Keyboard HSS-0129 for Sega Saturn, list of compatible games

After unsuccessfully trying to find reliable game compatibility list for the Sega Saturn HSS-0129 keyboard, I conducted my own extensive testing on each of the many games in Sega Saturn's library.

keyb1.jpg


No, I certainly haven’t tested every one of the more than 1000 games that exist for this platform, but the most famous ones are definitely in my list*, which may be updated over time. So far the test has been carried out on more than 300 games and here are the results.

Unfortunately, for strange reasons, Sega and game developers have not added keyboard support to such famous PC games like Duke Nukem 3D, Destruction Derby, Need For Speed, Hexen, Magic Carpet, Quake, Road Rash, Transport Tycoon and even Doom! The consolation remains the presence of support in Hi Octane, SimCity 2000 (where it is not really needed), Wolfenstein 3D, Sega Rally and Death Throttle (aka Quarantine).

Overall, the keyboard is comfortable and well made. There are games that I actually like to play on a keyboard more than on a wireless gamepad or Sega 3D gamepad, so I recommend this keyboard for purchase despite some shortcomings.

keyb2.jpg


At the same time, the keys for games cannot be reassigned, the maximum possibility is to change the layout options, just like for a gamepads by swapping the action keys. The selected keys are hardcoded and are shown on the back of the box (fortunately, at least the arrows are involved, but the spacebar is small and not used). ESC key replaces the Start button, but this does not work in all games:


keyb3.jpg


*names of games in the list may differ slightly from the original ones, or be abbreviated, as was convenient for me when compiling the list

And yes, I watched this video, which actually prompted me to test:

Alien Trilogy
Andretti Racing
Astal
Battle Arena (Toshinden URA)
Bedlam
Black Fire
Bust-A-Move 2 Arcade Edition
Capcom Gen 3
Chaos Control
Choro Q Park
Cold Case (homebrew)
Congo
Creature Shock
Crime Patrol
D
Darius Gaiden
Death Crimson
Death Throttle (Quarantine)
DeathMask (Eng)
Delisoba Deluxe
DoDonPach / Podonpachi
EarthWorm Jim 2
Enemy Zero
F1 Challange
Fighting Force Demo
Final Fight Revenge
Fire ProWrestling S (Eng)
Fist
G Vector
Ghen War
Guardian Heroes
Gun Frontier
Hi Octane
High Velocity
Incredible Hulk
K-1 Grand Prix
Kin Ninja Jajamaru-Kun
Loaded
Metal Slug
Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001
Mighty Hits
Mr.Bones
MYST
NinPen Manmaru (Eng)
Offroad Interceptor
Offroad Interceptor Extreme
Panzer Dragoon II
Race Drivin
Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
Real Bout Garou Densetsu
Rise 2 - Resurrection
Robotica
Sea Bass Fishing
Sega Flash Vol. 1 (Sega Enterprises)
Sega Rally
Shinrei Jusatsushi Tarōmaru
Silhouette Mirage (Eng) 0.99b
SimCity 2000
Skull Fang
Sonic X-Treme
Space Invaders
Super Robot Taisen F (Super Robot Wars)
Swagman
Three Dirty Dwarves
Thunder Force 5
Time Commando
Titan Wars
Tomb Raider (PAL)
Vatlva
Virtua Fighter
X-Men: The Arcade Game
Werewolf
Wing Arms
Wolfenstein 3D
Worms
Zap! Snowboarding Trix
Zap! Snowboarding Trix 98
Zygo (demo)

Contra - Legacy of War
Drift King (Eng) King Drift
Galactic Attack
Hang on GP
Horde
Layer Section
Pinball Graffiti
Planet Joker
Scud: The Disposable Assassin
VR Virtua Racing
Wolf Fang SS

Formula Karts
Gale Racer
Konami MSX
MSX Collection
Sega Ages Vol 1
WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game

