SNES and Genesis Port Comparison

[Fragems]

Remembered reading a article comparing SNES to Gen a few months back in game informer. here is a link it's not quite the same as the magazine but they have a 45 minute video with comparisons that I just started watching and it seems pretty good.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/ ... nesis.aspx

[Gunstar Green]

Oh, something else to consider: will the SNES be given an edge over the Genesis on fighting games due to the standard controllers? Because having to buy a separate six button controller to play a Genesis fighting game doesn't exactly endear it to me.

I personally agree. The 6 button Genesis is my favorite controller ever.
The controller and the speed should give the advantage to the Genesis/Mega Drive in all fighting and shump games.

Sure, but it's a shame that wasn't the original controller. The 3-button controller makes fighitng games nigh unplayable.

Might not be a bad idea to consider comparing peripherals, now that I think about it.

One of the things that I didn't like about the AVGN SNES vs. Genesis video was only comparing stock controllers (though when he compared backwards compatibility it was for some reason okay that he used an unofficial clone console add-on for the SNES ).

The games designed for use with the 6-button controller should be assumed to be played with the 6-button controller because it's how they were intended to be played and how most people played them.

I wouldn't say that gives the Genesis the advantage on all fighting games though. Some ports are better than others. World Heroes is definitely better on the SNES even if they're both kind of mediocre ports as, lets face it, most 16-bit fighters are mediocre ports.

As such the fighting game genre is probably one of the most interesting to look at and one of the most subjective since different ports made different concessions depending on the console.

Also, shouldn't TG-16/PCE be a part of this also? I feel like the statute of limitations should be up by now on pretending NEC wasn't a part of the generation.

Agreed. It should really be a three-way comparison.

I agree, let's add NEC to the list. Some of people consider Street Fighter II: Champion Edition on the TG16 to be one of the best home versions of Street Fighter II of the time.

[Ack]

The games designed for use with the 6-button controller should be assumed to be played with the 6-button controller because it's how they were intended to be played and how most people played them.

Sure, but some of us have been too poor to purchase 6-buttons before.

Years ago, I was in a very long relationship with a girl who owned a first generation Genesis, which still had its original 3-button controllers, along with a handful of games, including Street Fighter 2. We were too poor to pay $15-$20 (eBay prices) for a controller (I was selling off parts of my collection so we could afford food and to cover bills).

The 3-button is the stock controller. Anything else is an additional premium which makes entry more difficult, and as great as the 6-button controller is, I consider it a large blackmark for the console that I have to pay extra simply to make one of my favorite genres(and probably the most important genre of the time) playable.

Now I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on the console for coming with a 3-button controller, since it did come out a few years before six button fighters were the norm (1988 being the official release). But then again, the Super Nintendo(1990) also came out before Street Fighter 2's 1991 release, and it came with six button controllers. There was no additional price of entry to keep a poor kid from being able to enjoy his Street Fighter right out of the box.

Anyway, having been that poor person who was kept out by the price of admission, I do have a negative outlook on the Genesis launch controller. Consider it a personal bias that factors in whenever I compare the two base consoles and their games.

That said, I'll stop bringing it up and just focus on the games themselves, irrespective of the hardware they were played on.

[BoneSnapDeez]

The 3-button is the stock controller. Anything else is an additional premium which makes entry more difficult, and as great as the 6-button controller is, I consider it a large blackmark for the console that I have to pay extra simply to make one of my favorite genres(and probably the most important genre of the time) playable.

Now I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on the console for coming with a 3-button controller, since it did come out a few years before six button fighters were the norm (1988 being the official release). But then again, the Super Nintendo(1990) also came out before Street Fighter 2's 1991 release, and it came with six button controllers. There was no additional price of entry to keep a poor kid from being able to enjoy his Street Fighter right out of the box.

Anyway, having been that poor person who was kept out by the price of admission, I do have a negative outlook on the Genesis launch controller. Consider it a personal bias that factors in whenever I compare the two base consoles and their games.

Yeah, it is a shame we have to compare stock SNES controller vs. premium 6-button Genesis controller. It's not just fighting games either - something like The Lost Vikings is extremely frustrating to play with the standard Genesis controller.

It is interesting to see how many old consoles launched with insufficient controllers. The PC Engine had the same problem - it launched with a NES style controller, then later a 6-button controller for games like Street Fighter II.

When "computer-consoles" like the C64 hit the market in the early 80s, Atari 2600 was the standard for gaming. So the C64 (and others) launched with a simple one-button joystick. It was sufficient for launch titles, but the programmers had to get creative when developing ports of Altered Beast, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Rastan, etc (usually up was used as jump).

One thing I love about the SNES is how you can play through (almost) the whole library without any add-ons or accessories.

[Xeogred]

Yeah, EWJ1 for Genesis/CD for me, EWJ2 for SNES.

And wow, I've seriously never heard of Hyperstone Heist, holy crap.

[Gunstar Green]

The 3-button is the stock controller. Anything else is an additional premium which makes entry more difficult, and as great as the 6-button controller is, I consider it a large blackmark for the console that I have to pay extra simply to make one of my favorite genres(and probably the most important genre of the time) playable.

