Sonic Jam - Sega Saturn Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ม.ค. 2021
- In 1997, Sega released a compilation of Sonic The Hedgehog games on the ailing Saturn. How close were these games to the originals and did Sega do anything to make you want them?
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Opening 3D Logo By:
Jan Neves
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Opening 2D Animation By:
Kevin Bhall
Facebook - / kevin.bhall.14
Episode Notes:
1. Captured on real hardware.
2. Sonic Jam was mainly thought to be a project to win over the Japanese market. The original Mega Drive versions did not sell well there, so the more popular Saturn platform was seen as a great way to try again. It did go on to sell well there, earning it a Satakore reissue.
3. The Japanese Sonic commercials are freaky. Well worth a watch or two.
4. It's really hard to prove, but I swear the Saturn version of these games do not run as well. I feel hitching and slowdown frequently.
5. Sonic Team's only other fully developed product for the Saturn was Burning Rangers in 1998.
6. Sonic World used a modified Nights Into Dreams engine. Sonic Team actually began making it into a full game, but the project was moved to the Dreamcast shortly thereafter.
7. I don't think this game could have helped the Saturn even if it was available at launch. Sega needed something graphically impressive, and Genesis ports simply wasn't gonna impress the masses. - เกม
![[TH] VCT Pacific Stage 2 - Week 1 Day 1 // DRX vs ZETA | BLD vs TS](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/AWaOqaxN6Y0/mqdefault.jpg)
I think Christian Whitehead once said he developed Sonic Mania along the lines of how he imagined a 2D Sonic game would look and run on the Sega Saturn.
It makes me wonder what the reception would have been like if a Sonic game with the updated looks/extra animation of Sonic Mania, but completely new levels, had been released for the Saturn.
Sadly I have this feeling that a lot of journalist reviewers would complain that Sega did not try to have made it an early 3D title like some playstationx platform games.
Personally I think a 2D/sprite in general Sonic game would have worked better and would have aged better afterwards.
John Rowland
A port of the SEGA SATURN game Sonic Jam ( cartridge 1. ) to Nintendo Switch with Clockwork Night, and Nights Into Dreams ( cartridge 2 ) may justify a $119.99 price tag. If you buy it as a soft bundle with the Switch $99.99 for 2 cartridges. I hope that would cover getting the original wrights to Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles and Sonic 3 & Knuckles.
@@TheDutchGhost
I’d have to agree that the negative outlook Reviewers and journalists had on the system might damage the game.
But if Sega could have released it within the first year or even the second of it’s lifespan. It would have likely be good enough to hold ppl back until Sega figured something out with 3D on the SAT.
Rayman was a big success at the PS1’s launch so I don’t believe a 2D sonic would have done awful.
@@ThatOldSchoolMagic Perhaps it would.
I would like to think so too.
I think I would still definitely have been interested in getting a Saturn back then if a Sonic Mania style "evolved" 2D Sonic would have come out with more levels and animated scenes even if rival machines such as the PSX and the Nintendo 64 were showing of 3D platformers.
Something I have been mourning about the generation after the 16-bit consoles is how many developers gave up on sprite based games as so many of them wanted to switch to early 3D which in general really has aged badly.
We know that some of the 32 bit sprite games from this period still look lovely.
@@TheDutchGhost I’ve been saying for a while now that 3D arrived too early. It was nice for what it was at the time but the potential there was for 2D on the 32 bit game systems should have been taken advantage more.
Because many developers went straight to 3D at that time. Today there isn’t too much to show with it. Just differences in resolution compared to what there was during the last Gen. Things evolved too quickly and thats why Sony and Microsoft today specialize more on load-times as the key defining feature of the modern generation than anything else.
Saturn is basically woulda, coulda, shoulda. A system that was basically completely ignored in the US by 90% of the gaming public and a majority of it's best games never left Japan.
Even now I still haven't gotten into the Saturn scene (though I will pick up a Saturn in a second the next time I see one) and Sega in it's infinite wisdom still basically ignores it focusing almost entirely on the Genesis/Mega Drive occasional arcade and Dreamcast but mostly just the 16-bit stuff.
It plays great, but affording games is a problem. Get yourself a cart that reads burned discs and start pirating.
A big problem, both for Saturn adoption and Saturn re-releases was the convoluted, off-the-shelf nature of the Saturn hardware. I remember a prominent Sega developer saying that very few programmers had the chops to get full performance out of both the main CPUs in the Saturn. The Playstation, by contrasts, was considerably more developer friendly, allowing far more teams to get full performance out of their games.
