I HATE "GREATEST HITS"!

[digitalpress]

ARGH!

I just got a package in the mail, a nice deal from an online site where I snagged Hitman 2 for PS2 and Medal of Honor Underground for Xbox for $14.99 each, brandy new. I've played both games, like 'em, was glad to see them come to my permanent collection.

One small problem. These are the GREATEST HITS versions. I know I'm not alone in this. There's something unoriginal about these and while it clearly makes no difference to the gamer in me, the collector in me does NOT. WANT. THESE.

Complicating the matter is the fact that some online sites and shops don't always picture the correct version, presumably because it "doesn't matter", and with eBay's wonderful stock photo options I now pretty much have to ask every seller this question before I bid. "IS THIS THE GREATEST HITS VERSION".

So here I am, with three brand new sealed GREATEST HITS titles that I need to exchange for the original ones (Medal of Honor Frontline, Hitman 2, and Two Towers), and two others from previous mistakes (Ace Combat 4 and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2).

They're not going in my collection. I won't allow it. So if anyone wants to trade, you can get yourself a sealed one for a used one, or I'll add something to my side of the deal.

They're NOT going in my collection.

That is all.

[kainemaxwell]

Ouch. I can't blame you for being pissed and I do know how you feel.

[Querjek]

Urgh. Yeah, I Know how you feel. I will buy GH copies if they're cheap, but I will then just play them and trade them to others.

[Cmosfm]

Personally, I hate them too, I hate them with a passion. I hate finding a lot of good PSone games and the good ones being Greatest Hits. F that.

Maybe you can find a store that has them in stock, explain how you "got them as gifts" and would like to exchange them for the regular versions. I dunno, might work, might not.

[Kejoriv]

Yea I cant stand them either. The green band for the ps one. GROSS :puke:

[Sniderman]

I understand how the collector in you must be seething - not at the vendor, perse, but rather at yourself for not asking the question "Is this GH?" BUt, since I consider myself more of a "player" than a collector, I have no problems with a GH version in my game stack rather than the "original." To me, it's the same except for the red bar across the front of the box. I want to play it, not cringe at the aesthetics of the packaging.

But that's just me, and I fully understand the collector's point of view/plight in this matter.

[Richter]

red/green bar, B/W no gloss paper manual, no disc art

i dont care what features they add in a GH release (VF4 Evolution is GH only >_<), i wont buy them

[Gamereviewgod]

I HATE "GREATEST HITS"!

Never thought I'd see the day when Joe uses all caps....scary.

[Gamemaster_ca_2003]

personally i don't really care about the games being GH or not if the game is a blast to play then i will play it till it drops.

[-hellvin-]

I dispise Greatest Hits. In fact I won't shop at GameCrazy for them scoffing at me not wanting to buy a GH version of a game. Fuck that little red bar, I do not want to have to see it in my collection. And to this day, it is the only reason I have not bought Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution.

[[-Sentinel-]]

Huaehuaehuaehuaheuaehuaehuaehuaehuaehuaehauehaeuah u! Sorry for the laugh, but was very funny reading that! :D
Let's start a movement: "Greatest Hits' HATER!"
I'll put that on my signature. :D

[orrimarrko]

As someone above said it...

Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution for PS2 is the only Greatest Hits game that will be in my collection.

Exception: I find a dirt cheap copy of something that I want to play. But then it's out of here!

[Doonzmore]

Ya im collecting Genesis and N64 games (complete) right now and i know there are some greatest hits versions such as Taz Escape From Mars and rerelease games such as Golden Axe and Streets of Rage so i'm gonig for the regular versions but they shouldnt be too hard to find. As for N64 i know there are some games that have the golden siding on the box and a bage like thing that says "1997 racing game of the year" like Diddy Kong Racing but i'm not too picky about that kind of stuff and i only own 1 greatset Hits PS1 game. But ya the greatset hits covers do annoy the fuck out of me. I seem to look at them differently then the normal games.

[Goodwill Hunter]

If I may be allowed to sing one note of praise for the much maligned (and I agree, rightly so) Greatest Hits lines. While the packaging sucks, they do have the effect of instantly lowering the asking price of the game's non-GH counterparts at many used game stores. One store in particular by me drops most all titles that come out in GH format to $12.99. If you're quick enough on the draw, you can usually pick up a used one in the original packaging at the new price. It surely sucks if you waited to long to get that Xenogears onto Ebay, but it's hard to argue with like-new copies of Kingdom Hearts, Metroid, and Super Smash Bros. Melee for $12.99 each!

