Turo602
Vocare Ad Pugnam
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2010
- Location
- Gotham City
So this has been something that's been on my mind for a while and it just came back again after a discussion with my brother about wrestling games and how the difference in hardware used to push developers to make completely unique console ports with various IPs and in some cases, separate console exclusive franchises for each platform.
The last time this practice was common was during the 7th generation of gaming where various titles would be developed specifically for the PS3 and 360, but then get completely unique ports catered to the weaker hardware of the Wii and PS2, as well as various handheld versions for the DS, PSP, and even the Gameboy Advance. While this was mostly done to cash in on popular franchises with shovelware by exploiting all available platforms with large install bases, it gave us tons of options that each varied in style and quality.
But today, there are far less options in hardware due to Nintendo synergizing their console and handheld efforts into one machine and Playstation and Xbox virtually closing the gap in hardware for several generations making it much easier to develop the same game across multiple platforms. But even with Nintendo having significantly weaker hardware, they tend to be excluded altogether despite the massive success of the Switch with game companies relying mostly on porting older titles as opposed to developing unique games catered to the hardware. Playstation has even ditched the handheld market entirely to focus more on VR, which is honestly the closest thing we have to a unique platform that specializes in unique ports. But VR is still pretty niche and not really an ideal way for people to experience games.
Personally, I get why developers would rather focus all their resources on one great product as opposed to 2-6 different games with varying degrees of quality. But I also remember being a kid with older siblings who took priority when it came to console gaming and having nothing but a cheap handheld to play and having access to a game like Tomb Raider: Legend which was way better than it had any right to be on the DS and pretty much offered me the same basic experience the console version would years later. But as an adult who got to own and play the console version on 360, I see no reason to ever go back to the DS port and I personally wouldn't hunt it down and try to get it back for my collection. Though, if it were in my hands now, I'd definitely be overwhelmed by nostalgia for it.
But then I think about a game like the 2007 TMNT movie based game and how it offered completely different experiences across different platforms, with the console version usually considered an inoffensive yet forgettable Prince of Persia styled platforming beat 'em up, and the traditionally inferior GBA version being the much more fondly remembered of the two for returning to its arcade beat 'em up roots with a game that could be seen as a precursor to Scott Pilgrim and has now come full circle with the release of Shredder's Revenge. Yet, I have fond memories with both versions of the game and they're still in my collection awaiting for the day I revisit them, which I definitely will one day.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss those days, and it could be nostalgia talking, but honestly, the only reason this topic has been in my head was because I finally played the Ghostbusters Video Game earlier this year, which was remastered a while ago and I was under the impression that it was co-op... Turns out, only the Wii version is co-op, which was developed by an entirely different studio specifically for the Wii and actually let's you choose the gender of your rookie Ghostbuster, has motion controls, and a quirky art style suitable for the Wii hardware, and is still virtually the same game... Why was this version not remastered for the Switch? I get that the Switch is powerful enough to handle the more realistic visuals of the 360 and PS3 now, but it's also such a waste of one of the coolest unique ports that didn't just lay down and die at the challenge of being ported to inferior hardware, but took full advantage of it and now it'll forever be forgotten and buried on the Wii.
Surprisingly though, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was ported to the Switch recently too and while it seems most people were expecting the 360 and PS3 version, they actually ported the Wii version which I keep hearing is the preferred port anyway as it features more levels, motion controls, and a vs mode which have all been preserved on Switch. Even though I'm much more familiar with the 360 version myself, I'm glad the Switch's unique hardware was taken into consideration before just slapping another port together that you can get anywhere else. When the right effort is put into making a port stand on its own, even though it isn't the main or ideal version of it, that work should be preserved, especially when there's hardware that's suitable enough for it.
