Unique/notable clone roms?

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

The idea of paring down and/or managing a full rom set came up over in this thread and it got me thinking: Since I've already done this myself, I have a list of about 10 or so games for which I purposefully kept a "unique" clone rom for.  For example;

Simpsons (2-player w/character select, parent is 4-player)
X-men (2-player and 6-player, parent is 4-player)
Pac-man (clone of puckman, just for sentimental value really...)
Donkey Kong 2 (significantly different from the parent!)
Cabal (trackball)
Karate Champ (vs.)
etc. etc.

I imagine most of us keep clones for language reasons if nothing else, but what are the other games you play that have what you would consider "notable" clones?

A related, albeit console-based sidenote: Doki Doki Panic really pales in comparison to SMB2 (USA).

[DaveMMR]

Personally, I leave the roms alone. One day you're going to want to play some obscure game and realize you either (a) deleted the wrong rom or (b) need the clone for whatever reason (e.g. 2-player version of 4 player game, etc.). Hard drive space is super cheap nowadays that there's no reason to spend hours meticulously weeding out clones to save space.

If you're picking-and-choosing games, you don't need a full set anyhow.

I know you're looking to do this to fit in a small SSD but really the bulk is taken up by the CHDs. Eliminate all those games and you'll be fine. Or just store the roms (and CHD's) on a regular drive and boot up with the SSD. They don't take a long time to load except the larger ones - like Neo-Geo - which can be remedied by adding more physical memory.

[rCadeGaming]

This was also discussed at length in another thread, but I'd say don't delete ALL the CHD games.  Most of them aren't worth the space, but there are a few gems that are.  The list of CHD games isn't that long, so try them out and pick the ones you want to keep.

Now obviously it's not nearly as feasible or beneficial to go through and try out every normal ROM game and weed things out that way, but I'm in the process and I find it to be interesting if you have the time.  You end up both weeding out things you'd never want, like useless clones and Mahjong games, and finding really neat games to keep you've never heard of.

It is a looooong process though.  I like to listen to podcasts and work on it for a few hours at a time.  I haven't had time for this in a few months, so I'm stuck somewhere in the G's.  I'll finish it at some point though.

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

Whoa whoa whoa.  Not for nothing (seriously, don't take this the wrong way... I don't know which threads everybody is reading at this point) but I wasn't asking about anything you guys are talking about here.  This thread doesn't have anything to do with managing roms, what purpose such a task would serve, how long it would take, or how valuable it might be.  I didn't bring up saving HDD/SSD space, and I sure as ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- didn't bring up anything about CHDs here.

All I want to know is if anyone knows of, or has any favorite specific clones that are of significant difference or notable interest when compared to their parent games.  That's it. 

I imagine most of us keep clones for language reasons if nothing else, but what are the other games you play that have what you would consider "notable" clones?

A related, albeit console-based sidenote: Doki Doki Panic really pales in comparison to SMB2 (USA).

I go back to Donkey Kong 2 as an example; it's a hack, sure, but certainly more interesting than changing a few letters in the title screen around (no, for the record, I don't miss PBJ at all).

I've also heard there are several shmups that have interesting changes between regional versions.  That kind of stuff.

Thought it would be interesting to talk about.  Maybe find something I didn't already know about - and yes, perhaps - maybe even have to dig something out from the actual, regularly updated, full set I have archived on the 2TB drive sitting here next to me... 

[brad808]

The pheonix version of sfa3 has the blue title screen with all game modes and extra characters unlocked.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

[paigeoliver]

The two versions of Berzerk are so different that they are almost different games. I know one collector who has two Bezerk machines, one with each romset.

[rCadeGaming]

Sorry for the derail, I felt I had to address Dave's post though.

This should be more what you're looking for:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=121446.0

[dgame]

Just wanted to post an updated list.  Updates were made based on some further research and tips I got from various responses I received on another forum.  Also changed to maintaining the list in a text file so I could paste it directly in the post.

Thanks!
Scott

Code: [Select]

