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Post by The Elite MYT on Dec 25, 2019 19:34:07 GMT
As is tradition, with the end of the year approaching, it's time to evaluate the games you have played this year. Last year I had 10 different categories, but I've shortened it to seven this year (removing the negative ones). My video with my picks is airing this weekend on YouTube, but what are yours? Categories are: MOST SURPRISING:Which game surprised you the most this year? Maybe it surprised you in a good way, or maybe in a bad way. Maybe you were surprised by a story or gameplay twist. Maybe you were surprised because you bought a CEX version of Panzer Dragoon Saga and the game inside was actually Hardcore 4x4. Whatever the surprise may have been, which game surprised you the most? BEST MUSIC: Music is quite an important part of a videogame and many Saturn games have killer soundtracks. Which was the best for you? Be it atmospheric music that adds to the game, or whether it's a banging tune that sticks in your head, which game would you consider to have the best OST from what you've played this year? BEST VISUALS: The Saturn is a 2D Powerhouse, but there are also some fantastic 3D games too. Regardless of what you found most impressive, which Saturn game this year blew your eyeholes out with its aesthetics. BEST STORY: A story in a videogame is like a story in a porno. Everyone expects it to be there, but it isn't very important. Carmack quotes aside, some Saturn games have some cracking stories. Which videogame from this year had the best story? MOST PLAYED: Some videogames are damn long. Especially JRPGs. Others are time investments due to difficulty. Some are just so damn addictive that you want to play them again and again. Either way, which Saturn title took up the most of your time this year? HIDDEN GEM: I mean the whole damn console is a hidden gem, so many games are kinda unknown to many. Which relatively obscure game did you play this year that you think deserves more love from the world? BEST GAME OF 2019: And of course, the finale. Which Saturn game for this year would you rank as the best one you have played. Not your fave Saturn game of all time, but from what you've played this year. Throw them in the comments below and I'll share mine once it's up
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Post by davyk on Dec 26, 2019 15:06:44 GMT
Best Music : Sega Ages : Outrun (JP version) This game was a reason why I bought a 2nd JP Saturn (a grey) as it doesn't play on my white. This has an exclusive remixed soundtrack option and it is absolutely superb.
Best Visuals : Darius Gaiden. The earlier levels look good but later on the sights become more and more outrageous. Especially like the levels that transition from outside to inside.
Best Story : n/a - don't like games with stories. Skip them every time.
Most Played : Darius Gaiden. I 1 credit completed (1cc-ed) this game this year. Very satisfying. Of course the game has a pile of replay value due to the different paths - so I'm not finished with this game by a long shot.
Hidden gem : Pro Pinball : The Web. It's a pinball game so will turn a lot of people off. And it only has one table. But it's the first game in the Pro Pinball series which is highly thought of. Looks and sounds pretty good and has enjoyable music and gameplay. The thing with pinball games is to try and find out how to play them properly - just trying to keep the ball in play doesn't keep the interest up. Once you see what it is you are supposed to do these games become rather enjoyable. The table wasn't included in Pro Pinball Trilogy for the Dreamcast , Oldbox and PC which is a shame because it probably means not that many people even know it exists. It came as a bonus disc on the PS1 version of Fantastic Journey which was the last game in the series. The saturn version loads far faster than the PS1 version.
Best game of 2019 : Darius Gaiden for me again. This year hasn't seen me play a lot of Saturn really but what I have done I have loved.
Most Surprising game : Kingdom Grand Prix. I knew that this was an unusual shmup with a racing element , but the amount of tactical play it requires to be successful still came as a surprise when I picked it up this year, courtesy of a work colleague's visit to Japan. The balance of speed and safety is excellent and there is plenty of replay with different vehicles and a branching level structure. Splendid game.
