Sega Genesis vs. Sega Saturn vs. Sega Dreamcast - Retro Bird

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Games played: Jet Grind Radio (0:12), Gunstar Heroes (0:30), Sonic 2 (0:40), Darius Gaiden (1:08), Decathlete (3:14)

[@lldjslim]

What hurt Sega's reputation was they came out with those 2 addons for the genesis, the sega CD and especially the 32x, gamers who purchased the 32x definitely got hosed So I think alot gamers had a sour taste in their mouths and didn't trust Sega anymore, that's why I think the Saturn didn't receive as much love Now when the dreamcast was launched sega did start to earn back alot of gamers trust, but then the ps2 was announced and then Microsoft entered the gaming arena and killed Sega out of the hardware business for good

[@ringfitmaster3079]

Personally I prefer Saturn, DC and lastly Genesis. The Genesis is a fantastic console but I feel personally I can experience most of its best most known games on other more modern consoles. Sega Saturn and Dreamcast are the exception where I feel many games on those consoles never left their original hardware with fans like me pleading Sega to re release them for a new generation of gamers. I woukd happily pay for switch collection of Sega Racing games of Daytona USA, Sega Rally Championship, Manx TT Super Bike, Outrun and Power Drift all one switch cartridge would be a dream come true. Sadly I don't think Sega will ever do that.

[@ringfitmaster3079]

@@lldjslim Sega CD I don't feel hurt Segas image as bad as people make it out to be. I don't think Sega did any favors of usually advertising Fmv games but releasing a cd add on in 1992 wasn't a bad marketing strategy. The CD add on gave more horse power to the console finally allowing the system to do effects like Mode 7 what the SNES could do but with CD technology Devs had a bunch of space to work with. The bonus of the add on to play music cd's was also a huge selling point gave the impression that Sega were the cool ones. The only problem was at $299.99 was a really big pill to swallow, Including the price of the base Genesis it was becoming a costly experience. As for the 32X that really hurt Sega more than anything else. Releasing the saturn in Japan the same time as the 32x in North America as well Nintendo releasing DK Country on the SNES wasn't pretty. There's no denying it. As much I love my 32x nowadays as a collection piece with some fun games it should've never been released.

[@ringfitmaster3079]

@@lldjslim Saturn I think could've done better but Sega's marketing was crap and trying to jump the gun early to catch ahead of Sony was just stupid. Only a handful of retailers were selling the console on the first day and all the third party companies that were expecting it to launch in September of 95 around the same time as the ps1. They screwed up. No sugar coating it. While these are all bad, If Segas marketing was better & Sega of America not announcing the saturn wasn't their future in mid 1997 only 2 years after the console launches any sensible gamer would be like then why the heck would I buy a saturn if the company was already giving up on it? That year & half probably killed the dreamcast before it even launched in the west. Sega's barely making any money on game sales, already in massive debt and spends most of their money for the launch of the dreamcast. Bless the DC's heart but while the console launched successfully it really had a hard time with more games coming to the platform especially when most gamers & publishers had lost faith in them. It's amazing it did as well it did. Sony with the playstation 1 & 2 could partly be the reason why the saturn & DC failed & while I do believe that's partly true, I don't completely buy it. The N64 & GC (my personal favorite console & my first console ever) were completely destroyed by units sold & number of games available yet Nintendo still makes consoles. Nintendo didn't give up on their consoles. Were they perfect? no but Nintendo was making sure to give their fans the Nintendo experience.

[@WWammyy]

@@ringfitmaster3079 I had a Snes at the time and I never saw the appeal of the Mega CD other than it looked cool. It did mode 7 like scaling but the Snes I had already did mode 7 plus sega never really made good use of the scaling features. Also FMV games were useless to me they didn't feel like video game to me. Then there was the fact that you got games that were almost the exact same on the Sega CD except with enhanced music. I do feel CD quality music is a good thing now but not worth the price of Entry. Ie a Megadrive + Mega CD. That said I find Samurai Shodown Arcade port to be very good considering the disappointments that were the 16bit ports. I wish they did more to make use of the power of the addon to show what it was really capable of. But to me mode 7 wasn't a big draw and neither was cd quality music for games that I already had a lot of the time

[@GoodVibeCollecting]

I'd rank them Genesis, Dreamcast, then Saturn. The Saturn has amazing looking 2D games but the high prices are keeping people from experiencing them. It had trouble competing with the PS1 but still managed to grab an audience. The Dreamcast was ahead of it's time and was practically a consolized arcade machine but once again Sony dominated that generation. The Genesis is Sega's most popular system for a reason. Tons of great games to rival the SNES and it really made Sega a household name. It brought attitude to game industry.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

I always wonder what the history of Sega would've looked like had the Genesis not blown up in North America.

[@overnightdelivery]

The Dreamcast/Naomi was basically the affordable Neo Geo of it's Era but not as respected at the time

[@overnightdelivery]

And I forgot to mention that Sega teamed up with SNK when they made a handheld called the Neo Geo Pocket. The most under appreciated handheld of all time due to terrible marketing and almost no third party support. So clearly Sega was inspired by SNKs approach to having a console that also used basically the same hardware in the arcades.

[@edwinafamefuna4383]

You know your stuff. Too add Saturn was supposed to be everything the Dreamcast was. It was going to be there true arcade port system

[@Luxuriousentertainment]

👍🏾👍🏾

[@CheddarbaconStudios]

Recently picked up a Sega Dreamcast and I wish I had bought it years ago! So many great games in such a short lifespan. If only its potential could have been fully realized. Thankfully, there are games being developed for the dreamy boy even to this day! Long live the Dreamcast!

[@retrospacepunk]

It gets even better when you realize how easy it is to burn games on a disk. The entire Dreamcast library is so easy to explore! Even including games that never were released or finished development.

