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Sega Saturn Memories Vol. II The Journey BeginsThis is a continuation of a series whose first entry was in 2024 — you can read it here. Sega Saturn Memories Vol. II is dedicated to our recently departed OG, Magic Knight Frederickson . I had the pleasure of sending some Saturn gear to Dan over the years. His dedication to the community is something that I will forever be grateful for. “Sega what?” onlookers ask as they walk by my booth at the latest game swap or convention. Yes, friend, it’s a Sega Saturn, the black sheep of the Sega family (sorry, 32X, we’re talking about standalone hardware). I ask if they want a quick history lesson. “No thanks.” Off they go to the nearest PlayStation and Nintendo table. They don’t get it, but I can’t blame them. Millions passed on the Saturn in the mid-’90s, as the 32-bit era was dominated by Sony and, to a lesser extent, Nintendo.  Northern California Game Swap. An hour passes by. No bites at the Saturn table just yet. I scan the patrons walking by and notice someone a couple tables down wearing a Sonic T-shirt. Their eyes widen as I nod my head in appreciation. They get it. As they approach the table, they’re in awe of the sight of more than 100 Saturn longbox games. Memories begin to flood in. “So tell me. How did you begin your Saturn journey?” For the past three years, I have been making it a mission to introduce the Sega Saturn to new audiences. I typically only do local shows and have a small online presence. The face-to-face interactions are the most rewarding. It’s fun hearing people’s Saturn stories. Especially the early adopters. Adults that had $399 to burn, Sega kids who got their set during the holiday, the long-awaited birthday gift, the cousin who moved on to PlayStation. Just as interesting: The stories of why people passed on the system. Too expensive, not enough games, never was a Sega kid, that’s not a Dreamcast?  Gotta have some Nintendo items to lure in the customers! We all have a Saturn origin story. Mine began in November 1997. I grew up in a household that started with the NES, SNES, and eventually the PlayStation and N64. My family didn’t obtain a Sega system until ’96 or ’97. Even then, it wasn’t a Saturn. (It was a Nomad.)  My brother bought us a Nomad, probably from FuncoLand. What’s so significant about 1997, you ask? Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 100. The feature in that issue was “The Best Games of All Time.” One hundred console games, starting from 100 all the way down to No. 1. I still have this beat-up issue on my shelf. As I was reading through the games, I recognized a lot of the non-Sega titles. Then I got to No. 66: Guardian Heroes. If you don’t know what type of game Guardian Heroes is at this point, I’ll reference the EGM description and add a little sauce: Final Fight, Double Dragon, and Streets of Rage on steroids. I grew up watching my brothers play most of the popular beat-em-ups. We even had some of the lesser-known titles like Brawl Brothers, Peace Keepers, and Sonic Blast Man. I’m not sure how my brothers could read that blurb and not be the least interested. Alas, they were fighting game connoisseurs at this point in their gaming journeys.  Twelve Saturn games made EGM’s top 100 list and this one stuck out to me the most. I need to get this game, but it’s on what system? Sega Saturn? Have I even seen this out in the wild? I only recall seeing the Saturn kiosk with Nights at my local Target. The movie rental shops in my small town definitely did not have any Saturn games. I don’t even remember seeing the system at the flea markets that I frequented with my family. By 1998, the system was pretty much written off.  My beat-up EGM issue 100: November 1997. During our monthly visit to FuncoLand (later bought out by EB Games/Gamestop), there was a used Saturn in the glass case. Sweet, only $24.99! On the trip home, I was excited to try the one 99-cent game we bought with the system, Virtua Cop, as I had fond memories of playing it in the arcade. As I was unboxing the system and attempted to connect it to the TV, we realized that they had given us the wrong video cable! Keep in mind, we lived out in the country, one hour from that FuncoLand. My brother decided to return the system altogether as they didn’t have the correct av cables in stock when he went back the next week. My Saturn journey stopped short before it even began. Perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be.  Funcoland Electronics Boutique GameStop I was a freshman in high school in 1999. Late that year, some new friends I had made were shooting the breeze about games we were playing. Final Fantasy Tactics and Squaresoft RPGs were all the rage at the time. The conversation led to a discussion about consoles we had. Lo and behold, one of them had the Saturn! He began describing the one game he had for the system, this awesome beat-em-up. I screamed, “Guardian Heroes!” He was surprised that I knew it. I asked him if he would let me borrow it. “Nah, I don’t play that system at all,” he said. I ended up paying him $50 for my first Saturn with a disc-only copy of Guardian Heroes. Firing up the Saturn for the first time was a trip. I didn’t know I needed a battery to save the clock and language settings. But hearing that intro music from the intro FMV on Guardian Heroes was magical. My siblings and I played Guardian Heroes to death. At that point, we were familiar with Treasure. My brothers were assassins in Gunstar Heroes and we had gone through Mischief Makers on the N64. Guardian Heroes is such a classic. The art direction and gameplay are top notch. It’s action packed and incredibly entertaining. The music is memorable. So many great things to say about it. What an unforgettable game to start my Saturn journey with.  Sold my disc only copy for a complete one a long time ago. After itching to get a Saturn for more than two years and one failed attempt at FuncoLand, it finally fell in my lap. The Sega Saturn will always hold a special place in my heart. It was the first home console that I picked out for myself. Previous systems were all chosen by my older brothers. I would go on to bring the Saturn to school every time we had a free day available. Even back then, I was trying to sing the praises of the little system that could to anyone who had an open mind. And though my love for the system didn’t crank up until my eyes were opened to the Japanese library , the early experiences were unforgettable. Panzer Dragoon Zwei, Shining the Holy Ark, Dragon Force… absolute classics. 
EGM reviews of some of my first games on the Saturn. “Sega What?” You damn right, it’s a Sega Saturn. The underappreciated black sheep of the family. The fighting game powerhouse. The home of quirky titles. The treasure trove of shmups. Your Saturn journey? How about we start that today? Thank you, EGM issue 100. Without you, I’m not sure I would have gotten a Saturn as early as I did. Thank you, friend of my friend Pat, whose name I can’t remember, who sold me my first Saturn and Guardian Heroes. And thank you, Magic Knight Frederickson, for inspiring me to get back on the wagon and share Saturn stories to those across the globe. Your story will be told and live on in our memories. I cherish all the conversations we had. I’m forever grateful that you allowed me to be part of your Saturn journey. You were there on day one for the Saturn. You are an absolute OG SHIRO! legend.  Magic Knight Frederickson’s first NA longbox purchases since Magic Knight Rayearth came out. He bought them in 2023.
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