Hey I just finished Robin Toledo's letter posted on 11-2-98. And while at first it does sound like rabid burst from a Sega lunatic, there are some valid points that are address by the author. We all know that the previous incarnation of Sega of America screwed the Saturn from launch and they did make some terrible and unforgivable mistakes. The bad press that the Saturn received from various publications as well as brainwashed new-generation gamers kinda helped to exacerbate the whole failure of the Saturn. C'mon think back to the #sega days Fernando...how many morons (wanna be 'gaming gurus') did you and I both run into on IRC! There were people who never even played the Saturn and were slamming it based on what they either read or heard, not on what they SAW! And US publications really were full of it when they ranked the systems...what a load of BS. I remember UGP gave the Saturn a 6, while giving the N64 a 9 based on that system's POTENTIAL!! The Saturn had a lot of titles out first party and 3rd party, and the N64 didn't even have a RPG or fighting game and they gave it a 9......there's something wrong with that! Next Generation never even gave the Saturn a chance, saying crap like Nights was a good game but can it save the Saturn....how about just telling us how awesome the game is and leave it at that. You don't see a magazine saying Zelda is an awesome game but will it save the N64....system war hype and nonsense.

Then you had the developers looking for an excuse to jump ship. Shiny claiming that Wild 9 (mediocre title at best anyway) was superior on the Saturn but they weren't gonna release it due to the state of the Saturn. Understandable, but at the time at felt that the Saturn still had a chance if some software showcasing the systems abilitites had emerged (like now on the import side). And how about Eidos (not Core the awesome developers who brought us awesome Sega CD games, the publisher who bought them), talked some crap about how Tomb Raider2 wasn't coming to the Saturn because of it's inability to do 'Mode 7' doors?! What the hell? I don't remember seeing any SNES scaling effects in TR2?!

Hey I admit SOA screwed up royally but the system was never given a chance, none of it's quality titles were ever showcased in publications. I don't remeber seeing any hype for Panzer Dragoon, Sega Rally, Nights, Decathelete, Duke Nukem, Quake, etc. at least not nearly as much as you see for crap like Spawn, Cruisin USA, Rascal or Iggy's Wreckin Balls. I remember many saying that the Saturns 2D capabilites were overatted and compared it 'buzzwords' like Blast Processing. Then along came Metal Slug, Thunderforce 5, Silhouette Mirage, Radiant Silvergun and X-Men vs. SF. And not many would admit that they said negative things about the Saturn. Now I laugh when I look through publications like this months Gamepro, who talk about how awesome the Saturn is and what import games to get...you should have done that 2 freaking years ago!! Instead of hyping up mediocrity and creating this system war non-sense, publications would have sold more good game period, and the Saturn would be just a little better off. I laugh when I read usenet post on how many like MegaMan X4, Shining Force 3 and Burning Rangers. All I can say is welcome to the party but you're a little late. If you had gotten a clue sooner, chances are you'd be playing Marvel vs. Capcom on your Saturn in the near future. The Saturn may not have been a success, but it I don't think it would be dead after 2 years.

But I do agree with Robin, that it is sickening that all these Saturn fans have come out of the wood work. Look how many DC sites have popped up in the past 4 months (and we won't even begin to question the quality or accuracy of information). We all know that when the next hot system comes along they'll be gone faster than a fat lady after a Snicker's bar. I won't go as far as to say they don't deserve the Saturn or it's software, but 'fair-weather' fans do make my stomch turn. The Saturn bombed because it was mis-managed not becuase it didn't have quality software. Remember that when your playing your hacked up Marvel vs. SF EX on PSX with Dual Shock support!

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
Well, the media didn't really give the Saturn a fair shot, at least not at the beginning. I remember Next-Gen was saying all sorts of stuff about the Saturn that first year; Christ they had people talking about a replacement already (and not just development talk, retail talk, as in releasing a replace in the near future)! Sadly, most people read such speculation as fact, and you end up with a bunch of babbling EB guys talking about Saturn 2 instead of praising Sega Rally and Virtua Fighter 2.

Developers just went where they saw the support, and where they saw the money. Sony kicked Sega's ass in third party relations; they had better tools, better deals, better everything. Sega was stuck with a cocky attitude after the Genesis' success and it didn't help them one bit. As for Tomb Raider 2, well, the founder of Core went on the record at Tomb Raider's 3 unveiling in England and said Tomb Raider 2 wasn't possible on Saturn. It's in the news archives somewhere, go ahead and find it; I dare ya! Teehee.

