Saturday, June 11, 2022

Random Saturnday

πŸͺ Written: June 4th-11th, 2022 πŸͺ

Hello, gamers and readers, welcome to my blog, and thank you for taking the time to tune in today, I really appreciate it. πŸ˜ƒ Today is a Saturday, which makes today a
Random Saturnday...  it's a wordplay, see?  Because when spoken fast it sounds like--oh, never mind, I'd ruin the joke explaining it. πŸ˜“

So in the month that I turned 31 this year (April), I made what is probably one of the craziest video gaming decisions I've ever made, and something I long thought was an unlikely scenario (for various reasons): I recently got myself a Sega Saturn console, which I have been enjoying playing since I got it, so I thought (after having gotten a few games) of sharing my thoughts and experiences with it thus far.  So what made me decide to purchase one after all this time?
It started when I was in the beginning stages of reviewing the SNES version of Gremlin Graphics' Zool: Ninja of the Nth Dimension, which is a Sonic knockoff I like and one I find to be the better alternative to it (first entry-wise) as opposed to what other speed-based platforming options there are.  Its sequel, Zool 2, which was developed by The Warp Factory is a game I've been curious about but I do not own any formats to play it; out of curiosity I looked up Imagitec Design's Atari Jaguar port's price tag on eBay (a bit pricey, but not too bad otherwise) and afterward I looked up the price tag of the Atari Jaguar console itself...

holy crap on a stick, no matter which way you look it sells for hundreds of dollars (boxed or no); I could not believe the price ratio between console and game designated for said console.  This made me reconsider any notion of getting an Atari Jaguar console that I may have had in the past, which is a shame because Zool 2 does look interesting and I am curious of what direction it went in terms of quality, alas that's not going to happen any time soon*.
* Not that the probability of me procuring a Jaguar was all that likely anyway since I heard it had a faulty hardware and the only other game I was kinda sorta curious about was Imagitec Design's Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales (which I hear is more or less in line with the first Bubsy in terms of quality)

So, after completely giving up any prospect of wanting an Atari Jaguar, this got me thinking: the Sega Saturn didn't seem to be all that out of reach anymore by comparison (also it had a much more reasonable price ratio between console and game for said console).  In fact, seeing the price tag of the aforementioned console somehow increased the prospect of me getting a Saturn, plus I had plenty of eBay gift cards to curb down the spending.  Around the night I ordered the Saturn console (and one game separately), I was like, "Oh my God, am I actually going through with this?" 😲 Yes, my mind had been made up; I was about to enter my new video gaming chapter.

The Saturn was a console I was curious about in years past, but decided against it because some of the games I wanted were really expensive (like Ving's Japan-only port of Taito's Bubble Symphony, for instance; in hindsight, I was being unrealistic with what games I considered wanting should I get the console so I figured when deciding to go through with purchasing the console back in April that I'd start out small).  I will not disclose how much I spent on it (other than it did not surpass $200), but I will say that it singlehandedly
Also worth it to see that heartwarming display πŸ€—
dethroned the $100 I spent back in January 2020 (partially with gift cards) for Tose's Namco Museum Volume 5 on the PlayStation One as the most amount of money I ever spent on anything on eBay.
Did I get that compilation simply so I could have another opportunity to play as Krino Xandra in Namco's Valkyrie no Densetsu
"And I'm sorry if I visibly appear upset, Nubs, but silly preconceptions, biases, and sensibilities of the time that resulted in me having angry eyes for a neutral expression overseas were all things beyond my control, despite not appearing as such on the cover art"
after being invested in his story in Nova Games' Super Famiprequel Xandra no Daibōken: Valkyrie to no Deai (and eventually Whirlo on the NTSC SNES repro cart)?  Yes, yes I did, because I like this character and his selfless resolve so much, and it is a fun game, in my opinion, with an enthralling and engaging emphasis on story. πŸ˜ƒ
And like I said, these games can coexist in the same room together.  I've learned to let go and accept that this is how the game was handled in Europe; it's still got the same engaging narrative and characters, and it's still got a selfless protagonist, so it's all good. πŸ‘

