16-bit rivals

[Turbo Kid]

We have a cool thread about 16-bit era Castlevania games and it got me thinking about other games with different entries on different consoles back then. This is a thread to discuss them. For example, which Aladdin did you like best? Or how about Contra III vs The Hard Corps?

We are even starting to get new, modern, unlicensed ports to give us even more comparisons:

 

[UnDubious]

I think those are two screenshots of SNES Batman Returns. The Genesis game is a crappy platformer, not a beat-'em-up.

For TMNT, SNES. Both are good, but there are too many boss rushes and repeats in the Genesis game.
For Aladdin, Genesis. I've just never really played the SNES game, though.

 

[sandogma sandogma]

SNES

Genesis/Mega Drive

 

[X y b e r - S k u ll]

For the Contra games; I used to be a Contra 3 diehard, but I have seen the light and now consider Hard Corps to be the better game (Even if outside Japan they did that dumb thing of making the game unnecessarily harder).

For the Aladdin games; without a doubt the SNES version. No, I don't care that the Mega-Drive version had Disney animators work on it or that Shinji Mikami thinks it's better than the SNES version, it just plays like shit to me. SNES version is a solid 2D platformer all throughout and one of the best of Capcom's Disney games.

For the TMNT games; Turtles in Time all day. I don't think Hyperstone Heist is a bad game, but it always just felt like a slightly butchered version of Turtles in Time to me.

Idk about the Batman games, never played them.

 

[RETRO-VETRO RETRO-VETRO]

So it really comes down to which port you think is better. In that case...

Feature	SNES Version	Genesis Version
Developer	Capcom (Shinji Mikami!)	Virgin Games (Dave Perry of Earthworm Jim fame)
Combat Style	No sword, focused on platforming, agility, and apple throwing	Aladdin wields a sword + apples—more combat-heavy
Visuals	Bright, cartoon-style sprites with smooth platforming animations	Hand-drawn animation by Disney artists, fluid and cinematic
Gameplay Focus	Acrobatics, swinging, jumping, more puzzle-like platforming	Fast-paced action, enemy combat, and spectacle
Music	SNES-style compositions, including “Prince Ali” theme	Richer sound design, more atmospheric and movie-like
Difficulty	Generally easier, more forgiving level design	Tougher, with more enemy encounters and jankier platforming
Legacy	Considered a classic Capcom platformer	Often praised for style and animation, less for gameplay balance

 

[Anoobis]

I never played the SNES Aladdin. Genesis Aladdin was one of my favorite games on the system.

 

[Graw]

For the Aladdin games; without a doubt the SNES version. No, I don't care that the Mega-Drive version had Disney animators work on it or that Shinji Mikami thinks it's better than the SNES version, it just plays like shit to me. SNES version is a solid 2D platformer all throughout and one of the best of Capcom's Disney games.

I might be biased because I had the snes Aladdin as a kid and didn't play try the genesis one until a few years later when I started getting into emulators but I just couldn't get into the genesis one. Maybe it's just because I was a teenager by then and didn't really care about Disney games any more but I've tried it a few times since and just don't find it as fun as the snes one which I still enjoy playing every once in a while.

 

[secreto7 secreto7]

I didn't play enough games or enough SNES ones so I'm biased towards Sega.

 

[sandogma sandogma]

I didn't even know there was a SNES Aladdin back in the day. Most of the hype was surrounding the Genesis version mainly because of how well done the animation was (at the time).

 

[UnDubious]

Yeah, and David Perry was a star after Earthworm Jim. I honestly wasn't even aware of the SNES Aladdin at the time. I don't like that it has no sword, though the sword fighting in the Genesis game is janky (lack of impact cues and stun locking, it's hard to fight without taking constant hits).
There's a decent Master System Aladdin too.

 

[Ferik]

There's the weird case of Sparkster. Where the the Genesis Sparkster is a sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures, but the SNES Sparkster is more of a re-imagining of RKA.

In either case I think the SNES Sparkster is better than the Genesis one, but worse than RKA. I think the general movement is better, but the game is far too easy. It's a fast paced platformer with a really fun gimmick, whereas RKA is built from the same DNA as something like Gunstar Super Heroes or Contra Shattered Soldier where it plays like a platformer, but it's all about constantly introducing new mini challenges and absolutely devious bossfights

 

[Anoobis]

Yeah, and David Perry was a star after Earthworm Jim. I honestly wasn't even aware of the SNES Aladdin at the time. I don't like that it has no sword, though the sword fighting in the Genesis game is janky (lack of impact cues and stun locking, it's hard to fight without taking constant hits).
There's a decent Master System Aladdin too.

There's some interesting stuff going on with the combat in the Genesis game. It's based around active defense. If you time an attack with the enemy's, you'll parry it and take no damage, and since your follow-up is much faster, you can perfect a stack of enemies once you're used to it. Most projectiles can be deflected with the sword or cancelled out by apples.