The Saturn's lack of coverage/hype in publications has to be partly the fault of Sega's PR strategy. Of course, true gamers at these magazine gave Sega a fair shot at things; I know there were plenty of Sega fans at EGM, GameFan, etc. but they were just drowned out by the mountain of Sony stuff.

Fair-weather Saturn fans? I don't know, I think it's just gamers trying to find good games at the right price. You can't blame anyone for picking up a Saturn with 5 games for around 100 bucks. At full retail price, the Saturn wasn't a enticing purchase; drop the price, and it's only natural that more people will be drawn to it. You can't point the finger at these new Saturn owners for Sega's own mistakes: plan and simple, Sega didn't make the Saturn enticing for all these potential buyers way back when the system could of been profitable for the company.

Good Evening (Or Whatever) Mr. Mosquera,

Hopefully my letter will grace your site in the days to come, but I'll be satisfied if you just read it. I am, of course, a rabid Sega fan. They make top quality games and arcade games to boot. I've been through the good and the bad (32X) and am eagerly awaiting the DC. I am getting very sick of all the DC hype that has been circulating around the internet. I know that it's a hot topic, but when certain sites start reporting about rumors and insignificant stories relating to the DC, I really get irritated. Recently, one of your affiliates in IGN reported a bunch of DC related crap that was considered to be a top story. "Programming Bugs" and "Company X says they do not plan to work for DC". Really, who gives a rat's ass? Sure, if this "bug" were any kind of a story, everyone would be talking about it (this site even went on to say that the developers were already fixing the problem). And who cares if a company isnt developing games for DC? There are a ton of developers not making games for it! Sure if somebody like Square jumped ship, I guess that would make a headline or two, but enough with rumors (Saga Frontier 2 for DC...gimme a break ). At least Seganet acknowledges that the news is slow on DC and doesn't want to report on crap like that. I for one have high expectations for the DC and am patient enough to wait for it. I work at a local game store (EB) and my manager had the oppurtunity to attend a vendor show last weekend that showcased DC on two large moniters. I'm telling you, my manager is no fan of sega or their products, but he said that Sonic Adventure left him speechless. He had nothing but praise for the DC and everyone had high expectations for it. When the DC launches here in the US, all it needs is an arcade perfect port of NFL Blitz '99 ( for the mindless sports fanatics (hey, I work in a game store, and that sold well)), Resident Evil Code:Veronica (for those All-American Action purists who bought Playstation for RE1), and Sonic Adventure for both those catagories plus anyone I left out. I'm even leaving out plenty of games that deserve note and ones that have yet to appear, but that only reinforces my faith in DC. PSX launched with a bunch of games (mostly crap..cough Toshinden..cough cough) and Nintendo had no games exept for one extraodinary title in its time (mario). DC has Sonic which is the perfect flagship title, and many others for the US launch. But of course, you probably already knew that, right?

Thanks for your time and here are a few questions:

1. Will the modem allow you to play direct modem play for games such as Virtua On2, or do you have to play on something like Heat.net for multiplayer (I had to ask a modem question) ?

2. Whats the deal on importing a DC? Theres only 26 days left and I'm the only one that notices a complete deadlock from US Importers. Forget about price, and tell us if they're available!! (NCS said they gauranteed all orders up till October 2 months ago and they still remain quiet.)

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
I completely agree with your comments about the Dreamcast sites and the content that they're producing. Yes, there are slow news days, but that's no reason to start silly speculation. Ahem, ahem. I think a lot of other people in the industry feel the same way; we're sick of the stupid rumors and speculations posted as legit news. I think you should head on over to Dimension-S and read their little editorial on the matter; pretty dead on.

I think, that once and for all, Sega is going to get this American launch right. They're starting the proper hype with the retailers and the media, and I think they'll have the line-up that American gamers want. Visual Concepts is doing a fine job on the football and basketball titles, Sonic Adventure is Sonic, Climax Landers will fill the RPG niche. With the strong third party support, well, there's going to be a bit of everything for everybody next fall.

1. From the little that has been released on online play, I assume we'll get the option to do direct-dial or tcp/ip. This is just an assumption though.

2. I think things were looking pretty solid when the release date was the 20th, but the pushback the 28th and the recent system shortages has thrown the importers for a loop. They have no idea how many systems they'll be able to get or how much they'll pay for them!

Fernando,
Two things: 1) Kudos for putting up with so many fanboys and wingdings. Having hosted web sites for 3.5 years, I know how inane people can get. I sometimes wonder if the mailbag section isn't just therapy for you as opposed to a public service! :) I just wanted to thank you for continuing to support your site even tho' you get some pretty insipid email...

