The Sega Saturn was one of the best consoles ever released, with so many classic experiences. Many of its great games  have held up surprisingly well and today I want to take a look at 11 games in particular ( in no set order) that I feel stand out the most.

Guardian Heroes

One of Treasure’s best games, Guardian Heroes is a beat em up that adds in RPG elements and a deep story mode. This was a major step up for beat em ups and a large divergence from the usual Capcom fare. Not to disparage those games, but Guardian Heroes had a more epic feel and you wanted to replay it several times to experience everything. With amazing visuals and music, this is one that aged like a fine wine.

Radiant Silver Gun

Another Treasure game, Radiant Silver Gun may be the best shoot em up on the system. As with Guardian Heroes and beat em ups, Treasure changed the game forever when it comes to shooters after this was released. There were no powerups to get, but you were given a set of weapons to use and mix up. With a deep story that gets more involved as you go, this became an influence on all subsequent games in the genre.

Nights into Dreams

The Saturn may not have gotten a proper Sonic game but it did receive this unique gem. A genre-busting experience that Shigeru Miyamoto described as the one game he wished he had made, Nights Into Dreams saw you play as three distinct characters, each with their own play style. Of note was the titular Nights, whose flying sections are still fondly remembered today. This was not something we expected, but was something much better instead. I wish Sega had continued this series on the Dreamcast, but the Wii game was decent still.

Virtua Fighter 2

I couldn’t forget Sega’s premiere fighting game series. VF 2 was bigger and better than the first entry and fixed all the issues. The graphics were much better, the controls were tightened and felt more precise and now there was an actual story. While it’s not my favourite in the series ( that’s still 5), VF 2 did so much right, that it ensured that the Virtua Fighter series was not just a gimmick. It showed there really was a deep and engaging game within and one that would endure for years.

Street fighter Alpha 3

Street Fighter Alpha 3 was released for a number of platforms, but none came close to the majesty of the Saturn version. The game released after the Dreamcast version, but only in Japan, yet managed to surpass its next gen version by having unique features. The Saturn had everything the PlayStation version had, but dramatic battle now included Reverse Dramatic Battle and three different characters could be used. More importantly though, and unlike the Dreamcast version, this port allowed dramatic battle against the entire roster of characters, while other versions restricted this to the boss characters.

X-Men vs Street Fighter

My favourite Saturn fighting game, X-Men Vs Street Fighter was the first taste of real crossover action between franchises, that had only been teased before, Containing an excellent tag system, amazing visuals and music and the best 2D fighting of its era,  this game did everything right. Street Fighter Alpha 3 was great on Saturn, but X-Men vs Street Fighter had more of an impact in my opinion. A great mix of characters,  gameplay that can still be enjoyed today with the same wonder that we had back in the day. makes this a legendary title.

Panzer Dragoon Zwei

Panzer Dragoon was to Sega what Star Fox was to Nintendo. While the first game was a revelation in terms of what should be done with on-rail shooters, it was Panzer Dragoon Zwei that took things up a notch. Everything was better here, with improved graphics and sound as well as deeper and more immersive gameplay. There were now alternate routes to be taken and the dragon would evolve based on your performance. It showed an evolution of the concept and was amazing.

Powerslave/Exhumed

Powerslave (known outside North America as Exhumed) was a standard Doom clone on PC, but still a fun game. On the Saturn however, the game was nothing short of revolutionary. The developers took what was a linear game and made the first 3D Metroidvania. Well before Metroid Prime, Powerslave would have you backtrack to earlier areas after getting new powerups and equipment, and made the world far more immersive. What was just another FPS on PC, became a pioneering title on the Saturn.

Shining Force III

Shining Force III was the height of the original Shining series, and while the original release only saw scenario one get localized, fans have managed to translate scenario two and three to let players experience the game in full. This game was different and at the same time a perfection of what came before. All the great ideas of the series up to this point were refined and enhanced, and the visuals for the game still look amazing today. The game also had an exploration mode outside of battle that played closer to a traditional JRPG, and laid the groundwork for the later Golden Sun series that Camelot would make for Nintendo.  An evolution that looked at story in more depth and explored mechanics differently, Shining Force III was perhaps the best rpg on the system.

Sega Rally Championship

Sega had many great racing games and while I wanted to include Daytona USA, I feel that Sega Rally Championship was a better racer on the system. The port was incredibly accurate and high quality, and gave a real feel for rally racing. The music was memorable and the game is still fondly remembered to this day. This game has some of the most fun racing around, provided you realize rally racing is a bit different than regular style racing games.

Virtua Cop 2

I had to include one of Sega’s great light gun games, and while house of the dead was good, the port to Saturn was not the best. Virtua Cop 2 was great on the system though, and gave you a great sense of tension and excitement as you took down bad guys while helping free civilians. The graphics, while lacking by comparison to modern consoles, still look great, and the cheesy voice acting and sound effects make this one a standout.

And there we have it. I want to stress that these were just my favourites, and this is not a definitive top ten list. What were your favourite Saturn games? Let us know!

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