Rich

[Ed Oscuro]

Greatest Hits versions are BAD. What's worse, though, are the PlayStation The Best versions out of Japan -- they take the cover art and SHRINK IT DOWN with an ugly border around it.

PSOne Books versions are much better -- my PSOne Books copy of Metal Gear Solid (which I had reason to think was the regular version when I bought it from Game Choice Club :angry: ) looks pretty nifty, and the packaging is quite minimalistic. You can see the CD-ROM from the back side, which actually is pretty neat given the light white cover/spine for it. It's an elegant package.

[kainemaxwell]

What's even worse is when you get FF7, think its a non-GH, then look at the spine, and see a small green strip that says "Greatest Hits" on your FF7 package.

Happened to me sadly.

[DotCom]

Come on, it's a game. You guys are mad because the greatest hits thing is there. Since when does a game have to be good because of a box? You might miss out on a great game for a great price.

[Captain Wrong]

I understand how the collector in you must be seething - not at the vendor, perse, but rather at yourself for not asking the question "Is this GH?" BUt, since I consider myself more of a "player" than a collector, I have no problems with a GH version in my game stack rather than the "original." To me, it's the same except for the red bar across the front of the box. I want to play it, not cringe at the aesthetics of the packaging.

But that's just me, and I fully understand the collector's point of view/plight in this matter.


Yep. I agree with Tim 100%.

Sidenote, I know in some instances with records a reissue ends up being more valueable in the long run than the original because they end up selling fewer copies. I wonder if we'll ever see that with a "greatest hits" version of a game.

[Richter]

Since when does a game have to be good because of a box? You might missWell its sitting on my shelf and that green/red bar just knocks things out of harmony

cool logo, corresponding color matching the system
cool logo, corresponding color matching the system
cool logo, corresponding color matching the system
cool logo, corresponding color matching the system
greatest hits
cool logo, corresponding color matching the system
cool logo, corresponding color matching the system

wait.................a GH o.O

[Queen Of The Felines]

If I had a choice between the GH version and the non-GH version for the same price and they're both sitting on the shelf, I'd pick the non-GH version. If there's a game I really want to play and my only option right then is the GH version, then I'll go for it and worry about getting the non-GH version anyway.

I'm anal enough to want to collect all packaging variations so I'll end up getting GH versions anyway, so why wait? :) (Although the green stripe on PSX games IS ugly as hell though.)

Kristine

[Ikari Warrior]

I'm the same way, and have a "no GH" policy for all my games. I even made a black bar for my VF4 Evo to cover the red bar so it won't mess up the look of my collection.

[Nick Goracke]

I'm the same way, and have a "no GH" policy for all my games. I even made a black bar for my VF4 Evo to cover the red bar so it won't mess up the look of my collection.

I've just got the classic insert with the GH disc inside. Even that bothers me! LOL

Even screwing with the spine design (GH or not) bothers me. I'm crazy enough to organize my PC Engine games by the color of their spine, not title. It's just... not... right...

[Bratwurst]

Greatest Hits don't bother me! At least half of my PSX stock have the lime green borders. I much prefer the availability (and cheapness) of a new, unblemished disc to what would be the more difficult alternative of hunting down out of print, used games. As far as my mindset goes it's still the official packaging, more or less.

I suspect what differentiates me from those that complain is that I'm not concerned with displaying what I own at all. Tucking everything away in drawers protects them from dust and light, y'see.

[esquire]

I hate Greatest Hits/Platinum Edition/Player's Choice Edition too. I went to go purchase a used copy Devil May Cry for the PS2 recently at Gamestop. The clerk looked at me funny when I asked him if he could give me a non-Greatest Hits version, and asked :does it matter?" Yes, personally I thimk they look stupid, and the labels are somewhat equivalent to marking the game as a "budget title." The local Blockbuster has new sealed copies of Catlevania SOTN for only $14.99, but I had to pass because it was a Greatest Hits version. I am not sure if any of you PSX collectors notice but in addition to the artwork being different, the cd is completely different than the original.

I have a conundrum for the completists who avoid Greates Hits versions - How do you get Pac-Man Versus for the Gamecube without buying Pac-Man World 2 Players Choice?

[MarioAllStar2600]

From my collector point of view- I hate em, its like a reproduction of a NES game for the GBA in my eyes.
From my players point of view- I love em, It is just a cheaper way to get the games.

