Sonic Jam is Awesome (but costly)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 มิ.ย. 2024
- Sonic Jam was SEGA's first attempt at porting their Sonic games to another system. Let's take a look at this ambitious and now very expensive collection.
► More Sonic videos: • FR's Sonic Videos
► More reviews: • FR's Gaming Spotlight
• Channel Membership: / @framerater
• Patreon Support: / framerater
• Follow my X page for updates: x.com/tvframerater
0:00 - What is Sonic Jam?
1:10 - Modern Sega Saturn Problems
2:24 - Difficulty Differences
3:52 - Extra Features
5:04 - Sound Differences
6:33 - World HUB
7:27 - Is it Worth it?
Outro Music: Outro - MACROSS ft. Yung Abe (SAILORWAVE II)
#segasaturn #trilogy #sonic - เกม
![[TH] VCT Masters Shanghai Playoffs DAY 5 // 100T vs PRX | FUT vs TH](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/q75pv359eP4/mqdefault.jpg)
We needed Sonic CD for Saturn.
That would have really hit the spot back then, as many Saturn owners didn't have the Sega CD.
That would have been a bad look, at the time. People were frustrated with the lack of new Sonic on Saturn. Another rerelease would not have hit the spot. It would have missed the mark, like so many of Sega's actions at the time.
Ngl i did have but even if they did the marketing here just doomed the system and no true 3D sonic game on it but even then Saturn was sadly doomed here in NA.
Sonic Jam actually made a lot of sense in '97 when it was released, from a Japanese standpoint that is. The MEGA Drive didn't sell as well in Japan as SEGA was expecting, the PC-Engine and SNES sold much better. The Saturn on the other hand was much more popular there, so its not a crazy idea to think that many Japanese gamers missed the chance to play these Sonic titles first time around. So porting them to Saturn was a nice idea since it had a bigger user base who perhaps weren't familiar with Sonic.
I agree that today buying SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection or Sonic MEGA Collection makes way more sense if you're after a classic 16-bit Sonic fix.
I bought my copy of Sonic Jam specifically for the 3D world hub. Being a fan of Sega's consoles and history there was no way I wasn't going to eventually own the only true 3D representation of Sonic on the Saturn.
What could have been.
Fun fact: Sonic World was made from the original engine for Sonic Adventure. The game was originally in development for the Saturn, but when the Dreamcast was in its early stages of development, Sonic Team jumped ship and restarted work on Adventure for the Dreamcast. Remnants of Sonic's Jam model can be found in some early builds of Adventure for the Dreamcast.
I was going to say this too, beat me to it lol
Wasn't that engine also the same one made for nights into dreams?
Funny enough, they can actually be found in the retail release too. During the Sky Chase zone, the model used for Sonic is just a modified version of the Sonic Jam model. It still has all the elements of sonics older design like his extremely pointy looking quills. The only real exception is his eye color
I'm not sure why they didn't just go with this for Extreme rather than the Bug! like perspective of what they were developing.
I loved Sonic Jam! While I prefer the Sonic Mega Collection Plus as my favorite Sonic collection, Sonic Jam will always have a place in my heart.
hmmm I would eat some Sonic jam
Hi
Infinite: i still have enough power to smash you into blue jelly
Gamecube has Mega collection.
Robert Wisdom wut
They actually did that to promote the game. info.sonicretro.org/File:SonicJam_JP_Jam.jpg I have no clue how I found this but I’m so glad I did.
You ALWAYS have information I never knew, despite seeing many different reviews of the same game from different sources. Top quality work. Love this channel.
That cover art is dope though.
I'll just add this: you can replace the laser in the saturn as well as the battery that is used to handle the memory.
Very True. They're a great and much cheaper solution. But, if your Saturn is still good and you don't mind losing a few save files inbetween now and however years/months then continue with what you've got.
@@flumphflumph6021 It's definitely more like months. The battery drains so quickly that it's barely worth replacing, just get a memory cartridge, or even one of those Pseudo Saturn/Action Replay cartridges that let you save to them.
I'm surprised there was no mention of the spin dash being added to Sonic 1. I definitely enhance the gameplay without breaking the game. IMO its the definitive version of the original game.
The Megadrive/Genesis's YM2612 was an FM synth, not a PCM one, so it didn't use MIDI files, the SCSP (Saturn Custom Sound Processor) was capable of 32 channel PCM or eight four-operator FM, I doubt any of this matters as this game's probably just playing redbook audio using the CD-DA driver.
