The History of the Sega Saturn

Sega Saturn

The Sega Saturn was released in Japan in 1994. Its development began around 1992, when the Sega Model 1 arcade game was released. The aim was to be able to run games with the same quality as this arcade game on consoles. This is when the Saturn Project began. In 1993, the CPU was developed in partnership with Hitachi, the SuperH RISC or simply SH-2, a 32-bit 28.6 MHz CPU. Also at this time, Sega of America began talks with Sony to jointly produce a 32-bit console, creator of the future PSX, and with Silicon Graphics, for a GPU for the console, creator of the RCP, the future GPU for the N64 . Neither negotiation prospered.

Sega Saturn Hardware

After that, in 1994, they partnered with Hitachi and Yahama, and created respectively the VDP1 and VDP2 video chips, the first for sprites, textures and polygons and the second for backgrounds and 3D scrolling and rotation. Combined with two SH-2 CPUs, plus an SCU math coprocessor with DSP geometry, forming a set of 5 processors to work with video. Its palette reached 16.77 million simultaneous colors. It also had a super powerful sound, with a Yamaha YMF292 ship with a Yamaha FH1 sound DSP and a 68k as a sound CPU, bringing 32 audio channels in FM, MIDI, PCM and LFO formats. It had 2MB of RAM, 1.5MB of video, 512kb of audio RAM and 512kb of ROM. And finally, a 2x speed CD-ROM driven by a 20 MHz Hitachi SH-1 processor.

Sega ST-V and 32X

Before its launch, still in 1994, Sega created the Titan Project, which gave rise to the Sega Titan Video arcade, or simply ST-V. The arcade had the exact hardware of the Sega Saturn, with the exception of the CD-ROM, as it used cartridges. This may have been a preparation for players to adapt to the future console. All of Sega's projects were named after planets and satellites, with this one being a reference to a moon of Saturn, which is quite suggestive. Before the launch of the Saturn, other projects, such as the Sega Virtual Processor, were launched on the Virtua Racing cartridge for the MD, as a cheaper way to port Model 1 games. The 32X was also launched, an add-on that worked with 3D polygons and the Saturn's SH-2 processor, also with the aim of running Model 1 ports and games with better quality at a lower cost. It was all a way to keep the 3D idea alive in case the Saturn was not launched that year.

3D Control Pad, Arcade Racer, RAM Expansion Cartridge, Pro Action Replay and NetLink

The console also had interesting accessories, such as 1 and 4MB RAM expansion cartridges, adding memory to the central hardware, video and sound for arcade games, mainly from SNK (Neo Geo) and Capcom (CPS-1 and 2). The Pro Action Replay, which allowed games from all regions (JP, USA and EU) to be played, save state (backup) and Game Shark (cheating). The NetLink, which made it possible for the first time for two players to play remotely via telephone line. In addition to the 3D Control Pad, for arcade games, and the Arcade Racer steering wheel for racing games.

Virtua Cop, Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter

The console received some ports from Model 1, such as Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter, and from Model 2 (released in 1993), such as Virtua Cop, Virtua Fighter 2, Daytona USA and Sega Rally Championship. The ST-V was the board with the most ports for the console, being almost re-releases, since the hardware was the same. Among the ports, we had Baku Baku Animal, Batman Forever, Golden Axe: The Duel, Final Fight Revenge, Virtua Fighter Remix, among others.

