What is a Video Game Port?
In the context of video games, a port refers to the adaptation of a game from one platform (console, PC, etc.) to another. This process involves modifying the game to ensure it runs smoothly on different hardware and meets the technical and user interface standards of that platform. It’s more or less the same game in terms of story, gameplay and functionality.
In many cases, different teams or even different companies are responsible for porting games between systems, depending on the game and if it has a fixed deadline (such as to tie in with a movie release).
Examples of Early Video Game Ports
The earliest ports of video games were typically home versions of arcade games. Pong (1972) would be one of the most notable, as many of the earliest home consoles were basically just Pong machines. Beyond this, games for the Atari 2600, Commodore 64 and Nintendo Entertainment System come to mind, such as Space Invaders (1978), Pac-Man (1980), Donkey Kong (1981) and Frogger (1981).
At this time, the arcade hardware was far superior to that of the home consoles, so the graphics, sound and animation were typically downgraded dramatically for these home versions. These would be considered “demakes” rather than “remakes”. Something that has made a resurgence in more recent years is porting popular games to mobile devices or downgrading for the Nintendo Switch, especially in its less powerful handheld mode.
Why Are Video Games Ported?
One could say that porting games is a “license to print money”. If a game is popular enough on one platform, it’s usually easier and more cost-effective to get the most out of it by selling it again on other devices. The hardest work has been in the design and initial programming of this presumably good game, so releasing it again (or a similar version of it) to different audiences opens up greater revenue opportunities than simply creating a whole new game from scratch.
Types of Video Game Ports
When talking about porting video games between different systems, they will fall into one of the following categories:
Direct Video Game Ports
Common among Triple A Titles that launch across multiple consoles around the same time, such as the Call of Duty and FIFA games, with little difference between the Xbox and PlayStation systems of the same generation. Sometimes there was exclusive or timed DLC or other small differences, but ultimately the only real difference was the controller you used to play it and which friends you could play online with.
In the 90s, the hardware differences between disc-based and cartridge-based competitors saw some wider variation between ports of the same game. My favourite example of this would be Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, which was first released on the Sony PlayStation, a disc-based platform that had higher storage capacity than that of the Nintendo 64’s cartridges, on which it was released a few months later.
As a result (and being a Nintendo fanboy, this pains me), the Sony version was superior, as the Nintendo version had higher compression on the music with looping snippets and had full-motion video effects removed. The Nintendo version also had the blood removed, giving it a family-friendly rating.
The Nintendo ports of games, especially fighting games such as Mortal Kombat games on the SNES, usually had the gore turned down compared to the Sega versions on the Mega Drive. Nintendo used to put a big emphasis on being a “family” brand after all.
Enhanced Video Game Ports
We’ve seen many Enhanced Ports in recent years, with many of the best games from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 being ported onto the next generation of consoles, such as The Last of Us Remastered (PS4), which contained better visuals and additional content compared to the original PS3 version.
The Nintendo Switch has been doing this a lot as well, with graphically updated ports from its poorly selling Wii U console, such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (included all previous DLC plus more characters and updates) and Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze (included Funky Kong as a new playable character who makes it easier for inexperienced players).
One of the most notorious games for enhanced ports would have to be Grand Theft Auto 5, which was first released in 2013 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, then again on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and once again on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S. With GTA
Mobile Ports and Downgraded Video Game Ports
Many games have started off on a higher-spec device, such as a PC or one of the latest video game consoles and blown up in popularity enough that it has warranted porting it to less powerful hardware in order to maximise its audience and profits.
One of the most famous examples of this would have to be Minecraft, which started off on PC and has since been ported up, and especially down to mobile devices with touch controls and the Nintendo 3DS, not to mention just about every newer system since.
The Nintendo Switch is also famous for its downgraded versions of video games, such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition and Doom (2016), which saw lower resolutions, textures and frame rates, especially when in handheld mode.
The Difference Between Ports, Remakes and Versions of Video Games
A good example here would be using the Tony Hawk Pro Skater (1999) game by Neversoft (and built in a modified version of their Apocalypse engine) mentioned earlier, where there are some differences between the PlayStation and its Nintendo 64 port.
There was also a direct port to the Sega Dreamcast that retained all the best parts of the PlayStation original but had slight graphical improvements due to the superior hardware. These are all ports. However, released around the same time, there was also a Game Boy Color game of the same name, which was a totally different version with 2D gameplay.
The Game Boy Color version of Tony Hawk Pro Skater featured top-down and sidescrolling levels as opposed to the open world 3D gameplay normally associated with the series.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater was first remade in 2012 by Robomodo, using Unreal Engine 3 as a digital-only release for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows. Being digital only and delisted from the online stores in 2017, this is no longer spoken about.
The more recent Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 from 2020 is a remake from the ground up in Unreal Engine 4 by a totally different company, Vicarious Visions, which combines most of the best elements from the first two Tony Hawk games into something modern, yet incredibly familiar. This remake was originally made for the PS4 and Xbox One, but was later ported to the next generation of consoles – the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S as well as the Nintendo Switch.
In the 90s and 2000s, when there was a bigger distinction between handheld and home consoles, many versions and ports of the same game were common. Licensed games in particular were known to have both ports and several entirely different games, all with the same name and released around the same time.
The most extreme example that comes to my mind is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which existed on 8 different systems and were 5 distinctly different games all following the same name and plot. This is due to Harry Potter’s popularity which was really peaking during the overlap of different gaming generations when both handheld and home console generations shifted around the same time.
Firstly, there is the PlayStation game by Argonaut Games, which is a sequel to the previous PlayStation exclusive based on the first book. Then EA UK and Eurocom made a version that was ported between the PS2, GameCube and Xbox with slight differences between them. The Game Boy Color received an RPG featuring turn-based combat similar to Final Fantasy and other JRPGs, which was made by Griptonite Games and the Game Boy Advance received a totally different isometric puzzle game. A PC version was also made by KnowWonder, ported to the Mac by Aspyr Media.
What is the Most Ported Game of All Time?
Overall, the most ported video game is Doom (1993). It has been unofficially ported to just about every device that has a screen on it, including ATMs, smart fridges, calculators, digital cameras, printers, Myki readers (train ticket readers in Melbourne, Australia) and even pregnancy tests. The game’s open-source code and relatively simple graphics have made it a popular choice for developers and hobbyists looking to run Doom on unconventional hardware as a meme.
In terms of official ports, Tetris is another strong contender, having been released on over 65 platforms since its debut in 1984. The most iconic example in recent memory would be the dedicated Chicken Nugget Shaped Tetris handheld from McDonald’s in China in 2023, of which 500,000 units were made to celebrate Children’s Day and the 40th anniversary of the McNugget.
Music in Rereleased and Remade Video Games
The downside of having licensed music in a video game is that it already existed and was not made specifically for the game. Again, the Tony Hawk series is a great example. It’s full of music by real bands, who deserve royalties all over again if a game is to be remade or rereleased outside of the original contract. That, or their record label or rights holder. There are often re-releases and remakes of games that do not include all the original music.
Conclusion
Whilst I plan to further expand this article, I must stop for now. Hopefully, you have a better grasp of the nuances between ports, remakes and versions in video games.
