ELI5 (explain like i'm five) about sega saturn

[Foxi4]

how do you get Disk swapping working?
and how do you know which model you have?

EDIT# FIXED*

Disc swapping is easiest on Model 1, but it's doable on any model. There are several techniques with varied levels of effectiveness, I personally do the double-swap as described here:

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega-saturn-swap-trick

First you load the TOC (table of contents) from your copy, then swap for an original disc, load ring data, swap again and the game should boot. It's even easier once you consider that the Saturn will remember the TOC upon a reset, so you can just fully load with a backup, reset the system while swapping for the original and then perform the final swap. It's easy enough, all you need is some tape to disable the lid button and a screwdriver to open the system, no fancy game bits required.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

So what is disc swapping for? Is not like how some genesis games had cart swaping for cheats right?

 

[ScarletDreamz]

So what is disc swapping for? Is not like how some genesis games had cart swaping for cheats right?

disc swap its basically what it soudns like, put a game and then you put a backup game and tada?

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

disc swap its basically what it soudns like, put a game and then you put a backup game and tada?

So is for playing non legit games? The action replay can run out of region games, does it also mean it can run iso burn games?

 

[Foxi4]

So what is disc swapping for? Is not like how some genesis games had cart swaping for cheats right?

You can use it to boot out-of-region games that were ripped, region-changed with Saturn Region Changer and burned to a CD-R, boot backups and homebrew.

disc swap its basically what it soudns like, put a game and then you put a backup game and tada?

Saturn games are highly reliant on the TOC - if it's similar or the same on both discs, a single swap will work correctly, but with many games it causes bugs - a double-swap is recommended.

So is for playing non legit games? The action replay can run out of region games, does it also mean it can run iso burn games?

The Action Replay will not boot burned CD-R's, only a modchip can do that - the Saturn needs ring data to run the disc, thus swapping an original disc is required for burned discs.

 

[DjoeN]

I love my Saturn model 1 and model 2!
i have modded my saturn model 2 (modchip and 50/60Hz switch, including the Action Replay:
http://djoen.dommel.be/Console/saturn/saturn-model2.html
http://djoen.dommel.be/Console/ar4in1/ar4in1.html
-
Old pages, never gets updated again

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

The Action Replay will not boot burned CD-R's, only a modchip can do that - the Saturn needs ring data to run the disc, thus swapping an original disc is required for burned discs

Okay make sense. Guess is like playstation used to be.

 

[DeoNaught]

Whats a double disk swap? is ORIGINAL, Then HACKED, THEN ORIGINAL, THEN HACKED AGAIN.

 

[Foxi4]

Whats a double disk swap? is ORIGINAL, Then HACKED, THEN ORIGINAL, THEN HACKED AGAIN.

No, it's the copy, swap to the original (swap #1) and swap back to the copy (swap #2).

 

[Dr Eggman]

The Action Replay will not boot burned CD-R's, only a modchip can do that - the Saturn needs ring data to run the disc, thus swapping an original disc is required for burned discs.

Actually, not quite right. In recent days, a software has been released that you can flash to the AR to let it read backups.
See:

http://ppcenter.webou.net/pskai/
and
http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/saturn-proof-of-concept-bootloader-pseudo-saturn.52526/

Compatibility isn't 100% but growing!

Do note that you will need either a chip or disc-swap to do the install though.

 

[Foxi4]

Actually, not quite right. In recent days, a software has been released that you can flash to the AR to let it read backups.
See:

http://ppcenter.webou.net/pskai/
and
http://assemblergames.com/l/threads/saturn-proof-of-concept-bootloader-pseudo-saturn.52526/

Compatibility isn't 100% but growing!

Do note that you will need either a chip or disc-swap to do the install though.

That's really interesting, I had no idea. Seems like I need to grab a compatible AR, in the interest of my drive motor.

 

[Heran Bago]

Policenauts on the Saturn is the best version and has an English fan translation.

 

[Foxi4]

Policenauts on the Saturn is the best version and has an English fan translation.

It's one of the reasons why I grabbed the system, there really aren't a lot of opportunities to play that game if I recall. I remember that someone tried to portray the translation patch to the PSX version, but I don't think it went anywhere.

 

[Pleng]

Nights was later published on the Nintendo Wii.

No, no, no! NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams was a piss-poor sequel that had very little in common with the original.

Nights into dreams also has a ps2 port as well, jpn only though.

Indeed it does. It's also available on the PC, XBox360, and PS3. The PC port contains Christmas NiGHTS (minus the presents) after you complete the main game. Not sure about the other versions of the game as I've never played them.

 

[Zenzirouj]

The Saturn also has the distinct honor of having an advertisement series in which a man hurls children into things for not playing enough video games: