different gameplays from port to port

[felow]

just discovered that the first Dan Dare game has different gameplay between each 8 bit conversions. any other games that differs between cpc c64 and zx in terms of gameplay and eventualy graphics?

[secmast]

Without any doubt they are offering all a different gameplay.
ZX80's not having any "chip" to drive the video, all is done with the CPU interrupt and no color.
C64's running on different CPU running at ~1Mhz (depending on region PAL/NTSC) but far the best audio chip (SID) on the 8bits world.
CPC running a 4mhz, very good, but very difficult, video management.
What do you expect ?

[mr_lou]

Are you sure you're talking about gameplay?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameplay

Gameplay has nothing to do with graphics or music etc. It is simply the word used to represent the specific way in which players interact with a game. This way should be mostly the same across platforms for any specific title (although there are examples of games being completely different in gameplay).

Things like slow/high framerate, awesome music / sound-effects and brilliant graphics never affects gameplay. It only affects the "game experience" or "game feel".

Example: The game "Popeye", originally on the arcade. Has the same gameplay on most of the game consoles and computers too, because it is the same game, just with differences in graphics, audio and speed, resulting in a different feel across platforms.
But then for some reason, the Amstrad CPC and C64 has a completely different game called "Popeye", and therefor obviously a completely different gameplay.

[felow]

Thanks guys. I understand that talking about "graphic" also could have created some misunderstanding. By the way, yep: I'm indeed talking about 8-bit conversions that differs in gameplay, intending the way some levels (or all levels) have to be played and completed. So games that in terms of concept (and not due to different machines' performance or capabilities) from the beginning are conceived to be played differently from port to port. I talked about the first Dan Dare because from what I know it has a different gameplay on the c64 in respect to the cpc and zx ports...any other examples like this?

[andycadley]

RoboCop 2 is a classic example, it's a very different game on Spectrum and totally different again on the C64.

[secmast]

Are you sure you're talking about gameplay?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameplay

Gameplay has nothing to do with graphics or music etc. It is simply the word used to represent the specific way in which players interact with a game. This way should be mostly the same across platforms for any specific title (although there are examples of games being completely different in gameplay).

Things like slow/high framerate, awesome music / sound-effects and brilliant graphics never affects gameplay. It only affects the "game experience" or "game feel".

Example: The game "Popeye", originally on the arcade. Has the same gameplay on most of the game consoles and computers too, because it is the same game, just with differences in graphics, audio and speed, resulting in a different feel across platforms.
But then for some reason, the Amstrad CPC and C64 has a completely different game called "Popeye", and therefor obviously a completely different gameplay.

Indeed, sorry for the confusion...

[sigh]

RoboCop 2 is a classic example, it's a very different game on Spectrum and totally different again on the C64.

The US version of Street Fighter 1 has totally diffferent gameplay than the UK versions of Street Fighter 1 on the same system and the CPC and Spectrum.

[Shaun M. Neary]

The US version of Street Fighter 1 has totally diffferent gameplay than the UK versions of Street Fighter 1 on the same system and the CPC and Spectrum.

You sure you're not thinking of the C64 version there? The US didn't really get the Speccy and CPC.
It did get the C64 and a lot of US versions differed. Or have I misunderstood your quote?

[Shaun M. Neary]

Rick Dangerous comes to mind here. The C64 version has longer levels whereas the Spectrum and CPC versions are cut short, although this was fixed on the 128k remake a few years ago.
But on the original Firebird release in 89, the levels were heavily edited.

Renegade's gameplay is slightly different. The CPC and the 48K Spectrum omit the over the shoulder throw (the 128k version has it though)


Nebulus on the C64 differs to the CPC and Spectrum as it offers a bonus round for catching fish at the end of each tower.


Outrun has a big difference on the C64 as there are no forks in the road (defeating the purpose of the game), so you can't choose your journey. You have to chose between 5 pre-determined tracks. The trade off was, it was probably the best version of the 8bits. C64 and Spectrum multiloaded any direction you wanted, but they were sluggish dogs.

[sigh]

You sure you're not thinking of the C64 version there? The US didn't really get the Speccy and CPC.
It did get the C64 and a lot of US versions differed. Or have I misunderstood your quote?

Yes, sorry. I was comparing the US version to the UK version. The US didn't do a version for the CPC and Speccy, but I thought it maybe relevant to this thread.
Double Dragon had two different ports on the CPC and on the C64.

