The Most (and Least) Common Genres on The Saturn

[brianseals]

I'd like to know what you all think, regarding the Saturn game library. There are some genres that it has well covered, and others that were a little neglected. If you like, go ahead and post a list of some genres, from the most to the least common. Be as detailed as you like. I'd also like to know your thoughts on how well the Saturn handled each genre, and what genres you would have cut down a bit (or increased) if you had the chance.


Personally, when I look at the Saturn library, I think it's overflowing with Shmups.

If you were to walk into a disorganized, but complete set of Saturn titles, I think you'd trip on a huge stack of spaceship shooters and roll into a sea of Fighting Games. - So, SO many fighting games!. After that, there's racers and sports games, as the most common, IMO.

What the Saturn didn't have enough of, was 2D Platformers and 2D beat-em-ups, with the latter being the most uncommon. I think part of the reason why the Dungeons & Dragons Collection, and the US version of Guardian Heroes are so blasted expensive, is because there weren't enough beat-em-ups on the system to go around,,,

-Seals. 

[sych]

Thinking on this I think the obvious of over representation goes to the 2D shumps and 2D vsFighters. There could be more 3D Fighters though. I think there's a healthy amount of RPGS but it's not an over crowding quantity.

The Saturn was truly lacking in 3D Platformers, a few more diverse beat 'em' ups wouldn't hurt either, I was massively dissapointed when Golden Axe turned from a beat 'em' up to a vsfighter.

My biggest archillies heel is with Action Adventures, games that take you on a journey like Resident Evil, Deep Fear and Enemy Zero. I wish there were more of them. Especially in the horror genre.

Also Winning Post is awesome but more horse sims wouldn't go unappreciated either.

Although not over represented in the abundance of 2D fighters and shumps, I do think there are far too many pinball games. Anything above 3 is too many in my book.

[NeoGeoNinja]

Probably an unpopular opinion, but there were not 'enough' FPS titles imo. Sure, we had Exhumed, Duke & Quake - plus a dodgy port of Doom and a Hexen too, but overall... not a particularly astounding amount, I feel.

Also, some more run n gun titles (i.e. Metal Slug) would have been nice too. Could have probably got MS2 & MSX out on Saturn, not to mention a 'proper' Contra and a Gunstar Heroes sequel etc...

[redtail]

May 26, 2015 20:16:28 GMT NeoGeoNinja said:

Probably an unpopular opinion, but there were not 'enough' FPS titles imo. Sure, we had Exhumed, Duke & Quake - plus a dodgy port of Doom and a Hexen too, but overall... not a particularly astounding amount, I feel.

Also, some more run n gun titles (i.e. Metal Slug) would have been nice too. Could have probably got MS2 & MSX out on Saturn, not to mention a 'proper' Contra and a Gunstar Heroes sequel etc...

You forgot the premiere Saturn FPS, JSWAT.

[assman]

May 26, 2015 20:16:28 GMT NeoGeoNinja said:

Also, some more run n gun titles (i.e. Metal Slug) would have been nice too. Could have probably got MS2 & MSX out on Saturn, not to mention a 'proper' Contra and a Gunstar Heroes sequel etc...

This would pretty much be my answer. It still bums me out that there are so few of these games on such a beastly 2D console, especially with the genre essentially dying off shortly thereafter. Sometimes you just really gotta hate the 3D revolution.

More beat-'em-ups would have been great too. Why the hell Golden Axe: RoDA didn't get ported is beyond me; it was practically begging for it. I also probably don't even have to mention how awesome Streets of Rage 4 on the Saturn could've been.

[brianseals]

May 27, 2015 1:58:18 GMT assman said:

May 26, 2015 20:16:28 GMT NeoGeoNinja said:

Also, some more run n gun titles (i.e. Metal Slug) would have been nice too. Could have probably got MS2 & MSX out on Saturn, not to mention a 'proper' Contra and a Gunstar Heroes sequel etc...

