at #72; a survival horror game that surely aged terribly. However, maybe it still retains some grace to be enjoyable today.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

#72

Game: Enemy Zero.
Year: 1997.
Genre: Survival Horror, Adventure.
Publisher: Sega, WARP.
Developer: WARP.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

The development story of Enemy Zero is an interesting footnote at the beginning of the 5th generation console wars. Initially conceived as PlayStation exclusive, WARP was discontent about Sony's handling of the game and its marketing. So, in a great show of contempt, the game was revealed in the PlayStation 1996 Tokyo Expo, with the PS logo slowly morphing into the Saturn's.

As such, Sega gained an exclusive that was well regarded at the time. However, in the great scheme of things, the PlayStation was not affected, and Enemy Zero is not worth much regard today.

"It's not human. It's something... else. Proceed with caution"

Attempting to upend the gameplay focused of games in the day, Enemy Zero clearly wanted to put its narrative at its center. As such, it was conceived by WARP as a "cinematic" experience. This means that a great deal of the game is spent watching early gen FMV scenes, as well as interacting within those prerendered locations in gameplay similar to classic Adventure titles.

The game and story are heavily inspired by the Aliens franchise. It takes place abroad the "Aki", a gigantic spaceship with a skeleton crew carrying some seriously dangerous cargo. When that cargo (some invisible monsters) finds itself loose, the game starts with the protagonist, Laura, figuring out they are in danger and that she needs to survive.

As expected, a lot of the crew find themselves dead, and the story unfolds in predictable beats to anyone who watched Aliens. Still, at this era in videogames history, Enemy Zero truly succeeds in its attempt to craft a narrative cinematic experience.

Despite what is now awkward acting, cringe-worthy dialogue, and laughable body language, those are things that were unique and well-executed the time. Sure, Jill Cunniff from the band Lucious Jackson did not provide much as the voice of Laura, but then Laura actually had a voice.

Today, we may be able to make fun of this game and its unnatural animations, but this did not age as bad as other, nor can the pedigree that was once there be ignored. It still is funny to see the character lips wildly move though.

"Your VPS tells you where your invisible enemies are"

The game is divided into two parts. A first-person adventure style sections where you have limited interactions with the pre-rendered environment, advancing the story and solving some rudimentary puzzles. And first-person action sections where you need to traverse the spaceship while avoiding and fighting the invisible monsters.

It is in the action gameplay that the game has its central conceit; its invisible enemies. While you may think that a horror game would capitalize on the enemy design to increase the scare factor, but sometimes the unseen can be scarier than what you can see.

Regardless, the invisible enemies are responsible for the central gimmick of the game. Mainly, that you are required to listen to the in-game sonar to guess the location of the enemies. Then, you must face in their direction, start charging your weapon just as you think they are advancing, trying to time the release of the charged shot right as they come into range.

Or die.

Admittedly, very few games ask you to use sound to "visualize" your surrounding, nevermind actually building the entire game on that premise. Sound comes in three pitches and varying frequencies, with the pitch denoting the monster's location, while the frequency signaling its proximity.

This increases the tension as the beeper starts ringing loudly, and since the controls in the first-person action sequences are actually pretty solid, it is usually the best part of the game. That is until you encounter the game's biggest mazes, which waste your time in trying to get from place A to B.

I understand one or two mazes where you are hunted by the enemy, but for most of the game being made of those mazes which sometimes require you travel several times through to charge your weapon, is just obtuse game design.

"Maybe for us.... this was a fortunate accident"

What is more obtuse is the extreme stupidity and extreme slowness of Laura as your main character. Playing the adventure sections, you basically point the camera towards fixed angles, move forward, and interact if there are points of interaction.

An entire small action can take an entire minute.

Also, you can interact with a computing, where every action here also feels like it takes minutes just to complete.

Then comes the act of solving "puzzles", which basically require you to scour a room, very slowly, for key items that you then must use in sequence to advance. It is not enough that you have the key card in your inventory to open the door. No, you must actually enter your inventory and use it, which takes another minute or two.

If somehow you make the mistake of interacting with a door you have the key card for, you must then watch as Laura, the freaking co-pilot of the ship, look at it with utter confusion and do the most stupid shrug in the universe.

Here, the game's lack of direction, the slow speed of the FMV scenes the game batters you over the head with, all come to head. With a game experience that feels like sucking the essence of your time, leaving you to regret sands in the hourglass that you will never regain.

All you can do is stupidly shrug I guess.

"Girl, I thought I would wake up and see the bright blue sky of Earth"

At the time, this was a really good looking game, especially on the weaker Saturn hardware. It was one of the few games to use multiple discs, and that's mostly due to the several FMV scenes. Mostly, you can see that the human models were pretty respectable, as well as some of the choice locations on the ship.

Otherwise, the detail in the first-person action scenes was lacking, and there is a clear case of robotic animations. Both can be forgiven in the grand scheme of things as the game medium is developing, and nothing is quite jarring as to be unplayable.

Still, more environmental details in the action sequences would have made navigating the mazes a little easier.

In the sound department, the soundtrack was well-celebrated in the time and I can see why. It is a complex and atmospheric track that fits very well with the theme of the game. Employing repetitive keystrokes and an eerie style, it reminds me of the quiet elegance of the Jaws soundtrack.

While the sound quality in the game is not as good as the orchestral version, it still conveys the spirit and style of the soundtrack well enough.

In Conclusion:

I can clearly see why Enemy Zero was well regarded at the time. It aimed for a cinematic narrative experience at just the right time and had the production chops to back its typical story. With a boatload of FMV scene and a killer soundtrack, players maybe ignored the boring voice acting (which was actually good in Japan) and the similar location.

Maybe, they even forgave the very slow adventure gameplay and boring repetitive mazes. Yet, those are flaws that are difficult to forgive today and are enough for me to recommend what is otherwise a historically important game.

It just isn't worth seeing any more of Laura's stupid shrugs.

Final: 5/10

Pros:

• Historically important game.
  
• Unique gameplay hook.
  
• Great atmospheric soundtrack.
  

Cons:

• Slow and stupid adventure gameplay.
  
• Severe lack of direction.
  
• Repetetive and boring gameplay.
  

"Tips"
1- Play the training stage in Disc 0 to get a hang with the audio-based gameplay.
2- Start charging the weapon just as the frequency hits danger levels.
3- If in doubt about the enemy location, just run away.
4- Save often.
5- Make sure your weapon is always charged (go back to charge your weapon).

