2014 has been a fantastic year for SEGA hardware anniversaries, with the SEGA Genesis turning 25, the SEGA 32X turning 20, the SEGA Pico turning 20 as well, and the Dreamcast turning 15. This month marks our final Year of the Console month long celebration as we turn our sights towards the SEGA Saturn, which turns 20 years old on November 22nd. All month long we’ll be celebrating SEGA’s under-appreciated 32-bit console with video reviews, let’s plays, podcasts, classic ads, retro reviews, and more!
Depending on where you live, the Saturn could be described as either SEGA’s most successful console of all time (Japan) or one of their biggest commercial failures (North America). Its complex hardware and inability to meet rapidly evolving consumer expectations and demands put it in a distant third place in the Western world, but a combination of above-average 2D rendering capabilities and a strong marketing campaign made the Saturn the most successful Sega console in Japan. It is estimated that in total, roughly ten million Saturns were sold.
In the comments below, share YOUR Saturn memories. What was the first game you played on the console? What is your favorite Saturn game? Our writers will be sharing their thoughts in tomorrow’s Round Table, so stay tuned!
Learn more about the SEGA Saturn at our SEGA Retro wiki
Ad:Related posts:
2014: The Year of the SEGA Console – join us as we celebrate SEGA hardware all year long!
SEGA Saturn’s 20th Anniversary: Celebrating Decades of Arcade Perfection
This is Saturn sees giant robots battle it out in Cyber Troopers Virtual-On for the SEGA Saturn
Classic SEGA Ads: The Saturn takes on the N64’s itty-bitty library
Round Table: Our favorite SEGA Saturn imports
I can’t remember the first game I played on Saturn. I know a friend of mine got it during summer of 96, but I don’t know if I played it at his place or not. I got the system in Oct 96 with a copy of Virtua Fighter Remix (just before SEGA decided to give it out with the system). The visuals and especially the CD music blew my 16-year-old mind.
My favorite game is certainly NiGHTS, but shout outs also go to Powerslave and Amok for showing that even 3rd party games could do things beyond what the system was expected to process.
Thanks for the memories, man! I remember how bizarre it was playing games off of a CD, and feeling like a CD should be cheaper than a cart.
Honestly the original Saturn controller was probably one of the most comfortable controllers I’ve used. now that I am thinking about it, I might order one of those USB ones I see online.
Agreed. The Saturn controller – specifically the Japanese one – is one of the best controllers ever.
I bought a Saturn this year for 10 dollars with box and launch games. I bought Panzer Dragoon for cheap too, I love it! It’s so great, and I want more games and more games for it. I want Clockwork Knights and Sonic Jam, because Sonic Jam is the prototype for Sonic Adventure.