Photos - Asuka 120% Burning Fest. Limited (Saturn)

Once in a while, I get an itching for championing lesser-known video games that deserve to be "classics."  Here, once again, is one of Sega Saturn's best and most intense fighting games, Asuka 120% Burning Fest. Limited.

It's fun to imagine and speculate about a "Sega Phoenix" super-system, that would combine the Genesis, Sega CD, Saturn, and Dreamcast into one console.  And one of its appeals is the idea of sharing the vast software libraries to the world at an affordable price ($10-$20).  Is there much of a demand for Japanese anime girl fighters in the year 2012?  No, probably not, that's just hubris and nostalgia talking.  But a game like Asuka 120% just screams "cult classic," and I can imagine it drawing a fan base.

Aren't you just tired of seeing the exact same video game franchises over and over and over?  Exactly how many Street Fighter games do we need?  Do you really need a Call of Duty 9, a Halo 8, a Zelda 13, or a Madden 22?  How hard would it be to come up with something different?  This is where $50 million game budgets leads you, to a wasteland of dull, derivative boredom.  I miss the joy of being surprised by a new video game, a quirky and out-of-left-field video game.  We really don't get those moments anymore.

Ah, well, Fill-in-Cafe was a little guilty of this bad behavior with their Asuka 120% series.  It's less of a franchise than an endless series of revisions and improvements.  But there's little chance that you'll ever play any of the earlier versions, so it's the Saturn "Limited" or Playstation "Final."  Naturally, Asuka's perfectly at home on the Saturn, looks terrific, plays fast and loose, and just quirky and different enough to feel unique.  It's an addicting contest of never-ending, spectacular beat-downs, with a very simple control scheme and combo system.  I don't feel as though I need to take night classes to figure it all out.  I like that.

Again, bringing this back to the "Sega Phoenix" theme, I'd definitely release Asuka 120% on the super-system.  It deserves its cult status, and would offer a welcome alternative from Franchise Sequel Spinoff #3,452.

Questions on the "Sega Phoenix"

After posting my essay on my proposed "Sega Phoenix" video game system, which combines Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast into one unit (plus some improvements), I posted it on my Gamasutra blog.  William Johnson offered his insights on the idea:

Why would Sega need to release a system to rerelease their old games. They've been more recently flooding Steam and the iOS App Store with their old school titles, and they've already released quite a few on WiiWare, and there were the Sonic Mega Collection on the XB360, and PS3. I don't understand how having their own system would make this any better or easier.

Also, judging by how much money Sony and Microsoft have lost this generation, I can't possibly understand how it would be a good idea to enter a market where you are pretty much guarantied to loose money. Sega really hasn't even been doing very well financially. So I'm pretty sure they don't have the capital to do something like this.

What I think might make more sense is if Sega could bring back the arcade scene. That is where they use to do really well. But I really don't know if the arcade scene can ever make a come back in the states. 

Well, in addition to playing the classic games, there would also be new games. For example, did you know there is a thriving indie scene for the Dreamcast? There have also been a couple of excellent RPGs for the Genesis.

You bring up a very good point - why bother when these games are available as digital downloads? This is the first question investors would ask before writing any checks. I think a Sega "Phoenix" would have several advantages. First, there is something tangible to having physical media, when everything is becoming a digital "service" that you, the consumer will never own. I have a number of downloaded games on my iPhone, and Virtual Console games on my Wii. I also have all the major retro system emulators on my PC. Access is not an issue. And yet, I still prefer to play my Sega games on the actual system, connected to a television. It just feels better. It's an emotional appeal, I know.

Second, as I suggested, there would be NEW games created, and I would fully embrace the indie scene. That's a source of new inspiration, and this industry badly needs new blood. This also provides an outlet for developers who cannot afford the money to create AAA titles, or wish to create something outside of the "cinematic gun game" paradigm.

Third, cost. It shouldn't cost you anywhere near $50 million to create a Dreamcast or Genesis game. Development costs will be far more sensible and far more sane. The system will also force designers to create video GAMES, and not "cinematic experiences." In other words, it's a different scene and a different market.

Fourth, and I know that this is another silly emotional appeal, but "greatest hits" packages suck. All of them. Whenever I see a "greatest hits" CD or video game release, my brain just goes, "Cheap, cheap!" This is not to say that I don't appreciate the many retro game compilations on the modern systems, I enjoy them very much. But, once again, I find myself going back to the original DC or Saturn or Genesis version. I'd rather listen to one of Miles Davis' albums than just his Greatest Hits CD.