Game Parent Clone Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ace Attack ace (orig game) aceattack Actually a Volleyball game, clone of Ace Attacker? (no parent)
Ajax ajax typhoon This version has a different stage order and possible additional level
Bad Dudes vs. Dragonninja baddudes drgninja Japanese version has different background music and different ending
Cabal cabal cabalus Trackball version
Captain America Avengers captaven captavenu US version, not really that different
Combat School combatsc combatsct    Trackball version
Cyberball cyberbal cyberbal2p    2 player version
D. D. Crew ddcrew ddcrew2 2 player version
Defend the Terra Attack redufo exodus    Slightly improved graphics
DoDonPachi Dai-Ou-Jou ddp3 ddp3blk Black label edition is more playable and allows continues
Donkey Kong II dkong dkongx11 Donkey Kong 2 hack, new levels etc
Eliminator (4 players) elim2 elim4 4 player mode, only 4 player vector game ever made
Galaga galaga galagamf  Fast shoot
Gauntlet II gaunt2 gaunt22p  2 player version
Gauntlet gauntlet gauntlet2p  2 player version
Gigas gigandes gigasb    Actually a breakout game, clone of gigas? (not listed as parent)
Golden Tee 2000 Tournament gt2k (regular) gt2kt500 Tourney edition, changes?
Ikari III - The Rescue ikari3 ikari3nr    Joystick hack
Ikari Warriors ikari ikarijpb    Joystick hack
Joust joust joustr    Pterodactyl scoring bug
King of Fighters 2005 Anniv kof2002 kf2k5uni Anniversary edition, changed graphics, music, characters
Land Maker landmakr landmakrp English translation
Main Event mainevt mainevt2p  2 player version
Major Havoc mhavoc mhavocrv Return to Vax hack, easier then original, extra levels, minor play changes
Marvel Vs. Capcom: COSH mvsc mvscj Japanese version gives you an extra character
Ms. Pac Man mspacman mspacmnf    Speedup hack
NBA Maximum Hangtime nbahangt nbamht1 Updated roster, minor play changes
Night Slasher nslasher nslasherj Japanese version is uncensored - red blood and some different and extended scenes
Pacman puckman pacman Original pacman game
Pacman puckman pacmanf  Speedup hack
Peggle peggle pegglet    Trackball version
Pirate Pete junglek piratpet Pirate-based version of Jungle Hunt
Qix II Tournament qix qix2 Enhanced version with different colors and bonus features
Rampart rampart rampart2p    Joystick version
Robocop 2 robocop2 robocop2j Japanese version has extra playable into level and extra scene at the end
Salamander (Lifeforce) salamand lifefrcej Enhanced US version (lifefrce) and listed Japanese version have new graphics and improved gameplay
Shadow Warriors (Ninja Gaiden) shadoww gaiden US (gaiden) and Japan (ryukendn) versions have different music and fighting/difficulty diffs
Simpsons simpsons simpsons2p    2 player version
Snow Bros. 3 - Magical  Adv snowbros snowbros3 Third in the series, seems to be a clone of the first game
Sunset Riders ssriders ssridersubc    2 player version
Super Bubble Bobble bublbobl sboblboa Super Bubble Bobble, minor changes
Street Fighter II: Hyper Fight sf2hf sf2hfj Turbo version incorporates unofficial hacks and is supposed to be the best in the series
Tempest Tubes tempest temptube    Version of Tempest with different shapes
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tmnt tmnt2po    2 player version
Undercover Cops uccops uccopsar Alpha Renewal version has better graphics and additional character moves
Vendetta vendetta vendetta2p    2 player version.  Also Asian versions have bikers and dogs that grab, hump, and lick the player...
Zerowing zerowing zerowing2    2 player version instead of 1


[rCadeGaming]

Nice, was thinking of that one too, but couldn't find it.

There are still some interesting things from the thread that I linked that aren't on that list, especially the one about the Super Street Fighter II Turbo AI.  There's probably other threads we haven't thought of yet too.

Who's up for compiling all this to a master list and getting it stickied?

[DaveMMR]

Ahh, okay. When I responded I was focusing on these parts:

The idea of paring down and/or managing a full rom set came. I have a list of about 10 or so games for which I purposefully kept a "unique" clone rom for. 
I imagine most of us keep clones for language reasons if nothing else, but what are the other games you play that have what you would consider "notable" clones?

And also the link to the thread about SSD space concerns and figured you were asking because you were going "clone hunting" to clear up some space there. Sorry, carry on.   

This was also discussed at length in another thread, but I'd say don't delete ALL the CHD games.  Most of them aren't worth the space, but there are a few gems that are.  The list of CHD games isn't that long, so try them out and pick the ones you want to keep.

Personally, I actually don't delete any of them. I never download them in the first place. When I do find a game I want to try that requires it, I'll obtain it (e.g. Simpsons Bowling). But for the most part, I'm mostly about 80's and 90's classics - very little need for the CHD games.

[rCadeGaming]

Actually, I thought your reply was totally relevant, but I guess it wasn't was he was looking for.

As for the CHD games, just wanted to say people should choose for themselves.  You don't want any at all?  The biggest for me is Street Fighter III: Third Strike; that's technically a 90's classic, late 90's though.  There's Killer Instinct too, but I'm not a huge fan.

I agree the majority of the CHD games are worthless.  Most of them are non-working games, so you narrow it down real quick right there.

[DaveMMR]

As for the CHD games, just wanted to say people should choose for themselves.  You don't want any at all?  The biggest for me is Street Fighter III: Third Strike; that's technically a 90's classic, late 90's though.  There's Killer Instinct too, but I'm not a huge fan.

Not that I don't want them but it's actually easier to just get the one or two I actually need instead of getting the whole set and figuring out what I don't like. I do (did - cab out of commission) have Killer Instinct. A couple of others as well. I'm using a better computer for my next cab, so I'll maybe I'll have a couple more.

I agree the majority of the CHD games are worthless.  Most of them are non-working games, so you narrow it down real quick right there.

That's basically why, when people are trying to save some space, I suggest those as the sacrificial lamb, so to speak. Plus deleting them is more straightforward that trying to figure out which rom file is the parent and which is the clone, etc.

Okay I derailed this thread too much now.

On that note, the info Haze posted in rCade's linked thread is very interesting with regards to clones in MAME.

[RyoriNoTetsujin]

Hey DaveMMR, no worries, man - I know that response was a little uh ... aggressive, especially coming from me. Many apologies for that - rough week here IRL. 

Took a break, watched Robocop with the gf (she'd never seen it!?) and feeling much better now. Un-ironic this time. 

Anyway, yeah, I was thinking something along the lines of the links and stuff that has been subsequently posted. Cool info.

[rCadeGaming]

Haze is a MAMEdev.  EXTREMELY INTERESTING (ok, well to me at least) conversation with him here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,128726.0.html