Phantom 2040 - MD/GEN vs. SNES Comparison
Screenshots
MD/GEN Version Pros & Cons
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- The double equip issue in the SNES version is fixed on MD (weapons like the spread shot can be abused on SNES by mapping them to two buttons and holding down both at once to pretty much double your rate of fire)
- The MD game runs at a somewhat higher resolution than on SNES (showing more of the level at once which actually benefits the rather fast paced action and exploration heavy gameplay)
- There's an additional cutscene after the cocoon Graft boss fight with some extra exposition and directions on MD (on SNES there are no directions after you've beaten cocoon Graft on the Prometheus (since most of the following cutscenes where he gives you codes to the Triad storage room in the Maximum building and where Guran tells you to choose between going to the space station or aforementioned building was cut out)). It did make me wonder though - if Rebecca could place a bomb in him then couldn't she also record anything he says, sees and hears?
- Faster wall climbing controls than on SNES (plus you can keep holding down the jump button while repeatedly tapping the grapple button to climb even faster here)
- The brief loading (2-3 seconds) that happens right before some bosses on SNES (the boss outside the university, before Tracker, before the second gang leader) doesn't happen here
- There's a lot more slowdown on SNES overall - On MD it seems pretty bad when you enter some areas but then it mostly disappears after a while (one exception is the second air traffic segment where it gets severe when using the spread shot and swinging around while being crowded by flying enemies). However, if you emulate using Regen Debug v0.972 you can remove all slowdown on MD (~800 CPU cycles should do the trick and not cause any side effects)
- The western jungle area is easier to navigate and both jungle areas are more forgiving on MD (no death pits (moving platforms are added once you get to the harvester mission on SNES but why not right away?), easier vertical jumps, destructible walls are visually noticeable (you have to shoot them to spot them on SNES - except for the vine floor one), easier to go straight up right away in the western jungle area)
- On SNES the areas above the jungle are closed off in the beginning whereas on MD you can explore most of them right away (lets you open a few barriers in other areas in advance)
- There are a few more enemies than on SNES here and there
- You can spam the jump kick while falling next to and facing walls in the MD version (lets you descend slower and search for destructible walls)
- Jump kicks don't get interrupted by Phantom hitting a ceiling with his head on MD (on SNES he also starts falling immediately after touching the ceiling)
- The camera is tighter when swinging on ceilings covered by conveyor belts in the Biot factory on MD (on SNES the camera doesn't keep up so you can't see where you're going)
- Screen transitions are faster on MD
- You can turn around while crouching on MD (have to hold the "stand still while targeting" button on SNES)
- The Break, Homing Missile and Boomerang weapons have a higher rate of fire and movement speed on MD (they also cause less slowdown)
- Sometimes more varied or detailed backgrounds than on SNES (warehouse area, more parallax in the university area, spotlights in the background of the boat segment after the first boss and in the air traffic areas (stars on SNES), more areas have a pure black background on SNES (the cocoon Graft boss room)) and there are more blinking lights here and there
- The second gang leader boss in the sewers is a bit harder on MD due to the sludge - It disappears when you reach him on SNES and it's an easy boss considering how far into the game you meet him
- Blinking lights on exploding boxes appear when they're hit here (acting as a countdown to the explosion) whereas on SNES they're always blinking and explode right away when hit
- The harvesters in the jungle make more of an entrance on MD by being hidden until you destroy the terminal they're guarding
- There's a proper death animation for the final boss on MD (on SNES the screen fades to black and then goes directly to the ending cutscene)
- Some sfx fit better or make more of an impact than on SNES (for example the first aid kit pick up sound)
- Somewhat more creepy lower lab area on MD (the area is fully lit on SNES)
- There's a bit less backtracking in the ruins on MD when going for 100% completion
- It's somewhat easier to find the space station computer on MD (it's still as hard to find the path leading to it though and you didn't get any clue beforehand that you needed to find it to get a good ending)
- There's an added charge sfx for the space station cannon on MD
- There are a couple more 1-ups to find in the hidden path to the shuttle after the Triad boss
- Passwords are half as long on MD (24 vs. 48 characters)
- The spread shot works differently and is very overpowered on SNES (spreads in 8 directions after shooting and releasing the button and it's very strong and cheap) - It honestly breaks the game if you map it to both buttons
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- Slightly different hook swinging controls (it's a bit easier to grab onto ceilings that are just in reach and to build some momentum on MD but slightly easier to quickly swing horizontally under a ceiling on SNES)
- You don't get the fire retardant pellets after the dropship boss outside the university on MD (you have to find them in the western jungle after the power shortage instead)
- Smaller ammo supply for the default gun on MD
- The first Maximum mission is a bit harder on SNES (you can't open the gate to 2x damage in advance (also can't access the Maximum level 1 area after a certain point on SNES so you'll have to wait for 2x damage until going after the Triads), more frequently spawning robot foot soldier enemies, wall crawlers instead of heavy armor/human soldiers, harder to find the terminals - This was done better on MD as there are power ups in the hard to find spots while most of the terminals are out in the open)
