Tutorial Play Sega Saturn Game on PC
DESCRIPTION
I am a big fan of the Sega Saturn console, and lot of game titles collection. i owned a black and a white japan model. and both is out of order. So, i look forward on internet look for a Sega Saturn emulator and encounter the GigiGigi Saturn, a version can play majority of the commercial game on computer. Long story short, This tutorial shared to people with common interest and i not owned the emulator application and the files included inside the complete package, GSaturn.zip you can download at here. I found it online. The history lesson, the Gsaturn is a software to run downloadable Sega Saturn titles on the online Cyber Disc/B-Club service and closing in March 2004, too bad no more up to date version. Depend on your satisfaction, your can play almost most of the game, but with a cache, some CGI might look odd, and some game required you to fine tune a configuration file.
On this tutorial, i using a netbook powered by a atom processor, you can check the directx diagnostic tool screenshots and the gsaturn screenshots too. Nowadays, modem computer system is enough horse power for the gsaturn to run smoothly on majority game. I going to guide you step by step how to play your Saturn game on your computer, either one way or another, using a game disc or a game disc image.
Gsaturn is a retro application, and you required to installed the DirectX End-User Runtimes (June 2010), you can download it here.The common error appeared on gsaturn is the DirectSound error, but i got a solution for it and already included on the package, if your sound card not support it somehow. IndirectSound, to learn more you can visit here. IndirectSound also can caused some of the game slow responding, you can just move the dsound.dll to different folder and run the application again.
What's included on the package? I already solved and fix missing piece of the settings on the configuration files, like the USER.INI, GAMES.DAT. I using BAT file to run few simple command for few tasks, lot easy this way, no frontend interface needed. IndirectSound dsound.dll solved the sound card issues.WNASPI.dll solved CD/DVD drive issues. Most common technical issues solved and have fun.
While the gsaturn is running, pressing the F4 key makes frame rate displayed on the screen and pressing the numerical 0-6 keys makes the graphic layers disappear and reappear.
Took me several hours to composed this tutorial as simple as possible, hope you Like it. and enjoyed your sweet memories.
USER.INI
If you first time run the Gsaturn.exe, a folder directory structure is created on your user profiles, look at here. By default the USER.INI is placed in here
C:\Users\YOUR USERNAME\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Windows\profiles\saturn
In this case is Windows 10, some older operating system you can found a folder some where in your C:\Windows\profiles\saturn directory
Copy and paste the USER.INI from the package to the VirtualStore\Windows\profiles\saturn and replaced the existing USER.INI. I already set all the default configured correctly, the one included on the package.
You can editing it using a Notepad. Only edit the one in the \VirtualStore\Windows\profiles\saturn if you planing on change the system configuration.
Just in-case, the saturn reporting memory not ready or something not ready. Just delete the BKRAM1.BIN, BKRAM2.BIN and SMEM.BIN from VirtualStore\Windows\profiles\saturn. All you saved game data is gone.
KEYBOARD
I only explain the Player 1. The keyboard mapping for the gamepad is Up,Dwon, Left, Right is the keyboard Up, Down, Left, RightZ,X,C is button A,B,C. and A,S,D is button X,Y,Z the keyboard Q,W is the L,R. The start button is the keyboard ENTER.
For Player 2, you need to edit the USER.INI, change the value P2Enable = TRUE
You also can using your pc game controller's.
Play Game Disc On CD/DVD drive
You need to edit USER.INI the DriveLetter = F and replace the F with your drive letter, either is a real physical or a virtual CD/DVD drive. No matter what. and delete the toc.bin
Double click gsaturn.exe to start your game.
Play Game Disc Image
Either you create the game disc image in BIN/CUE format using Portable ImgBurn, you can download here.Or you get game image from the twinlight zone. Remember to put the Disc Image together same folder which the gsaturn.exe and the gentoc.exe is placed.
No spacing in between the BIN/CUE filename.and you can edit the CUE file with notepad. Just add a.txt at the end of the CUE file extension and double click to edit and save and removed the .txt again and done.
