The all too forgotten Sega Saturn was home to many great games. Despite being considered a commercial failure in the west, it had a much richer library in Japan. The Saturn is most famous for great 2D fighters, shoot em' ups, RPGs, and arcade games, but it was more than capable of delivering a solid 3D experience, as well.

With certain Saturn titles finally being remade, it's interesting to see what Saturn games still hold up. A lot of the console's best games still remain playable today, as the Saturn's greater focus on 2D over its contemporary rivals - at the time considered a financial weakness - has allowed the catalog to largely bypass those awkward early-3D growing pains.

Updated on October 30, 2023 by Quinton O'Connor: It's truly the slowest-burning console - in the West, the more time passes since the commercial failure of the Sega Saturn, the stronger its retro scene becomes. We can't help but do our small part here, mentioning our personal favorites to grace the system.

15 Astal Is A Feast For The Eyes And Ears

Astal is a great illustration of what the Saturn was best at - literally. This 2D platformer looks like a lush fantasy illustration come to life, with rich colors and detailed character animations. It fits the game's fairy tale-like narrative about the titular boy, Astal, fighting to save the girl he loves from a cosmic evil.

Though it's relatively basic from a gameplay perspective, Astal's visuals and atmosphere more than make up for its short and simple level design. Add in its incredible soundtrack, and you have a prime technical showcase for the Saturn.

14 Princess Crown Is One Of The Most Underrated Sega Saturn Games

Of course, you can't talk about a 2D technical showcase on the Saturn without mentioning Princess Crown. This Japan-only release was directed by George Kamitani, who would later found the development studio Vanillaware.

Though Princess Crown was released before the birth of Vanillaware, it carries many of the studio's hallmarks: jaw-dropping 2D graphics with a hand-painted look, a grand and serious atmosphere, and satisfying beat-em-up combat with awesome boss battles. If you're a fan of Vanillaware's work - or if you just like anime girls wielding giant swords - this game is a must-play.

13 Burning Rangers Is Almost As Good As A True-Blue Sonic Game

The Saturn's commercial failure can be attributed to a whole host of reasons, but one of the biggest factors that led to the system's demise was its lack of a real Sonic the Hedgehog title. Sonic Team had trouble translating the blue blur into three dimensions, so Sega couldn't use its most famous mascot to sell the system. But Sonic Team contributed in other ways.

Burning Rangers, released at the tail end of the Saturn's life, was one of Sonic Team's original creations for the system - and the game's rocking soundtrack definitely bears the studio's imprint. Its gameplay is unique, casting you as a firefighter in a utopian future society. Though its 3D graphics haven't aged gracefully, the game remains a cult classic.

12 Sega Rally Championship Is A Nearly Perfect Arcade Port

The Saturn was released during a time when arcades were still a major factor in the gaming landscape, and when Sega's arcade division factored heavily in the company's decision-making. The transition to 3D marked a true test: would Sega be able to translate its 3D arcade magic for home consoles?

While not every arcade port to the Saturn was successful, Sega Rally Championship is evidence that Sega could make lightning strike twice. The game was widely acclaimed in its arcade version, and when it was released on the Saturn, it earned widespread critical adoration all over again. The game's handling and physics still hold up today, and its performance is unbelievably smooth for a game of its time.

11 Bulk Slash Might Be The Best 3D Sega Saturn Game

Though the Saturn barely made a dent in the western market, the system was far more successful in its native Japan, meaning that many of its best games never made it overseas. Bulk Slash fits right into this trend. But its fully 3D environments make it stand out among the 2D-focused Saturn's library of games.

Bulk Slash is a futuristic third-person shooter in which you control a mech through various industrial cityscapes, fighting against your foes for justice and liberty. The game's over-the-top combat is mirrored in its anime-style presentation, and its huge levels provide plenty of replay value. It's one of the coolest games about giant robots ever made - and that's saying something.

10 X-Men Vs. Street Fighter Has Barely Aged A Day

Western gamers probably missed X-Men vs. Street Fighter completely, but Capcom graced Japanese Sega Saturn owners with one of the richest fighting games in its catalog. It is a precursor to the beloved Marvel vs. Capcom series, and beloved features like character assists, all-star teams, and super combos all make an appearance.

X-Men vs. Street Fighter really shines in how well it plays. It's fast, frantic, and full of jaw-dropping animations. The manic gameplay is made all the smoother because the Saturn controller is tailor-made for fighting games. Even for people picking this up for the first time today, X-Men vs. Street Fighter hasn't missed a beat.

9 Nights Into Dreams Gave The Saturn An Enduring Mascot

While Sonic has come to stand in for Sega as a whole, Nights, the mysterious star of Nights Into Dreams, is the unofficial mascot for the Saturn. Nights is a 2.5D platformer where the player flies around to collect orbs and get a high enough score to pass the stage. Other components like enemies, time, and small 3D sections all factor into the gameplay.

