Anyone here who doesnt like the Saturn ?

[TheSonicRetard]

Having seen enough of this game on Genesis I never bothered with the CD versions but is it possible their popularity has something to do with saving? Some members have voiced difficulty with this game (?) and its potpourri nature would certainly benefit from the ability to replay a given level whenever one wanted (w/o cheats &c).

Every version of EWJ2, 16-bit and 32-bit, includes a password feature. You unlock a password for each level by collecting the earth, worm, and jim symbols.

[StarMist]

Every version of EWJ2, 16-bit and 32-bit, includes a password feature. You unlock a password for each level by collecting the earth, worm, and jim symbols.

Then there's no reason at all is there. Both 32 bit versions should've added something anyway.

Oh I completely missed that reply. I didn't add Policenauts because it slipped my mind. But the Saturn version has more content and the FMVs run at a smoother framerate.

Metal Slug has faster load times and the levels don't come to halt halfway through to load more data. Also less slowdown I think.

That's right, I'd forgotten how bad the PS version is. Metal Slug X runs well though. And re the SS Metal Slug Genesis Knight opened a thread for help a brief ways back, you can see all you'll need if you find that.

Lunar Silver Star Story Complete has better FMVs due the MPEG card, and the music sounds better.

...I have the MPEG version and don't think it all that hot. And there is a regular release that doesn't run with the MPEG card whilst the MPEG card is pretty much worthless outside of Lunar.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

There are a few other games that make use of the Mpeg card if I remember correctly. Lunar is just the only one that Requires it. There are other games that have both Cinepak FMVs and MPEG FMVs and will use the MPEG ones if the game detects the MPEG card.

[StarMist]

There are a few other games that make use of the Mpeg card if I remember correctly. Lunar is just the only one that Requires it. There are other games that have both Cinepak FMVs and MPEG FMVs and will use the MPEG ones if the game detects the MPEG card.

I know what they are and have several--not RPGs, sims, &c. Sakura Taisen Steam Radio (fan disk) and ~~ Hanagumi Tsuushin, Vatlva---ie what's-the-point stuff.

Used to have a good link but after some effot here's a list I think complete:
Chisato Moritaka disc
Falcom Classics 1 (disc 2 of limited edition)
GunGriffon 1 (JPN version only)
Lunar Silver Star Story complete MPEG version (vcd card required)
Moon Cradle
Sakura Taisen Hangumi Tsuushin
Sakura Taisen Nekki Radio Show (Steam Radio Show)
Vatlva
Wangan Deadheat + Triangle Love

[gamevet]

I didn't like the Saturn version of Earthworm Jim at all, there was something more generic about it, just like Sonic 3D Blast. It's like they didn't know what to do with all that power and just closed their eyes and did whatever.

You mean Earthworm Jim 2?

I thought the Saturn version was pretty good, but not up to 32-bit standards. I remember thinking: This game looks like a Genesis game! It wasn't until I played the Genesis version that I'd realized just how much better the Saturn game was.

Try playing it? They changed all the backgrounds to flat, generic renders. Beyond that, it's identical to the Genesis and SNES versions. It's simply an uglier version of a game available everywhere else.

this:



became this:



And lost a ton of parallax in the process.

Did you actually play it, or did someone pour you a huge glass of BS? The Saturn version is higher res, has better color gradiation, smoother character animation, better sound samples and better music. That screen image (not shown above) you have isn't even an accurate comparison, the lighting does not look as bad as it does in your picture. Also, the shimmering water in the Saturn version is reflecting the planet(the reflection moves on the water); it's an improvement upon the Genesis version, and much better than the cheap waterfall in the SNES game.

[Zz Badnusty]

(...) Vatlva---ie what's-the-point stuff.

Did you just dis VATLVA?
That is one of the most radical games on the Saturn. Such good use of the system, and a blast to play!

[sheath]

You mean Earthworm Jim 2?

I thought the Saturn version was pretty good, but not up to 32-bit standards. I remember thinking: This game looks like a Genesis game! It wasn't until I played the Genesis version that I'd realized just how much better the Saturn game was.

Yes, sorry for the typo, Earthworm Jim obviously was not released for the Saturn.