- The audio clues for destructible walls are very noticeable on SNES whereas on MD there aren't any from what I could tell
- On MD there are no soldiers hanging from ropes in the air traffic 2/Prometheus segment on MD (since it's an air traffic area and they weren't animated at all, plus it's weird that they function as platforms and can't be shot, the change makes sense though they could've been touched up and used elsewhere)
- Different music compositions on MD and SNES in several areas (some ambience and ambient music is used on SNES in the beginning)
- Sometimes different color schemes in each version - Sometimes better on MD and sometimes worse; the MD version could've been more optimized in some cases where the colors are kind of garish
- Bosses tend to have an explosion animation showing that you've hit their weak spot on MD whereas on SNES they'll either blink or have both (leaning towards a con for MD since the Breaker missiles sometimes explode on impact despite not hitting the weak spot making it look like you're doing damage)
- No energy 1/4 upgrade on MD unless you use a GG code (75% less energy usage from weapons, hidden at the bottom of the Biot factory missile silo on SNES)
- Though it doesn't matter much the camera seems placed slightly lower on SNES (meaning the phantom is closer to the center of the screen in the lower parts of areas) - doesn't really help with leaps of faith though
- the Mars boss fight on Prometheus is a tiny bit harder on SNES due to there being a couple more soldiers accompanying him (it's still the easiest boss in either game though)
- More damage from enemies and bosses overall on MD (the jungle enemies, the sewer sludge, the arms of the final boss's first form kill instantly and seem to have a bigger hit box as well)
- Somewhat easier final phase of the final boss on MD (it's hard enough on MD since it restarts if you die and is more fun as well). The second phase where you have to punch red light bulbs is also slightly easier as they take ~2 fewer hits to destroy.
- On MD, inaccessible areas aren't shown on the hub map and a few area names are slightly different compared to the SNES version
- Phantom's falling speed is faster on MD
- There's no death pit in the industry area in the MD version (on SNES you have to find and hit a switch to build a bridge over it or pull off some slightly advanced swinging)
- Cutscenes are slightly faster overall on MD
- The MD version doesn't have Guran standing around in the lair right after the first mission (on SNES you can talk to him and he'll remind you about where to go next at first but later on will just nag you about being in the lair instead of on a mission)
- Swordsmen don't block your shots in the MD version (interesting feature on SNES but the entire sprite can block the shot (even from behind) and they will still rarely drop something when killed)
- Transparent sewer sludge on SNES (actually looks a bit worse to me)
- Tracker/trenchcoat guy and the harvester/spider bosses in the jungle are accompanied by respawning robot soldiers on SNES, but the latter also move slower and do less damage when they collide with Phantom
- The walker boss (Maxwell Jr.) in the jungle is easier on SNES since it isn't accompanied by the small flying drones
- The Biot factory area is somewhat harder on SNES (robot foot soldier enemies spawn more frequently) but the bosses seem a bit weaker
- The last mini-boss in the Biot Factory is a bit harder on MD (you have to stand on a moving platform over lava there)
- The MD version features one or two walker vehicles to use in the Biot Factory which aren't there on SNES (they're not particularly fun to use but make those segments easier)
- The valves explode after use on MD while they stay the same on SNES
- There are no wall crawlers in the second level of the Maximum building on MD
- Cocoon Graft is somewhat harder on SNES (accompanied by turrets and you have to hit him from below first, then hit Graft himself as a third phase though that part is very easy)
- There are much fewer shotgun soldiers in the museum on MD (most of them are replaced by the heavy armor/human soldiers for some reason)
- The space station area is somewhat harder on SNES (orbital enemies respawn a bit more frequently in most parts of the area, orbital enemies shoot homing projectiles, orbital enemies can shoot while slightly off screen whereas on MD they'll always take at least one step into the screen before attacking)
- There are fewer grenade launcher enemies in the ruins on MD
- The background scrolls faster when riding the "hellevator" on MD
- No time limit for the missile disarming segment in either version?
- 1-ups look different in each version (on MD, the SNES 1-up icon is used in the HUD and new icons are used in-game while on SNES there's no 1-up icon in the HUD)
- On SNES, it's more common for enemies to walk off ledges, falling down to the platform below
- There are fewer mines in the museum on MD and they're less dangerous as well since they take longer to trigger
- On MD, you don't get to fight the gang leader in the museum on top of the dinosaur skeleton (you fight him below it instead) but he is slighty harder there as he has a spread shot attack
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- As far as I can tell, you can't access the Space Port until chapter 6 on MD, at which point you can't exit the area after entering it (which means you can't get to the Energy 1/2, a damage increaser and an energy bar upgrade without getting a bad ending) - On SNES you can enter the Space Port as early as before the second sewer mission, get the items and continue with whatever mission you were on. You can also enter it in chapter 6 and still exit, to go back and into the Maximum building instead. If this is correct then there's no way of getting 100% on MD, so it might not be.
