History Main / ReformulatedGame

* ''VideoGame/LordsOfDoom'': Attic Entertainment Software produced ''VideoGame/LordsOfDoom'' for the 16-bit generation. Another studio, Sense of Wonder, was hired to make an 8-bit version. Rather than making the same game with lesser graphics, Sense of Wonder put in their own choice of shout-outs, added a point system, changed the location of several objects, generally made the puzzles harder, and rewrote the ending from a 16-bit apocalyptic one to an 8-bit esoteric one.

* Takara published UsefulNotes/GameBoy adaptations of popular Neo-Geo fighting games during the 90s such as ''[[VideoGame/FatalFury Fatal Fury 2]]'', ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown'', ''[[VideoGame/WorldHeroes World Heroes 2 Jet]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters The King of Fighters '95]]'', as well as their very own UsefulNotes/PlayStation hit ''VideoGame/BattleArenaToshinden''. In Japan, these GB versions were released under the ''Nettō'' or ''Dead Heat Fighters'' branding, but the few that were released overseas were given the same titles as their original counterparts.

* ''VideoGame/BionicCommando'' on the arcades was a side-scrolling action platformer with a gameplay gimmick involving the use a wire to jump over obstacles instead of a jump button. The NES version, while retaining the wire-swinging gimmick, is a non-linear action game that alternates between classic side-scrolling action, ''Commando''-style overhead segments, and [[BreatherLevel neutral zones to take a breather]] and find useful items and information, while having a complex plot with an [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath incredibly graphic villain death]] that wasn't censored. It's considered among the best action games for the NES and, unsurprisingly, it is the version that was remade as ''Bionic Commando: Rearmed'' in 2008. In Japan, where the original ''Bionic Commando'' was titled ''Top Secret'', the Famicom version was subtitled ''Hitler no Fukkatsu'' (Hitler's Revival) and was clearly marketed as a different game.

* ''Powerslave'' ([[MarketBasedTitle also known as]] ''Exhumed'' in Europe and ''Year 1999: Return of the Pharaoh'' in Japan) was released for the PC, [=PlayStation=], and UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, and although the three versions were released together, development started on the PC using the Build engine, best known for powering ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D''. Lobotomy Software then decided to try their luck on consoles but, upon realizing a straight port was impossible, they developed the Slavedriver engine and ended up making practically another game. While PC ''Powerslave'' is forgettable and has overly long, boring levels, console ''Powerslave'' is one of the best early console [[FirstPersonShooter FPSes]], and loses some nicer textures in favor of faster action, full 3D movement and smaller, open-ended levels with new weapons and abilities to discover in order to advance, predating ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime'' by over five years. Also, in a fun twist of irony, Slavedriver would later be used to port ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' on the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn.

* ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania|I}}'' (NES) and ''Vampire Killer'' ([=MSX2=]) were released in Japan under the same title (''Akumajō Dracula'') a month apart, with the same packaging art. While they have very similar stage designs, ''Vampire Killer'' focuses more on exploration, as the player's goal is to uncover hidden items in each stage and find the key to the stage's exit.

* ''VideoGame/SpankysQuest'': The Game Boy and Super NES versions were developed by two completely different teams, and have almost entirely different approaches to level design and bonus items. The Super NES version requires the player to collect InterchangeableAntimatterKeys, whereas the Game Boy version has neither keys nor doors. It's little wonder that the two versions were released under different titles in Japan.
* ''[[VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures Sparkster]]'' was completely different between the Super NES and Genesis, despite being released at the same time, having the same cover artwork and almost the same title (the Genesis version was subtitled ''Rocket Knight Adventures 2'' in Japan).

* ''Videogame/PlayerunknownsBattlegrounds'' , made by Lightspeed & Quantum, a developed commissioned by Tencent, is basically faithful to the source material in addition to adding a lot of new features such as threat compass, level up (to unlock in game currency and matchmaking), more unlockable, and a few additional game modes. It's also free-to-play and averts BribingYourWayToVictory hard. Finally, it runs well on mid to high end smartphones, and Tencent even releases a preconfigured Android emulator specifically to play this game on PC with low end specifications!

* ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIIMonsterLair'', released for arcades in 1988, and ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'', released for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem a year later, have completely different plots and gameplay. The former is a co-op hybrid platformer/shmup DistantSequel where Wonder Boy's descendants Leo and Priscilla are on a quest to recover the Legendary Sword, Armor, and Shield of [[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand the prior game]] from [[AlienInvasion alien invaders]], while the latter is a {{Metroidvania}} directly continuing the story of ''VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand'', with Wonder Boy seeking out the Salamander Cross to remedy the ForcedTransformation bestowed upon him by the Meka Dragon as its DyingCurse. Both games in turn received [[DivorcedInstallment renamed ports]] on the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16, the former as simply ''Monster Lair'', the latter as ''Dragon's Curse''.

* ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIIMonsterLair'', released for arcades in 1988, and ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'', released for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem a year later, have completely different plots and gameplay. The former is a hybrid platformer/shmup DistantSequel where Wonder Boy's descendants Leo and Priscilla are on a quest to recover the Legendary Sword, Armor, and Shield of [[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand the prior game]] from [[AlienInvasion alien invaders]], while the latter is a {{Metroidvania}} directly continuing the story of ''VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand'', with Wonder Boy seeking out the Salamander Cross to remedy the ForcedTransformation bestowed upon him by the Meka Dragon as its DyingCurse. Both games in turn received [[DivorcedInstallment renamed ports]] on the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16, the former as simply ''Monster Lair'', the latter as ''Dragon's Curse''.

* ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIIMonsterLair'', released for arcades in 1988, and ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'', released for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem a year later, have completely different plots and gameplay. The former is a hybrid platformer/shmup DistantSequel where Wonder Boy's descendants Leo and Priscilla are on a quest to recover the Legendary Sword, Armor, and Shield of [[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand the prior game]] from alien invaders, while the latter is a {{Metroidvania}} directly continuing the story of ''VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterLand'', with Wonder Boy seeking out the Salamander Cross to remedy the ForcedTransformation bestowed upon him by the Meka Dragon as its DyingCurse. Both games in turn received [[DivorcedInstallment renamed ports]] on the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16, the former as simply ''Monster Lair'', the latter as ''Dragon's Curse''.

** When Ubisoft got a hold of the ''Turtles'' license, they made a series of tie-in games based on CGI ''TMNT'' movie for various platforms. The PC and home console versions were ports of the same game, but the portable versions for the GBA, DS and PSP were all unique. The GBA version in particular, rather than being a 3D action game like the others, was a 2D beat-'em-up inspired by the older Konami games.

* Many of the titles featured in the Genesis version of ''VideoGame/Action52'' are completely different from their namesakes in the NES version. For example, ''Cheetahmen'' now involves climbing trees and rescuing cheetah cubs and other animals.

* The versions of ''VideoGame/TheLionKing'' for Super NES, Genesis, MS-DOS, Game Boy, and NES were all more or less ports of each other of varying quality and accuracy, with the Suprt NES and Genesis being the closest to each other, while the DOS version had minor downgrades and the Game Boy and NES had blatant cuts due to technical limitations. But the versions released for Game Gear and Master System, while nearly identical to each other, were essentially a completely different game with similar gameplay. Level designs are different, there is no roar meter, the notorious ostrich rides are almost completely gone, The Stampede uses the same platforming engine as the rest of the game instead of a unique one, and Return to Pride Rock is reduced to a BossOnlyLevel. Additionally, several things which were present in prototypes of the main version of the game but were changed during development were retained in the Master System/Game Gear version, so things such as the hyena AI, the names of certain stages, and the overall look of The Elephant Graveyard are different between versions as well. This approach paid off, as while the genuine attempts at porting the 16-bit game to 8-bit hardware caused the game to suffer and lose content, the Game Gear/Master System version was much better suited to its hardware and is generally considered a better experience than the actual 8-bit ports as a result.

** ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTournamentFighters'' was a title used for a set of Konami fighting games released for the NES, Super NES and Genesis at the end of 1993. Each version was a unique game featuring its own character roster and fighting system. Each version also used one of the turtles as a cover character, but because there four turtles, but only three versions of the game made, Michelangelo was the one that was not afforded this privilege.

