Released for the Sega Saturn (as well as the Sony Playstation) in 1997, Street Fighter Collection is a compilation package of a few of the Street Fighter games, and emphasis on "few." The term "collection" is used loosely here because this game is only compiled of three SF games, and they are - Super Street Fighter II, Super Street Figher II: Turbo, and Street Fighter 2 Alpha Gold (previously unreleased in the United States). The collection comes on two discs, with Alpha Gold taking up the entire 2nd disc. However, that is all you'll get. There are no upgrades to the games themselves, which for many gamers may come as a dissapointment, but let's face it, these games are great as they are anyway - no upgrades are necessary. To be honest, this game is a lot of fun.

     I suppose the only true downer on this collection is that it is only three games. For collectors, it may have limited appeal because it only features the three games on it. I personally don't mind that fact because I already own Street Fighter II for the SNES (which is brilliant). Though, I can't help but feel it should have included the original Street Fighter game, which I actually have never played, but is apparently drastically different and primitive in nature in comparison to the later releases in the franchise. Also, why include the Super Street Fighter II games and not include the original Street Fighter II? That's a bit odd. Basically what I am saying is, the collection is indeed not a complete one by any means, but it is definitely a servicable release.

     That being said, I had to give this game a fairly average score of 3.5. If you like to base it strictly on gameplay itself, it'd be a different story. The games themselves included on SF Collection are terrific! They are the arcade ports, so they include a little bit of blood, and the graphics are stellar. Sure, they may be considered dated by 1997, but I say they are timeless. The Saturn handles these 2D fighter classics as good as any system, and since it has more horsepower than the SNES, they run very well, and nothing needed to be compromised to port these arcade games. Not to knock the SNES, as they ran exceptionally on that system, but the Saturn can handle the full presentation of the arcade ports. The only hurdle that the Saturn and other disc-based systems can't overcome are loading times. They aren't bad here, but compare that with no load times on the SNES - so there's something of a tradeoff.

     Using the Saturn controller is another natural fit, as was the SNES controller. The control, like in all Street Fighter games, is flawless and incredibly responsive. The Saturn controller works just so well and executing various moves is a breeze and a blast.

     So all notions of game inclusion or exclusion put aside, Street Fighter Collection is really great. For me, it is a wonderful collection of games, and the new Alpha Gold is another excellent entry in the series. If you have SF II already, then by all means get this compilation to round out the rest of your Street Fighter collection. The games are classic and they play and sound very, very well - and they surely boast some tremendous visuals. It is one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had on the Sega Saturn thus far, if not the best, simply because the games included here are just that good.

-Kurt L.

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     Over the course of gaming history there have been a lot of Sonic games and here is yet another. Don't let my opening sentence mislead you however, as this is indeed one of the good ones! Sonic R is one of the more unique racing games released in the 3D era. Released for the Sega Saturn console in 1997, Sonic R was a racing game that did not rely on vehicles - oh no! - these characters certainly did not need them! Why would Sonic the Hedgehog, the Blue Blur, need a car if he could run faster on foot? And that is precisely what you race with - their feet. Now, not every single character is blessed with such lotus feet as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles for example, but other series characters like Dr. Robotnik and Amy Rose use their own respective vehicles. In any case, I think the fact that Sega chose not to have cars for it's main three characters, as well as a few others, was a great idea. It truly emphasizes the concept of speed which they are so well-known for.

     There is also a surprising amount of depth in this game, as the characters (including the unlockable ones) each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Some characters are slower than others, some are faster, some can hover over water areas while others sink, some have boost abilities, so there are definitely advantages and disadvantages to each character chosen which is a plus. In addition to the character depth, the levels in which you race are varied very nicely as well. There are only about five tracks to choose from, which isn't many, but they are all special in their own ways. The tracks really feel like they belong in a Sonic game, meaning they certainly stay true to the franchise.

     Being that this game was released in 1997, the Saturn was becoming a very much embattled system as the Nintendo 64 and Sony Playstation were dominating the market. The Saturn would be discontinued in 1999 to make room for the more refined and graphically impressive Dreamcast, but here with Sonic R, the 32-bit graphics are pushed to their limits and really show off their strength. Sonic R's visuals are lively and colorful, filled with vivid 3D environments with no pop-ins or glitches. The characters are also finely rendered, and the action moves smoothly. It is in my opinion the best looking Saturn game, and is the pinnacle of its graphical strengths.