“Hey all, Scott here and dammit I own sonic Jam it’s a pretty rare game but I don’t wanna be known as the guy that owns Sonic Jam when I’m dead”
All 3 of my Model 1 Saturns still work correctly. Guess I'm just lucky. I wouldn't have any problem replacing the laser assembly though I had to do it for a TurboDuo and a Playstation.
Phoebe and Rhea (the SD card replacements for the different Saturn models) seem really neat, but since the guy who invented them has to make all of them himself alongside his Dreamcast flash solution there's an absolutely absurd shortage of them. Not about to try and tell him how to run his life or business though just wishing it was a more readily available solution because it honestly may as well be non-existent at this point in time.
I got my Saturn back at the end of 1995. I played it a lot during the next three years or so until the Sega Dreamcast was released, then my Saturn was gradually placed less and less. I boxed up my Saturn and put it was completely forgetting that I had one until mid 2016. Although I didn't go back to playing it like I did back in the day. I still play it from time to time. Altogether, I think that my laser has about four years worth of play time on it. Not too bad for a console that's about 23-24 years old. I bought the SD card mod as a backup to continue playing my games, but I'm gonna stick to the drive until it dies because I get a certain feeling of nostalgia playing it like I did long ago.
Anytime you upload a vid, I feel warm inside. ^^
I absolutely love the museum and cinema in Sonic World. That, and the menu music brings back some phenomenal memories.
I played the hell out of this back in the day. I remember running around the hub world in anticipation for the dreamcast and Sonic Adventure lol. There is more to the hub world though, each of the buildings has things like sound tests, character bios, art, a history section and the movie theater. Also there are multiple missions other than just "collect rings" though i'm sure your point was that it's not worth paying for and i agree with you there. I had no idea the games were actually ported, that explains a lot. Any way, great video!
Very cool video my friend. I am a Saturn collector that grew up during this very generation and I don't remember this. Further, Sega should have included every Sonic title from the 16-bit era including Knuckles Chaotix on this compilation. Now that would have been a true Sonic Jam. Imagine for the first time in history having access to every Sonic title under one disc. Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and Knuckles Chaotix all in one set. Yes, they likely would have needed two disc's (compression sucked back then) but it would have been truly epic or a reason to own my Saturn.
I had both the Saturn and PlayStation. Depending on the time frame of this game's release, I had an N64 as well. Actually, I still have them and a huge collection of games as well. What baffles me about this compilation is how it appears to load. It should in theory load the entirety of the game in the systems RAM and therefore negate tons of loading. At any rate, you my friend need to get that laser fixed.
Love your presentation and originality in your content. Please make a DVD/Blu-ray disc of your work on physical media
The Saturn actually has built in memory, but you need a CR2032 watch battery in the system to use is (it isn't hard to insert it, since the compartment is in the expansion port on the back of the system, but you have to replace it about every year from what I've read online to keep the data), and the amount of space is very small, so it's probably worth getting a backup cartridge anyway.
I bought a Sega Saturn last year which seems almost new and in it's box. It seemed like it had hardly any usage because the previous owners didn't seem like big gamers because it came with two football games, so I think my saturn is pretty much brand new. But I play it a lot so will probably have to convert it to flash/digital one day.
Had my Sega Saturn and copy of Sonic Jam since 1998. Still performs perfectly.
When I was a kid I had Sonic Jam for my Sega Saturn.. and I absolutely loved the Sonic World hub. I remember it feeling like a real, full game for my dumb child brain. It's all a fever dream now.
An official level mod for Sonic 3 and Knuckles sounds kind of fun honestly.
Got Sonic Jam on the Christmas of 2022. I made a list with several Sonic games, including an Xbox 360 and GameGear. Didn’t put Sonic Jam on the list because I knew Dad probably didn’t have enough money. Sent him a link to an American copy of Sonic Jam that was $200, (for Jam, that’s a good enough deal, they mainly sell for $300.) I said “When you get money, Sonic Jam.” That Christmas, I opened up gifts and was flabbergasted that before my eyes, Sonic Jam on the Sega Saturn was there. Best Christmas of my life. Also, that was the Christmas I completed my Sonic collection on Saturn. First game got was Sonic R on October 19, 2022, got 3D Blast later down the line, don’t know the specific date and then the collection ended on that Christmas.
