Worst arcade conversion
Worst arcade conversion
Let's discuss
Which games you would mention as worst arcade conversions on Spectrum?
Let me start:
Final Fight - very slow and unplayable, unable to deal with huge sprites reasonably:
Eswat - slow, no music, bad gameplay, ugly autoconverted backgrounds
Mario Bros - plays very badly, unresponsive, difficult. Fortunately we have Pietro Bros now
Jail Break - better than the above ones, but the gameplay is much less fun than arcade:
Any more?
Which games you would mention as worst arcade conversions on Spectrum?
Let me start:
Final Fight - very slow and unplayable, unable to deal with huge sprites reasonably:
Eswat - slow, no music, bad gameplay, ugly autoconverted backgrounds
Mario Bros - plays very badly, unresponsive, difficult. Fortunately we have Pietro Bros now
Jail Break - better than the above ones, but the gameplay is much less fun than arcade:
Any more?
Re: Worst arcade conversion
Kung Fu Master and Pitfighter as be down there
- MatGubbins
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
Side Arms, any platform.
Re: Worst arcade conversion
It's such a rich and deep pool of 'talent'. Well I will give the developers props for trying and failing gloriously in many cases because they attempted something cooler heads and perhaps more experienced people would have just said no too. I like to think that is the reason behind most of the stinkers you see.
But there was a minority where it was nothing but a rushed cash grab. I think you can tell when people honestly try to make a game good.
I think that is what I miss about modern games is developers tent to play things so safe. Unless you are looking at (well what used to be steam greenlight )
But there was a minority where it was nothing but a rushed cash grab. I think you can tell when people honestly try to make a game good.
I think that is what I miss about modern games is developers tent to play things so safe. Unless you are looking at (well what used to be steam greenlight )
- Blerkotron
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
US Gold's "Breakthru" conversion was absolutely dismal - borderline unplayable, lengthy pauses for no apparent reason, joystick options which flat-out don't work. And you could complete the entire game without dying by just holding jump down because your car would bounce over absolutely anything without any adverse effects - rocks, bullets, water, etc. This one isn't just bad, I'd go as far as to say it's not even finished.
- Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
Another vote for Kung Fu Master.
Donkey Kong (Ocean) is another poor conversion of a great arcade game..
Donkey Kong (Ocean) is another poor conversion of a great arcade game..
- 5MinuteRetro
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
Is it? In my head Ocean's DK was a really good conversion: about as good as one could've hoped on a Speccy. Am I going nuts? I'm gonna have to fire up ZXDS and check... brb.Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Fri Mar 02, 2018 9:56 pm Donkey Kong (Ocean) is another poor conversion of a great arcade game..
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
So... I've just played it through, using save states for speed, and I'll stick with what I said: I think Ocean's DK is a a good conversion. Admittedly the first level is way too hard, because there are too many barrels and the ladder-climbing is too slow (and the walking sound is out of synch with... Mario's gait) but the game as a whole holds up really rather well, IMHO.5MinuteRetro wrote: ↑Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:26 pmIs it? In my head Ocean's DK was a really good conversion: about as good as one could've hoped on a Speccy. Am I going nuts? I'm gonna have to fire up ZXDS and check... brb.Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Fri Mar 02, 2018 9:56 pm Donkey Kong (Ocean) is another poor conversion of a great arcade game..
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
I would agree.Maybe not very bad but below expectations.Donkey Kong (Ocean) is another poor conversion of a great arcade game..
It is bad when it comes to graphics. 8x8 pixel girl is laughable, Kong doesn't look like Kong and hero sprite is inverted.
See a mockup how it should look like:
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
I'm with Ralf. A game made in 1986-87 by Ocean should have been better. It's about the year and about the company. That's why I said 'poor'. They should have put more effort in the production.
But not a bad game, anyway.
But not a bad game, anyway.
Re: Worst arcade conversion
I think that mockup goes too far - the ladders should be simpler and there shouldn't be a skyline or a blue background. Also, Jumpman is a little too small compared to the barrels and Pauline.
Kong is awesome though!
Kong is awesome though!
Re: Worst arcade conversion
There is another conversion of Donkey Kong on its way to be released and it looks really good and colourful...
Re: Worst arcade conversion
Great news, Ivan!
Do you have any more info, maybe some link, screenshots, Youtube video?
Do you have any more info, maybe some link, screenshots, Youtube video?
Re: Worst arcade conversion
I didn't think Kung Fu Master was that bad, in fact I quite enjoyed it. Then again I don't think I played the arcade version.
Didn't think much of Zaxxon.
Didn't think much of Zaxxon.
My Speccy site: thirdharmoniser.com
- Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
I never cared much about Zaxxon, both on arcade and on Spectrum.
But Kung-Fu Master was really a disappointment. It's sluggish, unresponsive and totally unplayable which is the big contrast with the original.
Another conversion that I don't like is Ghosts'n'Goblins. This game has actually high score from the voters on WOS, I checked it and it's 8.39. I completely don't understand it so I'll try to write more.
