The 1994 Victor V-Saturn Console + Fenrir Optical Drive Emulator 

*Fun fact:* K-B Toys was so annoyed with Sega's botched launch of the Saturn that they didn't sell them. To quote their vice president at the time: _"Going back to E3 in May 1995, when Sega decided to launch early, the company excluded us from its list of retailers, and that has hurt them tremendously. It hurt them really bad. Based on that alone we decided not to carry Saturns."_ So it probably was _not_ the mall store that I remember. Electronics Boutique used to be over near that same section of the mall so that'd be my second guess. Either way, the sight of a big pile of unsold Saturn games is the thing that sticks out in my mind! Poor Saturn, Sega really shot themselves in the foot.

Clint, I can’t express to you how thankful I am for the trade. So happy you’re getting use out of the console!

The only times I ever got to play the Saturn was when my dad would break down and rent it for a weekend from Blockbuster.

Love my Saturn. Was the only kid in my town to have one. I just last year had to rebuild the PSU inside the Saturn, it would randomly reset after playing for a while but now it works like a charm.

LGR covering the Sega Saturn is a real treat, and the rare V-Sat at that.

Fun semi-related fact, you can now bypass the optical drive on the Nintendo GameCube using a raspberry pi pico board, haven't done it myself (mine is modded in an older method) but it looks relatively easy if you're familiar with a soldering iron.

Thanks for the shout-out dude!

I modded a Saturn last year and haven't shut up about it ever since! Tremendously underrated console with some terrific and really forward looking games

Weird. Your experience with Saturn back in the day is exactly what I had with the N64. I only ever saw *ONE*, which was owned by one of my neighbours. Everyone nearby who had a console had a PS1, before moving up to the PS2 (with one exception, a kid who had an xbox when that came out). In fact, I've only ever seen that one N64! It's bizarre. EDIT This was in the UK, by the way.

My cousin got the Sega Saturn from EB games, because stores like KB Toys and Walmart refused to sell the Saturn console for leaving them out at launch! But the optical drive had some problems, probably design flaws with how the system was designed!

I was a massive saturn fan back in the days, and supported it to the point some of my friendships suffered a bit back then … But I do have A LOT of wonderful memories, MANY hours spent on so many great games. Seeing it receive so much attention from the retrogaming community for the last few years really feels like the universe trying to fix one past mistake. Anyway, that’s good to see you give a little hommage to that lovely system with your usual passion and enthusiasm, Clint. Thank you for that, I’m glad you enjoyed it.

I'm so glad you're covering this and it reaching lots of people. Even most in the retro console hobby don't know optical drive emulators exist now.

I got my Saturn in 96 and loved it! Played a lot of games through a rental store. A few years later I also got a N64...

My Saturn has the Satiator, and I like it because you just plug it into that expansion slot above the CMOS battery rather than having to actually remove the optical drive.

I remember going to Movie Gallery as a kid and seeing the (small) section for the Saturn and 3DO and always being impressed with the 3D graphics and wanting to try one. Although I didn't know anyone who had one, and I think the only time I remember seeing a Saturn IRL was in Toys R Us. Before getting an SNES and N64 we even rented the whole console from Movie Gallery for a few days, which was pretty cool (you could rent various consoles and VCRs there. Not sure if Blockbuster did the same thing) -- we only had it for 3 days, so I would wake up at like 5:30am before school to get as much time in as possible. lol

Your content has remained consistent for a long time and I am still enjoying it. Great work, sir.

I was too young when the Saturn was around to actually be aware of it, and living in Australia the launch of the Dreamcast was so terribly handled that I really only ever knew Sega as a third party publisher. When I later got into retro gaming for some reason I was always drawn to Sega hardware, perhaps because they had a kind of mystical "fallen empire" aspect to them. The Saturn has since become one of my top 5 consoles ever, there's a lot of gems that never left that machine & it has a very distinct "feel" that you don't get from consoles anymore. I currently own a JP model modded to play burned discs but I've been curious about the ODE stuff for a while, so this video was a welcome treat, cheers LGR.

I installed a PS1 ODE recently after my optical drive died on mine. They are so great, I have about 175 games on a single card, and there are so many games getting translations and mods now. Literally just a few weeks ago the really weird first person japan only RPG Baroque just got a finished translation. It's a shame a lot of the original drives don't have much longevity, but for preservation's sake I'm so happy with mine.

