25 replies to this topic

[Joey Kay]

Hey hey!

Although this has probably been brought up before, I'm curious about head-to-head comparisons of NES vs. 7800 software...

Which ones are better, and why?

Let's see, there's...


Ballblazer - 7800 wins
Commando - 7800 wins according to everybody
Crossbow - ?? - has anyone played the NES proto of this?
Dig Dug - ??
Donkey Kong - ??
Donkey Kong JR - ??
Double Dragon - ?? - I've heard this one could go either way
Galaga - ?? I really like the 7800 version, haven't played NES
Ikari Warriors - 7800 - I've heard this is a real stinker on the NES
Joust - 7800 hands down (the flight physics are GREAT)
Kareteka - NES... Haven't played NES version, but my conclusion is forgone
KLAX - ??
Kung Fu Master - ??
Mario Bros - NES
Ms. Pac Man - 7800 - those ghost patterns are 100% arcade perfect... and besides, who can play Ms. Pac Man with a control pad???
Rampage - NES - I haven't played it, but those who have say NES is best.
Xenophobe - 7800 - just ask King Atari!
Xevious - 7800 - arcade perfect!

Any thoughts, disputes, etc...

Cheers!

Joey

[ubersaurus]

Ballblazer - 7800 version owns the NES one bad.
Commando - 7800 kicks it again, due to the bad flicker of the NES version
Crossbow - NES one I don't think has ever been dumped, so 7800 wins by default
Dig Dug - They really were pretty much equal, both er very close to the arcade.
Donkey Kong - Both of them were missing the conveyor stage, and the NES sound was better. Other then that they were equal.
Donkey Kong JR - Both were equal in terms of closeness, beyond the sound on the 7800.
Double Dragon - 7800 one looked ickier, but played far closer to the arcade, and thus is the superior version.
Galaga - I love the 7800 one, but the NES one is closer to the arcade
Ikari Warriors - 7800 wins, but both are pretty close in terms of playability and accuracy.
Joust - 7800 hands down(agreed!)
Kareteka - NES this was on NES? No way it coulda been as bad as the 7800 one ;p
KLAX - NES wins...better sound, and a minigame built in!
Kung Fu Master - ??
Mario Bros - NES wins, but the 7800 version makes it a very very close match.
Ms. Pac Man - 7800 wins over both tengen and namco NES versions. It's just too good.
Rampage - 7800 wins. NES one had no Ralph, that alone makes it crappier. Sprites were smaller in the 7800 one but it beat out NES for sure. Now SMS on the other hand...
Xenophobe - 7800 - just ask King Atari!
Xevious - 7800 - arcade perfect!

[-^Cro§Bow^-]

Xenophobe on the 7800 is an awesome experience...until you play the Lynx version...

Rampage I was strongly a believer in that the 7800 had this crown until i actually bought a copy of the SMS version...there is just no comparison. The Lynx version is good...but the large sprites taking up the full screen on the lynx makes it less enjoyable to see what else is going on around.

[NE146]

I liked the playability of the 7800 Donkey Kong a lot better than the NES version.. although the NES version was closer in look and feel to the arcade game

[MegaManFan]

Ballblazer - I can't imagine it on NES, but if it is, BLEH. I'll stick with 7800.
Commando - To me this is a tie. Each has features I like.
Crossbow - Can't comment on it.
Dig Dug - Clearly 7800.
Donkey Kong - Actually this one is a tie to me too.
Donkey Kong JR - I lean slightly towards 7800 on this one.
Double Dragon - I prefer NES just because it got me hooked.
Galaga - The sprite motion seems cleaner on NES, but it's a close call.
Ikari Warriors - I don't own the 7800 one so I can't compare.
Joust - 7800 hands down
Kareteka - not great on either system. C-64 version is the best.
KLAX - I'd call it a tie. 7800 might SLIGHTLY edge it. Maybe.
Kung Fu Master - Not that great on either one. Tie for banality.
Mario Bros - NES
Ms. Pac Man - don't have the NES version, can't call it.
Rampage - favorite version is still SMS, so all others are poo.
Xenophobe - 7800
Xevious - 7800, it's BRILLIANT on Atari

[Joey Kay]

It's been ages since I played NES Double Dragon, but it was flicker mania if memory serves me correct...

Cheers!

Joey

[MegaManFan]

Joey Kay said:

It's been ages since I played NES Double Dragon, but it was flicker mania if memory serves me correct...

Cheers!

Joey

Funny how I never noticed things like that as a kid playing NES. When I think back about it now, yeah it did have some flicker at times, but I was so into the action and the music that I completely blanked it out. In fact whenever I hear "mixes" of DD on OverClocked Remix, I get a from ear to ear. I loved it so much that it was one of the first games I hunted down copies of for my NES when I bought one, even crappy-ass DD3 (just WAY too hard to be a good game).

[King Atari]

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Xenophobe - 7800 - just ask King Atari!

Xenophobe for the 7800 stomps all over the NES release.

Quote

It's been ages since I played NES Double Dragon, but it was flicker mania if memory serves me correct...  

Nah, there's some graphic breakup, but no flicker. There is some flicker in DDII and DDIII, though.

Quote

even crappy-ass DD3 (just WAY too hard to be a good game).

It is hard, but very rewarding. At any rate, it's better than the arcade.

