All Genesis Vs Saturn Games Compared Side By Side

[@SomeOrangeCat]

The super scaler games exist in a weird place in time. They were too advanced for the 16 bit era of consoles to pull off, but no longer impressive by the time powerful enough consoles came out. Afterburner II? Meh. It's 1997. Who's gonna wanna play moldy port of a ten year old arcade game when you've got Ace Combat 2 right there on the PlayStation? Keep in mind, this mindset predates when all of us oldsters, then not-so-oldsers, were keen on forking over money for retro-collections. We just wanted bleeding edge games back then.

[@RetroComparisons]

In a dream scenario the 32X would have stuck around with the intention of being a budget console and would have had tons of close to perfect ports of games from that era, meanwhile the Saturn would focus mostly on next gen. Stuff like Space Harrier and After Burner Complete were great on the 32X and it would have been cool to get way more 80s/early 90s Sega arcade games on it.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

@@RetroComparisons Yeah, the 32X was originally gonna be a 2-in-1 console, at least that's how it was pitched. A low-cost 32-bit system that was also backwards compatible with your entire Genesis library. Unfortunately that's not how things went.

[@shiryudd]

@@SomeOrangeCat chega tratou os clientes como idiotas lançando o Genesis como console de ponta, mas assistem 16 foi tão capada que o o som ficou comprometido e defasado. Sega CD +32X era jogar dinheiro no lixo. Neogeo é o que o megadrive deveria ser. Uma placa que durou mais de 10 anos e o limite dos jogos era a vontade do criador.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@SomeOrangeCat That's so unfortunate. It was wasted potential.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

@@RetroComparisons Sega hardware is *full* of wasted potential. Just look at the Sega CD. I think Core Designs was the only developer who really "got" what the hardware could do. All of their games were technical showpieces that just weren't possible on anything else at the time. They were doing things with it that even Sega didn't bother trying.

[@dsarquez]

I'm just impressed how the good old Genesis could pull so many games after many years of its launch! Good old days of the gaming industry

[@tatecheddar]

I'm just underwhelmed by how the more powerful Saturn had to have so many games for a year or so of it's launch be almost equivalent to it's predecessor! Sad days for the Saturn.

[@moisesalmonte8271]

Not many people had the Sega Saturn then sega had to launched the games on genesis too for long time

[@thankfulgamer2405]

Genesis/megadrive really was the poverty system of gaming. Poor sound, poor colors etc. It's laughable how this system got devended by its fans.

[@the757general2]

@@thankfulgamer2405 must be a SNES fanboy. Genesis is still beloved by millions of gamers. Cry about it.

[@thankfulgamer2405]

@@the757general2 nope not at all. Just being objective. Sega was only big in the US

[@mrsettles216]

Its crazy how some developers pushed the Genesis to its absolute limits while some literally did a direct port to the Saturn

[@AnthonyFlack]

If they had directly ported Earthworm Jim 2 to the Saturn instead of messing with it, it would have been an improvement. Sometimes the best thing to do is just port the game.

[@CaptainCaveman1170]

The Genesis really was pushed in incredible ways by genius programmers. What a beastly chipset the 68000+Z80 combo was. The two-year newer SNES should have wiped the floor with the "geriatric" Genesis, but it really only bested it by a smidge.

[@roberto1519]

The Mega Drive could natively run Master System and even the Game Gear had an official Master System adapter, but SEGA dropped the ball when the Saturn was launched, specially since it has a cartridge slot that could use an adapter, it already has a X68000 CPU variant inside, mainly for audio, along with two SH-2 CPUs, similar to the 32X addon. With a bit of beforehand planning, it could have become backwards compatible with the Genesis, Sega CD and even 32X entire libraries. Genesis was their biggest hit, with 30 million+ potential SEGA console owners to move over to their next gen console, without sacrificing their 16-bit games. The Saturn would be much more appealing, specially in its rough initial one year and a half, or so. Many kids who owned a NES had their parents complaining the expensive games they bought weren't compatible with the then new SNES, and that was something which prevented many possible easy sells for Nintendo, giving the Genesis that extra push, a push that the Saturn could have used.

[@RetroComparisons]

That is an excellent point. Not only would it have been great for kids who still loved their Genesis games but it's also something that could have sold parents on the console too. I could see a conversation of "Little Billy can still play those other expensive games we bought him last Christmas on this new Sega toy that he wants. The guy at Kmart said you can't do that with that Sony thing."

[@roberto1519]

Exactly. Video Games were and still are expensive, SEGA had 30+ million potential clients to migrate from the previous generation if they made the Saturn compatible with the 16-bit console cartridges. The Sega CD should have been an obvious compatibility choice and even the 32X which has two SH-2 CPUs like the Saturn, they had everything to honor previous costumers with the Saturn. The console would be ahead of the competition in many aspects, and hundreds of games already on the market available for it, doesn't matter if they were last gen stuff, the SNES was rocking until 1997-1998.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@roberto1519 Ugh just reading your comment makes me so pissed at the "great" minds at Sega during the time. There's so many what-ifs and should-have-beens.

[@roberto1519]

Now you can't ignore this going forward, so many obvious choices to make the Saturn THE console to own in the 5th gen.

[@miqueinhamgtow2961]

adding it would make the 299 statement even more strong, as Saturn could reach 450 with compatibility

[@SunnyTacos]

I'm still impressed by how smooth the sprites look on Genesis, the animation looks so fluid, also thats a lot of games man, great compilation 👏🏻 Just a suggestion, when showcasing the different versions you could alternate between the sound of the two, like muting one letting just the sound of one version play then vice versa, that way the sounds wouldn't play over each other and we could also compare the sound design more clearly 😊 It's just a suggestion ofc, I love your videos regardless.

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks for watching and for the suggestion:) For most of these games I do have short videos individually where there's footage from each with the audio isolated for just one game at a time.

[@gamernaut8864]

Epic compilation. Excellent comparison video. Thanks RC!

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks so much for watching and for the kind words!

[@chazmaru9583]

Great effort on the comparisons, thanks.

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks for watching:)

[@michaelmercury1297]

In a lot of the games they look very similar and in some they look pretty much identical.

[@RetroComparisons]

There's definitely a weird mix in here. Some are clearly the next gen iterations like World Series Baseball 98, some are pretty much one to one ports like Quackshot, and others are shockingly worse like Dragon Slayer.

[@TheRiddimselecta]

Earthworm Jim 2 on the Sega Cd was amazing, the audio tracks were pretty good and the graphics amazed me.

[@RetroComparisons]

The CD soundtrack is great for that game.

[@MadXMen]

These images show how good SEGA Genesis was. I stil have my old Mega drive (Japanese Edition) fully functional, and I still love it

[@RetroComparisons]

Nice! Yeah the Genesis seemed to be built like a tank. My childhood Genesis and even my parent's 2600 still work perfectly whereas my PS3 Super Slim from 2013 broke within 7 years. There's something so great about the 16 bit consoles that are still amazing to this day.

[@SailorPalutena]

I believe Duke Nukem 3D for Genesis was made in Brazil, although the Genesis can run all brazilian Megadrive cartridges.

[@victorlgcarvalho]

Yes, it was. And the Brazilian Megadrive was compatible with the US Genesis' games, but not the Japanese Megadrive games.

[@Tolbat]

This should have 100k views, good stuff

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks so much you're too kind!

[@Tolbat]

@@RetroComparisons only every other Tuesday, most days I am salty :)

[@RetroComparisons]

@@Tolbat Lol!

[@Tolbat]

@@RetroComparisons The old Genesis was really a great system, this video just proves how versitile it was. A shame Sega released GEMs and we got crap sound from so many games. Early games sounded amazing.

[@greensun1334]

Yea, some nice classics! Many of them are same name - different game cases, Duke Nukem 3D for example. And emulations of course.