This would pretty much be my answer. It still bums me out that there are so few of these games on such a beastly 2D console, especially with the genre essentially dying off shortly thereafter. Sometimes you just really gotta hate the 3D revolution.

More beat-'em-ups would have been great too. Why the hell Golden Axe: RoDA didn't get ported is beyond me; it was practically begging for it. I also probably don't even have to mention how awesome Streets of Rage 4 on the Saturn could've been.

::Sigh:: absolutely; assman hit it right on the... ass... anyway, 100% agree. RE: Golden Axe, I feel like, if you want to throw your hat onto the ridiculously high pile of 2D fighters, fine, but give us a traditional GA game as well. I think, that what it should have been, was an extra mode in addition to a core Golden Axe game, and not a complete game in itself. Or, you could have made it Disc Two in the bundle; that would've been awesome, but again, with the amount of fighters on the Saturn, it's hard to give a damn about number 54.

sych: I've got two pinball games already. "Last Gladiators" and "Necronomicon", both by the same company. I'm interested in "Fantastic Pinball", I think it's called, but after that I'm probably done; 3 is the magic number for me. It's cool to have them, and I'm really setting up my Saturn as a home Arcade machine, so they fit, but they're not pinball tables. They don't have the same physics and yeah, they're redundant. I still don't think they're as redundant as fighters though. Realistically, unless you have a friend that's really interested in playing a retro fighter w/ you, most people are going to play one or two of them semi-seriously and then button mash through the rest. I honestly don't know who would care to do more.


NeoGeoNinja: Yeah, I never really saw the point of FPS games on the system. Or point and clicks, for that matter. (Come to think of it, there are a lot of adventure games, in the Saturn library)..Obviously, they're not playing to the console's strengths. I do have a laptop, that I'd rather play retro FPS on. Even so,  I'd like "Alien Trilogy" and "Ghen War", I hear those are good games, Mayyyy-be Duke Nukem, but again, three is the magic number for me there. As far as adventure, I got MYST in my Saturn bundle, and it holds up pretty well today. Playing it with the D-Pad is okay, and I know there is a mouse for the Saturn, but again, why? Just why? It's weird to have those types of games included.

I also feel like the Puzzle Games could've been cut down. After Puyo Puyo, and Baku Baku Animal, and Mahjong (Shanghai) AND Tetris and Columns or whatever, I think there's plenty enough to go around. As long as they're all fun and different and interesting, fine, but you know what? I can only have one or two Match 3 games in the collection, before I don't want to look at them anymore.




 

[xDerekRx]

May 27, 2015 3:39:09 GMT brianseals said:

May 27, 2015 1:58:18 GMT assman said:

NeoGeoNinja: Yeah, I never really saw the point of FPS games on the system. 

 

(Figure Ill do my quarterly half dozen thread bumps today)

This is very much an opinion of someone getting into the system now

ahem. Back in 1996-1997, FPS was still a small genre even on PC, its home base. Those of us without decent PCs (myself) had to rely on whatever we could get on consoles. Classic FPS is still one of my favorite genres. That era with Doom, Duke, Quake, Shadow Warrior, Blood was the most enjoyable. Even into the Half Life era in the late 90s was good. Back when FPS games were played because they were so few and far between. Now the genre is a whole different animal and over saturated.

So as an FPS hungry kid and only a Saturn (wouldnt get the PSX and N64 until right about 97-98 new year area) I had to make due, I would honestly say the system did well. And youll find Lobotomy software are considered gods in these parts because they almost single handed-ly saved the genre on the system for me and others. The last two games I got as gifts in late 1997 for my Saturn were Duke3D and Quake. Cant tell you how floored I was to play 2 of the big PC FPS on my home console. It was unreal. I followed the whole development cycle. I took for granted back then as a kid but both ports were amazing especially for the Saturn. Heck I rented the PSX port of Duke a year later and couldnt believe how bad the frame rate was.