[@immitationstation3369]

Proud of you fam I'm glad you are enjoying it 👍 quite a few affordable (by retro game standards) titles as well

[@RetroBirdGaming]

It's wild to think what it's library could've looked like with a proper lifespan.

[@garrettkazuma207]

sega home consoles have their arcade counterparts. that's why they have home releases of the arcade games. the dreamcast has 3 arcade counterparts. sega naomi, naomi 2 and atomiswave. atomiswave games have been made to work on the dreamcast too.

[@epicon6]

To me it was fully realized. I bought it at release date and i had just gotten my first job so i bought 100+ games when they were nee and another 100 afterwards. I only have 70 games for the PS2, so to me the Dreamcast has a stronger library than the PS2. And i still play the Dreamcast multiple times every week.

[@matthewheupel8960]

I absolutely love the Genesis, that was the 1st console I ever had and there's a lot of nostalgia that goes with that. But nostalgia aside, it's still a great console with a great library. I love the Saturn too. I was one of the weirdos that had one when it was commercially relevant and didn't know anyone else that had one. I had a lot of good times with that too. The Dreamcast passed me by though. I don't know how I missed it, but I did get one later on and don't regret it at all. There really is something for everyone on the Dreamcast. Especially if you like shooters, it had some of the best ever made.

[@edwardwalker3411]

1. Saturn 2. Dreamcast 3. Genesis The Dreamcast life was just too short. If Sega had the money to keep fighting for at least another year or two it likely would be number one for me.

[@mrkilo-g8794]

Dreamcast should've end support in 2006

[@jaymum23]

@@mrkilo-g8794 If Dreamcast lasted 7 years, it would have been the greatest console of all time. Those 2 years before they pulled the plug were astonishingly great, with an endless supply of iconic games that just suddenly stopped coming in 2002.

[@almostliterally593]

Dreamcast & Saturn feel a bit incomplete without each other. Dreamcast was released mid way into the so-called 5th generation.

[@ΧρήστοςΠαπαϊωάννου-ν7ζ]

Saturn's library is respectable. No mainline sonic game, though. 3rd place 4 me.

[@ThoughtformsOfTheSubconsciousM]

100% agree with this ranking!

[@brianhatcher2799]

Man, you’re always cracking me up with those hilarious facial expressions, dances, and comparisons. Thanks for all the witty humor!!

[@immitationstation3369]

I got Dreamcast on 9/9/99 and it is my favorite console of all time. Not only am I procuring every game in the NA library (only 3 left) I'm attempting to complete every game as well and the DC has a ridiculous amount of hidden gems Not only does it have such a good library of games but such a diverse one as well and I'm shocked at how well the graphics hold up as well. I truly hope they make a DC mini soon so more people can experience the pure awesomeness of the Sega swan song

[@48hourrecordsteam45]

Sega bass fishing , re code Veronica Shenmue , jet set radio , skies of Arcadia Nba,nfl,nhl,mlb 2k, phantasy star online 🤤 Genesis and Dreamcast 🤝 Saturn was a. Mistake …imagine if Dreamcast came out instead of the Saturn back in 95 Then sega could have cost more than psx and beat them badly

[@aclstudios]

Dreamcast is, to this day, the only console I ever got on its launch day.

[@chaospoet]

Holy smokes that collection has to be a sight to behold. I have somewhere between 20-30 games and think that's a lot. I'm trying to picture looking at all the games and have to stop before my head explodes like that dude from the movie Scanners.

[@immitationstation3369]

@@chaospoet yo I finally watched scanners for the first time a few months ago. I always knew of that scene your talking about tho 🤯

[@UnevenPavement0]

One of my biggest complaints about the Dreamcast controller was the cord placement at the bottom. I owned the system for about 20 years before I realized there was a notch in the back of the controller for you to place cord into so it was out of the way. Changed my life...

[@nigelhighlands3131]

Did not know this. Have been playing Dreamcast on and off since 2000. You just blew my mind.

[@Tom-jw7ii]

I kinda just gave up on using the notch. The cord always slips out, anyway.

[@chansadres]

I'm gonna be rebellious and say 1. Genesis/Megadrive 2. Master System 3. Dreamcast 4. Saturn. Never put the Master System in a corner! In my country the Master System outsold the Nes. I have so much fond memories playing the Castle and Land of Illusion games. But the Genesis is the best Sega console. I think these two were just different. It had a lot of different en quirky games. The Saturn missed those games. It was too much arcade ports. Dreamcast did it better but when powerhouse PS2 came, it was too late.

[@lazarushernandez5827]

I had the Master System in the U.S. There were plenty of great games on it. Phantasy Star, Kenseiden, Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wonder Boy 3 : The Dragons Trap, Golvellius Valley of Doom, Psycho Fox, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Double Dragon (with 2 player co-op), Rastan, Black Belt (Fist of the North Star), Shinobi, Zillion...

[@RedNeon942]

I agree with Genesis > Saturn > Dreamcast. Funny thing is that I actually did grow up with the Genesis and Saturn, we even had the racing wheel. My fondest but dumbest memory is playing Virtua Fighter against my brother using the racing wheel because we didn’t have a second normal controller. When I got my PS2, entirely because of FFX, we all made fun of the one Dreamcast kid, but in retrospect he was definitely much happier than all of us. To put it in perspective the Dreamcast sold so poorly that I bought mine new, from Amazon in 2008 for about $60 and it’s had pride of place ever since.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

That's an awesome deal for a Dreamcast!

[@francescosmith7859]

Yeah definitely Genesis, Saturn then Dreamcast for me too. I’m in that group that was done with Sega by the time the Dreamcast came out. I loved my Genesis, had the Sega CD and then the 32X. I was still hoping for more 32X games and my buddy had a Saturn that it felt like we were just starting to enjoy and Sega canned everything and we definitely felt a little stiffed.