I didn't end up liking Earthworm Jim 2 on any platform, but I went back to the Genesis version and liked it a little bit better than the Saturn game. The Saturn game really wasn't up to that system's standard, but it was amusing for a rental.

[gamevet]

Yes, sorry for the typo, Earthworm Jim obviously was not released for the Saturn.

I didn't end up liking Earthworm Jim 2 on any platform, but I went back to the Genesis version and liked it a little bit better than the Saturn game. The Saturn game really wasn't up to that system's standard, but it was amusing for a rental.

I went from playing the Saturn version to the Genesis. Comparing the two games wasn't even close, especially when you have A Tommy T. Soundtrack on the Saturn. The Genesis version is the worst, and should have been much better than it was. The first EWJ rocked on the Genesis.

[sheath]

Now that you mention it, I don't think I have played either version in over ten years. Touche'.

[TheSonicRetard]

You mean Earthworm Jim 2?

I thought the Saturn version was pretty good, but not up to 32-bit standards. I remember thinking: This game looks like a Genesis game! It wasn't until I played the Genesis version that I'd realized just how much better the Saturn game was.



Did you actually play it, or did someone pour you a huge glass of BS? The Saturn version is higher res, has better color gradiation, smoother character animation, better sound samples and better music. That screen image (not shown above) you have isn't even an accurate comparison, the lighting does not look as bad as it does in your picture. Also, the shimmering water in the Saturn version is reflecting the planet(the reflection moves on the water); it's an improvement upon the Genesis version, and much better than the cheap waterfall in the SNES game.

I don't comment on games I don't own. A) EWJ2 on the saturn uses all it's assets from the SNES version, there isn't any more "gradients" or "shading," that's bullshit. They're all grabbed from the same digicell animation cells that all the versions were sourced from.

B) the "shimmering" effect is just a mirrored, distorted sprite. It still doesn't look good, the planet and the background in question is the part that looks bad. It doesn't mesh with the art style at all - namely because it was drawn (rendered, actually, not hand drawn like the rest of the game) by a third party team after the game was completed.

C) You ignore other, much uglier backgrounds like the replaced Peter Puppy levels, or ISO 9000 - which lacks all transparency from the SNES version and has less parallax. Not to mention that the water in Snot a problem is dithered, also not transparent.

D) No, the picture I showed is accurate, because it's a direct screen grab.

You sound blinded by nostalgia. The saturn version is terrible. I didn't play the SNES version first, I played the Genesis version first on Sega Channel, yet you don't see me going around calling the Genesis version supreme just because it's what I'm used to. There's no ways around it - the Saturn version is, at best, as good as the other versions, and, at worse, sports a wildly inconsistent art style and lacks numerous, very obvious visual effects.

EDIT: And particularly funny that you call the Lorenzo's soil screen grab "not accurate" because the video you posted is from SSF, which has an option to render mesh patterns as true transparencies... which is exactly what is going on in that video.

[Black_Tiger]

Oh I completely missed that reply. I didn't add Policenauts because it slipped my mind. But the Saturn version has more content and the FMVs run at a smoother framerate.

I believe that most of the extra content is just special effects, like transparencies, boob jiggling animation and extra bits of animation in still images. The 3DO version is the only one which has Snatcher-style talking heads.

Street Fighter Alpha 3[/B] is an Arcade Perfect Port on Saturn. On PS1 it's not, and the Dreamcast port is a broken mess.

The Playstation version uses polygons for special effects to save on space.

Metal Slug[/B] has faster load times and the levels don't come to halt halfway through to load more data. Also less slowdown I think.

It's supposed to have more animation and maybe a little extra parallax in spots.

Grandia [/B]has better graphical effects for a lot of the spells and runs at a higher frame rate. The backgrounds for the battles look nicer too.

The 3D in the Playstation version is pretty butchered by "PSX-is-better-than-Saturn-at-3D" standards. Glitchy, choppy, and less vibrant in color. The Playstation did use transparencies for 3D spell effects that are dithered in the Saturn version. The 3D spell effects in both look bad compared to the 2D ones anyways. The Playstation version's battle backgrounds are washed out and look like a bad SNES-to-Genesis port color-wise compared to the Saturn version. The VDP2 style 3D floors and transparency effects are either removed or replaced with 16-bit looking alternatives in the PSX port.

