Hi everyone,
I 've been wanting to do a list for PAL optimised games on SEGA Saturn (games which can't work properly when you switch them in 60 Hz or have a cut display at some point in the game) for years but I had not the full set, not the time, not the energy, not the right tools. But this summer, there was an alignment of planets and what randomised gaming had published in the past, I decided to run my own tests according to my observations with my Saturn "gear and stuff". I'm sorry, my comments are in French for now. I will update the files when I bring something new (superior versions for PAL only SEGA Saturn games for example compared to PlayStation, I need to finish this).
Games with orange background are PAL optimised games (half of them depending on the Excel file you choose) which may have or have visible glitches or disturbing apect ratios or cropped displays during menu or title screens in 60 Hz.
Games with green background are NTSC 60 Hz compatible with full screen display and the 60 Hz speed that so many players from PAL countries appreciated so much during good old times.
Here is the link with three files :
- One Excel file which favours the real time "flow" (one second is one second in reality) in games needing time records (PAL games tend to respect more the flow of the running time - NTSC games from what I observed speed up the time records, which blur our senses of reality. It made me crazy when I realised that ^^'). 16 games are concerned for this difference of time flowing. I let you take that into consideration and apply your own subjectivity on that, knowing that these games display properly in 60 Hz, so it's up to you to choose what you want to focus on (slow contemplation of Panzer Dragoon Saga for example and right flow of time in the box game or more energic flights with the pace of your wings flapping more regularly the air OR in another example harder difficulty in Burning Rangers with faster fire explosions triggered in NTSC versions with faster camera response then less time to see what's happening on screen compared to PAL version where the slower camera allows the player to anticipate the fire explosions better plus the natural flow of time (one second being one second in reality) which is respected.
- One Excel file which favours 60 Hz at all costs, no matter what, whatever the "kind" of time flowing, and mimicking the NTSC 60 Hz versions when PAL games are switched to 60 Hz (with a switch modded Saturn or an automatic frequency change made by the ODE = Optical Drive Emulators like the MODE, the Fenrir, the Satiator or the Saroo)
- One Word document which details the 16 games I picked presenting different time flows from NTSC to PAL versions, but still working flawlessly in 60 Hz despite the timing problems. The games which are concerned by that are :
1) Athlete Kings (chrono ?) → Chrono plus rapide en 60 Hz, normal en 50 Hz. Ecran coupé en haut. Problème de lisibilité en NTSC60.
2) Mighty Hits (chrono ?) → NTSC60 = 1 sec. = 1 sec. PAL60 = timing accéléré. Moins de temps imparti pour mini-jeux, donc jeu plus difficile pour faire défis. PAL50 = 1 sec. PAL optimisé.
3) WipeOut (chrono ?) → timing chrono accéléré en NTSC 60, plus accéléré encore en PAL60. Chrono identique à cadence US en PAL 50. Cadence du jeu PAL natif respectée en US.
4) Daytona USA (timer vers.US / jap’ / PAL) → NTSC60 jap’ et US : bande noire en bas, temps un peu accéléré. PAL60 : temps trop accéléré, toujours bande noire en bas. PAL50 : bandes noires géantes, image squeezée, chrono tourne à même vitesse que les versions NTSC.
5) Scorcher : NTSC 60 : timing respecté et chrono non accéléré, idem en PAL60, Temps écoulé plus lent que la seconde en PAL50. Constat intéressant...
Jeux qui ont le temps d’une minute équivalant à 60 secondes réelles en PAL, mais minute accélérée / pétée en US et jap’ qui fait 50 secondes en temps réel.
6) Burning Rangers → PAL 60 = NTSC60 même si temps normé en PAL50
7) Highway 2000 (chrono ?) → NTSC60 = timing accéléré. PAL50 : timing normal mais larges bandes noires et animation moins fluide. NTSC60 = PAL60 → jeu pas optimisé.
