N.A.L.S. was built to have no blind spot. The company that built it disappeared in 2000.
In 1996, Raizing shipped an arcade shooter called Terra Diver with a weapon system nobody else had: N.A.L.S., a lock-on laser built to see every angle, no blind spot, high or low. Raizing itself had formed two years earlier out of staff from Toaplan, an older shooter studio that had just closed its doors. The same year Terra Diver came out, Raizing was also finishing Battle Garegga, one of the genre's most respected titles, working on both at once. Sega Saturn owners got their version in February 1997, published by Electronic Arts Victor — five months after the arcade board went live. It never left Japan officially. The English name Terra Diver only ever appeared on export cabinets, when a technician flipped the region setting on the same circuit board. In 2000, Raizing itself was absorbed into Eighting, the company that had always sold its games. No shooter carrying the Raizing name was ever made again. The laser it left behind still finds every target it was built to find.
About this game
Terra Diver is a 1997 shoot 'em up for the sega saturn, developed by Raizing, with music by Hitoshi Sakimoto.
The Story Behind
Terra Diver was developed by Raizing, a studio founded in 1993 by former staff of Toaplan, the arcade shooter specialist that had dissolved the year before. The arcade version ran on Sega's ST-V (Sega Titan Video) board — the same hardware architecture as the Sega Saturn — and went into operation in September 1996. Electronic Arts Victor published the home console conversion for Sega Saturn on February 7, 1997, followed by a budget reissue on December 18, 1997. A PlayStation port, subtitled Kobu Shutsugeki, arrived on December 25, 1997, handled by Data East. Composer Hitoshi Sakimoto, who would later score Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story, wrote the soundtrack. Raizing was absorbed into its longtime sales partner, Eighting, in October 2000; the game's development has sometimes been misattributed to Eighting as a result, though the work itself was Raizing's alone.
Tricks & Tales
The game's signature weapon, N.A.L.S., stands for No blind spot All-range Laser System — hold the shot button to cast a wireframe web that locks onto everything inside it, high or low, then release to detonate. Overseas, Terra Diver never received an official release, but the same arcade board could be switched to an export region setting that displayed the English title on the same hardware — the only way most players outside Japan ever saw that name. French magazine Consoles+ still scored the Saturn version 92%, and U.S. outlet Next Generation gave it 3 out of 5, calling it mindless fun that filled the gap left by an unreleased Raystorm. A mobile phone version was distributed in Japan in 2005, across EZweb, i-mode, and Yahoo! Keitai.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The Sega Saturn enforces a strict regional lockout in hardware. A Japanese NTSC-J console will not boot PAL or NTSC-U discs, and vice versa. To play import software you need one of three solutions: a mod chip soldered to the board, a cartridge that plugs into the expansion slot and overrides the region check (such as an Action Replay or dedicated region-free cart), or a replacement region-free BIOS chip. Note that region unlocking alone does not change the video refresh rate — a PAL console playing an NTSC-J disc will still run at 50 Hz unless a separate frequency mod is also applied.
Maintenance Tips
The Sega Saturn reads GD-style discs but uses a standard CD-ROM drive, so lens care is the same as any optical drive: keep discs clean, handle them by the edges, and store them in cases. The more well-known maintenance issue is the internal CR2032 battery that backs the SRAM save memory and the real-time clock. This battery was typically rated for one to two years of standby use; on any console manufactured in the 1990s, it has long since expired. The first symptom is the system asking for the date and time at every boot. If that prompt appears, replace the battery promptly — save data corruption or total loss follows shortly. The battery can be swapped while the console is powered on (hot-swap) to avoid losing existing saves.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Terra Diver copies regularly.
Will a Japanese Sega Saturn copy of Terra Diver work on my Western Saturn console?
No, not without modification. The Sega Saturn enforces hardware region lockout — Japanese discs will not boot on North American or European consoles. You need a Japanese Saturn console, or a Japanese-region BIOS/mod chip installed in a Western unit, to play this game.
There seem to be two Saturn releases of this game — which one should I look for?
The original release (February 7, 1997) and a later budget reissue called 'Gotokuyou' (December 18, 1997) are both available secondhand. The budget reissue is generally cheaper; collectors prioritizing original packaging and the obi strip tend to seek the first printing instead.
What does this game typically cost on the secondhand market?
As of a 2026 market check, Yahoo! Auctions Japan listings ranged from roughly 2,200 to 29,800 yen, averaging around 5,326 yen, depending heavily on box and manual condition. Prices fluctuate with condition and completeness.
Is the PlayStation port (Kobu Shutsugeki) a substitute for the Saturn original?
Not quite. The PlayStation version, ported by Data East and released December 25, 1997, has been reported to suffer slowdown in certain scenes. The Saturn version runs closer to the arcade original because Sega Saturn shares its underlying architecture (the ST-V board) with the arcade hardware Terra Diver was built on.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Terra Diver
A short checklist for buying a used Sega Saturn disc wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Check the disc for scratches
Deep scratches on the playing surface cause freezes and read errors. Light surface marks are usually fine.
Ask for a clear photo of the disc's underside. A seller who tested it will confirm it loads and plays through.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is a Japanese Saturn disc. The Saturn is region-locked, so a Japanese disc needs a Japanese console or a region workaround.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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Saturn saves rely on a console battery
The Saturn keeps internal saves on a CR2032 battery in the console (not the disc). A dead console battery loses internal saves and resets the clock.
This is about your console, not the disc — but worth knowing so saves aren't lost.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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