Who plays TR1 on the Sega Saturn?

[Smegzilla]

I used to own the original Tomb Raider for Playstation quite a few years ago, but for some reason I must have sold it, 'cause I don't have it anymore. Anyway, due to the release of Anniversary, I decided that I'd play TR1 through again, and with frustratingly failed attempts to get it to run in Windows Vista, I went out looking for a console version.
Just so happens that I found the Saturn version :D

I've been playing it through a little, and is it just me, or is the framerate a little faster/choppier than the PS1 version?
Also the controls have taken a LOT of getting used to... pressing R to roll and X/Z to sidestep got me really confused! I almost got killed by the wolves in Vilcabamba when I couldn't remember which button it was to draw my guns!

[Vilcabambaby]

I haven't played it on Saturn. But I can imagine Saturn's controller giving me all sorts of headaches!

[rr_carroll]

I believe I recall an old thread about in the Cistern level, some door or opening is bricked up, but only on the Saturn version.

Oh, here it is:

http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=71351

Page 2 has a picture of the brick wall.

[na_th_an]

I have Tomb Raider for my Saturn. I've read somewhere that the game was designed for that console first. The Saturn 3D hardware engine worked with full quads and not triangles, so the TR engine was so easily worked out on the hardware.

I've never played it, tho'. I got this Saturn as a gift and I just took a glance at the game and never played. I would give it a go, tho'. But the controllers are just horrible for this game :(

The game is faster and more vivid on Saturn, but it also has a lower resolution.

[Joe_16]

I thought it was only TLR for the Saturn?

[na_th_an]

The only Tomb Raider ever released for the Sega Saturn console was the original. The demise of this console happened just too soon. In 1998 it was replaced by the Dreamcast, which got TRC (an excellent port, my favourite version of TRC has to be the Dreamcast one).

[TR freak]

I thought it was only TLR for the Saturn?

You're thinking of dreamcast. TR4 and Chronicles were on the DC and TR1 was on the SS. TR1 came out for the Saturn first.

[na_th_an]

I didn't know TLR was released for the Dreamcast, thanks :)

[TRAIDER523]

I had friend that had other counsels. I stayed pretty basic actually. Went from Nitendo to Sega right to Playstation then to PS2. I think TR was MADE originally a Sony PS game and should stay that way. I hate how it is made for other counsels and even worse now like XBOX, Wii, 360, etc (next gen).. Makes her look soo stupid. So heh whatever. I've stuck to PS versions.

[na_th_an]

The Original version was coded for the Sega Saturn, the ported to PC and Playstation. TR2 was coded for the PC and ported to the Playstation. TR3, TRL and TRC were coded for the PC, ported to the Dreamcast and downgraded (adapted) for the humble Playstation.

TRAOD was released for PC and PS2 and the versions are almost identical. TR Legend looks way better on PC current gen and XBOX (superior hardware) than it does on the PS2. XBOX360 and PC next gen look different.

TR Anniversary has been released just using current gen technollogy for the PS2, PSP and PC. It looks way better on the PC, not only 'cause of the better resolution, but also for the lightning and athmospherical full screen effects and antialiasing.

I'm so pleased that with my 4 years old AMD 2000+ 1.64 Ghz PC with a humble ATI Radeon 9600Pro it runs with all effects on without losing a frame at 800x600 :) That's what I call "optimizing code". Cheers, CD.

[Deepthought]

Tomb Raider exists for the Sega Saturn????????

[tombinator]

Tomb Raider exists for the Sega Saturn????????

yeh, damn right it exists on the saturn!! it was on the saturn that i first fell in love with the game!! Good times! The controls seemed perfect at the time, but i bet if i tried playing it now, they would seem awful!!

[Smegzilla]

I guess for the Saturn's kinda awkward controller, the controls are as good as they can get. I'm getting pretty used to it now, thought it's really awkward when coming to play a different TR game on the Playstation, heehee

[miufs]

The Original version was coded for the Sega Saturn, the ported to PC and Playstation. TR2 was coded for the PC and ported to the Playstation. TR3, TRL and TRC were coded for the PC, ported to the Dreamcast and downgraded (adapted) for the humble Playstation.



Sorry but you´re wrong friend.

TR2, TR3, TR4 and TR5 were coded for PS1 and then upgraded to PC\DC (smoother textures).

:)

[na_th_an]

That's what I thought 'cause you only have to check the model meshes. They have way less polygons in PS, and the skinning techniques used in TR4 & TR5 are absent in the PSX version (which simply can't handle it). And as far as I know, textures are the same 64x64 pixel, 8 bits bitmaps, only that in DC and PC they get softened by filtering (again, something the PSX can't do).

I always thought that 'cause it's easier to create something complex and then downgrading it for less powerful hardware rather than reworking everything to make it better. For example, if you have a system which moves 500 polygons models and uses 64x64 pixel textures and another one which can move figures with 2000 polygons using 256x256 pixel textures with alpha channel... well, you can automaticly reduce hi-quality models and textures, but if you do the lo-quality version first, you basicly have to rework everything to obtain the hi-quality version.

As in, you can take a 1600x1200 picture and reduce it to 640x480, put you cn't take a 640x480 picture and enlarge it to 1600x1200 gaining the needed detail in the process.

That's why I believe(d) it was the way around.