Fifth, Sega's "greatest hits" discs have only scratched the surface, and hundreds of titles have been overlooked. There's little incentive to pick anything beyond the biggest hits, because, well, it's a greatest hits package. This leaves out countless titles that are excellent and deserve a fair chance.

The Japanese Saturn is the best example of this. There are so many fantastic game titles from Japan that were never released in the West, it's astounding ("Don't give in to wonder," sayeth the bard McKenna).

The biggest challenge for retro video games is licensing, and that is a serious hurdle. There's no doubt about it. And it's very unfortunate, because it means either losing many classic games (NES Batman, for example), or cutting out music from the disc (Crazy Taxi, or Tony Hawk). As the video game medium matures, this will become more important as an issue, so it needs to be addressed. One cannot have an art form without a history, and you cannot build a medium on instantly-disposable throwaways. Such is the path to extinction.

With digital downloads or greatest hits releases, there isn't much incentive to deal with these issues. Perhaps with the investment of a hardware platform, there will be more pressure to resolve these issues and make them work. And let us not forget that the Sega Phoenix would NOT be competing directly with Microsoft, Sony or Nintendo. EA could release John Madden Football '92 (the one with the killer ambulance) without fear of cannibalizing sales of this year's Madden.

I believe that you can make money on a business venture like the Sega Phoenix. I think there's money to be made, and a sizable market to be tapped. There are "lapsed gamers" who quit playing video games years ago. There are "non gamers" who have rarely, if ever, picked up a controller. And there are families who want to play together, child and parent alike. If you offer a product of sufficient quality, and if you offer it at a low enough price, and if you can appeal to these markets, you can have a success.

Video games are now old enough where these generational issues are emerging. To expand the game market, you need to expand your audience. Here is an audience that is being neglected, and will continue to be neglected (Sony and Microsoft's next machines will be multi-media set-top boxes, not games systems exclusively). And remember the mantra - People Love Video Games.

This idea can work. The Sega Phoenix can make money. It can appeal to this market.

Thanks a lot for reading, William. You make a lot of excellent points and you were very inspiring. I appreciate your insights.

P.S. I should also point out Sega's current financial situation.  They're struggling, and they're probably headed for extinction, along with most of Japan's video game industry.  But that's another reason for releasing the Sega Phoenix.  You've got terminal cancer and you're going to die, anyway.  Might as well go out fighting with one last, heroic gamble.  The Sega of old were big-time gamblers, which is what made them Great.  And they haven't been Great since the Dreamcast died.

Sega, Come Back! Release the Super-System!

This is exactly why Sega needs to come back.  Sonic 2006, the most embarrassing video game ever made.  Yuck.  When computer programmers and designers decided they wanted to be movie directors, the quality of video games crashed and burned.  Arcade skills and social fun were swept aside, replaced by bad scripting, poor cut-scenes, and a rehashing of the worst movie cliches.  And the people are simply going away.

I can't believe we're still having this discussion in 2012.  Nintendo settled the argument, once and for all, in 2006 with the Wii Remote and the DS, and the return to classic social arcade games.  Unfortunately, Nintendo, like the rest of the industry, is run by prima donnas who are only interested in amusing themselves, not the public.  Yoshio Sakomoto wants to make Italian horror films.  Eiji Ounuma wants to make banal puzzles for the puppet theater.  Shigeru Miyamoto, well, he has the attention span of a hummingbird.  Ooh, a flower!  Now I'm bored.

The result of this is the sharp decline of the video game market.  If you grew up with an Atari, an NES, or a Sega Genesis, you're not welcome anymore.  Today's game industry is interested only in themselves and their egos, and how many ways they can nickel-and-dime their dwindling "hardcore" fans to death.  And so the rest of us take the hint...and walk away.

People love video games.  Most people, regardless of age or skill, love video games.  It was true in the days of Pong and Pac-Man, and it's just as true today.  Look at the success of the iPhone and games like Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, Tiny Wings, Gridrunner, Forget-Me-Not, and so on.  Look at the Wii's spectacular success, thanks to Wii Sports and Wii Play, and later fueled by the return of 2D Super Mario.  The Wii system was sold out for over two years!  Nintendo was selling 800,000 hardware units a month!  People still love video games.