So anyway, I've digressed enough, let's talk Sega Saturn!
I like the little see-through strip on the right side of the lid that gives you a tiny peak at what game is currently inhabiting the console
It was on April 25th, 2022 that my newest video game console got delivered to our door after work, it was one of those days in Texas where it constantly rained and did not let up until the following morning (making me wonder if this is what it's like living in England).  I was super excited, and while I knew what it was shaped like from the top I was very surprised at how big it was (and how heavy it was too compared to my other consoles), carefully plugging in the required wiring for the wall plug and A/V cables
I deliberately kept myself at bay while taking a picture of it because I did not want my face to be reflected off its shiny surface since I value my anonymity, so here's my camera you can see instead
as well as the Model 2 game controller that came with it on the first slot.  I quite like the design with the smooth sheen in the middle and how the texture around it is plastic-like, how its shoulder buttons have a fast rewind and fast forward symbol below them, as well as the X, Y, Z buttons having a repeat, stop, and play/pause symbols above them respectfully.  The controller feels good (even if it is different than the feel of the PlayStation controller), and the buttons function exactly like they should.
There is a part of me, though, that feels like the back of the controller appears asymmetrical in terms of how many screws there are.  Why are there only five screws, and why is the central bottom one off-center?  This does not compute. πŸ˜– But that's just a minor nitpick.
These screenshots were taken on May 12th, 2022, I just wanted to visually recount my first time with the Saturn; I like how the year can be set as early as 1994, also bonus points for having Italian as one of its set languages
When I went to go check the mail, the game I ordered as well had not arrived yet, as I wouldn't get to play it until the next day.  So that afternoon/evening, I turned on the Sega Saturn for the first time in my room and I was surprised to be greeted by a language selection screen, so I chose English, and on the next screen because I wanted to be close to accurate with the time I looked at a different clock, and once I set the time at 6 PM, I confirmed the settings
Love how the orbit line resembles the letter "S", that's a neat touch
and was greeted for the first time by the American Sega Saturn bootup screen and accompanied sound.  It was magic!  Admittedly, I could've chosen to buy a Japanese Sega Saturn for far less, but the reason I chose the American one instead was partially because I've seen the bootup screen on YouTube before which has a likable sound to it.
Knowing that it was a disc-based console like its competition Sony's PlayStation One was, I surmised that should it not have a CD in it when you turn it on that it would lead to a menu, and I surmised correctly.  I quite liked the design with the present option hovered by orbiting lines, and how when you hide the menu you'll occasionally see a 3D ship hover and/or fly by.  Special shout out goes towards the polygons which morph into bigger shapes and colors based on the potency of the sound.
Arguably the prettiest looking 2D platformer on the PlayStation One ever! 😍
The first disc I inserted on the Saturn, knowing that it doubled as a soundtrack CD when played on a player, was Psygnosis' 2D platforming Lemmings spinoff The Adventures of Lomax, and I selected the third track which is one of my favorite themes because of how energetically bouncy it is and listened to it until the song was done. πŸ˜„

I should bring up that earlier on that whenever I wanted to open up the lid I was about to press the right button until I realized that the open button on the Saturn was in its center and that the right button was the reset button.
This newer model PlayStation One I owned since I moved to Texas back in the Summer of 2002, almost twenty years ago, and the Memory Card on the first slot I've had since my first PlayStation One back when I still lived in Italy
The PlayStation One always had its open button placed on the right, but I'm sure that has got nothing to do with my earlier confusion.
Seriously, it is bigger than my Sega Genesis, Super Famicom, Super Nintendo, and Nintendo 64 consoles
And for anyone's pondering, here's the two competing 32-bit consoles side by side with one another.  The Saturn might just be the biggest video game console I own.

