The Sega Saturn core for the MiSTeR just got added to the main repository. That makes it the perfect time for Hinge Problems to get off it’s duff and write out The Sweet 20 of the system.
Shinobi Legions
1995 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Sega
Published By: Sega
Sometimes it doesn’t take a good game to be the best. If you think prerendered real actors always look hideous this will do nothing to change your mind. The FMV is delightfully campy. Every time I play it I am shocked how charmed I am by the shlock and gumption. Don’t worry this isn’t the only ninja game on the list. The game itself is okay.
Layer Section / Rayforce /
Galactic Attack / Gunlock
1995 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Taito
Published By: Taito
Somehow has retained a fraction of the price of the more expensive Saturn shooters. Taito fires on all cylinders here. Enemies coming from two different planes as you shoot them with your two different guns. Travel deeper into Earth to destroy a super computer that has already destroyed all of humanity. It’s a revenge mission with only one outcome for you, but at least you can take the devil with you.
Daytona USA Circuit Edition
1997 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: AM3
Published By: Sega
There would be threats if I didn’t include Daytona. I don’t even know which version to recommend it was released at least 3 times over in every region for improvements on the game about turning left while a fantastic soundtrack plays. The Saturn was the Arcade At Home, even if it couldn’t handle that role in reality.
Keio Yugekitai Katsugekihan
1996 (PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Victor Entertainment
Published By: Victor Entertainment
This game is a feast for the eyes. A 2D platformer in which a playboy bunny has to defeat an army of tricky tanuki. Marvel at some of the best pixel art. Collect Japanese coins and culture.
Panzer Dragoon Zwei
1996 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Team Andromeda
Published By: Sega
Panzer Dragoon Zwei has moments of quiet. This is usually bad and boring in a high-thrills action game. It is special here. You take in this strange alien world, you feels tense waiting for the next bioorganic enemy to attack. It might not have even been an enemy you attacked. As with others on this list, maybe you could have done things differently. And when you do, your dragon ends up different. A gorgeous and perfect game.
Christmas NiGHTS
1996 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Sonic Team
Published By: Sega
You’re already going to get NiGHTS into Dreams. I didn’t need to tell you that. If I did, well, you do need to get NiGHTS. A score attack game about collecting orbs and then slamming freak-monsters into walls. I’ve been playing it for 20 years I still don’t entirely understand it. But this promotional demo version, that might be Valentine’s NiGHTS or New Years NiGHTS depending on the day of the year is real special. It teaches you NiGHTS is about playing and replaying just to see all the tiny variations the game has. An excellent collection of unlockables awaits you.
X-men Vs. Street Fighter
1997 (JAPAN)
Developed By: Capcom
Published By: Capcom
If I’m going to have one of the two dozen Capcom and SNK Fighters on this list: it’s this one. On real hardware it loads instantly. It is beautiful and fast. It is playable by real human beings. I want to put Cyberbots in this spot but that game doesn’t have Wolverine.
Sega Rally Championship
1995 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: AM3
Published By: Sega
The pinnacle of Arcade Sega Racers. The pixel/square polygon dirt hasn’t aged a day. A run of the game takes less than 10 minutes and inspires questions in your head. How to take the turns better, how to shave seconds off your time, maybe I should try manual.
Dark Savior
1996 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Climax Entertainment
Published By: Climax Entertainment, Sega
This game is for only true doom sickos. Do you like isometric jumping puzzles? Do you like throwing blocks into lava to make your own jumping puzzle? Do you like a completely different game depending on how quickly you beat the first stage? Dark Savior has the biggest collection of freaks you’ve ever seen. It all ends in the floating city of Laputa, except now you need to do the entire game in reverse, in one hour. If you like this game it is your new favorite game.
GunGriffon 1 and 2
1996, 1998 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Game Arts
Published By: Game Arts
The best Mech action you can get in 1996.
Fighter’s Megamix
1996 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: AM2
Published By: Sega
A simpleton’s description: y0u c4N FiGH+as A Car.
Me an intellectual: Sega love letter to Sega that includes fighters from Fighting Vipers and Virtua Fighter and an unlockable fighter list a mile long. Play in either game’s style. Slowly figure out how to unlock more and more characters as that is most of the game. Also the Daytona Car is playable.
Ninpen ManMaru
1997 (JAPAN)
Developed By: TamTam
Published By: Enix
A normal list will tell you Sonic Jam. That has bad emulation with a delightful 3D run around segment which is the only taste Saturn-owners got of a 3D Sonic Platformer. There is of course Sonic R, a charming if bad racing game that would also be on a normal list. But what if the 3D Segments of Sonic Jam were a whole game? And you were a Ninja Penguin? Think of it as the companion piece to Jumping Flash, only this is Single-Screen Platformers rendered 3D. Also you’ve never heard of it.
