Sega Saturn
Generation: 5
Processors: 2x Hitachi SH2 32-bit RISC @ 28.6MHz, 1x Hitachi SH1 32-bit RISC, and VDP 1 and 2 32-bit video display processors
RAM: 2mb system, 1.5mb video
Graphics Resolution: 320x224, 640x224, and 720x576
Colours: 16 million
Sound: Yamaha 24-bit Digital Signal Processor @ 22.6MHz and Motorola 68EC000 sound processor @ 11.3MHz
Media Format: CD-ROM
Control and Input Methods: 8 button digital gamepad
The first casualty of the mighty Playstation, Sega’s Saturn was the beginning of that great pioneering company's end. The Saturn was designed as a next generation 2D console to hammer the ludicrously expensive Neo-Geo. Unfortunately with its release date fast approaching Sega caught a glimpse of the fully 3D capable Playstation and panicked. They shoehorned an extra three CPUs into the box and began rolling them out. All seemed well until a year later when the Playstation arrived with far superior 3D capabilities. But as always it's the games that make the console and the Saturn had its fair share of classics even if third party developers quickly abandoned the overly complicated Saturn in favour of the relatively simple Playstation. A generation and a half later and we were still asking ourselves "can anything beat the Playstation?" Now, at last, we have the Wii trouncing the ludicrous PS3.
Emulator
Yabause - I'm yet to test this emulator but it seems to be the only working one available and it reports to play Nights so must be worth a look.
Links
Saturn Empire - Some good info.
Sega Saturn World - An up and coming download and resource center for everything related to the Sega Saturn.
