Hey guys, question: What's the differences between the original PC versions of the Wing Commander games, and their various Super Nintendo/Sega CD/3DO/Playstation/Game Boy Advance ports (assuming there are any and they're not all just straight ports)? I've heard that in some of them, missions have been changed and replaced etc, and not long ago me and another member here discussed the SNES version of Wing Commander 1.
A brief history of ports:
-=Wing Commander=-
Amiga: Low (32?) color graphics version. The only real difference is that the fighters menu in the trainsim has 'rotating' images of the fighters instead of simple VDU line drawings. No one in the universe knows why this is. (People often say that the music sounds better in the Amiga version... but my experience is that it sounds fairly similar to the original game's music played on an MT-32 or LAPC-I.)
CD32: Identical to the original A500 Amiga version, except with 256 color graphics.
SegaCD: The SegaCD version is visually similar to the original PC release, but it also includes full speech (and the requisite awkward console control scheme).
SNES: Another low (16?) color version. The SNES version has a host of weird Nintendo-requested minor changes (the Blue Devils are the 'Blue Angels' - things like that). There's some obvious tricks to get around the low amount of memory on an SNES cart, too - for instance, SNES WC1 doesn't have unique graphics for the Jalthi... it's just a Salthi that's been turned green. There is also a seperate, stand-alone SNES version of the Secret Missions addon... it's fairly cool, as it includes a unique intro sequence (Kilrathi talking about the Sivar weapon) and an 'extended' Tiger's Claw takeoff scene that makes use of some Mode-7 landscaping stuff.
FM Towns: Visually identical to the PC version - the only significant change is that it has a Redbook audio soundtrack instead of MIDIs.
3DO: This is 'Super Wing Commander'. All of the graphics are redone in Privateer-level SVGA. It has some new 'bridge' plot points (characters occasionally mention stealth fighters) and a 'middle' set of addon (SM1.5!) missions about blowing up the Sivar's base. Full speech, ships look different, people look different, etc. Amazingly, of all the ports this one *plays* most similar to the original game.
Macintosh: (See 3DO.)
-=Wing Commander II=-
FM Towns: Has Redbook CD audio tracks instead of MIDI files. Otherwise identical.
SNES: Never released! Had color VDUs and a streamlined 'action' style of gameplay.
-=Wing Commander III=-
Macintosh: Same as the PC release.
PSX: Surprisingly similar to the original PC version. Has some video sequences added (news reports).
3DO: Higher quality video, full color VDUs, alternate mission layouts (ie, different enemies at different points) and generally a mode 'arcade' sense. Pre-rendered video segments replace ground missions. Includes a few new ships (gun platforms. WC4-style triangle transports, etc.), missiles (the Vampire missile!) etc. Some video scenes cut from the original game are re-incorporated.
-=Wing Commander IV=-
DVD: Same as the PC (Win95) version, but with high quality video sequences - as clear as a real movie rather than a... Xan movie.
Macintosh: Identical to the initial PC release.
PSX: Cuts out a significant amount of video and missions (no Circe Series, for instance). Ground missions replaced with new space-based missions with similar objectives. Briefing videos altered slightly to represent this.
-=Wing Commander Prophecy=-
GBA: Entire game redone as a handheld port. Video sequences are done as either fly-rendered segments or talking heads. Has a multiplayer mode.