[@DPADFTW]

I'm not a hardware designer at all, but I would have taken the concept of the 32x for the Saturn. Keep the Mega Drive GPU for the HUD interface graphics and underlay the 3D. Honestly I think they should have just stuck a S3 chip in the system back in the day for the 3D, cheap nasty but would have produced ok results. My dream Saturn: 1x SH-2 Clocked at 40Mhz 1x 68000 Clocked at 7.14Mhz 6MB Unified RAM Mega Drive / Genesis GPU (Integrated PSG) 2D HUD Stuff S3 Virage GPU for 3D YM2612 / 32X PWM (One chip if possible?) Mega Drive / Genesis Cart for backwards compatibility and save cart for Saturn. CD controlled by the 68000 for Saturn mode. Let the SH-2 do some of the grunt work, I think this would have been a nice system back in the day.

[@RetroComparisons]

That would have been amazing! I read a rant today that basically mocked the idea of the Saturn having backwards compatibility and how that wouldn't have made a difference in sales. While it may not have been the one thing that saved it I think people tend to overlook the real life scenario during that time. The majority of parents in the 90s were not gamers and viewed video games as kids toys. If they went into a store uninformed and were going to buy a PS1 or Saturn for Christmas I bet seeing that the Saturn could play "those toys" that their kids already had plus could play new games would be a big selling point.

[@shotgunl]

Whew, if I count right that's 76 games! That's way more than I expected to be shared between the systems. Great job putting this one together, Bill; this had to be a lot of time and work. I'm not going to comment on most, since either the Saturn is the clear winner with an arcade port thanks to the much more horsepower, or it's a Genesis to Saturn port and near identical. Here's some of my favorites of these games that have a big difference between the versions on both systems: NBA Jam T.E. and College Slam: Genesis NBA Jam T.E. is fun, but is very pared back graphically and aurally versus the arcade. The Saturn version isn't arcade perfect but is much closer. College Slam wasn't in the arcades, but Iguana did a pretty good job with the Saturn version, which looks maybe even a bit nicer than T.E. I'm most familiar with the PC DOS version of College Slam, and, IMO, that version plays a little better. The Saturn version looks nicer than it too though it's not as big of a gap. T.E. is a great game on both Saturn and Genesis, and College Slam just isn't quite as nice to play but is still fun on both. Saturn is for sure the winner here though, and Hangtime was a big improvement in presentation on the Genesis over the Jam ports and College Slam. I do wish the Saturn got a port of Hangtime though. Dragon Slayer: Though I've enjoyed the Falcom games I've played, I haven't played these. I'm guessing like many of their games, these started life on the PC-88/PC-98, since that's what the Saturn game reminds me of. I find the Genesis graphics (and smoothness of motion) more appealing than the Saturn, but I don't know how that reflects in terms of gameplay. Duke 3d: Some credit has to be given for attempting to do any FPS on the Genesis, but Lobotomy's Saturn port is a lot better. I prefer the PC original and how it feels and looks, but the Saturn port isn't bad and is interesting. Fifa games: This is really down to which style of game you prefer. I feel the 32X Fifa 96 and the 3DO Fifa are more interesting than the Saturn/PS1 games just because they kind of do their own thing. I prefer something like Super Soccer on the SNES over these games, but I can see why someone would like the 16-bit Fifas and the 32-bit Fifas: they're just not for me though. Lost World: I much prefer the Genesis game but have barely played the Saturn game.

[@shotgunl]

Madden: Not my favorite Madden games ('96 and '93 are my favorites of the 90s), but these are okay. I own '98 on the Saturn but never bought '97 (I have played it illegitimately) nor these on the Genesis because I was content to play cousin's copies. Again, I think it comes down to preference, but I do quite like '98 on the Saturn more than these two on the Genesis and over '97 on the Saturn and more than Madden 64 too. NBA Live: I have Live '98 on the Genesis (as well as '95) and do not have the Saturn games. The Genesis game is fun, but if you want to play a 32-bit, 3D version of Live, definitely play it on the PSX not the Saturn since the Playstation versions run quite a bit better. For me, the Genesis wins this one for sure. NHL '97/'98: Same deal here where the it's a preference for which style of game though I will say that I much prefer the pixel art in the Genesis games in this case (though I prefer '95 and '96 on the Genesis in terms of actual play). The Saturn games look like they could be fun, but, again, you are probably better off with the PS1 versions, especially '98. Outrun: 60hz with the smooth modes on the Saturn along with an optional arranged soundtrack...no contest with the Saturn win. I did enjoy playing Outrun at my older cousin's, but I didn't have it; just Outrunners later on as a gift...that REALLY deserved a Saturn port compared to what we got on the Genesis. Primal Rage: If you don't count Midway Arcade Treasures on PS2, the 3DO version of this is the only one I own (and I got that like 15 years ago when I got my FZ-10). The Saturn version is better than the 3DO version let alone the Genesis. I had fun when I rented this on the Genesis, but it was cooler playing it on my friend's (brother's) PS1 copy. The Saturn version is at least that good if not a better port. I wish the mechanics in this game clicked with me, since I though the concept is really cool. But, I'm much better at SF2, MK, and the SNK fighers and would rather play those. Speaking of Street Fighter 2: the Saturn ports in Street Fighter Collection and Collection-2/Capcom-Generations-5 are much closer to the arcade than Special Champion Edition and Super SF2 on the Genesis. They are not arcade perfect, but they are close enough for the time. Plus, Collection 2 has the FM-Towns/3DO arranged CD soundtrack to unlock, which I just love. The Saturn version is the clear winner, but I had ton of fun with Special Champion Edition with friends and with my sister and cousins. Overall, I prefer it over Turbo on the SNES though I like Super SF2 on the SNES more than the Genesis port (still played a lot of it). Saturn wins even though I don't own either Generations 5 nor Collection, but I do own both for the PSX though they are ~2002-2003 purchases, and I have Collection for Alpha 2 Gold and not Super SF2 and SSF2T. Race Drivin: Like Hard Drivin, it's an interesting historic peice. But, it's not much fun to play, but at least the Saturn port runs well enough.

[@shotgunl]

Revolution X: We've had this one come up before, and the Saturn version is so much better. I still prefer the DOS port over it, but the Genesis FM versions of the tunes just were not good enough, sadly. Road Rash: Both of these are great games, and you can't go too wrong with either. I would probably say I prefer the 32-bit take on Road Rash (I've played more of the 3DO version than Saturn though) over the original Road Rash on the Genesis; however, I prefer Road Rash II over both. And, I have to give a shoutout to Road Rash 64: it may be a terribly ugly game and the single player is not really better, but it's one of the most fun multiplayer games of that generation in terms of just raw fun. 3D Blast: Yeah, it's not "Sonic" Sonic, but I liked 3D Blast on the Genesis. I was kind of disappointed when I bought the Saturn version at Funco years later. I think it looks fine, but they really could have done more with all of that CD space and expanded the game up. I also prefer the Genesis soundtrack. I'd probably still say a "tie" because it's better graphics vs better soundtrack, IMO. But, I would say the best version to play is Jon Burton's own Director's Cut where he went back and improved the original Genesis copy. Street Racer: The Genesis game is okay, but even the SNES version feels a lot more like a kart racer than that one. The Saturn Street Racer Extra is amazing with nice added details with really good VDP2 usage and one of my favorite kart racers from the time after I finally played it a decade or so ago. The PS1 version is also pretty good though with different types of added detail. UMK3: One of my favorite fighting games. I took all of my birthday money (I asked for some cash instead of any other game or anyting because I was waiting on UMK3) plus a little I got doing odd jobs for my grandma and bought the Genesis version of Ultimate when it came out. Before a couple of recent games in the last couple of years, this was the most expensive non-limited/non-special edition new game I ever bought at 70 at K-Mart. Conker on the 64 was pretty close in price though as well as the over-priced Dungeon Siege I bought at Sam Goody because they were the only ones around me at college that had it. Still, I usually only got used games or games that were a bit older. MK1 and 2 on Genesis were also pretty expensive but not that high. Is the Genesis version 70 bucks good? Oh no, but I do feel it's port is less chopped up than the SNES port. When I bought the Saturn in '99, I was was working full time in the summer so had a lot more spending money, but also paid a lot less for that version. Unlike most of my Saturn games from that time, I bought this one new, also from K-Mart though a different store, the one that was moving where I bought my Saturn. This Saturn version isn't arcade perfect by any means and has some gameplay differences, but it's certainly closer graphically and sound-wise than the Genesis version; however, it also doesn't have Rain or Noob Saibot either. I wish Trilogy on the Saturn didn't have the mesh transparencies that it does for shadows and the health bars otherwise I'd prefer it over both of these (I do have a video where I show an Action Replay code I figured out while watching the VDP registers in a Saturn emulator that DOES make the shadows solid instead of mesh but didn't get the health bar meshes changed without crashing the Saturn eventually. I should look at it again sometime and maybe the patch the game instead.) Virtua Fighter 2: One of my favorite Saturn games and one of the best fighters on the system. It definitely wins. However, I have to at least appreciate how they tried to capture the essense of the look and fighting with the Genesis de-make of a port. I'd definitely rather play VF2 on the Saturn or 32X VF, but the Genesis version is at least interesting. Virtua Racing: I don't like how this feels on the Saturn. I was excite to get this (used at Funco again, no case) after I got the Saturn. I wasn't familiar with any reviews of this version, but I had loved Virtua Racing Deluxe on the 32X. I appreciate that Time Warner Interactive tried adding content to the game, but it just doesn't feel enough like Virtua Racing to me in terms of handling. I don't have a working copy for the Genesis, but I do have a non-working cart that I payed a dollar for ages ago. The Saturn version is superior in technical aspects, but I'd rather play the Genesis version.

