Line #145 Main/VersionExclusiveContent


1	[[quoteright:300:[[VideoGame/{{Bomberman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bomberman_r.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:The [[Franchise/RatchetAndClank Lombax]], the [[Franchise/{{Halo}} SPARTAN]] or the [[VideoGame/{{Portal}} robot test subject]]? Pick a platform and decide!]]
3
4	Version-Exclusive Content is the practice of making certain content in a VideoGame exclusive to particular versions or players. The exclusive content is not mandatory for completing the base game, just for a player's OneHundredPercentCompletion.
5
6	This is usually done for one of a few reasons:
7	* '''Socialization.''' The different versions are a means to [[SocializationBonus encourage connecting with other players]] (who have the other content). It is popularly paired with [[OneGameForThePriceOfTwo more than one (otherwise-identical) version of the game being published simultaneously]].
8	* '''Technical Matters.''' Content may need to be cut from one version because the platform it's on can't support it. Conversely, one platform may have extra features that the developers want to take advantage of, leading to extra content being added.
9	* '''Console Exclusives.''' Console makers make an arrangement with the game developers to have extra content in their system's version of the game, which is then barred from appearing on competing systems.
10
11	Can overlap with an UpdatedRerelease (and its region-specific subtrope, RegionalBonus) since any rerelease can be expected to have exclusive features that were not in the original version(s).
12
13	See also ReformulatedGame for when the actual underlying ''game'' is different between its versions, and PolishedPort.
14	---------
15	!!Examples:
16
17	''(For sake of brevity, this list does not include content added solely by an UpdatedRerelease or RegionalBonus.)''
18
19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:Action Games]]
22	* ''VideoGame/SuperBomberman R'' started receiving exclusive characters once the game itself stopped being a Platform/NintendoSwitch-exclusive. Switch owners received [[VideoGame/StarSoldier Caesar Bomber]] and Max; [=PS4=] owners received [[Franchise/RatchetAndClank Ratchet Bomber]], [[VideoGame/ApeEscape Piposaru Bomber]] and Toro from ''Doko Demo Issyo''; Xbox One owners received [[Franchise/{{Halo}} Master Chief Bomber, Arbiter Bomber and Grunt Bomber]]; and Steam owners received [[VideoGame/Portal2 P-Body Bomber and Atlas Bomber]].
23	* ''VideoGame/ZombiesAteMyNeighbors'' was released on the SNES and the Sega Genesis. One level in the SNES version has an area where you can pick up a flamethrower to use as a [[InfinityPlusOneSword massively overpowered weapon]]. The flamethrower is absent from the Genesis version.
24	[[/folder]]
25
26	[[folder:Action Role-Playing Games]]
27	* ''VideoGame/CrossCode'': The console ports and original PC version each have their own version of an endgame quest, with the quests having similar structure but different locations and enemies. Each quest gives the player a hint to finding a secret event that ties the quests together, but all the hints are needed to find the event. The developers' intent is that players from different platforms are supposed to [[SocializationBonus share hints with each other]].
28	* ''VideoGame/HorizonForbiddenWest'': While the vanilla game was released on [=PS4=] and [=PS5=], the ''Burning Shores'' expansion was only released on the next-gen [=PS5=].
29	* ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' has a console-exclusive Keyblade for each platform the game is on:
30	** The original releases had {{Palette Swap}}s of the Star Seeker; Midnight Blue in the [=PS4=] version and Phantom Green for the Xbox One. Both also have a Star Cluster themed after 7-Eleven called the Dawn Till Dusk. All three were available as [[PreOrderBonus Pre-Order Bonuses]] and can be obtained as DLC.
31	** [[CompilationRerelease Compilation Re-releases]] with the ''Re𝄌Mind'' DLC have versions of the Star Cluster: Elemental Encoder on the Epic Games Store, Advent Red on the Switch, and Dead of Night on Steam. These are available from the start of the game and don't need an extra purchase or pre-order.
32	* ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'':
33	** In the original game, only "next-gen" consoles of the time ([=PS3=], Xbox 360, and Wii) included Colossus and Moon Knight, while the "last-gen" ones ([=PS2=] and the original Xbox) did not. The PSP version of the game didn't have them either, but instead got Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and Ronin. Within the next-gen group, the [=PS3=] and Xbox 360 also received additional DLC characters (Cyclops, Dr. Doom, Hawkeye, Hulk, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Sabretooth, and Venom), but the Wii missed out presumably due to not having the online infrastructure for it. The Wii version was at one point going to have [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] and [[Franchise/{{Metroid}} Samus Aran]] as {{Guest Fighter}}s, but Nintendo was offended that they were being developed using the [=PlayStation=] devkit and rescinded permission.
34	** ''Ultimate Alliance 2'' was the same, with both major versions having their own exclusives: The "last-gen" version ([=PS2=], PSP, and Wii) had Blade and Cyclops; while the "next-gen" ([=PS3=] and Xbox 360) had Iron Fist and additional DLC of Black Panther, Cable, Carnage, Juggernaut, and Magneto. Psylocke was available in both, but as a default character in the last-gen version while she had to be bought separately as DLC in next-gen. The last-gen version also lacked other features from the next-gen one, like Creator/StanLee cameos and alternate costumes, due to being developed separately.
