Didn't even know there was a James Pond II for the Master System. Even worse, it appears to be the most technically impressive version of all.
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Didn't even know there was a James Pond II for the Master System. Even worse, it appears to be the most technically impressive version of all.
Woah! It has parallax animation in PAL mode, but not NTSC. (At least in Fusion.)
The lack of parallax is an emulator issue, I own the real thing, the parallax works excellenty, in fact, whilst admittedly inferior to the Mega Drive version, the SMS still kind of shows it up to be honest, as there's not really that much of a gulf in quality between the two.Quote:
Originally Posted by Black_Tiger
Pretty decent selection of comparisons, though some are odd choices for comparison (Ys is on both systems so why compare with Hydlide?, and why not compare Ninja Gaiden SMS to Ninja Gaiden NES?)Quote:
Originally Posted by Bastardcat
Also I know this isn't going to be popular around here, but seriously, NES homer's trying to make out that Kid Icarus is a classic, and actually compares to Dragon's Trap is just hilarious, Kid Icarus is clearly awful, its not even mediocre, its definitely below average in most areas, which makes it a lower than 5/10 game, the control is terrible, the difficulty curve is terrible, the pacing is bad, the environments are uninspired and lazy, and there's no interesting or unique gameplay features, the game feels like they re-cycled the Metroid engine to throw out a half-assed piece of junk to make some extra cash on the side, its bloody horrible. Every few years I'll think to myself "people love it, it can't be that bad, I'll give it another chance" and I'll force myself to waste another week odd playing a game which obviously has no redeeming qualities.
I might just have fallen in love with you after that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Thenewguy
Kid Icarus is a game I could just never get into. It is one of those games that is better left buried in the past. If there was an NES dictionary, A picture of Kid Icarus would accompany the entry for "Boring".
Fun read. I would add Ikari Warriors (NES) vs. Rambo II/Ashura/Secret Command (SMS), which we've been discussing in the "old milk" thread, and is a runaway victory for the SMS.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bastardcat
EDIT: Also, one could just compare Dr. Mario straight up to the Korean unlicensed clone Dr. Hello, which I actually like better. OTOH, I think NES Double Dragon is ten times better than the SMS version, arcade faithfulness be damned.
I tried Kid Icarus recently and just found it way too difficult. The game throws you in without really any explanation of what to do a la Metroid (Though the levels are much more linear) and the enemies are such a bitch to take down at times, especially if they're moving vertically. Between the controls and the enemies, it was just too challenging and not fun enough for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bastardcat
The Gameboy version is equally confusing, and why the fuck is that guy wearing a cap and shades?
Nintendo has created some timeless brands over the years, but kid Icarus ain't one of them!
The game was "ok"(not really, by ok in this sense, I mean playable), but nothing really worth mentioning, and somehow even though the original was meh, the name Kid Icarus is being made out to seem like an iconic title these days(aka the gamer based hype towards the 3DS title, why are people looking foward to it so much).Quote:
Originally Posted by Bastardcat
Not liking the Kid Icarus hate here, LOL. It's not the best game but I find it fun every now and then. It does feel a lot like Metroid which I appreciate since Metroid's one of my favorites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thenewguy
OK, so is it really an emulator issue, or is there a difference in PAL and NTSC mode?Quote:
Originally Posted by blobolonia
NTSC is awful for SMS, I can see why there is no parallax there, you just don't have VDP time to do those tile uploads
Does that mean that the game doesn't work on real NTSC hardware?Quote:
Originally Posted by TmEE
it means the game disables stuff on NTSC hardware to work smoothly. PAL allows for much more
There's also Time Soldiers which was also a port of an SNK arcade game, but you can't really compare SMS and NES games very well in this fashion as you wouldn't be taking into account the huge number of NES games, and late releases (I'd say Guerrilla War is a much better game than all the top down shooters on SMS). If you were to pick games without taking into account release dates (ie 1993 NES games with the closest type of game on SMS), then the NES probably has the better game in most genre's (you could perhaps argue a few, such as Phantasy Star, maybe Dragon's Trap)Quote:
Originally Posted by goldenband
For a year/genre comparison Commando Vs The Ninja is a pretty good one, as the original arcade games came out the same year and the home ports arrived the same year too (albeit Commando NES was later in the US). In this comparison I much prefer The Ninja, it has much more variety in its stages, controls better, has more moves and power-ups etc, Commando wasn't really a perfect port on NES either (though much better than Ikari Warriors ended up)
Agreed, though I even think the whole "arcade faithful" angle could be disputed too, sure the NES game has some extra sections added in, and a new experience point system, but it gets the feel down pretty well, it has more of the integral gameplay elements such as the conveyers, holes, ladders, and when you do get enough experience to throw, the throw works properly (unlike the SMS).Quote:
Originally Posted by goldenband
The Master System version is an ultra simplified arcade port which misses some crucial gameplay elements, whilst the NES manages to incorporate most of the important stuff (except two player unfortunately) whilst adding its own things on top.