8) The Need for Speed (chrono ?) → NTSC60 = PAL60→ chrono légèrement accéléré. PAL50 : chrono normal, bandes noires larges, image squeezée, voiture plus lente
9) Panzer Dragoon Saga → PAL 60 = NTSC60 même si temps normé en PAL50
10) Saturn Bomberman → chrono un poil accéléré en NTSC 60 et PAL 60. Défilement normal du temps en PAL 50. PAL 50 : Bandes noires plutôt larges, image écrasée, personnages moins rapides en mouvement à l’écran.
11) Sea Bass Fishing (chrono ?) PAL 50 : 1 min = 11 sec. NTSC 60 (jap’) : 1 min = 10 sec. PAL60 : 1 min = 10 sec. PAL60 = NTSC60. PAL 50 : Bandes noires plutôt larges, image écrasée lorsque full screen normalement proposé. Passage mode pêche fenêtré. Pas de caractères japs sur version PAL.
12) Virtua Racing (chrono ?) → Chrono un poil accéléré en NTSC60, full screen. PAL50 respecte scrupuleusement le temps normé, mais bandes noires importantes et jeu plus lent.
Versions US ou jap’ qui ont timing 1 minute = 60 secondes mais qui ont leur timer accéléré dans leur version PAL switchée en 60 Hz ne présentant aucun glitch sauf le défilement du temps, plus rapide :
13) Dark Savior
14) Destruction Derby
15) SEGA Ages vol.1 (Out Run)
16) Steep Slope Sliders
Note intéressante pour Doom version PAL sur Saturn :
Doom (image croppée en haut et bas lors de la démo et dans les credits, optimisé PAL si seule version à avoir image entière durant demo et crédits ?) → Ne démarre pas si câble link est branché à une autre Saturn éteinte. NTSC60 = PAL60 niveau crop, full screen et fluidité. PAL 50 → image en entier en PAL 50 lors des démos et des crédits. Bandes noires moyennes en PAL 50. PAL improved.
Link : 97.9 KB folder on MEGA
I 've been wanting to do a list for PAL optimised games on SEGA Saturn (games which can't work properly when you switch them in 60 Hz or have a cut display at some point in the game) for years but I had not the full set, not the time, not the energy, not the right tools. But this summer, there was an alignment of planets and what randomised gaming had published in the past, I decided to run my own tests according to my observations with my Saturn "gear and stuff". I'm sorry, my comments are in French for now. I will update the files when I bring something new (superior versions for PAL only SEGA Saturn games for example compared to PlayStation, I need to finish this).
Games with orange background are PAL optimised games (half of them depending on the Excel file you choose) which may have or have visible glitches or disturbing apect ratios or cropped displays during menu or title screens in 60 Hz.
Games with green background are NTSC 60 Hz compatible with full screen display and the 60 Hz speed that so many players from PAL countries appreciated so much during good old times.
Here is the link with three files :
- One Excel file which favours the real time "flow" (one second is one second in reality) in games needing time records (PAL games tend to respect more the flow of the running time - NTSC games from what I observed speed up the time records, which blur our senses of reality. It made me crazy when I realised that ^^'). 16 games are concerned for this difference of time flowing. I let you take that into consideration and apply your own subjectivity on that, knowing that these games display properly in 60 Hz, so it's up to you to choose what you want to focus on (slow contemplation of Panzer Dragoon Saga for example and right flow of time in the box game or more energic flights with the pace of your wings flapping more regularly the air OR in another example harder difficulty in Burning Rangers with faster fire explosions triggered in NTSC versions with faster camera response then less time to see what's happening on screen compared to PAL version where the slower camera allows the player to anticipate the fire explosions better plus the natural flow of time (one second being one second in reality) which is respected.