35	* ''VideoGame/{{NieR}}'' had two separate versions released in Japan on [=PS3=] and Xbox 360, respectively titled ''[=NieR=] Replicant'' and ''[=NieR=] Gestalt''. The story is almost exactly the same in both versions, save for the protagonist: ''Replicant'' featured a younger, more optimistic protagonist fighting to save his sister, while ''Gestalt'' featured a middle-aged, world-weary protagonist fighting to save his daughter. When the game was localized outside of Japan, the ''Gestalt'' version was brought over for both [=PS3=] and Xbox 360, while the ''Replicant'' version remained [[NoExportForYou Japan-exclusive]] until the release of its PolishedPort on [=PS4=], Xbox One, and Steam in 2021
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Action Adventure]]
39	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': In the Nintendo Switch port, Ann can receive a exclusive dress with joy-cons coloring that she can [[VirtualPaperDoll optionally]] wear.
40	* Several ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' game received exclusive DLC for [=PS3=] and [=PS4=] during their lifetime. Some of them were released to other platforms in rereleases such as ''The Ezio Collection'' and ''The Rebel Collection''.
41	** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' has the ''Copernicus Conspiracy'' DLC.
42	** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'' has the Benedict Arnold DLC.
43	** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag'' has the Aveline DLC.
44	** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedSyndicate'' has the ''Dreadful Crimes'' DLC.
45	* In ''VideoGame/MarvelsAvengers'', Spider-Man is only playable in the [=PS4=] and [=PS5=] versions of the game; not Xbox platforms or PC.
46	* The [=PS3=] version of ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamAsylum'' has exclusive Predator and Combat challenges where you play as the Joker and fight Arkham guards. The DLC was later included in the CompilationRerelease ''Return to Arkham''.
47	* The PSP version of ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaRivalSwords'', one of two 2007 ports of ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersiaTheTwoThrones'', extends the story by adding new levels and areas inside the sand gates that the Prince can disable to upgrade his dagger of time. There are also more fast-moving, on-rails chariot sequences and CompetitiveMultiplayer modes where the Prince can race against the Dark Prince via the PSP's ad hoc wireless link.
48	* The PSP version of ''[[VideoGame/TheForceUnleashed Star Wars: The Force Unleashed]]'' contained different versions of the same characters and levels as well as exclusive challenges where the player could re-enact famous film scenes as iconic ''Franchise/StarWars'' characters. Additionally, it contained a Duel Mode reminiscent of ''VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy''. The Wii and [=PS2=] version also differed from the PC, Xbox 360, and [=PS3=] versions in a similar manner.
49	* Several ''Franchise/TombRaider'' video games have a version with exclusive content:
50	** ''VideoGame/TombRaiderI'', ''VideoGame/TombRaiderII'', and ''VideoGame/TombRaiderIII'' all had expansion packs created that were released solely on PC. Even with the rerelease of the base games on Steam and GOG.com, the expansion packs were never brought over. They were finally released in 2024's CompilationRerelease ''Tomb Raider I-III Remastered''.
51	** The PSP version of ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend'' features an exclusive challenge mode called Tomb Trials, as well as a local multiplayer mode and exclusive costumes.
52	** ''VideoGame/TombRaiderAnniversary'' features exclusive content for the Wii version that capitalizes on the Wii Remote's motion controls, such as dark hallways that must be lit up with a flashlight controlled with the pointer and first-person puzzles that utilize the Wii Remote's pointer and gesture functions. One example is a minigame in which Lara must arrange cogs in a lever mechanism, including one or two that she has to find in the area nearby the lever, such that the cogs are linked together to allow Lara to operate the lever. The PSP version also features exclusive costumes.
53	** ''VideoGame/TombRaiderUnderworld'' had additional chapters that were only playable on the Xbox 360 version as DLC. The DLC was never made available on other platforms and no explanation was ever given.
54	* The Xbox 360 version of ''VideoGame/MeetTheRobinsons'' features enhanced graphics and the exclusive Security System minigame.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Adventure]]
58	* ''VideoGame/TouchDetective'': The port of the original and the sequel for IOS features new additional content; a bonus chapter with Mackenzie's pet Funghi doing his own case. The second game features extra scenarios that occur after each case.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Beat 'em Up]]
62	* In the Wii version of ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors 3'', players have access to a mode based on ''VideoGame/TheMysteriousMurasameCastle'' and can unlock Takamaru as a GuestFighter.
63	* ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe'' introduced the ability to play as [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]] when it was ported to the [=PS2=].
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Fighting Games]]
67	* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'':
68	** ''Soulcalibur II'' had one exclusive GuestFighter on each release platform: The Platform/{{Xbox}} version got ComicBook/{{Spawn}}, the [=PS2=] version got Heihachi from ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', and the [=GameCube=] version got Link from ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''. It is, however, not possible to connect and battle other players on different versions. The 2013 HD re-release for [=PlayStation=] 3 and Xbox 360 did have both Spawn and Heihachi on the same roster, but not Link.
69	** ''Soulcalibur IV'' had [[Franchise/StarWars Darth Vader]] as a default character in the [=PS3=] version, and Yoda for the Xbox 360. (The other exclusive character could be purchased as [[DownloadableContent DLC]]. At least until [[TemporaryOnlineContent all DLC was delisted]] in late 2016/early 2017.)
