Genre by Genre: Sega Saturn and Sony Playstation worldwide libraries comparison

[The Jackal]

I said it before, and I'll say it again: the PS1 port of Alpha 3 was impressive. It might of had to be trimmed here and there, but it was still a great port.

[TrekkiesUnite118]

So are we done with 2D Fighters now, or is there still more to discuss? I'd like to start getting into other genres if possible.

[Da_Shocker]

All I can say is that using YT videos we can't notice little animation cuts; extremely hard to tell (especially from that guy Trekkies likes to use as source. Sometimes he uses PAL versions, sometimes not, sometimes PAL version or emulation just for one side of the comparison. I don't like those videos for the most part).

Based on real hardware gameplay, I was never able to notice any character animation frame missing on the PS1 compared to the Saturn version... The special attacks' effects are simplified on the PS1, the character select screen is static and some backgrounds are are slightly simplified or animated a little slower on the PS1. But in terms of characters' sprites I never noticed any frame cuts.
However, I'd love if someone could rip both sets of characters sprites and prove that the Saturn version has more than the PS1's.



Actually, you can have 4P co-op in Captain Commando on the PS1. It's a simple cheat.
The thing IMO is that it was New who ported it to the PS1 and not the lazy Capcom. So the PS1 game also includes Arcade and a good arranged soundtrack. And it uses the 384x240 resolution.

I wouldn't mind getting that PSx game but it's expensive as fuck and I don't know if it's even possible to play imported PSx games on my PS3. I sure can't play imported PS2 games on it.

[Barone]

I wouldn't mind getting that PSx game but it's expensive as fuck and I don't know if it's even possible to play imported PSx games on my PS3. I sure can't play imported PS2 games on it.

Your best bet is a modchip for the PS1.



About the "fact" that loading times for 2D games are always longer on the PS1:

[Zz Badnusty]

About the "fact" that loading times for 2D games are always longer on the PS1

But does comparing just one game really mean much?
I'm honestly curious how the ratio of loading times would weigh out if we compared the entire library of cross platform games. That's a big project though.

[sheath]

I think most cross platform games would probably favor the PS1 from what I have seen. The issue for me has been that Saturn exclusives really are in the ~6-12 second load time range a lot of the time, especially first and second party stuff, and plenty of third party PS1 games exceed 12 seconds or even 30 seconds in extreme cases. That combined with Nintendo's marketing ploys about carts not needing loading might contribute to the PS1 looking worse for loading. I know that when I owned one in 1998-1999 all of the games I wanted to play had extremely long load times compared to the Sega CD or Saturn games I was playing. Then the Dreamcast came along and continued my expectation of ~10 second load times or less in games with any design sense and the PS2 came along and destroyed that expectation with longer than 20 second load times in many games I thought I would play.

It will be an interesting comparison some day. I have tried to include load times in comparison videos but I really don't think that contributes to the videos actually being watched. :/

[TrekkiesUnite118]

Your best bet is a modchip for the PS1.



About the "fact" that loading times for 2D games are always longer on the PS1:

I don't think anyone said it was an absolute fact that loading times were always longer on the PS1, just in general it tends to be the case with most 2D Fighters. I know just about any 2D Capcom game has faster load times on the Saturn, same with most SNK stuff and other Neo geo ports.

[Barone]

But does comparing just one game really mean much?
I'm honestly curious how the ratio of loading times would weigh out if we compared the entire library of cross platform games. That's a big project though.

Nah, you're right. My post was more like a jab towards the "myth" that the PS1 is a bad platform for 2D games... But WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game along with the MK games are probably the best fighting games with digitized graphics (they are certainly among my favorite fighting games from those days) and they all have shorter loading times on the PS1 when compared to the Saturn versions. I'd go as far as to say that WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game on the Saturn is almost a broken game given its loading times and several bugs.

About the ratio of loading times of cross platform games which are longer on the Saturn, well, I'm pretty sure it's an interesting subject that I'll be certainly bringing back here from time to time and I'm also sure that the ratio is a lot different from what the average Saturn fan suggests... Pretty much as the ratio of cross platform games which are better on the Genesis when compared to the SNES.
And yes, that will take a lot of time.

I think most cross platform games would probably favor the PS1 from what I have seen.

You may be right in terms of 3D games but you're probably wrong regarding the 2D ones, even if we remove the ones which require the RAM Carts from the comparison.

The issue for me has been that Saturn exclusives really are in the ~6-12 second load time range a lot of the time, especially first and second party stuff, and plenty of third party PS1 games exceed 12 seconds or even 30 seconds in extreme cases.

