History Main / ReformulatedGame

** ''[[Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangers MMPR: The Movie]]'' also received its own sets of tie-in games. While the Super NES, 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.

* Many arcade games, particularly during the [=1980's=] and [=1990's=], were completely redesigned for their home versions. This was particularly prevalent with several NES "ports" of arcade games that wasn't a fixed screen platformer, since arcade hardware were already outperforming by 1985. Often times, the NES version was a completely different product from its arcade counterpart.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDraculaX'' (aka ''Vampire's Kiss'') was an Super NES adaptation of the Platform/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 Super NES 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.

** This is ''unfortunately'' averted in the sequel ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar'' where the PC version is identical with that on the console. This means that in the sequel all the maps are quite small (so even the open areas sometimes consist of just one or two narrow corridors and several rooms) and loading screens are encountered frequently. The original game's PC version contains rooms (within buildings within maps) that are literally much larger and more spacious than any map in the console port or in the sequel.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong94'' is [[NostalgiaLevel rather familiar]] for the first four levels, but afterwards, the rest of the game shifts into PuzzlePlatformer mode with keys, switches and movable ladders and platforms. The physics from the original arcade version are (mostly) intact though, although greatly expanded upon. Nintendo later made a spiritual successor to this game in the form of ''VideoGame/MarioVsDonkeyKong'' for the Game Boy Advance.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Driver}} DRIV3R]]'' was adapted to the Platform/GameBoyAdvance by none other than French duo ''Creator/VelezAndDubail'', best known for [[SugarWiki/GeniusProgramming pushing Nintendo portable hardware to their absolute limits]]. While it uses a separate engine and code base from the original game, one would be surprised to know that the GBA version's maps are largely unabridged from the original console releases, save for simplifying or omitting certain details due to system or memory constraints.

* ''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.

* ''Powerslave'' ([[MarketBasedTitle also known as]] ''Exhumed'' in European languages and ''Year 1999: Return of the Pharaoh'' in Japanese) was released for the PC, [=PlayStation=], and Platform/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 Platform/SegaSaturn.

* The N64 and Dreamcast versions of ''VideoGame/RainbowSix'' were at least decent adaptations of the PC version. The [=PlayStation=] version, by contrast, was almost completely reprogrammed, which turned out to be [[PortingDisaster disastrous]]. Gone was the tactical planning map and the multiple-team action. Instead, players were limited to using three operatives per mission, who could either be assigned to seperate insertion points or teamed up. AI and play controls were sub-par, and graphics were worse than most early [=PS1=] titles.

* ''VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi: True Blood'' - Many [[VisualNovel visual novels]] released for computers intended for adults are often altered for console versions. Often this just involves [[BleachedUnderpants removing/rewriting sex scenes]]. In the case of ''True Blood'', the console ports added new characters, scenes and entire routes to compensate for the censorship.

* ''VideoGame/AirCombat'', a 1995 v/PlayStation title, was meant to be a home port of the 1992 arcade game of the same name before being branched into its own.
* ''VideoGame/AlienSyndrome'' for the v/SegaMasterSystem had the most alterations of all the home conversions. Notably, the overhead scrolling is removed in favor of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI''-style room-to-room exploration, resulting in more maze-like levels, the weapon selection is reduced, and there are several completely new bosses.

* 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 Japanese, 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/AirCombat'', a 1995 UsefulNotes/PlayStation title, was meant to be a home port of the 1992 arcade game of the same name before being branched into its own.
* ''VideoGame/AlienSyndrome'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem had the most alterations of all the home conversions. Notably, the overhead scrolling is removed in favor of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI''-style room-to-room exploration, resulting in more maze-like levels, the weapon selection is reduced, and there are several completely new bosses.
* ''Amaurote'' - The UsefulNotes/Commodore64 version differs from all the others in adopting a straightforward (and not very detailed) TopDownView rather than IsometricProjection. [[http://www.zee-3.com/pickfordbros/softography/index.php?game=23 According to]] WordOfGod, the development team decided on this change at the start because their experience with converting their previous, somewhat simpler isometric game ''Glider Rider'' had shown them that "[t]he isometric system wasn't really suited to the C64 hardware."

* ''VideoGame/Battlezone1998'' was released for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 as ''Rise of the Black Dogs''. Although widely believed to be a port, it actually had to be completely rebuilt due to platform constraints, which turned it from what could have been a [[PortingDisaster miserable failure]] into an [[PolishedPort impressively accurate reformulation]].