Dude I just love your stuff, you're so informative but you do it in a way that's really engaging and I really enjoy it! Keep on working towards that 100k
I never knew there were videos on the 3D hub area from Sonic Jam, thanks for making me aware of that.
If I ever get a working Sega Saturn and a copy of Sonic Jam, that's the main reason I'd decide to play it since I already have 3 different ways to play the original Sonic games. The thing you mentioned about the sound seems like it would take a bit before I could get used to it.
It's possible that Sega of Japan regarded Nights as the Saturn's mascot. After all the Saturn was very successful in Japan, so they must have thought they were doing something right. Maybe they didn't see a need to continue the Mega Drive mascot's series.
I already have a Genesis/32X combo and the original cartridges, plus an emulator and ROMs. I'm happy.
This is one of my favorite video’s i think. Too bad the Saturn sold so bad here in the netherlands that it is almost impossible to find one!
It's a shame. I found my copy in a thrift store in the UK while I studied there and Haven't ever even seen a copy here in The Netherlands.
I've never even played a Saturn that's how low sales were. That's why I want one so bad, it's the only major console I've never played.
Sadly, due to the high cost of the Saturn where I live, I usually play these games on a Mega Drive with an Everdrive X3 and RGB cable, which were overall less expensive than getting saturn + game or gamecube + game. Still though, for people with a Saturn this looks like an excellent option
I sure wish that this Games version of Sonic 1 was the one ported to Generations, Mega Collection and so on.
Maybe in 1996 it would have been a huge deal having all the 16-bit Sonic titles on one disc, but since Sega has spent most of the last 25 years porting those same Sonics to every platform imaginable, there's really no point to spending all that money unless you need to complete your Saturn collection. Although it would be nice if Sega put the Normal and Easy modes and the 3D hub world in some of them...
Very funny. I mentioned Sonic Jam in my latest video where I talk about what game should go to the switch. This video was posted last night. Great info on the game.
This was a fascinating watch, FR--I've heard about this game many times but never having owned it I had no idea of the little nuances
This particular collection of sonic titles is one that always fascinated me especially how it only has sonic 1 2 3 and knuckles and not spinball 3d blast flicky or mean bean machine on it
The coolest part about Sonic Jam is it was the last true port of the classic Sonic games until over a decade later. The rest were just emulators. And in the case of Sonic 3, the only true port I believe.
Sonic 3 had a proper PC port in the 90s, in the Sonic & Knuckles Collection
@@ChrisStoneinator Ah right, and it featured different music. I remember now-
Japanese Saturns tend to be in much better condition for both the games and the console. Plus, it overall costs less. That’s how I was able to play Sonic Jam with little to no issue.
You can emulate this game fairly faithfully on SSF. I have the Saturn and this but ultimately don’t lose much in the experience emulating on PC. Can even the use the official Saturn USB controllers
I’ve had the same Saturn for 22 years now, and this game new, a year after I got my Saturn it was playing weird then- could be the laser, but there’s always been some weird bugs with this game
Still my favorite disc ever though -since I didn’t have genesis growing up
While I normally am very anti-piracy and torrenting and all that, my Saturn gives me a very compelling argument for emulation and disc copying. As a sort of pointless tradition, I play the Christmas NiGHTS demo disc every Christmas Eve, and have done so since it came out, and knowing that no replacement exists is depressing. Even the remastered version of NiGHTS, which includes the Christmas mode, has been gutted of a number of unique features, as well as analog control
A lot of the times, downloading ISOs is the only way to enjoy these games. The US got a fraction of the games that Japan got. The games were also released in limited quantities especially towards the end of the Saturn's life. If one is lucky to come across one in the wild, chances are that it's expensive. The Japanese versions are cheaper and sometimes have English text, but not always.
wow its fast thing my favorite
I did not recall that you could spin dash in Sonic 1 in the Sonic Jam collection. That's a fairly big additional gameplay mechanic to include. I would suspect that, as far as the mis-matched sounds are concerned, given that the Saturn itself did have an FM synthesis chip, they programmed sounds similar to the Genesis version that just weren't identical (the blue spheres or the bell-bumpers in carnival night zone around 6:09).
The spin dash can be turned off in the game's options. After posting this that was the one thing I regretted not to mention.
Every time I want to play the classic sonic game trilogy, instead of playing the genesis copy I always boot up Sonic Jam instead. There’s something about playing the version of Sonic 1, Sonic 2, or Sonic 3 and Knuckles that I just like!