This is the sort of comparison that I don't understand...
The gap is a lot smaller when you compare 1st/2nd party to 1st/2nd party titles in both sides, but people really use to do the same comparison as you did; which is a bit of nonsense IMO especially considering that the PS1 got a much wider 3rd party support, so it allows one to bring a lot of budget/weak PS1 titles from small companies against Sega's AAA releases... I really don't get the point other than praise the Saturn for the sake of a personal preference.

That combined with Nintendo's marketing ploys about carts not needing loading might contribute to the PS1 looking worse for loading.

Agreed.

I know that when I owned one in 1998-1999 all of the games I wanted to play had extremely long load times compared to the Sega CD or Saturn games I was playing.

I can't invalidate you own experience, of course, but I can tell you that I don't feel the same. I don't even know which games you're referring to...
Some games, like the first Samurai Shodown, wouldn't fit in your narrative.

Then the Dreamcast came along and continued my expectation of ~10 second load times or less in games with any design sense and the PS2 came along and destroyed that expectation with longer than 20 second load times in many games I thought I would play.

Again, it hugely depends on which games you're talking about.

It will be an interesting comparison some day. I have tried to include load times in comparison videos but I really don't think that contributes to the videos actually being watched. :/

Hehehe
I hate when people edit out the loading times, so the common sense is probably the opposite.

Some corrections and interesting info regarding the "almighty" Primal Rage ports.
It took me some good research and testing to figure out the following things:
- Both 3DO and Saturn versions DO HAVE the arcade intro and VS screens but you need to TURN OFF an option called "Animations" in the options menu to be able to have them in the game. The best part is that you'll get rid of the crappy CG intro (using the arcade one instead) and the lame CG pre-match videos (which also reduces the loading times a bit). It's a great plus for those versions IMO and you won't find this info on the Internet any time soon.
*Jaguar CD info is based only in real hardware gameplay videos and forums discussions, since I don't have a Jaguar and much less a Jaguar CD unit.
*This comparison takes in account US/EU versions of the games. Saturn and PS1 got much later JP releases and I'm still trying to find at least a proper dump of those versions to be able to compare them in real hardware using CD-Rs, but I highly doubt they received any improvement over the western releases.
- Saturn/3DO/Jaguar CD versions have better AI when compared to the PS1's
- In terms of loading times: Saturn < 3DO == Jaguar CD <<< PS1 (it loads during the arcade intro, WTF???!!!)
- Animation quality: Saturn (a bit more animation in some backgrounds) > Jaguar CD (animate things faster than the 3DO version) > 3DO (less frame cuts than the PS1) > PS1
- Sprite size: Saturn = PS1 > 3DO > Jaguar CD
- Number of music tracks: Saturn/3DO/Jaguar CD > PS1
- Shadows: 3DO (actually better than the arcade ones) > Saturn/PS1 (Jaguar CD/32X/SNES/Genesis don't have them)
- Framerate: PS1 > Saturn > Jaguar CD >> 3DO
- Colors: Saturn >>> 3DO/Jaguar CD (seem very similar here) and PS1 (better than the previous two in some spots, worse in others)
- Parallax: Saturn > PS1 > 3DO > Jaguar CD
- Number of Bugs/Missing stuff: Jaguar CD > PS1 >> Saturn > 3DO
- During the final battle, skeletons disappear instead of staying when an opponent is defeated in the Saturn version; unlike on the arcade and in the PS1/3DO/Jaguar CD versions.
- 3DO version is the only one to have the animated claws in screen transitions, like the arcade.
- 3DO music soundtrack seems to have been improved compared to the others.
- PS1 lets you finish the game and watch the ending screens in any difficulty level; the other CD versions require at least AI level 10 to allow you to do it.

- European Saturn version lacks the Endurance and Tug of War extra modes present in the other CD versions.
- PS1 version has a modified effect for the smoke animation from the volcano in Diablo's stage. None of the home releases preserve the original animation which was far better.
- The flames in the Diablo's stage of PS1 version have animations faster than the other versions and closer to the arcade speed.

[bultje112]

wwf wrestlemania arcade game has to be one of the worst games ever made. it's sequel in your house is better but more of the same bad shit.

[Barone]

[sheath]

[Barone]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to sheath again.

[Cornelius Spunkwater]

wwf wrestlemania arcade game has to be one of the worst games ever made. it's sequel in your house is better but more of the same bad shit.

+1

[bultje112]

not sure if serious because it's widely known to be a horrible game. I have never met anyone who liked it and it got tons of bad ratings for all the right reasons.

[TmEE]

About the load times, technically the Saturn should really have no load times at all besides the initial one... the CD cache is ginormous and CD subsystem fully autonomous, games could very well start loading things while action is happening or aobut to end and transfer over the data from the cache to main RAM for use and even keep data in that cache to be used at any later time without a load. That thing there has so much potential....