u/Bandolorian22

Finally got around to installing GammaOS for the RG476h. It meant I had to wipe everything, but having syncthing and Obtainium makes it pretty easy to get everything back.

https://github.com/TheGammaSqueeze/GammaOSNext

I unlocked the boot loader first time, but the SPD Reseach Tool wouldn't launch on my admittedly older random Windows box.

I had to download a newer version directly,

https://spdflashtool.com/category/research-tool

Then it threw an error about the partition sizes being wrong, so I turned on Repartition in the Settings.

After that it worked great! Looking forward to using all the creature comfort features!

This is a follow up to me finishing Sakura Taisen 1, also fan translated, for the Sega Saturn on my Konkr Pocket Fit.

https://www.romhacking.net/translations/7397/

Kudos to the amazing fan translators that make it possible to enjoy the game for English speakers!

ST2 is definitely bigger and grander than the first. I mean, it comes on 3 discs! You can tell right as you start the game as the intro video is wonderful to watch and the UI is so much more active and full, compared to the first game. You can really see how the dev team learned how to use the features of the Saturn. You'll see it throughout the game as well with "particles" and 3D elements used so well in the game.

ST2 is still a visual novel / light dating sim, at it's core and its very enjoyable as that. The world, characters and music makes the game very full.

My first gripe however is how they introduce the new characters. Orihime for instance is pretty unlikable from the start. I understand you can't have all likable characters all the time. For me, she was particularly grating, so much more so than Sumire, in the first game. Then, they introduce Reni who's quite boring to start. To start out the game this way makes it a bit difficult to want to keep going.

The game itself got a lovely visual upgrade, the devs really finding their stride, visual language and really knowing how to use the Saturns features. It's wonderful moving around the world and interacting with everyone.

However, my biggest gripe from the first game is made worse in the second. The battle system is just boring and tedious and even slower feeling. The UI and the menus are much better, nicer to use and looks great! However, that comes at the cost of it feeling very slow. Everytime it switches characters between battles feels even slower then on ST1, likely loading the bigger the prettier assets from the "CD". I had my finger on the FF button in RetroArch most of the time in battle.

However the rest of the game is wonderful. The character development, the music, the humor and the artwork are lovely. I just wanted to skip the terrible battle sequences. I'm told the battle system got a much needed overhaul in ST3, but sadly there's no translation for that game yet, so I may not experience that for a while.

Also, the last episode is mostly fighting in the battle system. So all my enjoyment with the characters and art and music, basically got sucked away as I had to slog through battle after battle that aren't even interesting. "Tedious," kept going through my mind and just wanting to finish the game.

Watching the end credits and listening to the music at the end was a wonderful balm, but again the terrible battle system and SO much of it at the end really didn't help in the enjoyment of the game.

But, I'm once again grateful to the wonderful fan translators that made it possible for me to play through the two original Sakura Taisen games!

Here's my thoughts on finishing Sakura Taisen/ Sakura Wars 1:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SBCGaming/comments/1si56rr/finished_sakura_taisen_sakura_wars_fan_translated/

I'll start by saying that I was a huge Sakura Taisen fan, from the anime's forward.

I even started watching and collecting some of the live action stage shows with the original voice actors playing their parts on stage.

I also loved and collected almost all the OSTs.

I never played the games until now. I tried to play the Japanese Dreamcast remake with an English walkthrough but that didn't last long.

So a great many thanks to the fan translators who translated the original 1 and 2 games for the Sega Saturn.

https://www.romhacking.net/translations/5318/

As much as I love the characters and music and art of this series, the game itself is just so tedious to play! lol

The light "dating sim" aspects are fine, you get good character development. The character and the world are wonderful. I believe they were one of the first ones to perfect the lip sync of the voice acting with the character sprites (don't quote me on that).

However, the battles in the game are just not very good and very basic. I may also be playing it "wrong." I understand it's on the Saturn but I'm sure there are better grid based "tactical" battle systems at the time. Thank goodness for fast forward with RetroArch too, as "Koubu" and enemy movement is so slow (even after hitting A to speed them up.)

The ending story plot is also WILD! I don't think that was the ending of the anime, it has been a LONG time. So it's due for a rewatch.

So for those who are curious where the series started, it's now available for English speakers. But man, be prepared for a bit of a slog in the battles. Or maybe just go with the anime like I did.

I did boot up, Sakura Taisen 2 and it looks improved. Dunno if the battle system did, I guess I will find out!