@@yellowblanka6058 Yeah, this is a thing, BUT as a developer myself, I must say that when there is a good devkit AND documentation (both were awkwardly missing) this is not so difficult to do the job, of course one needs to be used to the hardware but at the end of the day it's still doable because you have all the keys necessary. Without these two elements, accomplish even the tiniest thing get WAY more difficult, as you have to spend a lot of time to figure EVERYTHING. This in itself is an entire different job, that the game studios should never have to do. And as 3D is way more complex that 2D, without even mentioning all of the specificities of the Saturn it just made programming a game for the console seeming like climbing the Everest without any tools.
And this is when the Saturn was definitely killed and buried. Let me be clear there, even after the Mega-CD and the 32X great failures, there was still some hope left as long as the games, the reason that makes people wanting to buy the console, would be done well. Except that with this really dumb move to release the console without the devkit and the documentation, they prevented it to happen. At least for a lot of games, making many studio giving up even the idea to make a game for the console.
As it is, the more I think about it, the more I find it stupid. Sega wasn't even a nearly unknown company like it was at the end of the 80s'. They did not need to be the first to release the new console. They could just have waited a bit, and then showed the true might of the Saturn, demonstrating to Sony that they still had a long way to be at their level, but instead they succumbed to the panic. Yeah, it was sad. Even sadder they did not even answer to Sony "299$" offer that did not contain game nor memory card. As a Sega fan myself, the MegaDrive/Genesis and Sonic being the first system and game I grew up with, I'm greatly disappointed because they had gold in their hands and they chose to waste it.
Still pisses me off that we never got a proper Sonic 3D adventure on the Saturn.
I still hope that some genius homebrewer(s) make it someday. Just with the likes of new games still coming out for the genesis.
Probably for the best, it most likely would have sucked.
@@poncho828 It wasn't for the best for Sega's future. Remember at this time Sega was a lot more consistent at making good games. It could've been great.
@@fizzyfuzz5878 Exactly!
@@fizzyfuzz5878
The problem was they mishandled the Saturn so badly outside of Japan. I mean yes it was hard to program for and most people were bailing and going to PlayStation anyway but it just felt like at some point they basically gave up on trying to get any other markets.
Never getting a true Sonic game for the SEGA Saturn was one of SEGA biggest mistakes!
To this day, still the best Sonic compilation game ever
It makes me think of Super Mario All-Stars for the SNES.
Sonic jam blows my mind! It is glorious! 😊
I could understand the frustration of the early Saturn owners but I want this title in my collection because in a way it is one of the highest expressions of SEGA. Even the little 3D hub world it just makes it a must own to me.
When this game landed, it was pretty clear Saturn was toast. Too bad, because this was one of many excellent releases that graced the Saturn towards the end.
I picked up a Japanese copy of this game just to experience the Sonic World prototype. Definitely very impressive.
I wish the compilation would have included Sonic CD though. Because chances are most Saturn owners had a Genesis, and already owned most if not all of these games. I know I did.
knuckles chaotix too. younger me never got to play either those.
Sega was maddening at this time. As a kid who had put hundreds of hours into the Genesis Sonic titles and hadn't yet purchased a 32/64-bit machine, I was near insulted to find out this was coming out on Saturn and it wasn't going to sway me (I'm not even sure if I was aware of the 3D overworld). If Sonic CD was on there, I would have been so incredibly hyped and purchased a Saturn.
Similarly, if Sonic 3D Blast had come out on Saturn alone, I would have taken the plunge (but I had it on Genesis and was underwhelmed).
Sure, Sonic R was enticing, but a racing game was not enough.
Just a better business decision here or there would have made a world of difference.
In the end, as big of a Sega and Sonic fan that I was, I couldn't justify a purchase.
I got that 32x from kmart for $40...
I got a 32x and a CDX years later and realized how stupid Sega was back when because even as a kid I didn't care for the Sega CD or the 32x and actually handling it showed why I never got one. The Saturn I would have got as a kid but didn't even know it was available or what it did that the PS1 and N64 couldn't so why bother. It's all about marketing and after the Genesis imo, Sega just didn't care and released stuff just to release and make money, never support the support the product.
Yep - typical Sega nonsense at the time, and they never really improved.
They still have a load of classic games that never see the light of day, or they'll release them in Japan as though the rest of the world doesn't exist.
Constant Genesis / Mega Drive re-releases, and nothing much more :(
Saturn was a flagship console that needed a flagship title. Whoever was making business decisions for Sega should be tarred and feathered. TODAY.