Lunar Silver Star Story Complete[/B] has better FMVs due the MPEG card, and the music sounds better.

Similar to Grandia, the battle bgs are low color, transparency effects mostly removed and warping effects simplified. This is compared to both Lunar SSS and SSSC for Saturn. It was pretty shocking playing the PSX port after finishing the Saturn version dozens of times. It prepared me for the major downgrade in Grandia though. The Playstation version is also 2 discs, while both Saturn versions are single disc games.

Eternal Blue [/B]has nicer graphics and music if I remember correctly.The FMVs also run at a higher framerate.

Similar to the Lunar SSS Saturn to Playstation downgraded port, but much less was lost.



Something that is pretty consistent between shared Saturn/Playstation games and applies to all(?) of the above: Saving and loading(?) takes way too long in PSX games, but is super quick in Saturn games. This is a huge issue for RPGs and would alone have been a deal breaker for me. It kept me from playing the Square SNES to PSX ports more than once. Also, load times are usually faster in Saturn games. Again, it makes a big difference in RPGs.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

The Playstation version uses polygons for special effects to save on space.

There's a bit more cuts to the PS1 version than just that unfortunately:



Keep in mind the Saturn version in this video is running on a PAL console so its running 17% slower than it should.

[gamevet]

I don't comment on games I don't own. A) EWJ2 on the saturn uses all it's assets from the SNES version, there isn't any more "gradients" or "shading," that's bullshit. They're all grabbed from the same digicell animation cells that all the versions were sourced from.

I don't think so. The Saturn version has the same gun explosions as the Genesis game, while the SNES version has all new animations. The sand in Lorenzen's Soil is the same as the Genesis version, while the SNES game has clumps that drop.

The first level (anything but Tangerines) of the Genesis game has a red planet with red clouds. The Saturn game has multi-colored red planet, a green planet, a sun that casts light on the water and of course...water. The SNES version doesn't even have the planet and replaces the planet background with a cheap looking waterfall and a few rocks, that is not impressive.

B) the "shimmering" effect is just a mirrored, distorted sprite. It still doesn't look good, the planet and the background in question is the part that looks bad. It doesn't mesh with the art style at all - namely because it was drawn (rendered, actually, not hand drawn like the rest of the game) by a third party team after the game was completed.

It looks a hell of a lot better than the planet on the Genesis version and the crappy waterfalls in the SNES version that have about 4 frames of animation. The planet in the Saturn version is casting its reflection in the water and it moves along with you. It is far more impressive that a crappy waterfall and the still background in the Genesis game.

C) You ignore other, much uglier backgrounds like the replaced Peter Puppy levels, or ISO 9000 - which lacks all transparency from the SNES version and has less parallax. Not to mention that the water in Snot a problem is dithered, also not transparent.

The Saturn game is based on the Genesis version. Transparencies does not make the SNES version superior. Not a huge loss, when everything else is pretty much better.

D) No, the picture I showed is accurate, because it's a direct screen grab.

I understand that it's a direct screen grab, but the ring was not that pronounced on a NTSC screen. What was that, RGB, or how a capture card exposed it?

You sound blinded by nostalgia. The saturn version is terrible. I didn't play the SNES version first, I played the Genesis version first on Sega Channel, yet you don't see me going around calling the Genesis version supreme just because it's what I'm used to. There's no ways around it - the Saturn version is, at best, as good as the other versions, and, at worse, sports a wildly inconsistent art style and lacks numerous, very obvious visual effects.

I'm not being blinded by nostalgia. I played the Saturn version first, then sold it. Later on, I wanted to try the other 2 versions, so I rented the Genesis game. I really thought it would look better than it did and thought the overall animation and sounds were not that good in comparison. I rented the SNES version last, was impressed by the gun explosions and the lighting in Lorenzen's Soil, but thought it lacked in other areas, like screen resolution, sample quality, music, character animations, etc..