%% * ''Bomber Raid'' - A UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem port of the arcade game ''Sonic Boom''.
* ''Kid no Hore Hore Daisakusen'', an UsefulNotes/{{arcade game}} by Nichibutsu, was ported to the Famicom as ''Booby Kids'', replacing the temporary secondary weapons with collectible ''VideoGame/BomberMan''-like bombs, redid the levels to be less mazelike, and altered the treasure chests into items appropriate to each stage. ''Cratermaze'' for the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 is a more faithful port, although its PC Engine counterpart was [[DolledUpInstallment dolled-up]] as a ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' game.

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDraculaX'' (aka ''Vampire's Kiss'') was an Super NES 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 Super NES 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.

* Many early ports of ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}'' and ''Darius II'' run into the problem of trying to port games that use multiple screens in the arcade version to systems that can only support a single screen. For the ''Darius'' ports on UsefulNotes/Turbografx16, the graphics are kept as-is and enemy attacks and formations adjusted accordingly, however the relatively large level geometries mean that [[ScreenCrunch the screen has to scroll up or down in accordance with the player's movement]]. ''Darius II'' on UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem and UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis use redrawn graphics so that no vertical scrolling is required, but deviates even more from the arcade original, to the point that many stages are completely different. It wasn't until the time of the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn that ''Darius II'' could be ported in its original aspect ratio, and for the first ''Darius'' fans had to wait until Hamster's Arcade Archives UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 port.

* ''VideoGame/{{Descent}} Maximum'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation used the same graphics engine, music, enemies, and weapons as ''Descent II'' for the PC and Macintosh, but featured entirely new levels, which were [[ItsShortSoItSucks criticized for being smaller]] ([[WhoForgotTheLights and darker]]) than the PC version's.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Driver}} DRIV3R]]'' was adapted to the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance by none other than French duo ''Creator/VelezAndDubail'', best known for [[SugarWiki/GeniusProgramming pushing Nintendo portable hardware to their absolute limits]]. While it uses a separate engine and code base from the original game, one would be surprised to know that the GBA version's maps are largely unabridged from the original console releases, save for simplifying or omitting certain details due to system or memory constraints.
* 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.

* ''Golvellius'' was originally a ''Zelda''-style action RPG that switches between overhead and side-scrolling segments, and was developed by Compile on the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}}. It suffered from extremely bland graphics and sound and falls victim to the system's notorious problems with scrolling. Sega remade the game on the [[UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem Master System]] with polished play mechanics, improved graphics, a completely new layout for dungeons and overworld, and some additions like new sub-bosses. Compile took note and made a sequel for the [=MSX2=] titled ''Shin Maō Golvellius'' (nicknamed "Golvellius 2" among non-Japanese speaker), which played very similarly to the Master System version of the original.
* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature'' started out as a UsefulNotes/{{Playstation}} port of ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon64''. The developers ended up changing so much that it became its own game. The art-style is near identical to ''64'' and it shares almost the same cast of characters, but everything else is different. Characters have different roles, different relationships, and different personalities. The town has a new name and there are different festivals as well. ''Back to Nature'' ended up becoming the de facto interpretation of the characters, with almost every reappearance of them being based on the ''Back to Nature'' (or ''Friends of Mineral Town'') versions.

* ''VideoGame/KingOfTheMonsters 2'' was more like a conventional FightingGame on the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis than the original Neo Geo version.

* ''Line of Fire'', originally an arcade LightGunGame with into-the-screen scrolling, was converted into a VerticalScrollingShooter on the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem.

* ''Metal Gear Solid'' on the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor is actually a [[MarketBasedTitle retitled English version]] of a spinoff game known as ''VideoGame/MetalGearGhostBabel'', which was modeled after ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' but with a graphic style and other gameplay elements taken from the actual ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''.

* ''Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord'' was a UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem port of the [=PC88=] RPG ''Haja no Fūin'' ("Seal of the Dark Lord") by Kogado Studio (which was also released for other formats as the [=MSX2=] and Famicom). The Master System version added a larger overworld and explorable towns.

