Is the 3DS version of “Link's Awakening” identical to the original?

Question

I've heard numerous interviews with Miyamoto stating that he'd love to see Link to the Past on the 3DS with 3D. As well it's my understanding that a few games on the 3DS Virtual Console (Excitebike?) have 3D added into them.

So my question is, is there 3D in the 3DS version of Link's Awakening? As well, anything at all different with this version over the DX or GB versions?

Asked by Jeff

Answer

It is a port of the DX version. It is not 3D whatsoever. It does include the Color Dungeon found in the DX version, and is in colour.

Answered by Derpy Hooves

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Are there significant differences between the platform versions of Mass Effect 3?

Question

Are there any significant gameplay differences between the PC/PS3/Xbox 360 versions of Mass Effect 3, or is the game/DLC all the same in all practical terms?

I don't mean things like button configurations, graphics settings for PC or minor graphics differences that are present in all cross-platform games, but actual changes in gameplay (moved/removed enemies, obstacles ect) or significantly different controls (new/different controls or ways to control) between the different versions.

Asked by Ben Brocka

Answer

The Xbox 360 version is different in that it features Kinect support. Here's an excerpt from the Destructoid review detailing the Kinect functionality:

Using Microsoft's camera accessory with the game is totally optional and serves to allow most of the game's basic commands to be given by voice. Kinect can be used to issue commands to squad members, activate special abilities, and change weapons, removing the need to open the game's power wheel, pausing the game and interrupting the flow of combat. Spoken instructions also extend to making dialog choices, opening doors, examining objects and pretty much anything else one would just press the 'A' button to do in a passive manner.

The marketing push for Mass Effect 3 states that the game is "better with Kinect," and it's hard not to agree. Voice recognition is very accurate, usually able to pick up commands even when speech is rushed. It's not perfect and does occasionally, rarely, fail to recognize a command but the system proves impressive nonetheless and it's easy to completely dispense with the power wheel altogether after giving it a little test.

Answered by Brysonic

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Are there significant differences between console versions of Mass Effect 3?

Question

Are there any significant gameplay differences between the PC/PS3/Xbox 360 versions of Mass Effect 3?

I don't mean things like button configurations, graphics settings for PC or minor graphics differences that are present in all cross-platform games, but actual changes in gameplay (moved/removed enemies, obstacles ect) or significantly different controls (new/different controls or ways to control) between the different versions.

Asked by Ben Brocka

Answer

The Xbox 360 version is different in that it features Kinect support. Here's an excerpt from the Destructoid review detailing the Kinect functionality:

Using Microsoft's camera accessory with the game is totally optional and serves to allow most of the game's basic commands to be given by voice. Kinect can be used to issue commands to squad members, activate special abilities, and change weapons, removing the need to open the game's power wheel, pausing the game and interrupting the flow of combat. Spoken instructions also extend to making dialog choices, opening doors, examining objects and pretty much anything else one would just press the 'A' button to do in a passive manner.

The marketing push for Mass Effect 3 states that the game is "better with Kinect," and it's hard not to agree. Voice recognition is very accurate, usually able to pick up commands even when speech is rushed. It's not perfect and does occasionally, rarely, fail to recognize a command but the system proves impressive nonetheless and it's easy to completely dispense with the power wheel altogether after giving it a little test.

Answered by Bryson Duda

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Any difference between Alan Wake's PC and Xbox 360 versions?

Question

I've played and finished Alan Wake on Xbox 360 a long time ago, and the PC version of the game has been recently released. Is there any difference between the two?

Asked by Mehper C. Palavuzlar

Answer

The only differences between the two will be difference in graphic.

Quote from official Alan Wake forum :

There are a few differences - the engine is basically the same, as is the gameplay, but we've increased the engine quality settings on many areas including draw distance, shadow quality, post processing etc. We've of course included the Signal and The Writer with the game too.

You can see PC vs Xbox 360 screenshot comparison here.

And you can read even more about the graphical differences here.