[@colinewan2320]

I have the Sega Megadrive, Saturn, & Dreamcast and love them all equally. You won't force me choose between them.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Pro answer right here.

[@ktg5]

Honestly I think the Saturn is really good because it’s the middle ground, having both 2D and 3D games. It’s just a shame that it didn’t really catch on in the US.

[@erneststackhouse1133]

I'd have to go Genesis 1st, DreamCast 2nd, Master System 3rd & Sega Saturn 4th. To this day I believe the Sega Genesis was best all around in 1993 with the Mortal Kombat Commercial. All my gaming friends moved over to SEGA from SNES to play that game the way it was suppose to be played. Nintendo really dropped the ball there. I even bought a Sega Game Gear that year too! Everything was SEGA in 1993.

[@Level1Sword]

1. Genesis 2. Dreamcast 3. Saturn And how DARE you not include the SG-1000...

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Haha I was waiting for a comment about the good ol' SG!

[@chaospoet]

Or the mythological SC-3000 Sega Computer! Which, yes, is just a fancy SG-1000, but it shouldn't be excluded from the conversation all the same.

[@howdypeeps6656]

What I like best about Retro Bird is that he’s talking to me about video games.

[@9unslin9er]

1)Genesis 2)Dreamcast 3)Saturn Saturn was an absolute powerhouse in Japan. Not only did it have the Shmups market cornered, but with a ram cart inserted, it pumped out arcade perfect Capcom and SNK titles. However it was solidly trounced by Playstation and N64 when it came to first party properties and 3rd party support. Notably, sports titles/franchises were absent from it's library.

[@carlosaugustodinizgarcia3526]

Saturn had good sports titles like worldwide soccer,decathle and winter heat.None of them that appealed to american tastes. Dreamcast was the opposite,excelent NBA,NFL and NHL games but no soccer besides Virtua Striker 2. The lack of a soccer game in the same caliber as Pro Evolution Soccer and Fifa killed the system in the rest of the world.

[@Ghostcharm]

The Genesis is GREAT but for whatever reason I love my Dreamcast the most. Personal attachment and association always wins the day, I think for most of us

[@Tetsu9701]

Loved the Dreamcast and Genesis. Sonic was the first video game I ever remember playing. Heck, my parents bought me a brand new SNES and a few weeks later I traded it in for a used Genesis because Sonic was so much cooler than Mario. The Dreamcast is tied with the PS2 for my fondest memories. Skies of Arcadia, Jet Grind Radio and Sonic Adventure were simply amazing.

[@yeahyeahwowman8099]

Love how you traded one of the best consoles of all time for a Genesis based on dumb little kid logic, lol.

[@JustinC721]

From a purely nostalgic perspective, I have to go with Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast. From a retro gaming perspective, I have to go with Saturn, Dreamcast and Genesis as a close third. The main reason for this distinction between nostalgia and retro-gaming (see what I did there) is that I had a Genesis growing up and I am very familiar with what it has to offer and I know that it is very good. But, I never owned a Saturn and it turns out there are alot of undiscovered gems (many OIJ) on that Saturn. This is also true for the Dreamcast, but it's lifespan was cut short which means fewer games. Hence, its position in 2nd place. That said, I didn't own a Dreamcast either, so I would be more interested in that console's library vs the Genesis' library which is mostly known to me already. I suppose every retrogamer is different. But I generally aim to expand my horizons from this era. As much as I like to play older games, but nostalgia wears off fast for me. So it has to be really f'ing good for me to playthrough it time and again; even if I know the game inside and out like, The Legend of Zelda. Which is why I say randomizers are god's gift to retro gamers. That said, randomizers can only do so much as it is still same game at the end of the day. That said, if we're going to look for something new and different, then we need to go somewhere that is new and different (to us). The Saturn's unique circumstances make it a treasure trove for someone looking for something old that is also 'new'. Being a 2D powerhouse in a 3D world basically sealed it's fate as a distant third against the N64 and the Playstation. But looking back that the Playstation. I have to say that it's library hasn't aged well. This is because 3D games from that time sucked. That is until Mario 64 came along. This is because the N64 was a 3D powerhouse with analog controls. This meant great 3D games, but no 2D games. And being cartridge based also meant no RPGs. Two things that the Saturn exceled in. Unfortunately, these games didn't get much attention at the time. There were also many games that didn't even get English ports. Sega of America's CEO even said "American's don't want to play RPGs" or something along those lines. Hence, prevented many good games from coming stateside. I hope Sega gave him a copy of FF7 with sales figures attached as severance when they fired him. Sega's poor choices f'd the company, but what it gives gives us today in an era of fan translations, and romhacks is a treasure trove of excellent games from the pinnacle of 2d gaming and jrpgs that many of us have no idea even existed. That said, we lost alot more than we realized when we lost Sega as manufacturer as they were the only true adversary that Nintendo ever had. This is because these companies have something in common that no other console manufacturer has ever had except Atari. And that is, their business was/is video games and that is it and all it has ever been post NES. In contrast, their former, and current competitors like Sony, Microsoft, NEC (Turbographx 16) are tech companies first and video game companies second. This is why they would continually innovate their technology and take risks. The former companies would only mimic the competition. Which is what Sony and Microsoft are doing today. We can see this difference when we look at the games from that era. Back then, cross-platform games on the SNES, Genesis, PS1, Saturn and the N64 would each look, feel, and play very different from each other. Albeit for better or for worse at times, the main point here is that each console had distinct strengths and weaknesses, hence they each offered something different that you couldn't get anywhere else and promoted innovation from developers. This is not the case with current console gaming as it would be struggle to tell the difference between consoles playing the same game, or any game for that matter. This is because they are the same thing under the hood. Hence, the biggest distinction between competitors comes down to exclusive titles, instead of what the console itself has to offer. If you want something different today. Buy a Switch. If you want something different that isn't from Nintendo. You're SOL. The Dreamcast could have been Sega's hail mary. They innovated again with being the first console with MMO capabilities. Not to mention the graphics upgrade. All from reasonably priced console in 1999. But this is the generation when the Xbox arrived thus leading to the homogenization we see in the current console market. Hence Sega, bowed out of the console wars for good. This leaves us with Nintendo as the only dedicated video game company left and the only one offering something different from the competition. They are a frustrating company, but we are better off with them still around. Here's a good topic/question for a video if you've made it this far. What consoles will future retro gamers be looking for, if any?

