1999
You know either Exhumed or Powerslave? Well, this the same game with yet another different name. Some Japanese text but still a very nice shooter.

2DO ARUKOTOWA SANDOA-RHU
An excellent collection of crazy mini-games. Multiple gameplay modes and a cheap price make this a worthy purchase.


ACTUA SOCCER
Fairly playable soccer game by Gremlin interactive (who also did games such as Blood Factory, Actua Golf & Hardcore 4x4). The game is let down by sloppy A.I. and there's not much reason to pick it up with games like Worldwide Soccer around, is there?

AMERICA OUDAN ULTRA QUIZ
Call me sad but I like quiz games. Shame all the text in this release is in Japanese. So if you don't read the language there's no point in picking this up.

BALDY LAND
Planned for 1995 but ended up being a 1998 release! Baldy land is a fair strategy game featuring little bald guys.Fair graphics and sound and plenty of levels but the gameplay is rather slow and gets kinda dull after a while.

BLUE BREAKER
There's a million of these graphical adventures around but this ain't one of the best. Plain graphics and a very dull battle system. Maybe there's more to meet the eye but I didn't like it. At all.


BLOOD FACTORY
The game we know as 'Loaded'. The graphical effects are pretty good, as is the sound, but an hour into the game and the simplistic 'kill and collect' gameplay will become very tiresome indeed. Fairly good fun in multiplayer, I guess.


BREAK THRU!
A puzzle game in which you have to break down walls by selecting bricks of the same colour. It sports loads of levels and a multiplayer mode but there's better puzzle games out there.

CAPCOM GENERATIONS vol.1
'Three games in one!' you might say, but the shooters on this pack are far too much alike and not very good anyway. The extra artwork doesn't help much either.

CAPCOM GENERATIONS vol.2
Fortunately this pack is a lot better than the one above. Three classic Capcom platform games (Ghouls n Goblins, Ghouls n Ghosts & Super Ghouls n Ghosts) and plenty of extras. If it wasn't for the extremely frustrating gameplay, this pack would've scored full marks.

CLOCKWORKS
Another puzzle game that tries hard but really isn't all that fun. The idea is you're a rotating clock-hand(!) and have to attach yourself to dots on a grid to avoid hazards. It's mildly entertaining but nothing really special.

COLUMNS ARCADE COLLECTION (Sega Ages)
This pack features four classic Columns games, perfectly ported from the arcade. Thankfully the games featured are different enough from each other to make them stand out on their own. The best feature, though, is the way the game keeps track of the total amount of jewels bursted, after which loads of special features become unlocked. If you're a puzzle fan this is a recommended buy!

CULDCEPT
As far as card battle games go this is one of the best out there. Detailed graphics, a Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack and both an excellent single and multiplayer (up to 4 players) mode.

DARK SEED
Originally released for the PC, this Geiger inspired adventure isn't too bad. Because the game is subtitled instead of dubbed you should be able to play this without much trouble. Just don't forget there's better adventure games out there..

DAYTONA USA
With slightly better graphics (and smaller borders) than the PAL version, you might want to give it a try. Naturally, it's not up to Sega Rally levels.

DAYTONA USA: C.C.E.
Yes I know the gameplay of original was somewhat lost with this version, but it's still playable enough and features plenty of extras (like a link-up mode and analogue control support). A fine racing game.

DEATH CRIMSON
Developers Ecole certainly 'made a name' for themselves with this dreadful release. Terrible graphics, weird music and almost non-existant gameplay. This game was voted as the worst Japanese Saturn game ever by Japanese Saturn Magazine readers and boy does it show.

DEATH MASK
Released in the west as 'Angel Devoid', a 1995 PC game. Death mask is a boring FMV adventure with frustrating gameplay and a plot you won't understand anyway. Give it a miss.

DEATH THROTTLE
Another 'PC to Saturn' game, this is the Japanese release of 'Quarantine' (an old PC hit). It's basicly Crazy Taxi with added violence. If you can get around the sloppy controls it might be worth a quick look.

DEFCON 5
As I've said before on the PAL release; great atmosphere, shame about the gameplay. Play it in the dark (with headphones on) untill you meet the first monster (and all suspense is sadly lost).

DENPA SHOUNEN TEKI GAME
A rather unusual game by Hudson sporting various crazy mini-games. Most of them are far too simplistic to be worth your time. A wasted opportunity.