I think a lot of the mystique behind Sonic Jam is the fact that Sonic World is the prototype to Sonic Adventure, as well as mildly being remnants of the scrapped Sonic Xtreme. It's almost like playing an open beta, and the historical factor adds to why this game is so sought-after.
Your laser isn't dieing. All you need to do is spray the rails that move the lens with grease like silicon spray and it will work like a charm again
I'll have to try that at some point.
at 4:12 that really looks like an old man turtle with a walker riding another turtle
Just picked this up for the Saturn a week ago...always a gewd geewwwd time.
I feel like the world hub was the development team's way of saying "Look what we could do if you let us." Since, with polish and actual levels, it could have been the basis for a good 3d sonic game.
People always forget there was a 3D Sonic in Christmas NiGHTS c; controls just about as well as I thought he would lol
Framerater uploads? Today is a good day baby.
It would never happened, but it would've been great if Sega simply made another sonic platformer for the Saturn
Fairly inexpensive PAL game and one of the best Sonic collections. 👍
Oh thank god that new blue spheres noise
I swear to god, you always release a video when I am about to go sleeping... Bah! Now I have to watch it because it's sonic :P
ODEs are definitely where it's at,but even those can kinda be too much for some people.
Everytime you make a video, you saved my day :)
I believe my Saturn works fine. But now the vid is making me wonder how I’d even notice if it was dying like that... I really only play the NiGHTS games, and they’re fundamentally glitchy games, just like the sonic games. Honestly how could anyone even decide if Sonic Jam glitches were part of the originals, or part of the Saturn port, or part of a dying laser... it seems impossible to decide lol
iirc I did a review before this one and people got furious because of things I stated that were a part of the dying hardware.
@@FrameRater Can you do a Sonic CD review?
I got lucky. Not only did I get this game complete for $20, but I got my Saturn when I was in high school for free. Someone apparently dumped it in his trashcan and he asked if I wanted it. Works perfectly, but I will be looking at that flash card as well.
With disc rot accelerating due to bad manufacturing we will also just need hardware reading.
I remember getting this for £15 when i was a kid, it’s unfortunately not that cheap anymore
Is there any difference in reliability between different regions with the Saturn? I bought a Saturn during my trip to Japan and aside from needing to replace the dead battery, the thing works flawlessly.
They should make a collection of all the 16-bit sprite games: Original w/optional spin move, 2, 3, Knuckles (w/optional lock on technology), CD, Mania Plus, and even Knuckles Chaotix could be welcome as like a bonus or whatever. Being on such a collection with all those other titles would really make Mania's whole nature of having reimagined old levels all the more appropriate, showing how it's essentially a celebration game of all the others of the style before it.
I always wanted Sonic Jam just for the option of using the spin dash in Sonic 1. I have a Saturn with Ten Pin Alley, Virtua Fighter 1-2, and Daytona USA already, and it works. Give me Sonic Jam and I'll be happy. And as for other options, I already have a Genesis/32X combo with the original cartridges; Sonic Mega Collection Plus on PS2; the Genesis Classics collection on Steam for PC; and emulators and ROMs. Sign me up for Jam. Redundancy. As the Courier said to Arcade Gannon, "If Caesar takes the dam and cuts off power, it'll be chaos all over New Vegas."
No a GameCube with the classics will not suffice. To play Sega games, especially Sonic games in their glory it has to be on Sega hardware. Sonic Jam is the best way to play all of these if you don’t already own them all on the MegaDrive
What IS that music used at end? Wonderful!
Im glad i saw this before buying
How do you get these done so quickly? You're so fast, i think your new reviews are your older ones.
It's a Sonic review, did you expect SLOW?
This is an older one actually, just with a bit more dialogue and accuracy.
I don't know if you're one for doing video requests, but seeing as how the _Megaman X Legacy Collection 1 and 2_ just came out recently, it would be super cool to see a video about the original _Megaman X Collection_ for GCN and PS2.
I bought it specifically because the Japanese version was the same exact price as Sonic 3 for Genesis
What was that outro music because I need to hear the whole thing
I second this.