70	* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' has the same roster of fighters between its console and portable versions, but some stages differ between the two and each features different game modes as well (e.g. sidescrolling-beat-em-up-style Smash Run on the 3DS vs. board-game-style Smash Tour on the Wii U). Both games also had different trophies to collect, with ''[=3DS=]'' featuring trophies from Nintendo's handheld games while ''Wii U'' had trophies from home console games and the retro masterpieces collections. The Wii U version also supports up to eight simultaneous fighters (instead of four) and features a LevelEditor.
71	* ''VideoGame/Ready2RumbleBoxing'' has one exclusive boxer depending on which console version you get: Jimmy Blood on the Dreamcast, Gino Stiletto on the [=PlayStation=] and J. R. Flurry on the Nintendo 64.
72	* ''Franchise/MortalKombat'': This has been a practice done by the makers of the ''Mortal Kombat'' games since ''Mortal Kombat Trilogy''.
73	** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatTrilogy'': While the Platform/PlayStation, Platform/SegaSaturn, and most other platforms [[DreamMatchGame had all the characters that existed up to that point]] plus newcomer [[DittoFighter Chameleon]] (who had the abilities of the male ninjas), the Platform/Nintendo64, due to having less memory than the other consoles, lacked some characters. Though to make up for this shortcoming, it did feature a [[DistaffCounterpart female ninja named Khameleon]] (who had the moves of the female ninjas) exclusive to that version.
74	** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat4 - Gold'': This Platform/{{Dreamcast}} version of ''[=MK4=]'' included extra returning characters (Kitana, Mileena, Cyrax, Kung Lao, Baraka, and Sektor) that weren't on the other versions.
75	** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance'': The Platform/GameBoyAdvance port of this game, ''Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition'', added three characters not available on the home consoles, those being Noob Saibot, Sektor, and Sareena (with the last making her fighting game debut after being an NPC introduced in VideoGame/MortalKombatMythologiesSubZero).
76	** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'': The [[Platform/NintendoGameCube GameCube]], due to lacking online play, added Goro and Shao Kahn to its roster to make up for its shortcoming. Another port for the Platform/PlayStationPortable, ''Mortal Kombat: Unchained'', in addition to those aforementioned also added another four (Jax, Kitana, Frost, and Blaze), an endurance mode, and all characters were available at start (though the alternate outfits still had to be unlocked).
77	** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatArmageddon'': The Nintendo Wii version, released a year after the Platform/PlayStation2 and Platform/{{Xbox}} versions, lacked online play, but had an endurance mode in its place and also added Khameleon who had been absent from the [=PS2=] and Xbox versions. In addition, the Wii version in its extra features section included a trailer for ''Rampage: Total Destruction'' in place of the other console versions' trailer for ''Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run''.
78	** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'': The Platform/PlayStation3 and Platform/PlaystationVita versions featured [[VideoGame/GodOfWar Kratos]] as a GuestFighter.
79	** ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'': The mobile versions (Android and iOS) included extra characters (Baraka, Jade, Shao Kahn, and GuestFighter Freddy Krueger) not available on consoles, exclusive alternate skins, and extra playing modes.
80	* EA's ''Fight Night Round 2'' allows [=GameCube=] players to control [[VideoGame/PunchOut Little Mac]] as based on his SNES appearance.
81	* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'': Like the Mortal Kombat example above, though this time the [=PS3=] and Platform/PlaystationVita versions featured THREE characters exclusive to them: [[VideoGame/Infamous2 Cole MacGrath]], and Toro and Kuro from ''Doko Demo Issyo'', with movesets mirroring [[Franchise/StreetFighter Ryu]] and Kazuya Mishima respectively.
82	* ''VideoGame/PipeworksGodzillaTrilogy'':
83	** The Xbox port of ''Destroy All Monsters Melee'' includes both the Heisei Mechagodzilla and Kiryu, while in the original [=GameCube=] version you had one or the other depending on region. The port also adds the Boxing Ring and Vortaak Homeworld stages.
84	** The Wii version of ''Unleashed'' has many monsters not available in the Playstation 2 version, namely Biollante, Titanosaurus, Varan, King Caesar, Krystalak, the Showa Mechagodzilla and Godzilla 1954. The only monster the [=PS2=] version has as an exclusive is Battra.
85	* ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'': In an inversion of what is typical, the DLC fighters Marian Manhunter and Zatanna were available for every console ‘‘except’’ Wii U, as support for the system was dropped sooner than every other console. Further exacerbated as the Wii U never received the UpdatedRerelease the other consoles received.
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder:First-Person Shooters]]
89	* The [=PS3=] version of ''VideoGame/BioShock1'', released a year after the Xbox 360 version, contains the "Challenge Room" mode separate from the main story. It was only initially back ported to the physical North American Xbox 360 version, but was later included in the UpdatedRerelease for [=PS4=], [=XB1=], and PC.
