Ever since the dawn of home consoles there have been cross-platform games. Consoles made specifically to play Pong were rampant, Nintendo and Sega battled it out to see who had the highest bit-count, and most recently, popular games are finding their way onto every major console.
With multiple versions of single games available, some were bound to be better than others. Whether it be clearer graphical quality, tighter controls, or even an entirely separate and better game with the same name, the ultimate way to experience certain classics can come down to even the slightest artistic decision centered around a specific version of the game for a specific platform.
10 Mortal Kombat Loses Its Blood On SNES
When Mortal Kombat hit arcades in 1992, parents were in an uproar. The amount of gratuitous blood and excessive violence depicted in such a real and graphic manner was deemed by many to be unsuitable for children's eyes. As a result, when the game was ported to the Sega Genesis (aka Mega Drive) and SNES there were some alterations made to appease the mobs.
On the Genesis, blood was turned off by default, but could be turned back on via a special code players could input. On SNES however, the gore was removed entirely, code or no code. This kills a lot of the games enjoyment, making the SNES version the worst of the two and selling so poorly compared to the Genesis version that Nintendo let all future Mortal Kombat sequels for its platforms come with blood and fatalities intact.
9 Cyberpunk 2077 Is Unplayable On PlayStation 4 & Xbox One
Cyberpunk's release is one of the most infamous in modern gaming history, and for good reason. Delay after delay pushed the game's deadline from April of 2020 to December of the same year. For a game seven years in the making, this was already a red flag, and the "finished product" only solidified these worries.
Riddled with bugs, the game at least ran on new generation consoles. On PS4 and Xbox One, however, the game is still nearly unplayable even after several updates that have attempted to fix things, to the point that it's not even currently available to buy on the PlayStation online store.
8 Aladdin On SNES Is One Step Ahead
A product of its time, Aladdin on the SNES and Aladdin on the Sega Genesis are completely different games. On the SNES, the graphics are more cartoonish, but the focus is more on tight platforming and level design.
The Genesis version relies more on its combat, giving Aladdin a sword, but therein lies the kicker. Genesis feels like the audience is playing a game based on the movie, but the SNES version feel more like playing the movie itself. Nintendo simply captured more of the movie's charm. Either way, both versions are classics, but the platform choice definitely makes a huge difference in the type of classic being offered.
7 Splinter Cell: Double Agent Is Only Good On Xbox
A decent shooter on the original Xbox, Splinter Cell: Double Agent fittingly has its own double. If one was to play the game on PC, PS3, or the Xbox 360, they would experience entirely different level design and new mechanics.
This is due to it being made by another development team; the Xbox version was made by the franchise's original developers, while the others were hired out to various Ubisoft offshoots. The non-Xbox versions of the game are buggy, look awful, and are just worse games all around.
6 Ape Escape On PSP Falls Short Of The PlayStation Original
While better graphically, the portable remake of the PS1 classic Ape Escape: On The Loose falls short of the original in a number of ways. The most obvious failing is the controls. Ape Escape is built to be played on a controller with dual analog sticks, which the PSP doesn't have.
As a result, the tight and fluid controls of the PS1 game become jerky and frustrating. For some reason, the game's excellent music has also been downgraded despite the PSP's increased power in the audio department.
5 Skyrim Remastered On PlayStation 4 Loses Mods
While not a critique on the base game for either system, any seasoned Skyrim veteran knows just how amazing mods can be. Bethesda's Creation Kit allows aspiring modders to easily make their own additions to the game, and some have been truly massive, adding entire games worth of content to the fifth Elder Scrolls entry.
Sony, unfortunately, has strict guidelines for the amount of content that can be added to Skyrim. This means that all of the best mods, available on Xbox and PC, are unreachable to PlayStation owners, cutting out a major aspect of the game's lasting appeal.
4 Crash N. Sane Trilogy Stumbles On The Switch
While having any game on the Switch means it can played on the go, the system's graphical limitations often cause its cross-platform games to look the worst of any console.
This is sadly the case with the remakes of the first three Crash Bandicoot games, with dipping frame rates and choppier animation. Available on both PS4 and Xbox One, unless the player really wants to have Crash on-the-go, there is no reason whatsoever to get the Switch version.
3 Final Fantasy VI's PC Version Is Awful
Considered by die-hard fans to be one of the best entries in the expansive Final Fantasy series, FFVI's Steam port is absolutely awful. The text is blocky and ugly, menus don't work properly, and the charm of the game is completely drained as a result.
Graphical improvements have the same effect, causing the game to look uncanny without its slightly muted pixelated color scheme. Even if this version of the game is on sale, players would be better off shelling-out a little more cash for one of the game's multiple releases on other platforms. It's worth it for the infinitely better experience that almost any other version provides.
2 Psychonauts Doesn't Just Look Worse On PS2, It Plays Worse As Well
A cult classic, Psychonauts is an adventure/platform game with a fantastic art style, and a great sense of humor. Unfortunately, the PS2 version is a strict downgrade over its Xbox counterpart.
Controls are less responsive, which can really hamper the often wobbly platforming and slightly stiff combat. Graphics are fuzzier and dull as well, which holds the game's cartoonish and in-your-face nature back. If a gamer is looking to pick up a physical copy of Psychonauts, they'd be better off grabbing the original Xbox edition.
1 Arcade Classics Are Best On Arcade Cabinets
While this may seem obvious, there really is no better way to play classics like Pac-Man and Galaga than on an original arcade machine.
Having the game wired directly into the cabinet gives an unparalleled level of responsiveness to the controls. It gives the same feel of physical control as driving a car with a stick-shift to put things in perspective. The stress of putting money on the line for a chance to smash the high score also just cant be beat.