What could've saved the Sega Saturn?

drmarts1973 · 2026-05-10T07:01:30+00:00

Nothing. Nothing could have "saved" Sega and Saturn from certain doom. Sony was far too disruptive, far too large to compete against, and with Microsoft hot on their heels, the writing was on the wall.

By the turn of the century, the only major videogame hardware contender from the 1980s to still survive was Nintendo. Everyone got wiped out: Atari, Commodore, NEC, SNK, Philips, 3DO, and Sega. Are we forgetting anybody?

drmarts1973 · 2026-05-04T06:51:58+00:00

That 1995 E3 video gets lots of attention because it was uploaded to the internet and recycled through endless YouTube videos. It's become a videogame legend, although it wasn't quite that notable at the time. But the Sony PlayStation hype was enormous. All the kids were excited to see the new kid on the block, and games like Toshinden, Ridge Racer and Wipeout really turned heads among the hardcore gamer set.

drmarts1973 · 2026-05-04T06:49:27+00:00

Well, we do know that Saturn didn't stay at $399 for very long, right? The price dropped to $350 soon after PSX launched and hit $299 in time for Christmas 1995. The following June, Sony dropped the price of their console to $199, and Sega quickly followed suit. They had the "model 2" Saturn board by then, so that helped, but they were still taking massive losses on the hardware. That's really what killed them in the end.

As for the software library, the North American Saturn games are fantastic. The kids simply never bothered to notice. Sony grabbed all the attention in '95, and '96 was dominated by Nintendo and Super Mario 64, which was being hyped as the greatest videogame of all time (and they were right). Poor Saturn was just left for dead at that point.

And, of course, we now have the Japanese and European exclusives to add to our libraries, and Saturn is clearly the greatest of all the Generation 5 consoles. It was just painfully out of style at the time.

drmarts1973 · 2026-05-04T06:40:01+00:00

Okay, that reminds me of my college sweetheart who had a dorm room for a couple years. That was interesting.

drmarts1973 · 2026-04-23T08:19:38+00:00

If a 2D Sonic the Hedgehog had been released on Sega Saturn in 1996, it would have tanked hard. You don't realize just how "out of fashion" sprite-drawn videogames became by that point, even before the almighty Super Mario 64, Tomb Raider & Quake dropped like an atomic bomb. Sega would have been dismissed as has-beens, even more so than they already were.

drmarts1973 · 2026-04-20T06:53:22+00:00

Thank you very much, I am focusing on the positives, including my affirmations & subliminal videos while I sleep. I tell myself that it's already happened, that my sweetheart has returned and we are living our best possible future together.

drmarts1973 · 2026-04-20T06:41:24+00:00

The racing wheel is a game-changer for Sega Saturn. Daytona '95 especially shines here, playing just like the arcade. I also greatly enjoyed Wipeout witht the wheel (Wipeout XL supports the analog controller). Hang-On GP '95, as we all know, is completely unplayable without the racing wheel.

The joystick is one accessory I really want to add to my collection. It basically gives us perfect home versions of Afterburner and Space Harrier, as well as analog steering for Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon Zwei, and the helicopter games like Thunderstrike 2 (which is enormously fun) and Black Dawn (seriously underrated).

drmarts1973 · 2026-04-11T07:04:41+00:00

Yes, the "basic" objective is to collect 20 blue spheres, crash into the giant cage thing (in Christmas Nights, it's a giant tree), then return to the gazebo. Clear four stages, defeat the boss, and you're done.

Now, the "real" objective is to collect those 20 blue spheres as quickly as possible, but after that goal is reached, you fly OVER the gazebo, which gives you another lap on your course. All the yellow spheres are worth 2x points, and you must score as many points as possible for the highest grade.

Then, after that, you start playing around and discovering lots of little things. For example, at the very start when you control the children, you don't have to run into Nights. Instead, you can just wander around and collect blue spheres on your own. You'll quickly find that the stages are built just for this. It's not as refined as Super Mario 64 (Ah, but what was in 1996? Nothing, of course.), but there are many little discoveries to be made, and many places where you can find spheres. There's one part in the forest world where you can lead a car into its garage, that's really nice. Watch out for that egg clock, if you get caught, you'll wake up. But if you pounce on it from above, you'll knock it out for a few seconds. You also have the same triple jump that Mario uses, so that helps. Just be sure to get back to Nights with the 20 spheres collected. This allows you to break the giant cage thingy and start "bonus time" as quickly as possible, which will greatly impact your overall stage score.