Oh.  Oh, yeah, before I give a brief talk with what games I own for the format, I should bring up that the Sega Saturn has got one of two ways of saving your game progress, one is through a RAM backup cart--
I saw somewhere that apparently with an Action Replay Plus cart you can bypass the region block, and if that's true that is quite tempting to consider
which as you can see I presently do not have (though I'm sure those well-acquainted with the Sega Saturn will advise that I do so)--and the other is through the system itself.  Here's the thing about that: system-based saves are generated through one CR2032 battery......
Let me tell you, it was not fun opening up that battery package one iota (I found it easier removing and replacing the battery in the system), but in the end it was worth it as it's still saving and going strong... who knows how long that'll last, though
I am not joking, that is actually the case, which is something I found out the hard way when I kept seeing the set language and clock screens every time I turned it on.  It wasn't until weeks after I got my Saturn that I realized what it was that I needed, so I got an Energizer battery and the day I got my third game (knowing it would be a long one) on May 12th I carefully took out the old CR2032 battery in the back of the console and snugly inserted the new one in its place.  I didn't take a photo of it, but the dead battery that was in my Saturn when I got it was a Sony brand which,
given Sega's competition at the time, is mildly amusing and ironic, but in all seriousness it could've just been one massive coincidence.  It's so bizarre that the Sega Saturn generates saves thanks to one car key battery, I just found it unheard of; but I guess that's part of what contributes to its complicated and complex hardware that makes software emulation difficult.
🎡 Can you feel the sunshine? 🎡
Said complex hardware was why Sonic Team's 2005 Sonic Gems Collection compilation featured the PC version of Traveller's Tales' and Sonic Team's Sonic R and not the original Sega Saturn version*.
* It's also why in the History of Sonic video in Sonic Mega Collection there was only a VHS rip of Sonic Jam in the brief amount of time you see footage of it
I might be misremembering, but I read somewhere that GameArts' Grandia on GungHo's Grandia HD Collection is apparently based on the Sega Saturn original's source code?
But supposedly* there has been a breakthrough in the Saturn emulation front in recent years with the Dispatch Games and City Connection releases of Game Tengoku: CruisinMix Special and Cotton 2 Saturn Tribute on the Nintendo Switch. πŸ€”
* Being the key term, thanks to the Zebra Engine

Anyway, I've gone on long enough, let's briefly discuss the games I presently own for my newest retro console.
My first Sega Saturn game, which arrived a day later on April 26th, was Sega's Clockwork Knight.  For my foray title for the system, I made an ideal choice with this game as it is an amicably likable toy-themed platformer with its adorable charm, intuitive and simple gameplay, smoothly polished prerendered sprites, and a good showcase of what the Saturn could accomplish with both its 2D and its 3D.
The CGI cutscene quality is impressive for 1994 for the most part, and I find the fact that it preceded PIXAR's first Toy Story film by a year to be incredible for what Sega could achieve.
It is short and largely easy, but it is a good deal of fun while it lasts, and it's got good sound quality to boot, and yes it's true: Pepperouchau is the OG keyblade wielder, eight years before Sora utilized it in SquareSoft's Kingdom Hearts.  I read that evidently Traveller's Tales' Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse served as an influence for Clockwork Knight.  Uh... huh?? 😦
I mean, don't get me wrong, I like Mickey Mania, I think it's a good, challenging British Disney platformer (and one I feel is Traveller's Tales at their peak next to Puggsy), but what gets me from learning about that is the release history: this came out on the NTSC SNES and on the MegaDrive/Genesis in October and November of 1994 respectively,
and Clockwork Knight originally came out in Japan that December, implying that it had a really short development period.  Maybe it partially served as an influence and it was worked on for more than two months, I dunno?  But hey, a good influence is a good influence, and Mickey Mania is definitely a good game to take cues from... still think we should've gotten a sequel over the video game adaptation of Toy Story (with all due respect to Jon Burton and company at Traveller's), but that's just me.
I didn't know there was a Moomin cameo in this game. πŸ¦›πŸͺ
Screengrabbed while watching PinkieLopBun's "Moomins, Not Hippos" clip of Moomin, property of Telecable Benelux B.V./Telescreen Japan based on Tove Jansson's characters, on YouTube
I'm kidding, I'm kidding!  Don't ever refer to Moomin (RIP Susan Sheridan), his parents, or Snorkmaiden as hippos, they hate that.
Ah,
My first ever game I ordered on eBay back in May 2009 which I received just in time for my high school graduation, I'll always cherish this game; can't believe it's been thirteen years already
not since Ocean Software's Pierre Adane and Philippe Dessoly Nintendo 16-bit platforming classic Mr. Nutz has a scrub sponge looked so authentic in a video game.  Respect. 🧽
Everything about this boss is genius, from the core concept design down to the epic, forebodingly menacing music
I love the creepy vibes the final boss exudes any time its monitor changes into a PC board upon sustaining damage (accompanied by the lightning sound) with unmistakable eyes and mouth and tries to quash Pepperouchau with it via its mechanical arms.  I wonder if Toby Fox of Undertale fame stumbled across this when it came to conceiving the Photoshop Omega Flowey boss fight and was like, *silent nod* "Yes!" *continues silent nod*  But to be fair, there were numerous influences in it to begin with, it's just fun to think about.

