This Changed The Sega Saturn

In this video, we discuss the Sega Saturn Netlink, a quirky device that allowed gamers to bring the Sega Saturn Online. Let's talk about what this could do and what games could be enjoyed online.
#segasaturn #consolegaming #retrogaming
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Additional Gaming & Footage Sources
• The Internet in 1997 o...
The Internet in 1997 on my Sega Saturn via the Netlink modem
redconfetti
• US SEGA Saturn NetLink...
US SEGA Saturn NetLink Modem PR Promotional Campaign
SEGA SATURN, SHIRO!
• Virtua Fighter REMIX (...
Virtua Fighter REMIX (1995) Sarah Bryant Playthrough (SEGA Saturn)
iPlaySEGA
• Sega Saturn Netlink Ma...
Sega Saturn Netlink Match #11 | Duke Nukem 3D | STADIUM! - Online Multiplayer (VoiP)
RetroSpectors
• Saturn Bomberman Netli...
Saturn Bomberman Netlink Match
JerryTerrifying
• Sega Saturn NetLink wi...
Sega Saturn NetLink with Daytona USA CCE NetLink Edition (CMA vs. Tink) - 6/1/22
CMA
• SEGA Crusade Vol 2 - #...
SEGA Crusade Vol 2 - #261 - Virtual-On: Cyber Troopers NetLink Edition - Saturn
Sharpie

[@LadyDecade]

Join My Discord : discord.gg/KHMwcQryyt Support the channel My PATREON : www.patreon.com/LadyDecade

[@andrewdunn5490]

Great video. Can we get more of you in the videos.... :)

[@mertcanaksut5653]

what is up with the emo thumbnail? :D

[@MaxAbramson3]

Love your show. Happy subscriber. How much is the Patreon channel?

[@GeorgeWeeman]

I loved the Sega Saturn so much in the 90's! It introduced me to classic games like Resident Evil, Tomb Raider, Daytona USA, and Shining Force 3! I was fortunate enough to be a part of history by owning one, and now I am so grateful for the emulation community for keeping this amazing catalog of games alive, and relevant. If only the Sega company cared about these games as much as the rest of us do. BTW, your voice is like ASMR to me....When you sang out the word **DAYTONA!**, it gave me chills. 😍

[@miguelangelbazan8697]

I used to rent Japanese games with the Universal Adapter

[@barryklinedinst6233]

Sega was awesome back then. I had my Genesis hooked to a modem on my cable so you could play games. It wasn't bad either. I loved all their consoles.

[@Antronix3]

Sega Channel?

[@zakafx]

Xband?

[@barryklinedinst6233]

@@Antronix3 yep. Sega channel.

[@SilverXTikal]

@@zakafxwasn’t that on SNES too?

[@lain328]

There's also the official sega modem that worked for a few games in japan.

[@bitwise7924]

🎵🎵DAY-TONE-NUUHHHH!!!! 🎵🎵

[@HighguyMcfly]

I miss my Saturn. Gave all my old game consoles away to a friend almost 20 years ago and I've regretted it ever since. Sega genesis, Saturn, Nintendo, Super Nintendo, PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and over 300 games. My Saturn collection consisted of The Crow, Clockwork Knights, Crusader - No Remorse, Die Hard Arcade, Virtua Fighter 2 and Heir of Zendor - The legend and the Land Anyways I always wondered what that slot did. Now I know, Thanks!

[@catsaregovernmentspies]

I also gave my games and systems away 20 years ago (2004). Back then I figured they were "just" old video games. Wish I still had them.

[@maroon9273]

Saturn started it, dreamcast/xbox continue and xbox 360 finished the story. Netlink took the sega channel concept and took it the next level. One of the first products to get to the internet and it the saturn into a mini computer.

[@razz56rob1]

I loved Netlink and played it every day. Mine came with 2 games, a Netlink t-shirt and an offer for Daytona netlink edition. I spent most of the time playing Saturn Bomberman online but played all the Netlink games tons.

[@MAmpf]

Got my Saturn online 2 weeks ago. Thanks to the community for making this possible. And thanks for this awesome report @lady Decade

[@acido7572]

This console is beautiful.

[@lancelange9377]

The Saturn version of Duke 3D was epic. The CD music made it even better than the PC version IMHO.

