Lord Spencer's Gaming (and other stuff) Blog

Now that I have completed my Sega Saturn reviews series (reviewing around 30 games and playing over 50 games), I am ready to make my own Top 10 games list. My top 10 is widely different from Retro Sanctuary's list, with only three games being in common between the two lists. Generally, I consider any console that has 10 great games to be one worth owning. Based on my reviews of many Saturn games, I actually struggled to compile a top 10 list for the console, not for an abundance of options. Still, this list contains 10 games that are worth playing even today. Ironically, my list probably doesn't reflect the kinds of games the Saturn is most famous for, since I am not a big fan of the content-light Arcade ports that Sega pushed the hardest for the console. Also, since many of the Saturn's "best" games were never ported West, this list may actually miss some games that would otherwise get in. The list is presented in alphabetical order, but Panz...

Finally, we are down to the supposedly top 10 Sega Saturn games. At least, this is the top 10 according to the Retro Sanctuary list I have been using all this time. Since I already played enough Saturn games to make my own top 10 list, I cannot say that I agree with this selection, but that's going to be the subject of my own top 10 list. To be fair to Retro Sanctuary's selection, the games here are important from a historical perspective regarding the console as a whole. There are two major Arcade ports of famous Sega games ( Virtua Fighter 2 and Sega Rally) , two games in the mythical Panzer Dragoon series, and the obligatory Japan-only 2D games (a fighting game and a Shmup). Then there is NiGHTS Into Dreams , the biggest-selling game on the console. Yet, the inclusion of three 3D games, all of which have significantly superior ports in other consoles, significantly devalues this list. Especially when you consider the fact that pushes Shining Force III from the top 10. W...

Few games in the Sega Saturn library have the almost mythical reputation of Panzer Dragoon Saga , an ambitious RPG game that arrived in the latter stages of the console's life and consequently didn't get as much attention as it deserved. Typically, an original copy of the game sells for over a thousand dollars these days. When you start the game, you immediately figure out that Team Andromeda had huge ambitions for it. Filling four discs and featuring fully voiced dialogue, the game aimed to be a cinematic masterpiece. Additionally, the world that the team crafted over the two previous Rail Shooter Panzer Dragoon games was to be expanded upon with this one, even featuring an invented language in the opening scenes. The result is probably one of the most ambitious games in the 5th generation of consoles, and while some aspects didn't age gracefully, that wasn't enough to hide the masterpiece this game was made to be. 1: Panzer Dragoon Saga: Year: 1998. Genre: RPG. Publ...

The Panzer Dragoon series is considered the most legendary and most technically impressive series on the Sega Saturn. Starting with the first game, which was just remade for modern consoles, I didn't get the appeal, although I respect the technical artistry of the past. The first game simply didn't play well, in addition to having a significantly aged graphical look. Not having much hope for the supposedly superior sequel, I was then pleasantly surprised that it truly deserves its esteemed reputation. It outclasses the first game in every category, and it is still fun to play now. 4: Panzer Dragoon II Zwei: Year: 1996. Genre: Rail Shooter. Publisher: Sega. Developer: Team Andromeda (Sega).