"Next Game"

I expected Enemy Zero to be dated graphically, but it turned out okay in that front but is dated in its slow gameplay. Minus adventure style bits, it would have been maybe a better game.

Next game on the list is one I would surely enjoy. Apart from the stupid story and terrible VA, Megam Man 8, which sits at #69, is considered a very solid action game. This was also released on the PS1 but I have heard that the Saturn version is its best version.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

In their top 100 Saturn games, Retro Sanctuary, like the previous 20 games, is not exactly brimming with quality. Apart from the excellent Rayman, the 10 games from number 80 to number 71 are mostly sports games that are both graphically and mechanically dated these days. To be fair, some of these games are really good in their genre but were never actually released outside of Japan. This is probably going to be a running theme in my Saturn reviews, where I am realizing many of the Saturn's best games were actually never localized.

Also, it should be noted that Enemy Zero, despite all its faults, is at least a historically important landmark for the console and games in general.

80- Soviet Strike (1996):

Genre: Helicopter Action.
Publisher: Electronic Arts, Developer: Electronic Arts.

This was the first Strike game released in 5th generation console, and it basically transported the same gameplay of past games like Desert Strike in the SNES with some graphical updates. If you liked those past games, then you know what to expect here. It's some seriously difficult gameplay where there is little to no room for error. Basically, you're controlling a helicopter that is a one machine army, responsible for various missions within increasingly difficult games.

While the game controls well, I have never felt like I had full control over the action, with bullets randomly hitting their targets with little to no reliability. It creates situations where with exactly the same moves in the exact same conditions, you get wildly different results.

Something that became more of a focus in the game is the story, where FMVs set up a B-Movie plot that sets up the action. It adds a layer of objectives that are beyond the single-line quests and may hold your interest.

79- Rayman (1995):

Genre: 2D Platformer.
Publisher: Ubi Pictures (Ubisoft): Ubisoft



There is no way that Rayman doesn't deserve to be higher up in the list. This is a game that dared to look back at the past and improve upon it rather than chase the latest fads. As such, it features some excellent 2D graphics and animation. It just beautifully animates, comparing to classic 40's cartoons in flattering ways.

It also helps that the platforming is mostly solid, with a satisfying difficulty curve (outside of unfair boss situations), and a lot of variety to the gameplay. True, it is held back from being a true great by its slow paced gameplay and lack of platforming edge.

However, that doesn't keep it from being the best 2D platformer I played in the system so far. With its excellent atmospheric soundtrack and gorgeous graphics, Rayman proves that iteration can often contribute to the best results, especially when considering the agelessness of this 1995 game.

78- Manx TT Super Bike (1997):

Genre: Arcade Racing.
Publisher: Sega, Developer: Sega, Tantalus Media.

There is not much to say here other than note that Manx TT Super Bike is a very faithful conversion of a good arcade game. That in itself explains why this is a game limited in content to such a noticeable degree. With only one model for bikes (with different colors for different stats), and two racing tracks (of which there are 2 mirror versions), this is as barebones a game can get.

Gameplay is solid, but not engaging in any special way. Choosing the manual transmission is more engaging for the player, but does not change the fact that this is such a limited racing game with only a solid gameplay engine as its saving grace. It's worth noting that Tantalus Media are still doing quality ports to this day; if given quality games to work with.

77- DecAthlete/Athlete Kings (1996):

Genre: Sport (Athletics).
Publisher: Sega, Developer: Sega.

Can a game with a two button control scheme be a great game? The answer is yes, but DecAthlete is not such a game. As one of the rare sports games that exclusively feature Athletics games (sprinting, jumping, throwing), it is not exactly covering an interesting field. There is just so much exciting in javelin throwing or hurdle jumping.

The game can basically be played with two buttons, where you mash and hold for maximum performance. It is appreciated that the game features eight different looking athletes and several games, but when the gameplay is this shallow, I struggle to understand the reason anyone would have enjoyed this game back when it was first released, nevermind now.

76- Die Hard Arcade/Dynamite Deka (1997):

Genre: Beat 'em Up.
Publisher: AM1, Sega; Developer: Sega.

Admittedly, I am not the best person to evaluate Beat 'em Up games, but I can say that Die Hard Arcade did not change my mind regarding the genre and its limitations. Based on the action movie, this game manages to convey some of its comedic charms. That's the extent of my praise.

Opting to use polygonal graphics, this looks much worse than the revered Beat 'em Ups of the 16bit generation, and it controls worst as well. Directing your attack is an expression on futility, as you shuffle vertically to try and be in the same plane as your enemies. Overall, this is another arcade port that fails to provide further justification to play it than improving your score.

75- Guardian Force (1998):

Genre: Shmup.
Publisher: Success (Japan Only), Developer: Success.

The Sega Saturn is known for its Shmups, but that is not due to the major success of any Western release of any particular game. In fact, very few noteworthy Shumps were ported to the west, and most, like Guardian Force here, has never left Japan. That's going to be a recurring theme for the Saturn, where Western fans needed to import and translate games to get the best of the system.

On to the game itself. It's a classic scrolling shoot em up with excellent sprite graphics and challenging gameplay. It does not go into the bullet-hell level of difficulty though, so it is more manageable to novices in the genre. What separates this from the pack is that you actually control a tank-ship with a rotating turret; meaning you can shoot in eight directions.

The game cleverly uses that gameplay twist and designs the game level to change scrolling directions. As such, you may start scrolling horizontally and then move diagonally or vertically as the stage unfolds. According to fans of the genre, it is among the Saturn's best, but its subdued graphics and music keep it from being legendary in any way.

74- Bubble Symphony (1997):

Genre: Action Platformer.
Publisher: Ving (Japan Only); Developer: Taito, Ving.

This is basically the true follow-up to the Bubble Bobble classic of the arcade, and its another game never released outside of Japan on the Saturn. For those who know nothing about the series, it's basically a series of single-screen levels where a cute dinosaur must defeat enemies by spewing bubbles from its mouth. The mechanics are pretty simple, but the increasing level of difficulty in each level forces the player to be extremely intimate with the physics of the character and their bubbles.

Personally, I played bootlegged copies of many games in the series, so much that each entry is interchangeable from the next. Apart from the visual and small control updates, this is as good as a game as any of them. One thing that is super annoying is the VERY LIMITED soundtrack, which features one annoying looping track that might just turn you insane.

73- Sim City 2000 (1995):

Genre: City-Building Simulation.
Publisher: Maxis, Developer: Maxis.



