Elite on Archimedes is somewhat famous for being the fanciest version of original Elite, but I haven't got round to trying that one myself.

Mega Man: The Wily Wars on Genesis/Mega Drive (vs the NES releases)

Turrican II on PC (vs Turrican II Amiga)

Monkey Island on FM Towns/Mac (vs Monkey Island PC/Amiga)?

Lemmings on SNES (vs Lemmings for PC)?

..

Not sure at this point a "port" is considered a remake, though. 🙁

It is not Jo22.

I'm glad I could help you out...😉

BitWrangler wrote on 2021-07-04, 15:44:

Elite on Archimedes is somewhat famous for being the fanciest version of original Elite, but I haven't got round to trying that one myself.

There is also Elite Plus, although that one seems to be just enhanced graphics and pretty much the same gameplay, unlike ArcElite which changes gameplay.

Generally, In later 80s / early 90s you could expect DOS versions for IBM/PC to be more advanced than the Apple II originals they were based on. Dangerous Dave and Prince of Persia come to mind.

Of course, for Prince of Persia you had the SNES version, which was possibly the best port of the original game, with more and longer levels. But really also had tons of 8-bit NES games that were ported to SNES with better graphics/sound.

Jagged Alliance 2 is one my alltime favorites anyway, so my vote goes to its forks v1.13 and ja2-stracciatella.
(both based on the official ja2 source, ja2-stracciatella = with a vanilla flavor, v1.13 = adds loads of new stuff).
Both of those still going I think? Not bad considering the original came out in 1999.

Another really awesome one that comes to mind is re3 (GTA3/VC port), although that one is a sad sad story.
I say sad because the legal status of this project will probably never be "kosher" as they say.
The source was painstakingly recreated from the binaries and then recompiled, with the end result that's already as good or better than the original.
Yeah before you ask: I'm sure someone, somewhere is already doing the same with the later ones in the series...

Btw a "port" as I understand it here is "(mostly) the same thing, running on a new (different) platform".

I seem to recall a Japanese SNES version of Wizardry 1-3 that is leaps and bounds better than the original, or any version, published here. Let you switch between wire frame or textured graphics. Also let you back up your save data if I remember correctly.

At some point through means I can't recall I came into possession of an English version of the game, and greatly enjoyed it.

Jo22 wrote on 2021-07-04, 20:21:

Turrican II on PC (vs Turrican II Amiga)

Heresy.

appiah4 wrote on 2021-07-05, 08:10:

Jo22 wrote on 2021-07-04, 20:21:

Turrican II on PC (vs Turrican II Amiga)

Heresy.

maybe its in the controls somehow though i cant see that myself. graphically there are some differences but i like the colours better on the amiga and the music sounds better - but totally understand that's somewhat hardware dependent

to be honest i can't think of a port, i.e. something made roughly at the same time to work on other platforms, that is better except for the whole category of ports where the platform is much more capable, i.e. something ported from NES to SNES. Thinking of same gen ports i'd not be able to pick anything that really stands out

dr_st wrote on 2021-07-04, 20:46:

Generally, In later 80s / early 90s you could expect DOS versions for IBM/PC to be more advanced than the Apple II originals they were based on. Dangerous Dave and Prince of Persia come to mind.

Of course, for Prince of Persia you had the SNES version, which was possibly the best port of the original game, with more and longer levels. But really also had tons of 8-bit NES games that were ported to SNES with better graphics/sound.

Wanted to bring up Prince of Persia too! And totally agree that SNES is an awesome version. But some other consoles like Sega botched certain gameplay aspects including swordfighting, even though they added arguably better graphics and sound effects.

It all depends on what criteria are applied to define what is "better". The PC version of Tomb Raider (it is my understanding that it came out first on consoles) includes a high-res mode, including 3D accelerated versions, which is lacking on the consoles, does this make the PC version "better"? The same probably holds for certain other true 3D games that came out on consoles first and were then ported to the PC (e.g. Battle Arena Toshinden maybe? not sure). Assuming they play the same as the console originals, the addition of the high-res mode on the PC should make them better?

Recently we discussed F-19 PC vs. Amiga, with the latter looking prettier but also somewhat clunkier (?).

I've got it in my head that there were at least a couple of titles that kind of ping-ponged PC to Amiga to PC, in that they were released kinda sucky on CGA or EGA, and didn't sell that well on PC but somehow got an Amiga port and 64 colors and smoothness, and were minorly successful, whereupon a VGA port back to PC was done to minor success again. That seemed to happen in budget category mostly I think. Can't remember any titles, but they would be platformer or sidescroller types I think.

appiah4 wrote on 2021-07-05, 08:10:

Jo22 wrote on 2021-07-04, 20:21:

Turrican II on PC (vs Turrican II Amiga)

Heresy.

Here comes the strange or should I say kicker ?

There is a programmer, who is porting Turrican II from the PC to AGA Amigas.

http://www.indieretronews.com/2021/04/turrica … rogress-ms.html

mr.cat wrote on 2021-07-04, 22:26:

Btw a "port" as I understand it here is "(mostly) the same thing, running on a new (different) platform".

I do not feel the same. Maybe because I'm playing games since I had a ZX Spectrum.

At that time, "AAA" (that term didn't even exist) games were released on 3 or 4 different platforms at the same time (Spectrum, CPC, MSX and Commodore 64), and by the end of 8 bit kingdom they were also released on PC, Amiga and Atari ST. Were they considered ports? No... but some of them were ports.

