Difference between revisions of "List of notable ports"

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| style="text-align: center;"|Backgrounds/FMVs are the same resolution as the PS1 version. The original release had the music played through terrible MIDI instruments. The music can be fixed with a mod. The recent PC release on Steam release fixes all issues, making it the current definitive version. This version will soon release on PS4.
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| style="text-align: center;"|Backgrounds/FMVs are the same resolution as the PS1 version. The original release had the music played through terrible MIDI instruments. The music can be fixed with a mod. The recent PC release on Steam release fixes all issues, making it the current definitive version. A PS4 and iOS port of the recent PC release will release later in 2015.
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A full remake of the game has also been announced, coming first to the PS4.
 
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| style="text-align: center;"|Final Fantasy VIII
 
| style="text-align: center;"|Final Fantasy VIII

Revision as of 17:38, 16 June 2015

Some systems are easier, or harder to emulate than others. For that reason, using a port of that game for another system might be useful. Also, systems may have inherent flaws, which are not found in a port of that game on another system. A game may also be natively ported to the PC, which might be easier to run.

This is not a complete list of every single port ever. Instead this focuses on games which are notable for having issues, which are solved by using another system.

(E) beside the name means that this port relies upon simple emulation of a ROM, and thus the ROM can be extracted from that port and played in another emulator.

(R) refers to a full remakes. Remakes may dramatically differ from the original game. There is however, some grey area between an "enhanced port" and a "remake". A game may be ported

Console versions may be more convenient to set up. See Virtual Console games or PlayStation Store games or Xbox Live Arcade games

PC versions

Benefits

It is usually preferable to rely on a native PC port rather than emulation. With emulation, all of the flaws of the system are also emulated, which are avoided with a direct PC port. The system requirements are significantly less than emulation. Ports to PC may support enhanced graphics, and sometimes superior controls for FPS games.

Drawbacks

However, sometimes these ports were sloppy, and prone to bugs. It has to be approached on a case by case basis. The game may also only have very out dated options, such as only a few resolutions.

The most common PC ports were to the Windows brand of operating systems. Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows 2000 ports may be difficult to run on a modern Windows OS such as Windows 7 or Windows 8, usually with varying levels of compatibility or patching required. Wine can many times play these games very well. Other ports were to DOS, which can be played very well in DOSBox.

Many times fans have stepped in and released patches which can fix some of these issues. This is typically for only the most popular games however, and obscure titles may have no fixes.

Often times, controllers will not be entirely recognized by these old PC games. The most commonly cited is the digital pad not being recognized. In that case the program JoyToKey can be helpful.

PC to console ports

Since game consoles are much less powerful than PCs, it is recommended to avoid PC games ported to consoles. Typically the games have to be altered to fit the constraints of console, and may be forced to use a radically different control scheme. An exception to this rule would be Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine's N64 port.

NES

Main article: List of notable NES ports and remakes

NES games sometimes suffered from slowdown, and sprite flickering.

Sharp X68000

May be easier to emulate ports than the original versions.

Name PS1 GC PS2 GBA NDS Notes

Akumajo X68000

(Castlevania Chronicles)

Includes both the original game and a remixed version with remixed music, slightly altered level layouts, and an altered art direction based on the more recent games in the series.

SNES

Main article: List of notable SNES ports and remakes

Some SNES games suffered from slowdown which may be fixed in ports.

Many SNES games were ported to the GBA. These versions may have extra features, but at the cost of poorer audio and visuals. The resolution is lower, and it was never intended to be played on a full display. The screen area may also be reduced due to the lower resolution. The audio is much lower quality than the SNES. Also, the GBA has much stronger colors to compensate for the lack of contrast in the original GBA display. To compensate, a shader or an option is needed. Additionally for controls, the GBA has two fewer buttons.

Several SNES games were ported to the PlayStation. These are typically emulated, and the CD format creates long loading times. Generally it is recommended to avoid the PS1 ports for this reason and to stick with the original releases. However, in some cases the PS1 port might offer more features.

Sega Saturn

Saturn emulation is poor, with only one emulator, SSF, worth using. That emulator, however, is closed-source and Windows only.