I think the word you were looking for to describe the Saturn is "Mysterious". I've heard many others say the same. It truly was a mysterious console to the point it perplexes people who were born well after its time. Including me. I can't explain it, something about the way it renders 3D is just unique and oddly addicting to me. That's why me favorite games for it is Machinehead, Virtual Hydlide (fight me), Baroque, Ninpen Manmaru, etc. Same for the 3DO and the way it renders 3D graphics.

I never thought I would see another LGR console video. That last happened many years ago.

LGR popping off with his first actual Saturn content yet, been watching since the 3DO Review and finally we're here

These optical drive emulators are a good way to preserve these older CD based systems which the drives eventually fail. I have a Dreamcast fitted with a GDEMU to also play roms with an SD card.

Finally someone talks about Impact Racing! Top 5 video game soundtracks for me personally.

For just a second there, you did the greatest Duke Nukem impression I have ever heard 🤯😎

Sega Saturn Story to add to that "mystical" feel of the console - I worked at Toys R Us in the 90s between the Saturn and Dreamcast. The store's outer perimeter along the sides and back housed the area where boxed toys were stored along with swing sets, bikes, etc. The lights back there always seemed to need replacing, so it wasn't always lit that well. The common areas were fine, but the distant areas that held store supplies weren't as well-maintained. One day I was asked to look for something out of the ordinary and had to explore the darker areas of storage. I stumbled upon the remains of our entire Sega Saturn display kiosk on top of a pile of other things. It was odd to find something of that size amongst things like rolls of stickers, papers, and other supplies. However as it was promotional material of sorts that wouldn't need to be accessed on a daily basis, there it was. Those things take up a decent chunk of space, so I am sure it was a matter of "get this thing out of here" when they updated the look of R-Zone (that's what we called the video game area) at the time after the Saturn had run its course. This may have been summer of 1998. The store was remodeled in the early 00s to the racetrack configuration and then demolished a couple of years ago. I have no idea what happened to the kiosk. It was probably thrown away during the '99-'01 remodel... but then again, perhaps I recall another employee walking out with it one day when the remodel began in 1999. Over 20 years ago.... I can't quite remember...

I gotta say, I would welcome an HD port of many of these games. Astal, Dragon Force, and others. There were some fantastic games on the platform.

i’ve been hella interested in getting a saturn lately so you making this video was a complete treat!

I came here from The Friendship Onion. I love how knowledgeable you are on these topics, it is very quite fascinating! Your videos are editted so amazingly and a ton of history about the consoles add a nice charm!

I got a Saturn for my birthday as a kid back when it came out, and I agree with your points on the system being mysterious and fun. While I admit I didn't particularly enjoy the games, there's something just very unique about the Saturn.

I am very happy to see the fan translation scene being pretty solid on the Saturn. So many games just did not make it outside of Japan. Now because of dedicated fans there are dozens of great games that English players can finally enjoy. I am hoping to see Princess Crown translated one day because that was basically Vanillaware's first game before Vanillaware was even an established company.

Oh how I love your videos! Soothing vocal notes combined with infinite nostalgia make me feel content and happy

The Phar-More reference surprised; really takes me back.

For me the Saturn has a sort of “what could have been” mystique to it. It’s an interesting console that I wish Sega would have not made such bone headed business decisions

I spent a fortune last year on ODE's for my Dreamcast, PS1, and Saturn- including the Fenrir. Such a wonderful little device practically crucial for owning a Saturn these days given how expensive physical copies are and how much those old CD lasers struggle.

1:41 man that review crew brings back some memories. Ahhh the old magazine days, checking the mail for all the new reading material.

That is a beautiful CRT and the composite signal blends the pixels so wonderfully. This is such a nostalgic look and the woodgrain table just enhances the comfy setting. Stuff like this is why I always come back to LGR.

My experience of the Saturn was learning it existed about the time that the Dreamcast was launching.

Saturn Duke 3D is all I had back in the day, and played the hell out of it. So the other versions seem like the weird ones to me. You should try the secret level it's a freaking weird toilet themed level and has an awesome, awesome exclusive song.