DESTRUCTION DERBY
A sloppy port of the PSX game, only saved by the reasonable gameplay. Scrappy graphics and the lack of the link-up mode (which made the PSX version so enjoyable) condemned this release.

DEZAEMON 2
An excellent piece of 'build your own shooter' software. An incredible amount of options (including a 2D sprite editor, a 3D object editor and music composer) together with a neat interface and multiple built-in shooters! A must for every creative individual out there.

DIGITAL PINBALL: Last Gladiors
The Digital pinball series has its share of fans but overall the game wasn't too well received. At the end of the day it's just another pinball game and not as good as Kaze's other game; Necronomicon.

DRAGON FORCE
With both European and American versions of this excellent strategic adventure game available I'd give this one a miss. Even while it's loads cheaper.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS COLLECTION
Two Golden Axe style brawlers featuring plenty of spells, warriors, elves and big monsters. The multiple routes, sub-quests and shop system all add to the longevity. The loading might be a little frequent but overall this pack oozes quality.

DX NIPPON TOKKYU RYOKOU GAME
A board game in which you travel Japan. You visit famous tourist spots, start various jobs and the like, but don't expect to get much enjoyment out of it. (unless you read Japanese).

ENEMY ZERO
More or less the sequel to 'D'. It's an intense adventure with plenty of gore. Some of the gameplay elements are pretty clever but you'll need plenty of patience to sit through it.

F-1 LIVE INFORMATION
The first Formula one game on the Saturn so it wasn't up to much graphically, but it's remarkably playable. And as it's the only 'real' F1 racer on the Saturn you don't have much choice anyway, I'm afraid.
 

FIGHTING VIPERS
Fighting Vipers was never really popular outside of Japan but it remains a very playable Virtua Fighter spinoff. This Japanese version can be picked up for next to nothing and also features the Pepsiman character; score!

FIRE PRO WRESTLING S
Millions (well, almost) of wrestlers, buttloads of moves and up to six wrestlers in the ring at once! The added edit mode allows for even more wrestlers to be made. A wrestle fan's dream.

FREE TALK STUDIO
In this game you are an interviewer at a radio station.You have to keep your guests happy by asking the right questions and kissing their virtual behinds where possible. All in Japanese, so it's pretty much useless for anyone who isn't able to read the questions.

FUNKY HEAD BOXERS
A bizarre boxing game featuring boxers with box shaped heads and funny face expressions. Would've been fun but the gameplay is far too simplistic.

GALS PANIC SS
Combining the gameplay of QIX with anime drawings (there's no nudity like in the arcade, mind), this game is good fun. The multiple modes (including a multiplayer one) give the game plenty of replay value, so if you can find it for a good price..pick it up.

GAME BASIC FOR SEGA SATURN
Ahh..do you remember BASIC, the classic programming language? This multi-disc package contains a disc with an enhanced version of it, some Windows tools and a cable to transfer code from your Saturn to your PC and vice versa. It also comes with multiple books (in Japanese, sadly) and various sample programs and games. If you have previous (Q)BASIC experience this is an interesting and very complete package.

GAME WARE 1
The Game Ware discs contain demo's, commercials, information on music and movies and some other bits and bobs. Nothing really outstanding but the Ejihon Detective game saves this release from pure mediocrity.


GAME WARE 2
The second Game Ware is even less appealing with only the demo of Layer Section that's worth some of your time.


GEX
Gex never was one of the best platform games around, but it remains a playable (if frustrating) game. Apart from a poster this Japanese release has nothing over the PAL or USA versions..


GOIKEN MUYOU: Anarchy in the Nippon
The game designed by fans of Virtua Fighter and not too bad it is either. It's somewhat let down by the text-heavy interface and slightly sluggish gameplay.

GRAN CHASER
Hilarious name aside, this futuristic race game hasn't got too much going for it. The graphics are pretty poor and it never excites much.


GRANDIA
Arguably a better game than Shining Force III..if it only was in English. 2 discs filled excellent scenery, tons of fights and clever gameplay twists. If you can get around the language barrier it's worth a shot.


GREATEST NINE
An old but incredibly playable baseball sim. Also available on the PAL and USA markets as World Series Baseball, so see for yourself.


GREATEST NINE '98
With actual 3D players, more polished stadiums and a new pitching system this might be the improvement you are looking for. Personally I still prefer the original.


