Port VS Port: Which Port of a Game Was the Best? (Includes Remakes)

Port VS Port: Which Port of a Game Was the Best? (Includes Remakes and Other Regions)

You know how it is, you want to buy a classic game, but you've got a whole ton of ports of the game to choose from. PC version, PS2 version, GameCube version, Xbox version etc. As we all know, not all ports are created equal, some ports are buggy or missing features. More often than not, the original platform is the better version, so if you know which the game was designed for, speak up! Further complicating this is the fact that games sometimes receive remakes further down the line and instead of being a port, is a greatly enhanced version with better visuals and sound. Though sometimes the remake ends up being a very different beast, so I figure it would best to list any unusual aspects of the remake. And occasionally, when a game is ported to a different region, some changes or enhancements may be made to the game that might make this port better or worse than the original.

Anyway, here's the point of this thread: sound off about which port of a game you consider to be the best version and why. This should give us a nice database of which version of a game you should choose if you're looking to it to your collection.

hack//Infection
Platform: Playstation 2
Best version: NTSC version
(The NTSC version has the Japanese voices unlocked from the beginning, while you must first beat the game to unlock them in the PAL version)

Bayonetta
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Best version: Xbox 360 version
(PS3 version runs at a much lower framerate than the 360 version)

Conker's Bad Fur Day (Original)
Conker Live and Reloaded (Remake)
Platforms: Nintendo 64, Xbox
Best version: Nintendo 64 AND Xbox remake
(while Live and Reloaded is 90% a remake of BFD with better graphics and audio, they've made a number of changes here and there from the N64 original. In fact, the game references this fact a few times. It's worth playing both)

Daytona USA (Original)
Daytona USA (Remake)
Platforms: Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, Xbox 360)
Best version: Xbox 360 remake
(Arcade-perfect, but runs in 16:9 at 1080p)

Earthworm Jim
Platforms: Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo, Mega CD/Sega CD
Best version: Mega CD/Sega CD version
(Has extra level content as well as highest quality music)

Grand Theft Auto 3
Platforms: Playstation 2, PC, Xbox
Best version: Xbox
(Has higher quality and more detailed character and vehicle models. Levels are also more detailed)

Max Payne
Platforms: PC, Xbox, Playstation 2
Best version: PC
(Has highest quality textures, more level content and less loading.)

Metroid Prime
Platform: GameCube
Best version: PAL version
(Has more voicework, more features as well as a number of tweaks and bug fixes)

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Original)
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Remake)
Platforms: Nintendo 64, Nintendo 3DS
Best version: Nintendo 3DS remake
(Greatly enhanced visuals, though audio is the same as the original. Very little of the game's content has been changed from the original)

ONI
Platforms: PC, Mac, Playstation 2
Best version: PC/Mac
(The PC/Mac version is very similar to the PS2 version, however it can be run at a higher resolution and the controls are more suitable for a keyboard and mouse)

Perfect Dark (Original)
Perfect Dark (Remake)
Platforms: Nintendo 64, Xbox 360
Best version: Xbox 360 remake
(Improved visuals, more content, very little changed from the original aside from that)

Puyo Puyo
Platforms: Mega Drive, Super Famicom, PC Engine
Best version: Super Famicom version
(cleanest graphics and audio, though the PC Engine CD version has fully-voiced cutscenes)

Rayman 2: The Great Escape (Original)
Rayman 2: Revolution (Remake)
Platforms: Playstation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, Playstation 2, Nintendo 3DS
Best version: Playstation 2 remake
(the PS2 remake features enhanced graphics with only a few small changes)

Resident Evil (Original)
Resident Evil (Remake)
Platforms: Playstation, GameCube
Best version: GameCube remake
(Vastly improved visuals and audio, much better voice acting)

Silent Hill 2 (Original)
Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams/Silent Hill 2: Inner Fears (Extended Port)
Platforms: Playstation 2, Xbox, PC
Best version: Xbox extended port
(has extra content not in the PS2 version)

