no_donatello

Well, kudos to the people that kept their Amazon pre-order for that long without cancelling. It was obviously never happening.

@Serpenterror I don't agree it would have failed. It probably would have been a best selling Dreamcast game. However, it almost certainly would have gotten the RE4 treatment and almost immediately gotten ported to PS2 where it would have sold far more.

@axelhander Dreamcast 2 confirmed.

So I guess no refunds then...? Merry Christmas!

Wow. What could have been. Not to knock on Sega CD because it is great, but I do wonder about if they had waited a year or so and released a Sega CD with specs more similar to 32X. Perhaps things would have gone differently.

@MegaManFan @KitsuneNight Maaan, this story is just so wild. How anyone thought Sega wouldn't step in is crazy. This thing is a PR catastrophe in the making.

Wasn't the preorder only two dollars? I thought that was mentioned in one of these articles in the past.

I definitely do think that Sega has focused on the Japanese market since leaving the console space. They HAD to have a more diverse library when they were a console manufacturer, although, back then, the entire gaming industry was more Japan-centric (and better for it, in my opinion, but that's just me). I really don't care if they "reinvent" themselves. I enjoy the Yakuza games. I enjoy their Sonic games, some more than others (Frontiers was actually really great). But I'm honestly fine with playing retro games with the occasional modern game thrown in. Really hoping the new Jet Set Radio is good because that is a game I want more of.

@KitsuneNight Oh, no. I don't find variant hunting fun. I have one copy, and that's fine. I was fortunate to start collecting for Saturn in the mid 2000s, when prices were much more reasonable. Got a lot (though not all) of the whale titles back then simply because I wanted to play them. Getting Magic Knight for $80 still makes me laugh when I look at prices now.

@Wartogh They have stated in the past that a Saturn or Dreamcast Mini would cost more component-wise, and that was one reason they would wait on those until components got cheaper. However, I would argue that the PlayStation Classic failed because the game lineup was poor. They initially announced only part of the lineup and included all the big names. People were excited. Then the rest of the lineup turned out to be meh. No Crash, no Silent Hill, etc. The unique thing about the Saturn is that so few of its big titles actually ever got ported to other consoles. Not saying it would sell like the Genesis Mini, but I do think it would sell.

@KitsuneNight haha, I know. I picked up Panzer Dragoon for PS2 when I visited Japan. And if I ever hope to have a complete US Saturn game collection, I will have to cough up a small fortune for Sega Ages on Saturn. :/

@slider1983 They should. Hopefully they follow through on this, but we'll see. From my personal experience, Alone in the Dark The New Nightmare is a game I own from GOG which was no longer compatible with modern PCs. Apparently (have not had a chance to try) it has been updated and works now.

@KitsuneNight Indeed. Forever was kind of a failure from the start. We promise we're going to support the consoles you WANT, but for now, just these same Genesis games running worse than a free emulator. Ages, indeed, was quality work, but it was Switch only, which is the kiss of death for long term support. We know how abysmal Nintendo's track record is on supporting digital stores. Still waiting for them to do it right.

@RejectedAng3L @KitsuneNight Agreed. I prefer to own things versus a subscription service, but whatever form it takes, it should be persistent. They keep rebooting their retro line and then just rereleasing with fanfare the same games. GOG just recommitted to their "Good Old Games" campaign and promised to keep the games supported and running well in perpetuity. Time will tell if they do, but that's the kind of thing Sega should be doing with their legacy title (and, yes, branch out beyond the same 20 or so Genesis games).

I'm not sure it's even up to him since he's CEO of America and Europe. Just say no comment or no plans at this time. Saying you're not a retro company when you bank so much money from your back catalog is just silly. You can be retro and make new things. Ask Nintendo. Ask Capcom. Oh, and ask Sega.

Like others have said, licensing is very complicated and confusing. The part that I don't understand is how he didn't know about the song's use in many games. If you look at the wiki for Crush 40, they have been continuing to work with Sega on many projects since 2001, so how did he not know until a fan pointed it out? But it sounds like Paramount thinks he has some rights to the song. Hope things can get worked out.

@KitsuneNight Indeed. The Saturn doesn't look that big in photos, but, yeah, I realized how huge it was when I finally got one — especially compared to the Dreamcast. Of course, as you said, other consoles still outdo it quite a lot in terms of size. I had to specifically make sure the TV stand I was thinking about purchasing could fit the insanely huge (and hideous) beast that is the PS5 (and I even have the "slim" one).

I used to make a yearly pilgrimage to an arcade that had this cabinet and would play the full way through it. It's definitely a lost classic and would have felt at home in the Dreamcast's catalogue of arcade games. Always thought it was unfortunate that this and the Sega Jurassic Park arcade shooters (and the list goes on..) got stuck in arcades. It's great emulators exists, but having an official, easy way to play is welcome.