     It features many familiar racing game modes like Grand Prix, Time Trials, and a multi-player, so there isn't anything too out of the ordinary on here, but that's fine, because it is this simplicity and the high production values that makes Sonic R a winner. It is very enjoyable, and certainly takes a unique twist on the racing formula. Another thing to its credit is that it really utilizes and represents the Sonic franchise in a positive fashion, and that is a good thing for Sonic fans as the Hedgehog has been thrusted into so many other types of games out of his comfort zone.

     The only thing that I don't understand is that why Sonic oriented racing games that followed Sonic R have Sonic and friends using vehicles? He clearly doesn't need them, and I think it only would detract from the appeal otherwise. Sonic R got it right, no dependance on vehicles, just pure unadulterated speed by way of running, which is what Sonic is best at. This game may be hard to track down since the Saturn is discontinued, but it is worth the hunt. However, it is also available on the PC (though that was made in 1998), but the easiest way to attain this game is through getting the Sonic Gems Collection for either the Playstation 2 or the Nintendo Gamecube as it is one of the featured games on that compilation.

     Pick up and play Sonic R, because if you are a Sonic fan, or a racing game fan, you won't be disappointed. It is definitely one of the best spin-offs of the lengthy Sonic franchise.

-Kurt L.

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     I must say that I was very excited to play this game for a long time. I have the original SimCity for the Super Nintendo, which was a great game with timeless, never-ending fun gameplay. Then I got wind of SimCity 2000, a futuristic version of the classic franchise. That game intrigued me so much, just by the cover art on the box alone - it conveyed an imagintive glimpse into the unknown future, a new frontier of city building and creation. Let's just say it, the box looks awesome and you just can't wait to play it! Well, I did, at long last. I was able to get my hands on a Sega Saturn console and I acquired the ever-elusive SimCity 2000. The verdict? Well, just read and see.

     It's a mess. A colossal, frustrating, and fleeting mess. For starters, the game itself takes forever to load - and I never thought using a hyperbole would somehow be an understatement. The game moves frustratingly slow throughout, essentially rendering it unplayable. If you have some pateince, emphasis on "some" because you may need more than that, you may actually be able to enjoy it. It's a tease because the game has some genuinely strong potential, but it's so busted in so many different areas that it makes it a chore - something a game should never be! I was taken aback at how slow the game moved in comparison to the original SimCity on the SNES - that game moves fluently, efficiently, and is a blast to play. Though, I have read that SimCity 2000 plays a lot better when playing it on the PC, and that makes a heck of a lot of sense because a properly equipped computer can handle essentially any game. So, if you are interested, I would suggest that. Additionally, Sega Saturn was one of the earliest of disc-based systems, and slow loading times is not entirely uncommon, but here it is just horrendous!

     While the SNES SimCity had some appealing easy visuals, this Saturn game had some appalling blurry visuals. Yes, again, Saturn was a young disc system, and some games for it were blurry, but then again, some had some pretty stellar graphics as well with some nice full-motion video. However, SimCity 2000's visuals are bad and will make you question your own eyesight.

     The gameplay is very much like that of the original SimCity, however, there are a lot more options in this game, but that doesn't always make it better. I apologize for beating this point into the ground, but the slowness of the game hampers the gameplay all too often. With a terrible tag-team combo of bad graphics and slow control, coupled with equally agitating load times, it makes for a greatly substandard playing game.

     Needless to say, I was disappointed by SimCity 2000 on Sega Saturn. I had such high hopes for it too. Perhaps it was my own fault, because I anticipated the game so much that it just didn't live up to my imagination. But, the game really was that deflating. I still want to give it another chance, I want to hunt down a copy of SimCity 2000 for the SNES, perhaps it is better...perhaps it will salvage the game for me, as there was a basis of a good game there somewhere in the Saturn version, I just never found it - lost in an abyss of poor execution. Once again, the PC version of the game is apparently considered the best incarnation, so I would reccomend that then, though, I personally have not played it. However, I still hold out some hope for the SNES version.

-Kurt L.

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