90	* The Xbox 360 and [=PlayStation=] 3 versions of ''VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon'' each had their bonus mission starring a character who doesn't have Point Man's slo-mo powers and a exclusive weapon found in both single player and multiplayer maps: On the 360, this consisted of a bonus mission starring Douglas Holliday and the [=SM15=] Machine Pistol which effectively replaced half of the available RPL SMG stock, while the [=PS3=] had a mission starring two Delta Force operators (notably making it the only time in the original ''F.E.A.R'' that the player can fight with an allied NPC) and the Watson Automatic Shotgun (based on the infamous Armsel Striker), which is only found in the bonus mission and a single enemy near the end of the campaign.
91	* ''VideoGame/ReturnToCastleWolfenstein'''s console ports featured a prologue mission, "Cursed Sands", set in Egypt prior to Blaskowicz's capture, along with new items including the [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter Shotgun]], {{EMP}} Device, [[SmartBomb Holy Cross]], and [[InvincibilityPowerUp X-Shield]]. The Xbox version also had two exclusive enemies; [[HellHound X-Shepherds]] and [[ChurchMilitant Occult Priests]]. The [=PS2=] version has no multiplayer whatsoever but added some minor RPG elements in giving the player points to improve BJ's stats at the end of levels.
92	* ''VideoGame/{{XIII}}'' had several unique multiplayer modes depending on the platform. Sabotage was exclusive to Xbox, Power-Up was exclusive to [=PS2=], and The Hunt was available for [=GameCube=] and [=PS2=]. The PC version had all three modes available.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Platform Games]]
96	* In ''VideoGame/DrawnToLife: The Next Chapter'', both versions for the Wii and DS have entirely different stories and gameplay elements.
97	* The Platform/SegaSaturn version of ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'' added [[VideoGame/MegaMan1 Cut Man]] as an OptionalBoss in the intermission stage and [[VideoGame/MegaMan2 Wood Man]] as a Mini-Boss in Search Man's stage, and an added mode featuring several bonus galleries.
98	* The Switch version of ''VideoGame/MightyGunvoltBurst'' gives the player a Dowsing ability, which causes the controller to vibrate when near hidden breakable walls. The [=3DS=] version lacks this ability since it doesn't have vibration. A later update also expanded the available save slots to 48, which did not happen on the [=3DS=] due to hardware limits.
99	* ''VideoGame/RaymanLegends'':
100	** The PS Vita version has Murfy's Challenges, a series of five unlockable bonus levels where you play as Murfy. These are designed to be tougher than the base game, but they have no main collectibles and only give costumes. Speaking of those...
101	** This game had ''several'' costumes that were platform-exclusive, until the Nintendo Switch's ''[[UpdatedRerelease Definitive Edition]]'' implemented all of them. The Wii U got Ray Plumber and Glob Plumber, Rayman and Globox dressed as [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario and Luigi]], who are unlockable through regular gameplay, as well as Avelina, a Barbarian princess based on Aveline from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIIILiberation'', who was exclusive to a PreOrderBonus. The Xbox 360 got Splinter Ray, Rayman dressed like Sam Fisher from ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'', although like Avelina, he was exclusive to a preorder bonus. The Xbox One got Ray Vaas and Far Glob, Rayman and Globox dressed as Vaas Montenegro from ''VideoGame/FarCry3'', as well as Splinter Ray, who was upgraded to an unlockable costume in the base game. The [=PS3=] and [=PS4=] got Assassin Ray, Rayman dressed as Edward Kenway from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag''; the costume was a preorder bonus for [=PS3=], but was upgraded to a base game unlockable costume on [=PS4=]. The PS Vita got Ray of Persia and Glob Cell, the former being Rayman dressed as the Franchise/PrinceOfPersia and the latter being Globox dressed as Sam Fisher, earned from beating two of the version's Murfy's Challenges levels (An Architect's Nightmare for Rayman's, Bounce to the Sky for Globox's). There's also Funky Ray; he requires you to have [[OldSaveBonus the Rayman Legends Challenge App]] on Wii U, but you can get him with uPlay units on [=PS4=] and Xbox One, making him exclusive to [[MediaNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames the eighth generation]] onward. Finally, there's Champion Ray, who was originally a developer-only costume, but was later made available to [=VIP=] members of the community on the [=PS4=] and Xbox One versions; however, like every costume listed above, he became unlockable in the base game in ''Definitive Edition''.
102	* ''VideoGame/ShovelKnight'': Versions of the game on different platforms have their own forms of exclusive content. The [=PlayStation=] versions feature an optional boss battle with Kratos from the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series and the Xbox One version (and later the PC versions) include an optional boss battle with the VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}. Meanwhile, the versions on Nintendo consoles include extra features unlocked by Toys/{{amiibo}}, and the 3DS version specifically includes a [=StreetPass=] Arena (in which the player records actions in an arena and pits said recording against a [=StreetPassed=] opponent) and the ability to buy gold with Play Coins. Multiplayer modes (including the entirety of ''Showdown'') are also exclusive to home consoles and PC, as portables (the 3DS and PS Vita) aren't equipped for it.
103	* ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'':
104	** In the console releases of ''Skylanders'', one collectible Hat is specific to each platform (Platform/PlayStation3, Platform/{{Wii}}, Platform/Xbox360) and can't be acquired in the others, but (because the hat is saved on the actual toy) any toy with that hat is allowed to wear it in any version.
