The Sega Saturn, though often overshadowed by other consoles of its era like the PlayStation, is still home to some of the best gaming experiences ever created. Let’s dive into 22 of the best Sega Saturn games that deserve recognition, with a spotlight on each of them. With a wide variety of genres, from shooters to RPGs, this list offers something for everyone.
1. Panzer Dragoon Saga
Of the iconic Saturn titles, Panzer Dragoon Saga is one that really brings the goods. This RPG treasure boasts one of the best turn-based/real-time active battle systems and some asides to great flying dragon gameplay. Even at the high asking price of today, Panzer Dragoon Saga remains one of the decade’s best JRPGs with a mix of captivating combat and unforgettable storytelling.
2. Sega Rally Championship
Created a revolution in the respect of race-loving gamers by being the first game to showcase the use of a dynamic surface with real moving global tracks. Be it sand dunes or curvy mountain passes, the game managed to serve some next-level graphics while keeping gamers busy at their screens for hours.
3. Radiant Silvergun
Not many shoot-‘em-ups top the list of Radiant Silvergun fans. Featuring rapid-fire action, a sword system that allowed for 360 degrees of attack motion, and beautiful graphical presentation, it’s easily one of the Saturn’s strongest shooters. Despite being Japan-exclusive, it’s a cult favorite among fans worldwide.
4. NiGHTS into Dreams
This lovely platform made nights a must-own title for Sega Saturn proprietors. The player artistically flies through colorful, dream-like levels as nights to capture orbs and evade foes. Players are still in love with the world and gameplay of this incredible game.
5. Saturn Bomberman
Perhaps the best multiplayer Bomberman experience a bomber fan can get on the best Sega Saturn games. Saturn Bomberman is known for its bomb tastic 10 player battles. It has nice visuals, a strong single-player component, and competitive multiplayer that made it the best in class.
6. Shining Force III
Shining Force III is the greatest Saturn strategy RPG of them all. Its tactical battles, excellent storyline, and impressive 3D visuals were a step up from what had come before, for those genre fans. And even now it is seen as one of the absolute best examples of SRPG design, period.
7. Burning Rangers
A novel action-oriented game where you play as futuristic firefighters, running through burning buildings to rescue civilians. Burning Rangers is notably known for its innovative jet pack ideas and beautiful anime-style art. It was a later Saturn release, but one which fans hold close to their hearts.
8. Guardian Heroes
A side-scrolling beat-‘em-up with RPG elements, Guardian Heroes was unlike any other game in the genre at the time, offering rich storytelling and combo-driven combat moves. Its Choose-Your-Own-Adventure progression adds replay value, making each playthrough feel fresh.
9. Daytona USA
Despite technical shortcomings, Daytona USA is an arcade racing classic that found a solid home on the Saturn. Its thrilling gameplay more than made up for the graphical flaws, making it one of the must-have racing titles of the time.
10. Virtua Fighter 2
Despite modest visuals, Sega’s Daytona USA was an instant arcade racing classic, and the Saturn provided a solid home for it. The exciting gameplay made up for its graphical shortcomings, cementing it as one of the best racing games of the time.
11. X-Men vs Street Fighter
Merging two of the most popular licenses in gaming, X-Men vs Street Fighter offers gamers the opportunity to pair up dream tag-teams featuring iconic heroes and fighters. The Saturn version benefited from being powered by the console’s 4MB RAM expansion, which meant it offered a sublime home port of the arcade experience.
12. Street Fighter Collection
Arguably the premier fighting game of the mid-’90s, Street Fighter Collection served up a special gift to battle enthusiasts on the best Sega Saturn games. This assortment featured Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II Turbo, and Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold. It’s a dream find for fighting game lovers, especially since Alpha 2 Gold includes the fan-favorite character Cammy! With polished mechanics and refined gameplay, it was a must-have for all fighting game fans.
13. Die Hard Arcade
Die Hard Arcade was a fun beat-‘em-up that filled the void for Saturn owners. The game is fast-paced, arcade-style action featuring John McClane with both hand-to-hand combat and firearms-based fighting, as well as multiple-choice scenarios. The addition of quick-time events kept things thrilling, making it one of the best beat-’em-ups at the time.
14. Virtua Cop 2
Improved upon its predecessor by offering new routes, additional levels, and improved gunplay mechanics as well. One of the most exciting things about this game is that it’s an incredible on-rails shooter where players must kill hordes of criminals (incorporating new levels). The nonexistent spongy fire offered in myriad hallway shooters felt passé; its new jackbaphore embodied insane responsive shooting and replaying different routes through the levels.
15. Galactic Attack
This game is a classic shoot-‘em-up. Using a lock-on missile mechanic and featuring fantastic pixel art, it stands among the finest shooters on the Saturn. It was one of the most popular games due to its exciting gameplay and detailed enemies.
16. PowerSlave (Exhumed)
PowerSlave (Exhumed) is set in an ancient Egyptian city. This game (as it is also known) is a first-person shooter with great weapon play set against an interesting locale. The game differentiated itself from other shooters of its era by way of its level design and atmospheric setting, both of which helped create a cult following.
17. X-Men: Children of the Atom
This was a fast-paced fighting game in which you could jump around with big, slow sprites but it brought to life the X-Men in an amazing way. One of Capcom’s earlier entries into the world of Marvel fighting games is X-Men: Children of the Atom, which showcases a good selection of classic heroes such as Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm. It was a standout, with its tight mechanics and neon graphics.
18. Burning Rangers
Burning Rangers may be one of the most original games ever released, in which players play a firefighter from the future. It was one of the couple of late brilliants that hit Saturn in its dying breath and with its dazzling 3D visuals featuring impressive voice navigation. You jetpack through fire and burn down buildings in order to rescue civilians; it’s a nice palate cleanser from the typical action game.
19. Baku Baku Animal
A whimsical puzzle game, Baku Baku Animal has you matching food blocks with the appropriate animals in order to clear the screen. Tetris-S has very simple gameplay, but combined with its adorable graphical style it becomes one of the best puzzle games on this system. Best for: Fans of fast-paced puzzle fighting.
20. X-Men vs Street Fighter
An amalgamation of two iconic franchises, X-Men vs Street Fighter made it possible to enact dream matches while introducing one of the best tag-team systems ever. The game had huge sprites, and featured fast, fluid action and even did away with single death strikes in favor of a system where devastating combos could rain down on any player at any given time. It never saw an official release in the west, but it’s one of the best fighters on Saturn.
21. Virtua Fighter 2
One of the greatest 3D fighters of all time, VF2 also pushed the Saturn hardware to maximum capabilities. Its smooth gameplay, fluid animations, and deep combat system would keep it a mainstay in the fighting game ecosystem. Even today, the Saturn version of Virtua Fighter 2 still plays great, and while I am sure some will disagree, I think this is a game anyone with even just a slight interest in fighting games has to play.
22. Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition
Daytona USA was already a well-liked arcade racer, which best Sega Saturn games benefited from getting an excellent console port of. This edition was the definitive Daytona USA experience consoles had seen thus far (better graphics, more cars, better control) and solidified its place as one of the premier racing games for the Saturn.
In Summary, these 22 games represent the very best of what best Sega Saturn games had to offer. From intense racing experiences and genre-defining RPGs to fighting game classics and innovative action titles, the Sega Saturn’s library remains a treasure trove for retro gamers. Whether you’re a fan of strategy, action, or arcade classics, the Saturn’s diverse lineup of games has something to offer for everyone.
