Versions of games you know aren't as good but you prefer anyway

[+thegoldenband]

BTW I don't see how, if a port has superior gameplay, it's "not as good" as the original! I don't think the technical sophistication of a game's graphics or music is a measure of its quality, any more than a clean recording of a modern-day jazz group makes it in some way "better" than a vintage jazz recording. Strong tech specs are nice, but they're not synonymous with a good game, or even a game I want to play.

 

Even faithfulness to an arcade original isn't evidence of quality per se, if the arcade original had flaws that needed correcting, or if the changes are an improvement.

 

Now if we want to talk about ports we appreciate at nostalgia trips -- or dumbed-down console ports of games whose original format is too complex or challenging for our skill set -- then I'm in.

 

There are some Neo Geo games I find more playable in their ported versions. The Genesis version of Art of Fighting actually controls better than the original, though the moves are also changed (i.e. it's less faithful) and it's downgraded in several other ways. OTOH the SNES port has a gigantic hole in the AI, and some of the moves are almost impossible to pull off, but it still manages to be fun, mindless entertainment for a half-hour -- and also adds a few bells and whistles that weren't in the original.

[+wongojack]

Also, if we're just going for "games that are horrible but you play them anyway" I'll give special mention to Spider-Man on the 2600. I played countless hours of that thing when I was a kid. I had better games on both the 2600 and the VIC 20 (Omega Race in particular, that was fun), but I kept going back to Spider-Man.

 

Wait, people think Spider-Man is "horrible?" Spider man is a top 25 VCS game for me easily.

[+wongojack]

BTW I don't see how, if a port has superior gameplay, it's "not as good" as the original! I don't think the technical sophistication of a game's graphics or music is a measure of its quality, any more than a clean recording of a modern-day jazz group makes it in some way "better" than a vintage jazz recording. Strong tech specs are nice, but they're not synonymous with a good game, or even a game I want to play.

 

Even faithfulness to an arcade original isn't evidence of quality per se, if the arcade original had flaws that needed correcting, or if the changes are an improvement.

 

Now if we want to talk about ports we appreciate at nostalgia trips -- or dumbed-down console ports of games whose original format is too complex or challenging for our skill set -- then I'm in.

 

There are some Neo Geo games I find more playable in their ported versions. The Genesis version of Art of Fighting actually controls better than the original, though the moves are also changed (i.e. it's less faithful) and it's downgraded in several other ways. OTOH the SNES port has a gigantic hole in the AI, and some of the moves are almost impossible to pull off, but it still manages to be fun, mindless entertainment for a half-hour -- and also adds a few bells and whistles that weren't in the original.

 

Your post reminded me that I prefer the 5200 version of Defender better than the arcade and pretty much every other version.

[+wongojack]

 

And re: Space Invaders.. yes I know it's a common thing to say the VCS version is better because of the "variations".. but I find that people who say that generally have no clue about the nuances of the arcade version. Or maybe they do.. who the f knows. You're entitled to your opinion of course.

 

 

 

There's arcade nuance and then there's having the ability to choose a 2 player simultaneous version of the game.

[NE146]

 

There's arcade nuance and then there's having the ability to choose a 2 player simultaneous version of the game.

You wouldn't believe how many hours upon hours my brother and I had under our belts playing the 2 player 2600 Space Invaders.. but even back then as a kid, both my brother and I would tell you the arcade SI was far better.

 

On another note.. Good call on 2600 Missile Command! The VCS version is plenty intense and I definitely prefer it over the arcade. Also.. Parker Bros. Frogger! One of my all time favs man.. I love it. I'm not really keen on the arcade version as much because I like the option to screen wrap in the water.

Edited October 19, 2018 by NE146

[John Stamos Mullet]

Although graphically and sound wise the original arcade games seem superior - unlike the 2600 and other consoles, arcade games were never designed to be "fun". They were designed to suck as many quarters out of our pockets as possible, with the fun coming by way of barely beating your previous score and getting frustrated enough to keep

spending more money.

 

So really - I have a much greater fondness for home console ports, even with their limitations, because they were designed with replay value in mind.

 

Except for 2600 Pac-Man. That shit was horrid. Looked like a homemade Halloween costume made by your mom who had never actually seen Pac-Man in person.

[derFunkenstein]

Wait, people think Spider-Man is "horrible?" Spider man is a top 25 VCS game for me easily.

I really enjoy it but it seems that I'm in the minority.

 

And also, I agree with mullet about Pacman on the 2600. Not good.

[Eltigro]

I prefer the 7800 version of Mario Bros over other versions. The NES version is probably more faithful, but I still like the 7800 one.

