I heard the SFZ3 on the Saturn was the best at the time. It goes for a pretty penny today.
It’s the best version full stop.
The arcade version has way fewer characters, the PS1 version added the rest of the SF2 cast back and a bunch of extra modes, but the Saturn version has those plus all the animation added back. Dreamcast version is an inaccurate changed resolution whole other thing, PSP version is stuck on a handheld, PS2 anthology version is ruined by running at 480i and has no 240p mode.
Saturn is the best of all worlds. In some cases it has MORE animation than the arcade (but a few frames missing in a couple of other places). The only problem is that Zero 3 is a far worse game than Zero 2 
2 Likes
They are different flavors for me. I enjoy both a lot. I prefer the backgrounds, music and general art direction of SFZ2, but I love the gameplay variety and massive cast of SFZ3.
SFZ3 also as some decent music too. It’s very high energy lol.
I love 2 and 3 equally. 3 is different enough to not just be marked as another iteration, imo.
I have the Saturn version of SFZ3 and I love it and everything, but even with the ram cart I feel the loading isn’t as optimized as it could be. MSHvSF seems to load data much more efficiently in spite of having way more frames and background effects to manage.
The best way to play these CPS2 games is to just get a super gun setup - CPS2 stuff is still pretty available.
Disagree. Zero 3 arcade has so much less stuff, it’s almost like a beta compared to the console versions.
And even when I had Zero 2 arcade, I missed the Saturn arranged soundtrack. Maybe with one of those SD card loaders which reduce load times…
I don’t like the way the Saturn versions fatten up the sprites due to the lower resolution, but I can’t play SFA2 with those load times anymore. I also just love being able to hammer that buttons on SFA2 CPS2 to get immediately to the next match. Makes survival really fun and quick to do during breaks from work.
I have will have to take a few videos of SFA2 running on a phoebe vs running via disc to show you that it does not improve the loads that much at all. It only eliminates disk seek time. Loads are about 7 seconds between matches on the gold version.
I’d forgotten about Rakugakids.
There’s also Wonder Project J2, which, while it’s a point and click raising game, featured large, detailed sprites with several frames of animation. I can’t profess to have spent time thinking about how it compares with the best fighting games from the period, though.
My only issues with SFZ3 arcade is that compared to the PS1/SS version is the lack of World Tour and all those other fun SP modes.
I’d love to get the SS version some day, but that’s a hard thing to swallow at the moment lol. eBay prices are insane.
It’s nice having all that extra content, but I will admit that adding load times removes a big part of the arcade experience for me. Great port, I love owning it on Saturn, but a part of me feels I should trade it for a PCB or two.
Makes sense. One of the things I love about the 30th anniversary collection. No load times.
1 Like
All that sega domination! It’s all downhill from here!
Probably Sega’s peak. Yet they just couldn’t help themselves releasing 23 new pieces of hardware in the next six minutes!
Also shows how looking at console generations as distinct really doesn’t make sense, NES games nearly cracking the top ten in 1995, and there’s a 1987 game in the top 30.
I was kind of surprised by that too until I saw the prices. A great price for still excellent games. Hard to resist and that install base will snap them up.
Also that sf2sce clearance price really explains why that game was in so many retro bargain bins in the early 00s.
You can pick up an NES and Zelda for the same price as Final Fantasy III.
Also lol at the 32X being outsold by the NES two months after it was released.
Finally, someone admits how great ALPHA 2 Is over ALPHA 3.
I think this is the common opinion actually lol. I love both for different reasons.
Interesting to see sales data going so far back, I don’t suppose you have a link to this data???
1 Like
In the UK the Official SEGA Saturn magazine editor and writers were wholesale endorsing people go out and get their Saturn’s 50/60hz and region modded towards the second half of its run.
With its later issues mostly filled with import only content and a huge focus on all the Japanese exclusive 2D goodness and plenty of pages full of glowing love for the CAPCOM 4MB titles.
For some “strange” reason they didn’t get the license to produce the Official Dreamcast Magazine, but during its run SEGA never seemed to try to keep them in check. I think SEGA UK were perhaps just letting things slide to try to keep fans happy and away from its rivals while they were helpless to do much of anything.
Official SEGA Saturn magazine was amazing, I really wish I had started reading it earlier. They gave away the first disc of Panzer Dragoon Saga, right?
Yeah they did as a “Demo”. The funny thing is that disc also looked identical to the disc in the actual PAL release as well so if you got a badly damaged CD1 it could easily be replaced for a while at least and no one would be able to tell.
I did have a full set of the Official SEGA Saturn Magazines which i sadly ended up having to sell and ended up with someone in Australia.