The version comparison thread

[CIT]

I figured we could use a thread like this, as the question "which version is the best" pops up again and again with regard to multi-platform titles.

I'll start off with these questions:

Ogre Battle: What are the differences between SFC/SNES > Saturn > PlayStation versions?

Similarly, Tactics Ogre: What are the differences between SFC/SNES > Saturn > PlayStation > PSP versions?

[BIL]

edit: ta CIT! Ok, here's a few of the more substantial ones I can recall offhand. A lot of this might sound familiar to fellow regulars, but I still hear new appreciation for these tidbits now and then, so consolidating might be nice.

In most cases, I'm not sure which was the original and which was the revision, but that's kinda moot anyway I guess. Pretty sure of this stuff otherwise, but corrections welcome of course. ;3

>Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES) vs (Famicom)

JP version is much harder. The FC shunts the NES difficulties down a rung, then adds an entirely new and much nastier upper tier. Enemies now attack rabidly whenever the player is in range, and they also start the game at their maximum HP level. This improves the moveset's balance significantly, moderating the infamous knee from a body-obliterating bazooka to one tool among many. It's still brutally good at sending enemies into pits, but it won't instakill outright, and it's far likelier to trade than the other power moves or the basic attacks. Anyone who loves this great Technos beater but found it lacking in lasting venom should give the FC one a go.

Conversely, the JP version is also much more accommodating; you can play the whole game on any difficulty (NES will cut your credit short on lower difficulties), and continues are freely available (NES requires a cheat).

>Metal Storm (NES) vs (Famicom)

JP ver is moderately harder. JP colour palette loses some bullet visibility. The FC version's sixth stage features less enemies than the NES one, but complicates things significantly with an electrical barrier running the length of its ceiling and floor. Where NES lets you wrap freely around, JP will fry you to a crisp. Having 2-ALLed both versions it's not right to say the NES st6 is a pushover, but JP's crackling wall of death is a trickier finale and better use of the central gravity mechanic.

The NES's palette makes your mech look kinda fruity, but enemy bullets are a nice burning angry red. FC mech is sleeker, but its bullets flash orange/grey; possible to lose track. With the game's typically methodical IREM design it's not too big an issue - you'll memorise when something's gonna fire at you before long - but it's worth noting.

>Splatterhouse III (Genesis) vs Splatterhouse Part 3 (Mega Drive JP) (No PAL release)

Much easier US version. The US version seems to have fallen afoul of the SFII craze. Its crowd control moves are marginally trickier to input, but enormously more powerful. It's little exaggeration to say it plays like Final Fight minus the health penalty for bombing. Play the MD one for a much more technically demanding game.

>The Ninja Warriors (SNES) vs The Ninja Warriors Again (SFC)

Altered US game balance due to censorship. The US version deletes the Katana girls outright, compensating with tons and tons of Claws. Pretty nasty chop for a game that's all about the crowd mixups; the SNES version is still thoroughly excellent in other regards, but I categorically recommend the NTSCJ one.

Note even the JP version has green blood, however. The US and PAL versions lack any whatsoever.

[CIT]

Are region comparisons ok?

Most certainly, yes!

[BIL]

Cool, started off with a few long-running favourites. ^__^

[gameoverDude]

Contra: Hard Corps (MD vs Gen): Japanese Mega Drive version has a health bar which the USA one lacks.

Aliens (Konami arcade, JPN vs USA): Japanese version has a fairer difficulty balance, while USA one is a bit too tough and also has the cart sequence.

Crime Fighters (JPN vs USA): Japanese version has the Double Dragon type life meter, unlike the lame countdown of death on the USA one which makes a 1CC impossible.

Xexex (JPN vs world): Japanese version has a fair difficulty with checkpoints ala Last Resort or R-Type. World version has an energy meter, which means you could lose your credit in about 2 seconds.

Double Dragon 3 (JPN vs USA): The USA version has that microtransaction crap. After your first 2 quarters go to start the game, imagine plunking down another to get a weapon, and another to get special moves. Mighty sad. Neither version of DD3 is very good. That said, if you are a series completionist who absolutely must play EVERY DD title, go with the Japanese version.