YES! Sega Saturn video!! I have been waiting for LGR to do some Saturn stuff. This is probably my all-time favourite console. The import library is so insanely amazing. Elevator Action Returns is one of the most fun 2D games on the platform.

Videos like this always leave me conflicted. I have no fascination with the Saturn, despite growing up along side of it. But the way you present these videos, the music chosen and your narration makes me wistful for the era this Saturn came from. The only thing you could cover that brings a stronger sense of deja vu and nostalgia is anything Packard Bell, honestly.

Surprised you didn’t cue up Nights Into Dreams. Absolutely gorgeous game that shows off the Saturn well

Nice to see some V-Saturn love ❤️ Always looked nicer than Hitachi’s Hi-Saturns, although the Samsung Saturn beats it for cool points.

Nice of you for the Adam K shout out. I've been watching him since 2012. His channel deserves so many more views then it gets

The setup with the CRT and PC speakers is wonderfully nostalgic. Loving videos at the new place.

Here's a quick tip for you (or anyone who reads this): You actually can go back to the ODE menu by using the reset button. You just have to hold the A button on the controller while doing so. You'll be brought back to the system menu while the ODE switches back to its menu.

Another fun fact: The Saturn was the only console ever that actually rendered 3D using squares instead of the polygons we all know and are accustomed today. I think this is what gives the Saturn kind of its Saturn look you can't find anywhere else. All the ported saturn games later for PC are actually converted to use polygons, so def not the same.

i never thought I'd be overcome by nostalgia by one of your videos, because I live in a different country and had a very different childhood, but I bought a Sega Saturn in '96 - with Astal, one of the weird games covered in this video, and man, the nostalgia this video gave me was in a whole different level, thanks for that.

Haha the 'Saturn bargain bins' hits way home! In England, every Woolworths / EB / GAME, had these bins and I swear nothing ever sold. Saturn consoles were eventually cleared at like £35.

Daytona USA and Panzer Dragoon were both awesome games, so was virtua fighter, I don't have much memory of other Saturn games from my time with one

Seeing KayBee Toys brings me back...even as a kid I could tell when my parents were trying to avoid that section of the mall...

Wild. I have *almost* exactly the same setup. A model 1 V-Saturn with the access light and a Fenrir installed. However, it's a 20 pin drive (I think the 21 pin Fenrir was still in development so I needed a model 1 at the time). Modern bootleg Action Replay 4-in-1s do work with it but occasionally video stutters or the Fenrir menu refuses to boot if you've reset and loaded a bunch of games in a row with it (this might've been fixed with a firmware update tho). This was cool to see and I'm happy you seem to enjoy it!!

nice! i was always intrigued by the Sega Saturn after seeing a print ad for Panzer Dragoon when I was a young gun. around that time a friend of mine got a Saturn (when everybody else had N64) with Panzer Dragoon and I was blown away, very much took you to another time and place. very fond rainy day memories

I genuinely never saw a Saturn in the flesh despite being in my early/mid teens when it launched in Europe. It was that rare, it just got absolutely stomped by the Playstation - appreciate it did in most markets though. To this end I've always been interested in it, while my perception at the time was that it was an inferior console (and within its generation it is, at least in most aspects) it was still interesting just because of its rarity. Just like you it seemed like - and this is very weird given how huge the Mega Drive was in Europe - Sega totally dropped the ball on even marketing it. I don't remember demo units either, I'm sure they must have existed but I remember playing Playstation demo units before I got my own.

I have a Saturn from Japan I imported because I loved the white console. It's modded to play CD-Rs, with an Action Replay etc. I was gonna get Fenrir but at this point I dunno if I'll need it anytime soon. I also got the Brook USB to Saturn adapter that also has Dreamcast output, so I can use any USB fight stick etc. The original controller for Saturn is amazing tho, but DC... An Xbox controller is nice lol. Check out the GBS Control to play Saturn via component (There's a Saturn to Model 2 Genesis adapter) over to VGA! It looks *amazing* on my flat glass AOC VGA CRT ;)

Thank God that I'm not the only one who gets games just because "I saw it somewhere and it reminds me of that time"

Man, both the Saturn and Dreamcast have such neat designs. I wish I had more nostagia for both consoles. I mean, I had a lot, but a few years ago, when emulation became good enough, I played and replayed a few games and then... just kinda abandoned it. But no regrets. Also, would be nice to see some more game and console related videos from you. I know your channel sorta moved away from that over the years, but it's always interesting when you tackle the subject again (and I noticed that you've been doing it a bit more lately, just keep it up ^_^).