256 Bug
Actua Soccer: Club Edition
Advanced World War
Alone in the Dark
AMOK
Arcade's Greatest Hits
Arcade's Greatest Hits - The Atari Collection 1
Area 51
Armed
Arthur to Astaroth no Nazo Makaimura
Assault Rigs
Assault Suit Leynos 2
Atomic Runner Chelnov
Batman Forever
Batsugun
Battle Arena Toshinden (Remix)
Battle Garegga
Battle Stations
Black Dawn
Blast Chamber (demo)
Blazing Tornado
BomberMan
Bomberman Fight
Brain Dead 13
BreakPoint Tennis
Bubble Symphony
Bulk Slash
Burning Rangers
Call of Cthulhu: Prisoner of Ice (Eng)
Capcom Gen 1
Capcom Gen 2
Capcom Gen 4
Capcom Gen 5
Casper
Center Ring Boxing
Chill
Choujikuu Yousai Macross
Clockwork Knight
Clockwork Knight 2
Code R
Cotton Boomerang
Courioer Crisis
Crime Wave
Criticom
Croc
Crow: City of Angels
Crusader - No Remorse
Crypt Killer
Cyber Speedway
CyberBots
Dangeons & Dragons
Dark Savior
Daytona USA Circuit
DeBattle Sport
DecAthlete
Deep Fear
Densha De Go
Destruction Derby
Dezaemon 2
Die Hard Arcade
Die Hard Trilogy
Digital Pinball Last Gladiators
Digital Pinball Necronomicon
DonPachi
Doom
Dracula X
Dragon Ball Z
DragonHeart
Duke 3D
Elevator Action 2
Eyeful Home
Fire Pro Gaiden Blazing Tornado (Eng)
Firestorm Thunderhawk 2
Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster
Full Cowled Mini Yonku
Funky Head Boxers
Galaxy force 2
Gekirindian
Gex
Grid Runner
Godzilla
Goiken Muyou
Golden Axe Duel
Gradius Deluxe Pack
GT24
Guardian Force
Gungriffon (Eng)
Hardcore 4x4
Hebereke’s Popoitto
Heir of Zendor
Henry Explorers
Herc's Adventures
Hexen
Highway 2000
House of Dead
Hyper Duel
Hyper Reverthion
Impact Racing
In the Hunt
Independence Day
Irem Arcade
Iron Man
Jewels of the Oracle
Jonah Lomu Rugby
Keio Flying Squadron 2
Kidou Senshi
King of Boxing
Koudou Saisoku
Krazy Ivan
Kyuukyoku Tiger 2 Plus
Last Bronx
Layer Section II
Lode Runner
Lode Runner Extra
Lost World Jurassic
Lunacy
Machine Head
Magic Carpet
Magikal Night Dreams (Cotton 2)
Major Damage
Manx TT Superbike
Mass Destruction
Maximum Force
Mechanical Violator Hakaider - Last Judgement
MechWarrior 2
Mega Man X4
MegaMan 8
MegaMan X3
Metal Black
Mickey Donald (Eng)
Midway Presents
Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam 1
Mobile Suit Gundam 2
Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat Trilogy
Mystery Hospital (Eng 1.10)
Nascar 98
NBA Jam Extreme
NBA Jam Tournament Edition
Need For Speed
NHL 97
NHL 98
NHL All Star
NHL Powerplay 96
Night Striker S
Nights Into Dreams
Nissan Presents: Over Drivin' GT-R
Pandemonium
Parodius
Phantasmagoria (Eng)
PoliceNauts
PowerSlave
Quake
Radiant Silvergun
Rampage World
Rayman
Resident Evil
Revolution X
Riven: The Sequel to Myst
Road Blaster
Road Rash
Robo Pit
Salamander Deluxe Pack Plus
Scorcher
Sega Ages Afterburner 2
Sega Ages Memorial 1
Sega Ages Memorial 2
Sega Ages OutRun
Sega Ages Power Drift
Sega Touring
Sengoku Blade - Sengoku Ace Episode I
ShellShock
Shienryuu
Shining Force 3
Shinobi Legions
Shinobi-X
Skeleton Warriors
Sky Target
Sonic 3D
Sonic Jam
Sonic R
Sonic Wings Special
Soukyuu Gurentai
Soviet Strike
Space Hulk
StarFighter 3000
Steep Slope Sliders
Stellar Assault SS
Street Fighter
Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Racer
Strikers 1945
Strikers 1945 II
Taito Chase HQ
Tennis Arena
Terra Cresta 3D
Tetris Plus
Thunder Storm
ThunderStrike 2
Tomb Raider (NTSC)
Touge King Spirits 2
Transport Tycoon
Trash It
Tunnel B1
UEFA Euro 96 England
Ultimate MK 3
Ultraman - Hikari no Kyojin Densetsu
Virtua Cop
Virtua Cop 2
Virtual Golf
Virtual Kyoutei 2
Warcraft 2
Welcome House
Whizz
Willy Wombat
Winter Heat
Wipeout 2097
World League Soccer '98
Z
Zen Nihon Pro Wres Feat. Virtua
Zero Divide