Anyway, I don't wish to be negative or complain.  But my point is that 1) the video game business has lost its way, and 2) there is still a great interest in these "TV games."  And that leaves the door wide open for Sega to return to their roots.

Be honest.  You had more fun playing your Sega Genesis.  You have a huge stack of Saturn games downloaded off the internet.  You miss those nights of pizza and beer and Dreamcast from the year 2000.  Herzog Zwei, Thunder Force III, Revenge of Shinobi, Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage 2, Toejam and Earl, Gunstar Heroes, Virtua Fighter 2, Sega Rally, Daytona USA, NFL 2K1, Soul Calibur, Virtua Tennis, San Francisco Rush 2049.  Great fun, great times.

I've been playing a lot of Genesis games lately, because I'm working on a couple possible projects for iOS apps, like my old Herzog Zwei Strategy Guide and Video Game Classics.  I am aware that age and nostalgia fuels much of this - I also collect vinyl LPs and cassette tapes, and recently refurbished my 1977 Marantz stereo.  It's a part of life to cling to the connections to your past, to preserve your own history.  One day, you'll reach that age where all you talk about is "the good old days," as your memories stretch back to a world that has vanished.

That said, I do believe my love of Sega isn't simply nostalgia.  These video games are still fun, they're still entertaining, they still bring people together.  They still have value, not as "monetized" corporate scams or bad CGI movies, but as games.  And nobody could make great arcade-style games like Sega.  Bring back the Dreamcast, say a lot of gamers.  Heck, bring back the Saturn and the Genesis!

When Jack Tramiel took over Atari Corp, he repackaged and sold the Atari 2600 as a $50 "starter" system against the mighty NES.  The 2600 Jr. sold millions.  It never came close to Nintendo's dominance, but it did sell (it outsold the Sega Master System).  Even though technology was advancing rapidly, there was still a demand for those simple, retro video games.  Nobody cared if Yars' Revenge looked as good as Contra.  Gameplay Over Graphics - remember that mantra?  It's always been true, and it remains true today.  In the 21st Century, Graphics completely dominate, and Gameplay is virtually non-existent.  Gameplay only gets in the way of the movie scenes.

Sega needs to come back.  Which system should they bring back - Genesis, Saturn, or Dreamcast?  Ideally, all three.  They should create one system that plays all three.  Make it look like the Saturn, only smaller and sleeker, with a disc drive and cartridge slot.  With today's technology, any classic game console can be put onto a single microchip.  Add in the old Yamaha sound chips for the audio.  Pump in a ton of RAM. Enable S-Video, Component and HD output. Encourage developers to support the Super-System with classic and new titles.  Embrace the vibrant indie scene - did you know that Genesis and DC games are still being made?

Sell the Sega Super-System for $100 or less.  Sell the games for $20 or less.

If discs are too much trouble, then use game cards like Sony's PS Vita or the Turbografx.  I'd like to keep the disc drive and cartridge slot so you could play your existing games, but I'd be willing to sacrifice in order to save money.  In that case, I would lean hard on developers - I'm looking at you, EA - to release their classic Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast games.  Yes, bring back Madden, NHL Hockey, NBA Action, FIFA, and PGA Tour Golf.  Heck, the games have already been made, so all you have to do is put them on the game card, and pay for the licenses.

I really like the "PS Vita" card idea, especially with those plastic cases.  Video games need cool cases, and who wouldn't be thrilled by the sight of John Madden Football '92, or NHLPA Hockey '93 on store shelves?  Imagine that you could play all the great Japanese Saturn titles, like Capcom's 4-meg fighters.  Three words: Panzer Dragoon Saga.  Three more words: Phantasy Star Online.

The beauty of a Genesis-Saturn-Dreamcast console is having a mammoth library of software titles instantly available.  The hard work has already been done, now all you need to do is print out the game cards and packaging.  This allows for a very low retail price - $20 or less - that is being completely ignored by today's game industry.  They charge $60 per title, then charge extra for online access or DLC, all in a desperate attempt just to break even.  As a business model, it's beyond absurd, and as the $50 million game becomes the $100 million game, this becomes a recipe for suicide.

The door is wide open for disruption, as DS, Wii and iPhone demonstrate.  Sega has a unique opportunity to capitalize on this moment, and if they strike fast, they would have an immense success.  Every true gamer wants Sega to "come back," but what does that really mean?  Modern cinematic games like Sonic 2006?  Or does it mean the old-school Sega, the arcade Sega?  It's the Sega of Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast.  The fans are still there.  People still love video games.  They're only waiting for someone to deliver.