Now I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on the console for coming with a 3-button controller, since it did come out a few years before six button fighters were the norm (1988 being the official release). But then again, the Super Nintendo(1990) also came out before Street Fighter 2's 1991 release, and it came with six button controllers. There was no additional price of entry to keep a poor kid from being able to enjoy his Street Fighter right out of the box.

Anyway, having been that poor person who was kept out by the price of admission, I do have a negative outlook on the Genesis launch controller. Consider it a personal bias that factors in whenever I compare the two base consoles and their games.

Yeah, it is a shame we have to compare stock SNES controller vs. premium 6-button Genesis controller. It's not just fighting games either - something like The Lost Vikings is extremely frustrating to play with the standard Genesis controller.

It is interesting to see how many old consoles launched with insufficient controllers. The PC Engine had the same problem - it launched with a NES style controller, then later a 6-button controller for games like Street Fighter II.

When "computer-consoles" like the C64 hit the market in the early 80s, Atari 2600 was the standard for gaming. So the C64 (and others) launched with a simple one-button joystick. It was sufficient for launch titles, but the programmers had to get creative when developing ports of Altered Beast, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Rastan, etc (usually up was used as jump).

One thing I love about the SNES is how you can play through (almost) the whole library without any add-ons or accessories.

It's just when I usually encounter this perspective it's from people who arbitrarily want to take the Genesis down a notch. The six button controller was something I got immediately after getting my Genesis. It was something I understood as mandatory for certain games.

I just feel it's absurd to review a game designed for the six-button controller as if you don't have the controller. That's what the game was designed to be played with. Whether someone has one at their disposal or not is irrelevant.

In my mind it's like reviewing a light gun game without a light-gun or or a peripheral based rhythm game like DDR or Beatmania without the proper peripheral. Yeah, you can play some of those games with the stock controller that came with your console but you're not really supposed to. Maybe we should also disregard the existence of local multi-player on modern consoles since most only ship with one controller.

So I also have a personal bias perhaps. I'm tired of hearing people compare fighting games and hail the SNES controller over the Genesis 6-button only because it wasn't stock (just to be clear I love both controllers). I hate when people say things like "Ranger X sucks" because the 6-button controller wasn't stock. Does it suck that it was premium? Yes, but it shouldn't change the fact that it exists and there were games made specifically for its use.

I can't blame the original Genesis for having only 3-buttons but I will say that it was inexcusable and greedy of Sega to release the Genesis 2 with a 3-button controller.

Since we're on the topic, here's a list of games that make use of the 6-buttons. Some are more optional than others: http://www.mobygames.com/attribute/sheet/attributeId,191/offset,0/p,16/so,0a/

[Gunstar Green]

Anyway I'll contribute a comparison:

Saturday Night Slam Masters



Genesis left, SNES right

Graphics: As you would expect the SNES takes advantage of its higher color palette. The game has a softer appearance as a result. The audience in the Genesis version look like they're all suffering from jaundice.

The detail in the main sprites and their animation is pretty equal on both sides. One omission in the Genesis version is the referee who is completely absent from the ring for no apparent reason. The wrestlers' ring entrances are also slightly flashier in the SNES version.

It's really no contest in the graphics department. The SNES wins.

Sound: While some tunes make the translation decently on the Genesis, others are harsh and grating compared to their SNES counter parts. On the other hand some of the songs on the SNES don't have the rock-and-roll bite that they do on the Genesis. This will ultimately be a matter of preference but overall I think the SNES has the better soundtrack.

The voice work is pretty decent on the Genesis but not even close to being as discernible as the SNES voices. The sound effects are similarly clearer on the SNES.

In my opinion, another win for the SNES.

Gameplay: The game has a simple control scheme and plays well on both consoles. The Genesis version seems to move a hair faster but it's not extremely noticeable. I have no real complaints against either version making this one draw with perhaps a slight advantage towards the Genesis.

Features: This is where the two games differ drastically. The SNES includes the four player battle royale mode from the arcade version with multi-tap support. The Genesis on the other hand includes an exclusive Death Match mode with explosive, barbed wire ropes. This is reminiscent to the Death Match mode of SNK's World Heroes games.

The Genesis is also the only version of the game that allows you to use boss characters Jumbo Jack and Scorpion in the single match mode. The SNES does include these characters in the battle royale and versus modes however. The Genesis also has unique win/loss quotes for each wrestler.

While the Death Match mode is a cool addition, it pales in comparison to the ability to have four-way matches. The SNES loses points for not allowing you to play the boss characters in single match mode but it's not seriously felt since they're fully playable in the battle royale.

I have to give this one to the SNES.

Overall: Both games have their pros and cons as well as unique features. Ultimately though, I feel you get more bang for your buck out of the SNES release.

[Hobie-wan]

I don't care about wrestling games, but a handy write up for those that do.

[Ack]

I don't care about wrestling games, but a handy write up for those that do.

I've been thinking about getting this one lately, so I appreciate the information.

[Gunstar Green]

It's kind of a cross between a traditional wrestling game and a Capcom fighter and plays exactly as it sounds. It's not the most complex game in the world but it has its moments and some of the references to real life wrestlers are funny.