2) Speaking of insipid email, I have another problem.. You remember that I wanted to know if you could have access to Saturnworld's Grandia walkthru? Well, I saw a posting about that from one of Saturnworld's former editors on your forum. Unfortunately, it was at the bottom of the forum page and it was in a quote. I posted asking if anybody knew the URL that Jeremy ? posted for Grandia's walkthru, but then my wife went and had a baby. Some nerve, ne? :) So I never saw anybody's replies to my posting. My original letter got rolled off (Hey, do you do that manually, or have you configured Matt's wwwboard to automatically do that for you?) Have you heard anything about the walkthru's new URL? Do you have Jeremy's email address? I sure would like to contact him... If there was a new address, then that would even be news, I guess. Hope you can help. Thanks.

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
Hey, if you guys take the time to write e-mails to me, the least I can do is respond. Sure, some of the e-mails I get make me want to hit something, but most of them are pretty good, like the one's I been posting so far today.

Before I answer your question, congrats on the birth of your child, I'm sure you're really proud. Be sure to teach it how to play video games from a young age, I mean, look how well we all turned out!

The wwwboard management? Well, it's easy, I just look for all the messages written by you and delete them.. I'm out to get you buddy! Nah, I just delete them manually when it gets over 200 messages. No idea on Jeremy's post/e-mail/walkthrough.

After reading yesterday's mailbag I felt inspired to write down my own thoughts regarding Working Designs, the "gift from God" company.

Gift from Hell is more like it! Working Design's behavior can be likened to that of an extremely selfish tantrum-throwing infant. Allow me to illustrate. If memory serves, I believe the reason they finally called it quits with Sega was because they didn't get a big enough booth at the E3 show, or whatever it was. I submit that they did not deserve a better booth in the first place. As wiser friends of mine pointed out, WD had exactly TWO good games out for the Saturn, Iron Storm and Dragon Force. That was it. They also cite Bernie's infamous "the Saturn is not our future" line as another reason for leaving Sega.

Now, at the time, I must confess that this statement enraged me to no end. Upon reflection, I realize the policy makes perfect sense. If Sega can start afresh with a new console, correcting all types of mistakes they made in the past (marketing, hardware, software, etc.) then more power to them! I, too, felt bitter about buying the less-than-stellar 32X and Sega CD. I am willing to forgive and forget if Sega does it right this time...and all inclinations lead me to believe this is the case.

Yet, WD continues with their immature behavior. They won't develop on Dreamcast? Good. You do that, Vic. Great strategy. Release games like Elemental Gearbolt for PSX. Gee, that'll bring in great revenue for your precious little company! (snicker) To quote Kahn from Star Trek II: "I cannot help but be touched."

Well, Vic, it is time for the fans to treat you as you deserve to be treated: you will be punished. Whereas once ago I actually anticipated buying Rayearth, now I will do no such thing. It's time for the infant known as WD to get a good old-fashioned spankin'!!!

Why? I believe a line from The Godfather best sums up how I feel about WD's antics: "It insults my intelligence...and it makes me very angry."

Well, that is all. Join me, Sega fans...Just Say NO to Rayearth!

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
Ack, not this WD thing again, lord please no. Ack, I'm not even going to bother explaining it yet again... someone needs to release a FAQ about this damn thing.

I know everyone, except the terminally rich, is in agony over the latest price estimates for imported Dreamcasts. However, there are other ways to get one. If you can make a friend with a Japanese student studying in America or make connections with people in your local Japanese community, you might be able to get your hands on a DC for only about $50-100 more than the price in Japan. I've found that the more I've studied about Japan, the more I realized that there were many Japanese people in San Diego. I've got a Japanese girlfriend now who studies at San Diego State University. I met her because the International Center at my old school (UCSD) has a Language Exchange Program where you can learn Japanese for free in exchange for helping Japanese people practice their english. If you like video games then you already love Japanese culture so making friends with Japanese people is pretty easy. Most Japanese people really love American culture so they want to make American friends but they are a bit shy and won't approach you on their own. I probably won't be able to get my DC in November because we didn't call my girlfriend's family in Japan early enough for them to pre-order a unit for me but I'll be ready when pre-orders open again.

If you love videogames then expand your mind a little bit and find out if you have a Japanese community in your city. In San Diego there's several stores including one big plaza called Yaohan where I can buy about 12 different import magazines (some of them with demo discs!) at lower prices than import shops, including weekly Saturn and PSX mags. If you make a Japanese friend, you can give them money and they can send it to their families in Japan, who will buy you a Dreamcast when they're available. I'm not really sure how much shipping will cost them but I'm thinking about $50-100 depending on how fast you want it. I hope this helps my fellow videogame addicts. I've already given up on getting a Dreamcast at launch, but since the only really decent launch title is VF3TB, I'll just play Zelda until Sonic Adventure arrives in December.