Name PC PS1 PS2 PS3 360 Notes
Grandia
Panzer Dragoon Both versions differ from the Saturn original (PS2 being a slight update). Also on Xbox as an unlockable in Panzer Dragoon Orta (it's a modified PC build)
Guardian Heroes Enhanced port with 16:9 aspect ratio, graphics and gameplay options, and expanded multiplayer modes.
Nights into Dreams... Features both the original game and an enhanced graphics mode. The port to 360, PS3, and PC is missing a few effects. All rereleases include Chirstmas Nights into Dreams, but lack versus mode and Sonic the Hedgehog into Dreams.

PlayStation

The PS1 has problems with 3D which become more noticeable when emulating the games at higher than native resolutions. Many PS1 games were ported to Windows. However, some of these PC ports are difficult to run on modern Windows operating systems.

Name PC Saturn N64 DC GC PSP Notes
Breath of Fire III Adds widescreen support and an extra minigame.
Breath of Fire IV Has shorter load times and includes an option for sprite smoothing.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Saturn: Worse graphics, but a few new areas and playable Maria. Released only in Japan.

PSP: Included in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. It has a few porting issues. It also replaces the remarkably cheesy voices with technically-better-but-unremarkable voices, as well as playable Maria (albeit completely different from her Saturn version).

The Xbox 360 version is largely similar to the original release. It removes loading times, but lacks FMVs.

Dino Crisis
Dino Crisis 2
Final Fantasy VII Backgrounds/FMVs are the same resolution as the PS1 version. The original release had the music played through terrible MIDI instruments. The music can be fixed with a mod. The recent PC release on Steam release fixes all issues, making it the current definitive version. A PS4 and iOS port of the recent PC release will release later in 2015.

A full remake of the game has also been announced, coming first to the PS4.

Final Fantasy VIII Same stance as FFVII. The recent Steam release even includes Chocobo World from the Japanese release (via PocketStation).
Final Fantasy Tactics Titled Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions. Includes extra content, multiplayer support, redone cutscenes, 16:9 aspect ratio, and new game modes. Suffers from slowdown; this can be fixed with various unofficial patches, but each one introduces its own side effects or potentially unwanted modifications. It also has a new translation. This version was later released on iOS and Android devices (the latter only in Japan).
Mega Man Legends PC: Music doesn't loop. Cutscenes don't sync up with audio properly. Requires a mapping program to play comfortably with an XInput controller.

N64: Simultaneously better and worse in the graphics department. Sound is compressed so it can fit on a cartridge. Released as Mega Man 64 in North America.

PSP: Standard port with widescreen support. Lock-on is done by holding L and R simultaneously. Released only in Japan.

Mega Man Legends 2 Released on PC only in Japan and Taiwan.

PSP: Standard port with widescreen support. Released only in Japan.

Mega Man X5
Mega Man X6 PC: Released only in Korea and some other parts of Asia.
Metal Gear Solid ✓ (R) PC: Significantly improved graphics. Lacks motion blur. Patches needed for modern systems. FMVs don't work on XP or newer due to more modern OSes lacking the resources needed for .ddv video files.

GC: Remake titled Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. Uses the MGS2 engine, but not properly balanced to accommodate for the engine change. Lacks the VR Missions. The tone is a complete face-heel turn, having much less realism than the original game.

PaRappa the Rapper Adds widescreen support, ad-hoc multiplayer, and song remixes as DLC. Might suffer from slight input lag, which can be fatal for those who played the original release.
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment Part two of Persona 2. This port has widescreen support, a revamped UI, updated cutscenes, an optional updated OST, and selectable difficulty levels. Released only in Japan.
Persona 2: Innocent Sin Part one of Persona 2. This port has widescreen support, a revamped UI, updated cutscenes, an optional updated OST, and selectable difficulty levels.
Resident Evil

✓ (R)

✓ (R) Rereleased twice on PS1. The poorly-named Director's Cut is still cut, but includes better character models, an arranged mode, auto aiming from the Japanese release, and an added Beginner difficulty. The Dual Shock Ver. includes DualShock support and a different OST that can only be described as...different. Must be heard to be believed.

Saturn: Includes an extra game mode.

PC: Has compatibility issues with modern OSes. The only English version of the original game that includes all uncensored FMVs.

