Great arcade games with terrible home conversions. [Archive]

Buyatari

10-05-2005, 05:28 PM

Some games are just not the same at home. Try as they might they barely mirror the originals. While Atari 2600 pacman has to be the worst ever this isn't what I'm looking for. There are several versions of Pacman which are very close to the mark.

I'm looking for titles like Cyberball for which there isn't a single playable version on ANY system.

Pinball games and those which feature pinball elements are out.

cityside75

10-05-2005, 05:51 PM

ROBOTRON!

Needs the dual sticks, and those awesome Williams sounds.

TheDomesticInstitution

06-13-2009, 10:02 PM

Well, the only one I can really comment on is Donkey Kong. Never a really proper arcade conversion for this game.

Seriously though, are there any arcade machines that are completely superior to the home console versions? I'd love to know what machines to look out for that have never been properly converted outside of MAME (and possibly not even that).

Sonicwolf

06-13-2009, 10:35 PM

I cant think of any totally terriblle conversions across all platforms but a couple really crappy ones come to mind. Pac-Man 2600, Donkey Kong 2600, Mortal Kombat SNES, Dragons Lair platformer on every console of the time.

Kid Ice

06-13-2009, 10:44 PM

I'd love to know what machines to look out for that have never been properly converted outside of MAME (and possibly not even that).

Speed Buggy. Only a weak C64 version exists and it doesn't work in MAME.

Answer to Adam's question: Juno First

Enigmus

06-13-2009, 10:45 PM

Hard Drivin'. The only one was a Tengen one for Genesis, and it only had two and a half levels and basically no music.

Sonicwolf

06-13-2009, 10:51 PM

Come to think of it, Donkey Kong arcade, every home conversion, can be considered lame as they all dont have level 3...

Arcade Antics

06-13-2009, 11:58 PM

Come to think of it, Donkey Kong arcade, every home conversion, can be considered lame as they all dont have level 3...

The Atari 8-bit version has all 4 levels.

Arcade Antics

06-14-2009, 12:07 AM

Seriously though, are there any arcade machines that are completely superior to the home console versions? I'd love to know what machines to look out for that have never been properly converted outside of MAME (and possibly not even that).

List is too long to go through. :) It's easier to point out the few that were well done, e.g., ColecoVision Ladybug, Venture, Pepper II.

OP's post - Have to go with the NES Punch-Out!! port. As arcade conversions go, it absolutely sucks. You could argue that it's a different yet playable game in its own right, but it still crapped all over the original arcade game experience.

Sonicwolf

06-14-2009, 12:11 AM

The Atari 8-bit version has all 4 levels.

8 bit computer version? Havnt played it. I stand corrected. Its just that the vast majority of them across most platforms since the first port was made lack the factory level.

Frankie_Says_Relax

06-14-2009, 12:36 AM

I'll throw a second mention in for Dragon's Lair

Yeah, there are scads of commercial "home versions" ranging from as laughable as the C=64 version, to as surprisingly impressive as the Gameboy Color version ...

A lot of the versions that use optical disc based media (CD Rom, DVD Rom, Blu Ray) come pretty damned close, but in just about every case - when the move triggering is right the graphics are usually off, and when the graphics are authentic looking, there's always some type of limitation that takes a skilled Dragon's Lair player out of the moment.

Even the beautifully remastered Blu Ray version misses the mark by over-doing the re-mastering process. By stopping the natural subtle bob-and-weave by-product of of the traditional animation process there's something that just doesn't "feel" right about it. It looks beautiful, but it doesn't look like you're playing the authentic arcade version.

not a single commercial home version of Dragon's Lair matches up with the "nuances" of the actual hardware.

Thankfully the guys who put together the DAPHNE laserdisc arcade emulator nailed it. Anybody looking for the most authentic looking, feeling and playing version of Dragon's Lair, look no further. So, techincally there IS a "great" home version, but it's totally homebrewed.

Sonicwolf

06-14-2009, 12:41 AM

not a single commercial home version of Dragon's Lair matches up with the "nuances" of the actual hardware.

Did the arcade version have cues as to what buttons to press and when you were supposed to do something? I always found it frustrating in the home cd video console versions that you have no flipping clue as to what to press and when...