EDIT: And particularly funny that you call the Lorenzo's soil screen grab "not accurate" because the video you posted is from SSF, which has an option to render mesh patterns as true transparencies... which is exactly what is going on in that video.

See above.

Yes, I remember the SNES version having a better light circle around Jim. I also remember thinking that the Saturn could have done it better, because you could see a circle within a circle. If what you were saying about the SSF version was being used, then how can you explain why the gun explosions look meshy, just like the Genesis game? They would appear transparent as well, if that was the case.

You may not like the new background on Anything but Tangerines, but it's a step up from the 16-bit versions. If transparancies is one of the things that makes the SNES version better for you, I think other perks of the Saturn version make up for it.

Most of the reviews I've seen on the web seem to prefer it as well.

http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/ewj2

The only real drawback to Earthworm Jim 2 is that it is nothing new. We've seen this same game about a year ago on the Genesis and SNES. Even though this is the best version so far released, it doesn't have any new levels or enemies.

http://www.sega-saturn.com/saturn/so...views/ewj2.htm

Earthworm Jim 2 for the Saturn is essentially the Genesis version with enhanced graphics and a much improved soundtrack. The levels in EWJ2 range from your basic sidescrolling levels, to a game show, and other weird and wacky scenes.
Graphically, EWJ is not a game that comes close to taking advantage of the Saturn's capabilities. There have been some improvements in the color, the animation is smoother, and layers of parallax have been added. Nothing really mind blowing, but it does look great.

The largest improvement that EWJ2 experienced in its upgrade to the Saturn was in the area of sound. Tommy Tallerico really out did himself with an excellent soundtrack. While its not something that'll make you want to listen to it when you're not playing the game, it is exceptional in game music. The sound effects are equally impressive.

Where EWJ2 really shines, and the EWJ series in general, is in the field of play mechanics. EWJ2 is one of the only platformers that has varied gameplay, you almost get the feeling that no two levels are exactly alike, and that is rare in this genre, and it is greatly appreciated by this reviewer.

In the end, Earthworm Jim 2 may not have the graphical "WOW" factor of other platformers on the Sega Saturn, but it is the best, and will give you the most overall fun and enjoyment. Isn't that all that matters?

And last, but not least, the review from my vol. 4 issue 3 of Gamefan.

E. Storm: What we've got here is EWJ2 with arranged music, new backgrounds with crazy parallax, some cool lighting, and new surfin' cows...great! Especially if you've never played it before! This is the way to go for the first time Jim'ers. The only drag is they took out the line scrolls in Puppy Love. While I do beg for a true 32-bit Jim, I'll be lovin' this one for the time being.

Skid: I don't know from Screaming Pink (great name guys) but they've done a great jon landing EWJ2 on the Saturn. The new backgrounds, like the Big Jim statue with the cow on his shoulder, are the coolest, as are the new FX in Lorenzo's Soil. There's much joy here. While the game has remained pretty much the same, I feel the Saturn version is superior enough to take the plunge more than once. Hey, we got new cows here! And Elvis!

K. Lee: The Saturn version of EWJ2 is the best Jim yet, but is it enough? Jim 2's graphics have been given a subtle boost with additional scrolls in the background, increased color and more animation, but the programmers could've taken the graphics much further. The control and gameplay is classic Jim, in other words, beautiful. They also stepped up the difficulty a tad, so only true gamers should apply here. Overall, the game is fab, but again, I wish the programmers had pushed the Saturn's graphics envelope a bit further with Jim 2.

[Breetai]

Something that is pretty consistent between shared Saturn/Playstation games and applies to all(?) of the above: Saving and loading(?) takes way too long in PSX games, but is super quick in Saturn games. This is a huge issue for RPGs and would alone have been a deal breaker for me. It kept me from playing the Square SNES to PSX ports more than once. Also, load times are usually faster in Saturn games. Again, it makes a big difference in RPGs.

Except in Symphony of the Night. The Saturn port's loading times are longer than on the PS1.

I might be a bit of a Saturn fanboy, but I'm honest. PS1 has the best port of Castlevania: SotN. Even the extra content of the Saturn version doesn't make up for the flaws, IMO.

[sheath]

Tomb Raider loads slower on the Saturn as well.