PCE, SNES and Genesis Screen Comparison.

[Tatsujin]

awack. can you make a hellfire comparison next please?

[awack]

awack. can you make a hellfire comparison next please?

Yes, that will be next, should be a good one.

Golden Axe.

PC Engine	Genesis

[CrackTiger]

This actually shows how the art side of the graphics aren't really that bad and it'd look alright with good coloring. Aside from the bad sfx, the main detractor is the scrolling problem just like Strider. I don't know if it runs at 30fps, if the pacing is off because of the letterboxing or both, but it really stands out when coupled with lackluster graphics in a port of a famous game. If an original game had "super" graphics and ran a reduced framerate (like WBIII SMS), people would likely be more forgiving. The bird head makes it look like they actually had the original graphics/art to work with. I'd love to know the story behind this games development. Strider is a port that doesn't make any sense, even in the hands of a clueless developer, but this is something else. Maybe their budget got blown on the license and cinemas and they farmed out the game portion?

This will still always be one of my favorite PCE games because of the cinemas & music and how it came to be my first CD game.

[Ceti Alpha]

Wow, Telenet really crapped the bed on this one. Too bad. It would've been nice to have a quality port of Golden Axe on the Turbo/PCE.

[Joe Redifer]

Why is so much of the screen black?  I see no reason for this!  I haven't played the PCE version (yet), but hopefully it isn't as choppy as the SMS version.

[CrackTiger]

Why is so much of the screen black?  I see no reason for this!  I haven't played the PCE version (yet), but hopefully it isn't as choppy as the SMS version.

I think that their logic was to shrink the background to match the reduced sprite size. It's not as choppy as the SMS version, it's more like Strider ACD.

[shubibiman]

hopefully it isn't as choppy as the SMS version.

Actually, it is much choppier than the SMS version.

[Tatsujin]

hella yeas, the pce golden axe is an unpleasant joke.

[awack]

What the screen shots don't show much of, is how the average enemy sprites are 2 - 4 times bigger on PCE

Yea, i was focusing on the bg, here is an example of the sprites and one more mid boss.

PC Engine	Genesis

Hellfire

PC Engine	Genesis

[CrackTiger]

Wow, I didn't realize that the PCE & MD Hellfires were so different. I thought that they were both fairly straight ports from the arcade. I prefer different versions for each shot. I don't remember how much extra variety, animation, etc the PCE version has, but if I were to judge them strictly by these screens and taking into account that (I believe) the MD version has some parallax and the PCE doesn't, I'd say that the MD version looks better overall.

SD2 does have some AWFUL boss flicker

Really? I never experienced this. I only got the game recently and made the equivalent of two runs through each on real hardware and Magic Engine. It really stood out to me how little flicker there was considering the size of the bosses and when it was obvious they were sprites and not tiles. Even a boss like this didn't flicker for me-



Of course, I don't view flicker/break up as an unacceptable or bad thing, only when it affects the gameplay. If the price for getting a screen filling boss is the occasional thin horizontal stripe cutting out or appearing transparent for a fraction of a second, it's fine with me and I'd gladly take that over a flicker-free SNES game with tiny sprites to avoid slowdown.

The only other explanation I can think of is that maybe I just happened to play some flicker-light routes on real hardware and the game has unadvertised SuperGrafx support like Super Darius 1 that automatically kicked in on Magic Engine.

[CrackTiger]

I'm bumping to post something I put together during the lull before the Darius 2 comparison.

From left to right:

PC ENGINE - MEGA DRIVE - SUPER FAMICOM

Code Select Expand

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce1.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd1.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc1.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce2.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd2.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc2.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce3.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd3.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc3.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce4.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd4.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc4.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce6.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd5.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc5.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce5.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd15.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc6.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce7.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd6.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc7.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce8.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd7.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc8.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce9.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd8.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc9.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce10.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd9.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc10.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce11.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd10.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc11.png[/img]



[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce15.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd12.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc12.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce12.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd11.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc13.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce13.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd13.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc14.png[/img]

[img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dspce14.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dsmd14.png[/img][img width=32%]http://www.superpcenginegrafx.net/img/dssfc15.png[/img]


The MD version has eratic choppy scrolling/animation for character sprites. The MD version has windows that appear in stages and on either side of the screen depending on where you stand. The default window bg is clear, but a dozen different solid colors can be selected.

