SFC vs SNES

doodude · Post by **doodude** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:18 pm

Im new to Shmups but have started collecting games for SNES.

I just purchased a Honeybee adapter & a couple of Parodius titles to go with it.

I was wondering if there is any real difference between JP imports & US games other than the cartridge itself.

Such as Gradius III or Super-R Type III or any title that was released in both countries or in the UK for that matter.

Are there any different levels, weapons, characters...?

By the way, this is an awesome site!!!

Skyline · Post by **Skyline** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:39 pm

BioMetal's soundtrack is not shit in JP.

Super Aleste is a bit more difficult (and a bit more fun) than it's US counterpart, Space Megaforce.

MX7 · Post by **MX7** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:03 pm

American SNES looks pretty shit next to the super famicom. If you mod an American SNES with an NTSC/PAL switch you can play games from any region, but it'll still be ugly

Dragon1952 · Post by **Dragon1952** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:34 pm

You can play SFC carts in the SNES by simply removing two small pieces of plastic!

The SFC versions are usually superior because the Japanese don't cut corners for their marketplace while their American offices were always trying to reduce the ROM size because of costs and higher royalties! The American offices (for example) would have the home office alter the programs thinking that tjhey knew better and would mess-up what was already a better product! Their way of "producing" or localizing other than text changes....

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:39 pm

Skyline wrote:Super Aleste is a bit more difficult (and a bit more fun) than it's US counterpart, Space Megaforce.

I was under the impression that both were pretty much identical in terms of gameplay (having tried both I didn't notice any differences worth noting in that area). While the JP version is slightly better in terms of presentation (since it has better story scenes and more varied music), any differences I'm aware of between the two are cosmetic in nature.

StoofooEsq · Post by **StoofooEsq** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:53 pm

One SNES Shmup with regional game differences I can recall was "Kidou Soukou Dion" in Japan, retitled "Imperium" for the US.

The Hunter-like Homing weapon in the Japanese version was replaced by a Wave weapon for the US release. Maybe they thought the original weapon made the game too easy?

Stage 1 in KSD was an attractive, night-lit metropolis with an even better close-up view seen later into the stage. For Imperium, this was changed into a more standard-looking futuristic city set during the day that is soon bombed into even more drab-looking ruins by the enemy, with a closer view of that later into the stage. I'm not sure why the hell such a change was made, considering how much better the former's background is.

Imperium (U)

Kidou Soukou Dion (J)

I think the player gains more EXP from killing enemies in KSD, too. There's also some slight differences in enemy color palettes, and some enemies were either added in or taken out entirely. That's about what I can remember about the games. I think Japan got the better version.

Also, this:

Skyline wrote:BioMetal's soundtrack is not shit in JP.

bears repeating.

doodude · Post by **doodude** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:53 pm

I just got my SFC to SNES converter in the mail along with Parodius Da & Gokujo Parodius & they are very different from SNES but Im guessing theyre not a fair example as they are really meant to be extreme in color & so forth.

Its just kind of odd to me that anyone would spend more to change the original games in order to save money.

Or was it just more to do with what some hot shot somewhere thought the Americans or the Japanese would or would not go for!?

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 9:03 pm

There was that good Macross shmup on the SFC.

Leandro · Post by **Leandro** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 9:16 pm

Vincent Draconis wrote: Kidou Soukou Dion (J)
snip

This game looks good

Regulus · Post by **Regulus** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:41 am

Uh... I think the Dobkeratops in the SFC R-Type III is black, while the SNES version's is orange. Dunno why they changed this (I guess to make the Dobkeratops more similar to the original's?). Unless it's a loop related thing and I'm just remembering wrong.

StoofooEsq · Post by **StoofooEsq** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:31 am

IIRC, that was loop-related.

Oh, and we can't mention R-Type III differences without bringing up the Sperm-to-Eyeball change for the Stage 2 boss.

ex.machina · Post by **ex.machina** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:00 am

Dragon1952 wrote:You can play SFC carts in the SNES by simply removing two small pieces of plastic!

