Great arcade games with terrible home conversions.

[BetaWolf47]

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]

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]

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]

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 You really see how outdated the original print is.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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

xmen and teenage mutant ninja turtles. turtle power

but horrible porting over

[XianXi]

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

[Enigmus]

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.

[Flack]

(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 before it was playable.

[Arcade Antics]

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.

Tengen (Atari) published excellent versions of Klax on the Genesis and TG16.