While it's true that a system is only as good as its games, wonderful titles can seem futile in the face of overpriced, underpowered, and mismanaged hardware. The Sega Saturn couldn't seem to overcome a handful of glaring issues, such as a surprise U.S. launch date with a tiny initial lineup, a robust early price point, and hardware that was much harder for developers to harness than Sony's PlayStation. While the Saturn enjoyed moderate success in Japan, it never really caught on elsewhere.

But that doesn't mean it's a total bust. Numerous excellent games were released for the console, which was supported primarily in the mid-to-late 1990s, including a variety of original Sega classics and several stellar third-party releases. RPG and fighting game fans, in particular, enjoyed a healthy array of options on the platform, but other worthy picks no doubt remain.

We've rounded up our picks for the 25 top titles released on the Saturn, so it's time to dive into that crawl space and/or peruse the online listings, fire up Sega's 32-bit console, and check out some oft-forgotten favorites...

Beyond Oasis is still considered a landmark Genesis role-playing experience, and while successor The Legend of Oasis was derided in some circles for being too similar upon its Saturn release, where else are you going to get more out of this classic franchise? The Legend of Oasis is actually a prequel to the prior entry, establishing the back-story by setting your hero off on a quest to recruit the six elemental spirits of the land. Like Beyond Oasis, the Saturn game features action-oriented combat, while the added processor power allowed Ancient and Sega to fill the screen with much more colorful effects and environments.

Long before the Daisenryaku series could stand a chance in the States with the original Japanese moniker, the Saturn received an entry simply retitled Iron Storm, which fabled publisher Working Designs released in 1996. The turn-based strategy affair let you pick a side in World War II and dig into battle, fighting across a hexagonal grid to secure victory for your cause. As one of the early hardcore Saturn strategy affairs, it delivered a wealth of combat options while upping the visual fidelity enough from the past generation to deliver a satisfying tactical experience. Like the back of the box so curiously states, "Get ready to trip, and we're talking hard!"

Considering the dozen-year gap between Mega Man 8 and the next numbered core entry, you might think this Saturn (and PSone) entry spoiled the series. Not so much! While Mega Man 8 didn't do anything remarkably new with the core experience, relying on a lot of tried and true elements from the past, it looked mighty slick on 32-bit consoles thanks to enhanced color palettes and CD-enabled cut scenes. Why the series took an extended breather past this is unclear, as are many of Capcom's Mega Man-related decisions. But while Mega Man 8 didn't truly revolutionize the formula, it's another worthwhile entry in the beloved action-platform series.

Guy who vaguely resembles Bruce Willis on the cover? Check. Burning skyscraper behind him? Got it. Game that matches that premise? Well, not so much. Die Hard Arcade really doesn't have much of anything to do with the classic 80s action romp; the game was developed independently from the license in Japan, then the film's name was slapped on for added marketability elsewhere in the world. Luckily, the phony approach doesn't diminish what proved to be a pretty fun beat-'em-up for two players, wherein you'd work your way through a building while smashing baddies in bunches. And you weren't just relegated to fisticuffs – a wide array of firearms and melee weapons helped amp up the arcade-style action.

On a console known for its arcade-ported light gun shooters, The House of the Dead was another standout, though it arrived much too late to help the Saturn's flagging sales. Like the sensational arcade hit of the same name, The House of the Dead finds you investigating a mysterious mansion, only to find it filled with aggressive undead monsters and other annoying creatures – which you'll quickly blast to bits, if only to stay alive. Much as the game tries to tell a goofy story with its agents "G" and Thomas Rogan, The House of the Dead is notable primarily for its tense zombie-zapping action, which held up in this Saturn port.

Blazing Heroes is the tactical RPG so nice they named it thrice. In addition to that U.S. game, it's known elsewhere by the suitably fantastical Riglord Saga or Mystaria: The Realms of Lore, and while this early Saturn release doesn't hold up as well today – or really in the wake of the many excellent tactics games on PSone that followed its debut – those who played it back when speak fondly of it. Packed with colorful sprite characters and grid-based battles with a variety of win objectives, Blazing Heroes was a solid early foray into the genre for Saturn fans, though we never did see its Japan-only sequel.

The Sega Saturn built a small legacy off of its ability to serve up smoother-running versions of top 2D fighters, and Street Fighter Alpha 2 is just one of many examples. Alpha 2 built upon the solid foundation of the original 32-bit entry, and the Saturn version of the fighting sequel was easily the best, offering the smoothest visuals, a few bonus characters from the American arcade release (including Evil Ryu), and extra survival and art gallery features. But regardless of platform, Street Fighter Alpha 2 is a great fighter from the era, serving up technical showdowns with a memorable mix of characters.

