Saturn Vs Dreamcast

[Sayo]

This is like comparing apples and oranges.

 

[zilbert25]

They are both different in many ways. DC graphics are better, less games but also plenty of quality titles. Saturn graphics are definitely worse but it has a huge library and a beautiful feel about it. Saturn will keep you entertained for a long, long time with the amount alone. It has some great sequals from the megadrive days too. You would miss one without the other but if you had to chose only 1...Hmmm really cant decide.

 

[hazys]

The Saturn reminds me of the Vita in that it was a very high-quality system that felt completely out-of-step with the times. Like the Vita its library is fairly limited, but what's there is very good, especially if you mod it to play fan translations/JP-only releases. It also has very high-quality controllers and peripherals.

The Dreamcast was a lot more experimental but with mass appeal, it was like the Wii but unsuccessful. However the controllers and peripherals took a hit in quality. The main issue with the Dreamcast is that most of its best exclusives have been ported elsewhere, but as a system it was very cool and forward-looking with its online features.

 

[Amag0k1]

This is like asking me to choose between both of my children. I think the DC is sliiiiiiiiiiiightly better than the Saturn, but by the smallest of margins. They both have super solid libraries and they both sauce to them, appearance-wise.

^ this 100%

 

[ThunderBoy]

I prefer Dreamcast.
Incredible amount of games for the short time it lived.

 

[Jotaro]

both consoles were amazing, for 2d games, saturn was next levels, had superior ports even than most 2d ps1 games, which had shared

meanwhile, dreamcast, was proto ps2 levels, had gems like

- the shenmue games
- d2
- tech romancer
- soul calibur
- soul reaver 1
- sword of the berserk (first berserk game)
- headhunter 1
- re code veronica
- cannon spike
- sonic adventure 2
- doa2
- grandia 2
- skies of arcadia
- project justice
- mvc2
- crazy taxi 2
- blue stinger
- ready 2 rumble games

and several others

super underrated console, its a shame, that it got axed from sega, had so much potential, they could still make few more games, if they had more budget and promotion.

 

[Parasite_Steve]

Saturn. By a hair. I love both systems but the Saturn has the more unique and interesting library. But that is with hindsight. At the time it would have been the DC for sure since most of the Saturn‘s best games never left Japan.

 

[Loops]

Dreamcast - spent a lot of time exposed to that console and it's library whilst growing up! Saturn always seemed like an almost mythical, unattainable console in the UK to me - I only knew of one person that had it, and that was years after it was released well into the 6th/ going on 7th Gen.

 

[Merchant]

both consoles were amazing, for 2d games, saturn was next levels, had superior ports even than most 2d ps1 games, which had shared

meanwhile, dreamcast, was proto ps2 levels, had gems like

- the shenmue games
- d2
- tech romancer
- soul calibur
- soul reaver 1
- sword of the berserk (first berserk game)
- headhunter 1
- re code veronica
- cannon spike
- sonic adventure 2
- doa2
- grandia 2
- skies of arcadia
- project justice
- mvc2
- crazy taxi 2
- blue stinger
- ready 2 rumble games

and several others

super underrated console, its a shame, that it got axed from sega, had so much potential, they could still make few more games, if they had more budget and promotion.

i love project justice so much, need to get the arcade stick, i cant get enough of having different controllers for systems. It's great.

Post automatically merged: Jan 25, 2025

Dreamcast - spent a lot of time exposed to that console and it's library whilst growing up! Saturn always seemed like an almost mythical, unattainable console in the UK to me - I only knew of one person that had it, and that was years after it was released well into the 6th/ going on 7th

Was so excited to get a boxed white saturn.

 

[Ikagura]

My nostalgia would say Dreamcast.

The Saturn has too many good games locked out of the west.