[@johnbowles5399]

My beloved Sega Mega Drive will always be king, but I've also loved collecting for my Sega Saturn the last few years. The Saturn has to be one of, if not THE most underrated consoles of all time with an incredible library of games. Whether you're into shooters, RPGs, beat-'em-ups or arcade ports the sleek sexy Saturn has you covered. Maybe one of the main reasons it doesn't feature in many people's retro games collections are the prices. Seriously, the prices of Saturn games have been going through the roof on Ebay for a few years now, and show no signs of slowing down.

[@SuperNicktendo]

Genesis, Dreamcast, Saturn. While I really dig the Saturn aesthetic now, I'm still not really interested in the games offered on the system. Dreamcast had such a great framerate in their games and the Genesis was that one system I got for Christmas and couldn't put it down. Even begged my mom for a Sega CD which I actually got. Will never let that system go

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Which Sega CD games did you have back then?

[@SuperNicktendo]

@@RetroBirdGaming Sewer Shark because that one came packed in. My mom mailed away for Sonic CD. I also played the Power Rangers game and really enjoyed the Cowboys vs Niners football game. Then my neighbor had the sega CD as well so I borrowed the Jaguar racing game and a handful of others I can't quite remember. Too young for the RPGs that came out. I really want to play through Snatcher

[@captainhawdon937]

I used to draw diamond shaped swords that looked like Sparksters sword when I was a kid because of this game.

[@blackwalls]

Your first date bit cracked me up. Great vid as usual!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thanks for watching as always!

[@wulver810]

1. Genesis 2. Saturn 3. Game Gear 4. Master System 5. Banana 6. Dust under the couch 7. Dreamcast

[@VideoGameOwnage123]

Saturn -> Genesis-> Dreamcast. The vast majority of these titles the Saturn is known for hold up remarkably well visually and gameplay wise. I think dreamcast has a lot of cool games but most games I want to play on there are also on other systems and sometimes they're just better. The genesis has a nice mix of uniqueness and quality going for it that just sits it in the middle for me. The genesis collections make owning one a little less special now. There's still a lot more merit in owning a saturn nowadays. The library's not cheap but there's ways around it. Plus that dpad is godlike.

[@PaleHorse73]

Genesis first because that's what really turned me on to Sega. The Dreamcast next. After the Genesis, nothing revolutionized gaming, until the Dreamcast was introduced. I'm not saying the Saturn didn't, it had plenty of great new things and innovation, it wasn't the mind blowing leap like the Dreamcast. I still loved it though. When I got it, I had the opportunity (money) to buy the Playstation, or the Saturn. My loyalty to Sega, pushed me to the Saturn.

[@eversosleight]

I went straight from Nes to Sega Genesis with Super Street Fighter II as my first game and man was I in love. Later I would go on to get awesome titles like Golden Axe, Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, Bomberman, Boogerman, Earthworm Jim and others. I never knew the Master System existed until adulthood😐 Great video Bird 🐦 👍

[@justinbrandt8415]

We would have been best friends, I remember getting Altered Beast for Christmas. I think I might pick up a Genesis, anywho have a nice day

[@breakfasthole3851]

Great video 🙂 I'm a Mega Drive and Dreamcast fan (got both permanently hooked up to my TV) but not so much with the Saturn. Nights into Dreams is great but not my kind of game. All my other Saturn favourites can either be played on PS1 or on an arcade emulator. It's a console I never owned but I would have enjoyed it if I had one. It looks good too.

[@danbauer3669]

Saturn, Genesis, Dreamcast. Obviously this is a biased personal view. I got into Saturn and SDC super late... like 2018 late. There are many great games for all 3, but when I go to the game store I find myself looking at the Saturn games the most and so between the 3, my Saturn collection has been growing the most, much to the detriment of my personal finances. Seriously, I have about 25 games and have spent literal thousands of dollars. However, I play often and definitely have more good/great games than stinkers.

[@codenamezz9993]

1.Genesis 2.Dreamcast 3.Master system ( I know it's not on the list, but it's the first console I had back in the days) 4.Saturn (Which was my friend's and I choice in 95 over PS1 because of the success of the Genesis) Personally I would've had a Dreamcast over a PS2 back in the days, or at least had a difficult choice to make, but it wasn't sold anymore when I had the money to buy a new console

[@supersmallchibiwolf872]

I've been waiting for this video. I'm so happy it finally came out It made my day. Cool video. ^_^

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Glad I was able to make it!

[@supersmallchibiwolf872]

@@RetroBirdGaming Will you ever do a video relating arcade games ? ^_^

[@maingreazy21]

I rank them Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast. Super Nintendo, N64, Gamecube

[@gameofyou1]

Saturn is my favorite system, and the first console I ever owned. Dreamcast is great, too. The Genesis is a bit too old school for me, though.

[@adamdenardis5438]

That's when you play the really good Genesis games, the ones that push the console to the limit.

[@KnowNothingNerd]

Rocket Knight, Bananas, and Mean Girls. All three cameos you need for a perfect Retro Bird video.

[@STP.83]

1. Dreamcast 2. Mega Drive/ Genesis 3. Saturn (4. Master System, it was my first console. Here in Germany is was much more popular than in the US, even several stores in my village had it in stock.) Dreamcast was the best console ever for me back in the day and most games still hold up until today for me. I even like the controller but prefer to play Dreamcast games with a Xbox One controller nowadays. I prefer the Mega Drive/ Genesis over the Super Nintendo and for me the Mega Drive is the best 2D gaming console ever.