GC: Full remake. Same on Wii. Redone in HD for its most recent PC release, as well as on most modern HD consoles. The PC version plays at 60 FPS and lacks minor stability issues that the other HD versions have.

Resident Evil 2 Later rereleased on the system with DualShock support and a new game mode.

480p on other systems; varies between 240p and 480p on N64. Each version adds more features, with the DC version having the most.

Resident Evil 3 480p, more features
Revelations: Persona PC: Released only in Japan.

PSP: Titled Shin Megami Tensei: Persona. It has additional content as well as widescreen support, a revamped UI, updated cutscenes and OST, and selectable difficulty levels. The English release reverts many of the original localization changes to be more faithful to the Japanese script. It also reinstates the Snow Queen quest.

Suikoden I - II Adds widescreen support (although maps and scenes are not redone to accommodate for the larger screen area) and fixes a couple of glitches. Adds a couple of more, as well. Released only in Japan.
Wipeout 2097 These ports feature a different OST from the original release. Released in North America as Wipeout XL.

Nintendo 64

The Nintendo 64 is a difficult system to emulate, and no emulator has a high degree of game compatibility. It may be easier to rely upon a port rather than try to emulate it.

While system requirements are substantially higher, emulating the N64 Virtual Console releases on the Wii results in more accurate emulation, even making some unplayable games playable.

Name Win GC Xbox X360 DS 3DS Notes
Super Mario 64 ✓ (R) The DS remake has three more playable characters and some extra features, but has poorer controls, mixed graphical changes (they look more "accurate" but have less polygons and worse textures), and altered progression. Some may prefer it, others not so much.
Star Fox 64 ✓ (R) The 3DS remake has updated graphics, a slightly different instrumentation, multiplayer, and some token 3DS features. It also has redone voices, for better or worse.
Conker's Bad Fur Day ✓ (R) Titled Conker: Live and Reloaded. It's censored, but has much better graphics and updated multiplayer. Only plays on an original Xbox.
Banjo-Kazooie Added widescreen mode, generally better framerate and draw distance. Ice Key and Secret Eggs are available if the user also has a savefile for Banjo-Tooie or Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. Removed Nintendo references, some of which were endearing.
Banjo-Tooie Generally better framerate and draw distance. Ice Key and secret eggs collected in BK are available here.
Perfect Dark Improved graphics, better framerate, online multiplayer.
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time ✓ (E) Both the original game and the Master Quest are emulated at 480p on the GameCube. The 3DS port (sans lack of vibration) is the definitive version of the game.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask ✓ (E) The GameCube version has audio glitches when moving between areas in Clock Town, framerate issues, and random crashes. The 3DS version features enhancements similar to those in Ocarina of Time 3D, as well as manual camera control when played on a New Nintendo 3DS. However, it changes some key gameplay mechanics in ways that fans of the original might not prefer.

Dreamcast

Since the system died early, many of its games were ported to other consoles.

Name GameCube PS2 PS3 Xbox 360 PC Notes
Skies of Arcadia Slightly updated with new features. The music has been compressed to fit on one disc.
Ikaruga Slight remix, PC Demo & Full game available
Grandia II The PS2 version is technically inferior.

The original PC version has a plethora of bugs. The upcoming PC release will be based on the DC version, which should make it the definitive version when it releases.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica Titled Resident Evil Code: Veronica X. Features additional cutscenes and, in the case of HD-capable ports, HD resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.
Sonic Adventure Titled Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut. Features updated character models and a new mission mode. The 2003 version includes unlockable Game Gear games. The GC version features GBA connectivity for the Chao Gardens. Unfortunately, each successive port of the game manages to be more bug-ridden than the last. Unofficial patches to fix many issues exist for the PC release(s).
Sonic Adventure 2 Titled Sonic Adventure 2: Battle. Features slightly better character models, a more in-depth multiplayer mode, and a new Chao minigame. The GameCube version features GBA connectivity for the Chao Gardens. The most recent ports have HD resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio.

PlayStation 2

Main article: List of notable PS2 ports and remakes

3DS

Emulation for the 3DS is in early development. It is not currently in a state meant for regular usage.

Name Windows PS3 Xbox 360 Notes
Resident Evil Revelations Also on Wii U. All ported versions are in HD.