Clockwork Knight did have a sequel which takes place immediately after the events of the first game, but it is on the pricey side of things so I might have to wait until Christmas to ask for Clockwork Knight 2 (or, if I get lucky, I might stumble across an American copy that doesn't exceed $100 but only within reason; whichever comes first).  But yeah, I found this game to be very endearing while it lasts and I can't wait to try the follow-up someday.
The back of Clockwork Knight's manual features an advert for Realtime Associates' Bug!, which I do plan on getting somewhere down the line.

My second Sega Saturn game I received on May 5th, and one of the first things I did when I got it
This is the only PlayStation One game I own that is packaged like this, it's such a bizarre design choice I can't help but love it! πŸ˜„
was size the tall Sega Saturn game jewel case up with my tall case of the Teeny Weeny Games and Perfect 10 Productions co-developed point and click graphic adventure Discworld on the PlayStation One, which as far as packaging goes is pretty much on par dimension-wise.
I must preface before anyone gets the wrong idea that I have no way of playing PAL PlayStation One games on my American console; I found out the hard way when I moved in Texas that, unlike the Game Boy handheld which was region-free, PAL games do not work on NTSC consoles so on certain years I go to Italy, I bring what PAL games I have left for my cousin Marco to play, little by little (also to make room for my NTSC game collection)
Strangely enough, this was how games were originally packaged for the PlayStation One when it debuted in North America in 1995 and continued being the case until sometime in 1996 when Sony settled on the normal jewel case size (likely changed to take up less space on the shelves, I presume); but if you grew up in Europe like I did then you had the games for that format in a bulkier jewel case (mostly due the size of the manual as it copy-pasted the same instructions but in multiple languages) which was consistently packaged from PAL's PlayStation launch day one.
Discworld was also released on the Sega Saturn, but only in Europe and in Japan
Let me just say, before returning to the subject of the Saturn: Discworld is very humorous thanks to its British sense of humor (RIP Terry Pratchett) and Eric Idle is brilliant as the voice of Rincewind, but it is high in difficulty* and has got exceedingly long load times--it takes roughly 20-25 seconds (!!!!) to save or load a game.  I much preferred the sequel, I thought it was more palatable and enjoyable by comparison, but that's neither here nor there.
I mean, very high, even when I used a guide the first time around whenever I got stuck--which was  often--less than two years ago that was the case (those exacerbated load times do not help its case); presently on my second playthrough, albeit on an irregular basis, and seeing how far I can go guideless