[@shotgunl]

WSB and WSB '98: I have WSB on the Genesis and WSB '98 on the Saturn, just those two and the 32X WSB with Deion which is okay but not amazing though I enjoyed it at the time. I need to play the others on the Genesis some time. The original still gets some play because I keep it with my Nomad in my computer desk drawer (I don't usually fire this up on the everdrive in my spare/CRT room though for whatever reason; mostly play platformers and shooters there I guess). I also like 98 on the Saturn in terms of gameplay. That game doesn't look too hot though: I actually really like the sprite+3D mix of the first WSB on the Saturn but never have bought a copy. WWF Wrestlemania The Arcade Game: I love this game; it's a beautiful melding of Mortal Kombat and wrestling. Is it perfect or as good of a wrestling game as games from Aki or Yuke's? No. Is it as good as MK2 or UMK3 in terms of fighting mechanics? Also, nope. Is it insanely fun, especially with a friend? Yes, yes it is. I have or have had all of the ports for this. Genesis as a gift, a discount version of the DOS port from my uncle as a gift, the 32X version when it was clearanced, the Saturn version used around 01, the PS1 port in just a jewel case during college at a thrift shop for 1 buck, and the SNES port in box off of ebay just about a year or so back though I had played it at my friend Otis' house back in the 90s as well as on the super everdrive later. I love this game. I don't have my Saturn copy anymore because it got lost, and my friend Matt borrowed my PS1 version and didn't return it. But, I was too much of a pud to pester him about it. I should buy complete copies of those two sometime though I'm sure they are a lot more than what I paid originally. The Saturn version is definitely superior to the Genesis port but not much better than the PS1 version if at all. The DOS port was arguably the best, but I couldn't play it until 2+ years after getting it because of it just simply not running on the family PC. The DOS version is also not arcade perfect either (and having to block by hitting all 4 buttons on my gravis gamepad wasn't great but you really needed to use a controller or joystick for 2p if you wanted to be comfortable); however, it does support buddy mode which isn't in the other home ports. When you turn it on for a 1p vs 2p head to head, you each get a computer-controlled teammate for a pseudo tornado tag match sort of. It's fun and should have been in the Saturn/PS1 versions, IMO. I'm probably put the DOS, PS1, and Saturn versions nearly equal, each with their own small pros and cons, then the 32X version which looks better than the Genesis which is still a lot of fun. We had fun with the Genesis version at the time. The SNES version is just sad, and it really could have done much better. Saturn wins here verus the Genesis for sure, but I've got special nostalgia for it and the 32X versions.

[@shotgunl]

Mortal Kombat II: if you thought I was going to forget MK2, one of my top-3 favorite games of all time, you are mistaken. But, I'm not going to say much, since I've already expounded on the deficiencies of this port on various videos over the years here on Retro Comparisons videos. I will say though that the Saturn version was such a disappointment when I bought it. I got this one online off of ebay in '01-ish, simply because I didn't see it anywhere. I already had the Japanese PS1 port: it was the first thing I ever bought on ebay on August 06, 2000, even though I didn't even have a Playstation at the time. However, my friend Josh did, and it was import PSX he bought for a dragon ball game of some sort. So, that was the only place I could play it until a couple of years later. Anyway, neither the PSX or Saturn versions of MK2 are as good as they should have been. But, whether it was the extra development time or the fact that the sample sizes are smaller because of ADPCM or what, but the PS1 version doesn't suffer nearly as badly as the Saturn does when it's loading samples on the fly. The DOS version is very good in terms of sound effects, graphics, and the game playing well (though not arcade perfect either). The Sound Blaster AWE32 and Gravis Ultrasound soundtracks in the DOS version are okay (the Sound Blaster/OPL FM tracks are okayish but way behind the sample-based ones), and it seemed to me like Probe tried converting the GUS arrangements over to the Saturn and PS1 sound chips but did a poor job and neither came out great. They could be worse, I guess, but instead they should have used Redbook CD-Audio recording of the arcade machine for the CD ports (not just Saturn and PS1 but the PC MK1+MK2 CD version of MK2; the MK1 port on the CD compilation is like this with the floppy's FM and Roland tracks from the floppy exchanged for CD audio but sadly not MK2, which has the same music as the floppy version. sigh.). I loooove the arcade version's sound track, so to hear it done so mediocre in the 32-bit versions was sad. They could be worse but certainly could have been better. And, since I also love the changed-up interpretations of Matt Furniss, I kind of like the Genesis soundtrack a little more maybe. Maybe, maybe not; not sure. I definitely prefer playing the Genesis version over the Saturn version. The micro-stutter as data is loaded in just makes the Saturn version worse. The Playstation port actually does much better here with not having the stutters in most matches (Shang Tsung of course is murder on the game with in-match loading, plus like the Saturn the character sprite resolution is cut into a 1/4 in matches with him), but it does still load for most fatalities and the end-round announcer. The PS1 port also has more voice samples overall. The Saturn version should have at least been as good as the PS1 port (and should have also had the scaling mode that's hidden on the PSX, which is at least kind of neat). Instead we have a Saturn port that looks really quite nice when it's not stutter-loading, but it just doesn't do anything else as well as it should have. At the very least, since this was originally talked about being MK1+MK2 for the Saturn like the combos on PC and for Game Boy, I would be more happy if MK1 was included as well even without changes, since that'd be decent value and cool to have had a better (hopefully) MK1 on console in the mid-90s. The Genesis wins for MK2, at least for me. Actually, my own personal preference in terms of the original, pre-emu MK 2 versions are: Arcade > PC MS-DOS > 32X = PS1 (Japan only) = SNES >> Genesis > Game Boy = Saturn > Game Gear >= SMS > Amiga. For others, the order may be different, but that's my preference in terms of the versions/ports I prefer to play. There are innacuracies in all of the ports, but, yeah, I'd rather play the Genesis version over the Saturn (and the SNES/PS1/32X/DOS versions over both). Overall the Saturn wins the comparison, IMO. I don't think we expected the Genesis to best it's successor, but I think some of the games, especially the EA games, could go either way depending on whether you prefer 16-bit-style or 32-bit-style sports games.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@shotgunl Absolutely incredible assessments as always my friend!! I'm with you on pretty much all of your takes on these and I can't add much but I'll thrown in my two cents for a few of them. While the gameplay was fine I don't care for consolized versions of arcade games that have unlimited continues as it takes away from the challenge and Mercs was guilty of that. For that reason alone I'd go with the Genesis port. Phantasy Star 1 was another that really lacked on the Saturn and the Genesis port really shined through even if it was basically just a SMS game on a Genesis cartridge. While it's nothing special these days having all of those Sonic games on 1 disc was super cool at the time so I've got to give props to the Saturn on that. You know how I feel about Hard/Race Drivin' but the Saturn version is at least playable. You know if Klax isn't present then at least Race Drivin' must be on there. I didn't care for the Virtua Racing port either on the Saturn and I'm inclined to give that win to the 32X. The same goes for Wrestlemania The Arcade Game & MK2. Conversely I think the 32X has the worst WSB game as I really don't like that Dion Sanders version. I'm probably too biased on this because I played it like a thousand times but I prefer WSB 95 on the Genesis the most. Oh and I forgot, you are correct that it's 76 games. I had done this video a few years ago and it got like 400 views in 2 years so with more people checking out he channel lately I figured I'd redo it and include the 3 new Genesis Mini games that crossed over. Also as a side note I've noticed a certain channel that you brought up recently starting to copy my format with this type of video (or outright completely rip off the same video with PS1 vs Neo Geo) so I'm trying to pump out as many of these videos as possible before they get to it.