Frankie_Says_Relax

06-14-2009, 01:24 AM

Did the arcade version have cues as to what buttons to press and when you were supposed to do something? I always found it frustrating in the home cd video console versions that you have no flipping clue as to what to press and when...

Some (not all) levels of Dragon's Lair have "cues" usually a highlighted section of the screen with a flash of light and an audible tone, and the game was cleverly designed with some stages having multiple cues, some being correct and others being instant death. (Actually, all deaths in DL are instant.)

DL was built for users to fail A LOT during trial-and-error play throughs. Which arcade owners loved considering the 50 cent cost of admission - a first in that era of games.

Once levels are mastered/memorized skilled players can play through on one credit.

But, of course DL fans have over the years given the home versions a lot of slack considering that all of them find creative ways replicating things (even if imperfectly) that were only ever designed to function a certain way on VERY specific arcade laser-disc hardware.

InsaneDavid

06-14-2009, 03:12 AM

Skull & Crossbones on the NES. I compared it against the arcade version in Retrogaming Times Monthly issue 22 (http://www.retrogamingtimes.com/rtm22/).

SegaAges

06-15-2009, 05:07 PM

Simpsons Arcade

skaar

06-15-2009, 08:29 PM

Arcade to home...

TMNT II for the NES was sad in comparison.

Most of the DDR pads sucked unless you built yourself a proper pad - but that was a controller issue more than anything.

Most of the SNK titles ported to SNES were a crime - even the DC/PS ports were usually pretty sad with loadtimes and all.

Home vs. arcade

Rygar - the NES version was way better I thought... didn't get into the arcade.

Same with Strider - I liked it much more on the NES.

Leo_A

06-16-2009, 02:41 PM

Speed Buggy. Only a weak C64 version exists and it doesn't work in MAME.

Answer to Adam's question: Juno First

It got several other computer ports besides the C64 version. Also, it seems to work in MAME, there's YouTube videos of it obviousily being played through emulation, including some with MAME as a tagline.

ROBOTRON!

Needs the dual sticks, and those awesome Williams sounds.

Its gotten nearly perfect to perfect home conversions for over a decade now, including plenty of releases that support the dual analog sticks of the last several console generations. What was wrong with the 5200 & 7800 ports and their dual stick options? They played just fine and were pretty good ports in my opinion.

Well, the only one I can really comment on is Donkey Kong. Never a really proper arcade conversion for this game.

What's wrong with the N64 version? Seems just about perfect. Short of emulating the original code, I don't think it could've been done better.

Hard Drivin'. The only one was a Tengen one for Genesis, and it only had two and a half levels and basically no music.

Hard Drivin' got tons of home ports. 5 or 6 computer ports, a Atari Lynx release, and its included in emulated form on Midway Arcade Treasures 2 for last generation consoles.

Kid Ice

06-16-2009, 05:26 PM

It got several other computer ports besides the C64 version.

OK. So are any of them any good?

Also, it seems to work in MAME, there's YouTube videos of it obviousily being played through emulation, including some with MAME as a tagline.

Heh. I'll have to check that out.

edit: Good call! Apparently it is supported in MAME now. Time to update my MAME!

TheDomesticInstitution

06-16-2009, 09:17 PM

What's wrong with the N64 version? Seems just about perfect. Short of emulating the original code, I don't think it could've been done better.

I guess nothing if you don't mind: playing DK64 to unlock the original and using an N64 controller to play it. I personally haven't played this version, and currently have no plans to right now.

Maybe I will some day, to see how well it stacks up to the original. Hopefully there's a game shark code, as I've never been a fan of DK games past the NES era.

Sonicwolf

06-17-2009, 01:29 AM

Here is a pretty good thread about arcade-2600 ports that turned into complete shite.

http://retro.ign.com/articles/860/860116p1.html

BetaWolf47

06-17-2009, 01:53 AM

I guess nothing if you don't mind: playing DK64 to unlock the original and using an N64 controller to play it. I personally haven't played this version, and currently have no plans to right now.

Maybe I will some day, to see how well it stacks up to the original. Hopefully there's a game shark code, as I've never been a fan of DK games past the NES era.

You have to go through a level to unlock it. It's not selectable from the title screen IIRC. So even if you unlocked it, you'd need codes to unlock the level it's in and the abilities needed to make it that far.