Quickly running through some of the comparisons off the top of my head -
Dracula Vs Dracula
The SMS graphics are waay better, like he says, but I'm sure there were also problems with the NES versions gameplay, I think some of the boss fights were wrong or something (its been a while)
SMS Win
Gauntlet vs Gauntlet
I don't know what crack the guys been smoking with this comparison, but SMS Gauntlet is leagues better than NES Gauntlet. The port of Gauntlet on the SMS is very good, and is very much like the arcade version, the NES game doesn't compete very well with it at all. I remember Retrogamer did a comparison of all version a while back too, and they came to a similar conclusion.
SMS Win
Zelda Vs Golvellius
Zelda is the bigger and more ambitious game, and unlike rubbish like Kid Icarus it actually deserves a lot of its credit, the puzzles are smarter and more interesting than in Golvellius. Golvellius is still a very good game though, its a little more linear but it also has its own action slant to some of the dungeons which differentiate it a little bit and add some of its own personality, there's also a bit more plot and presentation than in Zelda, with a nice intro and ending and better npc dialogue.
NES win
Metroid Vs Zillion
Metroid is a game which I never appreciated when I was younger, but can now see is a very cleverly, and elegantly designed game, I'd say its also up with Zelda and Super Mario Bros as an important release for its genre, there's one critical flaw with it, which is that the health power-up system sucks ass with its heavy grinding requirement, but I think all in all this can be overlooked. Zillion is not so much of a Metroid clone as people make out, its more of a combination of adventuring elements and Impossible Mission. Zillion is very good, but I'd say its probably a tier lower than Metroid, its an interesting game, but the design isn't as well thought out, it doesn't quite have the atmosphere (IMO), and it has its own problematic flaw, which is not having password or battery save.
NES Win
Star Wars Vs Star Wars
The SMS version has improved graphics, the controls are worse, but the whole rest of the game has been changed to make it fairer and a little easier, and in the long run this more than offsets the slightly more finicky controls IMO.
SMS Win
Strider Vs Strider
The Strider port on SMS is much more like the arcade version, but this does little to change the fact that its a terrible port, it controls badly, looks pretty bad, and plays like crap. NES Strider is a completely different game, but they did a good job with it and its just leagues better than the half assed SMS port.
NES Win
Rad Racer Vs Outrun
This ones a harder one to call in my opinion, Rad Racer has more of a sense of speed, its smoother, the boosting adds another element to gameplay, the SMS port of Outrun has more interesting environments, branching paths, i'd say it has better music too. I think I'd have to go with Outrun here, Rad Racer probably does have better gameplay, but I think presentation and nice environments to drive through are important for racing games, Rad Racer just doesn't hold my interest as much.
SMS Win
Double Dragon Vs Double Dragon
NES win for the reasons stated above, Crap, with two players, is still crap.
NES Win
Kung Fu Master Vs Kung Fu Kid
I don't think this is a very fair comparison to be honest, Kung Fu Master is a much older game, and Kung Fu Kid takes influence from it, but incorporates loads of newer elements. On straight comparison Kung Fu Kid is just much better, it has waay more variety, a bigger moveset, better graphics, and some pretty cool boss fights, I don't know what he's talking about in regards to the controls either as I found them to be very responsive. Neither game really holds up that well anymore
SMS Win but unfair comparison
Shinobi Vs Shinobi
I don't like the SMS version of Shinobi much, but the NES version is similar but just worse in all aspects anyway so an easy win for SMS.