This was also released on the PlayStation One, but only for European consumption
My second Sega Saturn game was Crystal Dynamics' Solar Eclipse (Titan Wars outside of North America), a sci-fi rail shooter in the vein of fellow games of its ilk HAL Laboratory's HyperZone and Argonaut Software's Star Fox with elements of J. Michael Straczynski's space opera Babylon 5 thrown in the mix (so I've read this game described as online before buying it, I have not seen Babylon 5 but I have heard of it).
Aesthetically it's an interesting game to look at (particularly the animation of "Stuntman"'s ship when you maneuver it) as you go through eight missions, especially when you can rotate to 360 degrees to your left and to your right, and the gameplay is solid even though there are occasions that it becomes hectic and chaotic when it comes to thwarting off enemy ships especially later on.  I really dug Power of 2 Music's soundtrack, the sound design is fitting (I even recognized a sound effect that would be used in Crystal Dynamics' later release Toys for Bob's Pandemonium!), I liked the interactions between the characters,
and the cutscene quality in-between missions is really good, not to mention the acting is topnotch (especially from Claudia Christian*) as it lends it a TV show-like feel.  There is a '90s quality and charm that makes it endearing, and I do think it is a solid game.  I looked up that this a sequel of sorts to one of Crystal Dynamics' earliest games, Total Eclipse (Turbo), though from what I gather it doesn't seem like I'm missing out much having not played that one.
* It's funny, any time "Raven", Christian's character, spoke I thought how she sounded exactly like Helga Sinclair in Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (she even gave off similar vibes) and I didn't know why; granted, I have not seen many things with Claudia Christian in it so I wasn't familiar with her work, but it wasn't until very recently that I looked up the cast list again for the aforementioned movie and sure enough, her name was in it and I was like, "Oh my God, it was her!!" πŸ‘€ She just has a very distinct voice and that's how I picked up on it
On the title screen there is Crystal Dynamics' "Walk It Off" preview video montage of their lineup of games to come (if they had not come out already) while grunge music is playing in the background (so that there's absolutely no mistake what decade in time this was produced in) , but the connective tissue leading into these second long clips of these 32-bit games (including the very game you accessed the preview from, Solar Eclipse) is retroactively creepy though (it's supposedly played for laughs, but it is just plain awkward): we have a stereotypical private boys' school with someone resembling Steve Carell getting pelted by dodgeballs galore by actual children who are so much younger than he is, and once he's had his fill with them he fantasizes himself slow dancing with his coach who blew the whistle and shouted "play ball!" to the screen student body with slow lullaby music playing.  Just,... what is anything?? 😩
I love that this game was being advertised less than a year before it came out
One of the games featured in the preview video is The Illusions Gaming Company's console point and click graphic adventure Blazing Dragons, based on an idea by the late Terry Jones (RIP) based on the King Arthur legend but with dragons in the role of the knights.  Blazing Dragons on the PlayStation One also had a "Walk It Off" preview clip (albeit assembled a bit differently) which is how I learned about Solar Eclipse nearly two years ago.
Blazing Dragons was also released on the Sega Saturn
It's a really great game to get you into the point and click genre if you've never got around to those kinds of games (it's also great on its own merits), with great writing, a gorgeously colorful aesthetic, a stellar voice cast (Jim Cummings and Jeff Bennett are always a win, Terry Jones also lent his voice here), likable British charm and wit, and is a very endearing and fun game while it lasts.  Pleasurably feel-good every time, short though it may be. πŸ˜„ Wish more people knew about it; I really should cover it sometime.
On the back of the manual is an advert for Beam Software's port of Crystal Dynamics' Gex featuring their mascot at the time,
Square-Enix says Gex might make a return sometime in the future, that's pretty neat--TV's changed a lot in the two-plus decades since his last game, though, I wonder if there'll be references to streaming services as well? πŸ€” I wouldn't put it past them if that were to be the case, it would be pretty on-brand given we're talking about Gex here
which I already have on the PlayStation One, so I'm covered there. 😁 Good game, even though I'm not a fan of how bright Gex is in-game, and Dana Gould is well-chosen as the voice of the impressionist and quippy TV-obsessed gecko. 🦎 An---
Unlike Gex, The Horde was given a Saturn treatment and not on the PlayStation as well
oh no, not the Kirk Cameron game! 😧 ...... I feel this is a good time to mention that there are codes in Solar Eclipse that let you access secret areas (each of which is pretty much the programmers having fun), including ones based on prior Crystal Dynamics fare The Horde and Off-World Interceptor (the latter of which I was surprised to learn was rated "M" for "Mature" last month, I certainly wasn't given that impression from what little they showed of it in the "Walk It Off" preview), which adds to the quirk factor.

