Ah yes, the confusing world of ports that aren’t ports, but entirely different games. There were a number of those on PS2, especially late in the system’s lifespan, during the cross-gen days, when it was lucrative to cater to the huge existing install base.

On top of my head, Splinter Cell Double Agent was a completely different (and according to some, better) title on sixth compared to 7th gen consoles and PC, although I have played neither version myself.

Test Drive Unlimited on PS2 and PSP had the same enormous game world as the 360/PS3/PC-version, the entire island of Oahu at full scale, but ran on a different engine with very different driving physics, which feel bouncy and direct, nearly identical to Gran Turismo 2 of all games, making it more fun to play than the “next-gen” version, which attempted more realistic physics that feel flat by comparison however. I consider GT2 to be the peak of simcade driving physics and thus am a huge fan of this version’s driving physics as well. Graphics are obviously much worse than on seventh gen, customization features, game modes and many vehicles are missing and the GPS is buggy, but it is nonetheless a very interesting and enjoyable version. In my opinion, the visuals have actually aged rather nicely, on PS2 at least, where it even has pleasant-looking car reflections and surprisingly detailed interiors. It has a low-poly charm to it, with just the right amount of detail. Both versions are outstanding at just randomly going on a relaxing drive, since you’ll never run out of twisty roads to explore.

That was a good example. A bad, but fascinating one is the Alone in the Dark reboot. The next-gen version was by the same developer as the next-gen version of Test Drive Unlimited, Eden Games, an attempt at using the latest tech and tons of innovative and immersive mechanics as well as scale never seen before in a horror game. It didn’t work at all and fell flat at practically everything it tried, from physics to narration, not to mention, it manages to be a horror game that isn’t scary at all, except for the terrifyingly bad controls, but it’s a very interesting train wreck to behold. By comparison, the PS2 version, by a different studio, feels like a demake made by someone who got the rough outline of every scene over a bad telephone line and then tried to cobble something vaguely similar together in six to nine months on a budget of whatever was left from the catering bill of the developer of the costly next-gen version. Sometimes, it just uses screen-recordings of real-time cutscenes from the PS3/360 version. It’s awful to play, but also very interesting, especially next to the overambitious next-gen version.