As with many PC strategy ports at the time, Sim City 2000 managed to look better, but control significantly worse than the source material. Simply put, strategy and simulation games are built from the ground up with keyboard and mouse control schemes. That has never been successfully translated into console experiences.

This port is not an exception.

72- Enemy Zero (1997):

Genre: Survival Horror, Adventure.
Publisher: WARP, Sega; Developer: WARP.

Of all the games in this list, Enemy Zero is by far the most ambitious. Inspired by movies like Alien, the game started is a conscious effort to move gaming into cinematically driven experiences, and as such contains as much FMV scenes as these 10 games combined. That's not necessarily a qualifier for the game's quality though. Divided into two parts, a first-person action game, and a first-person adventure investigation, not everything clicks together.

Let's start with the action parts, in which you traverse ship haunted by invisible monsters. This part controls surprisingly well, and the central hook, in which you rely on sound beeps to estimate the position of your invisible foe, actually works. It is in the painfully slow adventure parts where the game starts falling apart.

In short, every action feels like it needs minutes to conclude, and that results in a back and forth that is slow and tedious to an unacceptable degree. True, the game may be a landmark release for the Saturn, but it is not a pleasure to go through today.

71- Gungriffon (1996):

Genre: First-Person Shooter.
Publisher: Game Arts, Sega, Developer: Game Arts.

FPS games were not the Saturn's strong suit, and yet original games like Gungriffon managed to impress every now and then. In a purely technical point of view, this is a game that looks much better than it has any right to. Yet, all the control issues inherent in FPS games with only a traditional D-pad as an option, are most surely there.

Still, other than that issue, this is a competent FPS that is a testament to original content developed for a system's capabilities rather than the terrible FPS port jobs that were just too damn common at that time.

*********************************

This report is a consolidated review of the top 100 list by Retro Sanctuary. It features the reviews I made for the list but also has a brief paragraph about each game in the list that I didn't review. For games without an official review, the opinions I express are purely based on some little playing time and general research about the game and its reception at the time.

[Vibe]

Why do you have to be such a boss Spencer?

[Lord Spencer]

Why do you have to be such a boss Spencer?

Wait for the PS1 reviews series

[Lord Spencer]

#69

Game: Mega Man 8.
Year: 1997.
Genre: Action Platformer.
Publisher: Capcom.
Developer: Capcom.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

Like Mega Man 7 before it, Mega Man 8 finds itself in a weird place as a follow up to the classic series in the same time the Mega Man X sub-series is going strong, with the release of the excellent Mega Man X4 in the same year.

As such, Capcom strangely seemed to push through two Action Platforming Mega Man games at the same time. Many saw that this game, which is much simpler than the flashier X4 wasn't worth it.

However, taking the game without comparison to others in the series, this just shows how the franchise simply edged anything else competing with it in the genre at the time.

"Dr. Wiley?! Why are you here?"

The game begins with an anime scene showing a grand battle in space between what appears to be two robots. This will be the first of a number of anime scenes that will be used to highlight key moments in the story. One thing people will always remember about these admittedly nice-looking cutscenes is what could probably be considered one of the worst voice acting jobs in history. Every line spoken is an affront to the ears; with some amazing variety of terrible VA techniques.

Back to that first scene, it concludes with an evil looking robot crashing into Earth. Soon, the resilient Dr. Wiley finds that robot, which houses the aptly named "Evil Energy" which he then uses to infect eight other robots to do his bidding. He didn't need such a thingamajig to start up an evil army; maybe he is just getting too old.

Once again, you need to defeat eight robot masters. Except, this time, they are segregated into two groups of four.

Regardless, despite an honest attempt by Capcom to provide more story and setting to a Mega Man game, that's not exactly effective. However, I must say that regardless of how idiotic the story is, the classic series design, which is now shown in some glorious 2D art, have always captured my imagination more so than a thin story could.

Oh, and then there is some token action from Proto Man as well.

"What power!!.... I've got to go after him"

If you played any Mega Man game, then you roughly know what to expect here. Mega Man must fight eight robot masters (bosses), gaining an ability from each foe, and usually using the sum of all his abilities to traverse some complicated platforming stage.

In this entry, Mega Man has access to his dashing slide ability, but no wall jumping or air dashes. This means that the platforming is slower and more deliberate than the Mega Man X series.

Generally, each level tries to bring its own spin. There is a typical level with winds that influence the distance and trajectory of your jumps, and another with explosive platforms (with a timer). It keeps each stage unique enough without relying on a single crutch. That's especially noted in one stage, where you must use the weapons you have to traverse four sets of platforming puzzles.

Some gimmicks were not well received at the time though. Slide, Slide, Jump, Jump, Jump, Jump. If you know what that is, then you have been subject to the on-rails sliding sections of Mega Man 8. Quite simply, you are sliding forward and must slide through incoming obstacles or jump through deep chasms. Except, the camera is too close to you, and you have little knowledge of the incoming danger other than warning signs that order you to jump and slide but end up interfering with each other and confounding you.

Other than that, the platforming is top-notch, but there is a certain suspicion that each idea could have been used further, which is a common complaint of the series.

"Bass, why must we fight? We are not enemies"

On to the action part, that's probably the best part of the game.

Charging the Mega Buster and unleashing a shot that obliterates several hard-hatted minions is as satisfying as ever. Better yet, there are three charge shots you can choose from (you need to buy with bolts found in each level), and all are fun to use.

Other than the usual minnows, the game emphasizes action with its use of mid-level bosses, which unfortunately isn't in every level. These bosses allow Capcom to experiment with bigger sized foes than you are usually accustomed to fighting.

As usual, the robot masters are the highlight of the game. Thankfully, you have a variety of ways to fight them, as even without their weaknesses, you have a fighting chance. In fact, I do suggest fighting them with your basic weapon first.

That's always an internal debate with me regarding the series. Should I fight the bosses with or without their weakness weapons? In some games, it would trivialize the entire boss fight. Yet, here, I found that while they do give you a clear advantage, the fights are still difficult enough.

"Megaman! You won't escape this time!!"

At the beginning of this review, I noted how this is a follow up to the classic Mega Man series, and that there is another parral sub-series being produced at the same time. The classic series started in the 8bit era, and in the 5th generation, no one had the bravery to persist with an older style.

In fact, Sony only chose to include Mega Man 8 in their ads to make sure Sega does not have an exclusive in their hand.

Anyways, there in 1997 there were two 2D Mega Man games, and they looked similar in many ways, but different in many others as well. While the X series is known for its edgier look, the classic series basically was inspired by Saturday Morning Cartoons such as Astro Boy and its ilk.

