10 Rare Versions Of Video Games You Didn't Know Exist
They brought it to THAT platform!?
Ports have been around since gaming begun, allowing developers to bring finished games to newer platforms at minimal expense. Doom is perhaps the biggest case of this, releasing on more platforms than many knew even existed.
Skyrim and Resident Evil are the main modern titles prone to endless ports, with Bethesda and Capcom seemingly prepared to release them on every new platform when given the chance. We're also guaranteed retro compilation sets from Sega and Atari.
There's nothing wrong with making games more widely available but sometimes developers go that step further, creating versions of games that prove wildly different to the original when bringing it to a new platform.
It’s rarer these days, especially now remakes and remasters are a popular option for old games but it used to be a very common occurrence, most evident in portable editions, which often force developers to make sacrifices for downgraded hardware.
They make for interesting history by comparison however, in many cases developed by completely new teams. These are some of the more prominent examples.
10. DOOM 64
It’s easy to see where Doom 64 got lumped in with the other, seemingly never-ending list of Doom ports, but simply calling it another version of Doom does a major disservice to this title.
Featuring new graphics and levels, Doom 64 instead continued the story from Doom II, focused on an evil entity known as the Mother Demon. Bringing back the countless hordes you once destroyed, it’s down to Doomguy to stop these demonic creatures once again.
It released to positive reception and reviewers praised the new features but some considered it too similar to the original Doom, though contemporary reviews have been much kinder.
With the incoming release of Doom Eternal however, Bethesda have confirmed a re-release for the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4 and Xbox One, also launching on 20 March, and coming as one of Eternal’s pre-order bonuses.
This follows on from Doom 1- 3’s re-releases last year and with the franchise firmly back on its feet, Doom 64 may finally get the recognition it deserves.