So without going off on that stuff, the Saturn in the US market had a small but healthy lineup of 7 Doom style FPS - Duke3D, Powerslave(Exhumed), Quake, Hexen, Doom, Congo, Alien Trilogy (Robotica gets an honorable mention)

During its original run I owned Alien, D3D, Quake. All 3 were fun and solid. So I was able to somehow be a satisfied FPS fan for a brief year before getting the better FPS systems.

All this without mentioning Powerslave/Exhumed. I always wanted the game badly back in 96 but could never find it (when youre like 12 and really no easy internet like today). Wouldnt play it til early 2000s. But this is one of the best classic FPS of all time. The amazing thing is, had this been a PC release (and by that I mean in its Saturn not build engine form) it would have a legacy that Doom, Duke, or Quake has now. Instead being an original Saturn game (with a PSX release shortly after) it ended up going noticed only by the hardcore fanbase. Again a reason why Lobotomy were gods for the Saturn. These 3 releases.

As for the rest. Hexen was a fair port. Playable - neither here nor there. Alien Trilogy was super fun. It had some draw distance issue and didnt have the heft of a Duke or Powerslave but was cool run and gun with lots of firepower as well as one of the best soundtracks.

The Doom port, which should have been the easiest of all these games to port, turned out horrid and unplayable sadly. A disgrace to the king of FPS genre. So glad I chose to get Alien Trilogy that day at Toys R Us instead after reading the review.

Finally there was Congo, a game that personally I always wanted to play. Think doom in the jungle. Fun but only to a specific niche crowd (basically just me).

So yeah the Saturn could have absolutely done with more FPS games. Among the cancelled FPS that were planned for the system were Killing Time (3DO game), Barb Wire, and Alien Ressurection. The system wasnt built for the future of the genre though. And without Lobotomy software, the genre may have literally belonged to Alien Trilogy as its best game. ( I kid you not, Sega wanted to give Duke3D to Rage software who did the Doom port) But as history stands, because of one company, the Saturn was left with a favorable opinion amongst those looking for FPS and didnt have say a PC.

[MIK]

A shame there wasn't a lot more retro arcade ports from the mid to late 1980's from the likes of Atari/Midway, Namco, SNK, Capcom, Taito ect... as the machine was made for them in mind. This stuff would be pure gold right now and with Sega onboard adding stuff like Super Hang-on, Shinboi 1987, Moncao GP to even OutRunners the Saturn would be priceless to fans of that era today.

[brianseals]

Aug 9, 2015 11:29:56 GMT MIK said:

A shame there wasn't a lot more retro arcade ports from the mid to late 1980's from the likes of Atari/Midway, Namco, SNK, Capcom, Taito ect... as the machine was made for them in mind. This stuff would be pure gold right now and with Sega onboard adding stuff like Super Hang-on, Shinboi 1987, Moncao GP to even OutRunners the Saturn would be priceless to fans of that era today.

::SIGH::

This.

Very much this.

Not having a proper 2D Hang-On game on the Saturn is criminal. I would have loved for them to do a 2D sprite Shinobi game as well, a proper one. Even a port of an earlier game would have been nice. Though I have nothing against Shinobi X, keep in mind, and that game is on my wishlist. The Saturn 3D Hang-On can go hang.

xDerekRx: You got me pegged, 100%. I did read up on Lobotomy Software, thanks to this forum, and their games are now on my wishlist. Admittedly, I play arcade games more than any other genre on the system, but I will slow down at some point, to play some actual console games. Nights is actually on the back burner, if you can believe that (never played it).and I'd like to get my hands on a 3D analog pad, as well as a Saturn keyboard and mouse for FPS.

[martiniii]

Aug 9, 2015 13:23:12 GMT brianseals said:

Aug 9, 2015 11:29:56 GMT MIK said:

A shame there wasn't a lot more retro arcade ports from the mid to late 1980's from the likes of Atari/Midway, Namco, SNK, Capcom, Taito ect... as the machine was made for them in mind. This stuff would be pure gold right now and with Sega onboard adding stuff like Super Hang-on, Shinboi 1987, Moncao GP to even OutRunners the Saturn would be priceless to fans of that era today.