** ''Monty on the Run'' changes a whole bunch of things around on the Famicom Disk System from the UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum version. Most bizarrely, Monty is not a mole in this version, but an escaped human convict.
** ''Impossamole'', originally released for Amiga, C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum computers, was completely overhauled for the UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16. The {{Dungeon Shop}}s were replaced with in-level pickups, the weapon variety was reduced, Klondike Mine was replaced by the Alien Planet, which took the place of the BermudaTriangle as the FinalDungeon, Monty was given [[VideoGameLives multiple lives]], and a PasswordSave system was added, in contrast to the original's [[FinalDeathMode one life and no continues]].
* ''Myth: History in the Making'' - The UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum and UsefulNotes/AmstradCPC ports, due to hardware limitations, were vastly redesigned around slower-paced action, FlipScreenScrolling and a simplified control scheme.
* ''VideoGame/{{Novastorm}}'' in all its versions has different bosses, level designs, play mechanics and cutscenes. Even the UsefulNotes/SegaCD version, which is the closest to the DOS original in the bits of FMV it uses, has completely different enemy placement and upgrade system for the player ship.
* ''VideoGame/NutsAndMilk'' was originally a MazeGame for the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}}, UsefulNotes/PC88 and other Japanese home computers; the Famicom version completely redesigned the game around ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongJunior''-style platforming rather than tunneling.

* ''VideoGame/PopfulMail'' was originally released on PC-88 and UsefulNotes/PC98 computers in 1991 and '92 respectively, then brought to consoles in 1994. The UsefulNotes/PCEngine Super CD version is the one that is most faithful to the PC-88 original, but the other two (Super Famicom and UsefulNotes/SegaCD) are very different both from it and from each other, sharing only the plot, characters and the basic play mechanics.
* ''Powerslave'' ([[MarketBasedTitle also known as]] ''Exhumed'' in European languages and ''Year 1999: Return of the Pharaoh'' in Japanese) 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.

* ''Rockman Battle & Fighters'' is a version of ''VideoGame/MegaManThePowerBattle'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan2ThePowerFighters'' for the UsefulNotes/NeoGeoPocket Color. Since the system couldn't obviously replicate the specs of the arcade boards, the visuals are completely redone in a simpler and smaller style, almost akin to the 8-bit days of the series, while not sacrificing the gameplay. Notably, they were the only way to play those games on a console until the release of proper ports of the arcades in 2004.

* ''VideoGame/SanFranciscoRush'' was reprogrammed on the UsefulNotes/PlayStation due to the system's lack of an FPU. [[PortingDisaster No need to guess how it turned out]].
* ''The Second Samurai'' was released on the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} in 1993 and is rather similar to the first episode, also in the visual style (including a main character who looks a bit goofy), even if it swaps the very large levels of the original for a myriad of shorter ones. The UsefulNotes/MegaDrive version, released in 1994, is a brand new game with a completely different visual style, new music, and less open levels with a more arcadey gameplay. The two versions have basically just three bosses and an UnexpectedShmupLevel in common.
* ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' on the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem gives the player a health gauge (instead of making him a OneHitPointWonder), adds more melee and ranged weapons, and changed the input method for Musashi's ninjutsu techniques (due to the lack of a third button). It also made the bonus rounds more frequent (occurring between stages, rather than after boss battles) and changed their purpose from gaining extra lives to accumulating ninjutsu techniques.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' was originally going to be ported to the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} as well, but the people at Sonic Team soon realized they couldn't feasibly do it, even with a graphics downgrade. Instead, the group in charge of the port repurposed what they had and created ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings'' out of it.

* ''VideoGame/StarTrader'' was a PC-88 ShootEmUp with many cutscenes, adventure portions and a non-linear plot - unfortunately the shooting part, which was supposed to be still its core, was done badly. A later UsefulNotes/SharpX68000 version has much better graphics and mechanics but is just a straight shooter.
* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' was a side-scrolling BeatEmUp for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis that was later ported to the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem and UsefulNotes/GameGear. Despite the fact that the Master System and Game Gear are virtually identical in terms of hardware specs, the two 8-bit versions of the game were substantially different from each other rather being ports of the same game. Particularly, the SMS version featured all three playable characters (the GG version was missing Adam), whereas the GG version had a 2-players mode via link cable (the SMS version was 1-Player). The SMS and GG versions of the sequel (''Streets of Rage 2'') were also different from each other.
* ''[[VideoGame/StriderReturns Strider II]]'', the sequel to ''VideoGame/StriderArcade'' produced by [[NonIndicativeName UK-based]] publisher U.S. Gold (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.