I have never seen this before but seems interesting. I still have my original Sega Saturn (though I did have to replace the internal battery).

I’ve had my Fenrir for a while and I love it. Very easy to install even for an idiot like me. Satiator is another easier option as it doesn’t require you to remove the disc drive, but it’s about twice as expensive. You can also arrange by folders, which will speed up navigation for you (rather than having just one massive list)

I've only heard two people talk about kit bashing on youtube, you and Mr Adam Savage. Some good company to keep, for sure!

I remember a shop in the mall we used to frequent had a boxes of them in the window and you could see the back of the box, I remember the first time I saw it, I was pretty young, and I saw the pictures of virtua fighter and daytona and I was just blown away, but it was sooo expensive at release, I did end up getting a PS1 eventually, but something about the Saturn, like you say it was mystical and mythical. I ended up making a friend that had one and we used to play Area 51 a lot, I thought it was such a cool game, but the PS1 with its excellent Doom port and classics like Ridge Racer and Die Hard Trilogy will always hold a special place in my heart, it was as coming of age for gaming, going into the 3d realm and was coinciding with my own adolescents. Then when I was 14, in 1999, I got totally spoilt when my parents brought home a brand new, top of the line IBM Aptiva. Some of the best memories of my life.

I love the Saturn, it's my favourite console of all time. As usual, PAL users got the short straw, although some games were optimised. These days I'm rocking a white Japanese console, I'd love a Fenrir or similar but just can't justify the price sadly.

My favorite system of all time, and severely underrated. Sony waged an anti Sega campaign, throwing money around to various game magazines to smear Sean's games. On many occasions I witnessed reviews that were completely biased from many reviewers, when the Saturn versions of games were superior in every way. Symphony of the night should have been the superior version on the Saturn, but the Saturn got a half assed game from komami. It was a superior system in every way, especially with the ram expansion Providing arcade perfect ports.

When you mentioned Pharmore, a flood of nostalgia came to me. My mom would take us to there and Giant Eagle to rent games and movies. And the best part was that they were attached. So 2 video and game rental stores were in the same building. Also I think its funny and ironic that you only remember the Saturn being sold in the store that initially refused to carry it due to the release debacle. Thats great. I bought one late in the generation for super cheap at a flea market. Then I sold it like a dumb A in 2012 after the price started to go way up. That was the last gaming system I sold that I didn't have 2 of. I wish I could slap old me for that.

Phar-mor! That unlocked a core memory! The HQ was near where I grew up. Unfortunately, the owner was corrupt, went to jail, and the company folded.

I always wonder what SEGA could have done to save the Saturn, but I think the system was doomed from the beginning with the dual CPU setup compared to the PS1's single chip. Also, no built in debugger for the developer kit made it such a damn pain to work with for 3rd parties. Most companies used just 1 chip on the system because they could only feasibly debugg one chip at a time.

My 2nd fav model after the regular JP model 1 Also, I'd recommend the Satiator over the Fenrir

LGR you inspire me. Never asking for likes, subs, bells, or ads, I strive to do the same for my simple little channel. Thank you for yet another great video!

Great video and enjoyed the shout out for Adam Koralik I've been watching his channel for around 10 years now and is a legend and without a doubt his channel needs your love and attention from everyone who loves retro gaming and console maintenance help. Thank you LGR for a great Saturn video 😀

All I got to say is, praise be to ODEs. Not only has it made it so we no longer need to pay some POS off eBay but for those of us with limited space, we don’t need to have a bunch of physical media around us.

Someone used to make an ODDE for the 360 and it's impossible to find nowadays. I really wish I could find one!