GT24
While GT24 may initially look like a poor man's Sega Touring Car, it's actually more playable. Incredibly fast too. It's still a disappointing conversion, though.


GUN GRIFFON
Not as good as its sequel but still plenty of blasting action and a meaty challenge.


GUN GRIFFON II
With enhanced graphics, a plethora of modes (including a four player link-up one!) and big selection of mechs and vehicles Gun Griffon II is the ultimate sequel. Make sure to use a twin-stick for optimal control.


GUSSUN OYOYO S
An enjoyable Lemmings / Tetris crossover in which you drop blocks to get the little guy to the exit. Addictive and challenging.


HENRY EXPLORERS
Apart from the craptacular title, Henry Explorers doesn't offer much else to laugh about. The abysmal graphics and unconvincing monsters detract from the (admittedly) reasonable gameplay. Could and should've been a whole lot better, Konami!


HIDEO NOMO World Series Baseball
Simply the game 'World Series baseball' with a Japanese box. Good game, pointless release.


HI OCTANE
Glitchy graphics and loads of pop-up but Hi Octane remains playable enough, thanks to the fluid controls and steady frame-rate. The multiple gameplay modes are a nice touch as well. Not up to Wipeout levels, though.


HISSATSU PACHINKO COLLECTION
A gambling game without the thrills of actually winning something. Even the added 'story mode' doesn't keep this from being a totally pointless release. Thanks but no thanks.


HYPER REVERTHION
It might be link-cable compatible, but Hyper Reverthion remains a poor Virtual-On clone. The gameplay is not as fine-tuned and the arenas rather bland. Worth a quick try if you've got a link-up setup at ready. You might want to take a look at Steeldom (the much improved sequel) instead.


J.LEAGUE PRO SOCCER CLUB WO TSUKUROU !! 2
Much like the 'Premier Manager' games, you manage your own football team by buying players, making the perfect match line-up etc. Not bad, but buying this over todays games like Football Mananger would be pretty silly.


JEWEL BEM HUNTER LIME
Two discs filled with weird (but admittedly good quality) anime, octopusses ('huh?'), guys in dresses (double 'huh?') and a story you'll probably won't understand anyway. If that all sounds like 'fun' to you, go knock yourself out.


JIKKYU PAWERFUL PUYOYAKYU '95 KAIMAKUBAN
This baseball game by Konami has its share of fans but as far as I'm concerned this doesn't hold a candle to Greatest Nine / World Series Baseball.


KERIOTOSSE!
'A fun but short-lived cartoonish sumo wrestle game' is what sums up this game. There's a good selection of characters on offer and some clever touches on some of the backgrounds but the gameplay is too simplistic to really entertain for much more than a couple of days.


KONAMI ANTIQUES MSX COLLECTION ULTRA PACK
30 classic MSX games by Konami sounds like a good deal and for once it actually is. It features plenty of classics (such as Gradius, Hyper Olympics & Antartic Adventure) and the emulation of them is rather excellent.


KUTTU KETTO
Create your own army of cartoonish units and let them enter various battles. Seems like fun, but really isn't. Another good idea down the drain. D'oh!


KYUTENKAI Fantasic Pinball
Tecnosoft probably had an off-day when creating this pinball game, as it's hardly 'fantasic'. The graphics are colourful and reasonably animated but the game features only one real table with a couple of small sub-sections which simply doesn't cut it,
content-wise.


LAYER SECTION II
Excellent graphics (looking better than some Dreamcast shooters I could mention) and the gameplay isn't shabby either. Pure arcade blasting and I love it.


LINKLE LIVER STORY
A surprisingly nice action adventure sporting an unusual graphics style and plenty of hack 'n' slash action. Not bad at all really and arguably better than SEGA's Shining Wisdom.


LODE RUNNER: THE LEGEND RETURNS
The classic action game makes it to the Saturn and it's not a bad version either. A big amount of rock-hard levels and an excellent editor to create your own ones. Nice one.


LULU
Well here's something new; a digital interactive book. It's a shame all the text is in Japanese because it seems like a nice story. The soundtrack's pretty good as well, so at least you'll be able to enjoy that.


MARVEL VS STREET FIGHTER
Another one of those excellent RAM boosted fighters by Capcom. It has plenty of characters (including the classic Norimaru) but you might want to take a look at X-men vs Street Fighter or Vampire Saviour first.