[@SinjaEs]

sega saturn most likely for the win here in my unbiased opinion

[@roberto1519]

It's not exactly a competition, it's a comparison to show how many games are shared between systems and how unique they are. If it was a competition, Legend of Heroes games for the Mega Drive would stomp the ancient PC versions ported both to the Saturn and PS1 without any explainable reason. Also, Road Rash (16-bit) and Road Rash (32-bit) aren't even the same games, the closest match would be Road Rash 3, which was released after Road Rash for the 3DO and uses digitized sprites, a technique used on the 32-bit, Sega CD and the aforementioned third 16-bit game.

[@SvenundTamaraLegendsofAlanya]

What a hard Work. Very Nice.

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks for checking this out:)

[@zinzeta]

I feel for those who got the Saturn, thinking they'd be in for some real change.

[@nedson6503]

I was very happy with the Saturn, I'd say it was a significant jump from the 16bit systems. Sega rally, Sonic Jam, Tomb raider, Daytona USA, bug, Panzer dragoon, Alone in the dark A few I've owned.

[@robertdaone]

The only graphically intense game I think the Genesis was able to hang with the Saturn was Space Harrier. They even did a good job with the Sega Master System version, given the graphic limitations of that early system.

[@mastes1]

Thats because the version used in this video is the 32X version, and the video maker should of made that clear imo (unless he uses other peoples footage for these vids. Space Harrier 2 was the Genesis version, and this is what it looked like - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmaoe6uBrbR3i7s

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

On the lost world at 9:52 on genesis you should of shown the later levels. Some of the levels look like early 32bit 3d games. It was very limit pushing. If you haven't seen it - go google it or something.

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks for the heads up, I'll check that out. I was sucking at that game so I didn't make it too far.

[@AnaheimRob]

If only Sega had better management from the mid 90's on. There might be a four system race right now.

[@RetroComparisons]

It sucks, I would have loved to have seen what they would have done after the Dreamcast.

[@roberto1519]

​@@RetroComparisons Dozens of planned games moved over to the GameCube, PS2 and Xbox, Billy Hatcher, Monkey Ball, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Jet Set Radio Future, to name a few were released on the following consoles and PC. They forgot to bring Burning Rangers and a few others locked to the Saturn, specially since it was rushed, it could have used the more powerful systems as this game is great and would finally shine to the masses. Sega would definitely launch all games they did until today within their own consoles, if they existed, remember SEGA was first and foremost a software developer before becoming the arcade kings and the consoles.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@roberto1519 That's a great point. Since I grew up with the Genesis as my first real console I always think of Sega as a hardware company first even though I know they were a software developer first and a damn good one at that. I mean I love me some Congo Bongo & Buck Rogers. It still would have been cool though to see if they would have been innovative from a hardware perspective had they put out a console around 05/06.

[@roberto1519]

Maybe true, 7th gen could still have been unique somehow as was the PS3 convoluted architecture. After that, consoles basically PCs, while our modern PCs are closer to consoles than ever.

[@AnaheimRob]

@@roberto1519 I know. the days of a console having it's own style are long gone unfortunately.

[@Ifalvarado]

Genesis was the closest thing to arcade perfect at that time and it looks amazing compare to what thousand dollar arcades can do.

[@RetroComparisons]

Absolutely. For a console from 1988 it was a powerhouse.

[@Crystallums]

What a fantastic comparison! Both versions of all the games look very competent, it is incredible to think that in some cases the Sega Genesis was better and in others the Sega Saturn, although of course there were differences but they were minimal in many cases.

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks so much for watching! The Genesis holds its own on a lot of these which is very surprising. Both are fantastic consoles.

[@derekbuckler9888]

Yeah well, there's lots I'd rather do on the Sega Saturn than on the PlayStation. I may love my PS1, but I'm sorry to say there are tons of Saturn games that would never have run on Sony's first system. Even now, games like Guardian Heroes, or Astal simply cannot be outdone.

[@RetroComparisons]

Both had excellent libraries so much like the SNES/Genesis generation you couldn't go wrong with either. Well at least from a gaming perspective at the time, not so much for long-term.

[@roberto1519]

My brothers and I chose the Saturn and only after 3 to 4 years, in 1999 we also got the PS1. Still, I don't think Astal pushes the Saturn in any meaningful way and this game could have easily been released for the PS1, as for Guardian Heroes, nothing special there either, it does have a lot, and I mean a lot of slowdowns. Panzer Bandit is shamelessly based on GH and it's exclusive to the PS1, in Japan, it doesn't feature 4 players, but the gameplay is way too similar. There are many beautiful 2D games on the PS1, and if not by the meager RAM/VRAM, nothing would have stopped it from having faithful arcade ports, as it otherwise has a very decent CPU and GPU. Since we were still into arcades throughout the 90's, the Saturn was our best choice, but it offers much more than just 2D gaming. But the PS1 got KOF 98, KOF 99, Marvel vs Capcom, SNK vs Capcom and more, so there's that.

[@derekbuckler9888]

@@roberto1519 Roberto, with all due respect son. The Saturn's ram feature alone let it run games that never would have on the PS1, sorry, but your mistaken. It was a pure sprite crunching machine, not to mention what the VDP 3D engine could do. So I'm telling you, Astal would not be anywhere near as good on the PS1. I know this stuff better than anyone, excluding Sega lord X. Go ask him, he'll tell you the exact same thing. I've been gaming for more than 30 years, and I know exactly what in talking about.

[@derekbuckler9888]

PS has 2MB main RAM, 1MB video RAM and 512k sound RAM, plus 32k CDROM buffer I believe. Thus 3.5MB in total (essentially). Saturn had all that, plus one meg sound RAM and 512k CDROM buffer I believe. One meg more of RAM in total. There you go bud, and I knew that BEFORE I looked it up, the PlayStation is not anywhere near as powerful. That doesn't even include the ram expansion cartridge, even Panzer Dragoon 2 wouldn't have run on Sony's system. It's not bias, it's facts, and the fact is Sega hadn't blown it with the release of the Saturn. Sony would have lost the 32 bit console war, they should have in my opinion. But I guess everything happens for a reason, as I've put many hours on the PS1

[@roberto1519]

Well, that's what I said, if RAM wasn't expensive and both consoles had 16MB of RAM or more, both would get perfect arcade ports. As for the Saturn being more powerful, it probably is in certain aspects, and the PS1 has its qualities as well. My brothers and I had the Saturn first and it offers way more than just 2D games and arcade ports. Console wars aren't won by hardware power, we lived enough to know that, the Wii surpassed both the much more powerful PS3 and X360, both in hardware and specially in software sales, it was the weaker from that generation. My point still remains, though, apart from lack of RAM, the PS1 had all it takes to reproduce 90's 2D arcade titles without issues whatsoever. In 2024, both 32-bit consoles will be 30, are we still choosing sides like it was 1998? Personally, I celebrate both consoles, after 3 years playing the Saturn as a kid, we also got the PS1 and played many exclusives there, too.