It's like if Nintendo never bothered to release Super Mario World, and no main line Mario games on the SNES, then at the end of the SNES' life, they release Super Mario All Stars, but they all look like the NES versions of the games. lol
If Nintendo had done that, Sega sure would have done a lot better in the 16 bit era.
I remember as a kid spending ages trying to figure out how to get to the next level on that 3d hub, until I later found out that there was no other level.
They should of added an extra CD with sonic CD and knuckles chaotic
So…would they sold tje Jam on 2-disc set im your version?
Should've*
I love the animation on Sonic running in the 3d world. I lament the missed opportunity.
I agree. All I can think about when I play Sonic Jam on Saturn is I wish the soundtracks had all been redone with the Saturn's PCM and CD audio. I wish the graphics had been redrawn to be more colorful, and twice the resolution. I wish the backgrounds were 3D like Tomba on the PlayStation or some of the rooms in Symphony of the Night. It would not have taken much more effort on Sonic Team's part to enhance the graphics and sound.
And while we are at it, I wish Sega had put the 3D Sonic in Sonic Team's hands. You do Sonic first, then you can do Nights and other projects. Sonic is the one that pays the bills and puts a roof over your heads. That 3D stage was a good indicator of what a 3D Sonic would have been like, but I think the final product would probably have been like Crash Bandicoot on the PlayStation, switching between narrow corridors, 2D perspectives, and some more open areas. Ironically, Naughty Dog made in anticipation of a 3D Sonic coming to the Saturn to fill the void that would have created on the PlayStation side.
Maybe that Sonic ZTreme engine will one day be used to make a 3D Sonic for the Saturn more in line with the Sonic Jam world than with the Xtreme demo. One can only hope.
I honestly never knew Sonic Jam was a compilation title.
Got this with my Saturn in '97; one of only three games I could get my hands on back in the day. The Saturn was discontinued in the US a year later. Bruh. Still love it for the history goodies.
My only complaint about this collection was that there was no version of Sonic CD included. At that age and time, I had never played Sonic CD nor owned a Sega CD.
If a full Sonic game like the 3D world is launched in the first year of Saturn, everything change.
Probably! Saturn would also need Final Fantasy 7. That game was incredibly important when establishing the Playstation. If Saturn got a Sonic game and also FF7 I think the world would be different today.
Also, where is Phantasy Star 5 already? Come on Sega! We know the PS saga is concluded but what happened with the other spaceship in PS3? Sega, we need to know. Sega, make a PS5 already ;)
@Pepperoni Secret It IS super good. SEGA really failed to advertise this game and it released it with a very small quantity in the West.
@@martinevans1206
I mean it really was too little too late by the time this came out Saturn was all but entirely dead in the US and pretty much everywhere else outside Japan.
@@RedBlueSpot it was huge. and all the commercials/promotional stuff made sure to let you noe it was only on playstation.
@Pepperoni Secret they released it too late had saga appeared 3 years earlier it would made impact
Spot on Sonic Mania was imagined as an unrelased saturn sonic game
What Sega should have done, was make another 2D Sonic title that played to the Saturn's strengths, without any compromises to the gameplay. Sonic Mania was created with the full intention as to what a 2D Sonic game would have been like on the Saturn (and I am surprised that nobody has ever attempted to port it there).
Sega could have easily digitized hand drawn sprites for the game.
@@FoxUnitNell even add some 3D background.
It would’ve got panned even if it was a good game. 3D was the thing at the time.
@@magicjohnson3121 they had their chance with sonic x-treme using the nights engine. I got shot down and cancelled. There was no hope, the Saturn was dying in NA. If sega SDK tools and documents ready and sent to everyone from the get go and no suprise launch. We will have a sonic 3D game ready in 96 or 97.
I have vivid memories picking up a UK gaming mag as a tween, turning to the section on Sonic Jam and seeing a still from the Sonic World section and I felt like Christmas had come early, FINALLY A 3D SONIC GAME ON THE SATURN! I had held back from getting one, waiting for a 3D Sonic game and was all set to tell my mum I now wanted a Saturn for my birthday or Christmas (I forget which one was closer) and then I read the article in the mag and found out it was a hub world.
My 12-year old self was absolutely devastated to have my joy crushed so quickly. I didn't throw it against a wall or anything but I do remember storming off in a huff. No matter how many vids I see on the subject of the terrible decisions Sega made regarding the Saturn it still boggles my mind how they could simply not understand how many of us in the kids in the US and Europe that would have asked our parents for a Saturn if they had brought out a true 3D Soinc game.
