After so many years without properly exploring the Saturn version of Duke Nukem 3D, and constantly going back to the PC version, I have a lot to say.
The obvious differences are the engine and graphics. The Saturn version ran on SlaveDriver, a fully 3D engine with real room over room support, added dynamic lighting, heavily shaded level geometry, and pre baked shadows; a very different approach from the Build engine.
Now, for the differences only noticeable while playing:
Duke’s physics and movement feel different on Saturn. Very steep slopes are harder to climb, and Duke often slides back down noticed this in a few spots in E1L3 and E2L5). You must also land fully on platforms, or he slips off edges, and on very small ledges he rarely keeps his footing unless you push against them; this doesn’t affect level progression. Fall damage is also more forgiving; on PC even short drops can hurt Duke, while on Saturn you need to fall from much higher to take damage.
On the other hand, Duke is more vulnerable to self damage from explosives. An RPG, Devastator rocket, or Pipe Bomb detonated too close will hurt Duke, a lot. It’s not advisable on PC either, but it’s a bit more forgiving there.
Some weapons also have a different rate of fire. It’s subtle during casual play, but noticeable on closer inspection; for example, the shotgun reloads a bit slower.
Weapon effectiveness also differs. The shotgun is weaker at mid/long range, with Octabrains and Enforcers able to tank 3, 4 shots. Pipe bombs, however, are much more effective on Saturn, usually taking out Octabrains and Sentry Drones in one explosion, whereas on PC they’re often blasted back at you. Additionally, if a protozoid slimer grabs you, the Mighty Boot works on PC, but on Saturn only weapons can remove it.
Enemies also have different AI. On Saturn, they sometimes react before seeing you and start searching, while on PC they usually need to see you first unless it’s a scripted trap.
Overall, most enemies behave similarly, but some have subtle or major differences. Sharks on PC rarely attack, biting only if provoked, while on Saturn they aggressively hunt Duke. Assault Commanders on PC fire 1, 2 missiles with a visible wind up, but on Saturn they unleash 5, 6 or more instantly, giving no warning.
In some levels, Octabrains can’t drop from elevated areas, as if blocked by an invisible wall (seen in parts of E1L5 and a corridor in E1L6). Interestingly, you can even cheese the first boss, the Battlelord, on Saturn; an invisible wall at the gates prevents him from reaching you, and his attacks don’t pass through, while yours hit him perfectly. It’s unclear if this was intentional, but it seems like a major oversight.
Level design and engine differences:
Most level layouts follow the same basic design, but geometry, size, and height often differ, and some maps were completely reworked for the SlaveDriver engine.
Mechanics like realistic doors, rotating props (gears in E1L3 to E1L6), moving objects, and animated objects (walls, transport vehicles, space rocket) were removed, redesigned or made static; for example, the space transport vehicles are now just teleporter, and the trains are missing. This was due to engine limitations and/or lack of programmed functionality.
I also confirmed the Saturn version’s geometry is messy by testing in wireframe on the Kronos 2.7.0 emulator; squashed and distorted textures everywhere have always given it away.
Basically, whenever a square polygon (Saturn uses quads instead of triangles) gets "flattened" to behave like a triangle, the texture gets flattened too. I don’t know if this is a hardware limitation or simply a result of developers struggling with the console’s architecture and lack of proper documentation. Unfortunately, the Saturn version of Duke is full of weird geometry and squashed textures, and sometimes it’s painfully obvious.
Many Saturn games suffer from this; when quads are forced into triangles, the textures stick to the vertices and get a weird, squashed look. Interestingly, Sega’s arcade boards also used quads, but I never noticed this issue there.
Outside of that, texture detail is mostly preserved, with some even more detailed than on PC, though slightly less varied.
The water looks gorgeous, with smoothly flowing blue or green shades; in my opinion, it looks better than the PC version.
Some areas still use PC like water, where you can’t swim and the texture only simulates flow, like corridors or waste ramps in E1L4 leading to the swimable sections.
Thanks to the Saturn engine’s true 3D and room-over-room support, diving into water works differently than on PC. On the PC Build engine, diving teleports you to another sector, so enemies above (or below, before diving) couldn’t see or attack you (though you could attack them). On Saturn, enemies above the water can see and attack you, making the game more dynamic and dangerous; though it can be frustrating using a controller.
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