At the same time however, I can see how developing different versions of the same game oversaturates the market, but that isn't necessarily the only option a developer has. Which brings me to Sonic, which saw brand new titles developed specifically for each and every platform with the GBA, DS, Wii, and PSP getting their own set of games, while the 360 and PS3 got completely separate releases too. But then Sonic Unleashed happened and it was the first game in that era to have a unique port developed specifically for the PS2 and Wii instead of a brand new title. And since then, the lazy ports would just continue with games like Sonic Colors on DS, and Sonic Generations and Lost World on the 3DS that while unique games in their own right, were just shallow attempts at capitalizing on the much bigger console release.
As a life long wrestling fan, I remember playing through all the different console specific wrestling games across the Playstation, Nintendo, and Xbox consoles and being able to compare and contrast the differences in each one, with No Mercy on the N64 being a long time favorite for its grapple heavy gameplay, as well as the Day of Reckoning games on Gamecube for its more chaotic tactile combat. Meanwhile, Xbox just never seemed to get it right with their games despite being the most technically impressive at the time. But the Smackdown games on Playstation just kept consistently growing bigger and better while Xbox and Nintendo just couldn't keep up, which eventually led to the Smackdown games becoming the standard with the Smackdown vs RAW series going multiplatform and eventually being rebranded as WWE 2K.
On paper, it may seem like they merely dropped the dead weight and focused their attention to the superior series, but what we have now is creatively bankrupt sim style wrestling games that like sports games, release with little to no differences year after year. With the Playstation and Xbox being so similar, I understand why they'd just go multiplatform, but Nintendo has been excluded from these releases after a few failed attempts on the Wii, DS, and a lazy port on Switch. You'd think with the Switch's special circumstances, a unique game could be created specifically for it to capitalize on an untapped market. Something smaller in scale that would rely more on creative and fun gameplay than being a graphical showcase. Even a game reminiscent of No Mercy would be perfect as it has not only been requested for years but can also be considered a nostalgic Nintendo property that would surely draw eyes towards the Switch.
Unique hardware used to breed creativity, but everything feels so streamlined and samey now. So I ask, is gaming better off without these cash-grabby practices or has the lack of options and console diversity made gaming much more dull and stale? And have you ever felt ripped off by a lesser port or been pleasantly surprised by a unique one?
The last time this practice was common was during the 7th generation of gaming where various titles would be developed specifically for the PS3 and 360, but then get completely unique ports catered to the weaker hardware of the Wii and PS2, as well as various handheld versions for the DS, PSP, and even the Gameboy Advance. While this was mostly done to cash in on popular franchises with shovelware by exploiting all available platforms with large install bases, it gave us tons of options that each varied in style and quality.
But today, there are far less options in hardware due to Nintendo synergizing their console and handheld efforts into one machine and Playstation and Xbox virtually closing the gap in hardware for several generations making it much easier to develop the same game across multiple platforms. But even with Nintendo having significantly weaker hardware, they tend to be excluded altogether despite the massive success of the Switch with game companies relying mostly on porting older titles as opposed to developing unique games catered to the hardware. Playstation has even ditched the handheld market entirely to focus more on VR, which is honestly the closest thing we have to a unique platform that specializes in unique ports. But VR is still pretty niche and not really an ideal way for people to experience games.
Personally, I get why developers would rather focus all their resources on one great product as opposed to 2-6 different games with varying degrees of quality. But I also remember being a kid with older siblings who took priority when it came to console gaming and having nothing but a cheap handheld to play and having access to a game like Tomb Raider: Legend which was way better than it had any right to be on the DS and pretty much offered me the same basic experience the console version would years later. But as an adult who got to own and play the console version on 360, I see no reason to ever go back to the DS port and I personally wouldn't hunt it down and try to get it back for my collection. Though, if it were in my hands now, I'd definitely be overwhelmed by nostalgia for it.
