Is “Greatest Hits” the superior version?

[phart010 | 1,708]

I was just thinking about greatest hits versions… they are typically printed a few years after the initial release. Often times people find errors and bugs in the games earlier on in the lifecycle.
 

I don’t know if they actually did this, but with the developers being aware of bugs and errors, they would have an opportunity to fix them on later production runs if they chose to.

Does anyone know if greatest hits versions of games have bugfixes/improvements in them? If so doesn’t that make the greatest hits version the superior version??

[Hybrid | 429]

Jet moto 2 got released as jet moto 2 championship edition. with all the stuff unlocked faster frame rate and one less racer. 

[TDIRunner | 2,771]

It all depends.  The short answer to your question is yes.  Often times, developers would use the GH version to fix bugs.  Off the top of my head, I remember Gran Turismo 2 had a bug that would prevent you from ever showing 100% completion, even if you won every single race in the game.  I know this was later fixed, so the GH version should not have this bug.  It's possible this bug was also fixed on later black label releases, but I'm not sure.  I just know that the version I played (which I bought at launch), was impossible to reach 100%.  

However, sometimes other changes could be made.  There is a GH release of one of the Toy Story games that includes censorship due to character that was considered offensive.  Another example would be ESPN Extreme Games.  When the GH version was released, the ESPN license had expired.  When the GH version was being made, the sequel was already out and it was called 2Xtreme (later 3Extreme was also released).   Since they couldn't include ESPN in the title of the GH version, they renamed it to 1Extreme.  It's sort of strange in that 1Extreme is ONLY available in the green label GH while ESPN Extreme Games is only available in black label (both long box and CD jewel case).

As to which version is desirable, that is a case by case basis.  Often times, the black label is worth more money, but often times, the GH version is less common or has improved gameplay.  Some people don't like the look of the green labels.  Since I'm a PS1 collector, I try to always get both.  

[DefaultGen | 5,428]

Usually the later releases are better for playing, but in terms of net dopamine for the entire gaming experience, getting some bug fixes doesn't outweight the crippling anxiety of seeing a green jewel case on my shelf.

[RH | 4,965]

1 hour ago, TDIRunner said:

It all depends.  The short answer to your question is yes.  Often times, developers would use the GH version to fix bugs.  Off the top of my head, I remember Gran Turismo 2 had a bug that would prevent you from ever showing 100% completion, even if you won every single race in the game.  I know this was later fixed, so the GH version should not have this bug.  It's possible this bug was also fixed on later black label releases, but I'm not sure.  I just know that the version I played (which I bought at launch), was impossible to reach 100%.  

However, sometimes other changes could be made.  There is a GH release of one of the Toy Story games that includes censorship due to character that was considered offensive.  Another example would be ESPN Extreme Games.  When the GH version was released, the ESPN license had expired.  When the GH version was being made, the sequel was already out and it was called 2Xtreme (later 3Extreme was also released).   Since they couldn't include ESPN in the title of the GH version, they renamed it to 1Extreme.  It's sort of strange in that 1Extreme is ONLY available in the green label GH while ESPN Extreme Games is only available in black label (both long box and CD jewel case).

As to which version is desirable, that is a case by case basis.  Often times, the black label is worth more money, but often times, the GH version is less common or has improved gameplay.  Some people don't like the look of the green labels.  Since I'm a PS1 collector, I try to always get both.  

That makes me wonder.  If you have a 99% complete save state from a black label, load it up from a GH copy, will it show 100%? I was actually going ask if any version differences weren't back compatible with previous versions of games.  I honestly don't know and I assume the answer is no because that type of thing would surely be tested before releasing a new version.

1 hour ago, DefaultGen said:

Usually the later releases are better for playing, but in terms of net dopamine for the entire gaming experience, getting some bug fixes doesn't outweight the crippling anxiety of seeing a green jewel case on my shelf.

I don't want any green labels unless I can have ALL green labels.  They'd go off to the side in their own collection, but mixed in with my collection of PS1 games, well, that's just hideous!

[Reed Rothchild | 9,576]

[DefaultGen | 5,428]

[TDIRunner | 2,771]

16 minutes ago, RH said:

That makes me wonder.  If you have a 99% complete save state from a black label, load it up from a GH copy, will it show 100%?