Fun fact: the Saturn was the first format Tomb Raider came out on
The third Sega Saturn game I received on May 12th, and that game was the original Core Design 3D tank control platforming classic Tomb Raider released by Eidos Interactive.  I did have this game on the PlayStation One growing up in Italy (with a French language track), but it was one of those games where I never got very far at the time (guess I had a hard time accustoming to its controls in the long run as a kid) and despite that I also played the first two sequels, and guess what: I never got far on those either (thank God my gameplay skills evolved over time).  The last time I played those three was before I moved to Texas in 2002, and I never thought of replaying those in any capacity (albeit in NTSC format) until the past year or so.  Watching the OpenLara tech demo on the Game Boy Advance earlier this year on YouTube was impressive as it showed Croft Manor and the opening Caves level, so I knew I had to play Tomb Raider again (especially now that I had a Saturn).
Having caught up with Tomb Raider after all this time as a 31 year old, there are so many feelings I have about it.  As one of those games that pioneered the 3D platforming boom, it makes me appreciate how far 3D gaming has come since then, there is a compulsive quality about it that makes me want to explore these locations thoroughly, and in many ways it's like a 3D equivalent to Prince of Persia (the BrΓΈderbund classic by Jordan Mechner) before Prince of Persia made the transition from 2D to 3D what with the perilously designed layouts, long leaps, ledge grabbing, trap evading, crumbling platforms, puzzle solving, short amount of time you're allotted to enter through certain doorways you opened up, and constant sense of danger throughout, only instead of a sword to fend yourself with there are pistols and other weapons.  It's exhilarating from start to finish, and I always breathe a sigh of relief whenever I approach a save crystal; yes, this game does have tank controls, but I feel those work very well here and are an ideal way to get across certain gaps (while the camera is placed behind Lara Croft most of the time, you do have the ability to look around you before committing to the jump), plus the auto-aim helps when it comes to the deadly creatures you confront.
I love how the cutscenes that play before Lara explores in a different country are framed and animated in a Cinemascope-like format as an homage to Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones movies (which were also shot on Cinemascope with the coveted 2.35:1 aspect ratio) which also served as one of Tomb Raider's main influences.  The cutscene quality is good for the most part, the rendering is solid, and the direction is iconic with impeccable pacing; you can tell it's a mid-'90s computer animation whenever Lara speaks, though, because Core Design didn't quite get the lip-syncing down pat yet so her dialogue comes when we see the back of her head, while she's offscreen, or in one instance when her lips are offscreen in the opening intro to not show the technical limitations of the time.  That's really just an observation, though, they are good cutscenes otherwise.
Something to note about the Saturn version is that the default gamma setting is pretty dark, which I left intact while playing as it does make the moments Lara stands underneath a light stand out
The Peru, Greece, Egypt, and Atlantis levels are very atmospheric and are quite something to behold as they unfold before you once you solve how to navigate ahead, Nathan McCree's music when reaching certain points is spellbinding and enthralling (the iconic main theme and Midas' Palace are among my favorites, I'm in love with the fact that the game disc doubles as a soundtrack, YAY! πŸ˜„), and there's bouts of horror on occasion (some moments in the final levels actually made me jump, mostly because I did not see them sneak up behind me or from behind a wall; the body horror creatures that leap toward you are frighteningly designed).
I think Tomb Raider is superior to the Nintendo 64 launch title Super Mario 64
Escaping from the final level was a real rush, and a good chunk of Tomb Raider is really fun while it lasts; so much so that it excited me about the prospect about playing the sequel.  I played through it a second time to prepare myself for Tomb Raider II on the PlayStation One, and... having got it recently, I think it might take a bit for me to warm up to it as I much prefer the simplicity of the original (for some series there's a beauty to a first game's simplicity sometimes).  The original plan was to alternate between catching up with the sequels up to the fourth game* and getting new Sega Saturn content, but now I think I'll wait a bit before catching up with the third and fourth games (I'm in no hurry) and focus my attention on adding Saturn games.  I wouldn't mind watching the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movies featuring Angelina Jolie one day but being video game movies I know to temper my expectations.
I'll neither bother with Chronicles nor The Angel of Darkness (I don't own a PlayStation 2 console anyway); from what I understand The Last Revelation was where it was supposed to end because the people at Core Design who worked on the same property on an annual basis (because Eidos saw Tomb Raider as their cash cow due to the sucess it brought them) suffered from mental health fatigue and physical exhaustion to the point that they wanted kill off and be rid of Lara once and for all if Eidos hadn't gotten in the way of their cathartic plan by telling them to make more Tomb Raider content (I sympathize with the Core Design people, I feel so bad for how mistreated they were; mental health matters, people)