Answered by ChrisHateZ

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What is the difference between Breath of Fire III for the PSX and for the PSP (or PSPGo)?

Question

I am aware that some games (like the early Final Fantasy titles, Disgaea) which are on PSP (more appropriately, PSN) are later versions with a small amount of extra content. Normally it is fairly easy to find this information out with a bit of searching.

However I have not been able to find anything on the differences (if any) between Breath of Fire III as a PSN download for the PSP go and the original on PSX. Can anybody enlighten me? Also, is there some better way to find out this kind of information than blindly searching the internets with Google?

Answer

AFAIK it's the same with better graphics, picture gallery and the ability to share fishing minigames with friends.

EDIT: Someone made a list of the differences:

• The title screen is different

• Some slowdown before attacks until you've had the game on for a bit.

• The electric room with the machine soldier in the "Factory" has permanent slowdown which actually makes it a lot easier to do that sequence of lever presses. I think this was done on purpose because there's no other parts like it in the game.

• Hachio's name is "Haochi"

• The room with the block puzzle in angel tower has one of the passages decreased in width and you can't get into random battles to teleport to the top to skip the puzzle.

• Stallion's color scheme is completely different. He is Brown, white, and yellow if I recall.

• "Utmost attack" had its name changed to "Vacuum Wave". I think it is because Stallion was supposed to look like "Ultraman", a Japanese hero. Utmost attack must have been one of his techniques?"

• In the Desert, getting into random encounters does not turn Ryu in a random direction. Turning right once, then walking straight until you reach Manmo still works thankfully.

• Dupe glitch does not work anymore.

• The Holy Mantle seems to work better. If you walk perfectly straight, you will go a while without fighting. Take a single turn, and it's battle time though. I remember it doing absolutely nothing.

• Finally, all of the music has added instruments which in my opinion make the music in the game a LOT better. I have never heard those extra sounds even on my I-pod. When I play my PSP on TV, you can still hear the new sounds. I wonder if the music had some sort of error in all of the tracks to begin with? Every song I can think of has something new in it.

Source: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/196817-breath-of-fire-iii/55291244

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Difference between “Batman: Arkham Asylum” on PS3 and XBox 360

Question

What differences are there between "Batman: Arkham Asylum" on PS3 and XBox 360?

Answer

Here's a comparison

GRAPHICS

Although both consoles had issues, the PlayStation 3 had a few less and having a camera that shows more helps when being attacked from all angles, or if you need to find a place to hide.

PERFORMANCE

Both consoles dropped frames and there was screen tearing. It would have been nice to see one console with neither screen tearing nor frame skipping.

CONTROL

Tie. Identical controls.

LOADING

Tie. The PlayStation 3 has a 1 gig install that took only 3 minutes and yet one could argue that with a mandatory install, PlayStation 3 should have performed better. However the latter could counter that if the Xbox 360 had a mandatory install it should have done better…which we know is impossible since not everyone has a hard drive.

OUTCOME

Although we’re pretty sure you’re gonna be happy with buying Batman: Arkham Asylum on either console, we believe the PlayStation 3 is the better game even if it wasn’t a perfect win.

And here's a little more serious one

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Does the iOS version have Survival mode?

Question

I'd already been all the way through PvZ on my iPhone before the zen garden upgrade. I've continued playing, farming coins to unlock minigames, etc. However, the game seems to have entirely stopped giving me new plants. I've resorted to buying them expensively from the new store options.

How do I get more plants for my Zen Garden? talks about 'survival' mode, but I don't see that anywhere on my phone. Does it have some other name, or is it not in the mobile version?

Answer

New plants are given out randomly, so sometimes it will take a while to get one. You can only receive a plant if you have space for it in the main garden (regardless of how much space you have in the mushroom/aquatic gardens).

Also in my experience, the game seems to favour giving you chocolate for Stinky the Snail first. Try keeping the chocolate until you have 10 (the maximum) and perhaps you will gain more plants.

There is no survival mode in the iOS version yet, but they seem to add new features (more mini-games, puzzle mode) from the other versions every few months, so it may be added eventually.