MASTER OF MONSTERS Neo Generation
A basic but difficult strategy game that never excites much. There's better out there. Japanese text heavy.


MASTERS AUGUSTA ED3. GOLF
Another golf sim running on the 'Pebble Beach golf' engine. Unless you are a die-hard golf fanatic (which is unlikely) you don't need this. Actually, you shouldn't need this at all.


METAL SLUG
The classic made it to the Saturn and boy am I thankful for that. All the action remains pretty much in-tact and apart from some slowdown (especially in 2p mode) it's a mighty fine port.


MIZUBAKU ADVENTURE
Reasonably enjoyable platformer in the Bubble Bobble / Rainbow Islands / New Zealand story mould. Plenty of levels and a two player mode, but the price lets it down. Worth a try if you can find it cheap.


MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: Gihren's Greed
Basicly a fan disc with some animations and artwork. (I couldn't find a single playable bit, feel free to proof me wrong). I guess the fans will like it..


MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: Sidestory II
A pretty good first person shooter featuring the Gundam Mechs. Doesn't come close to Gun Griffon 2, though.


MOMOTAROU DOUCHUKI
Another four player board game. Apart from the freaky cover there's not much else of interest. Definitely NOT import friendly.


MYST
Miles better than the poor PSX port, but Myst has had its time, don't you think?


NBA JAM EXTREME
One might wonder why Acclaim released this over-the-top basketball game in Japan. It's not terrible, just very average.


NiGHTS INTO DREAMS
Doesn't offer any extras over the PAL or USA releases (apart from some remixed soundtracks with eight year old schoolgirls singing really badly), so there's no real reason to pick this is up if you own a domestic version.


OHSAMA GAME
Made by Societa Daikanyama (a company that did loads of adult titles, including The Yakyuken special) this 'play the game and strip the chick' game really is crazy. The minigames are bordering on the unplayable and seem impossible to win. The nicely done interface and fairly good looking girls don't save the day.


OKUDERA YASUHIKO NO SEKAI WO MEZASE! (Soccer kids)
You gotta love these pointless Japanese releases. A disc filled with footage of soccer players teaching children how to perform certain moves. Collectors and nutcases only.


OLYMPIC SOCCER
Hmm yes. Another soccer game that falls short. If you must have a Saturn soccer game, simply get Victory Goal / WWS. There's not much to recommend here to be honest.


OMAKASE SAVERS!
An action adventure featuring three girls in freaky costumes. Lame graphics and loads of Japanese text.


OUTLAWS OF THE LOST DYNASTY
Tired old beat 'em up with basic moves, very mediocre graphics and tons of clichés. Get something from Capcom or SNK instead.


PANELTIA STORY
An adventure game with a twist; you actually create your own game by filling the map with slices containing forests, lakes or towns. Enjoyable but nothing extremely exciting.


PANZER DRAGOON
The game that started the popular franchise and it's not too bad. The opening levels are kinda poor but the game gets a lot better later on. Still not a patch on the later games, though.


PGA TOUR GOLF '97
E.A. released this game because of the great popularity of their sports games in Japan. Actually, I haven't got a clue why they bothered releasing this sub-par golf game in Japan. My personal favorite quote 'collectors and nutcases only' applies yet again.


PHANTASM
Add 'agoria' to the title and you have an old PC horror adventure released by Sierra. It comes on eight (!) discs but quickly loses its appeal after you find out that it was dubbed in Japanese. D'oh!


PHANTASY STAR COLLECTION
Four classic Phantasy Star games plus various tasty extras fill this disc. Such a shame all the text is in Japanese because this is an excellent package.


PRINCESS QUEST
A reasonable dungeon crawler ruined by its extremely slow pace and large amounts of Japanese text to wade through.


PUYO PUYO SUN
Did it 'brighten up my day'? Yes it did, actually. Packed with different modes and options and the classic Puyo Puyo gameplay. A nice buy if you're into games like Columns or Tetris.


PUZZLE BOBBLE 2X
The game we know as 'Bust-a-move' over here. Worth the money but why import it?


R?MJ THE MYSTERY HOSPITAL
The pre-rendered surroundings in this 'horror' adventure are pretty moody, as are the visuals, but most of the story is lost because of the language barrier. Would've made a pretty cool release if only it was in English.