That 3D engine section must have felt like such a hard slap in the face to people hungry for a proper Saturn exclusive Sonic game.
Why? It would have made me salivate as a tech demo at the time. Sure, nothing materialized until the Dreamcast, but people should buy consoles based on what they already do, not what you want them to.
I remember that Sega was working on a new 3d sonic game and being exciting. Then They released Sonic 3d instead. I remeber being Soooo disappointed. I Remeber thinking "this is it? All this talk of a new cutting edge sonic and we get a genesis port?! "
they could have also added spinball, mean bean machine and others
Well Sonic Spinball wasn't a Sonic game by Sonic Team. It was an external team who did it. You can tell this was just a compromise compilation at best.
As someone who almost always stayed a generation or more behind (hell, the first console I laid my hands on was an Atari 2600, and that was in the 90s) I had quite a positive experience with this game back in the early 2000s. I was a Sonic obsessed child then, and this was my third exposure to the franchise after Sonic 1 & 2 for the Master System and the Sonic SatAM cartoon.
Sonic Jam is not just a collection of games, it is a monument to a game called “Sonic the
Hedgehog " in life.
I’ve been waiting for this one for a while. Props to Sega Lord X for continuing to bring the content heat during this pandemic.
Still one of the best game compilation release imo, put many hours into it on Saturn.
I Agreed I Love This Sega Saturn Compilation Game❤
This was a game I always wanted to play, the 3D world looked so cool
It IS cool!
Playing with the analog gamepad kept me busy while people played Mario64 and Ocarina Of Time! Ah good times!
It's worth a go even now. I picked up a cheap disc only copy on eBay and made my own DVD box art. 😀
It’s odd that Sega redid the originals when they could’ve showed Sonic CD, and Knuckles 32X which at least were more modern. They also didn’t have many people who owned them at the time. So it would’ve gave a new to you feel.
Knuckles Chaotix would have been a great addition to Sonic Jam.
That and the Master System/Game Gear games with a save function.
I mentioned to myself during the video that it was weird that Sega did not have Sonic CD added to give a more complete package.
Well a truly complete package would also have included SegaSonic the Hedgehog.
CD would of taken up too much storage space, and Chaotix would of been difficult to port/emulate at the time.
Would have been great to have them both included in addition but I wouldn't have put them in there as a replacement for any of the four Genesis releases. As another person mentioned putting the Master System entries in there, perhaps as unlockable rewards for completing some of the 3D challenges, would have rounded out the package nicely.
Knuckles chaotix would have been a great addition especially because it has never been re released on any modern storefronts to my knowledge.
No game fills me with nostalgia like this compilation. My childhood!
I loved this compilation along with Sonic World. I remember being very impressed with Sonic World's textures and the fluidity of gameplay, for an early 3D title. If Sega had combined parts of Sonic R, the 3D bonus stages of Sonic 3D Blast, and Sonic Jam's 3D engine , the resulting game could have been quite amazing.
This should have been a pack-in title when the system launched. It would've given buyers a library of great games to start their time with the console, it would have been a celebration of their mascot, and it would have been a preview of things to come.
Worth the buy for the 3D section alone. The best playing version of a 3D Sonic game there is and is essentially to sonic as the first painting in Mario 64 is to Mario (Various objectives to complete a la stars to collect). A full game of it would have been amazing
So you can watch videos from Sonic CD but not play the game Sonic CD which was literally made by the same developer (Sonic Team) that put together this Sonic Jam compilation... Yeah cuz that makes sense 💀
There's no way Sonic CD would have fit alongside the other games. Almost all available space was used up on the Sonic Jam disc, and Sega sure as hell wasn't going to include Sonic CD on a separate disc.
@@purplesabbath9057 Are you serious?
If Sega wasn't willing to spend the extra 50 cents to print an extra CD for the flagship title for the previous generation's most expensive add-on (throw Chaotix on that CD as well) on the collection for that generation's console-selling mascot then they didn't deserve to *survive* the Console Wars- let alone win.
Source: a Sega partisan.
@@purplesabbath9057 The game would have fit but the music was all redbook on the Sega CD and the Saturn also relied on redbook audio in many games so it's likely the music was the tipping factor
@@DenkyManner Yes, I have no doubt the Redbook audio was what stopped them from including Sonic CD.
seeeeegaaa.
To this day, Im still sad that Sonic Xtreme was never released (or made, really). I remember seeing the screenshots and video of it, and just being blown away. I thought the fisheye effect was so cool looking.