[@gametourny4ever627]

For me personally, it is 1. Saturn 2. Genesis 3. Dreamcast Special mention however. If you were to add the Sega Cd and 32X, the the tower of power and all the library of games you would get between the 3 pieces of hardware would surpass the Saturn for me.

[@rustymixer2886]

4...sms, genesis, Sega cd and 32x

[@themailman3331]

As a console collector, I own every Sega console. But growing up in the late 80’s, I was a diehard Nintendo guy. I survived the console wars, it was ugly.

[@grantcoleman8547]

Thank you for your service. I'm a veteran of the console wars as well.

[@spriles]

Every time I think about Gunstar Heroes I just get blown away how badly it was marketed and how it flew under the radar. I Didn't discover it until a few years ago, heck, James Rolfe didn't mention it or any treasure games in his big Genesis vs. SNES video years ago. I regard it as the second best game from the 16bit generation.

[@thomasbell8122]

I'm on such a huge Sega kick lately, so this video was really well timed! Sega CD deserves an honorable mention here for being my first CD based console growing up and having some really great titles and my introduction to Working Designs games. Currently I would rank Saturn as my favorite of the three. The design of the long box jewel cases, while maybe somewhat impractical, was simply a work of art and look so beautiful on a shelf. There were some incredible working designs games and some incredible JRPGs in general. I really have so much good to say about the Saturn. Sega Genesis would be second for me, based partly on nostalgia and partly due to it's massive library. Dreamcast comes in third only because I find the JRPG list on the console very wanting. I love that almost every game is 480p on it and the games it does, it does so well. The oem dreamcast control is also the worst control by far of the three.

[@ShadowEl]

1. Genesis 2. Dreamcast 3. Saturn For the Genesis to even be a contender against the mighty Nintendo, it had to have a lot to offer. And the late 80s hardware stayed relevant (in the US at least) a lot longer than it had any right to. Why? Oh yeah - THE GAMES. Genesis has something for everyone. And it can't be overstated how incredible the Dreamcast was when it released. It's a shame the Sony machine came along and kicked SEGA's ass so hard they literally died. The Saturn for me is a "hidden gem" machine. The PS1 had a far more robust library, and the N64 had the genre- and medium-defining greats.

[@Blehstor]

in argentina i knew it as the genesis as well when i was a kid, and most ppl called it genesis

[@dominicvl1990]

Genesis #1 then Dreamcast and Saturn. I didn’t even know Dreamcast or Saturn excised until I saw them in person years after released. I saw the Saturn in about 2004 and thought it was so weird dev console while playing virtual fighter. The genesis was my first console though

[@8bitsnkboy472]

For me it's SEGA Saturn, Megadrive then Dreamcast. The Saturn was the first system I seriously collected for. It has such a varied library of original games, with great SEGA (and third party) arcade releases, as well as conversions of some of the best, first generation Playstation games (Wipeout and Resident Evil etc.). It was also the first time I imported Japanese games to extend my games library. Thank goodness I started collecting for Saturn when virtually no-one else wanted to!! The Megadrive (Genesis) is a system I played semi-regularly as a young adult. I would often swap my Super nintendo with my friends Megadrive for extended periods, so both of us got to play some pretty good games on both systems. These days I am still exploring the library after only picking up a Megadrive of my own a couple of years ago. The Dreamcast is an amazing system, but that said, I sold my original system back in the day and currently own a small library of my favourite games. It does have a solid library of games, but after SEGA stopped supporting it and then when Phantasy Star Online went off-line, I felt very dispondent about the Dreamcast for a long time. Personally, it feels like there's an empty space in gaming since SEGA stopped making their own hardware.

[@epicon6]

Sega should have released the Saturn in 1993 and the Dreamcast in 1997. Propably would have been way too expensive and they would have been a little bit different due to hardware differences because all of the components weren't available yet.

[@carlosaugustodinizgarcia3526]

Sega should have cancelled the 32-X and released the Saturn worldwide in late '94. Imagine if it launched with Virtua Fighter,Star Wars Arcade,Doom and a exclusive Sonic 3 and Knuckles (no Genesis Sonic & Knuckles cartridge)?

[@insaneasock3156]

I love my RPG'S. So th Saturn takes the crown for me. Then the Genesis and the Dreamcast. However, I do love all 3 systems and have a ton of games for each.

[@scottyd035ntknow]

Graphically the Dreamcast was WELL ahead of its time. Its the only console I ever got at launch and us OG Dreamcast owners had "6th gen" gaming for over a year before the PS2 even came out and more like 18 months before they were readily available at retail price.

[@nubatman]

My ranking has to be Genesis, Dreamcast and then Saturn. Mine is mainly due to availability. It's been some years since I owned a Saturn and my last one ended up being lost/stolen from my grandma's house. I highly respect the Genesis because it was versatile (models 1, 2, 3 and Nomad). During the console wars it was my system of choice since everyone had the SNES. The Dreamcast had a handful of games I love to this day. Usually the ones I played got rereleased on newer consoles or PC so I no longer need to plug in my system.

[@KCastRetro26]

Awesome video! As a lifelong Sega fan who owns all three, I'd have to say Dreamcast, Genesis, Saturn. I enjoy the more modern look. Saturn's games just never clicked for me and I am normally a fan of obscure games. I did enjoy Nights tho!

[@lee1130fromtwitter]

Dreamcast is #1. The only arcade perfect out of the 3

[@ThoughtformsOfTheSubconsciousM]

For me it's definitely: 1- Saturn 2- Dreamcast 3- Genesis Thanks for all the Sega love RB!