* ''[[VideoGame/StriderReturns Strider II]]'', the American Gold-produced sequel to ''VideoGame/StriderArcade'' (not to be confused with Capcom's own arcade sequel ''Strider 2''), was originally released in 1990 for various home computer platforms in Europe (specifically the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and the ZX Spectrum). ''Strider II'' was later remade for the UsefulNotes/MegaDrive and UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem in 1992 with redesigned stages and gameplay mechanics much closer to the original ''Strider'' arcade game. The Genesis and Game Gear versions were released in America under the title of ''Strider Returns: Journey from Darkness''.

* ''VideoGame/SuperDodgeBall'' (aka ''Nekketsu Kōkō Dodgeball Bu'') is vastly different on the NES from the original UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame. In the arcade version, the player's team consisted of one adult character as the captain and three children. Only the adult characters have power shots and the health gauges shows the number of team members remaining rather than the health of each character. In the NES version, everyone is now the same size, but each player (not just captains, but all the members of a team) now have two power shots, individual stats and health gauges. The NES version also adds two new foreign teams not in the arcade version: India and Russia.
** The UsefulNotes/PCEngine version, subtitled ''PC Bangai Hen'' (PC Extra Edition), plays like a combination between both versions. The graphics, character roster and stages were based on the arcade version, but it adds elements from the NES version such as individual power shots and health gauge for each player.
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' was ported from the Wii U to the 3DS. It lost the Mystery Mushroom costumes, amiibo compatibility (meaning the player cannot access the Big Mushroom, which the developers made no compensation for its availability), and the ability to upload/download levels through the internet; but gained a new tutorial, a Super Mario Challenge mode, and levels could now be exchanged through local wireless or [=StreetPass=].

* ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' received a series of tie-in games around the time the first season ended. Although the versions released for the Nintendo platforms were published by Bandai, the Sega versions were first-party products. The UsefulNotes/SuperNES and UsefulNotes/GameBoy versions were both side-scrolling action games, while the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis and UsefulNotes/GameGear versions were fighting games, each completely unique. A UsefulNotes/SegaCD version was also released which was an InteractiveMovie game which used FMV clips from key episodes of the series.

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'': Care was taken to make sure both versions played the same and had the same character roster, though the restrictions of the less-powerful 3DS hardware meant certain characters had to be changed or, in the case of the Ice Climbers, cut entirely. Outside of this, each game had exclusive stages and secondary game modes (3DS has Smash Run, Wii U has Smash Tour), with the Wii U version also supporting up to eight players and having a LevelEditor. While fans consider both games to collectively be ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', director Masahiro Sakurai views ''for Nintendo 3DS'' and ''for Wii U'' as separate installments (the fourth and fifth, repsectively).

* ''[[VideoGame/StriderReturns Strider II]]'', the U.S. Gold-produced sequel to ''VideoGame/StriderArcade'' (not to be confused with Capcom's own arcade sequel ''Strider 2''), was originally released in 1990 for various home computer platforms in Europe (specifically the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and the ZX Spectrum). ''Strider II'' was later remade for the UsefulNotes/MegaDrive and UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem in 1992 with redesigned stages and gameplay mechanics much closer to the original ''Strider'' arcade game. The Genesis and Game Gear versions were released in America under the title of ''Strider Returns: Journey from Darkness''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'' was produced as a collaboration between Capcom and Motomiya Kikaku that resulted in a [[Manga/{{Strider}} one-volume manga]] and two video games, a console version for the Famicom and an [[VideoGame/StriderArcade arcade version]] for the CP System hardware. The ''Strider'' arcade game is easily the most successful of these projects, being ported to a variety of other platforms such as the Genesis, [=X68000=], PC Engine and [=PlayStation=] years after its original release, despite deviating completely from the other versions of the ''Strider'' story. The manga has never been reprinted since its original 1988 publication and is nowadays only known to hardcore Strider fans, while the Famicom version was inexplicably canceled in Japan despite being announced before the arcade version, although it did see a U.S. release on the NES.

* The UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance version of ''VideoGame/EdEddNEddyTheMisEdVentures'' is drastically different than the console versions of the game (due to limitations on the GBA), although some plot points are remained. For starters, the first and second missions are swapped: in the console versions you do the watercooler-related mission first and then proceed to do the mission that involved Jimmy's party; in the GBA version, the party mission is now the first (and even then it was altered, as you are no longer going through a sewer), followed by the watercooler-related mission. A brand-new mission has also been added to the GBA version that was not present in the console versions.

