Greater enjoyment of a game if its on a certain console?

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dark
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Greater enjoyment of a game if its on a certain console?

Post by dark » Sun Apr 21, 2013 8:59 pm

I've been thinking about this lately. I love the dreamcast, and I am getting into the 3DO now too.

Similar to the 3DO, the DC wasn't exactly the winner of its iteration of the console wars, and as a result, only has ~220 odd titles released in the US and Europe.

As a result, because the DC was my console of choice, but because the library was so small - I found myself digging deeper and buying and playing and enjoying games that I wouldn't have ever bothered with if they were on a more popular system.

For example, I recently bought Test Drive Le Mans on DC because it seemed to be a standout graphical showcase in the DC's library. Although it happens to be an enjoyable driving game with decent gameplay and multiplayer functions, I didn't have a particular interest in Le Mans racing before buying it, and if I had owned a PS2 (it received a PS2 port) and wasn't passionate about DC, this game would not have stood out to me whatsoever, and I probably would have never bought it, played it, and enjoyed it.

In other words, I think the reason I enjoy the game is because it is a highpoint in the DC's library, and a highpoint in terms of showing the DC off as a powerful and graphically capable console of its time, and not because it is objectively an excellent game that has completely withstood the test of time (its good, but of course pales in comparison to various modern racing games).

I'm starting to feel this way about certain 3DO titles as well. For example, I own a SNES, I own a PC, and I own a DC - which are all capable of running Flashback or Out of This World in various ways (either through actual copies, or emulation, or a homebrew port on the DC). I could have bought, downloaded, or otherwise run this game on any of these systems for the last 10+ years, but it isn't until I consider the 3DO's game library that I get excited about having the game in my collection and considering it as a standout good quality title in the 3DO's library that I want to play on the 3DO.

I feel the same way about Need for Speed and Road Rash. These are standout AAA titles on the 3DO, that were ported everywhere, and I'm only excited about playing them on the 3DO. I could easily buy them and play them on the psx or pc, but I don't have the interest.

It's not just because I am a collector, as I do enjoy playing these games - but it's like I get enjoyment from thinking of how the game stacks up relative to other titles on a system that I have a fondness for, and whether it has a certain merit to it in this context, either as a unique title, a graphical showcase, or some other factor - rather than that the game is objectively good and I would play it on any system no matter what.

Anyone else feel this at all? You like a game more when its on a certain console such as 3DO?

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Post by Trev » Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:31 pm

I tend to prefer games on 3DO, but usually because they are outright superior versions compared to other consoles.

Using your DC example, 2 of my favorite rpgs on it were Phantasy Star & Skies of Arcadia. But I ended up buying them for the GC because they were improved versions.

For unique console exclusives though, I am more likely to give a game attention if it's on 3DO. One example I can think of is Robinson's Requiem. Had the game been readily available on multiple consoles, I doubt I would have given it much attention. By because of my fondness for 3DO, I spent many hours with it.

So it varies, but I definitely have & do prefer games on certain consoles more than others. But it's often because of what a particular version offers, rather than the console itself.
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Post by Austin » Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:54 pm

I like playing Wolfenstein 3D the most on the 3DO. Even with the PC version technically being better, and even considering that's the one I grew up with and still play to this day, when I get the itch to play Wolf 3D, I reach to the 3DO version first. There's just a feel that's lost in the PC version. Maybe it's the smoother visuals, or maybe it's the excellent soundtrack (something that always goes a long ways for me)? I don't know.

Other games I prefer playing on the 3DO are Super Street Fighter II Turbo, and Star Fighter. SSF2T, while it doesn't have the multi-layered background scrolling, I do prefer the soundtrack to other versions and it's just a very well done, bright and colorful game on the 3DO--easily one of the best, most polished titles on the system, period. With Star Fighter, it is one multi-platform game that truly feels like night and day when compared to the other 32-bit ports. Definitely a showcase title on the 3DO in terms of visuals.

There are a few other multi-plats that I do prefer over the 3DO versions though. Off-World Interceptor is better on the PlayStation (probably the Saturn too, but I haven't played it). It runs much smoother and is thus a lot more enjoyable (it's actually a cool game when you figure out what you are doing). PO'ed runs a lot smoother on the PlayStation, so naturally I'll prefer that one as well. Primal Rage--while good on the 3DO--is still a step back compared to the Saturn one, as it has smaller sprites and you have to have a special third-party controller for it to even play correctly. Gex, I would rather play on the PS1, simply because it runs smoother. And DOOM, well.. That should be an obvious one. ;)

The rest of the multi-plats that also appear on the 3DO I have no preference to because I haven't played their incarnations outside the 3DO. Mainly Road Rash, the Need for Speed, and The Horde.

I definitely understand what you were looking for here in terms of responses. There are several platforms where I was really reaching to find something I would enjoy, and would therefore try gameplay styles I normally wouldn't care about on more popular systems. I think the Jaguar is the best example of this for me personally. Games like Cybermorph, Battlemorph, Iron Soldier, and I-WAR, I would have had absolutely no interest for on other platforms. And the only reason I was stoked about Iron Soldier 3 when it came out (on the PS1 and the Nuon), is that I enjoyed the Jaguar version, again, a game I probably never would have bothered to try had the library not been so tiny.