[@WayOutGaming]

Man, I enjoy all three of these systems (and even the Master System to a lesser extent). I grew up a Nintendo kid, with the SNES and N64, and only got into Sega well after it's hardware career was dead. That said, I really like all three for different reasons. The Genesis has a great collection of 2D platformers and action games that are pretty unique to the system (Toejam and Earl, Sonic, etc.), the Saturn has some amazing strategy and simulation games (SimCity 2000, Iron Storm, MechWarrior 2), and the Dreamcast has a great assorment of everything! Hard to say how I'd permanently rank them, but right now I'd say Dreamcast, Saturn, Genesis. Dreamcast has always been a personal favorite due to the Sonic Adventure series as well for having an excellent assorment of fishing games.

[@immitationstation3369]

I'm glad you mentioned the fishing games I played them 2 years ago (got the controller as well) and I loved them especially marine fishing I wanted to get iron storm a few years ago when it was $60 but I believe its out of reach for me now 😅 love working Designes tho

[@lldjslim]

What hurt Sega's reputation was they came out with those 2 addons for the genesis, the sega CD and especially the 32x, gamers who purchased the 32x definitely got hosed So I think alot gamers had a sour taste in their mouths and didn't trust Sega anymore, that's why I think the Saturn didn't receive as much love Now whe the dreamcast was launched sega did start to earn back alot of gamers trust, but then the ps2 was announced abd then Microsoft entered the gaming arena and killed Sega out of the hardware business for good

[@davebladegun3009]

It is a toss-up between the Genesis and Dreamcast for me, but if I get to count the Sega CD alongside the Genesis then I have to chock it up to the 16-Bit console. I love the Saturn, though. Bottom line: I have a deep, undying love for the Genesis and so many of its games. And the MUSIC really does the trick for me. Ooohh man the music. Konami games, Sega games, Technosoft games, sooo many amazing soundtracks on the Genesis that I never get tired of hearing. And in the adult life which I now lead that involves working full-time and raising a child along with having three dogs and a wife who requires my attention - - - I don’t get as much PLAY TIME as I’d like to have so on many days the extent of my retro gaming enjoyment is just throwing on headphones and listening to a few tracks from some of my favorite games. And, inevitably, when I do start listening to game music, it’s usually Genesis game music.

[@matthewheupel8960]

Absolutely! A lot of people like to point out that the SNES had better music, but the Genesis games that had good music had REALLY good music. It all came down to what the developer was trying to do with the hardware and how competently they were doing it.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

The music in a lot of Genesis games really do the trick for me too.

[@davebladegun3009]

@@matthewheupel8960 there’s no question about it. The Super Nintendo apologists will whine from sunup ‘til sundown about how the Genesis had weird/bad music. . . You ever listened to the Paperboy 2 OST on Super NES? How about The Chessmaster (more like The Fartmaster with the horn samples they used in that game’s music). Genesis had games with bad music, just like every console does. But the FM synth in that console was a serious piece of kit for people who knew how to use it. Yuzo Koshiro, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Jesper Kyd, Tommy Tallarico, Hikoshi Hashimoto, Matt Furniss, and Motohiro Kawashima were all highly skilled composers who put out multitudes of amazing music on the Genesis. And there are plenty more composers with good stuff who I just don’t know the names of, but my point is that such a vast sea of good and even excellent music exists on Genesis that my immediate reaction when someone dumps on its sound is to just assume they don’t know anything about the console or its library.

[@davebladegun3009]

@@RetroBirdGaming how good is the track from the 2nd stage in Rocket Knight where you fly for the first time? I’m like you in that my first time playing it was as an adult, even though I did have a Genesis as a child when it was new. ANYWAY, the first time I ever played Rocket Knight, when I got to that stage, the combination of the stunning visuals with how beautiful the scenery was as I flew Rocket Knight over the water with his jet pack and the fluttery sounding synth flute and brass instruments just took my breath. It gave me that little endorphin rush you get sometimes whenever you realize “Hey I’m experiencing something extra special, here” that very few games can give me as an adult. In fact I still feel a little bit floaty whenever I play that stage. The whole game has an awesome OST, though. It’s a top 10 Genesis game for me easily and that’s got a lot to do with its amazing soundtrack. I think Michiru Yamane did some of its tunes and you know she’s the same composer from Castlevania Bloodlines and Symphony of the Night.

[@mikegreiling]

I can't rank them. They're all my favorite. Genesis was my first console, and it is synonymous with my childhood. Dreamcast was the first console I bought with my own money, and the colorful upbeat vibe that the DC exuded just gives me all kinds of warm and fuzzies. The Saturn was the black sheep and I never owned one growing up, but having purchased one as an adult I've been able to explore it's amazing catalog of (mostly Japanese exclusive) arcade ports and shmups and it is quickly becoming my most played of the three these days.

[@putridscene]

I found a Saturn in 2020 in a relative's newly purchased home. I found a CRT on the side of the road in 2021. I guess I'm looking forward to some Saturn games raining from the sky in 2022 so I can finally play it.

[@supercap3000]

Hey retro bird I enjoyed your humor in this video. I love my Sega Saturn. You got a new subscriber and take care

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Welcome to the channel!

[@dergrunepunkt]

you deserve 100k subs today, keep it up mate!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you! I appreciate it :)

[@Bofner]

I love how much Darius Gaiden is featured in this video. That game is so heckin' good

[@bananonymouslastname5693]

As a young kid during the 16-bit console war days, I was a SNES kid, although I never hated Sega; I'd play anything I could get my hands on. The Saturn was the console that made me love Sega, though, and is still the console of its generation that I play the most. I adored the Dreamcast as well, and it was the first console I imported ahead of a US release, because I couldn't wait to play Power Stone at home. So, for me, it goes Saturn>Dreamcast>Genesis, though I love them all. The Saturn made me love Sega. The Dreamcast fills a very nostalgic place for me in my early 20s. The Genesis is still third place for me in 16-bits behind the SNES and Turbografx/PCE, but that's not a knock... it's outstanding. I just prefer most SNES versions of the multi-platform hames, and it has my least favorite of the exclusives. It's still a jam, though, and so is the Master System.

