During the 32-bit era the Nintendo 64 was basically your one stop shop for multiplayer games. This is the console you purchased if you wanted to play together with a room full of friends. This is thanks in large part to the four controller ports. Developers also had a little extra processing power with which to render four different screens for each player. Whenever I had someone over this was the console that we played. Today we’re pushing that console aside for a bit and taking a look at the best Sega Saturn multiplayer games instead. The offerings were slimmer, but after taking a deep look at the library I was surprised at how many high quality ones we have. Let’s stop yapping and get to playing. These are the top 15 best Sega Saturn multiplayer games of all time.
#15. – Sonic R
I’m one of the few people that absolutely loves Sonic R. I find it to be one of the most underrated kart racers of all time. So why is it so low on this list? The multiplayer is a little lacking. You can only compete head to head with another player. The option to compete with a buddy against CPU opponents is sorely missing. Regardless I still enjoy this split screen competition. The stages are all present as are all of the same characters selectable. My other complaint is that the graphics get quite a bit more choppy in this mode. The draw distances is also scaled back. Regardless, Sonic R is fairly cool as far as multiplayer goes.
#14. – Street Fighter Alpha 2
The Sega Saturn was hands down the best place to play the Street Fighter series in its heyday. Its hardware lended itself particularly well to rendering sprites and animating them. The ports to this console were almost arcade perfect. Street Fighter Alpha 2 is no exception. The game looks absolutely amazing here with incredible animations and decent loading. Controls were also the best in this version thanks to the excellent layout of the Saturn pad. Alright, we already know this is the best home port of the game, but we’re talking about multiplayer. All of the usual modes are included, and the huge roster lends itself well to playing with a buddy. Alpha 2 is an incredible multiplayer game, and it’s best played on the Saturn.
#13. – Last Bronx
Here we have a real Sega Saturn hidden gem! Last Bronx was a 3D fighter that never had a sequel, and was not released anywhere else. It’s also one of the early weapons based brawlers. Gameplay is fairly basic. You just knock down your opponent’s life bar to zero. What makes it interesting are the weapons. This changes the mechanics of gameplay giving characters additional reach, and even more moves. It also runs at a silky smooth framerate. It’s just a real treat to play. This is even more true when you bring along a buddy. It’s just head to head, but I mean, that’s the allure of fighting games for me. I loved practicing my combos and special moves, and decimating all challengers. Last Bronx is really fun to play in multiplayer.
#12. – House of the Dead
Lightgun games were some of the first multiplayer games I ever played. I’m talking Duck Hunt here. This was a blast back in the day and sold me on multiplayer and lightgun games. House of the Dead isn’t Duck Hunt. This mature rated title has you shooting your way through an army of zombies, undead animals, and other monsters. This Saturn port has it’s problems but it’s still perfectly playable. Better yet you can shoot limbs off zombies and blow up everything that moves with a friend. House of the Dead is an absolute blast in multiplayer. It’s the same game as in single player, but having another gunman helps out a ton.
#11. – Die Hard Arcade
I love beat em ups. Always have. Unfortunately the genre kind of died off when 3D gaming hit its stride. Die Hard Arcade gets major props for continuing the tradition, and with a new coat of paint. As far as I can tell it doesn’t really have any connection to the movie series. What makes this title so special is how over the top it is. The developers made some really cool set pieces and stages all the while throwing somewhat comical enemies for you to bash in. Die Hard Arcade is one of the best beat ’em up games of all time, and it’s even better experienced with a friend. It needs more Bruce Willis though.
#10. – Virtua Cop 2
If I’m being completely honest Virtua Cop didn’t sound terribly appealing to me at the time of release. I mean video games are a boundless medium. Who wants to play as a police officer? Little did I know I was missing out on some of the best lightgun action of its time. Virtua Cop 2 has you shooting your way through four different stages and each has multiple paths. You have to cap the criminals while not getting spooked by the hostages. It’s admittedly very light on content. That’s where multiplayer comes in. Thanks to the co-op mode you’ve got quite a lot of replayability here. Single player is decent, but multiplayer is truly where it’s at.
#9. – Super Puzzle Fighter II: Turbo
Some may ask ‘where is Baku Baku?’ It’s not on this list. Yes, every console needs a good puzzle title but in this case Super Puzzle Fighter II: Turbo is the best one the Sega Saturn has. If you can’t already tell Capcom was kind of making fun of themselves with the title. Street Fighter had a lot of releases, and so them adding these on to this one is kind of hilarious to me. Basically you’re dropping color blocks on a 2D screen and you have to line up the same hues to eliminate them. Meanwhile you’ve got cute chibi characters at the top of the screen fighting it out based on how well you’re doing. I really like how different characters have separate penalty block patterns. Super Puzzle Fighter II: Turbo is even better when you’re playing it with a friend.