[@donnellcooper1011]

I was one of the 1% that owned a Netlink. At the time I managed a Kay-Bee Toys but got my Saturn and Netlink from Electronics Boutique!😅

[@arthurdecastro]

The Saturn was awesome. It even had a MMORPG in Japan by 1997 (Dragon's Dream).

[@grahambaker7563]

The Saturn is one of my favorite retro consoles. Another great video, Lady D!!

[@Nubzly]

Good delivery, good content, good video 👍

[@LadyDecade]

Thank you! 👍

[@LadyDecade]

Thank you 😊

[@3styler1]

I wonder if there is some way to access this via emulation on PC.

[@IsaacKuo]

I've done 10 player Saturn Bomberman, but I didn't even notice it was possible to play over modem! 10 player Bomberman requires an epic amount of hardware, with wires sprawling everywhere ... almost as much as a Sega CD 32X. You had the Saturn, of course, and two multitaps, and 10 controllers ... sadly leaving two controller ports unused.

[@mercster]

I was on the Internet pretty early (early 90s)... at some point I was kind of semi-homeless, couch surfing. I was without a computer, but I had my Sega Saturn and the modem. The damn thing disconnected at the slightest touch, but it was enough to get me online and even connected to IRC (yes, it had an IRC client!) I was very grateful for that. Thanks Lady Decade.

[@mercster]

Funny, I don't actually remember the Netlink modem having a speaker that played the dial-up handshake. You sure about that?

[@mercster]

That guidance for online interactions isn't out of date. If only 75% of the dopey kids online these days were given a handbook on how to be a decent person...

[@mercster]

VoIP is pronounced as one word, "VOYP." :-)

[@McAster99]

Thank you for pronouncing DAYTONA! correctly. So many miss it's whimsical accent when talking about it.

[@Fat_Kids_Jiggle]

Absolutely love the Duke Nukem song at the end btw:D

[@bornwisedistruction]

Ahh I remember the days of having to call my friends up and tell them "Ok im getting on line now!" Funtimes!

[@redconfetti]

It’s cool seeing my footage used in your video. Great overview on the Netlink!

[@Lostmymind1]

0:26 "As there are a number of different objects you can shove in this hole" PHRASING!!!

[@MaxAbramson3]

I still think that they should have used that backport on the Saturn for the $35 graphics accelerator that they developed in 1996. 500k polygons with features turned on and proper ports of all of their Virtua series and Daytona arcade games. And no need to wait until 1999 for the $200 Dreamcast. SEGA would've crushed the competition and saved gamers a fortune in new hardware.

[@knight0fdragon]

This is not a thing. The back slot was used for VCD discs and was too limited in access to be used as a graphics accelerator.

[@MaxAbramson3]

@@knight0fdragon SEGA had considered 5-6 different accelerator cards for the Saturn. IIRC, it was Hideki Sato, himself, who said that these would've used the VCD slot in back because of its higher bandwidth. One design even would've used a PowerPC and VooDoo card from 3dfx.

[@knight0fdragon]

@@MaxAbramson3 if he said that then he is misremembering because it doesn’t have a higher bandwidth. Everything the VCD slot can do, the cart slot can do. The cart slot could do even more.

[@MaxAbramson3]

@@knight0fdragon I recall an article where one of the engineers definitely said that they had at least one accelerator card that would plug into the back. I read that several months ago, anyway.

[@segare-trop-vieux3932]

We can play online nowadays also with the Japanese games ( thanks to the community fans ).

[@pixelpoppyproductions]

Yeah I think people don’t realize this - you can still play netlink games online now, and there is work being done to make it even better than it was originally.

[@segare-trop-vieux3932]

@@pixelpoppyproductions i am waiting for a dreampie version for the Saturn, that would be awesome

[@AdamIsUrqed]

I often wonder how different things would have been had SEGA of Japan not meddled and controlled SOA so much. We could have a four way console war right now. The SEGA Centauri could be competing with the Series X, Nintendo Gimmick, and PS5 right now. The Saturn was tied with the Dreamcast as my favorite system. Guardian Heroes and Dragon Force were properly worn out. I was a spoiles wee shit and got every SEGA system upon release (barring the horrid 32x), but my parents put their foot down when it came to online connectivity. I had my own phone line but the "internets" was for school only.