- One Excel file which favours 60 Hz at all costs, no matter what, whatever the "kind" of time flowing, and mimicking the NTSC 60 Hz versions when PAL games are switched to 60 Hz (with a switch modded Saturn or an automatic frequency change made by the ODE = Optical Drive Emulators like the MODE, the Fenrir, the Satiator or the Saroo)
- One Word document which details the 16 games I picked presenting different time flows from NTSC to PAL versions, but still working flawlessly in 60 Hz despite the timing problems. The games which are concerned by that are :
1) Athlete Kings (chrono ?) → Chrono plus rapide en 60 Hz, normal en 50 Hz. Ecran coupé en haut. Problème de lisibilité en NTSC60.
2) Mighty Hits (chrono ?) → NTSC60 = 1 sec. = 1 sec. PAL60 = timing accéléré. Moins de temps imparti pour mini-jeux, donc jeu plus difficile pour faire défis. PAL50 = 1 sec. PAL optimisé.
3) WipeOut (chrono ?) → timing chrono accéléré en NTSC 60, plus accéléré encore en PAL60. Chrono identique à cadence US en PAL 50. Cadence du jeu PAL natif respectée en US.
4) Daytona USA (timer vers.US / jap’ / PAL) → NTSC60 jap’ et US : bande noire en bas, temps un peu accéléré. PAL60 : temps trop accéléré, toujours bande noire en bas. PAL50 : bandes noires géantes, image squeezée, chrono tourne à même vitesse que les versions NTSC.
5) Scorcher : NTSC 60 : timing respecté et chrono non accéléré, idem en PAL60, Temps écoulé plus lent que la seconde en PAL50. Constat intéressant...
Jeux qui ont le temps d’une minute équivalant à 60 secondes réelles en PAL, mais minute accélérée / pétée en US et jap’ qui fait 50 secondes en temps réel.
6) Burning Rangers → PAL 60 = NTSC60 même si temps normé en PAL50
7) Highway 2000 (chrono ?) → NTSC60 = timing accéléré. PAL50 : timing normal mais larges bandes noires et animation moins fluide. NTSC60 = PAL60 → jeu pas optimisé.
8) The Need for Speed (chrono ?) → NTSC60 = PAL60→ chrono légèrement accéléré. PAL50 : chrono normal, bandes noires larges, image squeezée, voiture plus lente
9) Panzer Dragoon Saga → PAL 60 = NTSC60 même si temps normé en PAL50
10) Saturn Bomberman → chrono un poil accéléré en NTSC 60 et PAL 60. Défilement normal du temps en PAL 50. PAL 50 : Bandes noires plutôt larges, image écrasée, personnages moins rapides en mouvement à l’écran.
11) Sea Bass Fishing (chrono ?) PAL 50 : 1 min = 11 sec. NTSC 60 (jap’) : 1 min = 10 sec. PAL60 : 1 min = 10 sec. PAL60 = NTSC60. PAL 50 : Bandes noires plutôt larges, image écrasée lorsque full screen normalement proposé. Passage mode pêche fenêtré. Pas de caractères japs sur version PAL.
12) Virtua Racing (chrono ?) → Chrono un poil accéléré en NTSC60, full screen. PAL50 respecte scrupuleusement le temps normé, mais bandes noires importantes et jeu plus lent.
Versions US ou jap’ qui ont timing 1 minute = 60 secondes mais qui ont leur timer accéléré dans leur version PAL switchée en 60 Hz ne présentant aucun glitch sauf le défilement du temps, plus rapide :
13) Dark Savior
14) Destruction Derby
15) SEGA Ages vol.1 (Out Run)
16) Steep Slope Sliders
Note intéressante pour Doom version PAL sur Saturn :
Doom (image croppée en haut et bas lors de la démo et dans les credits, optimisé PAL si seule version à avoir image entière durant demo et crédits ?) → Ne démarre pas si câble link est branché à une autre Saturn éteinte. NTSC60 = PAL60 niveau crop, full screen et fluidité. PAL 50 → image en entier en PAL 50 lors des démos et des crédits. Bandes noires moyennes en PAL 50. PAL improved.
Link : 97.9 KB folder on MEGA
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