* ''Super VideoGame/MeatBoy Forever'' is a reformulated version of the original ''Super Meat Boy'', specifically designed for mobile devices in order to avoid turning the original game into a PortingDisaster. It is not exclusive to phones/touch screens, however, as it is also available on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}.

* ''VideoGame/TheTerminator'' for the UsefulNotes/SegaCD been a straight port of the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis game by the same developer with the addition of a CD-quality soundtrack and grainy cinematic sequences like other Genesis-to-Sega CD. Instead, it is a completely different game with better graphics and improved play mechanics. The manual even specifies that it's more than "just an upgrade."

* ''VideoGame/{{Valis}}: The Fantastic Soldier'' on the Famicom was a redesign of the [=PC88=] original with branching stages that were easy to get lost in. The game was redesigned again for the UsefulNotes/MegaDrive and UsefulNotes/PCEngine [=Super CD-ROM2=]in 1992, with a revamped gameplay system much closer to its sequels.
** The UsefulNotes/PCEngine [=CD-ROM2=] version of ''Valis II'' is also drastically different from its [=PC98/MSX2=] counterpart. Both were straightforward hack n' slash platformers, albeit with different level and boss designs, and the former version had the ability to voluntarily change Yuko's armor during gameplay, along with an MP bar instead of a preset number of uses for each spell.
* ''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 in CDROM format (complete with a Redbook audio soundtrack) as simply ''Monster Lair'', the latter as the [=HuCard=] game ''Dragon's Curse''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Zanac}}'' was originally released on the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}} in several versions with blotchy graphics reminiscent of ''VideoGame/{{Xevious}}'', but was greatly reworked for the NES. The NES version was ported back to the [=MSX2=] as ''Zanac EX''.

* ''Film/TheAddamsFamily'' became ''four'' different games by Ocean: one exclusively for the UsefulNotes/GameBoy; another for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem and UsefulNotes/GameGear; a third for 8-bit computers; and a fourth for the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} and 16-bit consoles. At least all of these were {{Platform Game}}s starring Gomez Addams.

* ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}} & Obelix XXL 2'' were released a year after the original [=PS2=] and PC releases on handhelds. While the [=PSP=] version is the same game, the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS couldn't handle it, so it was changed into a [=2D=] mix of a platformer and brawler.
** ''Asterix at the Olympic Games'' was identical between the PC and console version (bar some graphical differences), with the exception of the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS release: the ActionAdventure segments are removed entirely, leaving only the Olympic Games proper and making it a ''Track & Field'' clone. There are, however, many more events than the ones found in the other versions.

* ''Batman'' had a set of tie-in games made by Sunsoft based on [[Film/Batman1989 the 1989 film]]. [[VideoGame/BatmanSunsoft The NES version]], a ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''-inspired platform game, was released first. While the UsefulNotes/GameBoy and UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis versions loosely followed the same template, the UsefulNotes/PCEngine version, which was originally announced as a platformer as well, was retooled into an overhead MazeGame.

** The two ''Film/BatmanReturns'' games developed by Konami, one for the NES and the other for the Super NES, 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.
* ''VideoGame/{{BIONICLE}}: The Game'' is a typical Third-Person Action-Adventure game on console and PC, with an extremely simplified version of the Bohrok and Mask of Light story arcs. The UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance version has more emphasis on platforming, an {{Isometric}}-perspective, features all thirteen Toa, has more levels, and does not even bother with a plot.

** The UsefulNotes/NintendoDS version is a FirstPersonShooter about an [[NoNameGiven unnamed]] silver Matoran-turned-Toa rescuing the Toa Inika, who have been captured by the Piraka and [[BigBad Makuta]].

* ''VideoGame/CaptainAmericaAndTheAvengers'' was released simultaneously in arcades and on the UsefulNotes/{{NES}} by Creator/DataEast at the end of 1991. While the arcade version was a 4-player beat-'em-up where players could play as Cap, Iron Man, Hawkeye and The Vision, the NES version was a side-scrolling platform game where only Cap and Hawkeye were playable and their objective was to rescue the other two. Data East later released a port of the arcade game for the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis in 1992.
** Mindscape later released a set of versions for the Super NES, UsefulNotes/GameBoy and UsefulNotes/GameGear. While the Super NES version was also a port of the arcade game, the portable versions were actually side-scrolling platformers.

* ''VideoGame/{{Daikatana}}'' on the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor is a top-down action RPG that was better received than the critically-panned computer FPS it was based on.