It's hard to pick what DD is better, 7800 or NES. As previously stated, the 7800 version is blockier, but very close to the arcade, and you have all the moves from the get go. It is very hard, and the enemies take a little too many hits. The NES version on the other hand, has that goofy heart system, changed levels, and no real two-player mode. I can put up with the levels and hearts, but the lack of two-player simultaneous action is disappointing, especially when you consider that even the 2600 managed it.

Commando-7800
DK-NES
DK Jr.-NES
Mario Bros.-NES
Xevious-Tie

[bigferret]

Commando and Ikari Warriors are definately better on the 7800. Commando in particular is much more fun on the Atari. The NES version flickers enough to start the onset of a seizure and I HATE the way your character can't walk behind scenery in the game like bridges or trees.

My biggest dilemna though is Galaga. While the NES version is by far the prettier game with sprites much closer to the arcade, ugly flicker again rears its head. Otherwise NES Galaga is a really good game. Although I have my NES and 7800 hooked up together on the same TV, I always tend to play more Atari Galaga. I love the fast levels past 10 and the wider playfield of the 7800 version. So in this case I have to go with the 7800 version since it's just more fun to play.

[ZylonBane]

Erkkk... someone please tell me this is a joke?

NES Ballblazer

[Inky]

ZylonBane said:

Erkkk... someone please tell me this is a joke?

NES Ballblazer

I think that's just a betweeen rounds screen. But I hear that the game is still bad, screen notwithstanding.

[Lemmi]

This is what i found for the NES Ballblazer

NES Ballblazer

[King Atari]

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Kung Fu Master - ??  

NES hands down. The 7800 version is just not fun, Absolute didn't even try (especially when I think the 7800 could have pulled off a near perfect port).

[postamessage2]

Xevious is much much better on the NES. It's FULL screen, has more colors, more sprites.

Winter Games looks better on the 7800 but the NES has an extra event; figure skating.

Galaga - less slowdown on Nes

Double Dragon - Much better control and better looking sprites on the NES

[King Atari]

For pure playability and re-playability, the NES Double Dragon wins. However, it's lack of two-player simultaneous mode really hurts it. The heart system doesn't help either (though the sit and punch move is really cool, just like Renegade). For two-player, all move action, the 7800 wins. Put simply, both are very good titles for both systems, I'd say it's a tie.

As for Xenophobe, the 7800 version is better in every aspect except for music. Add the POKEY, and the 7800 version would be complete. The NES version is hardly "Arcade Authentic" (as the cart puts it). You travel to planets every level (Huh? I thought they were space stations!), the control is weird, and worst of all, should you find a powerful gun, and then complete the planet, you don't get to keep it! You start every planet with the same weak gun. How lame is that?! 7800 kills NES here.

[oesii]

I usually don't like putting systems head to head on games they have in common because each system has its strengths. A lot of the games you mentioned are more arcade like, Galaga, Joust and the 7800 was designed to do these well. However, nothing on the 7800 can compete with Blades of Steel, Super Tecmo Bowl, Punch Out, Zelda, Final Fantasy, or Castlevania. I guess it's still fun to go head to head sometimes.

So in summary, that's why I have a few dozen different systems lying around my room

[Gunstar]

MegaManFan said:

Kareteka - not great on either system. C-64 version is the best.

Actually, while the c-64 version of Karateka is better than any console version, the Apple II and Atari 8-bit computer versions are better than the C-64.

[DracIsBack]

"Xevious is much much better on the NES. It's FULL screen, has more colors, more sprites. '

I don't agree. I personally found the 7800 looked more like the arcade. Also, when they were out, the 7800 cost $19.99 Canadian, wheras the NES one was $54.95. That alone killed the NES version for me.

"Winter Games looks better on the 7800 but the NES has an extra event; figure skating. "


Didn't the 7800 also have skating?


"Galaga - less slowdown on Nes"

I agree Galaga is a better on the NES, but the slowdown is replaced by flickering.

"Double Dragon - Much better control and better looking sprites on the NES"

But it also has jumbled up levels, didn't really follow the arcade and didn't have two-player simultanious fighting. Yeah ... the 7800 version was kind of a C+ type game (compared to, say XEVIOUS, KLAX or COMMANDO) but the NES was, IMHO, a C- kinda game.

[King Atari]

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But it also has jumbled up levels, didn't really follow the arcade and didn't have two-player simultanious fighting.

Most NES ports of arcade games really didn't follow the arcade faithfully. I can only think of Bad Dudes (which plays like crap on the NES) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (which added a level or two) off the top of my head.

I always wanted to see Vigilante on the 7800, though I have no idea how it would've turned out. Ghostbusters would've been cool, too.

[nesman85]

who owns the crossbow nes proto?

[ubersaurus]

Probably DreamTR, he owns damn near every NES proto.

[nesman85]

he doesn't have it. i don't think one has been found.

[King Atari]

I've heard of the Crossbow proto, but have never seen a ROM or anything. Would it really be worth comparing to the 7800, though? Protos are touchy because they could've turned out better.

[Joey Kay]

Here's the web pages where I first read about it...

Cheers!

Joey

http://www.nesworld.com/crossbow.htm

http://nesworld.parodius.com/frick.htm

[nesman85]

NES WORLD:
Do you know anything about AGCI's unreleased game Crossbow? (there was an add for it in AVE's game Wally Bear) if so, which type was it. Why wasn't it released? Did a prototype even exist?

RICHARD FRICK:
Share Data licensed the entire catalog of EXIDY coin operated games. "Chiller" was chosen as the first title due to it's uniqueness compared to any other Nintendo game. Crossbow never really existed in any other form other than screen shots of various backgrounds.

so no proto exists.