That 3D stage looks gorgeous!
I got what I wanted with Sonic Jam, many of us did not understand the whole collecting thing and sold off our Megadrives when we upgraded to the Saturn and PS1 and this was a great way to play these Sonic games again and the 3D world was interesting to play around in, Also many dont understand the wow factor of playing these games on another system regardless of them being 16 bit.
Sonic world + stages like R and 3Dbonus = PERFECT SATURN SONIC.
Yup, that would've been a dream... By the way, the stage design in Sonic R was made by Sonic Team at that time. So, it was only Time that they needed. If they only started developing Sonic Jam earlier...
That's could be the hardest thing to do its 3 differents graphicals engines
@@zeherbh2632 Just the 3D engine of Sonic Jam would have been enough.
The best Sonic compilation ever made
You could play the Sonic 3/Knuckles special stages with no speed increase in this collection. Special stages were far easier if you wanted it.
I agree with everything, common sense is so rare hearing it being told so well is candy for my mind.
Wow. These aren’t emulations, but actually reprogramming? Crazy!
No blast processing so you get slowdown on some stages, it’s brutal at times.
Ports, man. Ports.
It is not crazy at all.
First of all, 2D emulation might seem trivial now, but emulation requires much more sources than you think.
And more importantly, it wasn't well known in Japan in the 90s.
The Saturn or PlayStation didn't have the necessary power to emulate, that's why porting was necessary.
I remember passing on this game when it came out because it didn't include Sonic CD, which was the only 16-bit Sonic game that I never played (because it was on an otherwise under-utilized $400 add-on that I couldn't justify getting) and was always googly-eyed for. Many fans were like me. Big mistake not including it in this package. Luckily for me, the PC version of Sonic CD came out soon thereafter. The 3D engine was neat, but unfortunately, still couldn't hold a candle to stuff like Mario 64 or Crash. Still would've loved to see the full game and definitely would've bought it though.
Same for me. Sonic CD not being a part of this compilation was disasterous..
Had they included it and Knuckles Chaotix ( maybe with sonic as a playable character ) and maybe some of other sonic games,
would have been above and beyond.
And, thats the thing, to this day, Sega Never Go Above and Beyond.
Nintendo, I feel, is more excellent in that way than Sega.
Not sure if you agree.
@@mxggo9046 Have you forgotten CD was quite literally a CD, there would not be enough space on the disc to put it on due to the audio tracks, and Chaotix may of been time consuming to port. You say Nintendo is better in that way but the Wii port of All Stars was far more bare than this and it came out well over a decade later on a disc which was over 6 times the size!
@@revengenerd1
Understood.
Maybe use 2 discs?
Maybe remaster each game individually with more color throughout?
Maybe sell each title at a budget price to garner more interest ( ala the NFL 2k title )?
Go above and beyond is all I'm saying.
They didn't include Sonic CD on Sonic Mega Collection for the Gamecube either. It wasn't until Gems Collection that they released it. It seems clear they did that as a cash grab.
@@58jharris
Not really sure if we will ever know why they did not add it.
But, would have been oh so nice for it to have been included.
It would be awesome if we got a Sonic world style game in with the quality of Sonic Mania. I love Sonic Adventure, but there's something so pleasing about that low poly Saturn aesthetic.
Got a Saturn some time somewhere around late 97 maybe early 98 with this and Worldwide Soccer 98 and it was my first time playing the 3 & Knuckles titles. The strangest difference for me looking back later is the explosions in those two games. I loved all the Sonic World stuff too. I still have the vast majority of Saturn stuff I had from back then, it was only the odd game we traded in for something else
Was one of my first video games. This game made me a gamer.
This release was ahead of its time in terms of quality of life adjustments to the old genesis games. It took many years for official re-releases to meet the quality of what Sonic Jam did. Thankfully Sega released Sonic Origins Plus recently and I'm loving what they did with it. It's awesome being able to play as Amy etc+other changes.
The game that made me realize how much cooler Sonic was in Japan and that Sonic had an awesome OVA!
I missed out on having a mega drive so this was a great addition for the Saturn as far as I was concerned. I never had the chance to play Sonic 3 & Sonic & Knuckles in any capacity so all of a sudden I had 4 games on one disc. Plus playing as knuckles on sonic 2 was a mind blow along with the commercials and trailers. Seeing the sonic anime trailer was also another great addition too as I wasn’t even aware of it.
Never have put myself in the shoes of someone who had never played a Sonic title before. Very interesting.