3D Lemmings
Atlantis: The Lost Tales
Cyberia
Discworld
Discworld 2
FIFA Soccer 97
NBA Live 98
Seven Mansions: Ghastly Smile (Eng)
Sol Divide
 
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Every Saturn controller is supposed to report its interpretation of the basic digital pad's controls, in the same locations the digital pad would. So any game that doesn't do something silly like rejecting unknown peripheral IDs should work fine with the keyboard, or any other controller for that matter. But I guess not every developer understood this point.

But that is also why the keyboard works with so many games, and why you can't remap the controls. The games don't have to include any special support for it, and just read it as a game pad, and the keyboard has a hardcoded mapping of specific keys to gamepad buttons.
 
Every Saturn controller is supposed to report its interpretation of the basic digital pad's controls, in the same locations the digital pad would. So any game that doesn't do something silly like rejecting unknown peripheral IDs should work fine with the keyboard, or any other controller for that matter. But I guess not every developer understood this point.
In addition, some games may complain about an incompatible peripheral device and pause if the gamepad is replaced with a keyboard.

You can read here more about keyboard and other controllers difference:


Question is how to add support to other games, for example preload some TSR before game etc.
 
@MAZter ,

Another thing you can try is running satconv (or another tool) to dump the peripheral codes from each game ISO. According to Gamefaqs the keyboard code is "K".
 
All Saturn applications with "K" peripheral code:

Azel - Panzer Dragoon RPG (Japan) (Disc 1) (1M)
Azel - Panzer Dragoon RPG (Japan) (Disc 2) (2M)
Azel - Panzer Dragoon RPG (Japan) (Disc 3) (1M)
Azel - Panzer Dragoon RPG (Japan) (Disc 4) (2M, 3M)
Custom Web Browser (Version 2) (USA)
Custom Web Browser (Version 3.0) (USA)
Dragon's Dream (Japan)
Duke Nukem 3D (USA)
EGWord (Japan) (1M)
EGWord (Japan) (Rev A) (10M)
EGWord Ver 2.00 (Japan)
Game Basic for SegaSaturn (Japan)
Habitat II (Japan)
Pad Nifty (Japan)
Pad Nifty 1.1 & Habitat II (Japan)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Europe) (Disc 1)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Europe) (Disc 2)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Europe) (Disc 3)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Europe) (Disc 4)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (USA) (Disc 1)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (USA) (Disc 2)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (USA) (Disc 3)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (USA) (Disc 4)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Proto - Nov 30 1997) (Disc 1)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Proto - Nov 30 1997) (Disc 2)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Proto - Nov 30 1997) (Disc 3)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Proto - Dec 22 1997) (Disc 1)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Proto - Dec 30 1997) (Disc 3)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Proto - Dec 30 1997) (Disc 4)
SegaSaturn Internet 2 (Japan)
SegaSaturn Internet Vol. 1 (Japan)
Sound Novel Tkool 2 (Japan)
Special Disc with SegaSaturn Internet 2 (Japan)
 
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Update, added some European releases to test report:

Actua Soccer: Club Edition
Atlantis: The Lost Tales
Darius Gaiden
Darius II
Discworld
Discworld 2
Dragon Ball Z
Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster
Grid Runner
Hebereke’s Popoitto
Jewels of the Oracle
Jonah Lomu Rugby
Parodius
Pinball Graffiti
Riven: The Sequel to Myst
Sea Bass Fishing
Street Racer
Trash It
UEFA Euro 96 England
Virtual Golf
Whizz
World League Soccer '98
Z
 
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