[@patrickvalmont]

Kinda hard to believe some games on the genesis rendered better than Saturn. NBA jame for example runs faster on genesis than on saturn. Road to world cup 98 on the N64 was a beast, the saturn version is very bad. 😢

[@Day-ZDuke]

With NBA Jam though, they are almost like different games to a degree On Saturn the sprites are larger and they also scale while moving around the court, nearly doubling in size when in the foreground vs the background

[@dr.charlesedwardflorendobr3952]

Finally a rather smooth home conversion of Race Driving (Saturn). Except I dont know who wants to play it by the time Saturn came out

[@RetroComparisons]

Haha exactly. By the time the Saturn port came out it was no longer the showpiece it was on the arcade original.

[@justman4891]

I got a saturn christmas of 96. I just wish they would've bought more Japanese games over to the US saturn. From my experience alot of the saturn games we had on the US saturn were crappy unless they were made by the company Working Designs.

[@RetroComparisons]

For a long time I always thought that there were like 200 Saturn games at most. I didn't realize how massive the game library was in Japan. If we got even half of those in North America and Europe it would have been incredible.

[@Hero11170]

You have to play it yourself on Saturn to notice the big improvements

[@RetroComparisons]

That is a good point. It's kind of like watching a video of a PS4/PS5 game where they may look similar but you can really feel the smoothness in 60fps over 30 when playing.

[@TechnologyMan9575]

Another great video. Once again, the genesis really does well against newer hardware, and in some cases, outclasses it. Dragon Slayer and Phantasy Star are good examples of this. However, I'm pretty sure they could have done better with Galaxy Force on the Genesis. I know Genesis can do better than that. The Saturn version obliterates it. The only sad thing is that you will eventually run out of these comparisons to do. Then what will you do? I'm sure you'll make something interesting, though.

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks for your support:) I couldn't believe how many Genesis ports outshined the Saturn or were at least on par. Maybe not always from a graphical perspective but from an overall gameplay perspective. A game like World Series Baseball 98 is a great example of the Saturn being more advanced in just about every way but IMO being less fun than the Genesis version. Oh I've got videos for many, many years ahead so I don't think I'll be running out anytime in the next decade. Plus I really want to finally get a Jaguar, get my 3DO RGB modded and pick up a few other consoles from the era which will open up even more comparisons.

[@TechnologyMan9575]

@@RetroComparisons glad to hear. I will subscribe now. ☺️

[@RetroComparisons]

@@TechnologyMan9575 Thank you so much for the sub! That means a lot to me:)

[@natedoggrevolution]

I don’t know if it’s just the fact that it’s two videos with the audio playing side-by-side, flicky honestly sounds like the soundtrack to hell

[@RetroComparisons]

Haha it's a pretty poor soundtrack even solo.

[@parrishharris3008]

The Sega Saturn was just a more powerful console than the Genesis so of course the games would appear too look better but as far as play control both systems could be even maybe.

[@RetroComparisons]

I'd say that they both did handle about equally gameplay wise depending on the game itself. I thought there were a surprising amount of Genesis games that stood toe to toe with the Saturn or in some cases like Phantasy Star 1 or Dragon Slayer it beat it outright.

[@MKF30]

Nice comparisons dude! Love MK 2 comparisons hahaha. The Saturn is a little better imo bigger sprites, looks a a bit sharper. Same for Primal Rage the Saturn is noticably better, and SF II. UMK3 looks sharper and bigger sprites too on Saturn. VF and Virtual Racing same. Nice comparisons man! Outrun was cool too, reminds me of the arcade on the SS.

[@roberto1519]

Saturn Outrun has a "Smooth" mode in the options that makes the game run at 60 FPS, while the arcade original is 30FPS. Give it a try one of these days, you might like it.

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks my friend! Haha I thought you may like the MK2 comparison. The Saturn really shined with a lot of those 80s/early 90s arcade games.

[@MKF30]

@@roberto1519 Yeah I'm sure I'd enjoy outrun on Saturn, played it on the other consoles and of course the arcade, it looks very close to the arcade for sure. That's neat how it had a 60 FPS mode and option.

[@MKF30]

@@RetroComparisons Yep you bet dude! Oh yeah I saw MK was like owwe!! MK! Maybe it's just me, but I do think UMK3 looked dramatically better on saturn vs the genesis as oppose to MK 2 which looked a little closer imo. Could be my eyes not sure lol.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@MKF30 Haha I'm with you on that, I don't think it's just your eyes. Or maybe both of our eyes are messed up lol! I always thought that UMK3 on the Genesis looked amazing but when side by side with the Saturn version it really pales in comparison.

[@phantomharlock999]

Some of the comparisons are weird without context. Like Space Harrier only came out for the 32X. There are several instances where the Saturn is literally emulating the genesis version of games or they're from retro collections.

[@RetroComparisons]

For this particular instance the port of Space Harrier is from the Genesis Mini 2 (as is Fantasy Zone & Puyo Puyo Sun). Yeah there were a ton of compilation games on the Saturn which I'm sure was cool at the time but doesn't stand the test of time now. Like in 1997 having all of the mainline Sonic games on 1 disc was probably amazing.

[@parappatherapper4141]

​@@RetroComparisonsSega laughed at everyone's face with Sonic Jam. Everybody wanted a new Sonic game which the Saturn could have handled perfectly if the Sonic Team hadn't started creating new IPs like NiGHTS and Burning Rangers. What did we get instead? A compilation of games that were 6, 5 ans 3 years old respectively, Sonic CD missing and a Sonic World which left us wanting so much more and shown that the Saturn could perfectly give us a great Sonic game. I don't know what they were thinking about Sonic at the time... I love the Saturn's library in general, but man did they mess up with their most important franchise. I mean I like that the Sonic Team felt creative, but they should have taken care of Sonic. NiGHTS was truly great and its gameplay with the 3D pad was second to none, but Burning Rangers was (sadly) totally rushed and it shows in each and every single one of the four levels it contains. They should have focused on Sonic right after releasing Nights IMHO.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@parappatherapper4141 I like the concept of Sonic Jam with an asterisks. If it was sold at half price and only just filled the gap until a true Saturn Sonic game was released it would have been cool, kind of like Link's Awakening & Twilight Princess HD in between BOTW & TOTK.

[@madmax2069]

3:17 how in the heck did they mess up the Saturn version this bad. When it comes to road rash the Genesis version is my go to even with its lower framerate.

[@RetroComparisons]

So for some strange reason they decided to port the PC98 versions of the Dragon Slayer games to the PS1 & Saturn despite there being much better ports on the Genesis & SNES. Despite all of the great versions of Road Rash being out there I still love the Genesis version the most.

[@AllCoolThingsStoneMountain]

I think the footage that was straight reproduced from Genesis could have been kept out, but this was a good display of what 5 years of technological advancement can do for company's systems.

[@davmo72]

Nice. Though some of these Genesis games are the 32X version which also had hardware sprite scaling like the Saturn did.

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks for checking this out! So I didn't do any 32X ports but three of these are from the Genesis Mini 2 (Space Harrier, Fantasy Zone & Puyo Puyo Sun). I figured I'd include those since they're officially licensed Genesis games from Sega.

[@evenmorebetter]

The striking thing for me is how much worse the framerate is on Saturn on most of the team sports games, that Genesis could push some pixels, I tell ya

[@TatankaTaylor]

Its because the Saturn's weakness was rendering 3D games. SEGA designed it primarily to run 2D games.

[@retrogames3404]

2:20 False comparison with Saturn, Columns on the right is the Arcade version, just note "Insert Coins". Need to review the video before releasing

[@RetroComparisons]

How is that a false comparison? It's from the Saturn game "Columns Arcade Collection" as part of the Sega Ages collection. segaretro.org/Sega_Ages_Columns_Arcade_Collection

[@sluggotg]

The Saturn was not well thought out. They did not want to support 3D initially. But as they developed it, they decided to add 3D to it, so they removed the Video chip from the motherboard and installed a daughter board with all the Video/3D chips on it. I was not impressed when I bought it when it first came out. The genesis... Ya, it was godlike in its day. But I was primarily a Computer Game guy, but loved all Video Gaming! Nice KZbin post by the way!

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks so much for checking this out! Yeah the Saturn had many flaws. It's too bad we didn't just get a 32 bit 2D powerhouse but I get that it wouldn't have sold during that time if that was the case. Also, having backwards compatibility would have been huge as that could have convinced a lot of parents to get it if their kids already had Genesis games.