Golden Axe (Arcade vs Genesis): The Genesis seems harder with enemies being more aggressive and slightly faster. They seem more apt to rush you down and gang up on you than in the arcade.

Double Dragon (Arcade vs Genesis): Genesis doesn't have the slowdown, but the game speed is a bit too fast. It lacks all the arcade's voice samples but the music is very good. The wrong BGM is used in the final boss battle though.

Shadow Force (JPN vs USA): USA version has 6 button control, but also has a Vs. Stage where you fight your partner or a random CPU opponent. It wouldn't be a bad thing, but it is because any damage you take here will be carried over to your next mission. So, a KO will leave you open to a 1HKO in the next mission. Japanese version is better because of the Vs. Stage being omitted.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Tactics Ogre for PSX is as bad a port of the Super Famicom game as Chrono Trigger for PSX - nasty loading times (such as mid-animation pauses). Well, in reality it's not as obnoxious as it was in ChT (where it ruined pacing so essential for that game's original success), but then again - I did not like Tactics Ogre very much, so I didn't care a lot. The "save anytime" feature of PSX Tactics Ogre is so buggy (not keeping all the ground stats alterations) it's pretty worthless.

[Sumez]

Japanese Mega Drive version has a health bar which the USA one is too bad-ass to need.

[Sir Ilpalazzo]

Contra III - not much in the way of mechanical differences but the way the different regions treat the endings is interesting.

JP: Easy mode cuts you off immediately after defeating the brain boss, displaying what I assume is a "play normal mode for the true ending!" message before starting over on normal. Normal lets you fight the true final boss, displays a message (that probably tells you to challenge hard mode, I dunno), and then rolls the credits and ending. Hard mode gives you an extra congratulatory message and has a small easter egg at the end of the credits (one of the dog monsters is hanging out in the crowd at the end.

US: Easy mode and normal mode both cut you off after beating the brain. Only hard mode lets you fight the true last boss (so the dog-less version of the ending shot never appears in the US version lol).

Ghouls 'n Ghosts - the World revision in MAME has reduced difficulty compared to the original Japanese release (less aggressive enemy spawns and I think less forgiving replacement armor drops as well). The US revision has even weaker enemies and bosses, as well as extremely generous checkpoints and armor pickups.

God Hand - The Japanese version features a roulette move (super move) that drops a pan on your character's head. It costs zero orbs to use and I believe it can never be removed from your roulette move list (both entirely unique attributes). Using the move slightly damages you, but also grants you several seconds of invincibility. The US version removes the ability and replaces it with nothing.

[BIL]

Regarding Hard Corps, it's worth noting that hitpoints aside, the Japanese version is totally identical to the US one. So basically, JP is a hell of a lot easier to beat initially, but actually plays the same under no-miss conditions. (aka REAL CONTRA no for real it's regulation! see the FC intro, you gotta be alive and doing superhuman commando feats to qualify for the unit! )

US one is still way the hell more visceral though, imo, especially when going for super-risky stunts. JP's wimpy "yeowch!" damage shrug can't match the jarring "YOU FUCKED UP!" of the US's instant screaming deaths.

Vampire Killer (MD)/Bloodlines (Gen), OTOH, is more muddled. VK's three difficulty settings are easier than Bloodlines' across the board, but the difference is less pronounced on Expert. BL/Expert is still harder, and the definitively-tuned version imo, but there isn't much between acing one or the other.

Ninja Gaiden III (NES) is genuinely much harder than Ninja Ryukenden III (FC). I would say NGIII is actually more in line with the previous two games (which are identical across US/JP), as far as enemy/ammo distribution goes; however, the damage scale is brutally harsh. NRIII feels like it was deliberately toned down from the previous two. I believe there's at least one translated interview out there reflecting this... but regardless, Ryukenden III's damage scale and enemy/ammo distributions are hugely more favourable than NGIII's. Then there's the unlimited continues (series standard) and passwords (definitely not series standard).

Despite NRIII being far easier overall, it actually shares the NES version's single deadliest trait - punishingly strict time limit for the final stage. Won't lash players quite as hard but you'll still have to haul ass.

Annoyingly, the SFC comp (not sure about the SNES equivalent) sensibly combines NGIII's tougher layouts with NRIII's lower damage scale, but all three games are unbearably ugly and tuneless compared to the beautiful FC originals. Maybe just me but I can't stand more than a few minutes, it's just nasty. Like someone took an MSpaint bucket and croaking MIDI soundfont to Tecmo's lovely work.

[Sumez]

SNES Trilogy also uses the JP easier difficulty, I believe it's identical to the SFC release in this regard.

How is US NGIII's stage layout different? I didn't notice it when I played it, I just thought it was the damage scaling and powerup distribution making all the differences (which really makes a surprisingly HUGE difference)

[BIL]

Sorry, by stage design I meant the item and enemy distributions; will edit that. But yeah, basically you're not going to have the longsword nearly as much in NGIII, and there's less ammo/health/1UPs, and there are significantly more enemies... who do far more damage.

I actually love the ammo reduction, since it means more intense toe-to-toe combat ala NG1 (my favourite of the series, partially for Ryu having nowhere near as much screen-raking firepower compared to NGII).

[Obiwanshinobi]

Various PS2-gen Capcom games in PAL (where I gather every their title since 2002 bar Bombastic was 60 Hz, by the way) have some tweaks not found in the US versions (rebalanced weapons in RE4, most notably - way more powerful knife, savestates working differently in Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter - I can't be bothered elaborating, no 20% sped-up mode in DMC3SE - maybe adjusting it to 50 Hz mode would be tricky, so they gave up including it?)
Also, extra difficulties (maybe some extra camo in 3?) in MGS2&3 enhanced editions PAL (both 50 Hz only, but optimised at that).
At least one playable character exclusive to PAL Everybody's Golf (as 4 was titled in Europe).

[Perikles]

A few SFC/SNES games I can think of:

Imperium (US) has several graphical changes for the worse compared to Kidou Soukou Dion, some different tracks, a new very strong fourth weapon instead of the fairly weak homing shot, some enemy placements are different or completely changed altogether and the scoring works differently, too (which affects the rate of upgrades in the game since the score/EXP counter is directly linked to that). Can almost be considered its own game.

No version of ActRaiser 2 is like another. The US version is by far the hardest, the PAL version is technically a bit harder than the SFC version though they hide the fact a bit (they changed the name of the "Easy" setting to "Normal" here so that the poor Europeans/Australians wouldn't feel so bad ; PAL Hard ist the one to play for real defaults). Lots of small and big changes everywhere: the spikes in Altheria are not lethal in the SFC version, but they are in the Western releases. The flying skulls have one full HP in the Western version and only half that in the original. There's one rock missing in Almethea, making the jump harder in the occidental versions. More enemies in the Tower of Babel in the West. Only three lives on the US Normal on one credit, but five in the SFC Normal and PAL Hard. And so on and so forth.

I've also heard the first game is quite different, but I've never played the SFC version of that myself. Apparently, in this case the SFC version is a lot harder than its Western counterparts.

The E.D.F. port is slightly more difficult in the West.

Strike Gunner S.T.G starts on Easy in the Western versions and has less Engrish - boo!

SFC Sonic Wings has two loops, SNES Aero Fighters does not.

SFC Hagane hands out seven credits, SNES version grants as many continues as you want.

Both BioMetal and Sword Maniac/X-Kaliber 2097 have entirely different soundtracks in the West. I personally prefer the Western music for X-Kaliber, although certainly not in BioMetal. One pentagram was also censored in X-Kaliber 2097.

SFC Thunder Spirits is slightly harder than its Western counterpart.

BIL will be able to tell the specifics about Return of Double Dragon <-> Super Double Dragon.


I'm also surprised no one mentioned the typical Famicom/NES stuff yet (Akumajou Densetsu -> Castlevania III; Ninja Ryukenden III -> Ninja Gaiden III; Mad City -> Adventures of Bayou Billy), especially the latter is much, much harder in the West. I've heard somewhere that the Famicom Battletoads is easier than the US version and possibly the PAL release, does anyone know more about this?