@@mxggo9046 I did get to play sonic 1 & 2 on occasions but it was always round a friend’s house. But yeah, it was great to finally play 3 and Sonic & Knuckles and also have a real good go at 1 & 2 again, plus I was in my mid teens by then so I was a much better player at that point 🙂
Omg that 3d level looks fantastic with great draw distance, better than anything I've seen on PS1 and N64. Imagine all the games that could be made with this engine.
The funny thing is this was my first Sega Saturn game and my only game for a long time😅
Not to mention I still had my original Sega Genesis as well as all the games that were on Sonic Jam.
Amazing review and your talking points were on point! It is a bummer Sega didn't do more with it but the options and content plus a gorgeous Sonic World is not too bad.
Yeap it seems Sega just wasted time making this when they could had done so much more with it. They could had added back Hidden Palace Zone for Sonic 2, maybe add transition cutscenes to Sonic 1 & Sonic 2 like what Sonic 3 and Knuckles had, they could had made a playable Tails and Knuckles in Sonic 1, they could had added a new level to Sonic 1 maybe pull one from the Game Gear or SMS version with a 16-Bit touch, would be nice to see the Bridge Zone in 16-Bit, or they could had also added Sonic CD to the collection and include Amy and Metal Sonic as unlockable playable character. They could had made a whole rearrange soundtrack with Red Book audio to all the games or rehired Michael Jackson back to do more tunes for some new levels in Sonic 3 and Tails and Knuckles, they could had included the entire Chaotix characters to every one of the game, they could had create multiple FMV endings (normal, good, bad, fake, and true) for all of the games, they could had create new 3D bonus stages for both Sonic 1 and 2 instead of the half pipe and pinball. Instead they wasted their time recreating all the roms with nothing new and throw in a tech demo which just make the package feel more sour than complete. It's still fun but for Genesis owners that had upgraded to Saturn, these are just meh at best.
I always thought of the Sonic Jam game as a collection like that of Sega Ages or The Namco Muesuem, Even back in the day i never thought of it trying to replace a 3d sonic. I always enjoyed it.
I like the UI and general presentation of Sonic Jam. I did buy it in the 90s and could not help but wonder if that 3D world bonus area had been really developed how things could have been so different.
As a Sonic fan I wonder I never knew about there was Sonic World on the Saturn. The Saturn was the only SEGA console I didn't own. Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast was the first 3D Sonic game for me, and it became one of my favorite games ever. 2021 I played the it again and still love it.
This game is a prime example of Sega being absolutely delusional at the time.
And selfish as well
THANK YOU.
This game made me want a Saturn so bad, when I was a kid. I saw someone playing Sonic Jam at a Funcoland, and my dumb ass thinking it was a whole 3D game like that, was blown away and thought nothing could be better than the SEGA Saturn.
Flash forward like, twenty-five years later, I finally have a Saturn, and I was right. I love this thing. Alas, my mom never got me one back when it was new, for I was a SEGA fanboy raised in a Nintendo family. Luckily, I later had that History of Sonic video on Mega Collection that taught me what Sonic Jam really was, so I've had time to get over my disappointment before ever getting to play it for myself.
You brought up good points on the graphics Sonic 1-Knuckles for this compilation. It would have been great if they beefed up the graphics akin to Sonic Mania or at least Chaotix.
3:36 It must've been wild to see the Sonic Japanese commericals back in the day.
Its a strange phenomenon how Sega is still in business at all.
The ring grab sound seems more pleasing, a bit smoother and clearer. Which does matter a bit since your constantly hearing it.
So that's a tiny plus.
Sonic Jam is my go-to when I want to play the original trilogy on Saturn instead of Genesis. It just feels so right playing a compilation on a Sega console rather than the PS3, Xbox and so on. My only wish is that Sonic Mania (which I own on PS4) existed on the Saturn or Dreamcast, then things would come full circle.
Damn... I never got to try this one out. Sega Lord X... the man with amazing quality content and unique title showcasing!
I had an EGM that had a review of this game and they used an image of the 3D sonic part. For years after I thought there was a true 3D sonic on the Saturn.
They missed out on an opportunity to port over Sonic CD and Knuckles Chaotix in this collection.
With the 32X only lasting around a year they could have definitely ported it.
They should have just focused on making a 2D sonic game with more frames of animation similar to what was done with Sonic Mania Instead of making a fully 3D Sonic game.
An in the background making more 3D games to test out how the third dimension would work along side Burning Rangers and Nights.