[ladykillercroft]

omg the sega saturn, i remember getting TR for that, i was 8 and it scared the crap outta me, but my sega saturn went byebye when i wanted a ps1 but they do still sell them in some game shops for like 20 quid

[na_th_an]

The Sega Saturn was a great console but Sega marketed it too poorly. Besides, there was no framework for developing games so most coders had to work in pure assembly if they wanted to take advantage of the hardware. What happened is that games didn't push it to the limits because of that, and they looked worse than on the PS1 when the machine had more capabilities in some areas. Pitty. It also had an architecture which was like crazy with 6 different CPUs to take care of. Very hard to program :(

[a_Nxiety]

yeh, damn right it exists on the saturn!! it was on the saturn that i first fell in love with the game!! Good times! The controls seemed perfect at the time, but i bet if i tried playing it now, they would seem awful!!


same here, a buddy of mine got it and we started playing and just got hooked! i went out and bought the PSX version (which smoked saturns) I knew how mad he was at how much better it looked on PSX, but he never admitted it until recently. ;)

[tombinator]

same here, a buddy of mine got it and we started playing and just got hooked! i went out and bought the PSX version (which smoked saturns) I knew how mad he was at how much better it looked on PSX, but he never admitted it until recently. ;)

did it really look that much better?! i havent played on the saturn version in a while, but im sure they looked identical, but im only going off what i remember

[solidsnake289]

The Sega Saturn was a great console but Sega marketed it too poorly.

The reason why sega don't make consoles nowadays plus the Saturn could have had ALOT of pertensal.

[a_Nxiety]

did it really look that much better?! i havent played on the saturn version in a while, but im sure they looked identical, but im only going off what i remember

no the saturn version was not nearly as good. It was very grainy by comparison, lara's skin apeared almost orange in color, the save points were a flat pastel blue, not a shiny mirror like PSX's, and the funniest thing was some of the animals on the saturn didn't even make sound effects. The bear in the City of Valcambia didn't even growl. Funny stuff.

[na_th_an]

The PSX/Saturn versions look almost identical, but...

1.- The Saturn version plays slightly faster.
2.- The PSX version has slightly better resollution.

The Saturn version also looks darker and with oversaturated colours. Look at the pic I took yesterday (I started playing the Saturn version to review it properly :) ):

http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/4918a62a34.jpg

Also what's stated above. The Saturn version is earlier and missed some sound effects. It has more glitches as well. Water textures are different. Besides, Saturn couldn't render translucent polygons so save crystals are solid opaque.

[Endow]

I first played TR on the Sega Saturn and there was nothing better.

I always laugh when I hear people associating Lara and the TR franchise with the Playstation as if it was "TR's platform"...

Anyways, all hail the Saturn!!!

All hail :

Panzer Dragoon Saga
Burning Rangers
Shining Force III
NIGHTS into Dreams
Virtua Fighter 2
etc
etc

[na_th_an]

Agreed 100% with you Endow :D

That's why I'm playing TR on the Saturn now. After Anniversary, I wanted to play the original... THIS is the original :D

Another pic:

http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/fd6943fa06.jpg

More colourful than the PSX version, I must say. Besides, the Saturn controller feels great to play this. The directional pad isn't 4 buttons like in the PSX but a whole "pad", and it's easier to "steer" lara with it. I'm loving it :D

[a_Nxiety]

i always thought lara looked shorter and fatter in the saturn version. The PSX she was taller and thinner. I will 100% agree though, Saturn TR is in fact the true original. If a long term player wants true TR nostalgia, the saturns where its at.

[randomrhys]

i first played TR on the saturn- they corrected the glitches in time for the PS version because they found them after releasing the saturn version.

one REALLY annoying glitch was that in st francis' folly, you had to use all the keys to open the door at the end all in one go-other wise you'd complete the entire level but the door won't open and you have to restart right from the very beginning!!!! so if you used, say, the neptune key and then went and collected the other 3, the door wouldn't open after you used the others:hea:

[TombRaiderLover]

I have the game for Saturn, but don't have a Saturn console so can't play it. :p


Panzer Dragoon Saga


That game was £85 in Gamestation. :eek:

[kooky]

I remember playing TR1 on Sega Saturn a long time ago, but now I play it on PC. I think on sega Saturn, some rooms were different? :confused:

[Chug a Bug]

I've been playing it through a little, and is it just me, or is the framerate a little faster/choppier than the PS1 version?

It's entirely possible. For some reason the PAL PS1 version runs at a slower speed/framerate at only 50fps whereas the NTSC PS1 runs faster at 60. The PC version runs at the same speed but at 30fps.

Does anyone know if theres a Saturn emulator for the PC? It's the only version I've never played and I'm curious as to how it compares.

[tombinator]

The bear in the City of Valcambia didn't even growl. Funny stuff.

that musta been why i crapped myself the first time it ever came out at me, cos i didnt even hear it. i never ever, go into that little place to entice it out!

[randomrhys]

i remember there weren't any cheats for the saturn version (ie level skip or all weapons) and you couldn't make lara do her handstand on ledges! i was so annoyed when my friend could do it on his playstation but i couldn't!

my dad actually bought a PS1 just to play TR2 cus they did that exclusive deal with sony:mad:

[miufs]

my dad actually bought a PS1 just to play TR2 cus they did that exclusive deal with sony:mad:

That was the reason i sold my beloved Saturn with its 13 games back in 1998...

[nicola1986]

I thought I had sound on the Saturn, I remember the music, that was fantastic, but can't remember if it was on Saturn or PS :/

[SoulReaver74]

I remember a friend of mine telling me about TR when it was first released on the Saturn, also that was the first time i'd heard about Lara Croft, and i remember seeing it up an running in Electronic Boutique(i think thats what it used to be called), but now there all GAME stores, and remember thinking this is something special and i have to play it, i suppose that's when my love affair with TR really started. :D