Road Rash is one of those game series that sends back a flood of past memories, despite it not spawning a worthwhile new entry in ages, and the Saturn version – which was essentially ported from the iconic 3DO release – captures the series in better times. Despite the primitive graphics, which offered 3D environments but hadn't evolved that dramatically in form from past entries, Road Rash offered arcade-style thrills without much of a learning curve, letting nearly anyone jump in and start bashing skulls while riding a motorcycle through myriad settings. It's one of the rare multiplatform games that hit Saturn and still stood up to the rest.

With Sonic sitting much of this generation out, is there a franchise more synonymous with the Saturn than Virtua Fighter? The system launched with the original, got a slightly improved Remix version, and then celebrated the triumphant release of the near-perfect arcade port of Virtua Fighter 2. Between the notable visual upgrade and the addition of two new combatants, Virtua Fighter 2 pushed forward the 3D fighting genre on the Saturn, opening the floodgates for a handful of other Sega fighters – some of which we may or may not have ranked higher on this list! OK, we did. But Virtua Fighter 2 remains a classic on the platform.

Working Designs built itself a cult following in the States for acquiring and localizing the kinds of niche Japanese role-playing titles that were being ignored by bigger publishers – and actually putting a lot of heart and effort into translating them. Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean is one of its Saturn trump cards. Unlike the earlier Japanese entries on Super Famicom, the Saturn entry ditched strategy elements for a traditional JRPG approach, augmented by great 2D visuals and a sharp original soundtrack. But it was Working Designs' careful and humorous touch to the translation that made it more than just another lengthy fantasy adventure.

Sadly only released in Japan, Darkstalkers III – known there as Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire – offered up the best home version of the series of that era, utilizing a 4MB RAM cartridge to more faithfully replicate the smooth animations of the arcade release. Of course, the fighter itself is well worth the attention, as the varied, supernatural characters and bright color palettes gave the game a unique edge that helped it stand out from Capcom's other fighting fare. It's a real drag that the game (and the RAM cartridge) never came out here, but for die-hard fans, it may be worth tracking down the hardware to get the ideal home experience.

Sega's "Virtua" prowess extended to more than just beating up blocky fighters on the Saturn – it also produced a pair of highly entertaining arcade shooters, with sequel Virtua Cop II standing out with enhanced visuals and a bit more variety. Even so, this arcade port defines "dumb fun," as you'll suspend disbelief to huge extent to play an officer tasked with shooting the hell out of hundreds of near-identical enemies on land, boat, and rail. It's hokey and simplistic, but paired with a pal, Virtua Cop II is just another example of how Sega's arcade dominance let the Saturn maintain a small edge on quick-hit experiences for some time.

Here's another import-only release that never made the rounds outside of Japan during the 32-bit generation, but Radiant Silvergun is considered one of the best shoot-'em-ups on any platform. On top of that, the original import Saturn release routinely sells for a pretty penny to this day, though the recent Xbox Live Arcade revival has made it much easier to experience this classic. Breaking from genre traditions, the game skips power-ups and instead challenges you to utilize the best weapons in certain conflicts, making for an arguably more strategic affair, and one loaded with diverse imagery and unique attack options.

One of the sadder aspects of the Saturn era is that as the system faded from popularity, some of the more notable later releases reached only a tiny audience and now are very tough to come by. Burning Rangers from Sonic Team is one of those titles, as the futuristic firefighting game let you explore dangerous settings with a jetpack in the hopes of saving folks and making it out alive. It was a highly unique premise with great visual design (some of which seemingly influenced Phantasy Star Online), but this distinctive Saturn original launched very late in the lifecycle and didn't spawn a ton of U.S. copies, making it difficult to experience nowadays.

The Panzer Dragoon franchise lived out most of its lifespan on the Saturn, and between the two on-rails shooters in the set, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei is the definite standout. Despite the Saturn's noted struggles with 3D graphics, Zwei served up a beautiful, cinematic shooter experience on the back of a dragon, with both in-flight and ground-based missions against common enemies and massive bosses alike. It even wove in a pretty interesting tale, along with another sharp soundtrack. The original Panzer Dragoon was a good start, but Zwei one-upped it in every way and proved a gorgeous and entertaining Saturn-exclusive shooter.

Fighting Vipers may not have the name recognition of sister series Virtua Fighter, nor its lasting legacy, but this Saturn fighting favorite stood out with a unique attitude and some tweaks on the 3D fighting formula. Unlike the Virtua Fighter entries of its day, Fighting Vipers put a stronger emphasis on stringing together attacks, and the urban characters featured various bits of armor that could be knocked off in battle, giving you weak spots to exploit. Moreover, the environments were all caged-in, meaning ring-outs and evasion techniques were kicked aside in favor of close, tense battles. All together, it made for one standout Saturn fighter.