[@ICHa-be9wf]

genesis is good console machine

[@fernandodenis8964]

Hard work! Very good vídeo!

[@RetroComparisons]

Thanks so much!

[@JordanManfrey]

1:40 the legendary battle between shit guard and smol forward

[@MousePotato]

The original Phantasy Star was on The Sega Master System. Don't remember it getting ported to Genesis.

[@RetroComparisons]

That is a weird one for the Genesis, or I guess more accurately the Mega Drive. It was released in Japan only in limited quantities as Phantasy Star Fukkokuban. It's nothing more than the Master System version rom dumped on a Genesis cart and some type of technology built into the cart that works the same way as the Power Base Converter.

[@OldsXCool]

The first Space Harrier was never released for the Genesis. It was on the 32X.

[@RetroComparisons]

That particular port is from the Genesis Mini 2.

[@williamoverton7775]

Virtua fighter is the highlight here for me. it's strange to think how if the Virtua racer chip had been released there would be a mini 32x thing in addition to all this. more than that if nintendo had done something like that it would have made the SNES equal to the gameboy advance which is close to ps1. the genesis is weird though cause the audio is crap unless you hook it up to a quality amp but if you do it really is almost as good as snes but even better in the base department. this is super interesting but you know someone is remaking SOTN on the genesis and looks perfect so far.

[@johncmeyer5832]

The Saturn had a lot of unrealized potential.

[@Sleepysnorlax1]

I didn’t realize there were so many games on both systems. Looking at these, you can see how hard some Genesis developers worked and how lazy some Saturn developers were. Many of these were basically direct ports or barely touched for the Saturn. Comparing them to Astal, Guardian Heroes or other 2d games developed for the Saturn and you you’d have a hard time believing they were even the same system

[@RetroComparisons]

That seems to be a common thread on a lot of the next gen consoles when doing previous gen games. The PS1 also had a ton that were really mediocre and even going back to something like the Sega CD they took a lot of Genesis games and did nothing but add better sound.

[@parazels83]

I wish Primal Rage and Road Rush were ported on the modern consoles.

[@RetroComparisons]

That would be awesome! There's a pretty cool spiritual sequel to Road Rash called Road Redemption but it's not quite what I had hoped for with a modern take on Road Rash.

[@jamisondonald384]

Jesus, Dragon Slayer on Saturn is rough

[@RetroComparisons]

Lol! The PS1 version is just as bad too. It's baffling.

[@iwanttocomplain]

@@RetroComparisons It's the original MSX game that the SNES saw. The Japs just like the cute borders and the nostalgia of the original 8bit graphics.

[@ThoughtformsOfTheSubconsciousM]

It's a direct port of the original PC game, whereas the Genesis game was redone. I wish they had remade it with Saturn quality 2D though instead of the direct port.

[@MrMartellSincere]

Sega Saturn 🪐

[@SUPERSS90]

I never knew Saturn had better graphics ty for the video..

[@ryannamelast9835]

I did not play a lot of games back in the day but there is somthing about the saturn and genesis that i would love to like have'

[@RetroComparisons]

I feel the same way about some consoles that I didn't play as a kid. It's like being nostalgic for something you're not technically nostalgic for.

[@Sinn0100]

Wait...wait Space Harrier was released on the Genesis with scaling?! What?! I knew the Genesis can scale via software scaling but man that looked pretty good!

[@SpeedsterBlur]

It was exclusive to the 32x along with After Burner, but the framerate was cut to 30 fps instead of 60 fps like the arcade and later ports.

[@RetroComparisons]

So technically not but it was on the Genesis Mini 2. Since it's an officially licensed Genesis by Sega I figured I'd include it for completion sake.

[@RetroComparisons]

I love those 32X ports and I wish they did more games like that. In this video Space Harrier is from the Genesis Mini 2 as is Fantasy Zone and Puyo Puyo Sun.

[@Sinn0100]

@@RetroComparisons Hey, I get it completely. I snagged a Genesis Mini 2 the second it dropped. One of the very first games I played on it was Space Harrier II. The reason was that game and I have some serious history. I got my Sega Genesis on Christmas of 1989 with Altered Beast (pack-in), Ghouls n' Ghosts, and Space Harrier II. I always, always wanted to see what Space Harrier II would have looked like with software scaling. Finally, when I got my Genesis Mini 2, I got my wish. I liked it...but they messed it up. So basically the game will run on a stock Genesis. How it's able to do it is utilizing software scaling. The problem with it is they did not compensate the extra pull the software scaling had on the Genesis. They needed to back the frame rate down a touch and it wouldn't have been a flickering mess. They also could have tweaked the enemy count or dropped the shadows your shots create. It's still pretty neat to finally see Space Harrier and Space Harrier II running with true sprite scaling on the Genesis. I can't believe I forgot about the Genesis Mini 2 coming with it.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@Sinn0100 That's awesome with your initial lineup of games. I mean Ghouls n Ghosts alone could keep anyone occupied for weeks on end trying to beat it. That's super interesting with what they did or I guess I should say didn't do with the Genesis Mini 2 version. I agree that it's cool that it's actually on there now as a semi-official Genesis release but you'd think they would have perfected it before putting it out. Maybe someone can make a hack out of that version when the roms get released as it would be awesome to play it on an Everdrive and have it be a more perfected port.

[@RaymondJonesrejlive]

Coleco vision had the first backwards compatibility with another cartridge system I think. Correct me if im wrong. Anyway the Genesis versions were the best to me for most games except games like duke nukem 3d and some games on Saturn with less lag

[@RetroComparisons]

First off, thanks for checking out the video! So the Colecovision thing is a weird situation. They basically made their own Atari 2600 that could be attached to their console which ultimately got challenged in court. The 7800 was backwards compatible with the 2600 which was cool of Atari to do but came at the cost of them having a soundchip that was 10 years out of date.

[@RaymondJonesrejlive]

@@RetroComparisons Wow yeah. Some 2600 games werent compatible with the converter on the Coleco Vison. My favorite game on the CV was Venture.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@RaymondJonesrejlive Ah I didn't know that. That would be interesting to find a list of games that didn't work on the CV attachment. Venture is such a cool and underappreciated game. Shameless plug but if you're interested I have a video that compares all of the 2600 vs CV vs Intellivision vs 5200 games. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGq2i5ppZbyeeck

[@RaymondJonesrejlive]

@@RetroComparisons I believe that He man was one that didnt work I could wrong as it has been three decades since I played with the CV converter. I watch that link and it was amazing to see the comparisons between systems. A modern concept of Venture could be a character entering multiple arenas to fight while trying to escape an unbeatable opponent. Thanks for the link man.

[@RaymondJonesrejlive]

Porkys was another fun 2600 game and hilarious. Athough censored to a point which worked on the CV converter.

[@safetinspector2]

NBS live 97 looks more advanced on Saturn but so slow and jerky compared to Genesis. Fascinating

[@RetroComparisons]

Yeah the 97 games seem like they were still trying to figure things out. I thought NHL 97 was the same way.

[@seanphilipgraham6755]

One system for all isn't that the way forward. The online library? Where is that? Sega CD? Playstation network?

[@julioaugusto4424]

Sega, I miss you!

[@RetroComparisons]

I second that notion.

[@mattnordsell9760]

It's interesting how dragon slayer was full screen on the Genesis but not in the saturn

[@RetroComparisons]

That Saturn (and PS1 port for that matter) were really bad for some reason.

[@vasileios6301]

@@RetroComparisons Megadrive is a remake, saturn/ps1 are straight ports.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@vasileios6301 Ah that makes more sense. Do you know what they were ports of?

[@vasileios6301]

@@RetroComparisons Pc98 I think, old Japanese computers

[@RetroComparisons]

@@vasileios6301 Ah ok. Thanks for the info!

[@JoseCarlos-sf7xb]

3:00 Dragon Slayer is Genesis vs Master System/NES

[@RetroComparisons]

Lol seriously! I don't know what was up with the Saturn & PS1 ports of that game.