Nathan Edwards

P.S. Please don't email me asking if I can get you a Dreamcast too. I would never do anything to offend my girlfriend's family, and asking them to get me more than one DC would show that I was trying to make a profit rather than just asking them for a personal favor. Good luck in waiting, and remember: Sonic is the truth, the light and the way.....

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
Hear that folks, talking to people outside of your local EB clerk can pay off on occasion.

Hey,
I recently bought Lunar: The Silver Star Story Complete (MPEG version) for the Saturn since Working Designs(I hate those guys) canned the Saturn version for the U.S. But I can't get the MPEG card to play the game because nobody has it. I e-mailed and called import shops but recieved no good news from any of them on availability. I don't want to get stuck with a great game because I don't have the necessary peripheral. I don't know where to turn to perhaps you can help me out. I don't care how much it is just as long as I can get it. Thanks.

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
Ok, here's my advice to you:

Call, not e-mail, call every retailer in our links page asking for the card. If that doesn't work, post in every forum, scour the auction sites (www.ebay.com, etc.), and post on usenet. I'm sure you'll turn up something.

Good luck, and let me know how it goes!

Hi,

I have a few comments and questions for you.

1. Do you know if Metal Slug 2 is coming out for Saturn? I have seen it advertised in the back of some magazine like Gamefan but that doesn't mean a whole lot.

2. I just got Saturn Bomberman but it has no instructions and I have never played any of the games in the series. Could you explain to me the different rules of the game modes, what the powerups do, how to play etc. or direct me to a website that has a manual archive so I could print out a copy of the manual?

3. Please DO NOT get discouraged by your lack of response to the Game Basic site. I am a GB owner and I think it is great. The only problem is I have downloaded the games and read through the site but haven't been able to find any instructions on how to load these games into the Saturn. The guy who runs the site knows how to do it but he isn't showing us how to make use of all these programs. I think there are a lot of fellow GB owners out there who have the kit but are still trying to figure out how to get it all up and running. The whole damn manual is in Japanese. I don't speak or read Japanese. What all the silent GB owners out there are waiting for is a good translated English manual in book or online form. I am in a state of limbo while I wait for some English instructions to appear. I can't make much use of it right now. This is obviously why you are not getting the response you hoped for and why you will continue to not get much response. If someone came out with a English manual the U.S. GB scene could explode and really put Japan's output to shame.

4. I have seen this game ,Free Runner, in an old sale ad and on a store shelf once and wondered what the hell it is. I have never seen an ad specifically for it and can't find any reviews of it in any magazine or any mention of it online. Have you ever played it and do you know what it is? It's not an import. It was a early SEGA release.

5. I read the article that was posted about the test market thing that was attended by, was it you or Vargas? I just have to say that the answers that the attendees gave were horrible and made me cringe. When asked what they felt would be the most amount of money they would pay for the system they said something like $145. They gave some way, way lowball price which probably upset SEGA. Considering they are already probably going to take a huge finacial loss on the system at the proposed price I heard before of $229, this could only serve to discourage them and make them begin to doubt their prospects in the US unnecessarily. This kind of info could cause them to not include the modem with the system to lower the price. This would be a horrible turn of events. I can understand someone thinking that the lower the price they say they can influence SEGA to sell it cheaper and then they'll be able to save a few bucks when the system launches. I don't think that SEGA will be able to sell it this cheap. Maybe they will but this will only serve to reinforce the belief that the Japanese have about American consumers, that we are unwilling to pay for the latest, greatest technology. And people wonder why Japanese companies don't bring over all kinds of cool technology/appliances that they only see on TV or in magazines. It is exactly because of the kind of negative feedback that was given at the SEGA test group. Sure those that were there liked it and were excited but as long as they are unwilling to at least pay a premium on new, cutting edge technology Japan's going to say a big fuck you to these US gamers. What do they care if you like it if you're not going to pay them enough to make it worth their while. I'm sure that the people in Argentina and other third-world countries would love it too but they aren't going to pay that much for it and SEGA isn't going to slash they're price down to 20 pesos so that Manuel can afford a new Dreamcast system. You(the test group) were given a chance to send a strong signal to SEGA that the American market is ready, excited and willing for a new SEGA system and that SEGA should pull out all the stops and go full steam ahead with they're development plans for new and exciting games for the US market. Instead what they got was a lukewarm response that it was great and all but as long as if they didn't have to pay more than a PSX for it. You can't always expect new technology at old technology prices. They had a chance that I and most other will never get and they utterly and completely BLEW IT!!