105	** The Wii U version of ''Skylanders [=SuperChargers=]'' features two exclusive characters along with their respective vehicles: Turbo Charge Franchise/DonkeyKong and his Barrel Blaster, and Hammer Slam [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser]] and his Clown Cruiser. (They're also compatible with its [[ReformulatedGame reformulated]] companion game for the Wii and 3DS, ''Skylanders [=SuperChargers=] Racing''.) The following (and so far final) game, ''Skylanders Imaginators'', is backwards-compatible with old toys but with the same limitation that Donkey Kong and Bowser can only be used on Nintendo systems (the Wii U and Switch).
106	* In ''VideoGame/SuperMeatBoy'', the exclusive characters for the Xbox 360 version are VideoGame/{{Gish}}, VideoGame/AlienHominid, [[VideoGame/{{Braid}} Tim]], VideoGame/{{Spelunky}}, [[VideoGame/CastleCrashers Pink Knight]], and [[VideoGame/{{N}} Ninja]]. The PC version, meanwhile, features [[VideoGame/WorldOfGoo Goo Ball]], [[VideoGame/{{Machinarium}} Josef]], [[VideoGame/{{Aquaria}} Naija]], [[VideoGame/RunmanRaceAroundTheWorld Runman]], [[VideoGame/{{VVVVVV}} Captain Viridian]], and [[VideoGame/{{Minecraft}} Steve]]. If you get the PC version from Platform/{{Steam}}, you unlock a [[VideoGame/HalfLife Headcrab]] in place of the Goo Ball, although the Goo Ball can still be playable by typing "ballgoo" before selecting a character. Tim is also in the PC version, but you need to type "outtatime" before selecting a character if you want to play as him.
107	* Those who played the ''VideoGame/BalanWonderworld'' demo are rewarded with a Launcher costume for the full game. Said costume has a different color scheme depending on which version you're playing: a white costume for the [=PlayStation=] 4 and Platform/PlayStation5, a black costume with the Xbox logo for Xbox One X/S and Platform/XboxSeriesXAndS, a red costume for the Nintendo Switch and a dark blue costume with a red valve on the back for Steam.
108	* Only the [=PlayStation=] 3 version of ''VideoGame/ToyStory3'' has Zurg as a playable character in Toy Box mode.
109	* ''VideoGame/PhineasAndFerbAcrossThe2ndDimension'': The Platform/PlayStation3 version of the game has four episodes of ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' included, thanks to the game being on a Blu-ray Disc.
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Puzzle Games]]
113	* The mobile version of ''VideoGame/AmateurSurgeon 2'' features a third act (i.e. set of levels) in addition to the standard two from the original Flash version. This act would be carried over to the game's remastered surgeries in ''Amateur Surgeon 4: Regenerations''.
114	* The original Wii U version of ''VideoGame/CaptainToadTreasureTracker'' had a handful of levels taken directly from ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' and adapted for ''Captain Toad''[='s=] game mechanics. When it was later released on the 3DS and Switch, these were taken out and replaced with all-new levels based on ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey''. The Switch version was later updated with a more elaborate co-op mode and a DLC level pack that the previous versions never had.
115	* The Xbox Live, PSN, and mobile versions of ''VideoGame/PuzzleQuest: Challenge of the Warlords'' received an exclusive DLC called ''Revenge of the Plague Lord''. The Switch version received a second exclusive DLC called ''Attack of the Golem Lord''.
116	[[/folder]]
117
118	[[folder:Racing Games]]
119	* ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled'' has exclusive items for the [=PlayStation=] 4 version -- [[{{Retraux}} PS1-style]] skins for Crash, Coco, and Cortex, a retro version of the Classic kart, and a [=PS1=]-style version of Turbo Track, renamed Retro Stadium. It also includes some [=PlayStation=]-themed stickers.
120	* ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'': The [[DownloadableContent Booster Course Pass]] came out long after Nintendo had stopped supporting the Wii U to focus on the Platform/NintendoSwitch - as such, it's only available for ''[[UpdatedRerelease Deluxe]]'' on the latter console.
121	* ''VideoGame/SegaSuperstars'':
122	** ''Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed'' allows Platform/Xbox360 players to use their system Avatar as a racer, while Platform/WiiU (and Platform/Nintendo3DS) players can use their Mii as a racer. The PC version (on Steam) features a ''{{VideoGame/Team Fortress\|2}}'' racer (a vehicle piloted by the Heavy, Pyro, and Spy), a Shogun from ''VideoGame/TotalWar'', a [[VideoGame/FootballManager football manager]], a Russian general from ''VideoGame/CompanyOfHeroes 2'', and [[VideoGame/ShenMue Ryo Hazuki]] and [[LetsPlay/SimonLane Simon Lane]] were later released as PC-exclusive DLC.
123	** The Xbox 360 version of the previous game, ''Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing'', added [[VideoGame/BanjoKazooie Banjo and Kazooie]] as a racer. The Wii version was planned to add [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]], but they decided to leave that for ''VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames''. Similarly, the [=PS3=] version was supposed to include [[VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet Sackboy]], but Sony denied them permission so as not to compete with ''[=LittleBigPlanet=] Karting'', his series' own kart racer.
124	* The [=GameCube=] version of ''VideoGame/{{SSX}} On Tour'' includes Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach as playable characters and an exclusive race track called Nintendo Village.