If you want to play a mode with lots of zombies (to increase chances of getting a ZG plant) then I'd recommend playing the Last Stand or Column Like You See 'Em mini-games.

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Does Animal Crossing: Let's Go To The City have the NES games in it like the DS version?

Question

I've been wondering if Animal Crossing: Let's Go To The City (entitled Animal Crossing: City Folk in NA) for the Wii contains some original NES games like DS version Animal Crossing: Wild World does?

If so, I cannot seem to find them, how do you get them?

Answer

According to Nintendo Power magazine, they did NOT include old NES games in the Wii version of Animal Crossing.

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What features does Rock Band 3 for Wii lack?

Question

What features are missing in the Wii edition of Rock Band 3 that the other (PS3 or Xbox 360) editions have?

Gameplay functionality only, not console characteristics such as video output resolution.

Answer

• No new Rock Band Network songs
• DLC limit of 1000 as opposed to 3000 on the other consoles
• Rock Band 2 and Green Day: Rock Band are the only games that can be imported into Rock band 3
• The Wii may be missing certain character customization features. I'm not entirely sure, though.

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What are the differences between different platforms in Dungeon Defenders?

Question

I have both the PC version, through Steam, and the PS3 version of Dungeon Defenders.

I have maxed out the level of my Squire on PS3, and was surprised to find that on the PC I could raise skill points to a base level of 100 on my Apprentice on the PC version (the PS3 version seems to cap the skill points at a base of 70).

What other differences exist between platforms? Are the level caps the same?

Answer

There are a large number of differences between the versions for PC, PS3, and Xbox. It all depends on when they release patches for the respective platforms. They made the change for stat points in a few patches (can't remember which one). But they made the point cap raised from 70 to 100, and then more recently from 100 to 120 as you've noticed.

They tend to upgrade the PC version a lot quicker and you will find the most up-to-date information in this forum.

A comprehensive list for the differences between the two would be a very large post.

The current PC patch information can be found here.

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Final Fantasy IV DS and PSP difficulty differences

Question

I've read that the DS version of Final Fantasy IV is significantly more difficult than the newer PSP version. Why is this so? (I haven't played either game, and I have no experience with any previous version of this game.)

Answer

Final Fantasy 4 on the SNES originally came in two flavors - the one for Japan, and the one for the US. The Japanese version had several things about it that were more difficult, including the fact that you couldn't buy "Ether" potions in shops that could restore your MP. I believe the fights were also quite a bit harder.

The US version (released as Final Fantasy 2 in the US) was made "easier" to appeal to the perceived not-as-hardcore US gamer. They also made a few changes to it, notably removing any references to religion ("Holy" is just called "White") and removing any direct references to death.

Whenever SquareEnix ports FF4, it's kind of random which version they opt to port, and they tend to make tweaks and other changes to the game as they go. The DS version is closer to the original Japanese difficulty, while the PSP appears to take a page from the US SNES version.

The DS version was also a complete 3D remake of the game, with all-new 3D models and environments. It was a complete engine overhaul for the DS's limited 3D capabilities. I believe they also changed the script significantly, since the original English SNES version is widely acknowledged as having been very poorly translated.

The PSP version appears to retain the 16-bit visuals of the original game, which probably means it's closer to an emulated version of an updated SNES ROM than the DS version. This would also jive with a previous re-release of FF4, which was part of a compilation with Chrono Trigger called "Final Fantasy Chronicles" on the original Playstation.

The PSP version also contains "Final Fantasy 4: The After Years" which was an episodic "sequel" released on the Wii in the US in 2009.

The history of Final Fantasy 4 and all of its various ports is quite a bit longer, and I've omitted details (such as the Easytype version and the GBA port, etc). If you're interested in reading more about it, I'd suggest the FF4 article on the Final Fantasy Wiki.

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Differences between Mario Bros for the NES and 25th Anniversary Super Mario Bros?