B-bye,
Jason Mazure

p.s. love your page.

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
1. It's not coming, trust me.

2. I have just the page for you: Alex's SS Bomberman Shrine. Checkout the FAQ section, it should have what you want.

3. I don't know, I think Romar has done a fair job with the page. The FAQ explains most of the stuff you mentioned, and a work in progress English translation of the manual is available. The new programs even include a SegaNet.txt which explains how to run things! If you're still having trouble getting started, post to the GB forum, or e-mail Romar; we're here to help!

4. Saturn, Genesis, Master System, or Arcade? I haven't heard of it, must of either been canned or not very good.

5. It was Vargas that attended (the article has been taken down via Sega's request). As for the focus group answers, well, remember, these are the same people who said they preferred the large Saturn boxes to normal jewel cases. Sigh.

I have been disloyal. I'll admit it. I gave my Saturn to a friend so that he could play it... and I took his N64 in return. Now, we are trading back again... but this is something that I would have never done in the past. My hands feel dirty. I'm used to that annoying stick on the controller and I think Quest64 is pretty neat.

What has done this to me? Sega, that's who. I've owned all of their systems save Nomad and 32X. I have more customer loyalty to them than to any other company on the face of the planet. And they have reduced me to this. I await Magic Knight Rayearth with bated breath. I promised myself I'd never buy another Working Designs game ever. Yeah well, EB has my order pending. This is a sad sorry state. And it gets worse. Rayearth is the last new Sega game I'll play in a long long time. I'm not going to import a Dreamcast. I refuse to, I don't have the money, and I know little Japanese beyond "Aligato" and "Grig Orig" (Yeah PDS!) So... the next new Sega game I'll be playing is..... Sonic Adventures? What ever comes with the Dreamcast.

I had lost faith... until I picked up Phantasy Star I again, I thought Quest 64 was kinda cool. Phantasy Star reminded me what a real RPG was. And then... heaven forbid... I stopped checking Seganet.com daily. It got down to once a week and it's lowest part. And I haven't written a Reader Review since that contest... (I still haven't seen my Command and Conquer review up Fernando... ahem) You know what dragged me back from the black depths of despair? The preview of Grandia II that Fernando had up. Praise everything that is good in the world! Those pictures... unbelievable. And it sounds like you don't have to have played the first one, which is good, cause as I said... I speak little Japanese beyond what I picked up from PDS. That game... well, the pictures reminded me of what Phantasy Star I (I had been playing it, remember?) would look like on Dreamcast. Which brought up a new spark in my mind. Phantasy Star V. That led to my thinking of Shining Force IV, or any new Shining title besides Shining Wisdom 2. That led to thinking about a possible Lunar sequel. (That I would import.) And that got me excited... all these awesome games... and then my hopes crashed back to reality for a minute. Yeah... next November. At best. But then I saw ToeJam and Earl III. And there is hope. I refuse to get excited about Dreamcast yet, but there is hope.

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
Command & Conquer review, oopsie! Well it was just a two paragraph review, but since you're visiting SegaNet daily again I'll post it.

Wait just a second, Fernando! If you DONT include the part about denying PSX and N64 loyalist access to Saturn, then Robin actually made some good points. Maybe you own a PSX or whatever, and simply dont want to hear it, but the guy has a right to his opinion. Just like the guy who worked at EB, who basically pissed on the Saturn and went on a one man PSX ad campaign. You felt it was appropriate to post that garbage.

Anyway, what do you mean by All Japan Pro Wrestling Featuring Virtua-"Collection". Is this a new version with some changes to the wrestler edit, or is it the same game being re-released at a cheaper price?

Thanks in advance,

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
It's the latter, Sega of Japan released a whole bunch of classic Saturn titles for 2, 800 Yen. I think it's a good 100 titles or so.

Could you tell me if Sega has any plans to make Eternal Champions for the Dreamcast ? I've been waiting for the sequel since I bought my Saturn since it was advertised on the back of the original Saturn box. I once Emailed Sega and asked them if they where still planning on releasing it and they responded that it would be out by Christmas of last year.. Still waiting.. Many people may disagree with me, but I feel Eternal Champs was a great 2D Fighter. Thanks..,

Fernando Mosquera Replies:
Damn, I haven't heard of this title in ages; seems that after the whole "Save EC" campaign died down...

Getting to your question, well, I wouldn't hold my breath for it. Most of the original EC programmers/designers are gone, the brand isn't worth much, and I simply don't see it happening. Then again, ToeJam & Earl is making a comeback...