What console ports of arcade games are still worth playing for someone with access to MAME?
What console ports of arcade games are still worth playing for someone with access to MAME?
What console ports of arcade games are still worth playing for someone with access to MAME?
The ones where the console port is changed enough to be it's own game. Like Contra. Wildly different from the arcade version in gameplay, even though they are both run'n gun games. Or how Soul Caliber on DC had the campaign mode with all the different weapons for characters.
Snes
>libble rabble
>un squadron (unique gameplay)
>turtles in time
>super street fighter ii new challengers (includes turbo settings)
>mortal kombat series (somewhat toned down AI)
>parodius da and gokujou (new levels or characters)
>art of fighting (normal ending, toned down difficulty)
>art of fighting 2 (its actually playable, lol)
Genesis
>any of the tengen ports
>wardner (new level)
>snow bros (new levels)
>marvel land (new levels)
>rolling thunder 2 (new levels)
>mercs (new campaign)
>chelnov (total overhaul)
>fatal fury 2 (new gameplay features)
>king of monsters 2 (1v1 instead of levels)
>golden axe (new content)
>zero wing (cool intro and no red flash, the pce port has extra levels but looks a bit worse)
PC Engine
>super darius (new bosses)
>super darius 2 (very different experience, mostly new bosses)
>rainbow islands (save feature to go back to prior islands to get the gems)
>1943 kai (new campaign)
>buster bros (new level, redbook audio)
>super dodgeball (better framerate, new level and mode)
>fatal fury special (6 button controls, redbook audio)
>marchen maze (top down perspective)
>valkyrie (new level design and content)
>bravoman (new level design, controls and content, hidden boss rush mode)
>f1 dream (new career mode)
>tiger road (kinda sucks but its a different game)
>side arms (megaman 2 soundtrack)
>side arms special (new mode with new bosses)
>cadash (no timer)
>bloody wolf (lengthened levels and new content)
>volfied (very different)
>atomic robo kid special (very different)
>xevious fardraut saga (new levels)
>super raiden (2 new levels)
>gradius 2 (new level)
>horror story (new level, redbook audio)
doing god's work
Good list. Legit. I'd add World Heroes 1 and 2 for adding separate LP, HP, LK, HK.
>libble rabble
Isn't that just a straight port? How is it different
Definitely Double Dragon II on the NES and the 3rd one if you want to play a better version of the arcade version (but both versions still suck). Namco started making excellent ports beginning in the PSX era with games like Time Crisis (has a new scenario with multiple paths leading to different endings) or Tekken 3 (Tekken Ball and Force). I kinda blame them for putting the final nail in the coffin on the arcade scene in the West for those arcade perfect+ ports they started putting out on the PS2.
Who the frick permits poster art to be THAT BAD
you should see the artwork for turbografx games
they got the sonic artist to do the bonk art, and it still looks meh
Contra and toki are better on nes than on arcade.
NES
>Life Force (replaces the two most boring levels of the arcade lwith three new ones. I personally prefer this version).
Megadrive:
>Shadow Dancer (basically a new game)
>E-Swat (basically a new game)
Fatal Fury 2 SNES for the elimination mode.
Some Bust a Move home versions have extra levels and modes
Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha has Trial Mode where the game has you match combos performed by the CPU. It’s really satisfying pulling off those really long combos, but you’ll definitely frick your thumbs up if you use the OG PS pad (I made my thumbs bleed many a time as a kid). Use an arcade pad or anything else
The arcade version of Jackal is actually really shitty compared to the NES version in terms of playing together with a friend.
I guess because the NES version is tuned for fun and the arcade version was tuned for sucking quarters? Not sure.
Really good time even today in two player.
Most arcade games are designed to cheat the player so they'll pump more quarters in. I've come full circle and now prefer home ports over arcade by default. Fun is more important than graphics after all.
But OTOH many home ports were designed to cheat the player so they couldn't beat the games on a rental.
Many Konami games had better Famicom ports than the original arcade.
TwinBee and Contra are good examples
Bionic Commando is just 4 or so repeating levels in the arcade. The console port adds a lot of levels, upgrades and equipment, and boss fights.
Punch-Out!!! is radically different from it's arcade counterpart on the console. The arcade game is pretty much straight action, while the console game is a combination of puzzle and reflexes/timing.
Gauntlet in the arcades is an endless action game where eventually you will die. Gauntlet on the NES is exactly 100 levels long, and can be beaten if you git gud enough to find all the hidden treasure rooms while making it to the final level with the password from the hidden rooms.