[@ddespair]

Great vid and sega had a lot of foresite into internet comments there!

[@JGreen-le8xx]

Lady Decade!❤❤❤❤❤❤😄

[@nimrodlevy]

I fancy such documentaries! Thanks for immance research, not to take for granted! As usual video of pure quality! Thank again mrs. Decade.

[@hyperlocalheroes]

You put the Darius gaiden track down there. Anyway, your passion about VG and especially Sega consoles made me subscribe. And also your evident personality, I like the way you are

[@funkydmunky1]

Always love the content. You put in the good work and deserve more subs! You and your team deliver the best retro content for sure. Keep it up and I hope the algorithm likes you soon!

[@damientaylor7480]

For real though, that fkn dial up tone brought back all kinds of memories. Anyone remember limewire and all the music you could steal off that...... fkn lit.

[@Revenant_Knight]

I actually used my Saturn Netlink to read web pages. LOL

[@chanimpresario4968]

This netlink adaptor was so badly marketed in UK that me as a Saturn owner that worked for Sega in the 90s is only finding out about this now!

[@grahamcorr7644]

I still have my old Saturn,and I had no idea this net access thing existed. I thought the slot was solely for the memory cartridge.

[@Paradigmfusion]

2:15 ooooo that sound brings back memories. But I got my start in the late 80s, with a 2400 baud rotary dialer. and the USENet BBS boards (think reddit without pictures or ads)

[@blue_ranger]

Had a Sega Saturn, but never even knew of the online capabilities, as living in Britain at that time BT (British Telecom) had such stranglehold phone monopoly, calls were outrageously expensive back then, a couple of years later I had a Dreamcast and played Chu Chu Rocket quite a bit online until I saw the bill! Then BT had 'surftime' unlimited packages for internet, that (of course), would not work for this, or in certain areas even though it was all dial-up. I know someone who worked for them and BT had so many blatant lies their staff were ordered to tell customers. Obviously things are different now with many broadband companies offering better deals.

[@SimonTeare]

I got into so much trouble for the bill after playing Chu Chu rocket for a month!

[@admiralhowdy]

I am where I am today thanks to the Netlink. Used it to job surf back then. Between gaming sessions. Never once used it to play my Duke Nukem online though; never even tried, though I loved the single player. Hey, you just reminded me, I haven't seen my big round controller in years... where the heck could it be?

[@ArcadeShogun]

Stunning review Lady Decade!!! I brought ram cartridge long ago from Japan, I didn't know what it was used for until I realize its great for storing saves if you didn't have a battery. which helped a lot. but it didn't know Sega Saturn had phone line online gaming feature, very interesting...

[@diegomayfield4751]

That’s awesome it still works today .

[@DanielSanchez-us5tc]

the netlink adapter for the sega saturn was indeed finally released in finland, but not the rest of europe due to europe's overall phone internet being very slow at the time, and was also released in brazil; i just saw the cover art of the Brazilian version of the Sega Saturn's NetLink adapter on sega retro

[@RaptorZX3]

i have the Japanese PowerVR edition of Virtual-On for PC, which is, back then, was the closest version to look like the arcade game. Nowadays you can pretty much emulate the arcade game on your PC with MAME or something.

[@VamosViverFora]

It’s clear by the sound it was a good modem and a good telephone landline connection. 😂

[@herimito]

I love Sega Saturn

[@gtvrossa]

Love this one Lady D, keep up the great work. I rarely play my PS1, but I regularly play my Saturn. Great machine. With regard to your online trolls, oh screw them! You are gorgeous and your channel rocks!!!! None of them would say no to a date with you! One of the best on KZbin. Simple as. Again keep up the great work!

[@thegamingchef3304]

I actually wanted a Saturn more than a PS1 or N64. I remember being at my cousins house in Florida for Christmas break (We didnt celebrate Christmas) and my Aunt and Uncle let him open it up since we were there. I loved Daytona USA. Side note: My mother went on a church trip to Florida and bought my brothers and I the same Florida Panthers jersey the guy has on at 2:49. So nostalgic lol.