One final thing: we need a name.  Is "Sega Phoenix" a bit too obvious?  It does have a nice ring, and it does capture the idea of the system easily.  What do you think of my crazy idea?  Thanks for listening.

PS: I just remembered that we'll need to include the Sega CD, if only for Final Fight and Sonic CD.  Also, every video game system must have Dragon's Lair and Mad Dog McCree - that's pretty much a tradition by now.

Dracula Burger - Mouse

Alright, I think I'm going to have to kick Dracula Burger out of The Ghibli Blog, and post them here at Vol 4.  Why?  Because hardly anybody reads this site, that's why.  Which means no complaints.  So I'll continue to post the remaining comic strips that are "in the can," and then decide what I want to do about it.

For anyone who visits Daniel Thomas Vol 4, my deepest thanks.  I've been working hard on Ghibli Blog lately, but I intend to be publishing more Vinyl LP and Video Game posts here.  I've been slacking on both fronts, so I should do a better job.  Also, I'm starting to get some tip money on the other site, which kind of motivates me to work harder.  Once the tempo here picks up, I may add a Donate button here, too.  We'll see what happens.

I still think these comics are funny.  Sigh.

Dracula Burger - Worm

I think you need the mindset (and humor) of a seven-year-old to laugh at these Dracula jokes.  But absurdity and silliness for its own sake is something that I cherish.  In the right state of mind, I'll be laughing hysterically.  Heck, the whole notion of Count Dracula eating hamburgers is hilarious.  And I enjoy the idea of bringing old-school sensibility to today's internet meme comics.

Dracula Burger - Manners

Okay, I've caved in and decided to post Dracula Eats a Burger comics on both blogs.  This way, I can get them out faster, while I've still got the coffee-and-sugar-fueled sillies.  I've just been in a strangely childish, Calvin and Hobbes sort of mood this week.  Might as well go with it.

In case you haven't seen these comics on The Ghibli Blog, this comes from an obscure and laughably bad 1980 Toei made-for-TV anime movie called, "Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned."  It may be the single worst cartoon ever made, and just about the funniest.  It's certainly the most absurd.  It's definitely worth tracking down just to see Count Dracula a) mug Brat Pitt and Gwenneth Paltro and steal their wallets, and b) walk into "Sandwich King" (wink wink) and order a burger.

In any case, the image of Dracula chomping down cheeseburgers captured the imagination of my inner seven-year-old, so I'm in a rush to create as many goofy comic strips as I can before my adult brain reasserts control.  I hope I get a Hollywood movie deal outta this.

Today is SOPA Blackout Day!

As I'm sure you already know, today is the day for the mass online protest against the SOPA bill working its way through Congress.  This legislation, the creation of the MPAA, would give government and private industry the power to censor, block, or shut down any website suspected of "piracy" or "copyright infringement."  Since the internet is based on sharing and connectivity of media, this pretty much makes the World Wide Web itself a suspect.

This is a disastrous piece of legislation, propped up by dinosaur industries and the authoritarian-minded politicians in their pockets.  This is a profound threat to our liberties and our way of life.  It's very simple.  If SOPA passes, sites like The Ghibli Blog can be shut down.  Hell, Youtube, Facebook, Reddit and Twitter can be shut down.  SOPA could also be used as a tool of political suppression.  People who criticize the government, or the ruling political party, could be shut down. Websites that embarrass politicians could be shut down.  Do no doubt that these scenarios could happen.  Expect it.

Call your members of Congress and demand that they stop this reckless assault on our rights.  SOPA does nothing to stop online "piracy," and you know it.  It will only be used by the powerful to beat down their rivals and their critics.

Call the Congressional Switchboard now -- (202) 224-3121.  Then call again.  Keep the pressure up!

The Return of the Sony Biotracer

I've been in a funk over the state of my stereo system lately.  The sound has been terrible - muddy, distorted, low-res, nnothing worthy of the LP medium.  I sold off some components, junked the turntable (a Sony PS-X5 that I've often liked or hated, but never loved), and tried to figure out where everything went wrong.  It became so dire that I openly considered abandoning vinyl records altogether, and going back, at long last, to Compact Discs.