[Gespenst]

Need for Speed 4 and Hot Pursuit 2, two notorious examples of completely different PC-console versions to the point a console version has ironically more detailed/better looking cars (both games, ironically PSX version of NFS4 cars have better detail compared to higher-res yet half-assed looking PC version's) and better gameplay and driving physics (HP2)
NFS4: http://www.nfscars.net/forum/nfs-high-s ... rsion.html
http://nfs.wikia.com/wiki/Need_for_Spee ... ifferences

NFSHP2, in this case the PS2 version developed by EA Black Box is considered the best version
http://nfs.wikia.com/wiki/Need_for_Spee ... ifferences
http://wiki.nfsunlimited.net/wiki/Need_ ... Comparison

[BIL]

BIL will be able to tell the specifics about Return of Double Dragon <-> Super Double Dragon.

Ah yes, that's a pretty interesting one. Up way too late here but I'll give it a shot, sorry for any mistakes or lack of effort. ;3 I know there's at least one proper SNES vs SFC breakdown out there.

The big SFC addition is, staggered enemies can randomly duck your combo finishers, often forcing you to armlock their reprisal. Sounds minor, but the element of risk really improves the game's flow. Gambling on landing a brutal hit is naturally more exciting, and deftly reversing a deadly miss into a face-smashing armlocked flurry is wrathfully satisfying. There are other smaller mechanical refinements (catchable boomerangs, oh wao!) but that's the big one. SFC also adds a Hard mode which is the only setting I've ever played on, so tbh I'm not sure how it varies.

Enemy layouts are different too, in at least one spot: you fight st3's kung fu twins simultaneously, not whatever half-assed arrangement the SNES one used.

Aesthetically SFC has more BGM, and better-placed BGMs at that. The last stage's temple is a bit lengthier on SFC.

The game speed is every bit as slow, unfortunately. If you don't already love its particularly balletic take on Technos Beater Violence despite that (like me! ), RODD probably won't change your mind. Basically SDD feels flat-out unfinished, while RODD feels merely rushed.

[Ghegs]

I've heard somewhere that the Famicom Battletoads is easier than the US version and possibly the PAL release, does anyone know more about this?

There's a huge list of the differences listed here. The JP version is easier, some might say it's more balanced as a result, but because the game has gathered such infamy in the US for its difficulty, it's considered worse. In a way it's an interesting study in gamer mentality.

But the greatest crime against the JP Battletoads is that they removed the awesome drum beat that plays when the game is paused. That really makes me feel my JP copy of the game is somehow faulty.

[Sumez]

In a rare case of Europe getting the long end of the stick, the European version of Ico greatly improved Yorda's AI, which is why we never understood when you guys complained about the escort aspect of the game being so horrible. It actually works quite well here.
On the flipside, we were given two puzzles that are unique to the PAL version. Both are completely out of touch with the mechanics and standards of the game, feel clumsy and are very unintuitive. It's very common to get stuck on at least one of these, and it confused the hell out of me when I originally played the game for the first time, as every walkthrough available would glaze over these parts (because they were based on the US versions)
AFAIK the improved AI is in all regions of the PS3 re-release, not sure about the stupid puzzles.

As far as I know all the Dark Aeons and Penance are also absent from the American release of Final Fantasy X, and the initial Japanese one. I feel these battles are a huge part of the game, and what eventually made me like it, so it feels weird that the game was originally designed without it. Also, the "expert" sphere grid was not available in the Japanese release (and I guess same for US?).
All of this was included in the later "International" release in Japan and the recent FFX/X-2 HD remaster releases.

[BIL]

Oh yeah, also on the more adventure gaming side of things: the NTSCU version of Silent Hill is the only one featuring the infamous knife-wielding "grey child" monsters. They were deleted from the JP and PAL versions, hamfistedly replaced with their later-game counterpart, the teddy-bearish Mumblers. I was aghast when I learned this. NTSCJ SH2-4 are totally sound, NTSCJ SH1 is maimed. Midwich Elementary = demon children, you censorious fucks! They are arguably not real children, FFS. Is poignant metaphor, I swear. Trust BIRU. Do it. ¦3

PAL SH1 actually did get some small vengeance though! There's a memo late in the game that fills in a few plot blanks (particularly significant in a game with a plot as murky as SH1's). For some reason it's there, but impossible to read in the NTSCU version. PAL reads fine, as does JP. Doesn't make up for the spoilage of an iconic horror gaming locale but it's something at least.