* The Xbox release of ''VideoGame/GhostRecon 2'' is, despite its name, a sequel to the concurrently-developed Gamecube / [=PS2=] version.
* The different versions of ''Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter'' have the same storyline and use most of the same locations in BroadStrokes, but have very different gameplay mechanics.

* ''Daiva'', a space-themed war simulation game by T&E Soft, was released for seven different platforms (all the major Japanese 8-bit computers plus the Famicom and [=PC98=]) throughout 1986 to 1987. Each version featured completely different scenario starring a different protagonist.

* ''[[VideoGame/Area88 U.N. Squadron]]'' was a side-scrolling flying shooter based on the manga ''Manga/Area88'' in arcades. The player could choose between one of three characters, each piloting a different jet: Shin flew the F-20, Mickey the F-14, and Greg the A-10. The later Super NES version differentiated characters by how quickly they leveled up the main weapon and how quickly they recovered from damage; each of the three pilots started with the F-8E Crusader and could purchase other jets by using the bounty collected from completing missions. Additionally, while the Super NES version lacked the 2-Player co-op mode from the arcade, it added multiple paths between stages and new bonus rounds.

* ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfRockyAndBullwinkleAndFriends'' lampshades this in the intro for the SNES version:

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDraculaX'' (aka ''Vampire's Kiss'') was an SNES adaptation of the UsefulNotes/PCEngine Super CD-ROM[[superscript:2]] classic ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood Dracula X: Chi no Rondo]]''. The fact that the porting team only had 16 Megabits to work with (the standard ROM size for most SNES games at the time) ensured that it was never going to be a straight port, even with the voice-acted cutscenes removed and music redone to save space. Instead, the developers took the basic plot and gameplay system from the original and developed an entirely new set of stages around them.

* ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'' became a side-scrolling action game on both the NES and the SNES, as it was pretty obvious that neither console was capable of video playback (at least not with the ROM cartridges available at the time in the case of the SNES, as a homebrew port of ''Road Blaster'' would later be made for the system) like the Sega CD and other disc-based consoles that featured more conventional ports of the original Laserdisc-based arcade game. There was also a Game Boy version titled ''Dragon's Lair: The Legend'' that was actually a port of a ZX Spectrum game titled ''Roller Coaster''.

* ''Mighty Final Fight'' was an NES conversion of ''VideoGame/FinalFight'' that came out late during the system's lifespan (around the same time as ''Final Fight 2''). While the NES version is 1-Player only and all the characters have been chibified, the play mechanics were translated almost accurately, with only a few moves missing, and all three characters were present. [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo No need to buy a second version with Guy]] like on the SNES.

* ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia1'' had already several ports by the time it was released on the SNES, but all of them touched just the graphics and sound. This one features redesigned or completely new levels, new traps, new enemies and even {{Boss Battle}}s, and has a time limit raised to two hours.

* ''VideoGame/SunsetRiders'' was as accurate a port of the arcade game as possible on the SNES (save for the lack of 4-Player co-op and added modesty to some of the female [=NPCs=]). However, the Genesis version had a smaller ROM size than the SNES version and only contained two of the main characters (Billy and Cormano) and half of the bosses. Rather than making a straight port, the stages were completely redesigned, the bonus stages were changed and a new versus mode was added.

** The SNES version is a straight conversion of the arcade game, lacking the 4-player co-op mode but adding one new stage (the Technodrome) and a few additional bosses: namely the Rat King, Slash (who replaces Cement Man as the boss of the prehistoric level), pirate versions of Bebop and Rocksteady, and Super Shredder (who replaces the regular Shredder as the final boss).
** The Genesis version (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist'') on the other hand played more like a remixed version of the same game. The plot is different and while some of the stages and bosses were lifted from the SNES version, others were completely new. The new bosses included the human version of Professor Stockman (last seen in the first arcade game and its NES conversion) and Tatsu (Shredder's bodyguard from the [[Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles first two live-action films]]). ''Hyperstone Heist'' is notably the only ''Turtles'' game to feature Rocksteady (based on his incarnation from the first arcade game rather than the pirate-dressed version in the SNES version) without his partner Bebop.

