Disappointing coin-op conversions

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PeteProdge
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Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by PeteProdge »

Is it the sluggishness of Out Run or the absolutely ludicrous decision to apply flip-screen to Pac Land that made you the most disappointed? Or maybe it was one of those side-scrolling beat 'em ups - Double Dragon and Golden Axe - being pretty appalling?
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Mike Davies
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Mike Davies »

I love Green Beret on the ZX Spectrum as a stand-alone game. I have a Wagon-wheels syndrome about Green Beret. I'm convinced I saw it in the Sun City arcade machine alley back in the late eighties, and the main character sprite was huge... like Dark Sceptre huge. But looking at the MAME version, the Spectrum port is fairly decent, and the sprites are not as huge as I remembered.

Flying Shark was better on the ZX Spectrum than it's arcade version, dropping the left-right scrolling is a definite plus.

I love Elevator Action on the ZX Spectrum, that's just as pleasing as the original coin-op, even though it's arcade skinny character, versus the Spectrum with the honk noses.
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Ralf »

Some bad conversions:

- Kung Fu Master
- Double Dragon
- Final Fight
- Eswat
- Mario Bros

Outrun actually isn't the worst. It's a bit slow but has decent graphics.
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Swainy »

Obviously I’ll say Double Dragon but it’s not as bad as it could have been I guess. Final Fight was very poor, actually there’s loads that could have been a lot better really.
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Collieuk »

I quite liked Double Dragon back in the day playing with another player. Might not have been Target Renegade quality but it was the best beat em up I'd played up to that point. Whereas I completed DD3 first go which is a minor miracle as I'm generally dreadful at such games.

Pitfighter was atrocious but then the source material wasn't great either.
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Mike Davies »

I wonder how Outrun would have fared if they could have used the Chase HQ engine.
But, we know how Chase HQ turned out when it used the OutRun engine (Chase HQ 2).
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Collieuk »

Mike Davies wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 9:02 pm I wonder how Outrun would have fared if they could have used the Chase HQ engine.
But, we know how Chase HQ turned out when it used the OutRun engine (Chase HQ 2).
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Ralf »

Pitfighter was atrocious but then the source material wasn't great either.
Maybe I'm pervert but for me Pitfighter for Spectrum isn't that bad ;)

The graphics has feel of digitized photos but yet is clear. All persons are immediately recognizable. There is scaling of sprites, they become really big when close to the player. It's a feature of the arcade original which was missing in much more powerful platforms. See for example:

Zx Spectrum
Image

Sega Master System
Image

SNES
Image

There are boxes, pills and other stuff from arcade. There is a bit of colour added, although causing clash. And yes, it's a bit slow but not as slow as Final Fight.
So it's "bad game that I weirdly like" category for me :)
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Swainy »

Makes me wonder why Ocean didn’t get the same team to work on Special Crime Investigation (Chase H.Q 2) after what was achieved with the first game.
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

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I didn't think Kung Fu Master was that bad. Quite enjoyed playing it.
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

Agree with Kung Fu Master. Having playing the arcade version first, the Spectrum version was very dissapointing. I think it could have been better.

Another was One on One. The C64 version was awesome and when I knew a friend lent me the Spectrum game, I was amazed! I only tried WS Basketball before and was a nice game, but I thought One on One was going to be better. What a dissapointment!
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Rorthron »

These are all masterpieces, compared to the conversions we got in 1982. I challenge anyone to find one worse than Krazy Kong:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=10570
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

The Spectrum was not lucky as to Donkey Kong clones, definitely!
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by PeteProdge »

Ralf wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:05 pmMario Bros
I didn't find this to be bad at all. A recent bash at it on MAME shows that it replicates the playability very well.

Of course, most folk think of Super Mario Bros when it comes to nostalgia, and the fact this game really isn't that, makes them scratch their head.

Super Mario Bros never did find its way officially to the Spectrum and I'm just speculating, but I'm sure nobody's bothered to make a knock off version? Given what we've seen with New Zealand Story and Rainbow Islands, a Spectrum SMB is technically feasible.
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Morkin »

Rorthron wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 10:42 am These are all masterpieces, compared to the conversions we got in 1982. I challenge anyone to find one worse than Krazy Kong:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=10570
Krazy Kong, one of my guilty pleasures..!

Image
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

Morkin wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:48 pm

Krazy Kong, one of my guilty pleasures..!

Image
Yuk! Guilty pleasure??? You're sick, man! ;)
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by robmaxuk »

Rorthron wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 10:42 am These are all masterpieces, compared to the conversions we got in 1982. I challenge anyone to find one worse than Krazy Kong:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=10570
This was one of the first spectrum games I got, even back then I was shocked at how bad it was, put me off arcade conversions for a while...
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Ivanzx »

Ralf wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:05 pm Some bad conversions:

- Kung Fu Master
- Double Dragon
- Final Fight
- Eswat
- Mario Bros

Outrun actually isn't the worst. It's a bit slow but has decent graphics.

Its funny, because from those games, Kung Fu Master, and Double Dragon there are homebrew attempts to improve the originals. And Mario Bros has also its Homebrew medicine, much better, Pietro Bros ;)
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Rorthron »

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Tue Nov 14, 2017 1:32 pm The Spectrum was not lucky as to Donkey Kong clones, definitely!
I'm still hoping someone will take up the challenge of a decent Donkey Kong conversion. I remember someone (redballoon?) made some superb mock-ups a short while back. I'd love to see them made into a game.

I'm not volunteering, though! It's well beyond my capabilities.
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Mike Davies »

Rorthron wrote: Wed Nov 15, 2017 8:22 am I'm still hoping someone will take up the challenge of a decent Donkey Kong conversion. I remember someone (redballoon?) made some superb mock-ups a short while back. I'd love to see them made into a game.
Is there something wrong with the Ocean's 1986 attempt?

Image

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1437
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Ralf »

Is there something wrong with the Ocean's 1986 attempt?
Let me start. Hero with inverted graphics, incredibly small girl as they suddenly realize that they don't have space on screen, bad colour clash for legs...

It's better than earlier versions but still not really good.

Have a look here how it should look like :)
http://zxart.ee/eng/authors/z/zombi2/

Image

I would also swear that there was another quality mockup but can't find it now.
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

I'd add that it was 1986 and it was Ocean, the final work should have been far better.

I wouldn't call it crap, but very improvable, IMHO.
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Rorthron
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Rorthron »

Ralf wrote: Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:02 am I would also swear that there was another quality mockup but can't find it now.
It was Mick Farrow:

https://sites.google.com/site/zxgraph/h ... onkey-kong
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

Ralf wrote: Wed Nov 15, 2017 10:02 am

Image

Amazing! :shock:
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Re: Disappointing coin-op conversions

Post by Alessandro »

I once wrote an article for the Gamesark.it web magazine about the 15 worst and best coin-op conversions for the Spectrum.

Even if you don't understand Italian, you will surely recognize the titles I mentioned ;)

http://www.gamesark.it/mostra_speciale. ... =0&f=1&s=1
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