Capcom: Genesis vs Arcade: how do the ports measure up?

**KenshiroX** · 01-21-2008, 01:35 PM

Just wondering what you thought about the ports of Capcom games the Genesis got.

**GeckoYamori** · 01-21-2008, 03:20 PM

Strider is the only one I'd truly deem worthy.

**playgen** · 01-21-2008, 03:25 PM

Ghouls and Ghosts and Street Fighter 2 are both great conversions

**GohanX** · 01-21-2008, 03:37 PM

Strider-Great, next best thing to playing the arcade

Ghouls and Ghosts- I haven't played the original enough to compare, but the Genesis version is good fun (and tough as hell)

Street Fighter 2 CE/Super SF2-great port for the Genesis. They control very well, although the color/sound limitations show though. I don't play these much because of superior conversions on newer systems, but if I'm go the go and I have a Nomad, they are wonderful.

Final Fight CD-Probably the best home version. The graphics aren't as nice, but the awesome sound makes up for it. Like Strider, it's the best thing outside of the original game.

I think that's all of the Capcom Genesis arcade games I've played.

**Joe Redifer** · 01-21-2008, 03:43 PM

Strider - Graphics were redrawn differently from the arcade, but it remains the most playable home port. I don't really count the PS version into this equation.

Ghouls 'n Ghosts - Redrew and/or omitted most of the graphics from the arcade, but some are still pretty faithful. Level 3-1, for example, is far more faithful to the arcade than the SuperGrafx version (as are the blowing trees in the first level). The game plays very well and sounds great! Should have been 40 meg.

Forgotten Worlds - A low memory, early effort with deleted levels. Still fun but really needed to be 16 meg. Music seems thin.

MERCS - Pretty good I guess. Never played the arcade. I think they deleted the two player ability.

Chiki Chiki Boys - Who the fuck cares? Answer: Nobody.

Final Fight CD - Friggin' great. Graphics drawn nearly identical to the arcade (minus a few colors). Plays perfectly. Way better than the crappy SNES version.

Street Fighter 2, etc - Reprogrammed by Capcom themselves instead of Sega, they just seem apathetic towards the Genesis altogether. I can't help but think that Sega would have done a much better job, especially with the sound.

Saturday Night Slam Masters - I haven't played this, but it was reprogrammed by Capcom themselves so it probably sucks.

**kallbrand** · 01-21-2008, 05:02 PM

punisher - looks and sounds crap but plays alright

mercs - better than the arcade IMO because of the superb 'original mode'

**Alianger** · 01-21-2008, 09:23 PM

Ghouls 'n Ghosts - Awful audio quality and some graphical details are missing, but it plays great.

I don't really care about the other ports :P

**Aarzak** · 01-22-2008, 12:02 AM

A few notes on some of these Capcom arcade ports:

- I believe the "Ghouls 'N Ghosts" port (worked on by Yuji Naka) was a 5 MEGA POWER cart as opposed to the 4 MEGA and under cart sizes that early Genny games used. I'm not sure though, but if so.........it still wouldn't have made it the biggest Genesis cart at the time seeing as Phantasy Star II (a 6 MEGA POWER cart) had been out on the Mega Drive long before the Genesis even reached our shores.

- The "Ghouls 'N Ghosts", "Forgotten Worlds" and "Strider" ports all seemed to use some weird sound engine that almost exclusively used the Genny's FM channels for music and most sfx, resulting in the music sounding rather subdued and flat compared to the original coin-ops and other versions of the same games. "Strider" however, being a later effort pulled things off much better on the music front, arguably beating out the coin-op's goofy-sounding, repetitive music.

- "The Punisher", a Capcom CPS1 coin-op and most likely Capcom's last-ever Genesis game, was farmed out to Sculptured Software and not done by Capcom themselves. It wasn't a very good port of the coin-op in many ways especially playability (what the fuck's with that stutter in the character's animation whenever they walk that's also reflected in the scrolling of the screen?), and yet another indication that Capcom didn't give two shits about the Mega Drive outside of Street Fighter II.

**tisurame** · 01-22-2008, 12:27 AM

The Genesis version of Chiki Chiki Boys is BETTER than the arcade. First of all, the music is better, really, just compare. Same music, but with MUCH better rhythm (and drums).

Second, you can collect the coins to buy items - seems silly, but it brings a whole new life to the game, since you need to wisely choose which one is fitting for a particular situation. The game is very hard, so this aspect is essential.

Graphics are also excellent, very similar to the arcade.

**Dirt Ball Gamer** · 01-22-2008, 12:33 AM

Chiki Chiki boyz seemed like a pretty good game. I never played the arcade version, but my main complaint is that it doesn't give you more lives. I hardly played this game but I might give it another chance. The capcom ports definitly could have been done better, but they are fun games and not too shabby compared to other games on the genesis. I love Saturdaynight slammasters, ghouls n ghosts, strider, final fight, never got too into mercs though.

**GameUser-16-32-128** · 01-22-2008, 08:39 AM

Chiki Chiki Boys was a great port of the arcade minus the 2 player co-op. Street Fighter 2 SCE and SSF2 were awesome ports. Yeah so the voices sound a little raspy, but I think Capcom did their very best. Ghouls'n Ghosts and Strider were splendid. Forgotten Worlds was quite fun. Final Fight CD has a great soundtrack but, shouldn't have been censored. Good job Capcom and Sega!

**tisurame** · 01-22-2008, 02:32 PM

What I dont like about the SF2 port is that is clearly a port from the SNES version, using even the same resolution.

**Aarzak** · 01-22-2008, 04:20 PM

Yup, it seems like the SNES version of Turbo (with both some necessary and subtle alterations here and there) or at least its code was used to whip up Special Champion Edition at the last minute, when up to mid-1993 a different conversion of SFII for Genesis independent from the SNES versions was being worked on from the ground up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVL7YGExg50

I wonder what the hell happened with this one and why it was canned during the summer of '93. In some respects its better than SCE, like character animation.