[@ghostofthefuture]

QUACKSHOT!!! I miss the old Disney platformers. They were the coolest.

[@RetroComparisons]

I love that game. There were some amazing Disney games in the 90s.

[@WeeFlats]

Didn't only Space Harrier 2 come out on Genesis? Is that the 32X version being shown there?

[@heilong79]

You are right, He made a mistake but fairplay to him on putting so many games side by side, The genisis done many of the arcade conversion justice considering it was only 16 bit.

[@RetroComparisons]

You are correct. However, Space Harrier 1, Fantasy Zone and Puyo Puyo Sun ended up on the Genesis Mini 2 so I figured I'd include those.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@heilong79 I decided for this video to include the 3 new games from the Genesis Mini 2 (Space Harrier 1, Fantasy Zone & Puyo Puyo Sun). Good call on that though because it does look like a mistake so I'll update the description to clarify that.

[@juststatedtheobvious9633]

You can tell it's the new M2 Genesis port by all the sprite flicker.

[@TechnologyMan9575]

I was thinking that Space Harrier looked just a little too advanced for the Genesis!

[@aztarot]

Are you sure that the captures for "Dragon slayer: the legend of heroes 2" aren't inverted? Because the genesis one looks insanely better

[@RetroComparisons]

Yep it's correct but I was just as baffled as you. The Saturn & PS1 ports look like they're ports of a not-well-made Master System game and the Genesis & SNES ports look like well done ports from their own era. It's so weird.

[@aztarot]

@@RetroComparisons amazing, and thanks for answering, your videos are really cool

[@RetroComparisons]

@@aztarot Thanks so much for the kind words and for checking out the video:)

[@creativesharts]

You'd think the game gear would be better, but gameboy version is the winner

[@marianoyuba3736]

Castle of Illusion's music reminds me of Pink Floyd's "Is there anybody out there" O.o

[@RetroComparisons]

I'll have to go back and listen to that. It's been a while since I listened to The Wall all the way through.

[@JohnnyProctor9]

So the point is that with the exception of a handful of games like Duke Nukem, Galaxy Force 2, Langrisser, Jurassic Park, NBA Jam, NHL games, Out Run, Pebble Beach, Primal Rage, Race Drivin', Revolution X, Road Rash, Street Racer, Uncharted Waters, and the Virtua Fighter and Racing games it's pointless to rebuy the Saturn version of a game if you already own it on Genesis...I mean the Genesis versions look comparable in all but 19 of these games, that's pretty impressive for programmers to have done on hardware that was over 5 years old at the time and had half the "bits" of color depth, no CD capability for storage, and 1/4 the processing power.

[@RetroComparisons]

If they went with backwards compatibility it could have been a big deal. Instead you had to rebuy games like Quackshot and Castle Of Illusion to get the same exact experience.

[@boi9842]

2:55 Saturn version so bad

[@RetroComparisons]

The Saturn & PS1 ports of that game are head scratchingly bad.

[@JordanManfrey]

i forgot how good the wrestlemania arcade game port for genesis was

[@RetroComparisons]

Besides the slowdown with 2 players it's still a ton of fun these days. Plus it's way better than that SNES port that only has 6 characters. I mean come on, you can't burn someone alive with Bam Bam Bigelow on that version.

[@DownandOutNYC]

Why does the Genesis music for Ghouls 'n Ghosts sound off, as if its running in PAL 50Hz mode? Other then the obvious graphical diffrerence, Ghouls 'n Ghost was a near perfect arcade port on the Genesis.

[@RetroComparisons]

I got that footage years ago so I can't remember but it's possible I selected the (E) rom instead (U) when booting it up on the Everdrive. If I do another video with that port I'll have to get more footage just to be sure.

[@robertlauncher]

Yikes, this many previous Gen games in a time when the industry was innovating almost constantly.

[@Николай-н4г7л]

Ну в целом задумка понятная: тоже самое, что "Сега генезис", только круче, с использованием 3d графики, больше цветов, больше места на носителе, что значит лучше кат сцены, музыка. В целом мне очень нравится, но к сожалению новые игры ударились в аркадную степь, что для домашних консолей на мой взгляд лишнее, это и похоронило и сегу сатурн, и сегу дримкаст, в них тупо нет ламповости, уюта чтоли, который был на сони плей стейшн...

[@selahiorders7688]

We live in the Golden Age of video games!😃

[@Vespyr_]

Why do so many of the Genesis games have sharp contrasting compared to the Saturn? Is it due to the recording method? Because this makes the Saturn look very low quality by comparison. Everything is cloudy and blacks are gray in some games.

[@RetroComparisons]

They were both running through the OSSC with scart cables but from different companies so that may be why?

[@safetinspector2]

Is the dragon slayer screns mixed up? The screen shown as Genesis is WAY better than the one identified as Saturn!

[@RetroComparisons]

Nope it's correct which is actually more baffling. The Saturn & PS1 look like they're from 1985 while the SNES & Genesis ports look like modern games for their time.

[@graymars1097]

SEGA did the Saturn dirty 😢 that console deserved more honestly. it had the hardware…just look at this gorgeous game 35:31

[@RetroComparisons]

Knowing that we got the Dreamcast after the Saturn makes me glad in one sense that they moved on quick but the Saturn did get the shaft which is a huge bummer. Japan got a ton more games for the system than North American & Europe so at least there's a pretty vast library that's more easily accessible these days. Also, great game to point out there. I always loved Virtua Racing.

[@travistaylor4342]

I think sega messed up by dropping the Saturn and then the dreamcast too early they should have dropped the saturn in 96 and released the dreamcast in 01

[@Adamtendo_player_1]

Not really a fair comparison when the Saturn crushes the Mega Drive versions of arcade ports.

[@kaktus12020]

Instead of Sega remastering some games for Saturn, or turning it into 3D, they simply put it on a CD for the 32-bit version, that's why this video game was unable to rival PS1.

[@RetroComparisons]

It's similar to what they did with a lot of Sega CD ports too where nothing got visually upgraded and replaced the soundtrack with better audio.

[@roberto1519]

You mean the Sega Ages and Mickey and Donald Compilations? SEGA wanted to finally be able to bring uncompromised ports of their arcade hits home for the Saturn, they weren't appealing outside of Japan and almost all of them stayed there, Mickey and Donald characters were really popular there as well since the 50's or even prior to that, and since the Mega Drive wasn't that successful they wanted to make these titles available for the millions, and I repeat, millions of Saturn owners residing in Japan. As for the "complete fiasco" part, it could be used on the Jaguar, Amiga CD 32, Virtual Boy, even the 3DO wasn't exactly a complete fiasco. A console, like the Sega saturn, selling 10 million units is far from being a fiasco. But one thing I noticed over the years is that kids who got presented with a SNES or a PS1 on Christmas from their parents know almost nothing about video games and yet they still want to give their opinions.

[@kaktus12020]

@@roberto1519 I bought a Sega Saturn in 1995. Before Sega Saturn I owned a Mega Drive and a SNES. I loved Mega Drive, it was maybe the best video game ever, at least for me. Unfortunately I only found bad games in that time to Sega Saturn, it was a sadness for me, a trauma. I don't think PS1 was an excellent video game, but it had many good games. I don't know if it would be so difficult to improve sprites by porting a 16-bit game to such superior 32-bit hardware. If Sega had remastered the games, I believe Saturn would compete hand to hand the market with PS1

[@roberto1519]

It's understandable. However, the Saturn focus was to bring the next generation home. SEGA's focus was almost entirely bringing their 3D arcade games and original titles for the platform. It also has its share of exclusive 2D games at the beginning, Story of Thor 2 and Rayearth, to name a few. This video in particular shows many 2D games shared with both consoles, and it's maybe confusing for some. In 1994 onwards, there was no point in competing 2D games, they had their place, and these re-releases serve specific purposes, mostly nostalgia, which was a niche of a niche, and if you notice, 90% of these games stayed in Japan, as we westerners didn't care about them. Reworking all these 2D games, when SEGA themselves hadn't enough staff to work on 3D games wasn't even considered, and they shouldn't have, the market was that crazy. What I agree with you, and what SEGA should have done, I posted it in another comment. The Saturn have a cart slot that could use an adapter similar to the Power Base for the Mega Drive, SEGA always kept backwards compatibility with the previous generation, and the Saturn has a X68000 CPU variant inside, not only that, it's two main CPUs are SH-2s, as the 32X. It obviously supports CD mainly, so the elephant in the room here is, why SEGA didn't make the Saturn backwards compatible with the Genesis, Sega-CD and 32X as its hardware was close enough, giving it a decisive advantage in the 5th generation?