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Role-Playing Games]]
128	* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger''[='s=] DS version contains a Monster training Mode similar to ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'' as well as additional chapters, an additional boss fight, leading to an ambiguous ending hinting at events that occur in between ''Chrono Trigger'' and ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''. This version was later ported to PC and mobile phones.
129	* ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI''
130	** The game was originally released on the [=PS4=], PC, and 3DS. Besides having to simplify the graphics some for the 3DS, that version also let players switch to 2D faux-16-bit graphics. It also featured the Labyrinth of Time that allowed travel to throwbacks to ''Dragon Quest I'' to ''X''. The [=PS4=] and original PC versions, in exchange, had a couple extra minigames and minor quality-of-life improvements.
131	** A third version was also made for the Switch but had to spend more time in development, so it got some extra features along the way: it has full English and Japanese voice acting tracks (the North American release only had English, and the Japanese versions didn't have any at all), a fully orchestrated soundtrack (with the option to switch back to the original version), the 3DS' 2D graphics option, and a new set of side stories featuring party members. This "Definitive Edition" was later released as an UpdatedRerelease for the original consoles of [=PS4=] and PC, as well as the Xbox One.
132	* When Creator/SquareEnix released the "Pixel Remaster" versions of the original six ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games, they added features such as a bestiary, illustration gallery, and music player. However, as the main selling point was being TruerToTheText than past remakes, elements that were added in them (such as {{Optional Boss}}es) were excluded.
133	** The SNES version of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' is the only one to have a multiplayer functionality, as well as being the only version where Dancing Mad seamlessly transitions between phases.
134	* Through no fault of Creator/{{Bioware}}'s own, "Pinnacle Station" is now this for the Xbox 360 and original PC releases of ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''. The source files for the expansion were too corrupted to salvage, so the Platform/PlayStation3 port, as well as the 2021 [[UpdatedRerelease Legendary Edition]], do not include it at all.
135	* The 3DS version of ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterStories'' included a DLC pack based on ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', which was not carried over to the mobile port. Both it and its sequel ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterStories2WingsOfRuin'' also had bonus features tied to Toys/{{amiibo}} that appeared exclusively on Nintendo systems and not other releases.
136	* ''Franchise/{{Neptunia}}'' titles that were originally released for Platform/PlaystationVita had additional DLC for the Platform/{{Steam}} versions, such as playable [[VideoGame/MegadimensionNeptuniaVII Uzume]] for ''[=Re;Birth1=]'', ''[=Re;Birth2=]'', and ''[=Re;Birth3=]''.
137	* The ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series is the [[TropeCodifier best-known example]] with version-exclusive content being a core design element of the franchise in order to play up the socialization aspect; each main series generation sees the release of two (otherwise-identical) games which feature minor differences in their in-game content, including:
138	** Certain Pokémon species are exclusive (or at least more common) in one version, such as Scyther and Pinsir in Generation I, or Braviary and Mandibuzz in Generation V; the only way to acquire them in the opposite version is by trading with another player. This also extends to the {{updated\|rerelease}} "third versions" seen in many generations, where some wild Pokémon easily obtainable in the original pair are not encountered at all in the third; and to some of the series' spin-offs, such as the ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'' series whose first two installments were released in a pair of versions. Some time-limited distributions also give the player a different Pokemon depending on which version of game they are playing.
139	** Since Generation III, the game's central storyline is generally tweaked to focus on a specific legendary Pokémon (also depicted on the game's cover art) which the player will encounter at some point. It may or may not be possible for the player to encounter the legendary mascot of the other version in the same game (outside of an updated third version).
140	** Generation V expanded the differences, with some areas receiving aesthetic tweaks between versions, and a few (Black City and White Forest) being entirely exclusive to one version or the other.
141	** ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' mixes up the formula in a few new ways: Not only are some Pokémon (like the Manectric and Houndoom families) version-exclusive, but some Mega Stones are too (e.g. Charizardite X and Y); in fact, some Mega Stones are exclusive to the ''opposite'' version that their matching species is normally found in.
142	** ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' used different time mechanics between them: while the in-game clock in ''Sun'' aligns with your system's clock like in other games, ''Moon'' offset the time in-game by twelve hours. Thus, if you're playing ''Moon'' during the day, it will be night in-game. Some of the Battle Tree trainers are version-exclusive; one can fight Plumeria, Sina, and Kiawe in ''Sun'', and Guzma, Dexio, and Mallow in ''Moon''. Also, your game version determines which colors the clothes shop have in stock.
143	** ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' have version-exclusive Gym Leaders. Fighting-type practitioner Bea and Rock-type practitioner Gordie are only in ''Sword'', while Ghost-type practitioner Allister and Ice-type practitioner Melony are in ''Shield''. There are also version exclusive curry ingredients; whether you can buy Bob's Food Tin or Bach's Food Tin depends on which version you have. This extends to the DLC as well, with Poison-type Trainer Klara being an encounter in ''Sword'' and Psychic-type Trainer Avery being an encounter in ''Shield''.
144	** ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'' have version-exclusive schools. You attend Naranja Academy in ''Scarlet'' while Uva Academy is the main one in ''Violet'', with all school-related characters wearing appropriately colored attire depending on the version. Also, the game's professor differs on version, with either Professor Sada or Turo being your main guide. The type of [[spoiler:Paradox Pokémon]] you will encounter in the post-game will also be different, with ''Scarlet'' having the [[spoiler:Ancient Pokémon]], and ''Violet'' having the [[spoiler:Future Pokémon]].