Fun Fact: after Chaotix was prototyped for the Genesis as Sonic Crackers, the game was eventually moved to Saturn - then after Sega realized they needed more games for their fledgling 32X add-on, cut out lots of content and brought the game onto the 32X instead
@@ThatOldSchoolMagic True lol
Sega was just full of bad decisions at the time its mind blowing with how many things went wrong for them.
Sonic CD yes, knuckles chaotic no. Keep that garbage in the 32X where it belongs, I can’t believe people actually like that game.
@@stevesteve0521 Garbage?
I played far more of the Sonic World than the re-releases. I absolutely adored all of the bonus content - I had never seen things like the Sonic CD cinematics before so I did nothing but rewatch it over and over! Although I had a Megadrive, I'd never played S&K so I wasn't disappointed by the ported content. I never thought to expect CD or the Master System/Game Gear games at the time, although it occurs to me in retrospect.
Man it’s amazing how much quality content you’ve only dropped in a week’s time! Amazing stuff... way to hit your stride!
I found a glitch back in 1997 for the Sonic World part where you can break out of the map and can run freely around an endless open field. If you run far enough you can find unfinished floor tiles and at some points the sky can glitch out and turn into grass.
I've played more 16-bit Sonic on Saturn than on the Genesis back in those days, I'm fine these are faithful ports, though I agree they should have added all the other Sonic games from SMS, Game Gear's Sonic Chaos, 3D Blast, Spinball and Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, that would make the complete package for me.
Good morning. Really enjoying your videos. Take care & thank you 🙏
Great video, as always! Never got to experience this collection, but a few years later I did get to enjoy Sonic Mega Collection on my GameCube. So many countless hours spent on that great disc.
I had picked this one up in the second quarter of 1998 I think; there wasn't much coming out for the Saturn (Not many new releases that is) at the time so it was pretty much a mandatory buy even if it wasn't a Saturn original Sonic game. Still it was fun and I thought each of the games were well taken care of and had a modestly sharper look when compared to the Genesis originals. (Maybe my TV was just better) This collection is where I finished both Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles for the first time so that much was new to me. The 3D hub world played well, has a lot of fun distractions, and left me wanting more so it was a successful demonstration, and all of the extras and the manner in which they were laid out was nicely done.
Wow. I didn't even know this existed. I probably would have wanted the Saturn back in the day just to play this game. It looks great. Awesome video, SLX.
It’s a shame people wanted only 3D as I do t think the Technology to make a good 3D sonic game was quite there but the Saturn could have made a brand new 2d sonic game a sonic 4 with even bigger and more complex and visually stunning levels than we’d seen on the megadrive
Sonic Mega Collection on the GameCube was the first time I got note of that game and I instantly loved it for its looks and bonus features.
Strange since Mega Collection is basically the same but with emulation instead of recreation and no over world to explore.
Speaking of which, that hub world you can run around in Jam is Sonic Adventure's prototype.
So for Sonic fans, this technically should be a fun game to explore albeit it's not much you gain from it.
SEGA never could coordinate their hardware and software properly.
It started with the two add-on with the sega cd (scaler and fmv arcade boards), 32x (software scaler, downgrade version software model 1 and 2 board). Then we have the Saturn (systems 32, model 1 and 2 arcade boards). After the genesis they were so addicted to making home console hardware that replicate arcade board. Knowing damn well it is not feasible in reality due to cost (the scaler chip) and lack of cost true 3D hardware until the release of their arcade model 2 and model 3. If sega were more careful in designing their home console hardware after the genesis. They could have been in a better position during the 32-bit era.
The music in Sonic World shows off some nice synth from the Saturn sound chip.
The music differences in the 4 original games is due to the music being recorded from the Genesis, rather than playing natively from the Saturn's synthesizer.
Great video! My own first experience with a 3D version of sonic was on the CHRISTMAS NIGHTS and SONIC R games on the Saturn. I kinda’ remember SONIC JAM but completely forgot about the 3D over world. Super cool!
At least it has Sonic World and the easier stage layouts, which is more than can be said about a lot of Sonic compilations
i salivate at the thought of what sort of amazing Sonic game could have been made on the saturn given its 2d prowess, i remember thinking at the time and i still do that i jus twanted to grab them and shake some sense into them it was defnitely a frustrating period of time to be a a sega and sonic fan.
I think this was the first time I've ever heard the word Flummoxed
I think it describes Saturn era Sega, perfectly.
This is my go to sonic collection. Such a great game to play as I play it all the time.
Always love more Saturn videos.
Keep em' coming!