That style is wonderfully presented in the animation and graphics of this game, which to this day looks really great.

Also taking inspiration from the classics in the series is the very good soundtrack, which, while not reaching the addictive hights of the series, is mostly very good. Of course, that firmly excludes "Clown Man's" stage, which is an abomination in and of itself.

Not a bigger abomination that the terrible VA though.

In Conclusion:

Today, Mega Man 8 is known as a curious decision by Capcom with some terribly voice acted scenes. A game that was made despite a better one in the same series being published half a year later.

Maybe compared to other games in the series, this one falls a little short. However, in absolute terms, this game is clearly heads and shoulders above others in the genre, even if it cannot compare highly with its brethren.

Final: 9/10

Pros:

• Some great Mega Man action.
  
• Excellent graphics and music.
  
• Excellent boss battles.
  

Cons:

• The platforming rarely reaches its true potential.
  

"Tips"
1- Look for bolts in each stage to buy the power-ups.
2- Buy the two charge modes, and the charge speed powerups first.
3- If you need some help or health, you can use one of the many Rush powerups (once per stage).
4- Try and memorize the sliding parts instead of listening to the stupid announcer.

"Next Game"

As a fan of the Mega Man series, I, of course, liked this game. While it is not in the top 10 of my Mega Man core games (Classic, X, and Zero), it is still a great tie for any fan of the genre and/or series.

Next game in the list, at #65, is made by Lucas Art's. Herc's Adventure looks like its going to be a good game, or so I hope.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

#65

Game: Herc's Adventure.
Year: 1997.
Genre: Action Adventure.
Publisher: LucasArts.
Developer: Big Ape Productions, LucasArts.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

In the 16bit era, LucasArts studios were known for their colorful and cartoonish graphics. Their games often looked to imitate the sort of cartoons you could find on Cartoon Network or other such channels.

With the increased capability of the Saturn, you can see why games like Herc's Adventure were made by the same studio. Expertly animated and drawn with the same style, the game was also more ambitious in its delivery compared to earlier LucasArt games, like the cult-classic" Zombies Ate my Neighbours.

While the game is not without its shortcomings, the effort mostly works.

"Seek out the help of my fellow Gods, and good luck, erm, I mean GOOD luck"

From the game's title, you could guess that it is featured in mythical Greece, with Hercules and some other companions fighting against Hades's evil plots. There is little difference in this retelling other than the Saturday-Night-Cartoon look and the fact that you can choose to play as one of two other characters: Atalanta and Jason.

With the style LucasArts is going for, the game aims to be mostly comical. From the design of Zeus, Hades, and the other gods, to the design of all other enemies and characters. Regularly, you see little funny details in the environment, like a sunbathing beach, or the anti-man city of the Amazons.

These little details work to give a more visual narrative to the story other than the occasional exposition by Zeus or Hades, and it mostly works.

"I'm sure Hera will give you some heroic tasks to prove your worth"

The story is mostly a framework to explore the world of the game, as you go from place to place to gain the favors of other Gods. It basically boils down to fetching things back, gaining some useful items, and defeating bosses.

Unique for the time, the overhead world is almost all open, with no loading screens at all. This entire map is open in theory, but you will need to get some abilities and items to go past certain areas or defeat certain bosses.

For instance, one dragon boss can be stumbled upon quite early. However, without an item that can help you withstand its fire, the fight is impossible to win.

Similar roadblocks are peppered over to gently guide you through the way, although the game never explicitly shows you the rails.

One thing that may both unique and distressing is the death mechanic. Instead of simply losing progress, you are transported to the underworld, where you get the chance to escape. This can happen for five times, with each being harder than the last, after which it is game over for good.

"So, you are the pathetic mortal who Zeus sent to defeat me. You have no chance against me. I am Hades, lord of the underworld"

As an action adventure game, the combat is an integral part of the experience and maybe its weakest point. Simply, it is more annoying than challenging and time-consuming than exciting.

You primarily attack with a melee strike (for Hercules), but this attack is of such short range that you almost always get hit by an enemy attack or two. Another option is to charge your attack to throw the club like a boomerang, but that leaves you open for other attacks.

The safer option is to use one of the game's many consumable projectile items, which are liberally handed to the player. Throwing spear, trident, laser guns, and other such things is more reliable against bosses and groups of enemies.

Regardless, the combat is mostly repetitive and dull, especially since every little enemy is a damage sponge, simply prolonging this battle of attrition.

"Bet you work for that no-good husband of mine. You will have to do some work to get it. No slacking off like that Zeus"

One of the most striking things about Herc's Adventure is its cartoony graphics and visual style. That is carried by some excellent 2D graphics and animation. Generally, the design of all characters and creatures is distinctive and fittings.

It establishes a consistent art style that tells its own story, and you can see that with the booming voice of Zeus and the nasal voice acting of Hades, which fits their graphical desing like a glove.

As for the sound design, it is mostly fine, but the soundtrack is not very memorable. It has some nice tracks, but nothing truely stand out.

In Conclusion:

Herc's Adventure is just one of those games that are not exactly great at the time, and are not at all memorable today. Apart from its lovely graphics, there is little else to attract the busy gamer.

Not exactly a Greece epic.

Final: 6/10

Pros:

• Great and unique graphics.
  
• One continious overworld.
  

Cons:

• Repetitive and boring combat.
  
• A lot of backtracking.
  

"Tips"
1-Revisit areas to stock-up on useful items.
2-Pick Atalanta as your character, her neutral attacks are the best.
3-Also, as Atalanta, you can get some bonus items.

"Next Game"

Initially, I thought I would like Herc's Adventure more than I ended up doing. At some point, the game just became a slog to play.

Next game in the list, at #62, iis a grid-based strategy game, Iron Storm. Which I am approaching with some caution. Usually, these types of games can be very complex, and at that time, it was often difficult to decipher the controls.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

#59

Game: Magic Knight Rayearth.
Year: 1995 in Japan, 1998 in NA.
Genre: Action Adventure.
Publisher: Sega, Working Designs.
Developer: Sega.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

Although one of the first games unveiled for the Saturn, Magic Knight Rayearth was actually the last official game released in North America. That was due to the extensive localization needed for a game that pushed the narrative boundaries of the time.

Based on a well-known magical girl anime, this is actually an adaptation that successfully tells a story while being a good game in its own right. The rare anime adaptation that works.