SMS Win
Ninja Gaiden 2 (NES) Vs Ninja Gaiden (SMS)
This is another very difficult one for me, both games are very different. The NES game is probably the more polished, more intricate game, but the SMS game is faster, more fluid, more exciting. The SMS game has the colour and detail, but the NES game has the impressive effects, and possibly more atmosphere, both games have great music but the NES definitely has the edge here. I think its very close, and it could've gone either way, but I'm going to call a win for NES, maybe if the gangster level on the SMS game hadn't brought it down it could've won!
NES Win
Super Mario Bros Vs Alex Kidd in Miracle World
People probably already know my unpopular thoughts on this. Personally I don't even think that this is a fair comparison, Mario is an older game, and it shows in all aspects, the graphics are worse, the environments are repetitive, the boss fights are all the same, the gameplay is simplistic etc. Alex Kidd probably should be getting compared to Lost Levels due to release dates, but unfortunately that game was a hugely disappointing rehash with loads of bad additions so it doesn't make for a good comparison. Anyway, yeah, Super Mario Bros is a much more important, and influential release than Alex Kidd, but Alex Kidd has loads of different environments, vertically scrolling levels, cool vehicles to ride, a monetary system with item management, more boss fights (I mean the bull and the swordsman, not the silly janken matches), better graphics, and just tons more variety in all areas.
SMS Win, but its not a fair comparison.
Wonder Boy Vs Adventure Island
Complete whitewash in all areas but sound (Adventure Island had much better music), Adventure Island has worse graphics, poor looking sprites, fewer levels, fewer gameplay elements, and the core gameplay has been compromised by silly changes such as the fire breathing snakes.
SMS Win
California Games Vs California Games
From What I can recall the two games were similar but the SMS had better graphics
SMS Win
Super Mario Bros 2 Vs Psycho Fox
SMB 2 was not a real Mario game, and didn't play very much like the series, but I liked it a lot nontheless, its a great game with nice environments, fun gameplay, and a few of its own interesting elements here and there. Psycho Fox is a good game, but its finicky to play, difficult, and a little inaccessible.
NES Win
Super Mario Bros 3 Vs Land of Illusion
Super Mario Bros 3 is the longer, more interesting, and more inventive game, Land of illusion has better graphics (maybe even more atmosphere), more interesting boss fights, and some cool adventuring aspects such as heart containers, ropes, shrink potions, some optional backtracking, but isn't quite as ambitious or long as SMB3 is.
NES Win
Ghosts N Goblins Vs Ghouls N Ghosts
Neither are exactly optimal ports, I wonder if he's playing Ghouls on 50hz causing it to be more sluggish (I think the SMS version actually had its own permanent magic item to speed up the character too iirc). Either way, again, bad comparison, he's comparing a game to its own sequel. I think Ghouls is better simply because the source material was a better game to begin with.
SMS Win, unfair comparison
Castlevania 3 Vs Master of Darkness
Master of Darkness has the graphics, presentation, and is probably more accessible, but its a bit too short, and has much simpler gameplay (no branching pathways or alternate characters), the level design isn't quite as interesting either.
NES Win
Kid Icarus Vs Ghost House
Ghost House controls better, has a better difficulty curve, and is more fun to play :mrgreen:
SMS Win
RC Pro-Am II Vs Buggy Run
Buggy Run has better graphics, and plays well, but RC Pro-Am II has the excellent 4 player mode, more options, more interesting tracks.
NES Win
Even worse if you spend a long time practicing you're never really rewarded anyway, you just get more uninteresting levels to play through.Quote:
Originally Posted by Baloo
Its both, some emulator's don't recreate the effect at all, and 60hz consoles don't re-create the effect eitherQuote:
Originally Posted by kool kitty89
I just tested it on my modded console, its very playable (not really even any graphical glitches to speak of) but the parallax effects are gone, as is the snow effect, and the gameplay is too fast.Quote:
Originally Posted by Black_Tiger