 

[Trainer Red]

dreamcast since you can surprisingly do quite abit with the console ~ saw my cousin play psx games on it in the early 2000s for example ( kinda wished he didn't give it to his nephews and to me instead when he was giving it away though loll )

thoughts though - sega should have been the first to have been like 'backwards compatible' feature
would've been awesome if the dreamcast was able to play saturn (the amount of good fighting games on that system ...! ), sega cd, and 32x games direct boot
perhaps the dreamcast would have lasted longer if they did that ~

 

[Merchant]

dreamcast since you can surprisingly do quite abit with the console ~ saw my cousin play psx games on it in the early 2000s for example ( kinda wished he didn't give it to his nephews and to me instead when he was giving it away though loll )

thoughts though - sega should have been the first to have been like 'backwards compatible' feature
would've been awesome if the dreamcast was able to play saturn (the amount of good fighting games on that system ...! ), sega cd, and 32x games direct boot
perhaps the dreamcast would have lasted longer if they did that ~

oh yeah thats right with the bleamcast. I dont know if it works on gdemu, but i do know that it can play atomiswave ports and neogeo cd ports which is loads of games and the load times are faster i think

 

[themoon]

Lot of people saying both have a solid library, and I would say relative to their competition in their respective generations, both libraries are a bit lacking. I personally find that there's more on the Saturn that I can keep coming back to. That being said, if you're into homebrew or mucking about with consoles, the Dreamcast is literally, well... a dream. Quite possibly the best homebrew/hacking scene of any console, past or present.

 

[Gaz]

I'm currently experiencing owning both a saturn with a saroo and a dreamcast with a gdemu.
My question is, which one do you personally think is best? I won't have a full answer for a while, because it will take a long time to play all these games lol.

Here is a short comparison from my end.

The saturn controllers are less comfy than dc, but have one of the best d pads on both the mk2 and the 3d pad.
I think the saturn looks cooler with its big bulky design and I love the logo. I find that I really like the pixel graphics on the saturn more than the dc but this is only a subjective. I like still having the disc drive and having all the games where as the gdemu is just for games; not sure if you can play music; which is a plus for the saturn. It is very hard to say which has the cooler menus and I would have to say the saturn is cooler but that the dc is very close ( shows how much I like the aesthetic of the two)

In terms of games I think that the saturn is best for 2d fighters, rpgs and shmups. The dc has more action games imo like jet set radio, maken x and sonic adventure.

In conclusion, I think the dc has the better variety and quantity of good games for my tastes, but the saturn is best for rpgs and shmups. They both have great 3d and 2d fighting games, fighters megamix being a fav. Definitely all my friends want to play the dreamcast more than the saturn tho I have noticed.

Dreamcast. I owned one back in the day.

 

[PhaseJump]

No brainer for me.

Saturn has Shining the Holy Ark, Powerslave, Dragon Force, Guardian Heroes, Panzer Dragoon Zwei, Shining Force 3, PD Saga, Dark Savior, Policenauts, Sakura Wars, Grandia, Lunar, Lunar 2, Bulk Slash, Nights, Radiant Silvergun, Vampire Savior, Virtua Fighter 2, Castlevania Symphony of the Night, Bomberman, Bomberman Fight, Burning Rangers, D&D Collection, Tetris Plus, Baku Baku Animal, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, Shinrei Jusatsushi Taromaru, Shinobi Legions, Metal Slug, Elevator Action Returns, Legend of Oasis, Vandal Hearts, Fighters Megamix, and a ton of other games worth playing.

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's iconTamagotchiTamaHero24]

In my brief time with both machines, I can say that both have attractive libraries full of hidden gems and classic titles. I’ve openly spoken before about disliking the feel of the Dreamcast pad, and that maintains. Meanwhile the Saturn pad is very comfortable for long play sessions, while being a tad small for my hands.

The Dreamcast has the VMU’s, which while not used well for every game, add an extra layer to the experience that is hard to get outside of original hardware. It can add to the pizazz of some games for the system, which makes for very exciting times indeed.

The Saturn is a reliable piece of hardware, with its only issue being a lackluster internal save function. Even FRAM modding my console hasn’t stopped it from being unfun to save things on my Saturn. Furthermore, I actually lost a save recently. My Fighters MegaMix copy had courses A-D completed, but when I went back to play more of the game I was reverted to my previous save where only course A was beaten. Not the end of the world, but definitely frustrating and makes me somewhat wary of playing the RPG catalogue on the system. That said, cartridges alleviate this heavily, and they have enough save data to keep you going for a very long time. Compare that to the VMU, which while reliable, runs out of save space very quickly.