The game still looks good, and the controls are spot on. It's one of the easiest games to just pick up and play on the Saturn, but it's by no means an easy game to beat. Even if Nights isn't quite as enduring as Sonic, it's still a fun game that deserves a larger fanbase.

8 Dragon Force Is A Difficult, Old-School Delight

Dragon Force is a real-time strategy RPG that pits you against a number of different nations to fight for territory on an expansive continent. It's surprisingly deep too, asking you to keep your generals happy and carefully plan your assaults on enemy territory.

The actual battles have more sprites on-screen than any other RPG of its time, and it's awesome to watch the armies clash against one another. It also gets a lot of brownie points for incorporating a well-written plot that defies genre expectations. Dragon Force takes a ton of patience, and it has a definite learning curve, but this is an old-school RPG that can still stand up to its modern competitors.

7 Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Is Easy To Learn But Hard To Master

Super Puzzle Fighter is as aesthetically pleasing as it is fun to play. It takes chibi versions of Street Fighter and Darkstalkers characters and pits them into battle. Only this battle is centered around smashing jewels, not bones.

At its core, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 is a puzzle game where the player must match colored gems and use a shiny orb of the same color to shatter the jewels. The more jewels you shatter, the more damage you do to your opponents. It sounds easy, but it's not, and each character has a unique strategy. And thanks to its simple but effective aesthetic, the game remains as playable as ever.

6 Guardian Heroes Is An Excellent Genre Mash-Up

Take RPGs and beat-em-ups and mash them together, and you'll get Guardian Heroes. This is a 2D beat 'em up with multiple heroes and different layers of battlefield to jump between. On top of that, the characters level up and gain new abilities, making it a much deeper experience than many other games of its ilk.

Guardian Heroes is also unique for its narrative focus, featuring plenty of dialogue and character interaction. While it sometimes slows down the pace of the game, it rewards patient players who enjoy deeper narratives and mechanics. Guardian Heroes still looks amazing graphically, and no other game feels quite like it.

5 Shining Force 3 Is True To Its Name

Shining Force 3 might look a little rough around the edges graphically, but every other aspect of the game utterly shines... no pun intended. The music is top-notch, and while it carries on the series tradition of fully-explorable worlds, it offers a much deeper plot than its predecessors.

Shining Force 3 also expands upon its predecessors with deeper, more intricate mechanics; many missions require special stipulations like saving refugees on the run, surviving with one character for a certain amount of turns, and so on. Shining Force 3 stands as one of Camelot Software's finest tales, and one of the best tactical RPGs ever made.

4 Radiant Silvergun Has Always Been One Of The Best Sega Saturn Games

Ask Saturn fans what the best shoot 'em up on the console is, and there is a good chance they will say Radiant Silvergun. The game received rave reviews upon its original release, and even though it was a Japan-exclusive title during an era when imports were even harder to play than they are nowadays, it gained a well-deserved cult following in the West.

Radiant Silvergun gives you a bunch of weapons to choose from, including melee weapons like blades. The stages also incorporate unique platforming elements, unlike most shoot 'em ups where the player holds down a button to destroy anything moving on screen. Though it was difficult to acquire on its original release, Radiant Silvergun is more accessible than ever thanks to Game Pass and a Switch port - a true testament to its quality and influence.

3 Virtua Fighter 2... Is Virtua Fighter 2

Virtua Fighter 2 took everything that worked about the first game and made it a whole lot better. Released in 1995, it is amazing how good this game looked on Saturn, featuring one of the first uses of textured polygons ever while still running as smooth as butter.

Virtua Fighter 2 is also beginner-friendly, with mechanics that are easy to learn but hard to master. It gave Saturn fans something to brag about after a difficult launch, and remains a top-tier 3D fighter to this day.

2 Panzer Dragoon Saga Is A Legendary RPG

Panzer Dragoon Saga is often considered the very best Sega Saturn game. Unlike the first two Panzer Dragoon games, Saga is more of an RPG. The player explores both on foot and by flight. Despite being a little bleak, the story remains one of the best told in video game history.

The graphics could use a new coat of paint, but Panzer Dragoon Saga's engaging gameplay and melancholy atmosphere have never been equaled. Secondhand copies are incredibly expensive, but if you can get your hands on it, you'll experience one of videogame history's finest adventures.

1 Saturn Bomberman Is A Blast

Simply put, Saturn Bomberman is the best Bomberman game ever made. This is mostly due to the fact that it allows for up to ten players to play at once with the use of a special multiplayer adapter. You can even get an adapter with Bomberman's face on it!

On top of the hectic multiplayer possibilities, it has a surprisingly fun one-player mode, gorgeous graphics, and tons of stages and power-ups. Most Bomberman games are fun, but Saturn Bomberman goes above and beyond in just about every regard. No Bomberman game since has come even close to besting it.

NEXT: Things Sega's Dreamcast Did That Were Way Ahead Of Its Time