Then I discover something miraculous this week - a couple CDs of "needle drop" recordings from my beloved Sony PS-X75 Biotracer turntable from three years ago.  The table was paired with a fiery red Dynavector 10x5, a Pro-Ject Tube Box II phono preamp with a pair of Mullard vacuum tubes, and the Marantz 2235b stereo receiver (now my only remaining component).  And the sound was exhilarating, punchy, clear, deep, richly textured, full of color.

It's funny how one can forget these things.  I had already realized that I was lost, musically-speaking.  I was trading around in low-to-mid-fi audio gear on the cheap, never coming close to the former highs.  I had forgotten what the high end sounded like.  Now I have my lost recordings and I'm quickly remembering things.  Now I have my purpose again - I have to get my stereo system back!  The PS-X75 Biotracer!  The vacuum tubes!  The high-resolution analog sound!  This is where the LP truly becomes master of its domain.

It's fascinating to see this "vinyl revival" emerge, as many people remember the wonderful music they lost, and many people discovering it for the first time.  It's fun to see LP sales quadruple in four years, to nearly 4 million albums in 2011 in the US, while CD continues its endless slide into extinction.  I think that's largely because I like to root for underdogs.

A lot of people interested in vinyl records want to know, is it better than CD?  Is it worth getting a turntable and pulling out all those old LPs?  Well, yes, it is worth getting a turntable and spinning some records.  There's something magical about the experience, about the ritual, about the sound of smooth vinyl against a phonograph needle and lively, rich tones coming out of speakers.  As to who wins the fight, LP versus CD, that's a little bit trickier.  And the bottom line is that it's going to cost you.  There's no getting around that fact.

On the LP-CD fight, I'd say compact disc wins at the budget or entry level.  At $500, they become more or less equal.  At $1,000, vinyl LP blazes away.  And I'm talking the price of your entire system: turntable, phono cartridge, phono preamp, and amp.  The vintage market is a gold mine if you know what to look for, but don't let nostalgia blind you; most of those old turntables on Craigslist and eBay are junk.  The true classics - Technics, JVC, Pioneer, Kenwood, Sony - are worth the effort to discover.

Long story short: LP still kicks, you'll have to pay real money to find that out, it's totally worth the effort.  Start saving your pennies.  Oh, and enjoy the Youtube video of my old Sony Biotracer in action.  You have to get one of these turntables.

Stop Crushing Your Music!

I cannot fathom what is wrong with the geniuses in the music industry who conceived of the Loudness Wars.  It's what you get when corporate idiocy collides with rock-star egos, who also just happen to be deaf.  I know!  Let's hyper-compress and crush our music to death!  Then people will get ear fatigue and stop listening to our songs...and then...profit?  The collapse of CDs can't be blamed solely on internet downloading.

I know the topic of the Loudness Wars has been harped on endlessly, so I'll keep this little sermon short by presenting a couple of waveforms as examples.  The first waveform is my needledrop recording of John Coltrane's Sun Ship LP.  I recorded with a peak volume of -3dB, which means three decibels below the maximum volume of the CD format.  The second waveform is Megadeth's "Public Enemy No.1," from their newly-released CD, Thirteen.

It's pretty hard to appreciate music when it's literally crushed into a cube.  And there's really no reason for it.  It's especially frustrating because so many musicians and bands have recorded amazing-sounding music in decades past.  For example, I've finally heard some vinyl recordings ("needledrops") of Megadeth's 1990 LP, Rust in Peace, and it sounds amazing - loud, crunchy guitars, a fully three-dimensional sound, solid vocals.  It's really a jazz fusion album, in case anyone bothered to notice, and it shames today's brick-walled wrecks.

And Coltrane, well he's God's Gift to Mankind.  Everything Trane recorded was miraculous.  Wouldn't we all like to go back to that?  Return to music that is recorded and mastered properly?  Hi-fi music...what a concept!

Namco's Go Vacation for Nintendo Wii

Hey, the Nintendo Wii actually gets a good video game this year!  Remember the Wii?  It was extremely popular at one time.  Then Nintendo got bored and quit.

Ahem, heh heh.  Anyway, here's Namco's Go Vacation, by the makers of Family Ski and Snowboard.  I've had my eye on this title for some time, and it's looking terrific.  Yes, I know, I know, this appears to be yet another mini-game collection, for a console swamped with lazy, get-the-investors-off-our-back mini-game collections.  But Namco is dead serious.  They're gunning for Wii Sport Resort's crown.