For me, it still wouldn't show 100% which I guess means the bug must somehow be included in the save file.  

[DefaultGen | 5,428]

5 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Stuff like this is really the worst. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition is another one. It's like... it costs nothing, it's the better version of the game, there's additional content, so there's no reason not to own it, even in addition to the original release. But also... gotta like tuck it away in a corner so I don't see it.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,576]

Just now, DefaultGen said:

Stuff like this is really the worst. Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition is another one. It's like... it costs nothing, it's the better version of the game, there's additional content, so there's no reason not to own it, even in addition to the original release. But also... gotta like tuck it away in a corner so I don't see it.

My MGS V is way over at the very end of the shelf, hiding in shadow 

[TDIRunner | 2,771]

2 hours ago, DefaultGen said:

 the crippling anxiety of seeing a green jewel case on my shelf.

Embrace the green.

[phart010 | 1,708]

3 hours ago, TDIRunner said:

Embrace the green.

Why segregate? To fully embrace the green is to mix it in with the black label.

[Gloves | 11,826]

3 hours ago, TDIRunner said:

Embrace the green.

[RH | 4,965]

3 minutes ago, phart010 said:

Why segregate? To fully embrace the green is to mix it in with the black label.

[SilverspoonGaming | 334]

The inclusion of DLC and bug fixes for free makes me sway to yes.

[Gloves | 11,826]

Silent Hill 2 has slightly more content on the Greatest Hits version for PS2, which is unfortunate.

[phart010 | 1,708]

11 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Silent Hill 2 has slightly more content on the Greatest Hits version for PS2, which is unfortunate.

More content is good

[Gloves | 11,826]

2 minutes ago, phart010 said:

More content is good

Red stripe on case bad!

[Gloves | 11,826]

The most disturbing image of Silent Hill 2:

[DarkKobold | 194]

I mean, if you're collecting to collect, then the green labels are a blight on this earth, meant to make angels cry and devils laugh. It's meant to torture the soul of completionists who have to spend 3x more to get colors to match. Garish, outlandish colors were chosen by Satan himself to make these abominations stand out on your shelf, and torment you with their inferiority. 

But, if you're collecting to play, probably best to go with greatest hits. 

[phart010 | 1,708]

30 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Red stripe on case bad!

Voilà!
Who said you can’t have the best of both worlds

Edited September 1, 2022 by phart010

[Tanooki | 4,950]

I know the general practice was with a game never to assume a greatest hits, if it happened it did.  So if a game had a few bugs major or minor, but still not enough to kill the experience you'd quietly get a revision release 1.1, 1.2, A, B whatever.  Sometimes the rare game was utterly jacked, Turok Rage Wars on N64, the gray cart was swapped out, just like the crap release quality of LRG's Doom on Switch (smash old, get fixed free.)  But because the unknown, if a game was then popped out as a player's choice game later, the last release of the game or a variant of it, that would be the one in the re-release package.

So data wise, the players choice/greatest hits stuff were superior data wise, and utterly inferior in aesthetic quality due to corner after corner being cut to save money.  Thinner manuals that maybe were with the color removed, cheaper inks/thinner paper/non-laminated stickers, going from a more quality box to a cheaper one, and so on.  So it in the end it came down to, OCD issues aside, is the upgraded data worth a hard downgrade in quality of what the game sits on and around it?  For me, I'll take the quality release.

[TDIRunner | 2,771]

4 hours ago, phart010 said:

Why segregate? To fully embrace the green is to mix it in with the black label.

Keeping them segregated makes it easier to do this:

(green backs = green labels)

[twiztor | 855]

like most, i can't stand the greatest hits labels. BUT, i'm also not going to pay stupid prices for games, so the green labels are something i've just had to come to terms with.

note: this only applies to PS1. Any other system is original release or bust (preferably first print, but i'm not as beholden to that).

[Tyree_Cooper | 771]

I'd like to hear from the guys who decided that reprints were going to use 50% of the cover space, leaving the rest plain black, or plain white, or plain whatever, or show a huge ugly logo that's the same for a football game and an RPG.