TOP
25 SEGA SATURN GAMES
The Saturn might have struggled at retail, but its so ware line-up was enviable. Nick Thorpe counts down top 25 games on Sega’s black box, as voted for by Retro Gamer readers Sonic R Q DEVELOPER: TRAVELLER’S TALES Q YEAR: 1997 Q GENRE: RACING
The Saturn years were Sonic’s quiet spell, as the speedy critter took a back seat to Sonic Team’s other projects, but he did still manage one classic release in this on-foot racing game. The game’s key feature was its magnificently designed circuits – all five were packed with secrets and shortcuts and needed to be fully explored to progress, adding a touch of Sonic’s platforming heritage to the racing genre. It was also one of the Saturn’s prettiest releases, with Traveller’s Tales managing to squeeze some impressive transparency effects out of the hardware. It’ll only take a day to unlock all of the secrets, but you’ll have a great time doing so.
24 Panzer Dragoon Q DEVELOPER: TEAM ANDROMEDA Q YEAR: 1995 Q GENRE: SHOOT-’EM-UP
Kicking off your top 25 is one of the Saturn’s earliest hits. This on-rails shooter expanded on the formula of games like Space Harrier by adding the ability to rotate the camera, allowing the player to tackle enemies from every direction. Upon its release in 1995, Panzer Dragoon was the most expensive game Sega had ever developed, a fact that shines through in the game’s production values.
25
84 | RETRO GAMER
Soukyugurentai Q DEVELOPER: RAIZING Q YEAR: 1997 Q GENRE: SHOOT-’EM-UP
It’s often been said that a Saturn owner must be willing to import to get the most from their machine. Soukyugurentai is an uncompromisingly difficult shoot-’em-up built from scaling sprites rather than textured polygons, and a game makes for strong evidence to support that statement. The RayForce -inspired lock-on mechanics make for a fantastic game, but one which ran against the prevailing tastes of the Western market.
23