I want to be excited about these, especially for Onimusha, but we'll see. I worry that it will be another Souls-like, which is not my thing. Sonic Racing is always solid though. Kind of expected Dino Crisis before a new Onimusha.

Eh, it's fine. I am definitely a Zombie when it comes to Nintendo games because they keep closing their digital stores. I've gotten more selective about the games I want physical copies of, and I almost exclusively buy digital games when they're on sale.

It's kind of like the PS2. From a hardware perspective, it probably should have failed. It was hard to develop for, and the GameCube and Xbox were more powerful. But that's where the audience was, so devs got familiar with it and tools got better over time. Late releases look much better than the launch games. I'm sure the same would have been true for Saturn (and Dreamcast), but there just wasn't that much time for multiple generations of games on either platform. I always look at Burning Rangers as an example of what could have been. That game is fully 3D with transparency and impressive (for the time) lighting, etc.

Well, when they were originally going to use that messed up sonic design for the first movie, he probably didn't want credit for that nightmare. But yeah, it would be nice if they acknowledged him.

I love the Saturn. I really think it got a raw deal. Pretty obviously a better piece of hardware than the N64 (There are great games on the N64, no doubt. But people like to say that the Saturn didn't give gamers of the time what they wanted, while the N64 used CARTRIDGES). Marketing and in particular localization choices were just so bad. It's like a completely different console in Japan (where -surprise- it did quite well).

But even what we got in America was so unique, and unlike other famous console failure the Wii U, most of those unique games are still exclusive, which is simultaneously a shame and makes Saturn a more special console to collect for.

One thing I have always been impressed by is how comparatively good the Dreamcast looks upscaled compared to all the other sixth generation consoles. VGA mode is just amazing.

As for this feature, this is a very deep cut, but it's cool. haha.

Actually did visit the Vigamus with my wife when we visited Rome several years back. It was a real change of pace from all these ancient buildings and ruins to... video games.

Even if it's real, there's just no way Sega is going to let them use that name. Even websites with "Sega" in the name have trouble selling merch.

The MP3 player feature is kind of pointless, but THAT looks great! An actual benefit to having a color screen.

Have definitely experienced the bloat in some PSP batteries. The PSP was a really good console, and its library is great. However, the hardware had so many drawbacks, stuck pixels on the screen, the little analog stick being kind of terrible and (worst for me) the batteries didn't seem to hold a charge while not being used for long at all. PSP wasn't my main platform, so it was something I would pick up when I wanted, and it was almost always dead. Compare that to my GBA SP, which seemed to maintain at least some level of charge for YEARS. Sony just used trash batteries.

I have a lot of really nice PS Vita physical games from them. But selling CD-Rs is definitely not okay.

@UK_Kev My Google searches for GameCube profitability seem mixed. I'm not sure how financial reporting in Japan works, but it does seem like we get less information out of Nintendo than, say, Microsoft or Sony. I know that Nintendo is famously thrifty (sometimes to their detriment, like launching the 3DS for $250 and then having to massively cut the price), so maybe they managed to pull off a small profit from the GameCube, though I kind of doubt it. Like I said, GBA and Pokemon sold like gangbusters, so they could weather a failing home console better than Sega.

Sega's logo was literally all over Japan when I visited in 2015 and 2018. As a Sega fan, it was really an incredible thing to see. And then they sold all their arcades. So I mean, I hope Sega does elevate their brand, but they are the reason their brand is no longer out there.

@UK_Kev Where's your source that the GaneCube was profitable for Nintendo? The console was sold at a loss and got deep discounts through the generation, and obviously it sold poorly. Nintendo was saved by handheld sales and Pokémon. XBox almost certainly was also a loss for Microsoft, but it created a brand that would become very successful, so that probably counts as a win.

I think Sega did a lot of things very right when it came to the Dreamcast, but their public perception and limited cash reserves hurt them. Also hype for PS2 was immense. I wonder if Sega holding the launch outside Japan for almost a year was a mistake, and it probably was. Yes, it came out of the gate with a lot of great software, but it lost a year of building an install base before PS2 sucked all the oxygen out of the room.

For me, the Dreamcast is the best console of that generation. There is nothing wrong with celebrating the dreamcast, and I feel like the "wrong console won" thing is tongue in cheek. While I obviously wish things had gone differently, I enjoyed a ton of ps2 games. It had the third party support that generation.

Can't believe this article didn't mention the Test Donkey mode.

The color screen is obviously unnecessary and makes it feel less "authentic," but, yeah, it's probably cheaper to source. I already have the VM2, but if the price is right on this, I could see myself picking one up.

I absolutely love Feel the Magic and Rub Rabbits. It's essentially a mini-game collection, but they package it in such a quirky and fun way. And the music in the context of playing the game is very fitting, and I love it. However, I could never see myself sitting there listening to the music while NOT playing the game. But hey, pretty cool nonetheless!

