• Light/Dark

PandaMonium Reviews Every U.S. Saturn Game |OT|

Reader mode
modoversus

modoversus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,717
México
"PandaMonium Reviews Every U.S. Saturn Game" is a series of documentary style videos that mix humor, research, interviews and game reviews to talk about every American Sega Saturn release, in cronological order.

Video lenght per episode can be of only a few minutes to a few hours. For instance, the Virtua Cop Documentary lasts 4:25:20, and is really a must watch for any Sega fan. It covers not only the creation of Virtua Cop arcade, but also the creation of the 3D hardware, the creation of the console port and interviews the creators of the port and talks about the state of Saturn game development at the time.

I have noticed a bit of more discussion about Sega's 32 bit console in the forum, so I think a lot of you may like this, or you may already know about these videos and would like to talk about them with each release.

Newest episode:

Bug! (Revisited) | Reviewing Every U.S. Saturn Game | Episode 7 of 246

How was Bug almost a Sonic game? What's the deal with its dev kit being larger than a small fridge? Did Spielberg actually endorse the game?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


View: https://youtu.be/O8AVwj0K5nw
 
Cocolina

Cocolina

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,140
Every time I rented a Saturn from Blockbuster I rented Bug! with it and every time I couldn't even make it past the grasshoppers.
 
Tendo

Tendo

Member
Oct 26, 2017
10,549
Oooh gonna dive into this. Saturn is a gem of a library.

Wait whats wrong with creamy?
 
Huey

Huey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,543
I'm into this, thanks for the heads up, OP.

Love me some Bug!

modoversus said:
Sure, it's a reference to a Sega Saturn ad that is referenced frequently in the videos, but I can change it. Never done an OT before, do I have to ask a mod?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
it's your thread, you do you, especially if it's a reference. That's a very weird request lol
 
GiveMeCoins

GiveMeCoins

Member
Sep 4, 2022
532
God I fucking hate the Bug! series. It just felt so devoid of soul. It's missing something. I have no idea what it is.
 
Bigkrev

Bigkrev

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,443
I understand that its longer than the extended version of Return of the King, but the Virtua Cop video in this series is a must-watch IMO. The sadness the whole team had when Yu Suzuki was playing the game for a final check and was trying to reload by "shooting outside the screen" using a controller and then asking them "why is this not working" and making them hack in "Press B to reload" on a control was incredible.
 
Huey

Huey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,543
GiveMeCoins said:
God I fucking hate the Bug! series. It just felt so devoid of soul. It's missing something. I have no idea what it is.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
To each their own, but I feel the exact opposite. Saturn devs knew they couldn't pull off a Mario 64 scale 3D platformer so they came up with different solutions to make platformers 3D anyway, as that's what the audience was desperately clamoring for. Bug! tried something in gen 5 that - to my knowledge at least - no one else tried, with linear paths that moved in and out of the screen, kind of alternating 2D sidescrolling with Crash-style platforming. It's also absolutely dripping with an injection of 90s "baditude" into a conventional mascot platformer, which is a phenomenon that aged poorly into the 2000s, but the further we get from it, the more and more is aging like fine wine. It's such a time capsule.

What doesn't really work about Bug! is that the controls are pretty unresponsive and sluggish, so it's hard as nails to pull off some of the things that game requires of you, but I generally still can really enjoy it as a platformer to this day, and I definitely don't think it's missing soul. I think the game knew what it was, it just mechanically didn't do it very well.
 
OP
OP
modoversus

modoversus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,717
México
Nick mentioned during a live stream today that the next video will be Sega Rally. Will be around 3 hours, but not as robust as the Virtua Cop documentary.
 
Alienhated

Alienhated

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,606
That Virtua Cop documentary was miraculous, it might be the best thing ever on Youtube.
Can't wait for the Sega Rally one!
 
TheWooniestWoona

TheWooniestWoona

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,996
PandaMonium deserves way more views than he gets. He does some of the best video game related videos out there, and they only get a few thousand views.
 
Qwark

Qwark

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,169
Been meaning to watch some Saturn library videos, this looks great. Gonna start at the beginning.
 
OP
OP
modoversus

modoversus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,717
México
New video:

Sega FY 1997 — The Slow Death of a Titan

So what exactly "killed" Sega? The troubling thing about this question is it really cannot be answered in a single video. What can be said is they lost quite a bit of money throughout the 90's. Thanks to the recent leak of the Sega FY1997 Brand Review, and translations of recent statements from former Sega of Japan execs, we now have a much more clear view of Sega's slow bleedout. This video seeks to summarize the important details of the document, how they link to the recent revelations from the SOJ execs, and tie them to the numerous other sources picked up over the years. This shows what went on behind Sega's doors throughout the 5th gen.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...