[@radamesrivera4193]

Just stumbled on this channel about a week ago and wow I love it so far! Very underrated channel, I hope his subs grow!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Thank you. Glad you found the channel and are enjoying it :)

[@radamesrivera4193]

@@RetroBirdGaming absolutley! I'm binge watching everything!

[@bobtex4306]

1. Dreamcast 2. Genesis 3. Saturn

[@SirKryntik]

1: Acorn Archimedes 2: Dreamcast 3: Genesis 4: Saturn

[@RetroBirdGaming]

"did you ever know that you're my heeeeero?"

[@SirKryntik]

@@RetroBirdGaming Somehow I knew that would get your attention lol

[@agarza915]

The faces you make in your videos are hilarious

[@JTSuter]

The table full of handwritten notes made me both concerned and appreciative at the same time.

[@arenschultz]

Saturn, Dreamcast, Genesis. Genesis was my first console and still love it. I have the most fun playing my Saturn games though, and Dreamcast is a nice jump up in capabilities

[@urogoth]

I would always see Saturn stuff in magazines and think they looked so cool, like Nights for instance. But it was never sold anywhere near me to even consider getting one.

[@cpiep]

Saturn is my favorite.

[@bcz1368]

I agree with your ranking. Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, all were great. If dramcast was on the market longer and had more exclusives it would have surpassed the saturn imo. Also most of the heavy hitters for dreamcast were ported to other consoles early on.

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Yeah, I think it would've held onto more of it's exclusives had it stayed alive longer too.

[@WonderWilson]

now that ive had my genesis for a few years and have most of the games i want i would love to get the other sega systems but i would probably choose the master system next as unlike the other two it still has good reasonably priced games

[@ShinSynZero]

Awesome vid, Sega content is always a win imo. Ranking the three main/more well known Sega consoles isn't easy. I've got to go with the Genesis, Dreamcast, and Saturn. I easily spent the most time with the Genesis and it's library is huge. The Dreamcast burned bright and burned short, games like PSO, Skies of Arcadia, JSR, and awesome arcade ports took hours of my time in college, after graduation, before work and after work as well. The Saturn is great and it was the first console I purchased w/my own money. Until the Dreamcast arrived it was my gaming platform in college. I spent tons of time with friends playing Capcom's awesome arcade ports and also a bunch of the really cool games Sega released. Imports changed the game for me as well. It's a shame it was so slept on. Realistically, I would rank the Genesis first, tie the Dreamcast and Saturn for second, and give the SMS third.

[@OverloadVA]

My Grandma bought me a Genisis back in the day, I was around 3 years old and I was instantly a Sega fan. I loved it but had no idea the saturn and dreamcast were even a thing until I was in highschool. Kid me had thought sega and sonic was dead until I saw Sonic Heroes coming to the Gamecube, and I was like "They're bringing Sonic back!" I enjoyed the game and got the adventure games on the Gamecune not long after, but it was't until sometime in highschool, probably around 2010, that I found out Sega made other systems besides the Genisis. In my collection the Genisis is probably the consol I return to the least, but it still holds that special place in my heart.

[@Zahir658]

I like all three of the Sega consoles. All of them are equally 1st on my list and I would hug all 3 of them like you did in 09:15

[@RetroBirdGaming]

That's a good answer!

[@Zahir658]

@@RetroBirdGaming Yep. All 3 deserves many love and appreciation. Even indie games are being made for those consoles.

[@Kevin-Schmevin]

My buddy had a dreamcast, we loved that thing so much. I'm still blown away at how amazing it was.

[@bforeal3189]

Just picked up a Sega Genesis a couple days ago. It was my second console when I was just a little kid…. Oh the memories

[@gamecubeguy214]

I don't have a Sega console, but I know the Genesis would be the first one I get. Games like Gunstar Heros look awesome, and I'll sure as heck be giving Rocket Knight Adventures a shot too.

[@StayGold33]

Sega Genesis all the way, it's one of my all time favorite consoles. Sega Genesis, SNES, and N64 are my 3 favorite consoles.

[@Dilemina]

I had all three in their time. Stuck with them even though I think I was jealous of their counterparts nice games. My Dreamcast is the only one that broke, the others still work. And I feel like I have a piece of rare nostalgia that my classmates at the time did not, and I still enjoyed their games during hangouts and sleepovers or whatever.

[@hardmancanada]

for me 1) Genesis 2) Saturn 3) Dreamcast. The thing I found weird about the Dreamcast is that it stopped having the 6 face buttons controller that made Sega contollers very unique. The Dreamcast controller is just another version of the snes and PS1 controller

[@Samuelfish2k]

The OG Genesis controllers only had 3 buttons. Those are the ones that come to mind when I think of Sega Genesis. I remember the 6 button controllers came out for Street Fighter 2 but I didn’t fuck with it so I never bought any of them.

[@braxtonsbigdig9468]

I now desperately want to see a Master System and Game Gear Retro Bird episode...maybe even a SG-1000. We rarely see anyone cover that after all!

[@RetroBirdGaming]

Problem is that I don't own them :(

[@braxtonsbigdig9468]

@@RetroBirdGaming *sad Sega fan noises* Understandable though, it's hard to get your hands on every single retro console, and there's not much point if you don't plan to use them. SG-1000's in particular seem to be INSANELY expensive. Keep up the high quality content though, really good stuff!

[@zodiacthundaga7264]

Genesis gives me a skatepark vibe, Saturn gives me a military fortress vibe, Dreamcast gives me a futuristic temple vibe.