[@infernal-toad]

Turns out the Sega Saturn can run Semi-3D (3D backgrounds with 2D sprites) graphics more easily and with more complex sprites than the Sega Genesis. But does it actually feel like 5th gen graphics?

[@RetroComparisons]

The 5th gen in general is so inconsistent. I think the 6th gen is so beloved because it was a time where they worked out the kinks of the 5th gen but before DLC, micro transactions, etc. started to take a stranglehold over the 7th gen.

[@infernal-toad]

@@RetroComparisons I think 5th gen is the only generation where games are known for better looking and running 2D games than the 16bit consoles and 3D games that look poorly and low poly compared to the 6th gen consoles because it was the time before 3D games looked good.

[@TheVampirePredator]

Still making games for the Genny into 98. Either that showed the staying power of the Genny or lack thereof of the Saturn. That's not to say the Saturn was bad, just the marketers were as comapred to Sony's. Playstation versions of fighting games couldn't TOUCH the Saturn versions.

[@RetroComparisons]

The Genesis almost filled in for late 97-98 while the Saturn was no longer the focus and Sega was working on the Dreamcast.

[@TheVampirePredator]

@@RetroComparisons It didn’t help that Bernie Stoller gave up on the Saturn in the US after one year.

[@Lightblue2222]

Virtua Racing honestly feels best on Genesis. A good example how graphics arent everything.

[@RetroComparisons]

Very true. I actually would split the difference and go with the 32X version as my favorite though I haven't played the remaster from a year or two ago.

[@rozone5757]

These are just ported genisis games with added texture and colours..basically the same games with no coding done that's why they are almost identical

[@tssf]

The puyo puyo 2 footage is either flipped or the Saturn had the scratchy voices and the Genesis one was clean

[@RetroComparisons]

I just double checked and the audio was correct on it so I guess the Saturn was the scratchy one.

[@mastes1]

Its funny how some of the games look better on Genesis, even though the Saturn versions are sometimes 3D, and the Genesis 2D versions of the same game. Early 3D really wasnt very good back then, with a few exceptions of course.

[@RetroComparisons]

It's really weird in retrospect. Like at the time when I saw games like NHL 97 on the Saturn/PS1 I couldn't believe how realistic they looked. Now I think the Genesis/SNES games for stuff like that looks better as a lot of the early 3D games aged like milk.

[@stephenferran328]

Sovl vs. Soulless the video. Based genesis.

[@goosemod]

They made the Saturn to be the best 2d side scrolled. Realizing it was the wrong decision, they dropped the Saturn and made the Dreamcast.

[@RetroComparisons]

I love the Dreamcast so in a way I'm glad they dropped the Saturn early but even still I would have loved to have seen what a fully realized 2D generation would have looked like in the 32 bit era.

[@franck4607]

Space Harrier is not the megadrive version but the 32x version ....

[@RetroComparisons]

The version of Space Harrier I used is actually from the Genesis Mini 2. I figured since it's an officially licensed Genesis/Mega Drive from Sega that I'd include it. The same goes for the Puyo Puyo game.

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

Phantasy star is a master system game and space harrier a 32x game

[@RetroComparisons]

That is correct though these both have exceptions. Phantasy Star 1 was released on the Mega Drive as Phantasy Star Fukkokuban which is basically nothing more than a SMS game put on a MD cart. The Space Harrier footage on this video is from the Genesis Mini 2 as is Fantasy Zone & Puyo Puyo Sun. I figured I'd include those since they're officially licensed Sega games on a Genesis platform of sorts.

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

@@RetroComparisons that mini also did scaling on space Harrier 2 also.

[@GacMan47]

I did not know most games got ported on the Saturn.

[@RetroComparisons]

It is pretty surprising as to the volume of games that crossed over.

[@Retro_Mage]

I've never played this game; but what the heck? Dragon Slayer looks so much better on the Genesis.

[@RetroComparisons]

Weirdly the PS1 & Saturn versions are a port of the PC-98 game whereas the SNES & Mega Drive are built from the ground up. It's so weird the Saturn of all consoles didn't port the Mega Drive version.

[@dl211981]

Space Harrier 1 was never released on Genesis/Mega Drive.

[@RetroComparisons]

It wasn't but for this video I included the 3 new Genesis Mini 2 games (Space Harrier 1, Fantasy Zone & Puyo Puyo Sun) since it's an officially licensed Genesis release by Sega.

[@BURRITO44]

Seems the Genesis has better graphics for many of the games shown. Sega made a big mistake Making the same ports for every console . Just how many versions are necessary ??? Plus many of the games shown here, the Genesis looked brighter with better color . Now I am glad I did not buy the Saturn. Some ports looked identical on both consoles. Thunder Force 2 looked identical. So did Thunder Force 3.

[@dr.charlesedwardflorendobr3952]

This is why so many Sega fans lost faith in Sega. After seeing just some of these games, I could see that many games looked identical and in some cases even looked better in the Genesis. A person who invested so much more to own a Saturn would have been disappointed.

[@RetroComparisons]

Japan did get a ton of releases but in North America & Europe I can only imagine the frustration if you had the 32x and then found out it was discontinued a year later and then got the Saturn only to hear it wasn't their future after just a couple of years.

[@dr.charlesedwardflorendobr3952]

@@RetroComparisons Well, based on this video, Im not complaining of the number of releases for the Saturn. I am comparing that many of the games look just like their genesis counterpart, and in some games, the Genesis looked even better.

[@RetroComparisons]

@@dr.charlesedwardflorendobr3952 Yeah so many of these were lazy ports much like many of the Sega CD ports of Genesis games.

[@mightyhadi6132]

Dragon Slayer : The Legend of Heroes 2 games at 3.00 definitely misplace. The genesis ones should be the Saturn ones.

[@RetroComparisons]

That's a weird one. The Genesis version was built from the ground up so it looks great whereas the Saturn (and PS1) version did a port of the inferior PC-98 version.

[@francisconikotian2326]

the Saturn had to carry Sega CDs failure and release date, it processed 3D like ass, didn't have any really strong exclusives and had to fight the PlayStation. the Dreamcast did it good but it was to late and the ps2 had DVD

[@nimaiiikun]

Dragon Slayer on the Saturn seems to be a downgrade from the Genesis

[@RetroComparisons]

This is one of the weirdest ports ever where the Genesis & SNES versions look great and the Saturn & PS1 versions take about 10 steps back.

[@BaccarWozat]

You mixed up Defender and Defender 2 on the Saturn. The inviso bar is supposed to be in 2.

[@darkone292]

The only thing that looked different was Jurassic Park

[@RetroComparisons]

Yeah that was one of those same name, different game situations. I actually preferred the Genesis game for that one.

[@javybeaz3236]

I used to play genesis Snes . They still play good today, many Android games copied them.

[@RetroComparisons]

I find a lot of games from that era to be be just as fun today as they were 30 years ago.

[@javybeaz3236]

@RetroComparisons I use RetroX with 25 emulators on my Nvidia Shield , also have it on my tablets. Play all the time and the Ps4. PS5 soon.

[@advanceddarkness3]

Genesis, 32X and the Saturn might as well been all the same system. This was Sega's downfall period where there was very little improvement to their hardware.

[@halfblindchaos2506]

In my opinion 2D games looked better on the Genesis while 3D games looked better on the Saturn. Remember that you don't need hardware acceleration for 2D games to look great when software rendering works just as great.

[@RetroComparisons]

The Saturn could have excelled at 2D gaming and it would have been fascinating to see a 32 bit generation dedicated to just 2D stuff. It's too bad every company thought they had to do 3D gaming during that time.