I do not have a manual for Tomb Raider, what I did was I got the jewel case and game disc alone (I did also get this... soft gray... fuzzy... sponge-sized thing, I'm guessing to remove any potential dust off the disc or whatever); I admit I was a bit desperate to play it on the Saturn without having to spend more than I needed to.  I'll order the instruction booklet one day, luckily those are reasonably priced.

It amazes me that I managed to get four Sega Saturn games not even one full month after I got the console (April 25th), but I managed with a game I'm surprised I found a copy of in the affordable price range (but because I did, it was an impulsive purchase): on May 23rd, I received Sega's 2D sidescrolling platformer Astal (Kisuishō Densetsu Astal in native Japan), a game that's generally obscure and rare to come by (at least, in full condition anyway).
Astal doesn't really have a big story, but the presentation and quality really lend it that feel plus it helps that the proceedings are endearingly lighthearted.  This is a beautiful game to look at with the lush and detailed backgrounds with a succinct color palette (particularly the "Into the Darkness", "River of Dreams, and "Glacial Rift" stages), imaginatively designed creatures and baddies, a good sense of scaling on occasion (the Saturn is known to be more of a 2D console than a 3D one like its competition the PlayStation One and Nintendo 64 were),
Ahhhhhh, I can't get enough of Astal's bird companion, it's so cute! πŸ˜­
and very solid gameplay as Astal can pound enemies if not the ground to turn them into crystals, blow them away, lob them backwards with a neatly executed suplex throw, and pick up and carry incredibly heavy obstacles blocking his path.  As an added bonus the bird that accompanies you proves to be a very helpful asset as, depending on what you make it do, it will supercharge across or around, momentarily freeze a moving platform, or bring Astal a healing fruit.  Funny enough, Astal can be a two-player game (with the bird being controlled with the second controller) if ever there are two controllers on hand (I only have one Saturn controller at the moment), which is unusual for a game in this genre but neat at the same time--the bird is truly this game's MVP, in my opinion.
Flickies, move over, Sega has officially peaked with Astal's bird
No!  Not the bird imitating Astal, I can't! 😭 It's too cute!
But the biggest wow factor for me is the soundtrack: WOW, is this soundtrack breathtaking with excellent sound quality ("Into the Darkness" is so good, it must be heard to be believed, as must "Sea of Clouds"). 🀯 Not one dull track in the mix, it's absolutely amazing, and it seemed to me that with each new stage you set foot in the sound bar kept getting higher and higher.  And that the fact that this unbelievable music is in a game that is generally so rare makes me so sad; Core Design's Tomb Raider might be my favorite Saturn game out of the first four games I got for the system, but Astal definitely has my favorite Sega Saturn soundtrack thus far.  It's quite a short game--or at least its stages are so short--but it is a fun romp while it lasts, I'm so glad I played it! πŸ˜ƒ
I read on GameFAQs that when Astal was released in North America its name wasn't featured on the jewel case's spine (and that partially contributed to its obscurity), which was quite irresponsible of Sega of America if you ask me, I can't believe they let it down like that
I went above my usual spending range to get Astal (but not anywhere near or over the limit, i.e. past $100), which came in a translucent purple repro case (which is the equivalent of a DVD case) as opposed to the traditional Sega Saturn jewel case which I like as it complements the North American purple cover plus it doesn't take up so much shelf space.  No manual here either, but that's okay, I'm content with both the case and the game.  I read that in preparation for its American release Sega slightly augmented its difficulty (heh, what else is new?) and they reduced the number of continues down to one. 😨 That's extreme regardless of quality, Segamerica, what the crap!  But that's really only a minor problem in an otherwise good platformer.