[blainelocklair]

Although graphically and sound wise the original arcade games seem superior - unlike the 2600 and other consoles, arcade games were never designed to be "fun". They were designed to suck as many quarters out of our pockets as possible, with the fun coming by way of barely beating your previous score and getting frustrated enough to keep

spending more money.

 

So really - I have a much greater fondness for home console ports, even with their limitations, because they were designed with replay value in mind.

 

Except for 2600 Pac-Man. That shit was horrid. Looked like a homemade Halloween costume made by your mom who had never actually seen Pac-Man in person.

 

Absolutely right. I owned nearly 100 arcade games while collecting and restoring them for around 11 years. In every case, the "flip time", the amount of time the player was meant to play before the next quarter was inserted, was 150 seconds, or 2 1/2 minutes. That's not much entertainment for the player. Strangely enough, if the machine maximized its intake at this rate, that would be $8.00 of income per hour, and only if it took in the quarters at 2 1/2 minute perfect intervals (impossible). With an average cost of $3,000 or so for the machine, the op would have to run it for 375 hours of non-stop quarter munching just to break even. And that doesn't include rent, 50/50 splits, maintenance, and other costs they'd have to cover. It's a miracle they made any real money on some of these things. Of course, looking at the coin counters that show 100,000+ credits run through the premier titles (Pac-Man, DK, et al), that'd be $25k or so minus free play games added by credit switch instead of a credit button. Some profit there, for sure. Although a bit off-track, the idea of all of this was that you were spot on that the goal of arcade games was never to give the player an extended gaming experience. Home consoles absolutely were and still do.

 

By the way, that Pac-Man quote is some funny stuff!

[mbd30]

 

Absolutely right. I owned nearly 100 arcade games while collecting and restoring them for around 11 years. In every case, the "flip time", the amount of time the player was meant to play before the next quarter was inserted, was 150 seconds, or 2 1/2 minutes. That's not much entertainment for the player. Strangely enough, if the machine maximized its intake at this rate, that would be $8.00 of income per hour, and only if it took in the quarters at 2 1/2 minute perfect intervals (impossible). With an average cost of $3,000 or so for the machine, the op would have to run it for 375 hours of non-stop quarter munching just to break even. And that doesn't include rent, 50/50 splits, maintenance, and other costs they'd have to cover. It's a miracle they made any real money on some of these things. Of course, looking at the coin counters that show 100,000+ credits run through the premier titles (Pac-Man, DK, et al), that'd be $25k or so minus free play games added by credit switch instead of a credit button. Some profit there, for sure. Although a bit off-track, the idea of all of this was that you were spot on that the goal of arcade games was never to give the player an extended gaming experience. Home consoles absolutely were and still do.

 

By the way, that Pac-Man quote is some funny stuff!

 

I was obsessed with Yie Ar Kung Fu as a kid, and I could get to the last guy. It's almost impossible to beat him. According to this Youtube video a playthrough takes about 7 minutes. I guess this was a better value than most arcade games.

 

[Flojomojo]

Your post reminded me that I prefer the 5200 version of Defender better than the arcade and pretty much every other version.

If you have an Atari Jaguar, the Classic Mode is better than any other version anyplace, and I wish I could play it on other equipment .

 

You wouldn't believe how many hours upon hours my brother and I had under our belts playing the 2 player 2600 Space Invaders.. but even back then as a kid, both my brother and I would tell you the arcade SI was far better.

 

On another note.. Good call on 2600 Missile Command! The VCS version is plenty intense and I definitely prefer it over the arcade. Also.. Parker Bros. Frogger! One of my all time favs man.. I love it. I'm not really keen on the arcade version as much because I like the option to screen wrap in the water.

 

Some of these home games were more fun for me as a kid just because they were so much easier. Gravitar is slick and gorgeous in the arcade, and super difficult. On 2600, there's a practice mode with 100 ships, and you can turn off or reverse gravity, which is awesome. Berzerk is slow and easy and you can play for hours. Simultaneous co op Space Invaders is fun as can be. I agree about the accessibility of 2600 Missile Command, and the river wrap in Frogger. All good stuff!

 

I'll bet there's someone who really loves Donkey Kong on the 2600. Maybe these guys, since they used the sounds so well.

[zetastrike]

I like Donkey Kong Land 2 better than DKC2 for some reason. I guess there's something quaint about the monochrome graphics and bloopy music. Most of the game made the conversion intact.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727AZ using Tapatalk

[Silverfleet]

I have a few that come to mind:

 

-Double Dragon on the NES. As glitchy and distant as it is from the arcade game, I love it. The leveling up system is really cool, gameplay is decent, and the music rules. The SMS version is an honorable mention; it plays great and is closer to the arcade version.