Not only does the SFC version have NES graphics, but it sounds like it sampled NES instruments and filled in the rest of the music with "stock" SNES sounds. It also uses the mosaic effect and if you've ever wondered what it'd look like used in an NES game, now you can see.

Knocking out the Capcom games, Chiki Chiki boy, Ghouls & Ghost, Strider and now Forgotten Worlds, then there is Street Fighter 2, which i might do but if you want to see a really good comparison of that, just visit Black Tigers site.

Just to keep this thread complete, here are screens of each stage.


From left to right:

PC Engine	SNES	Genesis

Now that I have a new CRT monitor, I can see in places where the conversion to gifs produced artifacts and/or lost shades. These are still pretty good for comparing though. I'm glad that I finally switched over to 'pngs.

[spenoza]

PCE Ryu has a more awesomer red fireball, yo!

Also, I do like the increased screen real-estate and larger graphics of the MD Dragon Slayer. I hate the colors, though. There's just SO MUCH dithering it's insane. Shame about the animation, too. PCE wins big time, then.

[esteban]

To get back to the Darius screenshots... I am really surprised... I never realized the differences were so stark. I've played all the ports of the Darius games, but the side-by-side comparisons reveal the cold, hard truth: pce owners prefer billboard-sized score counters.



Have we done Wonderboy III: Monster Lair yet? ;)

[Joe Redifer]

Going by the still pictures alone, I think the Mega Drive Dragon Slayer looks best with the PCE a close second (I like the character design in the PCE version more, though).  The SNES is a far, far, far third.  If the MD version scrolls choppily then it is probably the most annoying to play, though.

[TurboXray]

If you play through the Megadrive one of DS:LOH, you'll notice the lack of colors... or I should say the whole 16 colors they decided to use (and dither).

[Tatsujin]

Have we done Wonderboy III: Monster Lair yet? ;)

no, but the winner is allready decided by a landslide (unless some Game Fan morrons comming over and dizz the game to no end again, b'coz its missing 2nd layer).

[ParanoiaDragon]

It seems like the Turbo version (of Legend of Heroes)still could've looked better then it does, no doubt, however, I'm thinking they didn't make it better, maybe because it loads the entire map of the game(Tom, do you know if it does this?).  Or perhaps, they just wanted to make it basically a port of the original, kinda like what was done with Popful Mail.  Speaking of which, someone should do a comparison of the MD & PCE Sorcerian's.

[Tatsujin]

Wow, I didn't realize that the PCE & MD Hellfires were so different. I thought that they were both fairly straight ports from the arcade. I prefer different versions for each shot. I don't remember how much extra variety, animation, etc the PCE version has, but if I were to judge them strictly by these screens and taking into account that (I believe) the MD version has some parallax and the PCE doesn't, I'd say that the MD version looks better overall.

SD2 does have some AWFUL boss flicker

Really? I never experienced this. I only got the game recently and made the equivalent of two runs through each on real hardware and Magic Engine. It really stood out to me how little flicker there was considering the size of the bosses and when it was obvious they were sprites and not tiles. Even a boss like this didn't flicker for me-



Of course, I don't view flicker/break up as an unacceptable or bad thing, only when it affects the gameplay. If the price for getting a screen filling boss is the occasional thin horizontal stripe cutting out or appearing transparent for a fraction of a second, it's fine with me and I'd gladly take that over a flicker-free SNES game with tiny sprites to avoid slowdown.

The only other explanation I can think of is that maybe I just happened to play some flicker-light routes on real hardware and the game has unadvertised SuperGrafx support like Super Darius 1 that automatically kicked in on Magic Engine.

i remember that the stong flickers appeared more in the big long fossils, which almost covers the whole horizontal screen. of course, concidered of how big those bosses are, and mostly done by using pure sprites, it is damn impressive of what we got with SD2 on our PCE

anyway, will give it another try soon, to make a better statement. it's been just way too long since

[guyjin]

What the hell is up with the SNES version of dragon slayer? It's like they weren't even trying. 