NTSCU Original or Greatest Hits, either will do for uncensored SH1.

[Obiwanshinobi]

In a rare case of Europe getting the long end of the stick, the European version of Ico greatly improved Yorda's AI, which is why we never understood when you guys complained about the escort aspect of the game being so horrible. It actually works quite well here.
On the flipside, we were given two puzzles that are unique to the PAL version. Both are completely out of touch with the mechanics and standards of the game, feel clumsy and are very unintuitive. It's very common to get stuck on at least one of these, and it confused the hell out of me when I originally played the game for the first time, as every walkthrough available would glaze over these parts (because they were based on the US versions)
AFAIK the improved AI is in all regions of the PS3 re-release, not sure about the stupid puzzles.

I read PAL version has inferior mip-mapping (or some feature of the kind) - when zooming in on distant objects, some mip-maps "forget" to load in PAL and you see less detail there.
PAL also got co-op and translated subtitles in NG+. Apparently more "rounded" shadows too (rendered using more bordering points if I understood correctly).

As far as I know all the Dark Aeons and Penance are also absent from the American release of Final Fantasy X, and the initial Japanese one. I feel these battles are a huge part of the game, and what eventually made me like it, so it feels weird that the game was originally designed without it. Also, the "expert" sphere grid was not available in the Japanese release (and I guess same for US?).
All of this was included in the later "International" release in Japan and the recent FFX/X-2 HD remaster releases.

I feel the one to play still is the International undub hack (NTSCJ International build with japanese voice acting hacked back in). Unless it's also in "HD" ports (I suppose on PC - modders already took care of it).

[Sumez]

I read PAL version has inferior mip-mapping (or some feature of the kind) - when zooming in on distant objects, some mip-maps "forget" to load in PAL and you see less detail there.
PAL also got co-op and translated subtitles in NG+. Apparently more "rounded" shadows too (rendered using more bordering points if I understood correctly).

Sounds right about the mip-mapping - zooming is very useless in this game. I never realised that was a PAL-exclusive issue. I never realised the other things were PAL-exclusive as well.

[copy-paster]

Mega Man Zero : All 4 games in JP ver spurts "blood" when the enemies getting hit with Z-Saber, not present in EU and US ver (the blood is present during the Z1 prologue cutscene).

Gran Turismo 2 : JP, EU, and US version has different intro music, of course the US version is the best!

[FinalBaton]

Ninja Gaiden III (NES) is genuinely much harder than Ninja Ryukenden III (FC). I would say NGIII is actually more in line with the previous two games (which are identical across US/JP), as far as enemy/ammo distribution goes; however, the damage scale is brutally harsh. NRIII feels like it was deliberately toned down from the previous two. I believe there's at least one translated interview out there reflecting this... but regardless, Ryukenden III's damage scale and enemy/ammo distributions are hugely more favourable than NGIII's. THEN THERE'S THE UNLIMITED CONTINUES (series standard) and passwords (definitely not series standard).

And this is what made me pick up Ninja Ryukenden III. Not that I can't take a challenge, but not having infinite continues in the NES/FC NG/NR games is bullshit. How the hell are you supposed to practice the levels if you don't have those?

Now bear in mind : I don't need a single continue in NG now(hell, I only need a single life. Longplay coming on my YT channel ). But to get there I had to practice, and practice, an practice, and practice, and... you get the idea.

[BIL]

Honestly, if I were tasked with mellowing out NGIII with one change only, it'd be reducing the damage scale to less ball-breaking intensity. The continue limit sounds evil, definitely, but it's getting clobbered for enormous chunks of HP that really marks it as the harder NES entry (enemies that do more than 1 or 2HP are fairly rare in NG1/2).

Not that I want mellower NGIII.

