Hate that awful Master System?

[esteban]

On the comparison page, did they list some unlicensed games? MKII, SFII -- were these officially released for NES? There were other titles that might fit into this category, but ....

[Joe Redifer]

Here is a Fantasy Zone comparison video in the sophisticated and elegant "WMV" format which was invented by Thomas Edison's reanimated corpse:

Click here to download!!!  7 Megs or so.

Had to record to videotape, sorry.  I'll be damned if I lug my game systems upstairs to the computer.

[Hobo Xiphas]

MKII, SFII -- were these officially released for NES?

No.  They are bootlegs.

[Keranu]

Here is a Fantasy Zone comparison video in the sophisticated and elegant "WMV" format which was invented by Thomas Edison's reanimated corpse:

Click here to download!!!  7 Megs or so.

Had to record to videotape, sorry.  I'll be damned if I lug my game systems upstairs to the computer.

Sorry, Joe. Even though, as usual, I highly appreciate your efforts, I'm gonna have to sorta disagree with you on this one, yeeeaaahhhh. I thought the NES version looked and sounded better. I couldn't really tell the choppiness, I'll just play it in an emulator some time.

[Black Tiger]

Try playing NES Fantasy Zone for a half an hour.  Now plug in the SMS version.  OH MY!  However I think the NES has better sound than the SMS. Of course that's not to say that the SMS didn't have tons of enjoyable sound and music.

I haven't played the NES version of Fantasy Zone, but that was one of the games in that page kungfukid posted that I thought looked better on NES. Of course I would have to see it in game though . Altered Beast on SMS is like lightyears ahead of the NES on the other hand.

That Fantasy Zone comparison was one of the specific ones I was thinking of when I mentioned poor choices to take screenshots from. That stage is probably the best/most faithful looking of the NES version. The first stage would've been way more effective to illustrate the loss from arcade to SMS to NES.

These pics are STOLEN from vgmuseum-

[Black Tiger]

Here is a Fantasy Zone comparison video in the sophisticated and elegant "WMV" format which was invented by Thomas Edison's reanimated corpse:

Click here to download!!!  7 Megs or so.

Had to record to videotape, sorry.  I'll be damned if I lug my game systems upstairs to the computer.

Awesome. You should make more game videos with captioned commentary. Port comparisons or otherwise. 

Here is a Fantasy Zone comparison video in the sophisticated and elegant "WMV" format which was invented by Thomas Edison's reanimated corpse:

Click here to download!!!  7 Megs or so.

Had to record to videotape, sorry.  I'll be damned if I lug my game systems upstairs to the computer.

Sorry, Joe. Even though, as usual, I highly appreciate your efforts, I'm gonna have to sorta disagree with you on this one, yeeeaaahhhh. I thought the NES version looked and sounded better. I couldn't really tell the choppiness, I'll just play it in an emulator some time.

Keranu, either you're as nutz as your love of cheez would lead many to believe or I'm insanely blinded from a lifetime of SMS + Fantasy Zone love, because to me both the graphics and music are way better on SMS.

The NES version actually looks like a GameBoy/Color port(even though my memory places it prior to the invention of GBC technology). Anyone know if it is, regardless of whether or not a GB version was ever released?

Altered Beast NES really looks like a hokey GB port.


At the very least, Opa Opa's incorrectly colored NES sprite is sacralege. 

MKII, SFII -- were these officially released for NES?

No.  They are bootlegs.

Yeah, but I believe that the MKII NES bootleg would've been a port of the official Gameboy Color version, so its as close as an official port would look. "Street Fighter IV" NES actually turned out way better than I thought Capcom would've done an official port back in the day.

[Joe Redifer]

The voices on the SMS version of Street Fighter 2 are pretty impressive.  And it only has 6 mega power!  How big is the biggest NES game?  I know there are at least a couple SMS games with 8 mega power!

[Keranu]

Just played Fantasy Zone on NES and SMS emulators and I still stand by my opinion... sort of. The sprites definitely look much better on the SMS version, but I think the backgrounds in the NES version look a tad better. Music wise, I'm not now and never was fond of SMS' sound, so I think the NES version sounds a lot better.

[Black Tiger]

Just played Fantasy Zone on NES and SMS emulators and I still stand by my opinion... sort of. The sprites definitely look much better on the SMS version, but I think the backgrounds in the NES version look a tad better. Music wise, I'm not now and never was fond of SMS' sound, so I think the NES version sounds a lot better.

Other than Fantasy Zone being an early SMS game, its also limited to being a port of the arcade original. Take a look at Fantasy Zone 2 to see how a SMS FS game should look. And if you're using an emulator, trying it with and without fm sound. 

[Keranu]

I'm well aware of what the SMS can handle, but that's not the point. My point was how I simply thought the NES version looked a little better and sounded better. Hardware wise, I wouldn't dare say NES was more powerful .

[nodtveidt]

Sheesh, do I need to do another side-by-side, but of SMS vs NES this time?

[Kitsunexus]

No offense, but who cares? People should be lucky they GOT an arcade port for each system. Back then, players were WELL taken-care of, they were mostly ensured they would get a port no matter what system they gamed on. Nowdays, if they even BOTHER to port an arcade game, you get whatever system the arcade translates to best (IE: Most SEGA arcade games use 360 hardware now, meaning only 360 gets the ports).

Ironically, I actually find us OLDSCHOOL gamers more spoiled and jaded, because hell we were! Game companies actually GAVE A SHIT back then! Nowdays it's "we need your cash, not you".

So instead of arguing which port was better (which I will admit, is compelling) just think about the time when you could be a SMS fanboy, and when a rival system owner taunted you with a game you "weren't" getting, you could counter-retort "Au contraire, my friend", likewise for other systems.

[Joe Redifer]

Keranu, you really need to play on a real TV.  Why?  Because the NES version flickers its dithered graphics like crazy, since that's what dithered graphics do on the NES.  But the SMS can be hooked up to component.  So it is only fair if you have the NES hooked up via RF and the SMS hooked up via component.  With emulators it is not fair.  But did you notice the left side of the screen in the video? How it kept going CHOP CHOP CHOP?  It's hard to see on the WMV video since WMV is so awful (Quicktime kicks its ass 6 ways from Sunday), but it's there.

[Keranu]

Joe, didn't you learn that flickered dithering doesn't bother me from that huge AV thread ? I just found the graphics to look a little better in the NES version, no big deal .

[Kitsunexus]

Quicktime kicks it's ass how? I agree that WMV is a shit format, but QT is a spyware-infected system resource hogging shitfest.

Give me MPG4 anyday.

And the NES probably flickers because it has a cheapass PPU.