145	* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'':
146	** Depending on which platform you're playing on, the game has different limited cosmetics. If you're playing either [=PlayStation=] version, Toro and Kuro [=NPCs=] appear in the lobby and give Client Orders and Partner Cards. If you are playing the Platform/NintendoSwitch version, you can unlock cosmetics based on Link from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild''. However, once unlocked on your account, the cosmetics can be used across all versions.
147	** The Platform/PlaystationVita version specifically additionally has an AugmentedReality camera that can be used to take pictures in the real world with your characters from the game superimposed over them. At the time at launch, it also gave access to a story chapter that had yet to be released on PC.
148	* Done to an almost extreme extent with the fanservice-themed dungeon crawler ''VideoGame/OmegaLabyrinthLife''. Thanks to Sony's crackdown on Anime-styled sexual content, the Platform/PlayStation4 and Platform/NintendoSwitch versions of the game are radically different. The [=PS4=] version is stripped down (pun not intended) of a vast majority of fanservice content and is mostly safe-for-work; this is reflected in its title (shortened down to ''Labyrinth Life'') and price tag (¥2000 cheaper, roughly $18 less). The Switch (and later PC) version, conversely, has the full title and price tag and contains the full contents of the game as originally intended.
149	* Variants of ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' like the non-PC ports of the game add the Dog Shrine to the game, accessed from the sink in Papyrus and Sans' house. The Platform/PlayStation4 and Vita versions allow you to donate to the shrine, serving mostly as an area for AchievementMockery. In the Switch version, the shrine leads to an OptionalBoss which features a unique mechanic requiring the use of the two control sticks. In the Xbox version, the shrine is replaced with a slot machine and various items to earn similar to the items that appear from donating to the shrine, as well as additional dialogue from Sans and the aforementioned boss (who is no longer a boss in this version).
150	* When ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' was ported to Platform/Nintendo3DS, a Collection Mode was added, in which character models could be viewed and music listened to. When the game was ported again to Platform/NintendoSwitch as the "Definitive Version", Collection Mode was removed, but there was instead an Events Theatre, Time Attack mode, and epilogue story.
151	* Starting with the second game, ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch'' follows ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'''s example by splitting Yo-kai between games and allowing trading between the two.
152	[[/folder]]
153
154	[[folder:Run 'n Gun]]
155	* The Sega CD and Windows 95 versions of ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' include a new level, Big Bruty, complete with the eponymous boss, between New Junk City and What the Heck?. No other version, not even the remaster on PSN and Xbox Live Arcade includes this level.
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Shoot 'em Up]]
159	* The Switch version of ''VideoGame/StarlinkBattleForAtlas'' features a crossover with ''VideoGame/StarFox'', including the ''Star Fox'' characters getting their own unique storyline.
160	[[/folder]]
161
162	[[folder:Stealth]]
163	* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
164	** ''Substance'', the expanded edition of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'', was first released as an Xbox-exclusive a year after the original ''Sons of Liberty'' edition was released on the [=PS2=]. In addition to having all the extra difficulty settings and game modes that were added in the Japanese and European version of ''Sons of Liberty'' (e.g. European-Extreme, Casting Theater, Boss Survival), ''Substance'' also added two new game modes: VR/Alternative Missions, a series of non-story-based missions with varying goals, and Snake Tales, five stand-alone non-canon missions in which the player controls Snake in environments from the main game. The [=PS2=] version of ''Substance'', which came a bit later, added a third new mode, Skateboarding, in which Snake and Raiden do {{exactly what it says on the tin}} on the Big Shell.
165	** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' has a few features not available in later ports. One is "Mesal Gear", a series of missions featuring Snake hunting the apes of ''VideoGame/ApeEscape''. Another is a special minigame which can be played during the main campaign under certain conditions, the horror-themed beat-'em-up "Guy Savage".
166	** The launch versions of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVGroundZeroes'' on consoles featured a different unlockable mission (extra-op) depending on the platform. The [=PS4=] and [=PS3=] versions of the game featured Deja-Vu, a mission in which the player must recreate events from the original ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' on the enemy's base, while the Xbox One and 360 versions featured Jamais-Vu, in which the player controls the cyborg version of Raiden from ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' as he takes on alien invaders inspired by the titular bioroids from ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}''. Both missions were made available on all four consoles via a free update, while the later-released PC version on Steam included both missions from the get-go with their respective achievements.
167	* The [=PS2=] and [=GameCube=] versions of the first ''VideoGame/SplinterCell'', to make up for the downgraded quality compared to the Xbox and PC originals, each added their own exclusive content. The [=PS2=] version has an extra mission, while the [=GameCube=] version has a few in-game items that require use of the console's GBA connectivity.
168	* ''VideoGame/Hitman3'' has a set of "-Streak" suits, a white suit with a white tie and different colored shoes and shirt depending on the version:
169	** [=PlayStation=] owners get The Blue Streak Suit, with blue shoes and a blue shirt.
170	** Switch and PC owners get The Black Streak Suit, with black shoes and a black shirt.