- Not going to the ship factory after killing the yellow gang leader in the sewer makes the area inaccessible (you can redo the sewer part to unlock it again though) - Not sure about the SNES version
- The story summary doesn't mention Tracker going to the industrial area on MD (you'll end up there by going right after the warehouse blows up but it's just as likely that you'll exit downwards and start exploring other areas as it is that you'll find him) - Not sure about the SNES version
- There's a hidden ~30 second timer during the cannon battle on the space station (you'll get a "try again" ending if you don't destroy the five energy packs in time during the fight and you only get one shot) - You get more time to do it on SNES
- The first main boss (Graft) has a somewhat harder last phase on SNES (it's easy to take him out from behind on MD)
- On MD, the only way to damage Sean One (first space station boss) without taking damage or the fight taking forever is to make him swoop down by standing at the edge of the screen (he swoops down as part of his pattern on SNES)
- Sometimes there's no notification that you've found a new weapon after a boss/mission (the story summary mode is better about this but worse in some other regards) - On SNES you tend to get the weapon from a box that appears after a boss fight
- For a few enemies there's no indication that you're damaging them unless you're using a melee attack (pretty sure they always blink on SNES) and there's still no indication if using the Wave attack
- The first boss (dropship) takes annoyingly long to beat on MD
- Sometimes it's a bit hard to spot the exit from an area on MD - Easier on SNES since exit ladders are marked with a skull symbol
- It's easier to stun the swordsmen on MD (they can block the hook with their swords on SNES, which is a bit more interesting) - I see it as a minus since the stun move is overpowered
- On MD, some enemies fall off screen at a weird angle when killed whereas on SNES they sort of bounce upward first - Both animations look silly
- Mostly worse directions and lore on MD (No title cards when entering different sub areas on MD and on SNES the two computer terminals in the middle of the lair have separate uses - left for the hub map and right for info on places and people)
- There's no animation of Tracker flying upwards with the panther when entering the industrial area nor any mission text (where the title cards show up) telling you to find the grappling hook upgrade on MD
- The final boss music keeps playing throughout the ending and staff roll on MD (doesn't really fit and the SNES version has a proper ending track)
- The Tracker fight in the air traffic segment is a bit harder on SNES since you can't just duck to avoid all the shots
- Tracker also has one more attack when you meet him in the jungle on SNES (he's still very easy though)
- Fewer colors on screen on MD - Very noticeable in some backgrounds (university, space station), some portraits and on the flamethrower soldiers. Some enemies also have more color scheme variations on SNES (robot soldiers, the jeep, the birds on the "the end" screen).
- The MD version is missing a few graphical effects and details seen on SNES (the cannon pipe exterior, Maxwell Jr.'s updated sprite after his defeat, the jeep mini-boss death animation is better on SNES and it drops a reward (it can also respawn if you kill it quickly though), the TV station logo and transition effect seen briefly in several cutscenes, the hover cars and game logo at the end of the intro, the mask sprite and Archer's colleague in the first cutscene, the hover craft on the hub map, the transparent water in the foreground of the warehouse exterior/docks area and the wave effect when on Mars's boat (it actually hovers in mid-air on MD), wavy water and cloud parallax in the warehouse, animated chimney smoke and cloud parallax in the industrial area, a few sfx like the scream at the title screen (which sounded a bit silly but still)),
- Pretty bad FM (YM2612) sound design overall on MD and the SNES game mostly has better sounding music even though it does sound a bit muffled
- Some odd sounds on MD ("Uh!" when switching between inventory menus, enemy death sound when you pick up the shot damage upgrades) and missing death screams for the orbital enemies on the space station
- Sometimes scratchy sampled sfx on MD (a bit better on SNES overall though they tend to sound kind of muffled)
- The MD version is missing some enemies (the shield robots (ship factory/shipment segment/prometheus segment/room before the final boss - on SNES they don't actually block your attacks though), the small spider-like creatures spawning from organic tubes in the background in the lower lab area),
- The Triads are all the same color on MD (on SNES they are the same color only in the cutscene earlier in the game)
- The tube train and Biot factory bosses are multijointed on SNES but not on MD
- The "caged Archer" sprite disappears sooner before the Graft fight in the Maximum building on MD so you barely see him disappear
Notes
The MD version has six button support. The grappling hook is mapped to the Z button and targeting while still is mapped to the mode button - X and Y could've been used for weapon switching or running though
There's a mission related bug in the MD version (not sure about SNES): In story summary mode, Mr. Cairo sometimes won't appear at the point where you need to choose if you should tell him the location of the political summit or not (you'll still go to the wildlife museum and keep playing as normal except you won't fight the gang leader there but still) - I reloaded a save from before this point and suddenly it worked so I'm not sure what triggers it. Only difference in my playing that I'm sure of is that I went and grabbed the Spirit 1/2 item in the Biot factory when it worked.