[@stephenmarriott369]

Because no one asked 1st - Mega Drive and Dreamcast (I couldn't pick just one) 2nd - Master System 3rd - Saturn 4th - Game Gear 5th - SG-1000 I wouldn't consider any of them a bad console and every one of them hold a special place in my heart for various reasons

[@RudieObias]

Growing up, I went with Nintendo, Sega Genesis, N64, and then Sega Dreamcast. Now Nintendo Switch. I went back and forth.

[@ninjapwnsatlyfe]

Genesis really. Even though I'm more into the 6th generation of consoles I still have the Genesis my dad bought when I was a baby in 93. It's that console itself that made me a gamer and has more recently seen a lot of love with games collecting

[@tonyp9313]

Genesis, Saturn & then Dreamcast. I love the 2D games. However if Saturn has a lot of those 2D games I will change my answer to Saturn 1st. Also love the Sega Cd & Master system. I played Earthworm Jim 2 on the Sega Saturn. I played this game on both Genesis & Snes. So when I played it on the Saturn I wasn't expecting anything great. As soon as I played it I was blown away on just how awesome the graphics, sound, controls & gameplay was. Saturn version is the best version by far. So if games are like this on Saturn then yeah that'll be my no 1 Sega console. For now it's genesis.

[@alessandrorossi1294]

those Life Aspirations he wrote are: solve world hunger ; eliminate all unprotected left turns ; become rich so I can buy a boat and paint it like a dreamcast controller

[@robmason5799]

I owned them all. Still have a genesis and Saturn. Would love to get a Dreamcast again. For my pick would be genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast. Sega library for all three is so good. I always wonder how the Saturn would of held up if they never released it in e3 of may in 1995 and just released it on Saturn day. If the Saturn released the original date and took its time I think Saturn would of been a bigger success.

[@MrMarrekkk]

Pretty much my favourite consoles of all time and ranked 1.Mega Drive 2.Dreamcast 3.Saturn, I wish Sega hardware was still with us.

[@JohnTheBaptist87]

Gunstar hero's was the first co-op game I ever played, the it felt you could destroy everything on screen while taking care of enemies was amazing

[@mariox20]

I've always owned a Nintendo console since the NES, but in my mind I've always been a "Sega Kid". There was something special, experimental about Sega that I feel was missing on Nintendo. I know that's kind of contradictory since Nintendo was a pioneer in a number of ways, but the games on Sega consoles always felt less traditional to me. Great video! Keep it up, your channel is fantastic!

[@overnightdelivery]

Panorama Cotton is probably one of the best sorta-3D games that the Genesis had

[@leecroft1983]

My favourite trinity of systems.

[@wilmtb5898]

You should share you backlog with us sometime! Love your content!

[@tenchimuyio]

I'ma need to see that macarena in super slow motion Ohhhh yeaaaa

[@sonicmania9993]

I'm a Sega-first guy, and love all three consoles to death. Bird, you did a great job with this video, and I love your measured observations of each. I agree that in the years since, Saturn has less of an "identity" than Genesis & Dreamcast ... but ironically, I can remember in 1996 feeling that Saturn's identity was amazing and so distinct from PS1 (which I also liked). For some reason, that identity only gripped a few of us for a short time, did not have widespread appeal, and petered out as PS1's game library kicked into high-gear in '97-'98. Because of its fantastic JP import library (which I was lucky to have access to back in the 90s, living in L.A. at the time), Saturn will always be my #1. Even though I was in my late 20's at the time, I think the late 90s was my happiest time in gaming (Saturn, PS1, N64, late 90s PC games, still a few arcades in LA with great 90s arcade games to play ... plus videogame magazines were arguably at their high point of awesome). Gen/MD and Dreamcast are tied for #2, I really can't choose. And compared to all the other consoles I own from before and after, the only ones I cherish at the same level as these three Sega consoles are: PC Engine (mostly for its best-in-class shmups), PS1 (amazing library!), Vita (an irrational love here, I admit: I've got 3 Vitas and love the games), and Switch (first--party, JP games, indies, retro re-releases, Switch has it all). By the way, that is 100% me at 3:50 of this video, "getting deep in there, doing extensive research" on what great retro games to play next. I've got spreadsheets, open weblinks, papers everywhere just like that guy LOL! I'm not going to say that it's "just as fun" to research old games as it is to play then, but it is pretty darn close!

[@ryanglover9016]

Hi from England. As you pointed out it was the megadrive everywhere else. I loved it. Streets of rage trilogy, sensible soccer, mortal kombat i rememeber fondly. I never got to play the dreamcast or saturn as my brother had a super nintendo so we would just flick between the two, sadly my parents couldn't afford the other sega consoles. I agree with other comments though, high prices preventing a lot of people from experiencing these great consoles

[@FakeSypha]

I did play Rocket Knight Adventures 1&2 (it was called Sparkster, for whatever reason) as a kid. It was a random rental. To me 10 year old self, it looked like a Sonic in medieval armor, and I was instantly sold. Later, ended up buying them (bootleg versions) and beat them. Here in Argentina, Chinese clones or bootlegs were the norm. In any case, both were superb platformers. Specially the first one.

[@the_kombinator]

I remember throwing the food at the principal in grade 7 when a random food fight erupted. I was only a table away, and I'm fairly sure he knew who threw that apple core. Also, Coffee? Tea? SEGA!

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

Only knew the Dreamcast... Loved it, always *Will*

[@retrogroovtv]

Imagine if the Dreamcast was backwards compatible with the sega Saturn 🔥 honestly would of been the best move for sega

[@gpl992]

That and a built in DVD player would have made it able to compete with the PS2/GameCube/Xbox..

[@gpl992]

Apparently you can run Genesis Emulators on the Dreamcast however!

[@retrospacepunk]

Dreamcast is easily one of my favorite consoles. I've dedicated hundreds of hours to that thing. And I'll probably spend hundreds more!! I wish I had the funds to own Sega's other consoles. Maybe one day...