Speaking of ball-breaking damage scales! Regarding Castlevania III vs Akumajou Densetsu, the relative difficulty of their first loops is somewhat debatable, though CVIII ultimately has the nastier tuning (checkpoints are meaner, as are powerup distributions, and if you're using Grant you'll get a high-risk stabber, not an ezmodo sniper). However, for second loops, CVIII skullfucks AD into sub-atomic dust. The former's damage scale alone is nuts, but it also has three exclusive enemy upgrades. Two are rarely seen and tbh not that relevant. The third is Super Deluxe Medusa Head and it will make anyone bothered by the normal sort burst into tears. Yeah yeah, technically they're skulls - in my headcanon, they've been flayed alive and subsequently dunked in vinegar until all sanity or sense of rhythm was irretrievably expunged. :3

[Sumez]

Japanese Ryukenden III is such a well designed game. Doesn't feel much like a Ninja Gaiden (it just isn't the same without the world's most aggressive respawns), but it definitely feels like a prime example of the classic NES action platformer that all games should strive to emulate. But it's far too easy to be truly good, I 1CC'ed it the first time I ever tried it!
The Americas definitely did well to increase the difficulty, and a NES copy of NGIII is still high on my wishlist - unfortunately they are getting really expensive, så my best hope is for the Famicom game to eventually go the same way so I can trade it for a NES copy

[BIL]

Haha, that's my master plan B too, as with Vampire Killer and (The) Hard Corps... though tbh, I'm a materialistic bugger with this stuff! To quote that paragon of sensibility Bixby Snyder:

"WELL CAN I HAVE YA BOTH?!"

"GAAAHAHAHAHAAAA"

[FinalBaton]

Definitely not getting rid of my pristine copy of Bloodlines here! Aside from very few exceptions (which Ninja Ryukenden III vs Ninja Gaiden 3 is), I love having US copies of games!

[BrianC]

Fantasy Zone-

-US NES and JP FC versions are completely different ports. No shared assets here like with After Burner and Star Force.
-SMS version is very different from the arcade with different prices for weapons, "target" enemies that take more hits, two bosses replaced with new ones, and a bonus for buying all the speed ups.
-JP FC is the closest 8-bit port to the arcade (unless you count TG-16). Pricing and enemy distribution are close. Music is much better than the TG-16 version (surprisingly, even the US NES port has nice music).
-US NES port has choppy scrolling and "target" enemies don't launch other enemies like most versions.

Rampart:

-US NES is a straight up arcade port, but JP version is completely different (and a good game in its own right). Most versions are knights in castles shooting at ships with cannons, but JP version has a variety of different level themes and has the castles in the middle of the play-field rather than seperated like most versions.
-GB b/w version is closer to the arcade than the NES, but still a bit different. Medieval theme for the US and Medieval fantasy for the JP version. Has three characters to choose from with different attack and defensive stats.
-SNES and DOS versions are based closely on the arcade, but have extra levels and weapons (like the US NES version, they are programmed by former Atari Games/Tengen staff).
-Genesis version is also a straight arcade port
-unlike most versions (even including Lynx, NES, and GBC), the SMS version does not have digital voices.

[zinger]

Various PS2-gen Capcom games in PAL (where I gather every their title since 2002 bar Bombastic was 60 Hz, by the way) have some tweaks not found in the US versions (rebalanced weapons in RE4, most notably - way more powerful knife, savestates working differently in Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter - I can't be bothered elaborating, no 20% sped-up mode in DMC3SE - maybe adjusting it to 50 Hz mode would be tricky, so they gave up including it?)
Also, extra difficulties (maybe some extra camo in 3?) in MGS2&3 enhanced editions PAL (both 50 Hz only, but optimised at that).
At least one playable character exclusive to PAL Everybody's Golf (as 4 was titled in Europe).

I've heard that the first DMC wasn't optimized for PAL and runs slower than the original game. I wouldn't know, because I've (sadly?) only played the PAL version. I'm planning to pick up all the other Kamiya/Clover games for PS2 within the next couple of months, I'd be surprised if they weren't rendered at the correct speed, but who knows, and maybe they messed up something else instead? I should probably just get a Japanese PS2 to be on the safe side.