I was a very lucky kid when my mom bought me a Sega Saturn while I lived in Lithuania back in the mid 90's. It cost an unfathomable $400 when an average salary in Lithuania at the time was $80-$100/month! All I played in the beginning was the demo disc as buying the console was expensive enough and the games were so expensive - about $80/game or, again, an average monthly salary in Lithuania. The PlayStation, on the other hand, was almost instantly cracked and you could buy it with a copy protection 'bypass' chip straight from the market vendors for about half the price of a Saturn and it also meant you could buy (pirated) Playstation games for as low as $4/game. I eventually came to regret my decision of buying the Saturn instead of PlayStation, however, I did get countless of hours of entertainment out of it. Games such as Command & Conquer, SimCity 2000, Panzer Dragoon, Tomb Raider, Dragon Force, Soviet Strike, Virtua Fighter and even Street Fighter: The Movie became part of my childhood. I will forever remain grateful to my mom either way.

My cousin had a Sega Saturn. He had every Sega system. They were amazing and a staple of my memories from when we would visit.

Wow, the minor rotation that the camera does when turning in duke was trippy. I don't have a problem with FPS games normally, but that would probably make me sick.

One of the original creators of Sonic 3D Blast recently went back and fixed a bunch of things to the way he wanted it and put it out. Look for “Sonic 3d Blast Director’s Cut”.

Beautiful machine. Also missed out on this one back in the day, and been eyeing it ever since.

I love your kitbash! For a Viper it's pretty understated!

The Saturn and Dreamcast both would have really shaped the gaming industry so differently, so underrated, both were kind of Mythical in some areas.

16:05 Hell yeah! Good ol' Sonic R! Yeah, indeed, this game could been better if TT had a few more months of development, but regardless, it's a cult classic! And it's soundtrack ft. the voice of TJ Davis says it all.

This is why I adore this channel so! You have the most finest of taste Clint! I recommend a Brook adapter for using modern controllers and arcade sticks. X-Men Vs. Street Fighter is the game that made me scoop a Saturn up!

I love your shout out to Pharmore. Wow there's a short-lived, then-forgotten piece of retail history. We had one here in my small Nevada town. I wonder where it came from and where it went. I remember it being something in between Dollar Tree and Ross.

I believe the optical drive is the most unreliable part of the machine, the emulator will make this fantastic machine last forever.

Blame Sega themselves for the Saturn being obscure for the time. I'm sure you heard the legend, but for those unaware, Sega released the Saturn the DAY they announced it at E3, alienating stores since they didn't have time to prepare and, according to many gaming experts, destroying the company

Bringing up Phar-Mor brings me back to memories of renting a bunch of games there for really cheap from their rental area. My brother and I loved it.

Very interesting video and content might have a look for one of these console

Clint. You are absolutely in for the time of your life. The Saturn library is monumental, exciting and wholly unique. Have fun!!! 💖

I love the Japanese crossover stories! And mods. Thanks for brightening my morning!

DUDE! The Saturn was that mystical console for me too. I had a Playstation and N64 like most kids. The Saturn, I didn't even know existed until I went to a small local business game store called GameSpot (not Game Stop) and discovered it. I ended up buying a used console from them eventually.

PHAR MOR! Haven't thought of that place in forever. We would go there on Fridays and get the 3 NES game rentals for 99 cents.

Hermoso video Clint , gracias por mostrar a los que no pudimos tener una Saturn en su momento . Para ver esos grandiosos juegos.

pretty orgasmic to get a notification to tell you LGR just uploaded a new video when you've been bingeing LGR for an entire day

Aaaand as always: Thank you VERY much for making this video!

I'm just happy to hear people talk about the Saturn : ) looks great!

OMG Phar-Mor, that takes me back. I worked in one in high school. Pretty sure the brand name "FAYGO" is permanently etched in my retinas like CRT burn-in.

I love my Saturn. The boot sequence is very captivating.

Been watching Koralik for years! Cool to see a shout-out here

i got one for christmas when it came out. and i loved it. i ended up selling it to my brother and he sold it to a friend. its the only system i regret selling off. i wish i still had it

This is fascinating. Thanks Clint!

You really need to add Guardian Heroes to your collection. it's probably my favorite Saturn game, and a must-have.

This is great! Seeing lots of Sega Lord X's favourite games here. I really need to play around with the Saturn sometime! haha

as a long time sub of Adam Koralik I can certainly vouch for man's content, lots of good retro stuff and guides for cleaning of older consoles if you got a unit in need of one, even de-yellowing is possible