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Post by Martin III » Sun May 12, 2013 2:30 pm

My game-buying pattern is generally:

Step 1 - Buy a system.
Step 2 - Find good games for it.

So while most of the games I own are ones I may not have even heard of and almost definitely wouldn't have fretted over not having if I didn't already own a platform they're available on, the driving rationale is still "This looks like a game I would enjoy."

That said, I have occasionally made purchases for the reasons Dark describes. Were it not for its historical significance to the Saturn, Sakura Wars would have been just another of the dozens of text-driven romantic adventure games released for the Saturn in Japan. Because of that historical significance, it was a must-buy.

My most embarrassing instances of this are Corpse Killer and Creature Shock: Special Edition. I bought them basically because I have a strange fetish for multi-disc games, the Saturn didn't get many multi-disc games in the USA, I already owned all the others by virtue of the fact that they're incredibly awesome games (Panzer Dragoon Saga, Mr. Bones, Lunacy, Enemy Zero), and it seemed a shame not to complete the set. Now I know the real shame is in owning those games. :P (Just kidding. I did get some enjoyment out of Creature Shock, and besides, I never regret buying bad games, at least not secondhand. For me, knowing they're terrible is better than being left always wondering.)

Haven't bought any 3DO games for such reasons yet, though I suppose Wing Commander III is a borderline case. While I do love a good interactive movie, I was a bit goaded on by the fact that WC3 is one of the console's AAA games.

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Post by Trev » Sun May 12, 2013 3:16 pm

I've been buying some digital downloads on my new 3DS (e-shop originals, virtual console, and DSiWare) I definitely prefer GB games on 3DS (no screen blur, much sharper, etc ...) and in general most of the games are the sort that I'd much rather play on a handheld. They are some pretty good $2 games also. Not the sort of stuff I'd play on a home console, but I enjoy it on my 3DS.
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Post by 3DO Experience » Mon May 13, 2013 12:32 am

Yes I buy a bit slanted towards a console over another. With DC and 3DO they generally were ahead of the other systems so the games that came out for multiple systems look better on those. However being a PlayStation hater (not SONY, the company is fine) I will end up buying games for the SEGA Saturn over the PS1 even if it doesn't look as good. (I used to hate SEGA too) Luckily the early PS1 games are on Saturn & 3DO and the later are superior versions on DC.

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Post by Austin » Mon May 13, 2013 9:19 am

3DO Experience wrote:However being a PlayStation hater I will end up buying games for the SEGA Saturn over the PS1 even if it doesn't look as good.
I typically do this for the reason that some of the Saturn versions are actually better than the PlayStation versions. Good examples for titles released in the US are Duke Nukem 3D, PowerSlave, and perhaps Alien Trilogy.. Other good examples are loads of import games. Specific examples are Silhouette Mirage and Thunder Force V. Shooters in particular got the special treatment on the Saturn, or just about any two-dimensional game for that matter.

So yeah, I guess the point of what I'm saying is, your logic actually sounds pretty reasonable. :P

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Post by NeoGeoNinja » Mon May 13, 2013 1:25 pm

Austin wrote:Good examples for titles released in the US are Duke Nukem 3D, PowerSlave, and perhaps Alien Trilogy.
ACTUALLY...
Alien Trilogy is quite a bit better on PS1. Sorry :wink:

Also, what's up with SMirage & TFV-PS for PS1? I don't own them for PS1, but am curious about what is lacking vs Saturn counterparts :)

FYI, Donpachi & Dodonpachi on the PS1 KILL the Saturn versions. Just bad programming/optimisation on Cave's part I suspect, as there's no excuse for this really...

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Post by Martin III » Mon May 13, 2013 2:02 pm

NeoGeoNinja wrote:
Austin wrote:Good examples for titles released in the US are Duke Nukem 3D, PowerSlave, and perhaps Alien Trilogy.
ACTUALLY...
Alien Trilogy is quite a bit better on PS1. Sorry :wink:
Duke Nukem 3D is also arguable, since the PlayStation version has a LOT more content.
NeoGeoNinja wrote:Also, what's up with SMirage & TFV-PS for PS1? I don't own them for PS1, but am curious about what is lacking vs Saturn counterparts :)
According to the Segagaga website, the PS1 version of Thunder Force V runs slower, has fewer transparencies, and has longer load times. Don't know about Silhouette Mirage.

There are a lot of often overlooked entries in the "Saturn version beats PlayStation version" vault. For instance, a side-by-side comparison of Pandemonium! reveals that the Saturn version runs at the same frame rate etc. as the PlayStation version and has a much better color palette. Yet no one ever mentions this.

Another example is Titan Wars/Solar Eclipse. While I've never seen the PS1 version in action, a while back I had a chat with Eric Lindstrom himself, and he mentioned that it's just a straight port of the Saturn version.