Hm did that work on the SNES as well? I just remember it worked on N64 (JPN/US).

Regulus · Post by **Regulus** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:03 am

It does. First game I did it with was Rockman 7.

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 4:16 am

ex.machina wrote:
Dragon1952 wrote:You can play SFC carts in the SNES by simply removing two small pieces of plastic!
Hm did that work on the SNES as well? I just remember it worked on N64 (JPN/US).

Works for SNES too. My SFC Pop 'n Twinbee, Super Puyo Puyo Tsuu Remix, and Goemon Kirakira Dochuu work great on my US SNES.

Spartacus · Post by **Spartacus** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:27 am

LOL I wasn't aware of the sperm to eyeball changes in R-Type III. And the differences between Imperium and Kidou Soukou Dion are pretty noticable. I'll have to check that one out.
I usually pick up the Japanese versions when I find them because the box artwork is more appealing to me. The most extreme example would probably be Phalanx!

doodude · Post by **doodude** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:54 am

Vincent Draconis wrote:IIRC, that was loop-related.

Oh, and we can't mention R-Type III differences without bringing up the Sperm-to-Eyeball change for the Stage 2 boss.

Holy Cow, how do the folks who are trying to save our delicate lil' chillin's souls find this stuff in the first place!?

Arent they busy listnin' for dirty words in hard rock music & trying to ban Harry Potter? They have time to play video games too!?

zinger · Post by **zinger** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:43 pm

Cool, I need to play some R-Type III.

MathU · Post by **MathU** » Sun Dec 16, 2007 10:59 pm

I didn't think the change was that horrible, but the sperm were indeed cooler. And yeah, Dobkeratops and the rest of the stage 5 bosses are all a darker color on the second loop.

StoofooEsq · Post by **StoofooEsq** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:13 am

When I first played the US version of R-Type III, not aware of the changes made to the port by Jaleco, those flying eyeballs still looked like sperm to me anyway. Funny that.

Anyway, there's two more regional differences for the game I noticed today: During the fight with the Stage 4 mid-boss in the JP version, the standard boss theme plays instead of "Toge Toge". Also, the staff roll at the end of the game was removed for the US port. What's up with that?

Fighter17 · Post by **Fighter17** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:26 am

Vincent Draconis wrote:When I first played the US version of R-Type III, not aware of the changes made to the port by Jaleco, those flying eyeballs still looked like sperm to me anyway. Funny that.

Anyway, there's two more regional differences for the game I noticed today: During the fight with the Stage 4 mid-boss in the JP version, the standard boss theme plays instead of "Toge Toge". Also, the staff roll at the end of the game was removed for the US port. What's up with that?

Well at least it wasn't gameplay changes.

I'm Alec · Post by **I'm Alec** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 4:03 pm

Spartacus wrote:I usually pick up the Japanese versions when I find them because the box artwork is more appealing to me. The most extreme example would probably be Phalanx!

I've never seen the Japanese art for Phalanx, but I can't imagine its better than the USA version. One of my favorite boxes ever.

pilotwings · Post by **pilotwings** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 4:26 pm

There are differences between Axelay. Only minor though!

If you watch the demo on the jap game it shows an experienced gamer playing it quite well and the demo go's on for ages. It's also good to watch for a noob to pick up on how the game should be played.

The us versions demo sucks in comparison and is short.

Also their is a graphical mess glitch on one of the bosses on the us version . On stage 4 i think . It makes the boss look as if their is tracers coming of it which looks like an added graphic effect but really it's graphic mess when them game got ported from jpn.