[@bluewolf8873]

I absolutely love the sega Saturn. I wish there was a translation for Princess crown by vanillaware

[@tranquilway7958]

I really like your content, Lady Decade. I find modern consoles/gaming a bit..."meh" and Im interested in retro systems at the min. Your videos are informative and entertaining. If you dont mind me saying, I think you are very attractive. I also love your style and cosplays. I look forward to your future content. Greetings from Northern Ireland.

[@GabePuratekuta]

We all know that the best Bomberman was Act Zero. ....to take a sledgehammer to.

[@Fat_Kids_Jiggle]

I wish I owned a Saturn, I only knew one person who had one.

[@justing16]

this channel is class

[@alancartridge]

i love that someone out there still uses the word dweeb. =)

[@JamesShow]

Hell yeah. Love this content!

[@koomar341]

That duke nukem quote jacked from the movie THEY LIVE!

[@orcinsd]

I feel personally attacked...

[@DaveViner]

I love the Saturn, I remember seeing one at my cousin's house and then brother came home with one, and it blew my mind. I still have my Saturn set up and have a small collection of games (Shining Force 3 parts 1,2 and 3, Shining the Holy Ark, Panzer Dragoon Saga and a couple of others) it's a great console. Edit: Great Video, I knew about the netlink but didn't know much about it!

[@tobiaslofi]

Growing up in Europe I had never heard of this! In fact that cartridge slot on the Saturn never had any purpose that I had heard of

[@nigelfenlon9035]

I'm actively seeking a Saturn at the moment its crazy the price they're holding but I will get one, wish me luck👍😃

[@BG-yz7hh]

I miss my Saturn, this slumlord that owned the first place my wife and I moved into stole all my consoles and half my instruments. I had every Sega system including the full sega-cd 32x super system setup.

[@Gamers_of_Oz]

Lol all games should come with this Duke Nukem Etiquette PSA 😊

[@Yakobu90]

Thanks to the internet I can make Odd comments like this; Abe tonaaaaaaaaaaa US-Abe.

[@hjames78]

If you knew where to get imported ganes for the Saturn you had more fun with it than PS1

[@JJbm4233]

Not only do I have one of those NetLynx I have several games I went with it, including Duke Nukem 3-D, Sega Rally, Virtual On and Daytona USA. Long live the Sega Saturn DUKE NUKEM 3D!!!

[@Zalibidas]

you mightend up with more views on this from a recent interest surge from the mister fpga core, as well as possibly n64 lol

[@gregoryballestero4369]

X-Band!!!! that's the modem i remember using to play MK3 online via SNES

[@frankspanoudis7944]

It’s the game systems that keeps on giving

[@AthosJosue]

Love the roasting mid video 🤣

[@peterparker6584]

To say this thing barely existed in Canada would be putting it lightly only ever been Hands-On with one Sega Saturn ever never seen one in stores never seen them advertised came across one by accident around 2006 or 2008 I thought the thing was some sort of weird prototype or something and after I got it I found out more about it online. Apparently they were more of a thing in other countries. I didn't even find out till later on that the port on the back didn't run Genesis games. Did not know about the net link Port till today so I'm guessing they never put the net link on the market in Canada because I never even heard of it. I grew up in high school using Windows 93 Windows 95 and a couple years after high school Windows 98 LOL I bought a computer in 96 so that's probably why I wasn't aware of consoles like this I don't even remember them advertising the Sega Dreamcast. They were super obscure in these parts not as much as the Saturn but still pretty obscure.

[@cryopunch]

AWESOME!!! lady decade is awesome!!!! Thank you for the content.

[@aaldrich1982]

sorry this isn't on topic but i love the big-box SNES games you have on display just by your left shoulder (to the right in the picture) , Metroid and Lufia especially. Earthbound's hype has kinda put me off it as a game but I respect the collection.

[@yeahyeahwowman8099]

Sorry to say but just because a game has a ton of fans and hype around it shouldn't put you off, make your own decisions.

[@aaldrich1982]

@@yeahyeahwowman8099 it's the same with undertale.

