It’s amazing to witness how much the video game industry has grown over the past few decades. Video games have transformed from niche interests into a multi-billion dollar industry, and society is at a point where nearly everyone is a gamer in some kind of capacity.
The arcade is a classic relic from a lost era of gaming, with the fighting genre largely shifting over to online play and console gaming. Over the years, arcade games have attempted to cross over and corner the console market. Some of these efforts at ports are absolute disasters, but others have actually led to games seeing fundamental improvements.
10 Better In Arcade Cabinets: Virtua Fighter 2
Sega’s Virtua Fighter series is iconic, both for arcades and the fighting genre as a whole. The push towards characters with 3D models was unbelievable for a lot of audiences and the arcade perfectly captured this. Ambitiously, Virtua Fighter 2 was ported over to the Sega Saturn, with little lost in the process.
Despite how the Saturn port pushed the hardware’s limits, over a year later another version was ported over to the inferior Sega Genesis. The 2D counterpart is ambitious, but flawed, and it’s impossible to achieve 60 FPS on the 16-bit console.
9 Better On Consoles: Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
Punch-Out!! is one of the most popular games to come out of the original Nintendo. The series has experienced a number of sequels over the years and the game’s signature character, Little Mac, has even made it over to Super Smash Bros. The NES version of Punch-Out!! is so polished that it’s easy to forget that the boxing title debuted in arcades.
Gameplay is similar on both versions, but the major change is that the arcade version features a wireframe fighter and more of a first-person perspective. The Nintendo port introduces Little Mac, which gives the game such life.
8 Better In Arcade Cabinets: Double Dragon
Double Dragon is one of those franchises where even if someone hasn’t played a single entry, they have probably at least heard of the violent title. Console ports helped successfully transition the Double Dragon series and its sequels over from arcades to consoles, but the initial title is considerably better in the arcade than on the Nintendo. The title suffers from a number of concessions, but the most unforgivable change is that the NES port removes the two-player option, which is crazy for a game that’s called Double Dragon.
7 Better On Consoles: Golden Axe
Sega has come up with a many influential video game franchises over the years, some of which are still around and kicking, while others have disappeared to video game graveyards waiting for a resurrection. While not strictly a fighter, Golden Axe revolves around constant combat and action. The arcade version sets a strong foundation, but there’s no denying that the Sega Genesis version is an improvement. The port upgrades the game’s look and adds a new level & challenge mode, but it also removes the arcade version’s silly ending in favor of something that feels more appropriate.
6 Better In Arcade Cabinets: TMNT: Turtles In Time
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have had a robust life in video games, with some incredibly enjoyable titles getting released in both the arcades and on consoles. To be fair, the Super Nintendo port of TMNT: Turtles in Time is viewed in high esteem, but there are still some sacrifices made from the original arcade version. The console port features more intuitive hit detection and fewer enemies on the screen, which goes a long way. However, the visuals and audio are more impressive in the arcade and the higher enemy count better lends itself to the co-operative arcade experience.
5 Better On Consoles: Tekken Tag Tournament
Namco’s Tekken series has been a monumental addition to the fighting genre, both in arcades and on consoles. Sometimes ports of arcade titles are immediately pushed to consoles, but in the case of Tekken Tag Tournament, there was significant time and care put into the transfer. Tekken Tag Tournament on the PlayStation 2 is so superior to its arcade counterpart because the PS2’s technology is an improvement over the arcade cabinet’s 32-bit hardware. This means that the PS2’s Tekken Tag Tournament looks significantly better, but it also plays on a smoother and more polished game engine too.
4 Better In Arcade Cabinets: Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat is one of the most popular fighting game franchises of all time and even decades after its debut it’s still maintained its stranglehold on the genre. The original Mortal Kombat was a major subject of controversy and it led to an incredibly sanitized version hitting the Super Nintendo. This arcade port is highly censored and removes the blood and other defining features of the game. These edits are even more frustrating considering the Genesis version isn’t censored in the same way and offers an option to toggle blood settings.
3 Better On Consoles: Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes
It seems like Marvel properties currently rule the world, but years before the genesis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe there was still a heavy pull for Marvel characters in fighting games. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is seen as the pinnacle of the franchise and one of the best fighters of the generation. The Dreamcast port is so praised because it loses nothing in the adaptation process, plus it incorporates more content and quality of life features, including online play. It’s the reason that the Dreamcast port still has such a sterling reputation and is turned to in the fighting community.
2 Better In Arcade Cabinets: Pit-Fighter
There are a number of regrettable fighting games that were released in the wake of more popular titles in an attempt to claim some of their success. Pit-Fighter is actually an inventive and original arcade fighter that captures an underground atmosphere that’s absent in other fighters. The game also makes creative use of its environments and the spectators that observe fights. Unfortunately, THQ’s Super Nintendo port completely butchers the game by stripping it of many of its defining features and reducing the character models and colors into a murky mess.
1 Better On Consoles: SoulCalibur
Namco has been involved with some important contributions to the fighting genre, but the SoulCalibur games are easily at the top of their achievements. The wild fighting franchise has slightly lost its way over the years, but the original game is still viewed as near perfection. SoulCalibur was a juggernaut in arcades, but the fact that a flawless console port was available on the Dreamcast as a launch title seriously helped push Sega’s new console. SoulCalibur on the Dreamcast is a sublime and addictive fighting experience that’s still one of the best launch titles on a console.
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