In my mind, a port may be:
- A game that is converted to another system some time after official release (i.e.: those games ported from NES to SNES). Note that some of those games are not ports but remakes, expanding the game with new levels/enemies/gameplay elements (like that Bubble Bobble port on Nintendo DS).
- A game that (even being released at the same time) is a copy of another version from another system, with all the faults of the former system but not taking advantage of the later system (i.e.: most MSX tape games were conversions from Spectrum games; some PC games that are ported directly from consoles).

I like the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis for US people) port of the original Mortal Kombat more than the arcade and PC versions, mostly because of the custom music.

The Mega Drive MK1 soundtrack is superbly done, and it really showcases what was possible on that system in the hands of a capable composer.

Zup wrote on 2021-07-06, 17:22:

I do not feel the same. Maybe because I'm playing games since I had a ZX Spectrum. […]
Show full quote

mr.cat wrote on 2021-07-04, 22:26:

Btw a "port" as I understand it here is "(mostly) the same thing, running on a new (different) platform".

I do not feel the same. Maybe because I'm playing games since I had a ZX Spectrum.

At that time, "AAA" (that term didn't even exist) games were released on 3 or 4 different platforms at the same time (Spectrum, CPC, MSX and Commodore 64), and by the end of 8 bit kingdom they were also released on PC, Amiga and Atari ST. Were they considered ports? No... but some of them were ports.

In my mind, a port may be:
- A game that is converted to another system some time after official release (i.e.: those games ported from NES to SNES). Note that some of those games are not ports but remakes, expanding the game with new levels/enemies/gameplay elements (like that Bubble Bobble port on Nintendo DS).
- A game that (even being released at the same time) is a copy of another version from another system, with all the faults of the former system but not taking advantage of the later system (i.e.: most MSX tape games were conversions from Spectrum games; some PC games that are ported directly from consoles).

Yes I'd say that is a good refinement you gave there. There is a fine line between a remake and a port, and lots of variations in-between. Maybe it used to be more clear-cut in the old days.
(And also there's a big difference when talking about, say, GNU ls or some utility ported from a source to a new hw platform vs. anything in a gaming context)

The games I mentioned are basically using the same codebase as the original, but I admit especially in the case of re3, it gets a bit hazy.
v1.13 isn't exactly easy to classify either (not a remake...continuation?). But fortunately, I'm not obsessed in classifying these things 😁

Zup wrote on 2021-07-06, 17:22:

I do not feel the same. Maybe because I'm playing games since I had a ZX Spectrum. […]
Show full quote

mr.cat wrote on 2021-07-04, 22:26:

Btw a "port" as I understand it here is "(mostly) the same thing, running on a new (different) platform".

I do not feel the same. Maybe because I'm playing games since I had a ZX Spectrum.

At that time, "AAA" (that term didn't even exist) games were released on 3 or 4 different platforms at the same time (Spectrum, CPC, MSX and Commodore 64), and by the end of 8 bit kingdom they were also released on PC, Amiga and Atari ST. Were they considered ports? No... but some of them were ports.

In my mind, a port may be:
- A game that is converted to another system some time after official release (i.e.: those games ported from NES to SNES). Note that some of those games are not ports but remakes, expanding the game with new levels/enemies/gameplay elements (like that Bubble Bobble port on Nintendo DS).
- A game that (even being released at the same time) is a copy of another version from another system, with all the faults of the former system but not taking advantage of the later system (i.e.: most MSX tape games were conversions from Spectrum games; some PC games that are ported directly from consoles).

I concur sir...😀

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2021-07-06, 17:57:

I like the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis for US people) port of the original Mortal Kombat more than the arcade and PC versions, mostly because of the custom music.

Some of these tunes are quite similar to those in the DOS floppy version of Mortal Kombat, but not all of them.

Zup wrote on 2021-07-06, 17:22:

At that time, "AAA" (that term didn't even exist) games were released on 3 or 4 different platforms at the same time (Spectrum, CPC, MSX and Commodore 64), and by the end of 8 bit kingdom they were also released on PC, Amiga and Atari ST. Were they considered ports? No... but some of them were ports.

By 83 or so when software distribution was big business and they had in house development, in house development was often on a mini-computer in a higher level language that produced object code for a half dozen systems. This was then manually tweaked, maybe hand optimised in parts, then the game was put out on several formats at once. However, they'd still get the spotty kid in his bedroom submitting stuff... if it was ready to go with minor changes, they might release it for that platform, then get kid in to help disassemble it on the mini and reconstitute it as functional blocks at a higher level, which could be worked on to compile to other architectures. So those were ports. It could also be bought in from a distributor for a minor platform, or small distributor that didn't have resources to port to alternates. But then it gets foggy when it was an external dev or game they bought in, and it was "promising" but needed a lot of work, they did the same sort of thing, but the original platform benefitted from all the changes and it was released together with the other platforms.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2021-07-06, 17:57:

I like the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis for US people) port of the original Mortal Kombat more than the arcade and PC versions, mostly because of the custom music.

The Mega Drive MK1 soundtrack is superbly done, and it really showcases what was possible on that system in the hands of a capable composer.

Great music indeed, but beside the well known "Street of Rage II" music I'd say the epic music composition in PGA Tour Golf (1991) Genesis version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxDhKLTUOSg is equally great.

The Mega CD version of Snatcher is better than the MSX/PC-88 version (because has FMVs) ?

On the other hand, the PC versions, -esp. PC-98-, usually have some -uhm- special graphics the Mega CD hasn't?

https://www.mobygames.com/game/snatcher/screenshots

On the other hand.. The Sega Saturn version looks better at first glance, but is just using interpolated graphics?
Also, the TurboGrafx CD version doesn't look bad, either.

Hard to tell, IMHO. 🤔