 

-Speaking of the SMS, Wonder Boy. I like it better than the arcade version and the "NES version" (aka Adventure Island). I find it more balanced and fun to play.

 

-1943 on the NES. Like a ton of other arcade ports to the NES, the made up for the lack of power with cool features in the games. Even though the arcade version is great, I like this one better.

 

-Dragonfire on the 2600. There are other, more graphically intensive ports for other consoles, but the 2600 version is perfect just the way it is. Plays fast and precise, too.

 

-Popeye on the Colecovision. It's technically inferior to the NES and Arcade versions, but the CV plays a mean game of Popeye! This is also the version I had as a kid, which doesn't hurt.

 

-The EA NHL games on the Genesis always felt superior to the ones on the SNES at the time. The game played smoother and faster. Must be the "blast processing".

[mbd30]

I have a few that come to mind:

 

-Double Dragon on the NES. As glitchy and distant as it is from the arcade game, I love it. The leveling up system is really cool, gameplay is decent, and the music rules. The SMS version is an honorable mention; it plays great and is closer to the arcade version.

 

NES Double Dragon would be the ultimate port had they cleaned up some of the glitchiness and included two player co-op. It's still probably my favorite beat em up on the system. DD2 is technically way better, but I have more fun playing Double Dragon.

[BassGuitari]

 

Wait, people think Spider-Man is "horrible?" Spider man is a top 25 VCS game for me easily.

 

That's news to me as well. I think the game just gets a little lost in the mix when most peoples' Top 2600 Games lists typically read like: Pitfall II, Yars' Revenge, Asteroids, Something by Activision, Something by Activision, Something by Activision, Something by Imagic, Something by Imagic, Token Underrated Title*, Warlords.

 

(*Which isn't actually underrated.)

 

 

Your post reminded me that I prefer the 5200 version of Defender better than the arcade and pretty much every other version.

 

Hear, hear.

 

Coleco...too easy.

2600...also too easy.

Intellivision...challenging, but for the wrong reasons.

Apple II...too hard?!; SPACE TO SMARTBOMB.

VIC-20...also too hard...and extremely clunky; SPACE TO SMARTBOMB.

TI-99/4a..."scrolling" makes your eyes bleed; too easy; SPACE TO SMARTBOMB.

400/800...essentially just the 5200 version but with worse control; SPACE TO SMARTBOMB.

Commodore 64...pretty good, but quirky, and kinda slow-moving; SPACE TO SMARTBOMB.

All home ports...hyperspace is as good as suicide.

Arcade...Shoots you the bird, murders you, and defiles your corpse.

 

If the Coleco version presented even a modicum of challenge for people who've actually played the game before, it would easily be #1 for me (is there a hacked version somewhere that increases the point threshold for extra lives/smartbombs?). As it is, even with its blockier graphics, it's the Atari 5200 version that hits the sweet spot with the best combination of playability, control, and graphics/sound quality (definitely sound, holy cow--crank up the volume when you play it). People can hate on the controller all they want--it's great for this game.

 

 

Except for 2600 Pac-Man. That shit was horrid. Looked like a homemade Halloween costume made by your mom who had never actually seen Pac-Man in person.

 

Here's the part where I have to play contrarian and go to bat for the Atari version of Pac-Man. Yes, it's a terrible port, in the sense that it bears almost no resemblance to the arcade original (as was typical of Atari 2600 games, many of which are given passes for this...). "Port" really doesn't even accurately describe it; "clone" is more like it.

 

But damn if I haven't played a lot of this game over the years. Even my friends back in high school in the early '00s loved playing this. I still fire this one up when I have an Atari out. I'm actually tempted to say this may be my favorite version of Pac-Man, if only because I'm pretty terrible at Pac-Man in general and this is the only version I can survive more than three or four screens in. Tempted...but I won't. That honor goes to, again, the Atari 5200.

 

Sorry if the 2600 version ruined some Christmases in 1982, but there's nevertheless a pretty fun game there if you're willing to make peace with its idiosyncrasies.

 

I'll bet there's someone who really loves Donkey Kong on the 2600.

 

*raises hand*

 

Okay, "love" may be a little strong, but I like the Atari version of Donkey Kong for what it is. There's not a lot to it, but what's there is very playable and enjoyable IMO. I was even fortunate enough to have a spare copy autographed by Garry Kitchen at MGC earlier this year. (David Crane was with him--they were doing a presentation together--but alas, I didn't have any copies of his games on hand for him to autograph. )

 

My favorite version is probably the NES version, though. Maybe Atari 7800. (A really good "sleeper" port is the TI-99/4a version, which IIRC has all four levels, however no springs in the elevator level.)