But then I think about a game like the 2007 TMNT movie based game and how it offered completely different experiences across different platforms, with the console version usually considered an inoffensive yet forgettable Prince of Persia styled platforming beat 'em up, and the traditionally inferior GBA version being the much more fondly remembered of the two for returning to its arcade beat 'em up roots with a game that could be seen as a precursor to Scott Pilgrim and has now come full circle with the release of Shredder's Revenge. Yet, I have fond memories with both versions of the game and they're still in my collection awaiting for the day I revisit them, which I definitely will one day.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss those days, and it could be nostalgia talking, but honestly, the only reason this topic has been in my head was because I finally played the Ghostbusters Video Game earlier this year, which was remastered a while ago and I was under the impression that it was co-op... Turns out, only the Wii version is co-op, which was developed by an entirely different studio specifically for the Wii and actually let's you choose the gender of your rookie Ghostbuster, has motion controls, and a quirky art style suitable for the Wii hardware, and is still virtually the same game... Why was this version not remastered for the Switch? I get that the Switch is powerful enough to handle the more realistic visuals of the 360 and PS3 now, but it's also such a waste of one of the coolest unique ports that didn't just lay down and die at the challenge of being ported to inferior hardware, but took full advantage of it and now it'll forever be forgotten and buried on the Wii.
Surprisingly though, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was ported to the Switch recently too and while it seems most people were expecting the 360 and PS3 version, they actually ported the Wii version which I keep hearing is the preferred port anyway as it features more levels, motion controls, and a vs mode which have all been preserved on Switch. Even though I'm much more familiar with the 360 version myself, I'm glad the Switch's unique hardware was taken into consideration before just slapping another port together that you can get anywhere else. When the right effort is put into making a port stand on its own, even though it isn't the main or ideal version of it, that work should be preserved, especially when there's hardware that's suitable enough for it.
At the same time however, I can see how developing different versions of the same game oversaturates the market, but that isn't necessarily the only option a developer has. Which brings me to Sonic, which saw brand new titles developed specifically for each and every platform with the GBA, DS, Wii, and PSP getting their own set of games, while the 360 and PS3 got completely separate releases too. But then Sonic Unleashed happened and it was the first game in that era to have a unique port developed specifically for the PS2 and Wii instead of a brand new title. And since then, the lazy ports would just continue with games like Sonic Colors on DS, and Sonic Generations and Lost World on the 3DS that while unique games in their own right, were just shallow attempts at capitalizing on the much bigger console release.
As a life long wrestling fan, I remember playing through all the different console specific wrestling games across the Playstation, Nintendo, and Xbox consoles and being able to compare and contrast the differences in each one, with No Mercy on the N64 being a long time favorite for its grapple heavy gameplay, as well as the Day of Reckoning games on Gamecube for its more chaotic tactile combat. Meanwhile, Xbox just never seemed to get it right with their games despite being the most technically impressive at the time. But the Smackdown games on Playstation just kept consistently growing bigger and better while Xbox and Nintendo just couldn't keep up, which eventually led to the Smackdown games becoming the standard with the Smackdown vs RAW series going multiplatform and eventually being rebranded as WWE 2K.
On paper, it may seem like they merely dropped the dead weight and focused their attention to the superior series, but what we have now is creatively bankrupt sim style wrestling games that like sports games, release with little to no differences year after year. With the Playstation and Xbox being so similar, I understand why they'd just go multiplatform, but Nintendo has been excluded from these releases after a few failed attempts on the Wii, DS, and a lazy port on Switch. You'd think with the Switch's special circumstances, a unique game could be created specifically for it to capitalize on an untapped market. Something smaller in scale that would rely more on creative and fun gameplay than being a graphical showcase. Even a game reminiscent of No Mercy would be perfect as it has not only been requested for years but can also be considered a nostalgic Nintendo property that would surely draw eyes towards the Switch.
Unique hardware used to breed creativity, but everything feels so streamlined and samey now. So I ask, is gaming better off without these cash-grabby practices or has the lack of options and console diversity made gaming much more dull and stale? And have you ever felt ripped off by a lesser port or been pleasantly surprised by a unique one?