Advantages of Being a PAL Gamer

Daniel Primed

Hey Guys, I'm currently preparing an article about the advantages of being of being a PAL gamer. Please don't laugh, I know that we always get the short end of the stick but occasionally we get some sort of advantage over our NTSC friends. I thought that this could be a good thread to generate discussion on some of our few successes. I currently have a few ideas in mind.

Firstly there are a few titles that we actually get/have gotten before everyone else, here are a few examples:

We also get the multiple languages which isn't too bad but more importantly our SNES didn't look like this:

Ugh, anymore ideas guys?
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DancesInUnderwear · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 10:50 pm�� Post subject:

PAL virtual console > US virtual console
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Infested Jibbs · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:07 pm�� Post subject:

I always liked that snes design truth be told, but let's focus on the positives......ummm....

Honest to god i sat and thought for about 4 mins and came up with nothing.Besides a handful of left field games coming out here first we get shafted hardcore.
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TEG · Status: Offline Joined: 29 Nov 2007 Posts: 6 $poons: 3.60

There are none.Theres a simple motto:

"Pal is not my pal"

Eyce · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:21 pm�� Post subject:

Being able to have adequate time to find out about games and save up for them.

10-Fold.
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Passa · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:27 pm�� Post subject:

And we know which games are absolute duds before they arrive on our shores.

But being primarily a PC gamer (and always have been, even as a four year old) I haven't had any huge pains from late PAL releases.
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Frozencry · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:27 pm�� Post subject:

We're not Americans.
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Luke · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:31 pm�� Post subject:

Some games that come out here first;

Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
Eyetoy
Mario Strikers Charged

Also, with worldwide releases Australians (not Europeans) get games first, because we're ahead.

Sin Ogaris · Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2008 11:38 pm�� Post subject:

Wasn't Terranigma released here but not the US? That in and of itself is a spectacular pro for PAL gaming.

MazzarX · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:30 am�� Post subject:

we sp3ll bttr th3n they d00.

Pal gamers dont become retards when playing games and can control themselves. e.g. You guys heard of the boy that assaulted his mum cose she told him to stop playing halo.
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Kurupt · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:33 am�� Post subject:

By the time the game is released here, most of the bugs that have been found by gamers have been dealt with. Well, GC and before this was true. Now they just wait a year to patch it.

mcerto · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:45 am�� Post subject:

we got wii sports in a case
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David · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:04 am�� Post subject:

The biggest advantage last gen was resolution. First party PAL GameCube games, a select few PS2 games and a couple of Xbox games ran in full 576i resolution, a full 96 lines of extra picture. Most games didn't run at higher res, they just scaled the 480i (sometimes even lower on the PS2) image up, and many (Final Fantasy X, Devil May Cry, most multi-plats) had terrible PAL conversions. But when a PAL conversion was done right (eg Metroid Prime, Wind Waker, some Sony games) it was the best version in the world. Basically, PAL TV is and always was a superior format to NTSC, and so when a game was programmed to run well in PAL, the PAL version was the better game. Of course, this rarely happened.

This has been somewhat negated this gen by HD coming in, as HD screens are more standardised worldwide. And even on the Wii most games have received poor PAL conversions. Excite Truck runs slower and has borders, and Mario Galaxy has some framerate issues in 50Hz. Both can be avoided by setting the Wii to 60Hz, in which case it's the same game as the American version, but unlike last gen we don't get the superior version. The only game I've noticed that has been converted well to PAL on the Wii is - surprise surprise - Metroid Prime 3.

We also tend to get much better box art then the US.

accessdenied · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 1:15 am�� Post subject:

Karai Pantsu · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:06 am�� Post subject:

Flatout was released here several months before it was in the US, although that was only a minor victory seeing as it was so hit and miss.

Also, while we got Terranigma we only did so by missing out on ChronoTrigger. I know which on them I'd have preferred.
Still, Terranigma was goodly too.
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merlingt · Status: Offline Joined: 17 Dec 2003 Posts: 544 $poons: 4.60

As a reminder, please dont' forget - all americans aren't jerks, there are exceptions...
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merlinGT

Daniel Primed · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:48 am�� Post subject:

Awesome, some great ideas guys, keep them coming. ^_^

@ DancesInUnderwear, I don't use the Virtual Console yet (but I will eventually) so I'll have to chase that one up.

Terranigma was a great call and a prime example because it goes for about $100 on eBay and its a good game too. I knew I should have bought it new at $50 back in the 90s.

Sure its not Chrono Trigger or Super Mario RPG but hey, its an advantage and thats what counts.

Great points David, much appreciated. I can think of a few other examples for the boxart, I'll just have to dig them out first.

How many of you agree that our SNES (which is also the Japanese design) is better than the American SNES? I think that this is possibly our biggest advantage.
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merlingt · Status: Offline Joined: 17 Dec 2003 Posts: 544 $poons: 4.60

post a pic of it, i think that model was later released in the us, i had both.
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merlinGT

Passa · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:59 am�� Post subject:

America doesn't even have Ridge Racer 2 for PSP yet do they?..
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merlingt · Status: Offline Joined: 17 Dec 2003 Posts: 544 $poons: 4.60

Peveus · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:44 am�� Post subject:

Australia has Breath of Fire III and Tales of Eternia on PSP - games that are never going to see the light of day in America

Per PAL has better box arts, you need only see one example. PAL is on the left, if you actually can't tell

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LeonJ · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:55 am�� Post subject:

I hear what you are saying but being a PAL gamer is always 2nd best. While it's true that HD displays have made PAL converisons a non-issue, we are still getting bum releases of Wii VC games (slowdown, borders etc) and a lot more games are delayed as opposed to getting a early release.

Look at the PAL PS store. Almost nothing gets released on it compared with the US counterpart.
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Daniel Primed · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:43 am�� Post subject:

merlingt · Status: Offline Joined: 17 Dec 2003 Posts: 544 $poons: 4.60

silicon knights didn't slap their logo on the front of yours, that's odd.

Also - nope, don't have that model, i guess it was just snes gen 1 and 2 that i have.
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merlinGT

ObsoletE · Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:19 pm�� Post subject:

PAL also tends to get the WRC, Colin McRae and TOCA games many months ahead of the US, but this is probably due to those games being developed in the UK, rather than Japan or the US.

we also got Mass Effect early...

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