[Tatsujin]

What the hell is up with the SNES version of dragon slayer? It's like they weren't even trying. 

it's like a direct PC-88 port

[CrackTiger]

What the hell is up with the SNES version of dragon slayer? It's like they weren't even trying. 

it's like a direct PC-88 port

It looks like the PCE version is actually based on the PC-88/MSX version, and then enhanced like Ys and Popful Mail. The Mega Drive version is a faithful looking port of the PC-98 version. The PCE enemy art looks fairly faithful from what I could find for both PC-88/98, but at least the slimes are redrawn in the MD version. The SNES version appears to be a scapped Famicom port that got moved to SFC.

[NecroPhile]

If it weren't for dither city, I'd prefer the Genesis version of Dragon Slayer.  The only thing that the SNES version has over the PCE version is the enemy backgrounds (as does the Genny).

[ParanoiaDragon]

I like the slimes in the MD version.


Somebody compare the 2 console Sorcerian's!

[FraGMarE]

First off, those pics of Afterburner look FAR too dim.  They look much brighter on a real TV so I don't think that is a good way to display them.

Welp, it's about as good as you're going to get with trying to fake aspect corrected NTSC scanlined screenshots on a computer screen.  Emulators basically do the same thing.  they blur/interpolate the screen, sometimes add the NTSC artifacting, then they just add in a black line every other line with a preset transparency and then some emulators adjust the final brightness/gamme up a little bit.  That's basically what I've done with the Afterburner images.

[awack]

Somebody compare the 2 console Sorcerian's!

I'm only doing games i own, which means I'm not going to be able to do other games such as Popful mail, since i don't own the sega cd version, maybe some one else can do it, i would like to see that one myself.

Well, thats it for capcom games as far as i know, and as for Konami, i think there is only Snatcher left.


OK, lords of thunder, i tried to show that the lack of color and added scrolls are not the only differences in the sega cd port, which are apparent in some of the screens, like the missing scarab, bg tile etc.

Good looking game here.

PC Engine	Genesis

[guyjin]

I think we've been over this one before (but not in this thread, and without as many screenshots.)

I think they're actually pretty close; the biggest differences are the dithering and the absence of water in #12. A good effort on the Genny, but it just can't keep up with the turbo 

[_Paul]

Here's a sample of Tatsujin to highlight the background tiles used compared to the arcade.

/tatsujinx3.gif

[esteban]

I think we've been over this one before (but not in this thread, and without as many screenshots.)

I think they're actually pretty close; the biggest differences are the dithering and the absence of water in #12. A good effort on the Genny, but it just can't keep up with the turbo 

I agree, the Genny version is a noble attempt and really does a nice job... it's only when you look at the finishing touches that you notice the differences. As far as I'm concerned, the SOUND EFFECTS are where it's at.



Can we start a new thread that compares the sfx of various versions of the same game?

[esteban]

Here's a sample of Tatsujin to highlight the background tiles used compared to the arcade.

Thanks for making this comparison, you aligned the screens nicely to allow for comparisons...

Unfortunately, my brain is slow and I have a hard time keeping track of what I'm seeing. Could you put a longer delay on each frame?

Tatsujin is one of those expensive HuCards, isn't it? I don't own it. I wish I did. I have MUSHA for genny, though.

[guyjin]

Here's a sample of Tatsujin to highlight the background tiles used compared to the arcade.

The Genesis version looks aesthetically closer to the arcade... the PCE version is a bit too colorful.

[Ceti Alpha]

Yeah, the MD port is definitely more true to the original, though the PCE port still looks good.

[NecroPhile]

Here's a sample of Tatsujin to highlight the background tiles used compared to the arcade.

PCE looks to be the loser of this comparison - too much contrast and wonky coloring.

[_Paul]

Unfortunately, my brain is slow and I have a hard time keeping track of what I'm seeing. Could you put a longer delay on each frame?

Here's a slower one for you grandpa 

/tatsujinx3slow.gif

The PC Engine is quite a way out on colour, but some of the tile alignment is a bit more accurate than the MD version, especially on the left and right. I wonder why the beacon things were changed so radically.

[Joe Redifer]

Why did you slow it down?  Pffft,  each screen should have only 1/60th of a second! 

Actually, thank you very much for slowing that down.  Side-by-sides would still probably be better.

[awack]

Its hard to tell from the small shots but the sega cd  port of lords of thunder uses more dithering than just about any game Ive seen but thats not the only difference, take the 3rd picture down, the columns in the BG look different in the sega cd version( top and bottom), the missing water of course, the 8th picture down, in the sega port the BG disappears before the foreground starts to close inn(I find that strange) and the 14th picture down, once again missing BG tiles where the giant spiked balls swing back and forth.