Sega Saturn Games

In addition to the ports, we had fighting games from the Street Fighter Alpha, Virtua Fighter, Darkstalker, Mortal Kombat, Samurai Shodown, Falsal Fury, KOF franchises, as well as Fighting Vipers, Marver Super Heroes and X-Men. Racing games, such as the aforementioned Daytona and Sega Rally, as well as Winning Post, and the games Nascar 98, Manx TT Super Bike, Destruction Derby, Road Rash and Hang-On GP. RPG games, such as the Dragon Force, Farland Saga, Wizardry, Langrisser and Shinning Force franchises. Shmup games, with franchises such as Darius, Panzer Dragoon, Thunder Force, Cotton, Striker 1945, Gundam Gaiden, as well as Radiant Silvergun, Batsugun, Gunbird, Sengoku Blade, Metal Slug, DonPachi and DoDonPachi. Platform games, such as Nights, Clockwork Knight, Bug and Pandemonium!. Beat'em ups, such as Techi wo Kurau II, Guardian Heroes, Nekketsu Oyako. Sports games, such as J. League, Sega Worldwide, FIFA Soccer, Victory Goal, as well as several NFL, NHL and NBA games. Anime games, such as 3X3 Eyes, Sailor Moon, Blue Seed, DBZ, Doraemon, El Hazard, Initial D, Gundam, Z-Gundam, Macross, Magic Knights Rayearth, Evangelion, Utena, Slam Dank, Tenchi Muyo, Vampire Hunter, Sakura Taisen and many others. Compared to the SNES and PC Engine, it was the console that released the most anime games in the 1990s. In addition to Resident Evil, Burning Rangers, Tomb Raider, and many others. Several Mega Drive games were also released for the console, mainly in the 13 Sega AGES collections, with games such as Alter Burner, Out Run, Phantasy Star, Castle of Illusion, Flick, QuackShot and others, as well as Sonic 1 to Knuckles in Sonic Jam and the first three versions of SF II in Street Fighter Collection, among others. And finally, PC ports, such as Doom, Quake, D, Duke Nukem 3D, Alien Trilogy, Alone In The Dark 2, Amok and others. 

All Sega Saturn Models

The console was basically released in two models: the Model 1, with large, oval buttons, and the Model 2, with small, round buttons. The other differences with the Model 1 are that the Model 2 has an internal power supply and its motherboard was revised to have a lower cost and thermal efficiency. Regarding the releases of each model, the first came out in gray and black versions, respectively in 1994 and 1995, one in Japan and the other in the US and EU. The second model came out in 1995, transparent for Japan and black for the US and EU. This transparent line allowed the internal components of the console and controller to be seen. It came out in black and green. In 1996, they released the white version of the Model 2, which became known in the West as the Japanese Saturn. In 1997, Tec-Toy, which launched the Sega Saturn in Brazil, released the Model 2 in white and transparent colors, exactly like the Japanese models.

V-Saturn and HiSaturn

Regarding third parties that were licensed to use their hardware, we had JVC, which launched the console under the name V-Saturn, with the Model 1 in 1994, in gray with a black button bar, and with the Model 2 in 1996, in gray with a black bottom base, and blue, pink and green buttons. Hitachi (Sega's partner in the creation of the console), launched the HiSaturn in 1995, a dark gray console with light pink buttons, on top of the Model 2. A second version of the console was also launched in 1995, called the HiSaturn Navi, which was a semi-portable console for playing inside cars, in addition to being used as a GPS and television. To do this, the console could be connected to an external LCD screen, or even a screen specific to the console. Its design was very different, a square console, with a square lid, with pink, purple and black buttons for the power, reset and open functions, as well as a control to change the type of wire, with the option to adjust the echo and tone for the device's karaoke function.

SamsungSaturn and Sega Saturn (Tec-Toy)

Samsung also launched the console in South Korea in 1995, using the American Model 2, simply putting the name SamsungSaturn on its base and translating some of the device's functions into Korean. Unlike Hitachi and JVC, which changed the design and even the hardware a lot, Samsung basically kept everything intact, just like Tec-Toy did in Brazil. I believe that the Korean and Brazilian companies were not licensed to modify the hardware, only launching it in locations outside Japan. The console was discontinued in 1998 with 9.26 million units sold, and despite its success, it was unable to compete with the PSX, mainly due to the rush to launch it, which prevented companies from getting to know the console's hardware enough, which was difficult to develop games for.