Question

As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, Nintendo has released a couple of Wii bundles that include some sort of variant of Mario Bros:

25th Anniversary SUPER MARIO BROS is pre-installed, the design is partially rearranged from the original SUPER MARIO BROS for NES

Does anyone know what the difference is?

Answer

From the screenshot shown on that page, it appears that the coin blocks have been relabeled with "25". I hope, at least, that this was the only "partially rearranged" issue in the 25th anniversary of a classic.

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Different stickers and boxes for “Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga”; what’s the difference?

Question

I’m looking to buy a copy of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and noticed that a few copies of the cartridge have different stickers and some have different box art, but I can’t find any information on why or what the difference(s) may be.

I thought maybe it’s a regional thing, but I can find some photos on Google Images that show different region codes on the same images (last two).

Can anyone tell me why there’s at least three different sticker designs and three different box arts?

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Answer

According to the Wikipedia page, the first image in your question is the North American box art. Upon going to the website in tiny print in the bottom-right corner of your second image, it appears to be custom, fan-made box art for the game (that got criticism for being "way too crowded"). Number three also seems to be fan-made.

As for the cartridges, I'm not sure. Number three and two seem to be the North American versions (with number two not for resale), and numbers one and four seem to be European cartridges. I don't know why number one has different "cartridge art" though. The fourth looks suspicious to me because of the way the Nintendo Seal of Quality is printed, but perhaps that's the way European cartridges are stamped. The first cartridge lacks the Nintendo logo and is different from the other three, leading me to believe it's fake.

TL;DR, the first box art is the real one, and I believe number three is the "real" cartridge.

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What are the differences between the 4GB and the 250 GB versions of the Xbox 360?

Question

Enticed by the Kinect, this will be the family's first step into a dedicated console so we aren't hardcore gamers. My current understanding is the 250 GB of the Xbox 360 version is for quicker switching/loading between different games (which isn't a priority).

Are there other considerations beyond gameplay? Differences related to integrating other media or Windows 7 peers from the home network?

The 250 GB version has an internal harddrive. Is it worthwhile to the non-hardcore gamer?

Answer

I own a 250GB Xbox 360. It gives me the following advantages over a 4GB version.

1. I´m able to buy games from the "Games on-demand" store
   These games are like any other game, but paid with my VISA card and downloaded from the Xbox LIVE service, I do not need to insert a specific game disc to use them, they are available from teh "Games library" menu.
   There is barely place to store a single Xbox 360 game on 4GB
2. I´m able to download music videos, movies? and other rich content from Xbox LIVE.
   You would only have place for a very limited amount of rich content on 4GB, my phone has more memory
3. I´m able to store games from game discs on my HDD.
   Some games are designed to run better, or natively does, when "installed" on the HDD Halo: Reach is an example of a such game.
   The game disc needs to be inserted and working when playing "installed" games.
   Space will NOT be sufficient, again.

Trivia: An Xbox 360 game tends to be around 6GB.

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How do I downgrade Minecraft to play on a server running an older version?

Question

How do I downgrade Minecraft to play on a server running an older version?

Answer

Caution - Notch doesn't want you to do this!

You'll need to source the files for the previous version yourself and place them in .minecraft/bin, and tell your firewall to prevent Minecraft from accessing the internet so it can't download the new files. Try and find a friend who hasn't downloaded the update yet :-)

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Why does LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars have different ESRB ratings between the DS and 3DS?

Question

What's the deal regarding ESRB ratings of LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars in the DS and 3DS formats? I ask, because I need an explanation that can get this game past a picky mom of a <10 kid.

The DS version shows as a "E" rating.

The 3DS version shows an "E 10+" rating.

The links above both say "Cartoon Violence" and "Comic Mischief", and I can't imagine that there is any real difference. I saw this game in a store, and I was certain that it said "Cartoon Violence" and "Crude Humor".

Answer

The ESRB site lists summaries for the titles they rate. There are differences in the descriptions of the game for each platform (3DS, DS, PSP, Windows PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii); specifically, the 3DS version includes:

Laser sounds, large explosions, and battle cries can be heard during the sometimes frenetic combat;

while the DS version doesn't.

