Developed by Corse Design and published by Virgin Games in 1993. Follow me on Twitter: / al82_retro Add me on Google+: While it was common for console games to get a conversion to home computers, it wasn't as common in reverse. Wolfchild launched originally on the Amiga computer but was ported to the leading consoles available from Sega and Nintendo. Having played the Amiga version, I was keen to see how Core handled the transition to a console. The core gameplay and story line remain unchanged, but there are notable differences. Firstly, the opening story video has been completely removed and is replaced with an attract mode showcasing a few of the in-game levels. Gone too is the original Amiga music score. There is cross-over between this version and the music in the Mega-CD version; given that the SNES is relying on samples rather than full CD-audio, it stands up well. Personally, I prefer the Amiga music score to this version although the title music is good. I did note a passing similarity between this and music from the Unreal soundtrack ,"Dusk Horizon", by Straylight Productions; perhaps just coincidence. The first two levels in the SNES version appear identical to the Amiga version whereas the remaining levels appear to have redesigned layouts. I wouldn't say that either version plays better in regards of level layout although the SNES version feels slightly less linear as there are more secret locations to find. The power-up scheme has been tweaked so that collecting new weapons actually adds additional ammunition to your total rather than simply resetting the amount. This is cancelled out by the fact that the levels contain more enemies, so the player is no better off in this regard. On a technical level, the SNES version demonstrates considerably smoother scrolling than the Amiga and sports more dynamic and colour backgrounds containing additional levels of parallax scrolling. However, the resolution of the SNES is considerably lower than that of the Amiga and it's noticeable. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the SNES version felt rather soulless and uninteresting. There is little challenge here other than memorising where enemies and traps appear; there is little AI to speak of and most enemies can be killed simply by ducking and pressing the fire button a lot. Personally, I found the sharper and more subtle colours of the Amiga version gave the world a much more detailed and interesting appearance than the SNES' primary colours and limited resolution. Perhaps it's the fact that, as a big fan of the Amiga, I'm predisposed to that version over the SNES, but I can't help but feel that the Amiga version is still the better game. #retrogaming
