List of notable SNES ports and remakes

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Revision as of 02:42, 27 January 2015 by 134.124.138.236 (talk) (Some additions and extra details for some games. Someone else can feel free to edit the spacing as necessary.)
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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. 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. Contrary to popular belief (due to how functional SNES roms are found in such ports, notably the ones by Square), these were proved upon further investigation not to be emulated as the game simply takes the text and graphical assets from the ROM, the rest of the programming being original work (that said, genuine SNES emulators were used in some Konami PSP compilations).

Name PS1 GC PS2 GBA NDS PSP

Wii/Wii U (Virtual console)

Notes
Super Ghouls n' Ghosts

PS1: Slowdown removed,
GBA: New levels, poorer video/audio

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past GBA: New levels, poorer video
Contra III: The Alien Wars GBA: New features, poorer video/audio
Chrono Trigger

PS1: Longer loading times, extra content
NDS: PS1 extra content plus more extra content, more literal translation, French translation added
iOS/Android: Translation based on NDS with additional languages, different controls, DRM, Mostly unchanged graphics.

Front Mission ✓ (R)
Final Fantasy IV ✓ (R)

Original Version
PS1: Longer loading times, FMV opening and ending, new features, different translation
2D Remakes
WSC: Lacks Mode-7 effects (replaced by scaling effects).
limited palette, chiptune music, Japan-only.
GBA: Based on WSC version; extra content, poorer video/audio
PSP: Extra content, enhanced graphics
3D Remakes
NDS: Very different 3D remake following FFIII on DS (no PSP release unlike it).
PC: HD version of DS remake.
iOS/Android: DS version port, followed by another exclusive 3D remake
to smartphones for FFIV The After Years (originally 2D on Wii and cell-phones).

Final Fantasy V ✓*

PS1: Longer loading times
GBA: Reworked, extra content, poorer video/audio
iOS/Android: Redone sprites (RPG Maker art style), touch-friendly interface.
Virtual Console release only in Japan

Final Fantasy VI

PS1: Longer loading times
GBA: Extra content, poorer video/audio
iOS/Android: Redone sprites and Mode-7 sections (RPG Maker art style),
different interface, reworked Cyan Bushido.

Dragon Quest V ✓ (R) ✓ (R)

PS2: Full 3D remake with party enhancements. Only released in Japan.
DS: Remake done in a similar vein to the DQIV remakes. Has same mechanics perks as the PS2 remake, along with some unique content.
iOS/Android: Port of the DS version.

Dragon Quest VI ✓ (R)

DS: Remake done in a similar vein to the remakes of the previous two games. Features some core gameplay changes.

Kirby Super Star NDS: Extra content, enhanced graphics
Tactics Ogre

PS1: Loading times, English
PSP: Very enhanced, more features

Mega Man X ✓ (R)

DOS: Different aspect ratio, worse audio.
PSP: Full 3D remake. Serves as an alternate take on the original game.
iOS/Android: Touch controls, "redrawn" graphics (actually smeared versions of the SNES graphics), much slower gameplay, level movement restrictions, no stage changes after beating Mavericks in a certain order, optional microtransactions.

Mega Man X2
Mega Man X3

PS1, Saturn: Remixed soundtrack
PC: Port of PS1 version. Cannot be directly installed on 64-bit OSes; you must extract the files manually. Deletes save games and controller configurations upon rebooting your PC on OSes later than Windows XP.
GC, PS2: based on PS1

Super Mario World

The version in the second release of All-Stars has unique sprites for Luigi.
GBA: Slight additions, poorer video/audio

Super Mario All-Stars

BS-X: Reworked as scoring games and released separatedly,
a bunch of worlds available each of the 4 sessions.
BS Super Mario USA added 3 hidden golden Mario statues to each level.
GBA: No Mario 1 or Lost Levels, Slight additions, poorer video/audio
Super Mario Advance: Remake of SMB2 SNES, huge overhaul.
Super Mario Advance 4: Remake of SMB3. With e-Reader cards (JP/US only),
a huge lot of exclusive new levels, boomerang and Goomba shoes, and alterations to original levels were added.
Wii: No VC version, All-Stars released in emulated form standalone on a retail disc (like the Dragon Quest 1+2+3 Wii compilation)

Yoshi's Island GBA: New levels, poorer audio
Fire Emblem 3,
BS Fire Emblem
✓ (R) DS: Remade as Shadow Dragon and Fire Emblem 12 (Japan-only, includes BS-X episodes)
Ganbare Goemon Yukihime Kyūshutsu Emaki
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (US)

SNES: English translation removed battery saves and lots of content.
GBA (Kessakusen! Ganbare Goemon 1&2): Poor audio and resolution,
no multiplayer/co-op, More save slots, can change character any time.

Ganbare Goemon 2


GBA (Kessakusen! Ganbare Goemon 1&2): Poor audio and resolution,
no multiplayer/co-op, More save slots, can change character any time.

Tales of Phantasia ✓ (R)

PS1: Cleaner graphics, different sprites, new effects, partial voice acting, food system, skits.
GBA: Based on PS1 version but scaled down, additional content, worst music/palette/resolution/framerate.
PSP Full Voice Edition: port of PS1 edition including GBA additional content plus full voice acting, new sprites.
PSP Tales of Phantasia X Narikiri Dungeon: PSP version with even more additional content (Grade shop) and a remade spin-off.
iOS/Android: F2P port of ToP X. Sub-par translation. At least GBA one had better controls and interface than this. No longer available.

Star Ocean ✓ (R)