[@Major07able]

A new video by Lady Decade a necessity for gracious living 😂

[@lap456]

Like the The TranDirect Home Banking System for the SNES; that was find for popole without home computers. However this was no sell to me manly since I had alraedy moved to Windows 95 before the Satrun, N64, and Playstation were relessed. So I had alraedy moved on form the SNES. That's why I have no love for 32 and 64 bit systems. Since Bleem allowed me to rent games form the loacl Blockbuster to play on my PC makes the Playstation the only exption to this.

[@zap7026]

In the middle of the '90s I literally had only a handful of friends with internet access. By end of the 90's, everything went straight down the drain, tbh. 🤷‍♂

[@starsiegeplayer]

I guess this was the predecessor for the dreamcast's built in modem.

[@Nick_Nightingale]

Providing such GREAT content should be ILLEEGAL!!! lol jk Thank you Lady Decade. Cheerio!

[@segaRPGfan]

All direct dial games, both Japan and USA can be played over the internet on real hardware via a new-ish python based tunneling method and works really well. There's a small community that regularly plays. Gameplay footage can be found on this here video platform.

[@SkyStarNova]

Had it, my first internet devise.

[@Djbrayster]

where did that Ristar sega logo come from @3:30?

[@BaneMcDeath]

Hmmm… Saturn analog controller and SEGA SATURN Analog Controller Mission Stick should be something I pick up some day along with an Atari Jaguar controller and the Arcade Racer stick. Hmmm… sexy gaming controllers. I’d probably get a usb adapter to try em out on NON console gaming on the pc. (I know… HERESY!)

[@cabbitkisser2620]

i got a sega saturn about a year or two after it came out. i have had heard of the ne link. i searched damn near everywhere for this. but i couldn't find one. i ran across one at a flea market. but the woman was asking way too much for it. if i remember she was asking $200 to $300 for it. so, i passed.

[@divian22]

Your voice reminds so much of Lucy Longhurst's from the show Cybernet.

[@mightymulatto3000]

I remember this was when I just started making my own money. I bought a Saturn. Amazing games.

[@jamlemon]

About time someone made a decent Saturn emulator!

[@diantoxentar5236]

Wow never know sega saturn have online play

[@prizegotti]

I honestly thought the irony you were gonna point out wasn't people being rude online still today, but the fact that this was a manual for Duke Nukem, one of the least politically correct franchises in history.

[@Kadamose]

I loved the Saturn, and I know deep in my heart that it would have done extremely well during the 5th generation if Sega of America weren't such dumbasses and actually brought out all the quirky and weird games from Japan. Instead, we got a bunch of crappy sports titles that no one wanted to play. Sega of America, (even though Sega of Japan were just almost as equally retarded), is the reason why the Saturn, and ultimately Sega itself, failed. It was also a mistake on Sega's part to try and compete with Sony on the 3D front - the Saturn, while certainly capable of 3D, was not designed for it, and was a weakness of the system. With the exception of the Panzer Dragoon titles, none of the 3D titles on the system aged well. They should have focused almost entirely on 2D, especially since the world was not yet ready for 3D at the time - and to prove this point, none of the games on the PS1 or the N64 aged well, either. Mistakes were made, and hindsight is 20/20.

[@zipsta]

Gasp's at the hole!!! haha do you write your narrative! 8)

[@Riz2336]

I only busted online stuff on the Dreamcast

[@mikesilva3868]

Great 😊

[@AlfredArmenta-xl3bx]

I like also the Sega channel 😊

[@ericm215]

Sega needs a comeback

[@morestupidforms]

When they came out, we decided among ourselves that it would eventually play megadrive games. Lost opportunity.

[@ticiusarakan]

awesome, can you tell more about this extension port?

[@shanktheglobe954]

Awesome video as always, but I came here to compliment you on your new hair, but turns out I just need a girlfriend hahaha Cheers!

[@herimito]

daytonaaaa circuit edition

[@jeffrielly]

"As there are a number of objects you can shove in this hole!" Jesus christ Lady Decade slow down you don't have to hit the gas quite like that!!! Jk

[@napoleonfeanor]

Internet was just way too expensive back then.

[@Imxlnt2]

that system has a big slot

[@jeffrielly]

Thats what she said!

[@polycube868]

​@@jeffrielly😂

[@1981mrdavid]

0:29 without context

[@justin1871]

🗣DAYTONA 🏎🎵🎵🎵

[@stran63r63]

🎉🎉🎉