"This land, this place. The dark tide must be quelled. I must call them"

Heavily based on the anime of the same name, the plot of the game will be very familiar to fans of the show, even if there are some notable changes to the plot. Namely the fact that it skips the second part of the anime and combines the entire story in one arc.

For the non-fans, the story is a familiar Magical Girl Anime trope. Three Tokyo teenaged girls are summoned to the endangered world of Cephiro, where they need to fulfill their destiny of becoming Magical Knights and rescuing the princess Emerald. Emerald's disappearance is throwing the world of Cephiro into chaos, and the many locales of the place are in danger because of that.

The three girls, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, all represent well-worn anime archetypes. From the feisty red leader, Hikaru, to the geeky eye-glass wearing Fuu. Their development into the Magic Knights, which requires them to grow with the plot, is the major theme of the game.

Trying to stop them is the evil wizard Zagat and his band of hapless minions, who, to the story's credit, do get fleshed out more than expected. Even if the exposition is a bit forced sometimes.

The plot unravels through character dialogue, which is voice acted in the important scenes. Also, there is a big number of anime cut scenes that do not gracefully follow the action. In fact, I would say the anime cut scenes are more a distraction than an asset.

Surprisingly, the majority of dialogue and character interactions were really good. In fact, there are many times where NPCs would say something funny in a meta-level, but the important bits of dialogue and exposition are also mostly well-done. Of course, there is the occasional cliched scene or two, where the otherwise decent VA creeks under poorly written lines and unnatural developments.

"Hmph! It appears that the Magic Knights have been summoned from beyond the barrier"

In order to develop their powers, the three girls must grow and find their inner strength, and they do that by helping the various communities of Cephiro. That's basically the driving force behind the Action Adventure gameplay.

Similar to the Legen of Zelda the game is a top-down action adventure. Each of the three characters has their own attack style and spells, and you can freely switch between them. While some may call it an Action RPG, the progression is more like Zelda compared to anything else.

Each location has its own dungeon or two, and these are mostly straightforward affairs with simple puzzles. I imagine a better version of this game would have had character-specific abilities to solve some smart puzzles.

Except, the limited challenge of the game is mostly based on the combat. Yet, with the combined strength of the three girls, especially with Fuu's homing charged arrows, the game is rarely hard even against the exciting bosses.

"Alcione... The time is come for a little child abuse"

You shouldn't look at the game's lack of challenge as a serious negative though. While it is true that the gameplay doesn't reach its full potential because of that, the core game is still enjoyable enough despite its relative simplicity.

That's probably due to an always forward-momentum that help you breeze through the game without feeling bogged down at any one moment. Since the story and characters are nice enough, each new location or dungeon is an exciting new thing to quickly overcome and go forward again.

One activity that requires some backtracking is in collecting some of the 64 Rainbow amulets, which is a side activity that offers some exploration incentive without being necessary.

In the other hand, if you don't like difficult Action Adventure games, then this game is right up your alley, with a gentle difficulty and learning curve all the way through to the end.

"Ya know, in my day we didn't have bloomin' video games to rot our minds! We played with rocks and sticks and mud all day, and we LIKED it! We LOVED it!"

One of the many sticking points against the game, when it was originally released, is that it didn't go far from the graphics and presentation of the 16bit era. When games like Bug! and Blazing Heroes were released with polygonal models, Magic Knight Rayearth was simply an upscaled 16bit game.

That is exactly why this game looks great when most early games (And even later) of the Saturn have aged terribly.

The sprites look really good against a crisp and detailed environment. Character portraits are nice-looking an expressive, and their emotions are conveyed in cute little touches in the animations, touches you see in many an anime.

While this level of care doesn't always include the enemy monster models (except the bosses), the game's graphics are consistently good and are a reminder of why 2D game style never went out of fashion.

Complementing the graphics is an impressive array of anime cut-scenes and cinematics that do not always work. Somehow, the voice acting in the in-game scenes is miles better than the anime cut-scenes. That brings us to the VS, which is surprisingly decent, except when it is ill-served by some unnatural lines in the script.

The same cannot be said about the music, which is really the only thing that should have been made up to the increased standards of the Saturn. As it is, few tracks are memorable, and it just reminds me of how little I liked the Genesis soundtracks compared to the SNES.

In Conclusion:

As the last game released on the Saturn in North America, the game symbolizes a lot of what went wrong with the console. Released late because Sega worried about marketing a 2D sprites game in the midst of a technology race, Sega instead bet on the Saturn's weaknesses instead of its strengths.

Looking much better than the games that were developed after it, and perfectly adapting the heart of its anime source, Magic Knight Rayearth somehow became the rare good adaptation. Although limited in its gameplay, and you can feel areas where it could have been better, I had a good time finishing the game.

Final: 8/10

Pros:

• Good story with funny dialogue sometimes
  
• Tries its best at endearing you to the game's world and characters
  
• Good graphics that aged very well
  
• Gameplay is fun most of the time with good bosses
  

Cons:

• Rarely challenging and doesn't reach the full potential of the combat
  
• The story does suffer from the cliched moment or two
  
• The music is mostly forgettable
  

"Tips"
1- Depend on Fuu's Heal magic instead of potions.
2- Fuu's charge attack is your go-to in times of difficulty.
3- Make sure not to let any character die, because they cannot be healed for the rest of the dungeon.
4- There always is a health fountain before a boss.

"Next Game"

I don't think I would have enjoyed a magical girl game back when I was a kid, not as much as I liked the game now.

Next on the list would be a report review of the games from 60 to 51, since the rest after Magic Knight Rayearth are games from genres I don't usually cover. Still, I will try and give each game a try.

Stay Tuned

[Lord Spencer]

Typical to the Saturn, the top 60-51 games on Retro Sanctuary are almost all Japanese exclusives that were never ported west, while some are inferior ports of PC or Arcade games. Besides a few of these games, the 2D games, that showcase the Saturn's best qualities, these are not a very impressive collection.

Of these games, Magic Knight Rayearth is the only one I played to completion and only one with a complete in-depth review that you can check out.

60- Magic Carpet (1996):

• Genre: Action Strategy
  


• Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Bullfrog Productions.

 

This is the kind of game where a quick and dirty port simply doesn't work. Originally developed by Peter Molyneux's Bullfrog Productions for the PC, this game was then ported to both the Saturn and the PlayStation 1. Both ports suffered from the typical control problem encountered when porting first-person games.

At its core, Magic Carpet is an interesting offshoot of the God-Strategy genre, where an action-heavy segment of flying around in a magic carpet destroying stuff is augmented by the strategy of spending the mana you collect in your destruction. At its time, the game was a little revolutionary for depicting flying in a fully 3D environment.

