![]() With the failure of the Atari 7800, and with the Atari Lynx on the losing side of the fight against Nintendo's Game Boy, Atari gave the videogame console market one last shot with the Atari Jaguar. But when it finally did come up on-screen, I could only imagine what kind of revolution this must have looked like in 1972." It took me a while to get the Ody hooked up to an older, fickle television. However, I can only imagine what my face must have looked like when I recently found one in mint condition in the original box with all screen overlays still packed with parchment paper between them - and for only $38. "I wasn't even a zygote when the Odyssey first came out, but played around with one years later found at a garage sale. But the precedent established by the Odyssey paved the way for subsequent systems - a legacy that has secured the console a place in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Due to the simplicity of the console, there weren’t any third-party games designed for it. The games for the Odyssey consisted of straightforward, single-function titles like Baseball, Basketball, Ski, and more. ![]() The Odyssey also launched the very first home light gun ever produced, called the Shooting Gallery. The controllers were essentially boxes with horizontal and vertical axis knobs on both sides with very dense wires between them and the base console. The Odyssey used a cartridge system, although the games more closely resembled computer chips than actual games. Although lacking color video output or sound, the Magnavox still managed to sell over 300,000 units. A hybrid of both analog and digital circuitry, the Odyssey is the absolute starting point for all subsequent gaming platforms. The Magnavox was the very first videogame console ever released, predating even the Atari Pong. – Jeremy Dunham, Games Editorial Manager, IGN.com The day I finally got the system, and most of the titles I mentioned, was a good day indeed." Reading magazine articles and ogling ads that featured Albert Odyssey, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Burning Rangers, NiGHTs and Dragon Force had me second-guessing my choice to go with PlayStation and Nintendo 64. "Believe it or not, my fondest memory of the Saturn had nothing to do with getting one - but rather, drooling over the games I wanted before I did. – Erik Brudvig, Executive Editor, IGN Xbox Team That single copy got passed around until everyone had a go before we set off in search of the next rare release." I still remember the joy we had when we found Panzer Dragoon Saga. By the end of the system's short life, stores rarely carried more than one or two copies of even the biggest games and so my friends and I would go on massive road trips around the state to track them down. "Finding the good videogames on Saturn was like a game in itself. Shining Force III may have only released the first installment of a three part series in the United States, but ask anyone who was lucky enough to track it down and they'll sing its praises. What really bolsters the Saturn in its rankings among the greatest game consoles of all-time is the staying power of its rare and unique library. The hardware's architecture made it inferior to the PlayStation for three dimensional games (like the popular Tomb Raider) but many proud Saturn owners knew that it was the only console to enjoy the best versions of many 2D fighters, just ask any real Street Fighter fan. Perhaps more than anything else, the Saturn was a gem for importers and hardcore gamers. NiGHTS into Dreams, the Virtua Fighter and Panzer Dragon series are all examples of exclusive titles that made the console a fan favorite. While the Saturn ended up losing the popularity contest to both Sony and Nintendo it was host to a library of classic titles that epitomize the early days of SEGA's innovation in software. SEGA was hoping to get the jump on Sony before it released the PlayStation that holiday season. ![]() The system made a splash in the gaming world at the Electronic Entertainment expo of 1995 by having a surprise launch at the event, four months prior to its previously announced launch date. As part of the so-called "5th Generation" of games consoles the SEGA Saturn was a follow-up to the SEGA Genesis (or Mega Drive) and it's many add-ons.
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