The image differences between NTSC and PAL games don’t matter much these days, but they used to be a big deal in the late 20th/early 21st century. Since North America and Europe developed different electrical grids, the former outputs at 60hz while the latter outputs at 50hz. Naturally, PAL games running at 50hz end up introducing certain complications.
The 60/50hz distinction means that PAL games run at a lower frame rate than their NTSC counterparts, turning classic titles into something borderline unplayable. In some dire cases, the PAL ports of games either change or remove content for the worse – as if to run salt into the wound.
10 Super Metroid
Super Metroid is arguably the SNES game that suffered the most in the conversion to PAL. Going from the silky smooth NTSC release to the PAL version can feel downright painful. Super Metroid’s PAL release is much slower than it should be, lending Samus a weight that errs on clunkiness. For a game whose level design is dependent on tight reflexes and precise platforming, Super Metroid’s PAL release is nothing short of a worst case scenario.
9 Sonic The Hedgehog
It goes without saying, but a game like Sonic the Hedgehog just isn’t going to thrive on a PAL console. The original Sonic for Sega Genesis was built around the character’s speed and maintaining momentum, arguably more so than later entries due to the lack of the Spin Dash. Since the PAL release is slower, Sonic is harder to control and the level design doesn’t flow as naturally. Sonic runs at what feels like a light jog when he should be moving at the speed of sound.
8 Fatal Fury Special
For whatever reason, while Fatal Fury Special was developed for a 32-meg cartridge for its NTSC and NTSC-J releases, the PAL version swapped over to a much smaller 24-meg cartridge. Naturally, losing all this space resulted in the European port of Fatal Fury Special losing a fair amount of content.
Roughly five whole levels are cut out of the game including several characters. Not just that, losing space on the cartridge also meant the removal of a few character animations. Consequently, the lack of cartridge space also means Fatal Fury Special’s unlockable character is available right away in the PAL release.
7 Tales Of Eternia
It’s worth keeping in mind that Tales of Eternia was localized on different consoles between NTSC and PAL regions. NTSC regions got the game as Tales of Destiny II when it was first released for the PlayStation, whereas PAL regions got Tales of Eternia when it was later ported to the PSP. Unfortunately, the original PSP version features a game breaking bug that crashes the game and prevents progression from being made.
6 Tekken 3
PAL ports of fighting games always come with some issues. This doesn’t tend to be a problem nowadays, but it briefly was one when the PlayStation Classic was being released. For whatever reason, Sony included the PAL versions of several titles – including Tekken 3. One of the best fighting games on the PlayStation, Tekken 3’s PAL release lacks the fluidity and stability needed to fully appreciate the fighting game. Which really puts into perspective just how mishandled the PlayStation Classic was.
5 Devil May Cry
While both Devil May Cry 2 and 3 feature 60hz conversions for their PAL releases, the original Devil May Cry wasn’t so lucky. The first game’s PAL release was a disaster across the board, failing to convey the full scope of Devil May Cry at virtually every turn. The screen is framed by thick black borders, the image is slightly stretched, and gameplay just doesn’t feel right. Devil May Cry is a game all about tight reflexes, which the PAL version doesn’t respect.
4 Disgaea: Hour Of Darkness
The average video game dub is nothing to write home about, but Disgaea: Hour of Darkness’ English localization is top notch in every sense. The game’s English track has since been re-recorded, but the PlayStation original is still the definitive version (in large part thanks to Amanda Winn-Lee’s turn as Etna). Unfortunately, the PAL release of Disgaea gutted the English dub in an effort to save on disk space – a move which deprived fans of a truly fantastic localization.
3 Persona 3
Persona 3’s PAL port is so much worse than its NTSC release that it’s almost comical. In one of the worst PAL conversions ever, the European version of Persona 3 runs at roughly half the game’s intended speed. Keep in mind that this is an RPG that’s already naturally 60-80 hours long depending on how much side content you do.
The fact the PAL release inherently slows down everything makes for a grueling playthrough. Exploring Tartarus becomes a genuine nightmare and battles take an eternity to get through. Worse, Persona 3’s slowdown has the effect of interfering with character animations – leading to incredibly awkward and stilted gestures both in and out of battle. Persona 3’s PAL port is horrific.
2 Breath Of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Rather than just slowing down the gameplay or introducing some technical hiccups, Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter’s PAL port makes fundamental design changes that actually ruins the whole experience. Dragon Quarter is built around the idea that you won’t be able to complete the game in one playthrough, Restarting from the beginning periodically while keeping any items, skills, or experience.
The PAL version of Dragon Quarter removes the Restart mechanic altogether, forcing players to beat the game in a single playthrough. While this is technically possible, DQ was blatantly not designed with this in mind so the European release of the game is ultimately much harder to actually complete. It’s like a roguelike forbidding you from ever starting over.
1 Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-
Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN’s PAL release is one of the few modern examples of a European port dropping the ball. Not only does -SIGN- region lock players – cutting off PAL players from the majority of the game’s player base – several DLC characters were left unusable since the PAL ports were never actually patched with future updates. Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- was ostensibly abandoned for a good chunk of players.