171	** Xbox owners get The Green Streak Suit, with green shoes and a green shirt.
172	** Before Stadia's shutdown, owners of the game on that platform got not only a Sunset Suit with a purple shirt but also an orange striped briefcase and a skin for the duck bomb. After the shutdown the items were then brought to all other platforms.
173	** The first game of the ''VideoGame/WorldOfAssassinationTrilogy'', ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'', also had an exclusive mini-campaign called "The Sarajevo Six" that was only available in the [=PS4=] version. This campaign wasn't carried over to the other games on [=PlayStation=] despite taking place within the 2016 levels, until the campaign was released as paid Main/DownloadableContent for ''Hitman 3'' in 2023 for all platforms.
174	** ''VideoGame/Hitman2016'' and ''VideoGame/Hitman2'' both had celebrity exclusive targets in Creator/GaryBusey and Creator/SeanBean that weren't brought over to the sequels due to limited contract issues. ''Hitman 3'' eventually re-added Sean Bean's target, [[BackFromTheDead The Undying]], in March 2024 as an Elusive Target Arcade DLC, as well as rerunning the Elusive Target for a month.
175	[[/folder]]
176
177	[[folder:Third-Person Shooters]]
178	* The 'realistic' version of ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'' (released on the PS3, 360 and PC) differs heavily from the stylized version (on the Wii and [=PS2=]) in several ways.
179	** The unnamed rookie can be either male or female in the stylized version; they're male-only in the realistic version.
180	** The amount of damage dealt by Ghostbusters in the stylized version is essentially just a scoreboard; in the realistic version, it ''actually'' affects your income for upgrades.
181	** A collectible in the 'Next-Gen' version is cursed artifacts that can be found with the PKE Meter; the stylized version has art of the ghosts instead, that need to be collected in order to complete their entries.
182	** Azetlor, fought in a sort of epilogue to the New York Public Library level, is a sort of golem made of books in the realistic version; the stylized version portrays him as a worm-like demon.
183	** The final boss of the museum level in the realistic version is a ghost that's fought in the catacombs beneath the museum; the stylized version has a T-Rex skeleton get possessed as its ending setpiece.
184	** The boss of Shandor Island in the realistic version is a Juvenile Sloar; in the stylized version, it's a 'black slime behemoth'.
185	* Only the Xbox 360 version of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilOperationRaccoonCity'' has "Nemesis Mode", a king-of-the-hill multiplayer mode where two teams compete to activate [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis Nemesis]] first.
186	[[/folder]]
187
188	[[folder:Turn-Based Strategy]]
189	* The Platform/NintendoDS port of ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' lacked the voice acting of the original; but instead included a "Prinny [[DVDCommentary Commentary]]" in its NewGamePlus, where one of the game's {{Mooks}} hides out on the second screen and acts as a GreekChorus snarking about the game's story. As of yet, no other remake of the game has included this feature. It also included additional (text-only) translations such as French and quality-of-life features such as non-blinking Geo Panels, which did not make it to the later PC release.
190	[[/folder]]
191
192	[[folder:Miscellaneous]]
193	* When games are ported to Creator/{{Nintendo}} platforms, especially with their assistance, there's a high chance they will include items, costumes, or other facets of gameplay derived from established Nintendo properties. ''VideoGame/TekkenTagTournament2'' gives most of the roster an alternate costume based on ''Mario'' and ''Zelda'' etc., ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' gives the title character costumes and reformulated attacks based on various IP, ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' has entire Nintendo-themed packs, and so on.
194	** ''VideoGame/CadenceOfHyrule'' stemmed from a proposal to have ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''-themed DLC for the Nintendo Switch version of ''VideoGame/CryptOfTheNecroDancer'', but ended up evolving into a full-fledged GaidenGame influenced heavily by classic entries in the franchise.
195	* The compilation ''Taito Legends 2'' has exclusive games included between the Playstation 2 and Xbox/PC releases, but this is due to emulation issues between platforms. Some of these issues weren't present in the Japanese-only ''Taito Memories'' compilation series since ''Memories'' was done in-house by Taito themselves while ''Legends 2'' was developed by Empire Interactive and Mine Loader Software. As for the games, the Playstation 2 version includes ''Balloon Bomber'', ''[[VideoGame/{{Darius}} G-Darius]]'', ''[[VideoGame/RaySeries RayStorm]]'' and ''Syvalion'' while the Xbox/PC versions includes ''[[VideoGame/BubbleBobble Bubble Symphony]]'', ''VideoGame/{{Cadash}}'', ''Pop'n Pop'' and ''[=RayForce=].
196	* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsHitAndRun'': The PC version has an exclusive cheat code unlocked after getting OneHundredPercentCompletion that allows for switching the player character in to any on-foot model in the game. Other minor changes exist as well, such as a breakable lemonade stand in Level 1 that is not in any console version.
197	* ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'': Older console and mobile versions of the game had unique UndergroundMonkey enemies, such as Orcas as alternate Sharks or Arch Wyverns as more dangerous Wyverns. Its most noteworthy addition was a new endboss, Ocram. When the console and mobile versions were updated to version 1.3, these were removed, and only still exist on platforms that were obsolete before those updates reached them.
198	[[/folder]]

Context Main / VersionExclusiveContent