RACE DRIVIN'
One of the poorest conversions available on the Saturn. The original game never was very good anyway, but this conversion really is very sad indeed. Terrible graphics, terrible gameplay, terrible game.


RETURN TO ZORK
The classic PC adventure found its way to the Saturn. The planned USA release fell through at the last minute so there's only this Japanese release left. Unless you've played the original version or don't mind missing all the story bits you might want to take the risk. But I wouldn't, to be honest.


ROUKANIICHIDANTOA-RU
Or simply 'Ichidant-R' as it's often called, is the second game in the 'Puzzle & Action' series, featuring loads of mini games and (unlike the first game) a four player mode! Cheap and extremely playable.


SAKURA WARS: STEAM RADIO SHOW
A very decent fan disc featuring loads of footage of the Sakura Wars show, mini games and plenty of other stuff every Sakura Wars fan would love to see. But are you one?


SEGA AGES: Disney Collection (Castle of Illusion and Quackshot combo pack)
This pack features the two classic Megadrive / Genesis games but little else. It's still more expensive than buying both games (or the Megadrive combo cart for that matter), so Saturn freaks only need to apply. Would've got full marks.. if only World of Illusion was included, d'oh!

SEGA AGES: Memorial Selection vol 2
Six games but only four of them are worth bothering with. Super Monaco GP (top down version), Sindbad mystery, Doki Doki Penguin land and Ninja Princess are pretty playable but the likes of Samurai and Star Jacker? Urgh. Overall a pack that really isn't all that good. Still kinda expensive too.

SEIKAI-RISSHIDEN
Someone on ebay advertised this as a 'hilarious party game'. 'A totally boring board game without any action whatsoever' would've been a better description. Terrible.

SHIN THEME PARK
Theme Park with some new graphics and loads of Japanese text. You don't need this, do you?


SIDE POCKET 2: Legend of Hustler
Data East might have done a fair share of crap games, but Side Pocket always was one of their better franchises. It's a very nicely done billiards sim, which is especially good fun in multiplayer. It also sports an enjoyable trick mode. If you like it, make sure you get Side Pocket 3 (with its 3D overhaul) next.


SPACE INVADERS
Think Space Invaders and add some fancy backdrops. The gameplay remains as basic as ever and even the two player mode stinks.Taito, how could you?!


STEAMGEAR MASH
Isometric action game with the usual ingredients. It doesn't offer very exciting levels or new ideas but it's fairly playable. Willy Wombat would be a better choice in my opinion.


TOSHINDEN S
Not sure why SEGA decided to reprogram the PSX game, probably because Takara's team was so poor at Saturn programming. Toshinden might have been a good game when it was released at the PSX launch, but these days there's little reason to play this with games like Soul Calibur around.


UNO DX
Well developed UNO game with plenty of characters, modes and options. If you're familiar with the UNO card game you shouldn't have any problems playing this. A four player mode wouldn't have hurt, though.


VIRTUAL CASINO
A nice looking casino sim by Datt (who?). Sadly misses games like video poker and the BGM is incredibly annoying. Strangely enough it was also released in the USA, so if you must own a copy..


VIRTUAL VOLLEYBALL
Amusingly dubbed 'Virtual Rubbish' by Sega Power magazine. Is it that bad? Not really, but you need quite some patience to be able to get some enjoyment out of it.


WAKU WAKU 7
A weird fighting game with crazy characters and over the top moves. Would've been a good game if the gameplay wasn't so incredibly sluggish. The backgrounds could've been a lot better as well, RAM-cart in mind.


WORLD EVOLUTION SOCCER
What the hell is this then? I never heart of it untill I picked it up some years ago, and you might as well forget about this abysmal release right away. It's got so many flaws, I haven't got the space to list them all. The god-awful commentary will crack you up, though.

YAKYUKEN SPECIAL, the
Twelve Japanese 'babes' feature in this strip-'rock-paper-scissors' game. Gameplay-wise it's very, very basic but the 'strip' theme may attract some. The cheating CPU and 'catchy yet totally annoying' soundtrack keep this from being anything more than a 'cult classic'.


ZAP! SNOWBOARDING TRIX
Despite what some people might say, this really is a rather poor snowboarding game. Everything looks ropey and it doesn't play that well either. Stick with Steep Slope Sliders.