We're noted fans of the original Sega Rally Championship here at GamesRadar, and while the myriad follow-ups have hit with varying degrees of success, the arcade and Saturn originals still comfort and entertain. Sega Rally Championship brought off-road racing to life in a way that past attempts hadn't, and did so with fantastic physics and controls; even with just three distinct tracks and a like number of vehicles, it was possible to spend hours learning the routes to try and knock seconds off of your top time. It's a formative racer, sure, and primitive compared to later genre entries – but it remains great after all this time and deserves its lasting legacy.

It might not be as daring a mash-up as Street Fighter X Tekken, but Fighters Megamix was truly surprising and seriously slick collaboration for its day, pairing combatants from Sega's Virtua Fighter and Fighting Vipers series with a host of bonus characters. Not only did it bring together the two series, but it improved on both; the Virtua Fighter characters had new moves pulled from the later Virtua Fighter 3, and all fighters could now sidestep attacks, giving the action a more realistic 3D feel. And with fighters like a car from Daytona USA and the palm tree from developer AM2's logo, it was wickedly silly to boot. We'd love to see Sega try another one of these today.

Speaking of crossover fighters – the Saturn housed a couple of stellar Capcom ones in Japan only, notably Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, which brought together comic legends and fighting game favorites in an arcade-quality port. Unlike the chopped-up PSone version, the Saturn release utilized a 4MB RAM cart, which let the console game maintain the frame rate and animation quality of the arcade original and made a huge difference in how the game looked and played. Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter is another compelling reason for old-school fighting fans to hunt down a RAM cart and some imports and dig into the best home versions around.

Working Designs' third and final entry on this list also happens to be one of the most-loved role-playing games of the 32-bit era. Launched in early 1996, Dragon Force is a strategy RPG in which you take control of one of eight monarchs trying to save his land from fantastical forces, and this approach meant that eight distinct storylines were included, allowing for huge replay value. With large, colorful battles and another stellar translation – Working Designs' trademark – Dragon Force proved a powerfully engaging experience, though its strongest pull came from deeply strategic battles that required plenty of precise planning and execution.

The Saturn's best-known original game hails from Sonic Team, but it doesn't feature the hedgehog – instead, it's NiGHTS Into Dreams, a flight-centric 3D platformer in which you explore vibrant dreams as one of two kids helped by Nights, the titular jester. With a mix of walking and flying segments, NiGHTS Into Dreams tapped into a new kind of platform gameplay for its era, and despite linear flight paths, the game delivered a surprisingly unrestrained sensation of movement. NiGHTS launched with an optional "3D controller," which featured an analog stick months before the N64 launched Stateside. An eventual Wii sequel recaptured some of the magic, but for many fans, the Saturn original still reigns supreme.

Bomberman existed well before the Saturn, and has spawned several iterations since – so why does Saturn Bomberman continue to glow in the memories of fans? It has a little something to do with multiplayer. Thanks to the glorious power of multitaps – remember those? – it was possible to play a local match with up to 10 players, which created a level of same-screen mayhem like little else we've seen. And thanks to the NetLink function, it was possible to play online over a dial-up modem; a feature that reportedly still functions today, assuming you have dial-up service and a friend to play with. Bomberman is amazing, and this may still be the best version out there.

At #3 is Shining Force III, which itself comprises three separate iterations – at least in Japan. The ambitious follow-up to the beloved Genesis RPG series was split into a trio of entries with overlapping stories, but as the Saturn's success dwindled elsewhere, only the first title made it to North America and Europe. But even though we never got the full experience, even the individual Shining Force III release stands out as one of the top original games on the console, thanks to an engaging storyline, a wide variety of character classes for the tactical grid-based combat, and some of the best visual design seen on the Saturn.

Guardian Heroes is another initially Saturn-exclusive game that thankfully wasn't forever condemned to an underperforming console – an upgraded Xbox Live Arcade version just surfaced last year. But Treasure's original 1996 release remains a wonderful co-op beat-'em-up experience with impressive presentation and exciting combat, plus the ability to directly affect the storyline via your actions, with multiple endings available as a result. Despite the terrible U.S. cover art – a common theme for many Saturn games – the essence of this much-praised brawler hooked enough players to make it a cult classic, and ensure its place in gaming history

One of the Saturn's rarest treasures is also our pick for the best game on the system. Released at the tail end of the console's lifespan in 1998, Panzer Dragoon Saga transformed the earlier on-rails shooters into an epic four-disc role-playing quest, but Sega underestimated demand, releasing extremely limited quantities in North America. Sadly, it's never been re-released, and copies still sell for huge sums online. It's a shame: the Saturn's magnum opus deserves to be played by a much wider audience, as the combination of the series' beautiful aesthetics and flight mechanics with new RPG elements makes for a genre entry really unlike anything else we've seen.

The Sega Saturn had a massive library with tons of quality games. There’s not enough room for all of them here, but why not point out your favorite glaring omissions in the comments below? What are your personal best Saturn games of all time?