* ''[[VideoGame/Area88 U.N. Squadron]]'' was a side-scrolling flying shooter based on the manga ''Manga/Area88'' in arcades. The player could choose between one of three characters, each piloting a different jet: Shin flew the F-20, Mickey the F-14, and Greg the A-10. The later SNES version differentiated characters by how quickly they leveled up the main weapon and how quickly they recovered from damage; each of the three pilots started with the F-8E Crusader and could purchase other jets by using the bounty collected from completing missions. Additionally, while the SNES version lacked the 2-Player co-op mode from the arcade, it added multiple paths between stages and new bonus rounds.

* ''Alien 3'' was released on the SNES and Genesis. Both games are vastly different in pacing, atmosphere and gameplay. The SNES version is a slower-paced {{Metroidvania}} that's lighter on gore but has more varied gameplay while the Genesis version offers more streamlined, tense gameplay and ratchets up the violence. Both good examples of SugarWiki/NoProblemWithLicensedGames, but for totally different reasons. There is an NES version too, but it takes the majority of its cues from the Genesis version and feels more like a straightforward if stripped-down port.

** ''Batman: Return of the Joker'' was released in two completely different versions for the NES and the Game Boy; the latter has a closer resemblance to the first NES ''Batman'' game. The NES ''Return of the Joker'' game was then ported to the Genesis by an American developer under the title of ''Batman: '''Revenge''' of the Joker''. An SNES version was also planned, but canceled (a prototype ROM image is available online).
** The two ''Film/BatmanReturns'' games developed by Konami, one for the NES and the other for the SNES, were both side-scrolling beat-'em-ups, but that's where their similarities ended. Sega also released its own line of ''Batman Returns'' games for the UsefulNotes/GameGear, UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem, Genesis and UsefulNotes/SegaCD. The Sega CD version was a port of the Genesis version with added racing stages, while the Game Gear and Master System versions were almost identical.

** Mindscape later released a set of versions for the SNES, UsefulNotes/GameBoy and UsefulNotes/GameGear. While the SNES version was also a port of the arcade game, the portable versions were actually side-scrolling platformers.

* ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' got a game on practically every console of the time, and all had vastly different gameplay styles. The SNES version combines a top-down shooter with rudimentary FPS segments, the Genesis version is a side-scroller, the Game Gear game is a totally different side scroller, and the NES and Game Boy games are stripped down version of the SNES edition, with the Game Boy one also throwing in a few side-scroller stages.

** SNES / Genesis: a traditional side-scrolling action game with some side-view driving levels.

* The versions of ''VideoGame/TheLionKing'' for SNES, Genesis, MS-DOS, Game Boy, and NES were all more or less ports of each other of varying quality and accuracy, with the SNES and Genesis being the closest to each other, while the DOS version had minor downgrades and the Game Boy and NES had blatant cuts due to technical limitations. But the versions released for Game Gear and Master System, while nearly identical to each other, were essentially a completely different game with similar gameplay. Level designs are different, there is no roar meter, the notorious ostrich rides are almost completely gone, The Stampede uses the same platforming engine as the rest of the game instead of a unique one, and Return to Pride Rock is reduced to a BossOnlyLevel. Additionally, several things which were present in prototypes of the main version of the game but were changed during development were retained in the Master System/Game Gear version, so things such as the hyena AI, the names of certain stages, and the overall look of The Elephant Graveyard are different between versions as well. This approach paid off, as while the genuine attempts at porting the 16-bit game to 8-bit hardware caused the game to suffer and lose content, the Game Gear/Master System version was much better suited to its hardware and is generally considered a better experience than the actual 8-bit ports as a result.

** ''[[Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangers MMPR: The Movie]]'' also received its own sets of tie-in games. While the SNES, Game Boy and Game Gear versions were similar to their respective predecesors, the Genesis version was a side-scrolling beat-'em-up that actually covered both, the events of the film and the latter half of Season 2.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' received completely different adaptations for the SNES and Genesis. The SNES game, by Beam Software, is an isometric action RPG starring an amnesiac named Jake, while the Genesis game, developed by Blue Sky Software, is a ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''-style overhead RPG with a protagonist named Joshua avenging the death of his brother.

