The n00b wrote:JP that is one cool system and I for one say it was money well spent. Anyway yeah I think that Saturn had it coming. You can't let them get away with ruining games otherwise the other ones will think they can get away with it too. It's best to set an example.
Word homie. That, and I didn't want anymore games getting destroyed in it.
At any rate, here's some info on the Navi HiSaturn that the seller provided me with, I enjoyed reading it, so I'll share.
"Actually, the screen has some sort of locking/attachment mechanism on the back of the saturn so it doesn't really go into the cartridge port. So you can play your 4MB games (metal slug.etc) on the saturn. The CD's required are NAVIKEN discs, I don't know much about them or their actual name, so I don't know how to get them. An antenna may also be required because there is a port for one in the back and I got one question while I was auctioning this off as to whether or not one was included. There is an extra naviken logo on the side of it so that's what I refer to the the GPS CD's as. The system plays US NTSC games, not games from other countries. Why this is, I could not tell you. It has not been modified by me, and as far as I know, it has never been modified. I too though that it was a Japanese only system but I don't really know. ALSO! You can not play the screen on a standard saturn!!! There is a special screen port in the back of the NAVI saturn. Like all the other numerous features exclusive to this saturn, the screen is made for this system only too! The reason it is so rare, though, is for some reason it was sold separately at a much higher price- so only about half the paople that bought the system bought the screen. You may want to look into a Stepdown converter when you get the system because the votage may be different and I doubt you would want to fry the saturn.
For a little more info about the screen- the top of the Navigational saturn is realtively flat as opposed to the curved top of the standard saturn, and the top of the system was clearly designed with a fold-up scheme in mind. You can put the screen face down against the system (the screen can be lifted up and down like a lap-top), so that you don't damage your screen by leaving it up. On top of that, the screen is surprisingly scratch-resistant, so there are no marks on it. Here is some info I found on the screen:
It was a backlit active-matrix TFT screen, a very expensive process at the time, with resolution, clarity and contrast surpassing any other console screen - equal in vibrancy but larger than the Turbo Express. It draws its power from the system, so no additional power supply is required. It clips to the back of the system and plugs in with a short cable to the 'monitor out' port. When closed it sits flush with the CD door, and has quite a slim profile, when closed the system is approximately the same height as a normal Saturn. The screen is capable of displaying both interlaced and non-interlaced video. It has a sliding volume control, and one speaker, as well as tint + brightness controls and a Front/Rear switch.
The saturn retailed for $1,480.00 and the screen retailed at $450.00 when it was released and only 2,000 units are thought to exhist as well as only 1,000 LCD Screens. "
So here are my technical questions:
1. I have several JP Saturns. Do I really need a converter? I'm not frying a $1500 console and I doubt sega-parts would be much help if I did. Or Hitachi for that matter.
2. You guys think I'm going to need to track down a Saturn specific antenna to use the GPS system? Or do you think any GPS system would work?
3. Why the fuck does it only play US games? That doesn't even begin to make sense.
I guess I should shoot Hitachi an email once I get it, find out some more info on it. Mmmmmm... the anticipation.