The Sega Saturn was to be Lara's debut in the world of video games and having been released two weeks before the PlayStation and PC versions, it is essentially a beta.
To start with, FMV sequences are better than the PC versions but still inferior to the PlayStation ones.
The Core Design logo FMV is also unskippable.
After the first two FMVs conclude, the game presents the player with a Press Start screen which is not found in any other retail version of the game. The two rolling demos play here instead of the title screen.
At the title screen, there are only four options. Lara's Home is instead named Gym here and the controls are of course represented by a Saturn controller. Also, a Gamma option is available to configure from the torch item. Interestingly,
the Gamma option would be removed by the time the game came to other platforms.
There is no option to adjust the sound or the screen position on the Saturn.
On all loading screens, no load bar is present and the word "Loading" uses a different font than the PSX version.
When the game begins, an overall more vivid colour is evident and the SFX quality is noticably lower than other versions.
In the inventory, the sound of the opening compass and sliding items are different.
As there is no Select button, the pause screen is not a feature.
A sound glitch can also sometimes occur when exiting the inventory after selecting an item.
The game can be prone to crashing on occasion, usually when Lara is about to be attacked or killed in a doorway.
It's possible to make the compass stay open when not selected if you keep repeatedly opening and closing it.
Some clipping in the geometry and objects also occurs.
Climbing up ledges, Lara cannot perform her handstand.
On the sprite for the large medipack, the cross has not been coloured yet.
When pushing a block for the final time, Lara's shadow will temporarily stay in its position before she started pushing and go back to where it should be after she stops.
When she falls from a great height, Lara's scream continues even after hitting the ground, depending on how quickly she reaches it. On top of that, the inventory can still be accessed after Lara has been killed. No items are usable of course.
Unlike the reflective mirror effect of the PlayStation version, savegame crystals are simply of a pale blue colour here.
There are also less savegame crystals to be found than in the PlayStation version of the game.
At a level's conclusion, the player is presented with the statistics screen set against the title screen image.
The audio of the cutscenes is slightly out of sync with the animations.
As for level specific differences, there is no loading screen for Gym.
The loading screen for the Greece section is very different to the PSX version. It shows Lara approaching St. Francis' Folly from the base of the mountain.
Pierre's textures have not been correctly applied on his face.
In the Cistern, where one of the secrets should be in an alcove behind a moveable block, there is none.
Also in the Cistern, if Lara has collected one of the silver keys but dies and has to reload, the key will re-appear, thus allowing Lara to collect it again and not have to collect the silver key elsewhere,
allowing the player to finish the level more quickly.
The transparency on the Atlantean centaurs' bomb launchers is non-existent here.
The spherical Atlantean projectiles are a much brighter, pinkish colour.
Finally, there is a slight variation in the image for the Atlantis section loading screen. This one is taken from a slightly different angle.
Once Lara has collected the second piece of the Scion, the inventory does not merely show one piece in the Saturn version. It displays one whole piece with two parts of the second piece overlaid on top of it.
Sometimes, the exploding deaths of the Atlantean enemies can cause any music playing to stop. To solve this, open the inventory then close it. The music will then continue.
The sound of firing Lara's uzis is played a little differently in the Saturn version.
When pulling any switch in Natla's Mines, the sound of pulling the switch will play twice.
For some reason, the skateboard kid's line of dialogue in Natla's Mines plays once he has been killed.
Towards the end of Natla's Mines, the square-shaped golden doors depicting the Atlantean pyramid have had their textures incorrectly applied.
In both cutscenes 3 and 4, the incubator of Adam (the giant Atlantean as named in a Japanese guide book!) is pure black.
In Atlantis, the sound of pulling underwater switches plays twice.
The sound of the spitting lava has a ticking sound here.
One of the sides of the secret door in Atlantis has not been textured yet. It appears dark green with a thick black line running across the middle.
Some of the intended transparent textures in Atlantis have not been made transparent yet.
The Scion pedestal has no sound effect whilst it is spinning.
In cutscene 4, when Lara climbs onto the platform below the giant incubator, she is seen to actually get to her feet and stare up at the egg. This animation is not present in any other retail version of the game.
A few of the textures on Adam have been incorrectly placed.
Like the centaurs' bomb launchers, the transparency on Natla's is also non-existent.
There is no reward for finishing the game in the Sega Saturn version. Although you can select any level you like, you will not start with all weapons and unlimited ammo.