View: https://youtu.be/8mckm3MrxOs?si=EkoPQlZlOUfAqkXN
 
jazzfunkgreats

jazzfunkgreats

Member
Oct 7, 2019
243
Pandamonium is absolutely top tier, the amount of research that go into most of the videos is amazing. Highly recommend for anyone with even a passing interest in 90s gaming.

Going to dig into the new video this weekend!
 
Glimlocker

Glimlocker

Member
Mar 7, 2019
3,696
Empire of the Inland Realm, USA
This video is probably one of the most illuminating out there as to the downfall of Sega during the 32x/Saturn era. It's painful to watch.
Has there been any other deep dives into the 97 report? This is, by far, the best one I've seen so far.

As much as I think the 32x is a really unique little console, it's pretty clear it never should have been developed. Unreal how much stock was left sitting in warehouses. Same with making the Genesis lifespan so long. Should've cut the cord. Actually, all of their consoles were doing really poorly during 1997.

All that said, I've compared the libraries of the Saturn vs PlayStation from both their launches until 1997.
I really can't understand how the PS1 sold so well during that period.

The PS1 library was not substantially better, by any measure, than the Saturn library at that point. Absolutely not nearly good enough to be destroying the Saturn in sales at that point.

From this video, I'm assuming it was a combo of that early price reduction by Sony, better Sony marketing, and early 3D performance looking better. But still...how the Saturn didn't even dent the PS1 is really bizarre to me.
 
timrtabor123

timrtabor123

Member
Feb 11, 2019
1,030
Ok so my long-form HulkieD/Poparena + ThaBeast format hybrid Wii concept isn't the craziest thing to try to make and people will probably watch if I can nail the script and audio/editing decently that is good to know. Will definitely give this series a watch. Always wanted a Saturn when I was in my collecting phase due to Burning Rangers, D, and Bug! looking interesting.
 
OP
OP
modoversus

modoversus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,717
México
Premiering live on Saturnday June 15th at 3:00pm EST, a more than four hour look at Sega Rally Championship for the Sega Saturn! Featuring many translated Japanese TV clips, videos, magazine articles — and some original interviews. On Patreon NOW for early access.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 
Katana_Strikes

Katana_Strikes

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Oct 29, 2017
11,232
I really wanted to like Bug but(t) it's awkward controls and tough difficulty made it impossible. I didn't get very far and was just really frustrating. So much so I bought the sequel. Kids eh?! Very interesting that the JP version was made easier and the reasoning why. Anyways I loved the Saturn but looking back at all the shit going down at SEGA behind the scenes unbeknownst to me at the time is crazy and sad. What could have been.
 
Tailzo

Tailzo

Fallen Guardian
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,143
Glimlocker said:
This video is probably one of the most illuminating out there as to the downfall of Sega during the 32x/Saturn era. It's painful to watch.
Has there been any other deep dives into the 97 report? This is, by far, the best one I've seen so far.

As much as I think the 32x is a really unique little console, it's pretty clear it never should have been developed. Unreal how much stock was left sitting in warehouses. Same with making the Genesis lifespan so long. Should've cut the cord. Actually, all of their consoles were doing really poorly during 1997.

All that said, I've compared the libraries of the Saturn vs PlayStation from both their launches until 1997.
I really can't understand how the PS1 sold so well during that period.

The PS1 library was not substantially better, by any measure, than the Saturn library at that point. Absolutely not nearly good enough to be destroying the Saturn in sales at that point.

From this video, I'm assuming it was a combo of that early price reduction by Sony, better Sony marketing, and early 3D performance looking better. But still...how the Saturn didn't even dent the PS1 is really bizarre to me.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
When a console first starts being a hit among your friends, it's hard to stop. Like Xbox one never catching up to PS4.

Looking back, I should've bought a Saturn instead of a Playstation.
 
daninthemix

daninthemix

Member
Nov 2, 2017
5,044
I believe he did a review of Ghen War with the original creator. That's a game I couldn't finish. Not only is it quite unclear how to finish some levels, but no walkthrough or longplay exists.
 
julian

julian

Member
Oct 27, 2017
17,159
Aaaand posting here so I'll keep up with this. Enjoying these videos so far. Saw the Virtua cop one and then started from the beginning. Almost finished Corpse Killer. Will watch this eventually.
 
Sir Hound

Sir Hound

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,246
I'm only two hours in but really glad I joined the patreon. So much time and effort went into researching these videos. Hopefully he'll mix in some shorter videos again for lesser titles as I don't fancy his chances finishing the series otherwise 😅
 
Dragon1893

Dragon1893

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,501
Watched a bunch of these over the past months. I have huge nostalgia for the Saturn (and still feel the frustration of seeing so many of its best games remain Japan exclusive back in the day).
The Virtual Cop video is indeed incredible.
 
Reader mode
You must log in or register to reply here.