The game features dozens of sporting events centered around a large island, which you are free to explore on land, sea or air.  Four players can participate at once, although I'm not entirely certain if they can play different activities (which would be cool).  Right now, my guess is that everyone has to play together, and that's perfectly fine by me.

This highlight reel shows a number of events in Go Vacation, like horseback riding and whitewater rafting.  As I mentioned earlier, this is the same software team responsible for Family Ski and Snowboard, which is one of the more enjoyable family games on the Wii.  Thank goodness that we can always trust Namco to deliver the goods.  Now, if we could only get them to apologize for abandoning the Sega Dreamcast - where's my Tekken, ya jerks?!

Ni no Kuni (PS3) Videos at Tokyo Game Show

At The Ghibli Blog, I promised to show more gameplay videos of Ni no Kuni from the Tokyo Game Show, and these two videos are absolutely perfect, and quite lengthy, too.  I'm interested in hearing your impressions.

The game follows the old school RPG formula, with a few interesting wrinkles like day/night.  When I see that, I'm obviously thinking of Minecraft.  Will players have to battle monsters at night?  That would be cool.  I wonder if I could chop down those trees and build a house?  Yeah, then I could build a train station and lay down some tracks, so I can get to....ah, whoops, wrong game.

The combat looks very interesting.  This is an area where RPG game mechanics haven't changed in 25 years.  It appears that instead of directly fighting, your characters can send pets who will do the fighting for you.  Shades of Pokemon, but also the great Phantasy Star Online, and it does raise a lot of possibilities.  Will you have to train your pet?  Can they be bred and grown?  Can they evolve into new forms?  I think this could be the key element that could enable Ni no Kuni to break out from a very old and tired genre.

Yes, I know that Ni no Kuni has already been released for the Nintendo DS in Japan, but I haven't seen it, so I'm choosing to follow the PS3 version as a new video game.  I'm looking forward to the surprises.  Until then, I have Saturn, Dreamcast and Minecraft to keep me happy. But, hey, that's me. Enjoy the videos!

Happy Sega Dreamcast Day!

Happy Sega Dreamcast Day, everybody!  On September 9, 1999 (9-9-99), Sega released the Dreamcast in the United States to a massively successful launch and rapturous welcome.  It appeared, for a short time, that Sega was back on top after years of self-inflicted wounds crippled the company.  Sadly, it would not last, and only 18 months later, Sega would exit the video game hardware business.  Sega and video games have never been the same ever since.

I remember September 9 perfectly.  I was working at my college job, waiting tables at the Dinkytown Pizza Hut, and when business was slow, I had one of the delivery drivers take us down to the nearest Target.  I purchased a Dreamcast, a second controller, a Virtual Memory Unit (these were cool), and a stack of games.  Which ones?  Let's see...Soul Calibur, NFL 2K, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, Hydro Thunder and Trickstyle.  All games were fantastic, except for Trickstyle, which was a clunky, half-completed mess.  I later returned it for Sonic Adventure.

Today, the Dreamcast is hailed as a classic, arguably the last true arcade videogames system.  The game industry was pushing relentlessly into the domain of cinematic games, all in a mad pursuit of becoming Digital Hollywood.  Add in an absurd amount of Playstation 2 hype (to this day, I still say DC was better), and the king-maker status of EA, and Sega was just not able to staunch the bleeding from years of financial mismanagement.  It's really unfortunate, and you just wish there was a little more time.

I am a bit surprised to see that Dreamcast never really took off in Japan.  Perhaps it was too similar to the Saturn, which was far more successful over there.  Heck, Sega infamously killed off the Saturn version of Virtua Fighter 3, which was completed and  headed to the pressing plants, because it was superior to Genki's somewhat lackluster DC version.  And while the library of games was stellar, it really wasn't that much different from the Saturn, especially where shoot-em-ups and fighters were concerned.  Also, I'm sure the Sony hype was just as deafening in Japan as in the West.

In any case, you can score a good-as-new Dreamcast and a stack of fantastic games like Soul Calibur and NFL 2K1 for the price of a single $60 retail video game today.  That is a bargain, my friends.  Enjoy!

Sega Saturn Shooter Roundtable Vol I

Instead of writing single posts for every Sega Saturn title that grabs my attention, I've decided that I should group several short reviews together in a single post, so that we can speed through the system's extensive video game library more quickly.  For this installment, we'll look at five titles from Saturn's most popular genre - arcade shoot-em-ups!