* ''VideoGame/SpankysQuest'': The Game Boy and SNES versions were developed by two completely different teams, and have almost entirely different approaches to level design and bonus items. The SNES version requires the player to collect InterchangeableAntimatterKeys, whereas the Game Boy version has neither keys nor doors. It's little wonder that the two versions were released under different titles in Japan.
* ''[[VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures Sparkster]]'' was completely different between the SNES and Genesis, despite being released at the same time, having the same cover artwork and almost the same title (the Genesis version was subtitled ''Rocket Knight Adventures 2'' in Japan).

** ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTournamentFighters'' was a title used for a set of Konami fighting games released for the NES, SNES and Genesis at the end of 1993. Each version was a unique game featuring its own character roster and fighting system. Each version also used one of the turtles as a cover character, but because there four turtles, but only three versions of the game made, Michelangelo was the one that was not afforded this privilege.

** Similarly ''Super Turrican'' was released for consoles in two versions. While the NES version handled by Rainbow Arts, the SNES version was done by Factor 5.

The further back you go in the history of gaming, the more you'll notice that bringing a game to another platform [[PortingDisaster doesn't end well sometimes]]. Occasionally, [[PolishedPort the port is better]] or, at least, nothing that makes you miss the original. Some titles, however, cannot be considered simple ports - they're closer to completely new games. Important features are added (or missing); the mechanics have gone through substantial changes; most or all levels are changed; the visuals may have undergone a radical facelift; it may even [[GenreShift belong to a different genre]] now. Even the plot may be different! In the end, even if they are ''supposed'' to be the same game (and the publisher markets them as such), they share only the basic characters, story concepts, and maybe the fundamental elements. You may be a veteran of a game and still find a fresh challenge in the new version - the package is the same but the ingredients are not, or are mixed in a way that gives a new flavor.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'': The handheld versions tended to be quite different from their console counterparts, and for reasons beyond their technically inferior hardware. The DS version of one game in the series included a whole minigame of {{Light And Mirrors Puzzle}}s not found anywhere in the console versions. The UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance version of the second game also featured a more platforming and exploration-oriented game than the console versions, and, in fact, got higher reviews than every other version of the game despite being on the least-advanced system.

* The different versions of ''VideoGame/GhostRecon Advanced Warfighter'' have the same storyline and use most of the same locations in BroadStrokes, but have very different gameplay mechanics.

* ''VideoGame/{{Ys}} IV'' was developed at the same time for the UsefulNotes/PCEngine as ''[[VideoGame/YsIVTheDawnOfYs Dawn of Ys]] and UsefulNotes/SuperFamicom as ''[[VideoGame/YsIVMaskOfTheSun Mask of the Sun]]''. Both versions were developed by separate companies based on a rough outline provided by Creator/{{Falcom}}, who developed the prior ''Ys'' games. There was also a third version planned for the UsefulNotes/MegaDrive that ended up being canceled.

* ''VideoGame/RainbowSix 3'', despite using some design elements from the PC version, have a completely different story and vastly different gameplay on the Xbox and [=PS2=], being mostly linear single-squad FPS's rather than plan-based with multiple teams.

* ''[[VideoGame/Area88 U.N. Squadron]]'' was a side-scrolling flying shooter based on the manga ''Manga/Area88'' in arcades. The player could choose between one of three characters, each piloting a different jet: Shin flew the F-20, Mickey the F-14, and Greg the A-10. The later SNES version differentiated characters by how quickly they leveled up the main weapon and how quickly they recovered from damage; each of the three pilots started with the F-8E Crusader and could purchase tother jets by using the bounty collected from completing missions. Additionally, while the SNES version lacked the 2-Player co-op mode from the arcade, it also added multiple paths between stages and new bonus rounds.

* ''VideoGame/CrimzonClover for [=NESiCAxLive=]'' is of the Reformulated Port variety, being a revision of the doujin original. In order to better adapt the game for arcade platforms, the game's difficulty was bumped up to NintendoHard levels by making enemy patterns more difficult, making Break Mode's duration shorter, and removing Simple Mode in exchange for Boost Mode. All subsequent releases of ''Crimzon Clover'' are based on this version.