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Post by Austin » Tue May 14, 2013 4:37 am

NeoGeoNinja wrote:ACTUALLY...
Alien Trilogy is quite a bit better on PS1. Sorry :wink:
Checking out some videos now, it looks like you are right for the most part. Interestingly, the Saturn version actually seems to run smoother overall. But on the other hand, there is pretty much no texture smoothing like there is in the PS1 version, and things look a lot more blocky. I wonder if it even uses the same engine? I'm guessing it probably does, but in a way each version has a distinct feel.
NeoGeoNinja wrote:Also, what's up with SMirage & TFV-PS for PS1? I don't own them for PS1, but am curious about what is lacking vs Saturn counterparts :)
In the case of Silhouette Mirage, you are looking at seemingly better animation, and more visual effects overall. More on TFV below. :)
Martin III wrote:Duke Nukem 3D is also arguable, since the PlayStation version has a LOT more content.
For me it mostly has to do with the how the PlayStation version ran. It always felt.. weird to me, like it was too quick to be Duke Nukem 3D. It just didn't feel right. The Saturn version on the other hand felt a little more manageable and a little more like "Duke 3D" in my opinion. It's hard to explain, but perhaps it has something to do with the differences in engines used (the Saturn version used Lobotomy's own engine). I also really dig the revised soundtrack in the Saturn version. And, I have to admit, I am a little partial to it because I used to play it over the Netlink quite a bit back in the day, haha. Plus, it has Deathtank Zwei, which is incredible fun in itself. :)

Something I did notice though in watching a comparison video is that the colors and lighting effects seem to be a little more, well--colorful--in the Saturn version. Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKOry-CGQ9c

It's always funny when it switches to the N64 version, haha. No. Music. At. All. Complete silence.
Martin III wrote:According to the Segagaga website, the PS1 version of Thunder Force V runs slower, has fewer transparencies, and has longer load times. Don't know about Silhouette Mirage.
I don't know who wrote that at SegaGaga, but it's partially untrue. For one, the PlayStation version actually runs much nicer than the Saturn version. It plays exactly the same, except that in the Saturn version, the framerate is inconsistent and chops up when a lot is going on. Also, the load times between the versions are about the same between stages from what I remember. Checking out some YouTube videos to draw a comparison, I'm seeing the same. Actually, the more I look into it, it seems the Saturn version might take longer to load in certain instances. Between stages though seems about the same.

The biggest difference between the two versions is that the PlayStation game lacks various planes of scrolling. It is most noticeable on Stage 3 especially, where in the PS1 version, the ground is flat. In the Saturn one however, there are holes in the ground revealing separate layers of scrolling. Also, there are other cool effects in the Saturn one, such as fog and beams of light (completely removed in the PS1 version, this is probably the transparency they speak of). There are some other effects as well that don't make an appearance in the PS1 version, so the environment in the Saturn version is definitely more lively in that regard.

From an actual playability perspective though, the PlayStation version is the more consistent experience. Although the Saturn version's added eye candy kind of makes up for it. My issue with the Saturn one is the choppiness, because this is a genre that relies on precision. If you have anything that works against that, well, it's just not good, haha.

Some other differences include the PlayStation version having more options as well. Some of those options may have been the doing of Working Designs though, since they had a tendency to add stuff to games when they brought them over to the US. :)
Martin III wrote:There are a lot of often overlooked entries in the "Saturn version beats PlayStation version" vault. For instance, a side-by-side comparison of Pandemonium! reveals that the Saturn version runs at the same frame rate etc. as the PlayStation version and has a much better color palette. Yet no one ever mentions this.
I didn't know that about Pandemonium! It looks like if I ever pick that one up again in the future, it will be the Saturn one. :)

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Re: Greater enjoyment of a game if its on a certain console?

Post by Retrofanatic83 » Wed Jul 03, 2013 10:05 am

I do. The jaguar did not have a big library to choose from so I find playing wolfy doom and bubsy etc fun. I am looking forward to playing another world when it arrives more than I would a version for another system. I like playing tomb raider on the saturn, nights etc. resident evil. I love playing the system so emulation isn't something I'm interested in really. Snes doom is pushing the hardware but I love doom and love seeing the red cart running on the snes so I do think nostalgia and fondness for the machine goes a long way towards my ability to sit and play with my old toys :P

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Re: Greater enjoyment of a game if its on a certain console?

Post by Lemmi » Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:55 am

ANY Sports game on Genesis was better than its counterpart on any other console especially the SNES

for me it was the NHL Hockey series and Football all were better on the Genesis
i even tried a hockey game especially made for SNES called Stanley Cup Hockey and it made me sick to my stomach
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Re: Greater enjoyment of a game if its on a certain console?

Post by Trev » Thu Jul 04, 2013 3:10 am

Lemmi wrote:ANY Sports game on Genesis was better than its counterpart on any other console especially the SNES

for me it was the NHL Hockey series and Football all were better on the Genesis
i even tried a hockey game especially made for SNES called Stanley Cup Hockey and it made me sick to my stomach
Lol, I like that game ... the Mode 7 effect was cool! NCAA Basketball was another SNES sports game that used it.
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