[Cholo]

I think i saw a Larry video on Street Fighter about the c64 had 2x version on the official cassette (as us dev one & a uk one) because they made 2 versions & realised that both was kinda poor thus put both versions on the tape to kinda appease people. But i may remember wrong.


Anyways lots of different version games across the 8bits that for sure. Amstrad does also have a lot of slightly different versions of games simply because of the giant 16kb screens that c64 & speccy usually had in much smaller sizes. And yes sometimes it just ment a multi load on all version. All 3 systems certainly also had the usual "2 big parts with a password for past 2".


But where things get interesting is when the dev take the oppotunity and does something different because they are forced into doing multi parts. Like Yie Ar Kung Fu where the amstrad version has 2 games .. one with the waterfall background & with the house. Or IK (not plus) with parts with multiple different backgrounds in each part. Then there is Barbarian where its parted in 4 parts each with a unique background, but part "forest" & "plains" are oddly "practice only" games as you can only fight Drax in the last two parts "dungeon" & "throne".


Not really much change in the 8bit games when it came to converting 16bit arcade games or big hollywood movies. Of cause they did have to cut corners with scaling down 16bit games like Gryzor. Why is the amstrad version so well made compared to the c64/spec? but it lack the winter part with the military car & the big helmet guys that the c64/spec both have. Also why does the amstrad have a animated ending that is not even in the arcade game? Again cutting parts & skipping bosses etc. is common over all those games but at least the stuck to the "script/story/design".


Then there is games like Cobra Stallone where i have this idea that the 3 8bit devs at Ocean was supposed to go see the movie, but instead went to Burger King, where the amstrad devs car got dump on my pidgeons. The c64 dev got cut in line by a mother with a baby cart & the spectrum dev got trampled by everybody on the way to the loo. At least that would explain the 3 odd games.


Then there is the odd broken, rushed or partly finished games like Tarzan. C64 version works, spectrum perhaps too, but the amstrad version im guessing is a early dev build. No small gabs to jump like in the other two versions. Why is Tarzan swarmed by enemies? Also why is spiders there right away (should be later in the caves). Swinging over the big gabs is nearly impossible? Pretty sure some items are just drawn placeholders too. Maps released by "players" in big mags is slightly off/different.


Probably the biggest changes is found on very early games (unlike the later more streamlined games by big publishers). Like Jack and the Beanstalk is another different version one. Visually all 3 games looks the same. But in C64 & spectrum Jack shoots endless shurikens & on the ending screen you just have to run down & grab the axe to chop the beanstalk. But on the amstrad one Jack has a gun with only 6 bullets? The bullets dosnt even respawn if you die & since there is enemies that you need to shoot to get past em it makes the game completely different & near impossible. The oddest perhaps is the ending screen where there is suddenly an animated timer ticking down & even if you make it to the axe you cant chop the beanstalk & the timer runs out & Jack mom appears and says "Bedtime Jack". Is all this there to hide that the game dont have a ending? (donno if it has as its impossible) but then wouldnt it have been easier with a ending message instead of programming the timer & mom figure?


A few amstrad games has multiple version like Double Dragon, Double Dragon 2 & Paperboy.


A often seen issue with spectrum ports (and sometimes just ported version) is forgetting to counter/reprogram timers or similar issues like "how do you switch to the girlfriend" in Chiller. Making platforms to small & gabs too big or simply have a mastering error of some sort.

[VincentGR]

Ikari Warriors and Robocop 1.
Best gameplay and better design on CPC/ZX, even beats the arcade for me.

[sigh]

Exploding Fist +:

This game is completely different from the Spectrum version.

[Shaun M. Neary]

Exploding Fist +:

This game is completely different from the Spectrum version.

CPC is the odd ball out of that one. Exploding Fist + has the same gameplay as the C64 and Spectrum.
CPC version is just Exploding Fist with a few backgrounds added.

[sigh]

CPC is the odd ball out of that one. Exploding Fist + has the same gameplay as the C64 and Spectrum.
CPC version is just Exploding Fist with a few backgrounds added.

Exploding Fist + on the spectrum has 3 characters at once. The CPC versionis the same as the original but extra backgrounds you can choose from.

[Shaun M. Neary]

Exploding Fist + on the spectrum has 3 characters at once. The CPC versionis the same as the original but extra backgrounds you can choose from.

Yeah, I was also confusing it with Fist II, which I don't believe ever saw a CPC release...