Still, if you are interested in trying this game, then the Saturn version is simply too awful to play.

59- Magic Knight Rayearth (1995, 1998):

• Genre: Action Adventure.


• Publisher: Sega, Working Designs; Developer: Sega.
  

 

Based on the Magical Girls anime of the same name, this is an Action Adventure game that is pretty good, as I detail in my review of the game. While originally derided by some for not moving away from the 16bit graphics of the previous generations, that ensured that this game looks great now compared to early 3D graphics adopters like Bug! and Mystaria.

An interesting thing about this title is that it was one of the first game's unveiled for the system but ended up being the last official game released in the west.

That's because Sega, in their infinite wisdom, decided that 2D games would not sell well in the west. Instead, they banked on the Saturn's weakest points rather than its strengths. Also, they didn't think that a game featuring 3 little girls as the main characters would sell.

58- Baku Baku Animal (1996):

• Genre: Puzzle.
  


• Publisher: Sega, Developer: Sega.

 

The most similar puzzle game to this Japan exclusive puzzler would be Puzzle Fighter, which is the better game. Still, Baku Baku is a good puzzle game for what its worth, even if it doesn't have much going for it in an already crowded market.

57- Dungeons & Dragons Collection (1999):

• Genre: Beat em' Up.


• Publisher: Capcom; Developer: Capcom.

 

With its late release in 1999, after the Saturn stopped getting games, Dungeons & Dragons Collection was not released west. As a collection of two acclaimed Arcade Beat em' Ups. What differentiates these two games from the rest of the pack is some role-playing elements like experience points and equipment collection.

This probably would have been the rare Beat em' Up that I would have enjoyed since it looked to be more complex than its peers and with a lot of different mechanics.

56- Silhouette Mirage (1997):

• Genre: Action.


• Publisher: Entertainment Software Publishing, Working Designs; Developer: Treasure.

 

This game is interesting for two reasons. The first being that it signaled the development company, Treasure, moving away from the Sega brand after making some excellent and well-loved games on previous Sega consoles. The second is that the eventual PlayStation port, which was released in the West as opposed to the Saturn version which wasn't, is the better version of the game.

Typical to Treasure games, this is an action-packed game with tons of style. One thing to note is that the color-switching mechanic, which is where enemies can only be damaged with the same colored bullets, is a precursor to Treasure's much loved Ikaruga series.

55- Bust-A-Move 3 (1997):

• Genre: Puzzle.


• Publisher: Taito; Developer: Taito.

 

I think everyone knows what a Bust-a-Move game plays like, or Bubble Bobble as it is known in Japan. This release on the Saturn is nothing too different. It has an endless arcade mode, some puzzle maps, and some challenge maps, as well as the typical versus modes. Generally, you know what you get with a Bust-a-Move game, and that's always a solid puzzler.

54- Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels (1996):

• Genre: RTS FPS.


• Publisher: Electronic Arts; Developer: Key Game.

 

 

53- Real Bout Special (1997):

• Genre: Fighting.


• Publisher: SNK; Developer: SNK, Namco.

Real Bout Special, or Real Bout Fatal Fury Special, is a little-known but much-regarded SNK fighter that was only ported to the West on Arcades, the Neo Geo, and the Wii Virtual Console. Like other Neo Geo ports, the Saturn version is almost perfect; certainly better than the PlayStation port.

The Real Bout series is a spin-off on the Fatal Fury fighting series, where classical characters like Terry Bogard, Mai Shiranui, and Geese Howard are involved in a fighting game with some extra mechanics. Still a 2D fighter with excellent mechanics, the game also employs plane jumping where you can jump between planes. It can't be abused to break the game but adds another layer of strategy that works really well.

It surely is one of the best fighting games on the Saturn, but its final placement will have to wait for other greats to make an appearance first.

52- Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness (1997):

• Genre: RTS.


• Publisher: Davidson & Associates; Developer: Blizzard Entertainment.

 

Does anyone think that Warcraft II on the Saturn would be worth talking about? It's obviously an inferior port to the PC version.

51- Galactic Attack (1995):

• Genre: Shmup.


• Publisher: Taito; Developer: Taito.

 

Like many games on this list, when it was released, Galactic Attack was criticized for barely developing past the 16bit graphics of the prior generation despite its excellent gameplay. Some doubted whether it was worth it upgrading your console just to play games like this when in the same time "progressive" games like Virtua Fighter 2 and Sega Rally are released.

I am yet to play either of those games, but I doubt they have aged as gracefully as this one.

Galactic Star is a vertical Shmup with few tricks up its sleeve. It is nearly as basic as Shmups go. With a single direction shot, single hit point, and a hell lot of enemies coming and shooting at you. The only twist with this game is that you are both fighting ground "Fixed" enemies as well as the enemies in your own plane. For the ground enemies, you tag them by getting them within the sits of your cursor before you unleash a barrage of lasers at them. The need to manage both ground and airborne enemies is the central gimmick of the game.

With excellent graphics (that was impossible in the 16bit era) and great music, this was one of those Arcade Shmups that are very faithfully ported to the Saturn, cementing its reputation as an excellent Arcade ports machine. One thing I thought is lacking from the game is the ability to dodge any sort of attacks or get some invisibility frames. Without that, this game is a hell to go through for non-advents of the genre.

For the fans, this may be one of the more basic Shmups on the system, but it does everything really well and offers multiple levels of difficulty as well.

*********************************

This report is a consolidated review of the top 100 list by Retro Sanctuary. It features the reviews I made for the list but also has a brief paragraph about each game in the list that I didn't review. For games without an official review, the opinions I express are purely based on some little playing time and general research about the game and its reception at the time.

[Lord Spencer]

#49

Game: Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean.
Year: 1996 in Japan, 1997 in NA.
Genre: JRPG.
Publisher: Sunsoft, Working Designs.
Developer: Sunsoft.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

Both at first appearance and deeper into the game, it is obvious that Albert Odyssey was developed for earlier hardware. It looks and plays like one of the late JRPGs of the 16bit era, and that means the game still looks great today.

It is one of the many games localized by Working Designs with their unique style, which allowed games that probably would never be ported west to be released. That was great for fans of the genre back in the day.

Yet, besides that promising facade, the game falters in comparison to its JRPG peers, particularly due to its slow performance and some seriously misguided localization.