* ''VideoGame/{{Dizzy}} Kwik Snax'' is a completely different game on the UsefulNotes/Commodore64 to the UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum original. On the Spectrum version you have to push blocks to squash monsters on a single screen, on the Commodore version you have to collect Fluffles and guide them to the exit in a side-scrolling gameplay.

** UsefulNotes/Nintendo64, UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, PC: practically the same, just some graphical improvements for the latter two, and cutscenes in pre-rendered [=CGI=] instead of the game's engine.

* ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'' was primarily designed for the UsefulNotes/Xbox360, UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, and PC, but there were also versions on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable, UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}, and UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 which wouldn't have been able to handle models with enough detail to keep the game's aesthetic; what they did was instead go for a different aesthetic entirely for those versions, redesigning the models in what they called "Stylized" versions which resembled the art style of ''WesternAnimation/TheRealGhostbusters''. These versions also added co-op and a greater emphasize on solving puzzles, as well as letting you [[CharacterCustomization pick the Rookie's gender]].

* ''Goemon: Shinseidai Shūmei'' ("Goemon: The New Generation") for the [=PlayStation=] and ''Goemon: New Age Shutsudō!!'' (New Age Sailing) for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance were essentially the same game, being released two months apart. The two games were part of an unsuccessful attempt by Creator/{{Konami}} to reinvent the ''VideoGame/GanbareGoemon'' franchise (aka ''Mystical Ninja'') to younger players around 2001-2002. The GBA version is essentially a watered down version of the PS game, with text and still imagery instead of voice acted cutscenes, along with less stages, but it does have some exclusive content to make up for it.
* ''VideoGame/TheGoonies'' on the MSX had similar gameplay to the UsefulNotes/{{Famicom}} game, more primitive graphics, and very different levels. As with ''Vampire Killer'', keys played a major role in the MSX version, which also added an EXP bar.
* ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'' got two radically different Creator/{{Sunsoft}} {{Licensed Game}}s: a top-down action game for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, and a typical sidescrolling PlatformGame for the UsefulNotes/GameBoy.

* ''Kool-Aid Man'' on the UsefulNotes/Atari2600 and for the UsefulNotes/{{Intellivision}} were two entirely different games, largely because Mattel had to produce both of them on a very tight schedule. The 2600 version is set around a swimming pool; the Intellivision version takes place inside a haunted house where two children have to summon the Kool-Aid Man.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'': The handheld versions tend 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 includes 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 features 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 series 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/MonsterHunter2004'' received a reformulated hybrid between it and the expansion ''Monster Hunter G'' called ''Monster Hunter Freedom'', released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable (the other two games were developed and released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2). This game retains all features from them minus online play (in its place, there's local multiplayer), though with a different lineup of quests and a brand-new boss monster.

** The later UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem, UsefulNotes/GameGear and unreleased UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis versions all claim to be "reprogrammed" versions, yet each one is an original game.

** Sega also produced its own set of ''Rambo III'' games for its consoles. While the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis version of ''Rambo III'' was an overhead action shooter, the Master System version was an ''VideoGame/OperationWolf''-style light gun game that required the Light Phaser gun.

* ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsGame'' was developed for UsefulNotes/Xbox360, UsefulNotes/NintendoDS UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}, UsefulNotes/PlayStation2, UsefulNotes/PlayStation3, and UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable. The DS version is the most radically different game of them all, being a 2D sidescroller instead of a 3D platformer.

* The first five ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'' games had companion titles for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, which were compatible with the same [[ToysToLifeGame toys-to-life]] figures as the console versions but had completely different gameplay and plots. For game five, ''[=SuperChargers=]'', the Wii version qualified as well, being the same as the 3DS version rather than the other console versions. Averted as of the sixth game, ''Imaginators'', where there is only the one version for consoles and no portable companion.

** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1'' and ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' had 8-bit versions produced for the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem and UsefulNotes/GameGear, both of which were radically different from the 16-bit originals on the UsefulNotes/MegaDrive (the 8-bit versions of ''Sonic 2'' actually preceded the 16-bit version in some regions). The more limited hardware didn't allow for the same speed, which resulted in different level layouts, premises and soundtracks. The [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog28Bit 8-bit version of]] ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog28Bit Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'' in particular is pretty much a ''completely different game'' from the Mega Drive one, with completely different levels, enemies and even a ''very'' different ExcusePlot[[note]]Tails is captured and needs to be rescued in the 8-bit version, thereby leaving him as an NPC, whereas he's a playable character in the 16-bit version and follows Sonic around by default[[/note]], essentially serving as a wholly unique sequel to the 8-bit Sonic 1 which happens to share its title with a 16-bit game; Sonic 1 shares some of its levels between versions, albeit in modified form. Both are fairly well regarded despite their limitations and differences, and the UsefulNotes/GameGear versions in particular are considered more challenging due to their lower screen resolution and general [[OneHitPointWonder lack of rings during boss fights]].

** The UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance versions of Konami's first two ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' games based on the [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 2003 series]], as well as the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS version of ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare'', were completely different games from their PC and console counterparts.

* ''World Destruction League'': ''Thunder'' Tanks and ''War Jetz'' were both released simultaneously for the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation}} and UsefulNotes/PlayStation2. The two versions have different levels and controls, especially in the case of ''War Jetz''.

* ''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.

* ''Metal Gear Solid'' on the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor is actually a [[MarketBasedTitle retitled English version]] of a spinoff game known as ''VideoGame/MetalGearGhostBabel'', which was modeled after ''VideoGame/MetalGear2'' but with a graphic style and other gameplay elements taken from the actual ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''.

* ''VideoGame/FZero AX'' and ''F-Zero GX'' were developed at the same time and designed to have bonuses for having data from the opposite version. ''AX'' features a variety of machines and six courses available from the get-go that require unlocking in ''GX'', while ''GX'' is the more "complete" version with 30 machines available from the get go and over 20 different original courses.

* ''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 in CDROM format(complete with a Redbook audio soundtrack) as simply ''Monster Lair'', the latter as the [=HuCard=] game ''Dragon's Curse''.

* ''VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater 3'' and ''4'' both had different versions, one for the [=PS2=]/Xbox/[=GCN=], and one for the [=PS1=] with different goals and levels, done by different companies. The same thing happened again with the [=PS3=]60 version of ''Project Eight'' and ''Proving Ground'' being different to the Wii[=/=][=PS2=] version.

* ''The Second Samurai'' was released on the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} in 1993 and is rather similar to the first episode, both in the visual style (including a main character who looks a bit goofy) and in the large levels full of collectables. The UsefulNotes/MegaDrive version, released in 1994, is a brand new game with a completely different visual style, new music, and less open levels with a more arcadey gameplay. The two versions have basically just three bosses and an UnexpectedShmupLevel in common.

'

* ''VideoGame/NutsAndMilk'' was originally a MazeGame for the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}}, UsefulNotes/PC88 and other Japanese home computers; the Famicom version completely redesigned the game around ''Donkey Kong Jr.''-style platforming rather than tunneling.

* The Famicom port of ''VideoGame/YsIAncientYsVanishedOmen'' by Advance Communication Company (yes, the creators of the infamous ''VideoGame/DrJekyllAndMrHyde'') was the most drastically changed from the original PC-8801 version. The overworld and dungeon layouts are significantly different, a few new music pieces have been added, several bosses have been simplified or replaced, a convoluted FetchQuest is necessary to unlock the AbandonedMine, the outer gallery sections of Darm Tower are absent, and the first encounter with Dark Fact is a fake; to reach the real Fact, you have to use the Mirror of Fact to activate the large MagicMirror back in the first mirror maze.

A less extreme version of this is VersionExclusiveContent, where different platforms get different extra features but are still ultimately the same game. Also related to UpdatedRerelease and RegionalBonus.

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006'' was originally going to be ported to the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} as well, but the people at Sonic Team soon realized they couldn't feasibly do it, even with a graphics downgrade. Instead, the group in charge of the port repurposed what they had and created ''[[VideoGame/SonicStorybookSeries Sonic and the Secret Rings]]'' out of it.

** 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 Super NES 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 Super NES version) without his partner Bebop.

* ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' on the NES came out almost at the same time as Konami's popular [[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheArcadeGame arcade beat-'em-up]] of the same title. When Konami decided to adapt the arcade game to the NES as well, they had to retitle that version ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game'' to make it clear that it was a different game from the first NES title and a port of the arcade version.

* This has been a pretty common process in the VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog series:

* ''Need For Speed Hot Pursuit'', the 2010 version, the Wii version is instead a MissionPackSequel to NFS Nitro with downgraded environment details but slightly upgraded car models.