Games that were Better on the Saturn than on PSX..

The Saturn can actually do non-interlaced graphics, ie progressive scan. That said, this feature was never used in any game out there. You can find it on some homebrew demos though..

 

As much as I hate to say this, my Saturn via s-video on my new LED looks amazing. High resolution games look as if they are through VGA. I'm not bull shitting either as I know my RGB from shitty composite to DC VGA. I'm a real image nut when it comes to my consoles plus I'm from the UK so I've spent my gaing life with full RGB. Man, I still remember the shock seeing the crap quality they had to put up with here in Japan when I first came.

 

Gameboy TV converter... It sucks, and the quality is terrible, but there is a difference between S-Video and composite... All composite really is, is both luminisance and (c-word here) mixed into one signal.

 

chroma

 

So if S-Video looks so great, then RGB must look ridiculously good on your TV?

 

Thats the thing. NTSC countries never really had RGB. S-video was the best option for many gamers if they used a normal TV. Europeans really can't grasp how lucky they are.

Anyway, the reason the Saturn's high resolution S-video image looks so good on the LED screen is all down to the TVs filters which are there especially for games. It's even called game mode ! The TV will even display the image in a small box in the centre of the screen to keep the original resolution as close as possible. Of course there are a few filters to upscale everything though.

When I get home I'll scan the instructions for the game mode. There's even a hand held portable option for the PSP or whatever.

 

Saturn RGB is the sweetness At least on my 32" CRT sony flatscreen tv.

 

Unless, of course, your TV handles S-Video very well.

Plus, of course, there are a lot of levels of greatness above AMAZING. Such as UNBELIEVABLE, INCREDIBLE AND EYE-SEARINGLY SHARP.

 

I don't think it's all solely about the resolution and scaling. I like scanlines and they're essential for the low-res experience to me.


!!! *_*

 

O yes, scan lines are defiantly needed for lower resolutions. I agree there :nod:

 

Surely that's what your HD set lacks, though?

 

There are ways to get scanlines

 

Expensive and complex ways, yes.

 

It does but like I said before, High Resolution Saturn games look great. These don't need scan lines because they are mostly 3D. I've yet to play a high resolution 2D game although playing standard def games with the game mode filters on did make them look pretty nice. No blocky crap, no off colours, no lag, no off center image. In fact the only downer was the lack of scan lines.

I'm going to give the Mega Drive a try over the weekend. I'mnot looking forward to seeing that though. lower resolution than a Saturn plus shitty composite.

Anyway, back on topic. The mystery horror game, Maria is better on the Saturn. Believe it or not the saturn bosts better quality FMV! Even I was shocked by how clean it is. Also cleaner audio and shorter loading.

 

Didn't the Saturn use MPEG video and the PS1 used some weird Proprietary video? I think almost all FMV looked better on the Saturn.

 

x

 

I've checked and you were right - only the very first stage was ever running (tentatively) at 60fps, with the rest 30fps. Also, the Saturn version of Quake had totally unique hidden levels supposedly because Lobotomy had a lot of problems with certain stages and decided they could make their own to work around this issue. As for lighting, the only major difference as far as I can tell when compared with the original PC edition is reduced particle effects so maybe this is what had been improved for the cancelled PlayStation build?

That's what I'd always thought as well. On the subject of games and their frame rates, does anyone know if there's any kind of database for such a thing? I'd love to be more accurate when technically comparing multiplatform titles especially... if only Digital Foundry had been around back in the good old days!

 

I don't know how anyone could say that. The Saturn FMV was horrible, unless you are talking about the few games that made use of the MPEG adaptor. In almost every single instance the PS had way better FMV!

 

x

 

They are not that easily visible if you're using something else but RGB.

http://s3.directupload.net/images/100327/mevruo3u.jpg
It's a close up though, therefore with extra visibility.

http://www.insertcredit.com/reviews/ketsui/img/ketsui.JPG
Vertical scanlines, top notch arcade CRT quality.