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Sega Saturn With LCD Screen, GPS, Karaoke?
Thanks to InsertCredit for pointing to a feature on the NFG Games site discussing the HiSaturn Navi, a rare and bizarre Japanese incarnation of the Sega Saturn from 1995, which included an add-on LCD screen, a car adaptor, GPS navigation software, karaoke compatibility, and lots more. The unit even has some strange car safety features courtesy of a sensor attached to the handbrake cable - "Game playing was prohibited while the car was in motion - without the handbrake sensor installed and the handbrake applied the screen would shut off after a game started to load." Still, at $2000 (with screen) when launched, and $1200 even now for second-hand models, it's only a toy for the truly insane Sega fan.
NiGHTS: into dreams
super puzzle fighter 2 turbo
guardian heroes
daytona usa championship circuit edition
There's maybe 7-8 RPGs, I think all of them are OK: Panzer dragoon saga which costs $150+, albert odyssey, magic knight rayearth, shining force, shining wisdom, dragon force, shining the holy ark, couple of others.
Check out the reviews at www.sega-saturn.com
Here goes:
-Panzer Dragoon Saga
You must have this game. It's expensive, but well worth the price for RPG fans. Excelent game.
- Dragon Force
A fantastic strategy title.
-Albert Odyssey
RPG localized by Working Designs. Good game.
- Shining Force 3
There are three scenarios, all of which are fantastic, but only the first was localized in the US. Still a must have.
- Guardian Heroes
A great Fighter/RPG for a large number of people. It's more fast paced, action style gameplay (along the lines of Final Fight of Streets of Rage), but has several characters all of which level up gaining new spells and skills, and you can play with up to 4 people (in story mode) or 10 in vs. mode. Good times at a party.
- Beyond Oasis
Really good Action RPG in the vein of Zelda, but much heavier emphasis on dungeon puzzles. Good game though.
- Mysteria
I have not played this game more than 5 minutes. It's a fantasy turn-based strategy RPG, but the graphics are absolutely horrendous. From what I have heard the game itself is good, but I could not work my way past the appearance. I can usually look past that as well, but this game just did not age well.
Some other games work looking into -
The Saturn was a shooter machine. It's what it did best. With that said:
- Radiant Silvergun
I personally think this is the best shooter ever developed. Over the top action with elements of an RPG in the form of weapons that level up. Fantastic weapon and scoring system. This is a must have. I'm an RPG fan, but I coulnd't live without this experience. Good stuff.
- Panzer Dragoon 1
If not just for the series roots. This is a great shooter.
- Panzer Dragoon Zwei
Probably the best shooter in the Panzer series. This is a fantastic game all around.
- Sol Divide
Expensive and hard to find. Worth it for the collection, but you can download the arcade ROM for MAME instead. Still worth mentioning.
- Sengoku Blaede
Fun but short shooter.
Lastly...
- Bomberman
12 player Bomberman. Good times.
Anything else in the Shining series is pretty decent, though I tend to feel Shining Wisdom is a bit lacking in both the graphics and innovation department. It's like a colorized port of a gameboy zelda clone, so you may want to avoid that one.
Have fun.