Street Fighter II Turbo
Platforms: Super Nintendo, Mega Drive/Genesis
Best Version: Super Nintendo
(higher quality graphics and sound)

Super Street Fighter II: New Challengers
Platforms: Super Nintendo, Mega Drive/Genesis
Best version: Mega Drive/Genesis
(Despite boasting slightly lesser quality graphics and sound, all the sound effects do make the transition to the Genesis edition (unlike the SNES version))

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 3
Platforms: Playstation 2, Xbox, GameCube
Best version: Xbox version
(PS2 version runs at half the framerate and crashes on later model consoles)

XIII
Platforms: Xbox, PC, Playstation 2, GameCube
Best version: PC
(Has all the features from the best console version (Xbox version) but runs at a higher resolution)
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The answer is always Saturn Version.

 

The Saturn can run Bayonetta? It's more powerful than I expected!

But yeah, I've heard the Saturn version of Earthworm Jim 2 is the best version. I've also heard the Saturn version of a number of JRPGs is the best version, but the Playstation version is the only one available in English

 

I've heard that as well, but I totally disagree. It wasn't ported by Shiny themselves, whom you would expect would have done a better job. It was done by "Screaming Pink". They made a lot of decisions that they must have thought would "improve" upon the original. But really it just took away from the overall feel of the game, and made it less fun to play. I think the SNES version is the best. It kept most of the gameplay and design from the Genesis version, but added lots of cool graphical and sound touches. Personally I like the Genesis version more, since it was the one I grew up with, and because I like the Genesis sound chip more. But I definitely think the Saturn version is shit compared to both of those versions.

 

A decent rule of thumb is: early 7th gen EA games: 360 runs at 60fps, PS3 only did 30 (EA apparently hadn't figured out the PS3 architecture until about 2007)
6th gen: Xbox ran better on average, but the PS2 had exclusives, and the GC was in its own little world.
5th gen: For 2D games, the Saturn ran them better, for 3D games of the era, burn them all.
4th gen: Most of them were developed by different teams, but...the Genesis was always better.
3rd gen: For the, like, 5 games that came out on the SMS and NES, the SMS versions did play and run better, plus you can use a Genesis controller on it.

 

Does the SNES version have missing voice samples like in the original Earthworm Jim?

 

I don't think so. I never noticed any missing samples, although I've never beaten the SNES version. The SNES has pretty much everything the Genesis version had, but with improved graphics and music. I still like the Genesis version more, though.

 

The best version of Earthworm Jim is on the GBA.

/End of thread

 

The Saturn is too good for Bayonetta.

For the most part, this is the truth.

 

Silent Hill 2 - Restless Dreams made it onto PS2, not sure that one counts. Also --

Amiga - Desert Strike - Flashback

Off the top of my head.

 

I hope this is a joke.

 

Does here someone again disregard the existence of the PCE?

 

Really? I had heard it was Xbox-exclusive. Are there any other differences (i.e does the Xbox version run at a better framerate or in HD?)

Aw shit, Tatsujin's gonna have to smack a bitch!

 

Sorry, I was only going through consoles people actually owned.

In that case...for 4th gen the Neo Geo had the best versions of like, everything.

 

I would go with Ocarina of Time 3DS.

 

It was Xbox exclusive for a time, but it did see a release on PS2 because that's the version I have. Originally the Xbox version did have better graphics, but those improvements also made it onto the PS2 version. If you play PS2 Silent Hill 2 vanilla and Restless Dreams side by side the latter has slightly better resolution and blending making it the definitive version of SH2 to own on PS2 platform now. After all it was ported from PS2 to Xbox... ;-)

 

But what makes you think that people didn't have owned PC Engines and TurboGrafxs?

and no, the Neo Geo only had the best versions of its own ported games to other plattforms, which also must be that way. but even there the PCE showed no mercy to all the others.