[+GoldenWheels]

I prefer A8 Joust (good) or Atari 7800 Joust (best) over ANY other version, including the arcade. These two versions simply have the best physics feel and right amount of flap per button push.

 

Of course...that actually makes them "as good", in fact better, IMO. But graphically....A8 is not so hot. Atari 7800...pretty good.

[mbd30]

Atari 2600 Donkey Kong is a technical masterpiece compared to the horror that is Atari 2600 Donkey Kong Jr. Oh my freaking god that port sucks shit through a straw.

[mbd30]

Speaking of Donkey Kong Jr., the arcade version is a quarter muncher. I like the NES port because it starts at a more reasonable difficulty.

[BassGuitari]

 

Tenchu has been one of my favorite PlayStation games since it first came out. It always seemed weird to me that it was such a sleeper title. Me, my brother, and my cousin-in-law (what do you call the guy who marries your mom's cousin?) were the only people I knew personally who had the game, or even knew about it. I think Tenchu got pushed into the static by Metal Gear Solid.

 

Never played the PS2 versions. Don't really care to, although I'm sure they're fine enough games. They won't top the original in my mind. That voice acting...amirite?

 

Another quick random thought on Tenchu for PlayStation: this game had some seriously amazing music.

 

Carry on.

[John Stamos Mullet]

In general, the Parker Bros. Atari 2600 games are excellent, especially the Arcade ports.

 

Popeye, Q-Bert, and Frogger all got tons of playing time in my house. They seemed to put a level of polish on their games that Atari themselves didn't really do until later on in their catalog.

[mbd30]

In general, the Parker Bros. Atari 2600 games are excellent, especially the Arcade ports.

 

Popeye, Q-Bert, and Frogger all got tons of playing time in my house. They seemed to put a level of polish on their games that Atari themselves didn't really do until later on in their catalog.

 

Agreed. Atari 2600 QBert was a childhood favorite and it holds up well. Atari 2600 Popeye happened to be the only video game that my dad liked. He'd come home from work and play it. ("Games that your parents liked." would make for another interesting topic.)

[blainelocklair]

If I had to make a parents' list of games, it would only have one: Microsoft Flight Simulator on the PC. It's the only game my dad ever even tried, and it's because he was a private pilot and knew what to do with the software. Everything else was absolutely irrelevant to him and they all were a waste of time. I don't think my mother ever even touched a game controller. Not even by accident. Ever.

 

I can say this, though: my dad was an electronics engineer on nuclear subs at the Naval Shipyard. He coached me through learning Silent Service II on the Amiga, which was very cool. He never actually touched the Amiga, though. Oh, and he never divulged classified info about the subs. I asked, he said no. Integrity.

 

End of list and end of temprorary thread hijack. I now return you to the original thread already in progress.

[blainelocklair]

 

I was obsessed with Yie Ar Kung Fu as a kid, and I could get to the last guy. It's almost impossible to beat him. According to this Youtube video a playthrough takes about 7 minutes. I guess this was a better value than most arcade games.

 

 

Thanks for sharing. I'd never seen anyone beat Yie Ar Kung Fu before. Played it at the Barrel of Fun back in the day. Got my butt beat quickly each time. I loved watching people that were good at it. Seven minutes from start to end. Wow. That's almost as long as a complete game of Dragon's Lair with 100% moves.

[mbd30]

 

Thanks for sharing. I'd never seen anyone beat Yie Ar Kung Fu before. Played it at the Barrel of Fun back in the day. Got my butt beat quickly each time. I loved watching people that were good at it. Seven minutes from start to end. Wow. That's almost as long as a complete game of Dragon's Lair with 100% moves.

 

You can beat almost everybody with simple hit and run tactics. Get in some kicks or punches, jump away, rinse and repeat. But that last opponent ("Blues") is unfair. You can't get away once he starts kicking you to death.

[NE146]

I've said this so many times.. but while I wouldn't put 2600 Q-Bert above the arcade version it seems to be one of the RARE vcs games where you could play and practice it at home, and it'd make you better at the arcade game as well. Yeah it was obviously more jittery/choppy/less enemies, etc.. but I dunno. I played the crap out of it and when I got to the arcade versions several weeks later I felt like a master making it to stages I never reached before. You can't really say the same about others normally.. e.g. You can be an expert at VCS Space Invaders, Crystal Castles, 5200 Joust, etc and then play the arcade version and just be out of your element.