Bonus: Honorable Mentions
I originally wrote this list off the top of my head. Then I did research and remembered all the great Saturn games. Too many for just 20! Here’s a few more.
Grandia, Shining Force 3, Elevator Action Returns, DoDonPachi, Enemy Zero, D, Machi, Gals Panic, Dragonforce, Blast Wind, Darius Gaiden, Battle Garrega, Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Fighter Remix
Soukyuugurentai
1997 (JAPAN)
Developed By: Raizing
Published By: Electronic Arts Victor
I can and could be here for days listing shooters for the Sega Saturn. The main reason this one gets lost is because it’s name is near incomprehensible. I love it and I had to use google to get the name right. It’s the second shooter on this list with passive-lock-on homing lasers so maybe I just have a type. It’s by Razing. It was for the same hardware that Radiant Silvergun is on. There’s also a just good enough Playstation port. It’s a time travel game.
Asuka 120% Burning Fest Limited
1997 (JAPAN)
Developed By: Fill-In Cafe
Published By: ASK Kodansha
Asuka is about a bunch of high school club representatives beating each other up in team spirit. There is a beautiful Rock/Paper/Scissors counter system that is just based off the 3 attack buttons. It is exciting and joyful.
Bulk Slash
1997 (JAPAN)
Developed By: CAProduction
Published By: Hudson Soft
One of the best games you’ve never heard of, now in English thanks to some intrepid fans. Follow the radio commands and defeat the enemy while defending the city. It’s like if a Macross game was great.
Burning Rangers
1998 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Sonic Team
Published By: Sega
Sonic Team’s final Saturn game before they moved on to the Dreamcast and you can see the structure of Phantasy Star Online. You can feel the Saturn barely (and often not) holding itself together. A bunch of space-fire fighters have to put out fire with their guns. Rescue victims and defeat bosses. Burning Rangers Go!
Hyper Duel
1996 (JAPAN)
Developed By: Technosoft
Published By: Technosoft
A Hyper Duel playthrough is a brief 21 minutes. It is also Technosoft at its best in horizontal shooting. Switch between ship and mech modes as the situation calls for it. Witness a colony-drop as you play. I love a game that is this brief, beautiful, and challenging.
Panzer Dragoon Azel
1998 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Team Andromeda
Published By: Sega
The tragedy of Panzer Dragoon Azel/Saga is it never needs you to do the bare-minimum in the battle system. Which was helpful the two times I played through it with minimal Japanese ability. It is a long adventure that truly lets you live in the strange world it depicts. It was time of day for all areas. It is creaking and pressing the limits of the Saturn. Take it slow and cherish it as an easy-RPG.
Steep Slope Sliders
1997 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Cave Ltd.
Published By: Acclaim Entertainment
SSS represents the by gone 90s. The jungle beat soundtrack pounds into your brain as a loading screen with a pentagram and tribal spirals sits unmoving. When’s the last time you even thought about professional snowboarding? Even more this game is by Cave, of making spaceship 2D shooting games fame. It has a sound test that needs to be seen. There is supposedly even a hidden shooter deep within it’s mysteries.
Crows: The Battle Action
1997 (JAPAN)
Developed By: Athena
Published By: Athena
A 2D Belt Scroller (think Final Fight) based on a manga. If you want your hat blown off your head just look up the price. Motorcycle toughs beat
Last Bronx
1997 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: AM3
Published By: Sega
When I first got a Saturn, the friend I was with said “you should totally get Last Bronx, It’s better than Virtua Fighter.” Now 20 years later I am telling you dear reader to play The Last Bronx. It comes across two discs, Arcade and Saturn. Try and figure out the difference. Enjoy your weapons based 3D combat on top of Tokyo skyscrapers. I only paid 300 yen for the chance when I bought it.
Virtual On: Cyber Troopers
1996 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: AM3
Published By: Sega
I should include at least one game that recommends a different large piece of plastic. The showcase for that is the twin sticks needed to truly enjoy Virtual On. With just a typical Saturn control the game is cumbersome. With some kind of dual-analog setup, it is sublime.
Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru
1997 (JAPAN)
Developed By: Time Warner Interactive
Published By: Time Warner Interactive
Holy crap this game owns. In a different world you’d say it is by Treasure. It has since release commanded a high-price because of a low print run, and because it is amazing. You’ll use Psychic Electric powers to destroy ninjas, giant skeletons, and the inside of a frog.
Guardian Heroes
1996 (USA, PAL, JAPAN)
Developed By: Treasure
Published By: Sega
Guardian Heroes remains vast and deep. Multiple paths, consistent leveling between runs, an AI companion you ?should? use. It has a six-player multiplay mode that lets you as everyone. It is clunky and kinetic. More games should be like Guardian Heroes.
Credits
Banner: Rudie
Screenshots: Various longplays on youtube
Words: Rudie
Hinge Problems 
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