The 1983 spy who slipped between floors came back as three soldiers who shoot through them.
The original Elevator Action (1983) was a quiet game of hiding — an agent slipping behind doors, riding lifts down through a building. Eleven years later Taito brought it back to arcades not as nostalgia but as a louder, grittier run-and-gun: a paramilitary trio — Kart, Edie, and Jad — each with their own speed and firepower, trading the spy's stealth for cooperative gunfire. The 1997 Sega Saturn port, Japan-only and handled by Ving, was praised as arcade-perfect and packed the 1983 original alongside it, so the whole arc of the idea sits on one disc. Slick, hard, and short-printed, it became one of the Saturn's quietly treasured imports.
About this game
Elevator Action Returns is a 1997 action game for the sega saturn, developed by Taito. It belongs to the Elevator Action series.
Tricks & Tales
The Saturn release wasn't just the sequel — it bundled the 1983 Elevator Action on the same disc, putting both halves of an eleven-year story in one package. Where the 1983 original starred a lone spy hiding behind doors, the 1994 sequel swapped the spy motif for a paramilitary team fighting terrorists — three distinct characters, each with different speed, power, and fire rate. The Saturn port was developed by Ving and released in Japan only in 1997; IGN later cited the 'arcade-perfect' port among the best classic co-op games, and Retro Gamer placed it on its list of ten essential Saturn imports.
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 Elevator Action Returns copies regularly.
Was there ever an English or Western console release of this Saturn version?
No. The Saturn port was a Japan-only release in 1997, so any disc you buy is the Japanese version. The game itself is light on text and easy to follow, but the packaging and menus are in Japanese. A modern 'S-Tribute' re-release later brought it to current platforms in English.
Why is the Saturn copy more expensive than I expected?
It's a Ving-published title, and Ving Saturn releases tend to be short-printed and sought-after; combined with its cult reputation, this is regularly named one of the pricier and rarer Saturn games. Check PriceCharting for current loose vs. complete-in-box values before buying, since the gap can be large.
Do I need the original Elevator Action separately?
No. The Saturn disc bundles the 1983 original arcade game alongside Returns, so a single complete copy gives you both titles.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Elevator Action Returns
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 it's selling for on eBay →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 Elevator Action Returns 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.
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