Best version (SNES vs PC) ?

[freddytheking]

I like it on snes, but the pc-version is bether! Wath do you think?

[Edit: Changed the subject to better reflect the thread's content. --Norbert]

[Guest]

I like it on snes, but the pc-version is bether! Wath do you think?

I only played a few levels of the snes version and I like the pc version better but I guess that's because I know the levels.

[Guest]

This version is cool. The traps are executed well - such as the squisher (rock on a chain), baseball-bat looking thing, and strange stars that vaporize the unlucky prince. The teleport level is interesting, and they made good use of the SNES graphics layers, creating many different effects not possible on the PC at the time. (See the outdoorsy bit of level 5 for an example)

[QttP]

The SNES version of POP is better at least in one way - it has more levels than the PC version - 20 overall, including the original 12 levels in that way or another, but most of the original levels were also modified and made longer.

[Wong]

This is rather difficult to answer! I like the SNES version a lot, it's by far the best conversion from computer to console that exists.

What it doesn't have is the classic 12 level sprint that we all know and love - instead it has classic Prince gameplay put in to new levels. I almost view it as a sequel (what PoP2 should have been like?) rather than the original Prince.

I think Prince SNES is definitely an improvement on the original - the Japanese really knew what they were doing! - but whether that makes it "better" is impossible to decide, really.

[_Zaphod_]

It is not better. Some of the elegance of the original game was lost. SOmehow 2 hours isn't as scary as one hour. Also it was sanitized. no blood splatters whenm you get crunched or spiked.

But the control is DEAD ON accurate. anything that worked in the original works here too. all the swordplay bits (where you alternatel press block and attakckto initiate an exchange) work right, and the prince does EXACTLY what you'd expect him to do if you played the PC one.

it is one of the best versions of Prince of persia ever written.

The x68000 on e is pretty good, but badly needs a hard drive install, and needs a juiced up CPU (at least under emulation) to run right.

APple, amiga, and of course PC are among the best versions. Atari ST is good too, but you MUST play with a stick, as there is a very annoying limitation of the atari st keyboard that makes keyboard play unfun. of course i believe the Apple II has the same limitation, so maybe you can deal.

[Necdilzor]

I like the graphics, we should have a pc version of pop with the snes graphics...

[Veke]

There is, in fact you can play any levelset with SNES gfx. Download Total Pack, it has a lot SNES ripped graphics.
viewtopic.php?f=73&t=875

[Morbid_Assasin]

I think the SNES version is the best version.Also, the Amiga version is identical to the DOS version.The SNES version was ahead of its time.I like the graphics, the music and the levels very much.
P.S. As one can clearly see, I'm back after a long absence! I miss the old POPUW forum... But I realize that will most probably never be online again. The reason I "absenteed" so much was the fact that I couldn't remember my password and was also busy with my masters.But this morning I had a "blinding burst of insight" and I remembered it. Sorry for straying off-topic.

[Norbert]

Bumping this old thread, as someone else did before (2006 to 2009).
So, today, I played through the entire SNES port of PoP1 for the first time.
On the whole, I prefer the DOS version.
The SNES version has some worse and some better stuff.

What I thought was worse:
- Being forced to watch an (unskippable) introduction logo and screen for several seconds.
- Some of the music is annoying, like in the red dungeon, and it just goes on and on. I don't think it can be turned off (see my question here). Also, the music somewhat spoils the atmosphere: in a cold dungeon you hear your footsteps and gates and such, not music.
- Level 19 is an annoying maze, they must've thought: 'The player almost finished the game... quick, let's stall the player.' The endgame is similar, where you fight several enemies in a row; then Jaffar, twice. The level with portals is also mazy, I simply don't like that.
- It felt like the regular guards were all the same difficulty; merely had more potions in later levels.
- The level with the six-armed creature wasn't fun; suddenly having to dodge pots. And if you die, you have to go back to it and wait for it to descend the stairs again.
- Some environments have too flashy colors: it's like you're in Disneyland instead of being trapped in a dungeon/palace.
- No easy way (like DOS's "megahit") to start certain levels or use cheats, only by typing in (PoP or Game Genie) codes.

What I thought was better:
- The details in the basic dungeon graphics, including the skeletons and such. The ending with the elephant, some other graphics here and there.
- Being able to move back and forth multiple times while fighting, without having to press left or right multiple times.
- Some of the music, especially the introduction and main menu themes.
- New traps here and there. However, their effects are mostly the same as the chomper. The sparkle trap is kind of interesting. The moving walkway is annoying, but it makes the game more challenging.
- The SNES port has more levels and more difficult levels.
- The mouse doing a somersault...

I think, for me, the music is by far the biggest problem of the SNES port.

[spartacus735]

I think, for me, the music is by far the biggest problem of the SNES port.

I can remove all song if you want

I Being forced to watch an (unskippable) introduction logo and screen for several seconds.

In japan Version you can skip the introduction

- The level with the six-armed creature wasn't fun; suddenly having to dodge pots. And if you die, you have to go back to it and wait for it to descend the stairs again.
- Some environments have too flashy colors: it's like you're in Disneyland instead of being trapped in a dungeon/palace.

The level with Sheeva ( the creature ) have only 5 rooms for level 17 which is a censer be complicated level is ridiculous indeed

" Flashy color " ? you talking about the level 13/15 ?

[Norbert]

I think, for me, the music is by far the biggest problem of the SNES port.

I can remove all song if you want

Well, I could use Pr1SnesLevEd myself to do that.
But I don't really like having to edit 20 levels for each SNES mod I would like to try out...
If there is no other way, then I will, but maybe it's somehow possible to turn off the music in an easier way.

[David]

I Being forced to watch an (unskippable) introduction logo and screen for several seconds.

Some emulators have fast-forward mode: Snes9X: Tab, ZSNES: The key above tab (its name depends on your keyboard layout).

maybe it's somehow possible to turn off the music in an easier way.

The music selections are stored in the ROM image at address 0x1145C (or 0x1165C if it has a header), 27 (0x1B) bytes long. If you fill that area with 0xFF, the music will be disabled on all levels.

But if you don't want to hex-edit:
I also found out that in ZSNES you can turn off each sound channel separately with F5...F12. Sound effects seem to be on channel 7 (F11), so if you turn all others off, only the sound effects remain. (Although some stray parts of music are on that channel.)

Another method is using cheats:
Add a cheat that sets memory at address 0x7E0D75 to 0xFF. This will disable all music (intro, main menu) not just those on the levels. In ZSNES you need to add a cheat with code 7E0D75FF.

[spartacus735]

Quiet level mod it's a game for you !

[Norbert]

maybe it's somehow possible to turn off the music in an easier way.

The music selections are stored in the ROM image at address 0x1145C (or 0x1165C if it has a header), 27 (0x1B) bytes long. If you fill that area with 0xFF, the music will be disabled on all levels.

Yeah, that's probably the best way.
I found some Perl code that can be used to do it from the command line
$ perl nomusic.pl PoP1_US.smc > nomusic.smc

Code: Select all

my $find_packed = pack "H*", '010101020202030303040505060606070807090A0EFF0101010101';
my $repl_packed = pack "H*", 'FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF';
my $file = do { local $/; <> };
$file =~ s/\Q$find_packed/$repl_packed/g;
print $file;