I say yes this game combination does office me so much it was using the spin dash often in Sonic 1 was never even heard of back then and it makes it a lot easier for those who are new to Sonic games to actually play it and I can save the game at any time no matter how far in the game I can save it there and you just don't get that anymore which is a sure I will love to see this combination realism today's consoles and all the games like Sonic the fighters Sonic CD both versions of that game and knuckles chaotix included man what a game it will be and yes including site Park which is one of my favourite games of the time
There are already sd readers for the saturn on sale but they are hand made by order and they cost arround 150 euros/dollars. But they do exist right now. Rhea and Phoebe i think they are called.
I just had a joygasm from seeing your setup.
3:39 That glitch also exists in the original genesis version too. By killing robotnik before he has time to start flying away (you have to use tails as a second player, as it’s impossible to hit him 8 times as sonic) the game will softlock until you die.
Yep, but with the three hit points given to the "easy" mode, it's not only achievable, but likely.
One of the best review channels
How do you have like 3 Genesis but not a second Saturn controller
I was gonna watch this video yesterday and youtube said it was 1 year old I watch it today and its actually 2 years old
Ending song Framerater?
Also where did the Sonic CD review go?
@frameRater
What is the name of that music at the end of your video?
Extro - Macross
It's actually Sandstorm by Darude
Sonic Jam prices for an American Saturn are through the roof in 2021. With copies becoming more and more scarce, the best option in my opinion for Saturn owners like myself is getting the iconic Pseudo Saturn cartridge and importing a Japanese copy of Sonic Jam.
The game runs the same on both versions and in my opinion the case and aesthetic is a lot cooler.
Lol. $67 for a complete copy of Sonic jam. It's 2022 and now it goes for $300 for a complete copy
The games in sonic jam were undoubtably emulated which is why you hear sound glitches and frame rate errors, most notably in sonic 3 how the jump sound effect is higher pitched, the fps in sonic 2 has some serious lag, this is because it was just a generation after the genesis and genesis emulation was far from perfected though quite decent.
The game's been decompiled, it's not emulation.
What a weird coincidence, I just bought a Saturn this past weekend with the Japanese version of sonic jam
Didn't think the original version of the review was that outdated
that's amazing that is reads at all
The 3D hub is a neat feature, but honestly Mega Collection Plus does everything way better.
The title Sonic Jam rolls off the tongue. Sounds like a very fun groovy game.
0:08 Realizes it is Sonic 1.
Me: Wait, that's illegal, but nice.
Sonic Jam is a fantastic port compilation, but the Sonic World mode always felt like insult to injury after Sonic Extreme was cancelled.
FrameRater this would have been great thing to amalgamate into Mega collection.... Imagine if they did give us the Sonic World Unaltered. The price for this is racking up and with serviceable and less than pricey collections on the PS2 GameCube and Xbox seem to be the better option
Was that jimi hendrix in your ending
Is this the work of an enemy stand?
Your talking about your Saturn that you own with the issues that it has as if buying another console isn’t affordable . I got my first Sega Saturn 4 years ago and between pseudo Saturn disc swap modding and other projects I’ve done on these consoles and got some for really cheap, adding flashed ram and giving the console with backed up games and the ram bypass as gifts to friends.... I’ve owned over 30 Sega Saturn consoles since 2016.
With the prices of the consoles going up and down over the years , I find $80 at most is too expensive and a good day buying a Saturn would be $35 ( which is what I paid for most of my Saturn consoles ) I currently have 5 Saturn consoles. A brand new one that was used once in box from 95’ , one I travel with with a semi shot laser that I won in a Ebay bid for $15, the first one I bought four years ago, one I got a few months ago of Craigslist and one I got from a retro game store that closed in my area on Long Island 3 years ago. They all run fine but I am waiting for professor abrasive to make the back door scan disc modification sooner then later. The Saturn is certainly one of the greatest consoles ever made, let alone one of the best games for it is Sonic Jam.
I think the Mega Collection Plus is the best way to play the games, you get 480p and you can have the option of 2 different aspect ratios to suit your taste.
Ever since I got the Ps2 version, I have never gone back to the Gamecube version due to it only being 480i and doesn't have the Gamegear games. I would say the Ultimate Genesis Collection is the best way, but it doesn't allow lock on and I refuse to play Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles separate, it's just wrong.
you get a like because you put purple haze from American pop at the end!!
Jammin!
huh... is this the only iteration of sonic 1 that you can use sonic 2's spindash...? thats actually kindd of a game-changer for sonic 1, i never knew this :o
Aside from the mobile port on modern smartphones, yes.
I LOVE Sonic Jam!!!