I loved my playstation and I remember this game disappointing everyone at the time; I wish more rpgs were translated and had the japanese voice work remain, so much charm of the console is locked away from non japanese speakers.
Sonic Jam was the game I got with my Sega Saturn. I didn't even know what it was (assumed it was a 3d Sonic Game!). I was very surprise with the amount of content avaliable like the sound test, commercial videos, picture gallery and special animations. I watched these special features so much! I also didn't play Sonic 3 on megadrive and was happy to finally get the chance to with this compilation of Sonic games.
In 1995 Sega was a corporate mess They did not have the time to use the new technology on the old games. I think it’s a great sport and definitely a lot of bang for the buck. The Saturn was a really good Consol arguably as good as the N64
I had this. For me personally the most enjoyable thing about this package was all the media on the disc. The manuals and art was very high quality for the time. I loved watching the Japanese commercials, and it was just great to see Sonic in 3D graphics outside of Christmas Nights. It was a fan service we didn't really see at the time.
I actually think the best Sonic game Saturn could have received would have been like the Sonic Rush games on DS. Those actually look like Saturn games. So I'm not that bothered Saturn never got a real Sonic game, partly because Sonic Adventure was amazing when it finally came.
would love a modder to expand the 3D overworld.
This was a great game on the Saturn. For the longest time, it was the only way I could play Sonic and Knuckles after my Genesis and Sonic Library was stolen when people broke into our house.
Amazing that at around 4 minutes, you show the video from sonic CD's intro, but the music playing is from somewhere else. I think one of the animated features.
That's the music from the game. It's the Japanese version.
Great review, I agree it's a good collection and impressive how fast it was put together but I agree it could have been so much more, besides the music issues I noticed slowdown and some bugs in Sonic 2 that where not there originally and I know they made improvements to Sonic 3 is some places but made it worst in others! I would have liked to have scene truly perfect ports but also knuckles playable is Sonic 1 along with Tails and finish the cut levels from the first 4 games and include them here and on top of that enhanced ports of Sonic CD and Knuckles Chaotix! I agree I would really have liked to see a 2.5D Sonic game like what Generations did!
Sega should’ve made a Shinobi collection for the Saturn as well. Also the phantasy star collection should’ve came here in the states instead of being Japanese exclusive
The music was played directly from the CD, so of course it will occasionally not be perfect as it had to physically move something to change.
And yet it's still jarring to hear the transitions so late. Becoming invincible is especially bad. The in game music has to stop, and the new music has to start, meaning you've been invincible for literally 5 seconds before the music kicks in. In a Saturn developed game, the transition would have been flawless because the invincibility tune would have been chip generated.
@@SegaLordX Definitely not a perfect choice for doing it especially in a game where speed is a defining part of the game, just thought I'd mention it though.
Thanks SLX!Love your content !!💖
I think what needed to be done most with Sonic Jam was what Christian Whitehead did with the Sonic 1 & 2 remasters along with Sonic CD. Although, this being 1997, they most likely wouldn't have presented the game on a widescreen format. Still, I think Sonic Jam's appeal was to get new fans aboard who may not have had a Sega Genesis. I was one of the fortunate kids who had both an SNES and Genesis but many kids had to choose one over the other.
Something to remember is that this game was made primarily for a Japanese audience, where the Saturn sold very well, but the Genesis did not. A very, VERY large portion of Japanese Saturn owners hadn't played Sonic.
Absolutely well said! Great video my man. Cheers!
Loved so much Sonic Jam. That Sonic World, I played a heck out of it. I remember passing hours there.
Honestly speaking, we should have gotten a rerelease of Sonic CD, and something like Sonic Mania for the Saturn in the 90s. Outside of the special stages and a few design changes, the Saturn would have no issues running it in glorious 240p. I probably wouldn't have changed the fate of the console, but it definitely would have picked up more early sales and would've been an excellent temporary send off of 2D sonic.
True, also add 2.5 D graphic effects to it and releasing it in late 95 so it can buy time for developers to port a true 3D sonic title a year or year in a half.
Sonic Jam on a friend's Sega Saturn was my introduction to Sonic 3 and Knuckles, it's still my favourite game of all time. Years later my Nana bought all the Megadrive versions of the games for me (being the legend she was).
The thing that struck me recently after playing Sonic Jam again, is that the Megadrive / Genesis versions are the better ones. Sega really missed a trick here, the Sonic Jam versions of the games should've been the definitive versions, enhanced, but Sonic Mega Collection uses a Genesis emulator to play the originals, not the Sonic Jam versions.