Page 9 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #8

The Genesis had more problems. Though it had a faster processor, it was handicapped with a
limited color palette, a lack of whiz-bang features like hardware scaling, and an inferior sound
chip. Another very real issue publishers had to face was the cost difference in manufacturing
cartridges, with Nintendo asking for a bigger cut of royalty fees. This, coupled with the company’s
longstanding tradition of “decency,” often led to some interesting decisions and/or changes.

So without further ado, Classic Gamer Magazine presents ten games that offer different
experiences depending on which system they appeared. Some are slight, some are substantial, and
some are just silly. Of course, this list is far from comprehensive. Also keep in mind that these are
games released by the same publisher, so same title/different games like Jurassic Park, Disney’s
Aladdin, and Shadowrun were not considered for comparison.

Shaq-Fu
1994, Electronic Arts

While most would consider subdued death grip). The
the winner of this match-up Genesis cart also weighs in at
the lesser of two evils, there a Shaqtastic 24-megabits
are nonetheless differences (eight more than the
worth mentioning between the Nintendo game), offering five
two cartridges. The packaging more characters and five
is different, with the Genesis additional environments. The
cover featuring an first fighting game from the
unintentionally hilarious French developers of
image of Shaq with his teeth Flashback and Out of this
clenched and his outstretched World was also bundled with
hand in some sort of death a CD sampler of Shaq-Fu: Da
grip (the Super NES went for a Return, but only in the
more solemn look from the Genesis version.
basketball star, and a more

Mortal Kombat

1993, Arena/Acclaim Entertainment

The “Mortal Monday” would irritate enough
release of Mortal Kombat potential consumers that it
(September 13, 1993) was a helped changed Nintendo’s
pivotal one for Nintendo longstanding policy against
fans, as it showed a violence. No amount of
changing attitude in games sweat droplets could
that could no longer be disguise the fact that
ignored. Though the Super playing Mortal Kombat on
NES version has the edge in the Super NES was like version, Nintendo refused
terms of visuals and sound, watching Pulp Fiction or to make the same mistake
including more voice Scarface on network twice, relaxing its stance on
samples, the drastic edits to television — what’s the violence — at least for
the finishing moves and point? After Acclaim’s sales third-party publishers —
absence of a blood code figures showed more people with the release of Mortal
found in the Genesis game purchasing the Genesis Kombat II.

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