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Post by The Elite MYT on Dec 26, 2019 17:59:17 GMT
Darius Gaiden is a great game
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exodus
Saturn Gamer
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 208
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Post by exodus on Dec 26, 2019 19:26:32 GMT
MOST SURPRISING: Batman Forever. I finally got this in a trade, and I expected it to be pretty stupid, since it's an Acclaim game. And it IS pretty stupid, but in fantastic ways. There's just nonsense on screen at all times, clashing colors, everything's scaling or rotating or transparent or dithered, there's just never a dull moment with this game, and the silliness makes it a joyful experience. So this was my big surprise of the year. BEST MUSIC: Zork One. Music by Motohiro Kawashima who did the music for Streets of Rage 3, and also a game of ours called Oh, Deer! I never played Zork One before this year because I wasn't super interested in the genre, but the music is really a fantastic mix of electronic genres with some classical stuff mixed in (incidentally his two favorite genres), with some real heavy/odd atmosphere. Recommend the OST at the least! www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZQJCy7zJjQBEST VISUALS: Marica: Shinjitsu no Sekai. This doesn't look that amazing really, but I was impressed with the absolutely huge portraits they use in the story sequences, and the clever way that translates to battles (also everything is huge illustrations): www.satakore.com/satengine/screenshots/T-60/T-6008G_8,,Sega-Saturn-Screenshot-8-Marica-Shinjitsu-no-Sekai-JPN.jpg BEST STORY: Grandia. Honestly I don't love the story in Grandia, but it's one of the few story games I played in 2019, so it gets the title. MOST PLAYED: Grandia. Played to the end of disc one, so that'll be a few dozen hours there. HIDDEN GEM: Quo Vadis 2. I don't think most folks would pick this up since it's Japan-only, but where the original Quo Vadis was more of a straight-ahead space strategy game, the sequel brings us down to earth for mech battles, with a totally different look and a completely different battle system. The battle system has you basically planning routes for 5-6 mechs at once, then watching them go about their business RTS style. Unlike an RTS, you do the pathfinding yourself, and can set 2-3 node points for them to follow. There's a cool HUD that shows a first person view from the perspective of whichever mech you're following at the time, and that way you can spot enemies a bit faster. When encountering an enemy you have weaponry options, special attacks, etc. Naturally as you go you improve your mech's stats and loadout and all that. It's quite an interesting game and I've never heard anyone talk about it. Oh and - full animated and voiced sequences abound: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCoWx4nbRRsBEST GAME OF 2019: Magic Knight Rayearth. Always tough to pick the game of the year for a 25 year old console! But I spent more time thinking about this game this year than I did playing it, so maybe that's a sign of something.
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Post by tempest on Dec 27, 2019 10:25:46 GMT
As I posted over on the Junkyard:
Best Game: Wipeout 2097 Awesome. There's no other way to describe this incredible game. Sure, the visuals aren't as nice as the PS or PC versions, but the game runs at a solid frame rate and the controls are buttery smooth. The racing action is intense and the courses available here are a joy to drive as well as challenging.
Hidden Gem: Hang On GP With an arcade racer, this game is loads of fun. Is it in the same league as Rally and Daytona? No, but it's better than a lot of other Saturn racers. A game I'm keen to get a legit copy of.
Most Played: Wipeout 2097 The was the first year I owned a legit copy of this game and I absolutely love it. I loved it on the PC, on the PS, and this version is just as fun. The lap time competition on here earlier this year helped this become my most played game of the year.
Best Story: Duke Nukem 3D Most Saturn games I played this year were arcade games and didn't have stories, so Duke gets this award by default. Not a brilliant story, but certainly fun and suitable for the game's action.
Best Visuals: Duke Nukem 3D Using the Slavedriver Engine to port the game over to Saturn, Lobotomy performed a small miracle getting this game running so smoothly and looking so good. The lighting effects helped to add to the game's atmosphere too.
Best Music: Wipeout 2097 I don't care what Playstation gamers say, Cold Storage's soundtrack for the Saturn version of Wipeout 2097 is great. There are some real thumpin' tunes that help get you into the zone needed to get good lap times in this fantastic game.
Most Surprising: Hang On GP I don't even own a legit copy, but when a competition for best time ran earlier this year, I really got into this game, having passed it off previously as something unplayable. I got decent at it with the control pad, the competition drove me to get a Saturn Arcade Racer, which made it an even more enjoyable game.
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rossi46
#LFGM!
Joined: June 2007
Posts: 2,769
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Post by rossi46 on Dec 27, 2019 15:48:14 GMT
Great call on Wipeout 2097. Its between that and Guardian Heroes for me.
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Post by The Elite MYT on Dec 28, 2019 18:41:39 GMT
Some cool games listed! Definitely surprised to hear about Batman too. Didn't expect it to be so good. My list is here. Will be live in the morning
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Post by davyk on Dec 29, 2019 13:06:12 GMT
For what it's worth, I've updated my list. After some thought I have diluted the influence of Darius Gaiden, though it still features heavily, and I have added a most surprising entry.
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exodus
Saturn Gamer
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 208
Location:
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Post by exodus on Dec 30, 2019 18:14:29 GMT
As I posted over on the Junkyard: What's the Junkyard?
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Post by holty on Dec 30, 2019 20:18:53 GMT
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Post by tempest on Dec 31, 2019 11:57:03 GMT
Also, they're a group on Facebook. Great bunch of dudes passionate about the Saturn.
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exodus
Saturn Gamer
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 208
Location:
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Post by exodus on Jan 1, 2020 23:31:14 GMT
that's cool! not another forum though, I guess
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