The loading screen is just ugly. 8 years old kid would do better:
The game has very simplistic graphics, it a very limited number of badly drawn tiles and tiny sprites:
It has only 3 levels of original 6 or so, with missing enemies and simplified backgrounds.
It lacks any music.
And it's too hard. Maybe on first level it's yet acceptable but try the second level with these little flying devils
Yes, it's smooth with great framerate and scrolling but that's all. A bad conversion for me unfortunately.
But Kung-Fu Master was really a disappointment. It's sluggish, unresponsive and totally unplayable which is the big contrast with the original.
Another conversion that I don't like is Ghosts'n'Goblins. This game has actually high score from the voters on WOS, I checked it and it's 8.39. I completely don't understand it so I'll try to write more.
The loading screen is just ugly. 8 years old kid would do better:
The game has very simplistic graphics, it a very limited number of badly drawn tiles and tiny sprites:
It has only 3 levels of original 6 or so, with missing enemies and simplified backgrounds.
It lacks any music.
And it's too hard. Maybe on first level it's yet acceptable but try the second level with these little flying devils
Yes, it's smooth with great framerate and scrolling but that's all. A bad conversion for me unfortunately.
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
I once wrote a feature for the GamesArk.it web portal about the worst and the best of Spectrum coin-op conversions.
Although it is written in Italian, the percentage markings at the end of each entry should be pretty self-explanatory
Although it is written in Italian, the percentage markings at the end of each entry should be pretty self-explanatory
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
Track and Field... great arcade game. As good as Hypersports.Alessandro wrote: ↑Sun Mar 04, 2018 1:27 pm I once wrote a feature for the GamesArk.it web portal about the worst and the best of Spectrum coin-op conversions.
Although it is written in Italian, the percentage markings at the end of each entry should be pretty self-explanatory
If only it had been coded in the same way as Hypersports, we would have got a Spectrum classic.
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
And as for Ghosts 'n' Goblins, I think it's similar to Commando, graphics are sacrified for a good gameplay, even when it's too hard. A good conversion, IMHO.
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
You guys have missed the biggest disappointment.
Double Dragon. Woefully poor. Maybe I'm the only one saying it because Double Dragon is my all-time favourite arcade game, and the incarnation on the ZX Spectrum is dismal (although not as bad as the Atari 2600 or Sega Master System versions).
Pac Land is immensely shocking. We know through the not-too-shabby conversion of Wonderboy that you can take these cutesy horizontal scrollers to the Speccy, but the programmers went with the easy-to-develop-but-hell-to-play route of making it flip screen. Meaning that you sometimes get to the end of a screen and find you can't move unless you jump over the fire hydrant that's immediately at the start of the next screen. It's digital blasphemy, avoid like the plague.
Sure, it's not the highly prolific Super Mario Bros, which Ocean's Gary Bracey always wanted (and had to concede that Nintendo would not let such a highly valued title outside of its hardware), but the ZX Spectrum Mario Bros is a nice fun game that mirrors the 1983 original.
Double Dragon. Woefully poor. Maybe I'm the only one saying it because Double Dragon is my all-time favourite arcade game, and the incarnation on the ZX Spectrum is dismal (although not as bad as the Atari 2600 or Sega Master System versions).
Pac Land is immensely shocking. We know through the not-too-shabby conversion of Wonderboy that you can take these cutesy horizontal scrollers to the Speccy, but the programmers went with the easy-to-develop-but-hell-to-play route of making it flip screen. Meaning that you sometimes get to the end of a screen and find you can't move unless you jump over the fire hydrant that's immediately at the start of the next screen. It's digital blasphemy, avoid like the plague.
Absolutely disagree. I had Mario Bros as one of the many free games in Dixons's Spectrum +2 bundle. I think it was that or Donkey Kong which was the first game I ever loaded. The weird skiddy movement was annoying but I've subsequently played it on MAME (never saw it in a real arcade) and it feels very faithful.
Sure, it's not the highly prolific Super Mario Bros, which Ocean's Gary Bracey always wanted (and had to concede that Nintendo would not let such a highly valued title outside of its hardware), but the ZX Spectrum Mario Bros is a nice fun game that mirrors the 1983 original.
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
Oh, and then there was this...
Driving like a brick does in a bath of superglue.
Driving like a brick does in a bath of superglue.
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
Was Flak an arcade conversion? If so it was atrocious. I had it on US Gold's Arcade Hall of Fame compilation which included the almost-as-bad Blue Max.
For me though, due to the expectation level, it has to be Kung-Fu Master. Just watched a YT vid and it's even worse than I remembered.
All three by US Gold - says a lot.
For me though, due to the expectation level, it has to be Kung-Fu Master. Just watched a YT vid and it's even worse than I remembered.
All three by US Gold - says a lot.
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Re: Worst arcade conversion
Outrun is average in my opinion.
Yes, it is slow but the graphics are good and detailed. Compare other 8 bit versions.
Yes, it is slow but the graphics are good and detailed. Compare other 8 bit versions.