For anyone's pondering, here is how I rank the Saturn games I own so far:
Tomb Raider > Astal > Clockwork Knight > Solar Eclipse
So, there you have it, my first four Sega Saturn games, I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the platform and my brief thoughts on what games I have for it as I write this.

It feels nice to do something like this; something I always wanted to do was talk about my Nintendo 16-bit collection on my blog as a whole, but I never got around to it because I kept adding games to it (also, I have so many games for it anyway, the prospect of doing it seems a bit overwhelming that I would have to split it to several parts just to properly cover each individual game in a brief manner in a way that I find satisfactory, even though summarizations were never my strong suit).  Ditto for my PlayStation One collection (though not as big), but we'll see how I feel about doing it in the future.
But yeah, on the whole, my experience with the Sega Saturn has been a positive one; I had no idea what I missed out on until I got it, and while it doesn't replace the PlayStation One as my favorite 32-bit console, it is a fascinating console on its own merit and fun to play.  I don't plan to make my collection for this format a huge one, but I am definitely interested in adding to my Saturn content one game at a time (but within reason, the games do not sell for cheap).  I wouldn't mind getting just one Saturn game I already own on the NTSC PlayStation just to make a visual comparison, I already set a plan for what it would be (knowing game number 5 had to be special) and I cannot wait to play it in this format! πŸ˜„

For anyone's pondering, here's part of my Saturn wish list (not all):
Baku Baku - animal-themed falling block puzzler by Sega
Bug! - insect-starring platformer by Realtime Associates acting as a stand-in for Sonic the Hedgehog until his ultimate Saturn game would arrive (and we all know how that played out; it's ironic that the Saturn's biggest obstacle wasn't Sony whom they were competing with but Sega and their management of it)
Clockwork Knight 2 - sequel to the toy-themed Clockwork Knight by Sega on account that I enjoyed the first game starring Pepperouchau
Fighting Vipers - 3D one-on-one tournament fighter by Sega (and the reason Sonic the Fighters exists, I mean how could I pass on the opportunity?)
Legend of Oasis, The - top-down action adventure by Ancient, 32-bit prequel to Beyond Oasis (the 16-bit classic which I played on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console)
Panzer Dragoon - dragon-oriented rail shooter by Team Andromeda
Virtua Fighter - the original 3D tournament fighter by Sega that started it all

If you're a Saturn owner and/or connoisseur, if there's any game I have not listed that you recommend I look into, I might take it into consideration (I will not accept FPS games).  Next time I make a Random Saturnday post (whenever that may be) I will have a few more Saturn games than I have currently.  Until next time, everyone, take care. πŸ‘‹
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Recently saw Joseph Kosinski's Top Gun: Maverick, sequel to the late Tony Scott's 1986 classic, in theatres on an IMAX screen, and I really enjoyed it. πŸ˜ƒ I thought it was an improvement over its predecessor (which I had only caught up with weeks prior), I appreciated the callbacks to the prior film when appropriate (hearing Harold Faltermeyer's iconic Top Gun anthem on the big screen was such a treat), the acting was really great (from Tom Cruise and Miles Teller especially), the aerial stunts and choreography were spectacular, the story was engrossing, and it was such a treat.
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Thank you for reading my Random Saturnday post, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think (neither spam nor NSFW is allowed); hope you have a great day, be a nice human, and take care! πŸ˜ƒ

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