The Dreamcast as a whole can be a fickle thing, with the single nastiest disc drive I’ve ever used. While the console can read burned games, permitted they’ve been formatted to act as Mil-CD’s, the system screams like bloody murder while reading those. It can also be picky with legitimate games if the title is scratched, and even struggles somewhat to read music off a CD that seems to be in pristine condition. My Saturn on the other hand has a much stouter laser. One that I’m not worried about failure on for some time. It just works, and even reads some lightly scratched discs (my copy of NiGHTS) as if they aren’t scratched at all.

The Saturn is a bulky piece of kit. It’s thinner than other CD players of the day, but it’s still rather large. The largest of the main three fifth Gen machines, actually. As wide as the N64 and as tall as two PlayStations. The Dreamcast, alternatively, is a beautifully small thing. It’s actually shocking how much power exists inside such a small device, and it’s easy to transport if need be.

In the modern market, both machines have very expensive prices on legitimate software. Dreamcast games are hard to find, often have cracked cases secondhand, and tend to be $30 USD on the low end and nearly $250 on the high end. Meanwhile, the Saturn has rarer software, but plenty of desirable games form the JP library are worth under $20 (NiGHTS, Sega Rally, Fighting Vipers, Fighters Megamix, Panzer Dragoon, Last Gladiators, Decathlete, etc.). That said these prices become far nastier than Dreamcast games. Even in the JP market, there are many games worth over $200. English copies… don’t restrict yourself to English copies. Don’t do it. You’ll hate yourself and so will your wallet. The standard price for US Saturn software seems to be around $40, but quickly climbs far higher as you explore the library. Not to mention, while Dreamcast and JP Saturn games can both be cracked in their cases, it’s easy to get replacements for standard CD jewel cases. I hate having to do it, but it’s simple. THERE IS NOTHING SIMPLE ABOUT US SATURN CASES. And god rest Pal regions. Dreamcast cases in that region make no sense (two disc slots on single disc games???) and Saturn cases are an excercise in torture to keep in good shape because they’re ENTIRELY CARDBOARD.

Both systems are worthy of respect, while also being consoles that aren’t just pure play. You need to know what you’re getting into before owning one. I recommend both for the avid retro collector! Just make sure you do your research and are ready to take up the responsibility of maintaining these machines long term. You won’t regret either purchase if you go in smart!

 

[Bonkers225]

2-d fighters for Saturn, everything else, Dreamcast.

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's iconTamagotchiTamaHero24]

2-d fighters for Saturn, everything else, Dreamcast.

I disagree. The Saturn has a more solid stable of Racing games, 2D platformers, and more RPG’s. That said, the Dreamcast’s entries in these genres are UNMISSABLE, though they’re limited in number and usually rather expensive.

 

[CG4R12I4N]

Some of my favorite GOATs came from Saturn, but Dreamcast literally has no bad games. Ever.

 

[RobertJackets]

What is even this question are you deaf?

 

[HyperTurboFox]

In term of 3D Gaming, the Dreamcast won.

In term of 2D Gaming, the Saturn won.

It's mostly depends, if you like to have a collection of 3D Platformers, Glorious 2D Fighter and PS2-like graphics. Dreamcast is the system for you. If you like the low-poly aesthetic, RPG and 2D Powerhouses. Saturn is the system for you.

 

[Bomberman]

Saturn, it just has more games.
Dreamcast has a better ratio of good games to bad I guess but the sheer number of good saturn games outweighs the Dreamcast.

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's iconTamagotchiTamaHero24]

I

Saturn, it just has more games.
Dreamcast has a better ratio of good games to bad I guess but the sheer number of good saturn games outweighs the Dreamcast.

I guess so, but I think personally that both consoles are equal. They have pros and cons, but they’re both important, beautiful, wonderful, and filled with games that are stuck on those systems.

 

[Leon]

Let's compare the west vs japan library.
For the west it's tough, i personally prefer saturn as i'm a rpg guy, but on a more absolute level, the dreamcast had a better library in the west.

In japan however, it's not even close, saturn wins handily.

 

[Merchant]

this site is great