I remember when I first got my Motorola DROID (with the slide out keyboard — definitely miss those!), I thought to myself now I can game all the time. Even bought this little thing that overlayed on the DROID keyboard to make it feel more like a controller. But guess what. I basically never used it for gaming. Dedicated hardware like a Retroid is just always better.

It looks like Enix did release a few Saturn games in Japan, one of which I actually own (Ninpen Manmaru). But, yeah, my first reaction to reading this was so NOW they realize Sega consoles exist. haha.

@Bonggon5 It's good advice. I did manage to play through Astrobot recently. It took a few weeks, but it was fun (and despite being a brand new game, it's a great throwback to when games were good). Where I am in life right now, full time job and two year old at home, the time is severely limited. Looking forward to him developing some better hand-eye coordination, and I will have a new player two that should increase my gaming time a lot.

Immediately noticed the Working Designs song when I watched the trailer. These games had such a huge impact on me. I haven't played them in several years. My gaming time nowadays is so short that playing RPGs seems too daunting. But I think about these games all the time. It's great more people will get to play this.

@slider1983 Plus there's some setup involved with a Sinden, so that excludes more casual gamers.

I like the idea of this. I do wish it included a couple games instead of just one.

Japanese Saturn consoles actually go for pretty cheap, honestly. These things (all "retro" consoles minus the very best selling ones, like PS2, Wii) are going to get rarer and rarer, but I doubt this will have a huge impact overall. Machines dying and not getting repaired is/will be the biggest problem. And that's why I own four Sega Saturns.

I guess I'm a little confused about the difference between AI and "procedural generation," which is something that has been around for decades in gaming. I guess there's still a human touch in procedural generation, whereas AI is all computer-created?

Anyway, I will echo the sentiment that I have long lost interest in the kinds of games EA releases. Probably have not bought one since the PS2/GC/Xbox generation. I feel like the NFL license was kind of the nail in the coffin. I mean, the games they make no longer interested me anyway, but that was just really anti-consumer. They were awesome back in the Genesis days though. That's for sure!

EDIT: I take that back. Alice: Madness Returns in the PS3 era was legit. And then they refused to work with American McGee on the sequel (or so the story goes). BAH!

@PopetheRev28 I would pick the Dreamcast, but I totally get it. I feel like the Dreamcast was Sega at their creative peak, but there's no question the arcade conversions on Saturn are phenomenal, especially if you look into the Japanese library. That's the thing, too. You've got to import to get the most out of your Saturn. Less so with Dreamcast.

As for this thing, it is beautiful!

Interesting that they include a light gun game among these. Light gun games with controller input are pointless. However, if Evercade were to release a light gun (or add support for the Sinden light gun) and release some arcade carts with long forgotten light gun titles, the money would fly out of my wallet so fast!

And 3DO was likewise criticized for being overpriced. The difference is the 3DO at least promised to do something new, though the overall quality of its games ultimately held it back. The PS5 Pro offers marginally better graphics and high frame rate. They'll sell some to enthusiasts, but that's about it. Now, selling it for 700 WITHOUT a disc drive feels like a practice run to drop the optical media on the next PlayStation. Ugh..

Great article. It really is easier getting online nowadays because I don't have to share the phone line with the rest of my family! haha. Huge, huge kudos to the community that works so hard on this. Bringing unreleased games online (Dee Dee Planet) is just unbelievable. Gives me hope to one day play Propeller Arena online, though I think I heard that one is tricky.

Fortunately got a copy upon release, and it's a good survival horror title. Really disturbing story, though not for the reasons the media hyped up back in the day.

My preorder of the Tomb Raider cart has also not shipped and has no estimated ship date. I've got plenty to play and no time to do it, so it's okay. haha.

Good to hear demand is high if that is really the reason!

It really is worth it. Even the backlight alone is a game changer. I'm not some animal that plays video games with the lights on (particularly survival horror games), so I can now finally see the VMU screen without tilting it towards the screen to catch some of the light off the TV screen. I can see the health and ammo information on the VMU in Resident Evil games. And obviously the rechargeable battery is a game changer. Can actually enjoy the minigames without dealing with the abysmal VMU battery life.

I have one disc that I have a little concern has disc rot on the VERY edge of the disc. Because of the location of the spot, it plays perfectly fine. It was an eBay purchase, so it didn't happen on my watch. I have always kept my games in air conditioned spaces, and my media room where they are stored essentially gets no natural light. I don't think this is something that will spread now that it's in a controlled environment. Hope not! Not a cheap game to replace...

How strange but fascinating time capsule before video streaming was ubiquitous. Will have to check it out. I hope we eventually get a translation of the El Dorado Gate games, another early experiment with episodic releases (but actually a game).