#8. – Street Fighter Zero 3
This is actually Street Fighter Alpha 3. This port was never released in the US (the Sega Saturn was all but dead there by the time it came out). It features more playstyles, characters, modes, and options than any other Street Fighter game before it. In addition we have some of the smoothest gameplay of any 2D fighter of all time. Just like any Street Fighter game you play the single player is a nice distraction to practice in. Multiplayer is really where it’s at. I can’t count the number of hours I’ve spent with this one perfecting all of the special moves and combo attacks. It’s really that addictive, and the Sega Saturn is the best place to play it on. Street Fighter Zero 3 is absolutely one of the best Sega Saturn multiplayer games.
#7. – Decathlete
Here we have what is probably a surprising pick. A sports game. If you know me then you know that I’m not generally a big fan of these. Even those that have robust multiplayer options. Decathlete is different however. This Konami title took me by great surprise. True to its name this is a game based around a decathlete. You participate in various events such as the one hundred meter dash, long jump, shot put, discus, pole vault, etc. Everything you would expect to be here is. It’s surprising just how fun these boring events are. Gameplay is mostly tapping buttons and other quick time events. It’s a blast however to compete against a friend here.
#6. – Virtua Fighter 2
This one makes this list, but with a caveat. You have to be dedicated to Virtua Fighter 2, and find someone else who is equally so. This is after all the deepest fighting game at the time of its release, and it’s just as complicated now. There are so many technical aspects to Virtua Fighter 2 that it’s insane. This is one of the few fighting games where button mashing will get you almost nowhere in the face of an experienced player. This may sound minor but its really not. There is no better joy as far as multiplayer goes in matching against someone who has all of the attack frame animations memorized, and who knows how to counter them. I mean just add that on to the fact that Virtua Fighter 2 is freaking incredible in its own right.
#5. – Saturn Bomberman Fight!!!
Bomberman is an absolute institution when it comes to multiplayer mayhem. After all the games have been packaged with the multitap adapter in the past. Unfortunately that’s not the case here. Yes, the game can use the multitap for four player competitions but it has to be purchased separately. Regardless this is classic Bomberman, but 3D. It’s actually the first time we had it despite Bomberman 64 being released earlier. This is also a Japan only release. If you like classic Bomberman, but want a new 3D twist from the 32-bit generation then this is really your only option.
#4. – Fighter’s Megamix
Virtua Fighter was amazing. Fighting Vipers was good. So what happens when you combine them along with a heavy dose of the crazy Sega we all knew and loved? Fighter’s Megamix is the answer. This game in many ways is actually better than Virtua Fighter because it speeds up the gameplay. Really this is how Virtua Fighter 2 should have ran on the hardware. Unfortunately things have been simplified a bit, but I love the absolute pure crazy nature of this release. Gameplay isn’t quite as complicated as Virtua Fighter 2 (with all the options of course it couldn’t be) but it’s an absolute blast to re-learn all your favorite characters here, and the new dynamics/physics of Megamix. This one is crazy fun in multiplayer because of the gigantic roster and differing mechanics.
#3. – Virtual On
I first fell in love with this one in the arcades. I remember sitting side by side with my brother in the cabinet while we absolutely blew each other up. This mecha combat title is absolutely incredible. You compete against another character in various 3D arenas using a myriad of different attacks. Some melee and some projectile. It’s really incredible how dynamic these matches are. The Sega Saturn version is a really good conversion. It runs at a smooth framerate with a ton of detail in the character models and environments. Sega was somehow able to decently replicate the experience for the home console. Even split screen there isn’t a noticeable drop in detail or framerate. The only difference is in the viewing area, but that’s to be expected because it’s on a single screen now. Virtual On is an absolute blast to play with a friend.
#2. – Guardian Heroes
Treasure made some of the absolute best 16-bit titles of all time. When the 32-bit consoles released they didn’t quite know what to do with 3D space. So they just stuck to what they knew. 2D sprite based games. This developer was also known for trying new things so they decided to venture into the beat ’em up genre with Guardian Heroes on the Sega Saturn. While two players can compete together in the story mode the fighting option is a different story. It’s kind of like Super Smash Bros in this respect. Still, you’ll want to focus on story mode because it’s an absolute blast to play with a friend. The fantastic mix of beat ’em up action and RPG elements is unmatched. Guardian Heroes is amazing in single player, but even better when played with a friend.
#1. – Saturn Bomberman
Hey, listen. It’s not that I love Bomberman. I’m not a fanboy by any means. Still, Saturn Bomberman is undeniably the best multiplayer Sega Saturn game of all time. Let’s start with the game itself. It’s classic overhead Bomberman. There are no 3D elements here whatsoever. In single player the level designs are decent, and even quite fun at best. Multiplayer on the other hand is absolutely insane. That’s because this is the only Sega Saturn game where you can play with up to ten competitors at once. In classic Bomberman. It’s absolutely incredible. I’ve only been able to assemble this many players once, and while the screen estate is absolutely tiny for everyone it was an absolutely incredible experience.
