In this episode we take a chronological look at the history of 3D fighting games on the SEGA Saturn. Despite being renowned as a "2D powerhouse", the Saturn did have a wealth of great (and some not so great!) 3D beat-em-ups from the arcade and beyond. In part 1, we look at the more commercial releases, look at their impact, discuss their gameplay pros and cons, and look forward to part 2 where we'll cover the more obscure Japanese only 3D fighters.