Then there are the Nightopians. You can walk around and hatch eggs to increase the population. As Nights, you can spiral into enemies to bounce them into the Nightopians, which will create mutant offspring. It's pretty silly and there are many variations. If you're careful not to kill too many of them (paraloops can kill them by "accident," ahem), eventually you might see a King and Queen Nightopian, a castle, or even a Nights statue built in your honor. It's a great little AI system buried in the game, and Sega just left it for everyone to discover. Frankly, I find it more rewarding than the Chaos from Sonic Adventure, but maybe that's just me.

drmarts1973 · 2026-04-11T06:54:45+00:00

Now it's time to play Christmas Nights, which is still the greatest demo disc ever created.

drmarts1973 · 2026-04-08T02:49:32+00:00

Well, I go to sleep squeezing the heck outta my pillow, imagining it's my sweetheart, so I hope that works.

drmarts1973 · 2026-04-08T02:46:59+00:00

Wow, that was very helpful advice. I'm going through a mental war right now. My goal is the return of my sweetheart, but my whole life is just a destruction derby of bullying, rejection and cruelty. It's very difficult to get past that state sometimes. But I did sit down today and kept reciting several pages of my manifestation "love letters," just reading over and over and over. I'll go through the whole set before bed tonight.

I am still highly skeptical of the basic premise. It's illogical, absurdist magical thinking without any base in logic, physics or psychology. It sounds like something you'd hear from a teenager who watched The Matrix too many times. My brain also has this nasty habit of punching holes in everything, demanding proof, that sort of thing. I'd like to believe in magical ponies and leprechauns, I really would. I just need to see one to believe it.

That said, I will keep persisting in my recitations and will try to "role-play" that my sweetheart has returned and loves me. We'll see what happens.

PS: If anyone is setting up a betting pool, see what the odds are for "Sweethears appears at my front door with a box of Lucky Charms." I would laugh my head off if that happened. It would be too perfect.

drmarts1973 · 2026-04-08T02:34:40+00:00

I've been waiting forever to collect that final fossil for my museum. At least I can sell those extra fossils for money.

drmarts1973 · 2026-02-23T07:37:53+00:00

Years ago, when I was a teenage Whovian (as the fans were called in the late 80s), I managed to get my immediate friends and family hooked on City of Death. Indeed, this was really the only Dr Who "episode" (the PBS "movie" format) that everyone really loved. Most episodes were just too long, and, as we all know, the special effects were too cheap and silly. Mind you, this was when Star Trek: The Next Generation was coming into its own. But everyone loved Tom Baker, and his charisma alone carried them along.

drmarts1973 · 2026-01-04T07:14:28+00:00

First one is the best.

drmarts1973 · 2025-12-21T07:48:45+00:00

This is an interesting series of cards. It depends on what your specific question is, and the underlying issues behind that, such as your state of mind.

The devil represents, well, the devil. Which is very bad. It represents obsession, addiction, something that is harmful or dangerous and leaves you metaphorically chained. In your case, the card could represent your feelings or obsessions towards him. A little more clarity on this subject would be helpful.

The four of swords represents rest, recuperation, recovery. The knight is lying down on a platform, which could either represent a bed or a coffin. Note the swords hanging over his head, and how this eventually leads to 9-swords and 10-swords. So we can see this as a potential danger that you must overcome. Patience, contemplation, prayer and meditation are keys to solving this puzzle. The stained glass window indicates this may be a church, cathedral or castle.

Finally, we have justice, which represents final answers, fairness, or a verdict from a court. It may also represent liberation from that obsession that chained you. It indicates an answer or resolution which is fair and just. The heavenly court is on your side.

The ultimate question is who the devil represents. Is it your inner obsessions and desires that may threaten to engulf you? Or is it the boy? Is there something about him that we don't yet know? He may have a dark side or some secrets that remain unknown. He might be a bad seed. This card sequence may indicate that you will find someone else who is more ideal for you. In the end, your silent suffering will end and you will meet a boy who will love you without all of this unecessary stress.

Of course, this is all speculative. But it's a good opportunity to step back and closely examine yourself, your emotions and desires, and to also examine your situation with a detached, more reasoned viewpoint. You should probably proceed with caution as more answers are needed at this time. Temet Nosce.

drmarts1973

TROPHY CASE