 

I love how the GBA has a lower resolution, making the ports much less playable by not showing you the whole screen.
I LIKE CHALLENGE

 

I also like the tons of missing animation frames in GBA EWJ, gives it a delicious touch of originality.

 

The only games in the list I can really comment on are Conker's Bad Fur Day (N64) vs. Conker: Live and Reloaded (original XBox), but I do have a thing or two to say on that subject...

The original, Conker's Bad Fur Day, is a great game. In single player, it's a 3D platfomer with occasional bits of third person shooting and vehicle combat. The game mechanics aren't perfect, as it's camera isn't always great (sometimes it swings around so you don't see what's in front of Conker, though you can manually correct it), some sections of the game aren't as enjoyable as others, and it does follow a "do this task three times then you can exit to the next area" rule pretty obviously. But on the plus side, it's genuinely funny at times (it's the funniest game I've ever played that isn't a point and click adventure - and how many other action games can make you laugh out loud?) the story is interesting, the satire is sometimes very good (it rips off scenes from famous films very well), and the graphics are great. Alright, so nowadays N64 graphics won't wow anyone, but even today they look like a (low resolution, cheaply made) cartoon, which really adds to the atmosphere.

There is some swearing in the game (some bleeped out, some not), a fair bit of violence, and some sexual inuendo, which is amazing considering this was on a Nintendo console, in the year 2001. When you boot the game up, the boot up animation is of Conker destroying a trembling logo on the N64, and I hve no idea how Nintendo let Rare put that in.

And in multiplayer there are seven different modes, all with bots (computer controlled players to play against), and some of the modes are *fantastic*. Beach, and Heist, are really good, but War: Colours is by far my favourite - it's sort of like Team Fortress, but you decide your class by the weapon you choose, so you can change your 'class' by picking up a different weapon (you can only carry one weapon, and when you pick up a new one then you lose the old one) - for example if you have the Katana (sword) then you can jump higher, fall farther without getting hurt, and don't appear on the enemies weapons. If you have the bazooka then you move slower, etc. It only has one map, and one objective (capture the flag), so altogether it doesn't sound too great. But I've probably spent more time just playing this one game mode, against the (great) bots, than I've spent playing most of my other games put together. It really is fantastic.

And when Microsoft brought out Rare, Rare announced that they'd be re-releasing CBFD with all of the bits that Nintendo made Rare leave out, and calling it Conker: Live and Uncut (the 'Live' part because the game would be using the XBox Live! online service for multiplayer. We Conker fans were very excited indeed. And we waited. And waited, as the game took ages to appear.

When it did, it was called Conker: Live and Reloaded, and didn't have any of the 'cut' N64 parts in it. In fact, the XBox game was more censored than the N64 version (which ruined some of the game's jokes and cut-scenes, and by the way, who'd have thought that Microsoft would be more prudish than Nintendo?) and was missing at least one of the areas/game tasks from the N64 version. Also, the XBox game lost some of the visual touches that made the N64 version so interesting, and made some minor changes (usually for the worst). On the plus side, the game was gorgeous, maybe the best looking game of all time on the XBox, and far superior to the N64 version. But even here it was actually a loss, as the N64 version looked like a cartoon, whereas the fantastically detailed XBox game looked too good for a cartoon, so the atmosphere suffered.

And the multiplayer, depending on who you spoke to, varied from pretty good to awful. Many found it confusing and un-enjoyable, with lots of questionable design decisions (you couldn't even turn off the above-their-heads names of everyone onscreen, and since the bots tended to have long and unfunny names, this cluttered up the screen, and it did away with much of the N64's multiplayer's variety. To be fair, the XBox version's multiplayer did have a bit of variety, but it felt more limited than the N64's, and was nowhere near as enjoyable as the (still classic) modes of the N64 version. Personally, I still play some of the N64's multiplayer modes, but never play the XBox version's, they just don't interest me.

Basically, the N64 version of the game is great in most respects, whereas the XBox version is a poor (except graphically) remake of the N64 version's single player, with a totally different, (to many people) confusing and not too great multilayer mode.