Bulk Slash

You are a battle mech pilot and the world around you collapses in the full three-dimensional glory of the early Saturn era. Bulk Slash is an action game with robots that shows the SEGA Saturn could do more than the critics of the time gave it credit for. You control a transformable mech, explore sprawling 3D arenas and eliminate enemies at a fast, aggressive pace that bets on a sense of freedom and power.

The game is marked by brisk movement and an emphasis on action in more open spaces than were then usual for similar titles. The mech can reposition, attack from multiple angles, and the player feels they are truly steering a mighty machine, not just a cursor along a predetermined trajectory. This freedom of movement and the combination of close and ranged combat give the game its own rhythm.

Technically it was an ambitious piece that pushed the console's 3D capabilities. The Saturn generally had a harder position with smooth polygonal environments than the competition, which makes it all the more valuable when a title managed to offer brisk and legible 3D action. Bulk Slash is among the games that collectors and platform fans highlight as underrated gems of the Saturn's Japanese library.

Because it released mainly for the Japanese market, it long remained more of a secret tip in the West than a broad hit. That is precisely what makes it a discovery worth your attention: a title showcasing the confidence and creativity of developers who weren't afraid to build robot action on their own rules.

Why play: For the powered-up 3D mech action that proves the Saturn had more hidden treasures in its library than is commonly claimed.