"Many centuries passed since Eldean had left his mark on history, and the peace that once was is no more"

At its most basic level, the story in Albert Odyssey is a serviceable template in which a good story was built. There is little unique about the overarching plot of a sibling rivalry, corrupted by darkness, driving the fate of the world; their ancient continuing due to their sudden immortality.

That's the work in which the hero is born, only for his parent to be suddenly killed in a monster attack. From that conflict, Pike, the aforementioned hero, goes into a world-saving mode with a band of friends.

Despite its basic premise, the story is engaging, with suitably evil characters to fight, and a forward drive that never stops from beginning to end. This is supported by a likable cast of characters and supporting characters that work well within the story.

Now, if this story was localized in a straightforward way, it would be a decent story that works well.

Yet, due to some seriously misguided localization, the game manages to ruin any mood it tries to install, grating the plyer with out-of-place cultural references, and some crude humor. That's not to mention some seriously terrible dialogue.

A few examples to illustrate this terrible localization:

One, one of the main villains insult to the hero is "Pathetic zit-popping pubescent".

Two, for some reason, the localizers decided to have a "Bruce Lee is still alive" joke in a story scene.

Three, as a response to an angry female ally, Pike (a 15-year-old) can make fun of her and accuse her of having her "menstrual panics".

Besides all three examples being proof of some terrible writing, the localization simply distracts from the theme of the game and its world-design. In fact, nearly all cases where you can choose Pike's response, the second choice is an over-the-top obnoxious response that no sane person should choose.

"A hero is a hero because of what... he does... not because of his lineage"

To save the world, Pike must go from city to city, chasing after the minions of an evil empire. The adventure is mostly linear. Fights with enemy monsters and bosses act as the main obstacle to progress, especially in the many dungeons of the game.

Battles are a typical turn-based affair with a party of five. Speed decides the order in battle, meaning that speed-increasing spells are really useful. There is nothing unique in the battle system to make Albert Odyssey stand-out in comparison to other JRPGs.

Mostly, asking everyone to attack is enough to defeat most enemies. Magic attacks may be a more efficient option, but they cost some MP to cast. It is only when fighting bosses that you are forced to use any strategy.

Bosses are exciting to fight exactly because they add some much-needed difficulty. They will force you to use items, most of your spells, and pay close attention to your turn order. One thing to note though is that you can't see what effects your spell had on them, so it is always a better option to increase your own stats rather than decrease those of your enemies.

Dungeons are mostly straightforward with the notable exception of the last dungeon (which is a nightmarish maze with no logic or sense). There aren't any puzzles to solve or any extra gameplay oddities.

The simplicity of both battles and dungeons means that the game struggles to differentiate itself from its peers, besides the fact that it looked like the games of the previous generation.

"Why can't you simply play the roles predestined for you and DIE??!"

With its basic gameplay structure, there is little to detract from the game in a purely mechanical point of view, even if there is also little to recommend it from the same front.

Yet, when you actually play the game, you will realize that nearly everything is taking a little more time than it should be. Attacks are one or two seconds longer than they should be. To start a turn, there is an unwelcome half-a-second pause. Loading screens stay for three or a little more seconds.

With random encounters being somewhat frequent, these seconds add up to a considerable amount of time.

It all feels sluggish, helping deflate your enthusiasm for the game.

Perhaps that means the uncharacteristically short length of the game (considering the genre) may not be a negative point after all. With no side-quests to speak off and a mostly linear main path, the game is over in about 15 hours. Three of these hours are probably wasted time within battles and loading screens.

To be fair to the game, the pacing is well-done, with little filler material between story beats. I am not sure extra additional content would have helped. However, a side-quest involving Leos, an ally character that inexplicably doesn't join again, would have been very good to have.

"Your dark words can't strike fear into souls dedicated to light"

Once I started writing the review for this game, I realized I find little positives to say about it, yet I didn't exactly hate my time with it.

Thinking back, I think the best explanation for that is how good the game looks and sounds.

Utilizing some amazing sprite and background graphics that would have been impossible on earlier hardware, Albert Odyssey still looks great. Sprites are expressive and animated, both those of the main characters and enemies. Backgrounds are well-drawn and have some animation as well. The battle screen is the kind of movement that the earlier Final Fantasy games probably tried to create.

With the exception of the terrible-looking overworld and the fact that character portraits are consigned to the battle screen, the game is gorgeous to look at. This is the rare 5th generation game that still looks good.

Musically, the game also makes some good use of the increased capabilities of the Saturn. With some orchestral tracks, most of the soundtrack is excellent to listen to and it greatly adds to the mood of the game. With the exception of the battle tracks which are limited, to be honest.

Nearly every city has its own theme which conveys a different personality. Dramatic scenes are expertly accentuated with musical tracks, even when the writing somehow manages to break that spell. And, best of all, there are some really good tracks that I would want to listen to over and over again.

Both overworld themes (Main Theme 1 & 2) are great. Estranto is a melancholic song that sticks to the mind. Overall, the soundtrack is great with many exceptional choices to listen to.

In Conclusion:

Released at a time where games were pushing graphical boundaries and creating images that look hideous today, this is a game that perfected the art and presentation of the past and still looks great today.

For fans starved of JRPGs, the game was considered one of the Saturn's best.

Yet, due to some terrible localization choices by Working Designs, a good story was a little spoiled for me. At each an every major point, terrible dialogue conflicted with the actions and music on screen, with dramatic moments accentuated by dramatic music ruined by stupid puns and ridiculous insults.

That, coupled with some pedestrian gameplay that wastes much of your time in executing basic actions as well as on loading screens, significantly affected my enjoyment of the game.

In the end, I didn't exactly dislike the game but realized it is much less than it could have been.

Final: 5/10

Pros:

• Some Great Graphics and Music
  
• Straightforward story with constant forward drive.
  

Cons:

• Battle actions take too long to execute
  
• Long and frequent loading times
  
• Seriously terrible localization choices for the dialogue
  
• Little to differentiate the game from its peers.
  

"Tips"
1- You will need to use items when fighting bosses.
2- A stat increase from item use continue for the entire battle.
3- Pay attention to turn order.
4- Speed rating is very important.
5- Leveling-up is easy and very important.

"Next Game"

At the start, I thought I found my best Saturn game yet. Albert Odyssey has a strong first impression. Yet, with time, its faults became more apparent and unforgivable.

Back to the list, there aren't any other games that I would play from #48 to #41. Since I just wrote a report before playing this game, I will take this opportunity to review a game requested by Dtoid community member, Ghoane. This game is Shinobi Legions, which I think is the only Shinobi game released on the Saturn.