Hudson really tried to make the game as colorfull as they could(the pce version some times uses more than two and a half times the colors), enemy sprites would use the same colors as were in the BG, those same sprites would use a different palette for a different BG(level) and of course lots dithering.

Tatsujin was one of the first games i was thinking about doing, but hate the idea of playing through that game twice.

[esteban]

Unfortunately, my brain is slow and I have a hard time keeping track of what I'm seeing. Could you put a longer delay on each frame?

Here's a slower one for you grandpa 



The PC Engine is quite a way out on colour, but some of the tile alignment is a bit more accurate than the MD version, especially on the left and right. I wonder why the beacon things were changed so radically.

Thank you

[Tatsujin]

Yeah, the MD port is definitely more true to the original, though the PCE port still looks good.

this just seems to be so on those screenshots. if you play the games fo'real, you will find out that it's quite the contrary

[Tatsujin]

but the sega cd  port of lords of thunder uses more dithering than just about any game Ive seen

that you can say very loud!!

[awack]

Tatsujin.

PC Engine	Genesis

[termis]

This one's a toss-up.  PCE version is certainly more colorful, but the Genny version's colors seem more appropriate in some places.  (And the PCE bomb is weak-ass!)

[CrackTiger]

I like the still images of Tatsujin much more on PCE, but they both look great. Pretty much the same deal with Lords of Thunder, the Sega-CD version is still one of the best looking 16-bit console games.

[Tatsujin]

the Sega-CD version is still one of the best looking 16-bit console games.

so this makes the PCE version to the best looking 16/bit console game then?

[CrackTiger]

the Sega-CD version is still one of the best looking 16-bit console games.

so this makes the PCE version to the best looking 16/bit console game then?

It's definitely one of them. Lords' would've looked good as an arcade game.

[CrackTiger]

I'm only doing games i own, which means I'm not going to be able to do other games such as Popful mail, since i don't own the sega cd version, maybe some one else can do it, i would like to see that one myself.

Bump for Popful Mail before I fall asleep. I couldn't get Gens to detect my CD-ROM on this computer, so I stole the MCD pics from Classic CD RPGs-


PC ENGINE - SEGA-CD - SUPER FAMICOM

Code Select Expand

[img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmpce10.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmmcd1.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmsfc1.png[/img]

[img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmpce2.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmmcd2.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmsfc2.png[/img]

[img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmpce3.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmmcd3.gif[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmsfc3.png[/img]

[img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmpce4.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmmcd4.gif[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmsfc4.png[/img]

[img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmpce5.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmmcd5.gif[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmsfc5.png[/img]

[img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmpce6.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmmcd6.gif[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmsfc6.png[/img]

[img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmpce9.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmmcd9.gif[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmsfc7.png[/img]

[img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmpce7.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmmcd7.gif[/img]

[img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmpce8.png[/img][img]http://www.members.shaw.ca/turboduo/pmmcd8.gif[/img]

Without getting into much detail...

The SFC version has very nice coloring and shading, like the Xanadu II boss fights. But the tiles are reused so frequently that it ruins the experience. That and the sprite art looks lame.

The Sega version has nice art in-game graphics art and the shading is alright, but they didn't do a good enough job (by Sega standards) with the color. The cinemas are nice and clean and smoothly animated, but extremely low color, with the three main characters sharing the same 3 main colors.

The PCE cinemas are also animated as well as a tv show, but are colorful and shaded like a top quality PCE cinema.

[esteban]

Sega-CD rocks Popful Mail. Definitely.

[spenoza]

The gameplay screens look like they'd probably be most enjoyable on the Sega CD.

[nat]

I dunno, I don't own any of them and right now I'm leaning towards finding the SNES version first based on those screens. Unfortunately, the Duo version looks like a distant third.

[Joe Redifer]

I agree about the PCE version being a distant 3rd, but I'd still like to see video of the animated cinemas.  The SNES version looks really nice, but I think the Sega CD version just barely edges it out since things seem a bit bigger and it doesn't have the token Mode 7.

[awack]

Ill go with the sega cd popful mail as well.

The pce cutscenes do look better but i saw a video of the genesis version and if i remember correctly, it had more animation.

[shubibiman]

The Sega CD version is way ahead in this case. It is much more impressive when you see it animated.