Is there any special reason to buy ports...

[khorven]

...instead of just playing the games on MAME? Besides being able to play some games before they are playable in MAME.

[Skyline]

Additional gameplay modes.
For some ports, the fixing of some emulation inaccuracies (ex: Taito G-Net games in MAME: no BGM, no objects besides your own ship and HUD in Night Raid)
In the case of Xbox360 ports, leaderboard and replay integration.

[Udderdude]

You forgot to mention the most important if you're buying it new ..

Supporting the developers. :p

[Skykid]

...instead of just playing the games on MAME? Besides being able to play some games before they are playable in MAME.

NOT BEING A MAME THIEF

[endoKarb]

...instead of just playing the games on MAME? Besides being able to play some games before they are playable in MAME.

Automatic replay saving, online leaderboards and replay sharing, additional game modes, smoother graphics, no emulation related problems.

Definitely worth it.

[Wonderbanana]

You forgot to mention the most important if you're buying it new ..

Supporting the developers. :p

QFT.

[O. Van Bruce]

Automatic replay saving, online leaderboards and replay sharing, additional game modes, smoother graphics, no emulation related problems.

Definitely worth it.

+1000

You forgot to mention the most important if you're buying it new ..

Supporting the developers. :p

+100

[Kollision]

I spend too much time in front of the computer at work, so when I'm home I want to be far from it (MAME is only for practice and STGTs, etc.)
I like to play games on my TV
Games look good side by side on my shelf

[KAI]

Bonus CDs (?)

[Friendly]

You forgot to mention the most important if you're buying it new ..

Supporting the developers. :p

Which in turn usually leads to them making more games you enjoy.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

You forgot to mention the most important if you're buying it new ..

Supporting the developers. :p

I hate living in a world where this isn't the obvious answer (apparently).

[khorven]

Thanks for the answers. I don't really give a fuck about devs though.

(just kidding.)

[Never_Scurred]

Mostly, for the 360 ports, wanting the most accurate experience short of going the PCB route and supporting the last company standing in this niche genre.
For everything else prior to this gen....MAME with no shame.

[KyoKusagani1999]

The Arrange modes offered by the ports offers something unique you can't really get
in the arcade version. Often times, these modes are fun.

I thought DaiFukkatsu Arrange A was more fun than the original game and KetsuPachi
is a match made in heaven, but people are welcome to their own opinions.

[Yield]

Sure, ports can be even more worthwhile than the original, I guess.

But is there any reason to fork out $200 for a 360 bundle when we'll have a perfectly optimized emulator of it in 20 years?

I think not.

[Mortificator]

Automatic replay saving, online leaderboards and replay sharing, additional game modes, smoother graphics, no emulation related problems.

Most of this only applies to the newer Cave ports. For shooting games with status: good in MAME, it's almost universally the better choice than a consumer release.

[Friendly]

Sure, ports can be even more worthwhile than the original, I guess.

But is there any reason to fork out $200 for a 360 bundle when we'll have a perfectly optimized emulator of it in 20 years?

Does not wanting to wait for 20 years count (in addition to rewarding the developers for their work)?

[Wonderbanana]

There's a simpler definition.

If you actually give a shit about STG's, are a true fan, and thus want the developer/s of your favourite genre rewarded for their efforts so you know, they actually keep making them - you buy ports.

[Shadowduel]

of just playing the games on MAME?

We can play em on our cabs/superguns. Everyone can do it Lack of any new stgs worth buying is another question tho.

[chempop]

Earning money and buying stuff is rewarding. What a shit topic.

[PROMETHEUS]

I understand concerns for supporting dying developpers but don't take it too far...
also don't forget the absolutely huge role that MAME has had in supporting STG in the west these past years, and it will keep doing that ^^
I know I would never had gotten into shmups if it wasn't for MAME eheh.

Ports sometimes come with a bunch of bonuses like said earlier,
but often MAME is closer to arcade perfect and comes with many specific advantages as well which often outweigh ports depending on... you.

For me MAME is always the best option (DDP/DOJ) but I buy ports to support Cave making their releases region free (so I bought Mushi Futari, DFK and will buy SDOJ, even though I have no XBOX, have barely used Futari's disc, not used DFK's at all so far. I don't care about collecting at all either). May use DFK/SDOJ discs if I actually end up getting a XBOX, though I dislike the idea of giving anything to M$.

[tomexplodes]

Earning money and buying stuff is rewarding. What a shit topic.

Er, these things are NECESSARY, but I don't know that I'd call them "rewarding", personally.

Owning an Xbox 360 would probably help MY interest in buying ports. I own a lot of gaming consoles and there are a goodly number of shooters available for most of them, but since most of the best ones are Japanese and not available on my crappy American hardware, I do a lot of emulation of arcade shmups because I don't currently have a better alternative. If I did, I'd do that instead.

[opt2not]

You forgot to mention the most important if you're buying it new ..

Supporting the developers. :p

Earning money and buying stuff is rewarding. What a shit topic.

^ These.

[trap15]

Awful and pointless thread. If you didn't already know why, then you should really contemplate your thought process on things.

[PROMETHEUS]

I really don't think earning money and buying shit is very rewarding at all,
what you do and what you learn is, not what you "own" and how much time you waste in order to increase your $ account value.

In MMORPG terms it would be like wasting time grinding to gain levels and get always "better" equipment.. except in life you don't need that to enjoy yourself and learn tons of things (you need time). Not even in MMORPGs anyway, even though they're built for that purpose, to make $ to the devs by making you waste time so you keep paying forever until their next expansion or game comes out ! ;D

[Wonderbanana]

I understand concerns for supporting dying developpers but don't take it too far...
also don't forget the absolutely huge role that MAME has had in supporting STG in the west these past years, and it will keep doing that ^^
I know I would never had gotten into shmups if it wasn't for MAME eheh.

Ports sometimes come with a bunch of bonuses like said earlier,
but often MAME is closer to arcade perfect and comes with many specific advantages as well which often outweigh ports depending on... you.

For me MAME is always the best option (DDP/DOJ) but I buy ports to support Cave making their releases region free (so I bought Mushi Futari, DFK and will buy SDOJ, even though I have no XBOX, have barely used Futari's disc, not used DFK's at all so far. I don't care about collecting at all either). May use DFK/SDOJ discs if I actually end up getting a XBOX, though I dislike the idea of giving anything to M$.

No one is slating MAME and your response in sensible and perhaps reflects how many of us are which is fine. My post and I suspect others were directed at other more dickish responses.

[lemonhead]

....
I thought DaiFukkatsu Arrange A was more fun than the original game
....

Amen, brother.

[iconoclast]

I'd take the ports over anything else because of the bonus features (HD graphics, training, etc.), the console/arrange modes (some of which are great), and because they have the most competitive online scoreboards that I know of (complete with downloadable replays). I don't even mind when the port accuracy is a little iffy, because everyone still has to compete on the same version of the game. It just makes it hard to compare console scores to arcade scores.

[Jeneki]

Is this a serious topic, or someone's alt?

[ricebunny]

But is there any reason to fork out $200 for a 360 bundle when we'll have a perfectly optimized emulator of it in 20 years?

perhaps not having to wait 20 years