To play Disc image, Gsaturn need a file named toc.bin.
You saw a file named, run gentoc_PanzerDragoonSagaDisc1.bat. copy and paste on the same folder and rename it to the game title and edit it using notepad just right click on it and edit. Replace the PanzerDragoonSagaDisc1.CUE with the game image CUE filename. and save.
Play it, just double click it and you saw a successful message. You good to go to double click the run.bat to start your game.
Screen Size
Edit the USER.INI using notepad and change the value for FullScreenH = 1024 and FullScreenV =800, FullScreenH is the screen horizontal and FullScreenH is the screen vertical. Just change the value accordingly and always saved.
Attachments
Game Region
Double click the satcconv.exe, browse the *.bin file click open ISO file, and you can set the region for your game image. In this case is Japan, and press Patch ISO File.
GAMES.DAT
With the GAMES.DAT file, you can fine tune the game behavior. Look for the file named , game.dat_Tips.txt it explained everything. I already included most of the game titles. Edit GAMES.DAT using notepad ans saved.
VSync is the one adjust the game speed, try and error different value.
Data Structures explain, product no you can get it from the satcconv.exe at the product no area, example T-14320G. Remember search the Product No first before adding new data into.
[Product No]
ScaleSpriteCheck=1
if you planing to change the default mapping. look at the picture attachment, a US keyboard codes, you can see each key got a number with it, example A is 44. You can visit here for different type of keyboard configuration. Edit the USER.INI using notepad. look for the [P1KeyMap] and [P2KeyMap] and change the value accordingly and saved.
[P1KeyMap]
UP =200
DOWN =208
Left =203
Right =205
A =44
B =45
C =46
X =32
Y =33
Z =34
L =16
R =17
START =28
6 More Images
Here, few of my favourite game titles screenshots. Sonic-R really need little bit more horse power. Done and Enjoy.
Here you go. For who looking for the intel graphics media accelerator driver compatible to Windows 10 64bits. You can download it. Using driver update searching on the extracted files folder to get it install.
You need to modify the GfxUI.exe.config located at C:\Windows\System32 , look like the code below here, so you can used the control panel without install .Net 3.0 framework, or download the file i attached here, replaced the existing one.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration> <startup useLegacyV2RuntimeActivationPolicy="true"> <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.6.2"/> </startup> <runtime> <generatePublisherEvidence enabled="false"/> </runtime> </configuration>* Driver Revision: 15.17.17.64.2413
* * Package: 132414 * * Graphics: 8.15.10.2413 * Display Audio Driver: 6.14.0.3072 * Legacy Audio: 6.10.01.2089 * * * * June 16, 2011 * * NOTE: This document refers to systems containing the * following Intel chipsets/processors: * * Intel(R) Pentium(R) Processor * Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 Processor * Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 Processor * Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 Mobile Processor * Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 Mobile Processor * Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 Mobile Processor * Intel(R) B43 Express Chipset * Intel(R) G41 Express Chipset * Intel(R) G43 Express Chipset * Intel(R) G45 Express Chipset * Intel(R) Q43 Express Chipset * Intel(R) Q45 Express Chipset * Mobile Intel(R) GL40 Express Chipset * Mobile Intel(R) GM45 Express Chipset * Mobile Intel(R) GS45 Express Chipset *
Attachments
Assumes you already modified your Xbox controller to use USB on computer. The file attached is 64 bits driver, download the attachment xbcd-amd.zip and unzip it, I found it on internet at slim chance..
1. copy the XBCD.inf to C:\Windows\inf
2. copy the xbcd.sys to C:\Windows\system32\drivers
Plug in the XBOX controller and let the Windows install the driver by itself. Deal with the Driver Signature Enforcement, follow this guide to Disable driver signing at here.
For the Windows 10, little bit troublesome due to the extreme secure environment. You always need to select ,Type “7” or “F7” at the Startup Settings screen to activate the “Disable driver signature enforcement” option, please refer to the URL above. Meaning always need to restart your computer before you can use the XBOX controller.
Enjoy.