Dodonpachi - Cave for Saturn - 10/10

Oh, Yeehhhh!  Dodonpachi, Cave's manic, bullet-hell masterpiece.  The heaviest, loudest, fastest, most intense shoot-em-up ever created.  It's such a wild ride, so gloriously and insanely over-the-top, so wildly colorful and luminous.  This is the video game equivalent of Red Bull and Jolt Cola.  And it's just about the most exciting game ever made for the Sega Saturn.

I don't even think you conquer or master Dodonpachi so much as survive.  The very act of cheating death is a massive rush.  How the heck did I escape that?!  Literally every pixel on the screen is moving, flashing, firing, or exploding.  And you're always caught in smack in the middle.  This feels like a video game that begins where all the other shmups ended, and instead of retreading the same ancient cliches of the genre, cranks all the dials to maximum, gleefully reveling in the beauty of pure chaos.

Bulk Slash - Sega Saturn

Bulk Slash is a 3D robot arcade shoot-em-up for Sega Saturn that feels like the classic 2D shooters of the 16-bit era, fused with the 3D platforming paradigm of Super Mario 64.  It's fast and smooth, sharp and clear, brightly colored, packed with futuristic cities and tanks and robots and massive explosions.  Here is a game that embraces the magic of "replayability," almost like NiGHTS with guns.  Here lies a textbook example of what makes the Saturn so great.

Oh, and Bulk Slash was also created by Technosoft.  Sort of.  Hudson formed CA Productions, the software studio, by stealing away members of Technosoft's staff for the twin PCE/Turbo-CD shooter classics, Gate and Lords of Thunder.  I learned this recently, and it felt like a light clicked in my head.  I had a nagging suspicion that Bulk Slash shared some secret connection to Herzog Zwei, in the robot that transforms into a jet, in the way enemy targets are protected by armored units.  Turns out my hunch was right.  I strongly suspect some members of the Herzog Zwei team were, in fact, involved in this game.

I love the variety of environments, missions, goals, and surprises in Bulk Slash.  Early levels involve flying through cities, smashing everything in sight.  Later levels involve escort missions, bombing runs, and run-and-gun missions through fortresses.  Power-up weapons are hidden around and require you to march around carefully, instead of flying and blasting everything in sight.  There's even a bit of a dating sim (a video game genre strangely popular in Japan), where you choose a young woman as your navigator, and proceed to impress her with your flying and shooting skills.  Oh, and you have to actually find these women, too.  I get a laugh whenever my navigator starts nagging me every time I get shot.  I'm trying to fight a war over here!

It's interesting how the PCE and Saturn were the two great "lost" video game consoles, condemned to failure in the West, while thriving successfully in native Japan with mountains of great games.  Thank goodness for the internet, I say.  How many of these "lost" classics would remain lost without Youtube, message boards, online retailers and downloads?  There are so many good Saturn games that you'll probably lose count, and if you're a collector, you'll likely never own all the titles.  Make sure Bulk Slash is near the top of your list.  It's a terrific video game and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Dezaemon 2 Video Showcase

Twin Dog's Heroes [Saturn Deza2] by RayonDePixel

I promised to show some examples of the many user-created shoot-em-ups created on Athena's 1997 Sega Saturn title, Dezaemon 2.  This is a magnificent construction program, very detailed and thorough, yet easy to comprehend.  If you can read Japanese, the 60-page instruction book will be immensely helpful.  You may also want to track down Athena's official guide book, which became a valuable tool for the devoted Deza2 scene in Japan.

What about English-speakers?  There is a guide on GameFAQs which is very helpful (though incomplete), and all the controls and features can be understood fairly easy.  In fact, I'm openly wondering why Athena (if they're even still in business today) hasn't released a deluxe Deza package for PC and Mac, allowing you to import graphics and audio.  Imagine that you could create your own arcade shmup, and then sell it on iTunes.  Deza2 is that sophisticated!

If you want to get into Deza2, you'll need a backup memory cartridge for the save data (games take up a whopping 1500-2500 blocks).  This presents a challenge for Saturn owners who rely on Action Replay's 4M Plus.  You may want to shop on eBay for a Japanese Saturn.  Fortunately, they're just as cheap and readily available as the American Saturns, in the $40-$60 range.  Let's face it, if you're playing Sega Saturn in the year 2011, you're already in an exclusive club of old-school videogamers.  Spring for the white box!

Anyway, as promised, here is a selection of actual shmups created on Deza2.  More videos after the jump!