Speaking of version differences generally, I'm a big fan of the PC98 version of Prince of Persia. It's very close to the original, but has an absolutely gorgeous soundtrack added to it. The same company also did the SFC version, which is great too, but much more different from the original game; they've extended the time limit, modified and expanded on stage designs, added new stages, bosses, music, graphics and so on; being roughly twice as long, the game uses a password system, so it doesn't have the same arcade-style structure or feel compared to Mechner's original design, but the new stages are very imaginative, and the beautiful graphics/music really adds tons to the atmosphere! I think the Western versions were censored, so steer clear!

Another interesting case is Dynamite Headdy, where the Western versions are more difficult than the Japanese version. This makes some of the boss fights more engaging, but overall I still think a lower difficulty suits the game better, because a lot of sections in it feel a bit drawn out and have a pretty low replay-value. There are some other differences such as the stage titles (the Japanese are way cooler!) and sprite designs (can't decide which version I like best). Also, all the dialogue has been cut-out from the Western editions, but I actually like it better without it! Also, the Japanese box design is just wow!

[Obiwanshinobi]

I'm planning to pick up all the other Kamiya/Clover games for PS2 within the next couple of months, I'd be surprised if they weren't rendered at the correct speed, but who knows, and maybe they messed up something else instead?

They've pretty much all been 60 Hz from 2002 (DMC2, Onimusha 2) onwards; Bombastic is the only one I know to not be (although it is full-screen and can be sped up in options). The only three omissions where PAL got nothing in exchange are: some unlockable video(s) in Ōkami, the extra-fast mode in DMC3SE and the Japanese voices in Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (perhaps FMVs stored in both formats hogged data storage space? It's 2 DVDs' worth of ROM after all.) Nevertheless, those 3 games ARE 60 Hz in PAL.
The tweaks in RE4 and BoF: Dragon Quarter hardly make or break those. Viewtiful Joe for PAL PS2 got the best boxart if you ask me and Gregory Horror Show PAL is the Hobson's choice if you can't understand Japanese much.

[BIL]

Speaking of version differences generally, I'm a big fan of the PC98 version of Prince of Persia. It's very close to the original, but has an absolutely gorgeous soundtrack added to it. The same company also did the SFC version, which is great too, but much more different from the original game; they've extended the time limit, modified and expanded on stage designs, added new stages, bosses, music, graphics and so on; being roughly twice as long, the game uses a password system, so it doesn't have the same arcade-style structure or feel compared to Mechner's original design, but the new stages are very imaginative, and the beautiful graphics/music really adds tons to the atmosphere! I think the Western versions were censored, so steer clear!

SFC Prince of Persia is among my favourite productions ever - had no idea its developer had worked on the game previously. Makes sense though, you can really feel the love! PC98 one sounds intriguing, will have to look up the soundtrack at least.

PS2 Shinobi is NTSC-US or bust imo, for two reasons. First is stylistic: the subsequent JP/PAL versions censor the US's awesome, silly, explosively gratifying "Tate" dismemberings. Humanoid enemies are no longer sliced and diced into choice cuts, but lamely keel over. You're seeing these sequences constantly, as they punctuate your kill chains; the censoring really puts a dampener on the US version's raucously bloody B-movie tone.

The much bigger issue, though, is the deletion of the US's excellent final difficulty. US goes Normal->Hard->Super... JP/PAL drop Super, and add an optional Easy difficulty. "Hard" is certainly not a trivial experience, but Super is where the game's excellent speedkilling system truly catches fire. Skillful large chains are optional on lower difficulties, with several shorter, easier ones able to make up the difference. On Super the life-draining sword will eat a hesitant or clumsy player alive, and enemy aggression+HP is off the charts - frenetic yet surgical slaughtering is the only recourse. The loss is a damn shame... Super's intensity largely counteracts the game's generally overlong stages.

The US version got a predictably teeth-gnashing, garments-rending response from mainstream reviewers and TBH, it is genuinely a pretty mean game. Still, I can't help but consider the non-NTSCU revisions unacceptably handicapped. Admittedly I am a bit hardcore but c'mon, at least give people the option of Super.