He chose the oldest language — so he could hold the entire machine in his head.
Chris Sawyer built Transport Tycoon in x86 assembly language. By 1994, most programmers had moved to higher-level languages that handled details automatically. Sawyer went the other way — assembly let him see exactly what the processor was doing and control it directly. The cost was time: every function had to be written from scratch. The return was understanding: nothing was hidden, and he could fit more into less space than the tools of the day allowed. He spent six months studying Railroad Tycoon first, then built the whole game by himself. Years later, when a team tried to rewrite one of his games in a modern language, it took them longer than it had taken him alone. Sometimes the old roads are faster, if you know every turn.
— inspired by Chris Sawyer
About this game
Transport Tycoon is a 1994 business simulation game for the sega saturn, developed by Chris Sawyer, with music by John Broomhall.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Chris Sawyer began conceptualizing the game as early as October 1992, drawing inspiration from Railroad Tycoon, Populous, and SimCity. He created his own isometric engine and programmed the entire game in x86 assembly language, which allowed him to add greater complexity while staying within memory limitations. The original MS-DOS version was published by MicroProse in 1994. The Sega Saturn port was developed and published by Japanese publisher Imagineer exclusively for the Japanese market, released on November 20, 1997.
Tricks & Tales
Sawyer spent six months playing Railroad Tycoon to understand the genre before development, then crafted a low-resolution prototype with hand-drawn graphics before bringing on artist Simon Foster. By November 1993, he had completed a playable version, which he shopped to publishers in March 1994; after MicroProse signed the project, Sawyer delivered a shippable version in approximately 4-5 months. His choice of x86 assembly allowed him to understand every function in complete detail and optimize processor workload more efficiently than higher-level languages would have permitted.
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 Transport Tycoon copies regularly.
Will a Sega Saturn game still save my progress?
The Sega Saturn keeps save data in 32 kilobytes of internal memory, powered by a small CR2032 coin battery inside the console. That battery was built to last several years, but every Saturn is now past twenty-five. If the console forgets the date and asks you to set it again, or if save files disappear between sessions, the battery is likely tired. Replacing it is straightforward, though the old data will be lost when power is removed — so if there's anything worth keeping, back it up to a Power Memory cartridge first, if you have one.
Can I play the Japanese Transport Tycoon on a North American Sega Saturn?
No. The Sega Saturn has region protection, so a Japanese game will only run on a Japanese console. Transport Tycoon was released exclusively for the Japanese market by Imagineer in 1997 — there was no official North American or European Saturn release. If you want to play it on a non-Japanese Saturn, you would need a region-free BIOS modification, though that falls outside the scope of collecting unmodified hardware.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Transport Tycoon
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.
See what we have in stock →Unexpected Discoveries
Games you weren't looking for — but might be glad you found.
Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Transport Tycoon sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
Share your memory ↑From the Museum's Screening Room
Transport Tycoon — Max Explains