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Is the Director’s Cut the *only* PC version of “Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay”?

Question

A few years ago, I got a copy of Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay for Windows. Recently, I heard of a director’s cut of the game. I have found photos of the cover/disc including some that say director’s cut, some that say developer’s cut, and some that don’t say either.

I cannot find any information on what (if anything) is different (for the PC versions, not from the Xbox release). In fact, the research I have done seems to indicate that the director’s cut is the Windows version. That is, the game was originally for Xbox, then the Windows port was dubbed “director’s cut”.

Is this the case?

Answer

Yes, the PC version of the game is the Director's Cut. The differences are covered in this review, in the second paragraph:

Its visuals have been enhanced to be proportionally outstanding even when measured against the PC's extremely high standards; its controls have been optimized to make it easy to pick up by anyone who has played a PC first-person shooter lately; it features a new and exciting gameplay sequence that has been seamlessly integrated into the middle of the story; and it boasts an unlockable "commentary" mode, which annotates the entire game with extensive, often fascinating DVD-style audio commentary from the frightfully talented development team at Stockholm-based Starbreeze Studios.

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Do different versions of Deus Ex: Human Revolution differ visually or mechanically? How so?

Question

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is available on Xbox 360, PS3, and Windows-based computers via Steam. How do these versions differ?

Obviously the 360 version has achievements, while the PS3 version has trophies—and Steam's suite of community participation tools are an obvious inclusion in the PC version. I'm referring more to differences in performance, graphical quality, user interface, or even in-game differences.

For example, in the PS2 port of the original Deus Ex, many areas had to be broken up into smaller chunks with large stone walls in order for it to fit into the PS2's memory. That's a pretty significant difference!

Are the games functionally indistinguishable, and if not, what's the distinction?

Answer

As described in that article on Ars Technica, the PC version has a few graphical enhancements:

• Use of DirectX 11-specific functionality.
• Support for AMD's HD3D and EyeInfinity technologies
• Higher resolution options (well, obviously)

The user interface is also reported to have been optimised for use with a keyboard, and mouse controls can be customised to fit your preferences.

I do not know whether the XBox 360 and PS3 versions differ in any significant way in either graphics or UI.

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Does the Uncharted 1&2 Twin Pack come with the bonuses of Uncharted 2 GOTY?

Question

Sony recently released an Uncharted 1 & 2 Twin Pack (in Australia at least). I haven't played either before and was wondering if getting this bundle was worth it. Uncharted 2 Game of the Year Edition comes with some perks that look good, but the Twin Pack seems like it contains the original version of #2 (from its cover art and list of features). This seems a bit odd to me considering the GOTY version came out a year or so previous.

Has anyone had experience with this Twin Pack? Or does someone know for sure what's included one way or another?

Answer

At least in the US, my copy of Uncharted 2 in the twin pack is the GOTY edition, and came with a PSN voucher code for all the bonus content. I can't be sure this is the case with an Australian copy, but it doubly doesn't make sense for there to be a GOTY edition they're not giving you AND for there to be a version difference this significant between the regions.

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How many versions of “Ico” are there?

Question

As seen on this question about Ico, there are different versions of this game with slightly different puzzles in some rooms. Many walkthroughs and youtube videos published show different solutions for the version I played in PS2 & PS3. What version was the first and how many are there? It is related to the region, may be? Thanks in advance.

Answer

With respect to gameplay, there were two versions released for the PS2 (an original version and a U.S. version), and one remake for the PS3:

          U.S. Version               Original Version

          PS3 Remake

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With respect to language and region code, there were eight releases, including one reprint in Europe coinciding with the release of Shadow of the Colossus:

PlayStation 2

NA September 24, 2001
JP December 6, 2001
EU March 22, 2002

Re-Release

EU February 17, 2006

PlayStation 3

JP September 22, 2011
NA September 27, 2011
AUS September 29, 2011
EU September 28, 2011

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