Stay Tuned

[Young Kaz]

#59

Game: Magic Knight Rayearth.
Year: 1995 in Japan, 1998 in NA.
Genre: Action Adventure.
Publisher: Sega, Working Designs.
Developer: Sega.



First things first, I am changing my rating system to a simpler 10 point system. Games that get above a 7 I fully recommend, and those that get below that are mostly a waste of time. That leaves the score of 7 to depend on your taste

Although one of the first games unveiled for the Saturn, Magic Knight Rayearth was actually the last official game released in North America. That was due to the extensive localization needed for a game that pushed the narrative boundaries of the time.

Based on a well-known magical girl anime, this is actually an adaptation that successfully tells a story while being a good game in its own right. The rare anime adaptation that works.

"This land, this place. The dark tide must be quelled. I must call them"

Heavily based on the anime of the same name, the plot of the game will be very familiar to fans of the show, even if there are some notable changes to the plot. Namely the fact that it skips the second part of the anime and combines the entire story in one arc.

For the non-fans, the story is a familiar Magical Girl Anime trope. Three Tokyo teenaged girls are summoned to the endangered world of Cephiro, where they need to fulfill their destiny of becoming Magical Knights and rescuing the princess Emerald. Emerald's disappearance is throwing the world of Cephiro into chaos, and the many locales of the place are in danger because of that.

The three girls, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, all represent well-worn anime archetypes. From the feisty red leader, Hikaru, to the geeky eye-glass wearing Fuu. Their development into the Magic Knights, which requires them to grow with the plot, is the major theme of the game.

Trying to stop them is the evil wizard Zagat and his band of hapless minions, who, to the story's credit, do get fleshed out more than expected. Even if the exposition is a bit forced sometimes.

The plot unravels through character dialogue, which is voice acted in the important scenes. Also, there is a big number of anime cut scenes that do not gracefully follow the action. In fact, I would say the anime cut scenes are more a distraction than an asset.

Surprisingly, the majority of dialogue and character interactions were really good. In fact, there are many times where NPCs would say something funny in a meta-level, but the important bits of dialogue and exposition are also mostly well-done. Of course, there is the occasional cliched scene or two, where the otherwise decent VA creeks under poorly written lines and unnatural developments.

"Hmph! It appears that the Magic Knights have been summoned from beyond the barrier"

In order to develop their powers, the three girls must grow and find their inner strength, and they do that by helping the various communities of Cephiro. That's basically the driving force behind the Action Adventure gameplay.

Similar to the Legen of Zelda the game is a top-down action adventure. Each of the three characters has their own attack style and spells, and you can freely switch between them. While some may call it an Action RPG, the progression is more like Zelda compared to anything else.

Each location has its own dungeon or two, and these are mostly straightforward affairs with simple puzzles. I imagine a better version of this game would have had character-specific abilities to solve some smart puzzles.

Except, the limited challenge of the game is mostly based on the combat. Yet, with the combined strength of the three girls, especially with Fuu's homing charged arrows, the game is rarely hard even against the exciting bosses.

"Alcione... The time is come for a little child abuse"

You shouldn't look at the game's lack of challenge as a serious negative though. While it is true that the gameplay doesn't reach its full potential because of that, the core game is still enjoyable enough despite its relative simplicity.

That's probably due to an always forward-momentum that help you breeze through the game without feeling bogged down at any one moment. Since the story and characters are nice enough, each new location or dungeon is an exciting new thing to quickly overcome and go forward again.

One activity that requires some backtracking is in collecting some of the 64 Rainbow amulets, which is a side activity that offers some exploration incentive without being necessary.

In the other hand, if you don't like difficult Action Adventure games, then this game is right up your alley, with a gentle difficulty and learning curve all the way through to the end.

"Ya know, in my day we didn't have bloomin' video games to rot our minds! We played with rocks and sticks and mud all day, and we LIKED it! We LOVED it!"

One of the many sticking points against the game, when it was originally released, is that it didn't go far from the graphics and presentation of the 16bit era. When games like Bug! and Blazing Heroes were released with polygonal models, Magic Knight Rayearth was simply an upscaled 16bit game.

That is exactly why this game looks great when most early games (And even later) of the Saturn have aged terribly.

The sprites look really good against a crisp and detailed environment. Character portraits are nice-looking an expressive, and their emotions are conveyed in cute little touches in the animations, touches you see in many an anime.

While this level of care doesn't always include the enemy monster models (except the bosses), the game's graphics are consistently good and are a reminder of why 2D game style never went out of fashion.

Complementing the graphics is an impressive array of anime cut-scenes and cinematics that do not always work. Somehow, the voice acting in the in-game scenes is miles better than the anime cut-scenes. That brings us to the VS, which is surprisingly decent, except when it is ill-served by some unnatural lines in the script.

The same cannot be said about the music, which is really the only thing that should have been made up to the increased standards of the Saturn. As it is, few tracks are memorable, and it just reminds me of how little I liked the Genesis soundtracks compared to the SNES.

In Conclusion:

As the last game released on the Saturn in North America, the game symbolizes a lot of what went wrong with the console. Released late because Sega worried about marketing a 2D sprites game in the midst of a technology race, Sega instead bet on the Saturn's weaknesses instead of its strengths.

Looking much better than the games that were developed after it, and perfectly adapting the heart of its anime source, Magic Knight Rayearth somehow became the rare good adaptation. Although limited in its gameplay, and you can feel areas where it could have been better, I had a good time finishing the game.

Final: 8/10

Pros:

• Good story with funny dialogue sometimes
  
• Tries its best at endearing you to the game's world and characters
  
• Good graphics that aged very well
  
• Gameplay is fun most of the time with good bosses
  

Cons:

• Rarely challenging and doesn't reach the full potential of the combat
  
• The story does suffer from the cliched moment or two
  
• The music is mostly forgettable
  

"Tips"
1- Depend on Fuu's Heal magic instead of potions.
2- Fuu's charge attack is your go-to in times of difficulty.
3- Make sure not to let any character die, because they cannot be healed for the rest of the dungeon.
4- There always is a health fountain before a boss.

"Next Game"

I don't think I would have enjoyed a magical girl game back when I was a kid, not as much as I liked the game now.

Next on the list would be a report review of the games from 60 to 51, since the rest after Magic Knight Rayearth are games from genres I don't usually cover. Still, I will try and give each game a try.

Stay Tuned

I remember this being so good in like 1996. Ridiculously easy though. People would just give you new attacks from the Anime, which I also remember being "ok".

Good review old friend

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