Sonicwolf

06-17-2009, 02:04 AM

You have to go through a level to unlock it. It's not selectable from the title screen IIRC. So even if you unlocked it, you'd need codes to unlock the level it's in and the abilities needed to make it that far.

Its in the last level I believe. It takes a pretty good chunk of time to make it through that game.

TheDomesticInstitution

06-17-2009, 05:29 AM

You have to go through a level to unlock it. It's not selectable from the title screen IIRC. So even if you unlocked it, you'd need codes to unlock the level it's in and the abilities needed to make it that far.

Sounds like a pain in the ass just to play the original version then. I guess if I couldn't find the arcade, and I had no other options, this would be a last resort.

OMF2097

06-17-2009, 11:22 AM

A lot of the versions that use optical disc based media (CD Rom, DVD Rom, Blu Ray) come pretty damned close, but in just about every case - when the move triggering is right the graphics are usually off, and when the graphics are authentic looking, there's always some type of limitation that takes a skilled Dragon's Lair player out of the moment.

I wish they attempted to clean up the film footage when they moved it to DVD. You really see how outdated the original print is.

Thankfully the guys who put together the DAPHNE laserdisc arcade emulator nailed it. Anybody looking for the most authentic looking, feeling and playing version of Dragon's Lair, look no further. So, technically there IS a "great" home version, but it's totally homebrewed.

Over at Funspot recently, I finally got a chance to play both Space Ace and Dragon's Lair on DAPHNE. The original equipment can be a pain in the ass. It was cool how they wired the score boards to the parallel port.

BetaWolf47

06-17-2009, 01:14 PM

Its in the last level I believe. It takes a pretty good chunk of time to make it through that game.

Nah, it's in Frantic Factory. There's at least 3 levels after that.

RASK1904

06-18-2009, 02:41 AM

Strider is not better on the Nes. Sorry NO.
I've always liked the Nes Bionic Commando. I like it some much I checked out the Mame arcade version, eeeewwww!

koshichka

06-18-2009, 02:47 AM

Arcade to home...

TMNT II for the NES was sad in comparison.

Okay, the graphics didn't come close, I missed the voices, and not supporting 4-player due to system limitations is kinda sad (I had a 4-score), but the NES version actually has two or three extra levels, and for the time it was a very playable game, so I wouldn't say it's by any means 'terrible'

Mac Tonight

06-18-2009, 06:39 PM

TMNT II for the NES was pretty impressive for it's day. I remember when I got it new as a child being thrilled that it played so close to the arcade. The extra levels were definitely a bonus.

Of course, looking back on it, we can do a MAME side-by-side comparison and nit pick the NES version's faults, but for the era, it was probably the best example of a modern arcade game ported to a console.

Now, Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom..... THAT was a terrible Arcade-to-NES conversion!

TheDomesticInstitution

06-24-2009, 09:22 AM

I'll add another one.

I fondly remember playing Captain America and the Avengers as a kid. The speed and graphics of the console ports (SNES/Genesis) weren't that great. Closer than the TMNTII NES/Arcade versions, but still not great.

Maybe not terrible, but certainly lackluster.

QuicklyBlue

06-25-2009, 12:09 AM

xmen and teenage mutant ninja turtles. turtle power

but horrible porting over

XianXi

06-25-2009, 12:37 AM

Newest addition as of today Mark of the Wolves. 360 version is horrible.

Enigmus

06-25-2009, 03:04 PM

Also, Klax. The official Atari ports only got 1 port, and that was on the 2600 in Europe, and the 7800 port got cancelled. Then, Tengen made a couple of bad ports for Game Boy, NES, Game Gear, etc. If you want the only good one, find the 2600 one. It's simple but fun. And I've played the GG one, and it's horrible. Because it's not the ninties, and it's never time for Klax anymore. Only from Tengen, man. Only from Tengen. 8-)

Flack

06-25-2009, 03:04 PM

(Re: Speed Buggy) Good call! Apparently it is supported in MAME now. Time to update my MAME!

Yeah, that's a fairly recent addition. I bought my machine (http://www.robohara.com/arcade_collection/index.php?file=speed_buggy) before it was playable.

Arcade Antics

06-25-2009, 04:01 PM