Also one of the bosses on one of the vertical stages shoots out we blue lasers on the jpn version which is not in the us version. They were either missing or just grey in colour in us version. Its vague in my memory and I can't remember which boss

Plus the jpn version has that cheat you can enter at the title screen

The us version defo got the best box artwork though in my opinion. I don't like the box artwork of the jpn version.

pilotwings · Post by **pilotwings** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 4:47 pm

DJ Rectal Prolapse wrote:American SNES looks pretty shit next to the super famicom. If you mod an American SNES with an NTSC/PAL switch you can play games from any region, but it'll still be ugly

No way mate a US snes looks way better than a pal/jap S famicom.

As long as it's pure white though!

Plus the tab removal is a magor bonus. Who needs pal games when you can have us and jpn.

Spartacus · Post by **Spartacus** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:29 pm

I'm Alec wrote:I've never seen the Japanese art for Phalanx, but I can't imagine its better than the USA version. One of my favorite boxes ever.

I guess you could say the US cover art is a timeless classic, in an odd humor sort of way.

I was always hiding my box behind the family photo though. The PAL cover art seemed like an improvement to me. It looks like this...
http://cgi.ebay.at/PHALANX-SNES-PAL-Ver ... dZViewItem

But I ended up with the Japanese version. It looks like this...
http://scottthong.files.wordpress.com/2 ... nx-sfc.jpg

I checked into Imperium's alternate version, Kidou Soukou Dion, after reading this post and picked up a complete copy on Yahoo Japan for 500 yen. I looked around for BioMetal while I was there and seen plain carts starting from 3800 to 6800 yen. A complete copy with a ripped and worn looking box was starting at 9000 yen. The music may be nicer in the Japanese version, but whoa! BioMetal must have had a short run in Japan. And the cover art isn't anything to be envious of....
http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/105633311

thesuperkillerxxx · Post by **thesuperkillerxxx** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:41 pm

Regulus wrote:It does. First game I did it with was Rockman 7.

I spent 25 yen on "Magic Sword" to test this in 96, worked like a charm and kept me from wasting a shit ton of money on a different game.

FIL · Post by **FIL** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:44 pm

Am I correct in thinking that although SFC carts will fit in a PAL SNES they won't work?

The only imports i've ever played are American, and I used an adapter cart.

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:30 pm

Regarding Phalanx, the other covers all pale in comparison to the X68000 cover:

(The letters are golden, by the way; it's just hard to scan).

Now that's what I call a cool STG cover.

doodude · Post by **doodude** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:47 pm

FIL wrote:Am I correct in thinking that although SFC carts will fit in a PAL SNES they won't work?

The only imports i've ever played are American, and I used an adapter cart.

Ive just recently bought an adapter to play JP carts on a US SNES. It was sposed to be a Honeybee with what looked like a single cart slot in the top of an adapter that you put into the US SNES.

What I got was the kind of adapter that requires a game to be plugged into the back of the adapter & a game to be plugged into the top & then the whole mess is plugged into the US SNES.

2 things tho.
1st, the slot in back of the adapter is only designed to take the oval JP style cart. Isnt this slot sposed to be designed to accept a US cart & make the US console think the JP cart on top is a US cart? HUH!? Whadya say???
2nd, It actually takes the JP cart in the back & a JP cart on top to make the console play the JP cart on top! AARRGGHHH!
And 3rd, (yeah I kno! ) I have a JP cart that has the 2 extra connectors inside the cart opening that wont play/read at all. Is there something about the 2 extra 'fins' that keep the console from reading the cart?

Dragon1952 · Post by **Dragon1952** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:04 am

Forget that goofy contraption and simply cut out the two small pieces of plastic in the cartridge bay port that restrict the SFC cartridge! Take an X-Acto or other sharp knife and size-up the plastic that you can easily see that keeps the SFC cart from mating to the snes and cut across that plastic downward. Then take some pliers or needlenose and wiggle off the excess plastic. If you eyeball the SFC cart and the appropriate SNES slot you can get the picture. Once those two pieces of plastic are removed you are in business! It takes two minutes!

Ceph · Post by **Ceph** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 12:12 am

There are several Super Nintendo games with a lockout chip; cutting off the plastic knobs in your SNES won't help. Solution: Get an import adapter.