::SIGH::

This.

Very much this.

Not having a proper 2D Hang-On game on the Saturn is criminal. I would have loved for them to do a 2D sprite Shinobi game as well, a proper one. Even a port of an earlier game would have been nice. Though I have nothing against Shinobi X, keep in mind, and that game is on my wishlist. The Saturn 3D Hang-On can go hang.

xDerekRx: You got me pegged, 100%. I did read up on Lobotomy Software, thanks to this forum, and their games are now on my wishlist. Admittedly, I play arcade games more than any other genre on the system, but I will slow down at some point, to play some actual console games. Nights is actually on the back burner, if you can believe that (never played it).and I'd like to get my hands on a 3D analog pad, as well as a Saturn keyboard and mouse for FPS.

The Saturn keyboard isn't supported by any first person shooters, though. And to the best of my recollection, the only first person shooter which supports the Saturn mouse is Doom.

[cryingfreeman]

May 26, 2015 18:15:41 GMT sych said:

My biggest archillies heel is with Action Adventures, games that take you on a journey like Resident Evil, Deep Fear and Enemy Zero. I wish there were more of them. Especially in the horror genre.

You might like Legend of Oasis (prequel to Beyond Oasis on the G/MD). It's not horror but a Zelda style game from the overhead perspective with 2D graphics, but a really good sense of depth with platforming.

[sych]

Aug 11, 2015 13:53:31 GMT cryingfreeman said:

May 26, 2015 18:15:41 GMT sych said:

My biggest archillies heel is with Action Adventures, games that take you on a journey like Resident Evil, Deep Fear and Enemy Zero. I wish there were more of them. Especially in the horror genre.

You might like Legend of Oasis (prequel to Beyond Oasis on the G/MD). It's not horror but a Zelda style game from the overhead perspective with 2D graphics, but a really good sense of depth with platforming.

Thanks. I already have Story of Thor 2 (Legend of Oasis) Currently wading my way through it. It's a great game.

[xDerekRx]

Aug 11, 2015 11:39:22 GMT martiniii said:

Aug 9, 2015 13:23:12 GMT brianseals said:

::SIGH::

This.

Very much this.

Not having a proper 2D Hang-On game on the Saturn is criminal. I would have loved for them to do a 2D sprite Shinobi game as well, a proper one. Even a port of an earlier game would have been nice. Though I have nothing against Shinobi X, keep in mind, and that game is on my wishlist. The Saturn 3D Hang-On can go hang.

xDerekRx: You got me pegged, 100%. I did read up on Lobotomy Software, thanks to this forum, and their games are now on my wishlist. Admittedly, I play arcade games more than any other genre on the system, but I will slow down at some point, to play some actual console games. Nights is actually on the back burner, if you can believe that (never played it).and I'd like to get my hands on a 3D analog pad, as well as a Saturn keyboard and mouse for FPS.

The Saturn keyboard isn't supported by any first person shooters, though. And to the best of my recollection, the only first person shooter which supports the Saturn mouse is Doom.

One odd additional FPS/controller fact is that Congo uses the Mission Stick

[mick_aka]

Aug 12, 2015 4:52:25 GMT xDerekRx said:

One odd additional FPS/controller fact is that Congo uses the Mission Stick

Ironic, as it's a horrible game regardless of what control style you use.

[xDerekRx]

Aug 12, 2015 8:25:03 GMT mick_aka said:

Aug 12, 2015 4:52:25 GMT xDerekRx said:

One odd additional FPS/controller fact is that Congo uses the Mission Stick

Ironic, as it's a horrible game regardless of what control style you use.

You are talking to literally THE one person who likes Congo so be careful

I actually played it with the mission stick and its not bad. More FPS would have been interesting to see use it.