Battle of the Ports

[Leon Retro]

Obvious excuse of the PCE being essentially an 8-bit machine attempting to replicate cutting-edge-for-the-time sprite scalar arcade tech aside

I'd have probably thought it looked near perfect back in the day, so I'm just saying it looks a bit "rough" when you've played the Saturn version and later ports. By the standards of the time it was a very attractive port.

I would argue that the MD and SMS ports of OutRun look much rougher, which is criminal given that Sega coded those ports in-house for their own console hardware.

I'd say the MD version is a mixed bag graphics wise, so some elements look a bit nicer than on the PCE. The SMS port is extremely basic and very underwhelming in all areas, so far removed from the arcade version. It is similar to other Master System racers though, so it's not like the dev created something really low grade by SMS standards.

IMO, it's a little embarrassing that NEC Avenue could code a quality port of OutRun (in context of underpowered console hardware) when Sega were twice unable to with the MD & SMS.

I guess the team behind the PCE port were more talented than the people who put the MD port together. I also think the PCE dev benefited from the sprite pushing power and nice colour palette.

I think there's a patch for the MD version to make the colours look more authentic, but I haven't tried it.

[Hirst]

Good grief, that Amiga port is miserable.

The MD port colours were always really weird, at the time I wondered if they'd programmed it with monitors that had the contrast set incorrectly. It's not a case of some things being out, it's more that everything is consistently dark.

[Team Andromeda]

PC engine was so much better than the Mega Drive version. I loved the 3D Master System version that was much improved and the 3D worled great. SEGA should have made a Mega CD version with ASIC scailing and Arcade Perfect music and sound effects, that would have been awesome at the time.

Saturn version was and still is epic mind. IMO the best Arcade racer ever made

[Mayhem]

Eurogamer put up the story of the C64 version since the original video...

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-10-13-the-boy-behind-the-biggest-coin-op-conversion-of-the-80s

[Yakumo]

It's quite rough looking, but you soon forget about that and realise it's a really nice port. The graphics look reasonably authentic, and the excellent music helps to make the port feel really satisfying. One of many wonders the tiny machine has in its library.

It sure does is. I'm surprised at just how good it is concidering the awful power drift port.

[samanosuke]

I had great fun playing the PCE port. Maybe not anywhere near arcade perfect but it looked, sounded and played great. In contrast I was bitterly disappointed by the MD version when I finally got to play it.

As for the home computer ports, Christ on a bike...

[JazzFunk]

Must say, that MD colour hack is grrrreat, lifts how the game looks no end. I never understood why some MD games looked so bad and inappropriate, colour-wise when others could look so crafted and sweet to look at. The MS has better colours than the vanilla MD port!

Speccy version is a strange one, too ambitious but you can't fault the artwork. I remember when Your Sinclair did a preview on it in late 1987 and I couldn't believe my eyes, the cars looked so well-drawn, even if they were monochromatic against a coloured backdrop, it all looked really accurate in still screens. Just a pity the game didn't run like Speccy CHASE HQ.

PCE version...well, PCE version...it's the Eamonn Holmes of gaming. Everyone likes it, it's just that warm thing you can't go wrong with. Aaaaaaw.

[JazzFunk]

PS was trying to play PCE Power Drift a few weeks back for like an hour, trying to get myself into the mindset of making back-in-the-day allowances for it, trying to see it as a 2D STUNT CAR RACER-type affair. But I couldn't. It's too ambitious and almost impossible to play these days. DO like the chaos of it, though, and it's interesting they attempted it.

It's a game I never owned but remember the C64 version getting plaudit after plaudit.

[Nu-Eclipse]

PS was trying to play PCE Power Drift a few weeks back for like an hour, trying to get myself into the mindset of making back-in-the-day allowances for it, trying to see it as a 2D STUNT CAR RACER-type affair. But I couldn't. It's too ambitious and almost impossible to play these days. DO like the chaos of it, though, and it's interesting they attempted it.

I remember thinking that the PCE port of Power Drift was a decent attempt back in the day, but it definitely doesn't hold up now.

PCE After Burner II is kinda the same as PCE OutRun imo - clearly limited by the hardware it is on but still looks, sounds and feels like the coin-op, making it better than the MD version.

[Leon Retro]

well, PCE version...it's the Eamonn Holmes of gaming. Everyone likes it,

[Leon Retro]

It's a game I never owned but remember the C64 version getting plaudit after plaudit.

The dev behind the C64 version was clever and moved away from all the sprite scaling road shenanigans, but managed to retain the spirit of the arcade game. Easily one of the best 8-bit racers.

[Yakumo]

PS was trying to play PCE Power Drift a few weeks back for like an hour, trying to get myself into the mindset of making back-in-the-day allowances for it, trying to see it as a 2D STUNT CAR RACER-type affair. But I couldn't. It's too ambitious and almost impossible to play these days. DO like the chaos of it, though, and it's interesting they attempted it.

It's a game I never owned but remember the C64 version getting plaudit after plaudit.

Yeah, it's too much for the PCE. Total mess of a game.

[Mayhem]

The dev behind the C64 version was clever and moved away from all the sprite scaling road shenanigans, but managed to retain the spirit of the arcade game. Easily one of the best 8-bit racers.

Chris Butler had a history of 3D games, the motion engine started out with Space Harrier and then tweaked for Thunderblade, improved for Power Drift here and then finally upgraded for Turbo Charge.

[JazzFunk]

Yeah, I remember seeing his name loads on Elite C64 games.

I had the UK C64 Space Harrier. I remember it feeling quite barren and depressing back in the day but seeing it now makes me feel it was a very good conversion job (it could've been MUCH worse in the wrong hands) and it plays and looks smooth.

[JazzFunk]

The orig arcade was like a party at the Playboy Mansion back in 1985.

The C64 version was more like Hugh Hefner's knackers in 2015 in a salty old palace full of dust n' 14" Matsui CRTs in every room.

But at least them knackers STILL play host to a very playable rendition of Space Harrier. Life is the gift that keeps on giving.