So I am mixed, I would just like to know which one im buying and im fine. :o

[Videogamerdaryll]

ARGH!

I just got a package in the mail, a nice deal from an online site where I snagged Hitman 2 for PS2 and Medal of Honor Underground for Xbox for $14.99 each, brandy new. I've played both games, like 'em, was glad to see them come to my permanent collection.

One small problem. These are the GREATEST HITS versions. I know I'm not alone in this. There's something unoriginal about these and while it clearly makes no difference to the gamer in me, the collector in me does NOT. WANT. THESE.

Complicating the matter is the fact that some online sites and shops don't always picture the correct version, presumably because it "doesn't matter", and with eBay's wonderful stock photo options I now pretty much have to ask every seller this question before I bid. "IS THIS THE GREATEST HITS VERSION".

So here I am, with three brand new sealed GREATEST HITS titles that I need to exchange for the original ones (Medal of Honor Frontline, Hitman 2, and Two Towers), and two others from previous mistakes (Ace Combat 4 and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit 2).

They're not going in my collection. I won't allow it. So if anyone wants to trade, you can get yourself a sealed one for a used one, or I'll add something to my side of the deal.

They're NOT going in my collection.

That is all.

I hear you Joe..

I hate them too..I won't buy them...I don't even look at them when I'm in gaming stores.
I have one Greatest Hits Virtual Fighter 4 in my PS2 collection and I can't stand it..(still sealed)
It was given to me as a gift from my mom recently...so I keep it..(for now)

I keep it sealed just incase I come across an original sealed( cheap).I'll sell that Greatest Hits quick.

I had a few other Greatest Hits games that I got rid of when I found the originals cheap & in good shape.

The only Greatest Hits game I did buy to buy as a Greatest Hits game was Gran Turismo A Spec.
I have 3 original copies for link-up and I bought a 4th Greatest Hits copy for a 4 man link...It was Cheap : )
I don't even keep that game in my PS2 collection...

[Jasoco]

The only "Greatest Hist" type games I can't stand are the Xbox versions. The "Platinum Hits" packaging is FUGLY. Grey case. (Not green) White border. Shitty border around front of package art. Horrible look. So far I don't have any, but it makes me angry to see them. I don't like them. (Though they're easy to find in a crowd so I can avoid them.

I only have one for my GameCube. Animal Crossing, but only because it was the only one new I found. I kinda don't mind the Cube ones or the PS2 ones for that matter. I'm mainly getting games for these systems to play for now. It'll be a long while before I actually "Collect" for these systems and by then, the same GH games will be far less than $20. So I can always find a replacement copy. When the time comes.

The PSX games are annoying though. Green bar. But I'm used to them. Right now they're all scattered in my stacks. No order or anything. But I'd prefer to have the original.

Now, look at the Dreamcast (US) cases. Orange binding. I actually like this. I only have two, Virtua Tennis and NHL2K. While the collector in me says "No!" I still keep them because I kinda like the orange. Maybe also because the bindings of the games were never standard anyway.. Sometimes Black. Sometimes White. What was with that?

But really, can we get mad? What about the olden days. Games weren't standardized back then. NES games, (Well, not at first when they were all the same box styles. Pixelly look I mean. After that when Licensing began...) Genesis games.. Atari.. Of course, at the same time, the SMS was standardized mostwhat. And later on, the Sega CD, Saturn, even 32X. Even now, Game Boy boxes are never a standard color. The only standard part is the "Game Boy" logo along the side. But the side binding is always different depending on the maker.

But I will never willingly buy an Xbox game in a PH box. I just can't stand their design. I like Nintendo's. The yellow name, the yellow bar. I like Sony's. The red name, the red bar. But Microsoft's.. WTF? Someone went crazy with Photoshop.

Sure, Animal Crossing seems to stick out right now. But can you blame it? Even when I get "Pac Man World 2", I'll have to get the rerelease version just for Pac Man Vs. Yellow bar. I kinda like it.

[classicb]

I hate it for collecting but I like it for new games because it normally means a price drop.

[PapaStu]

red/green bar, B/W no gloss paper manual, no disc art

i dont care what features they add in a GH release (VF4 Evolution is GH only >_<), i wont buy them

Sony has done this now with a few GH games. VF4, Silent Hill 3and Twisted Metal: Black all jump to mind with the addition of "new" stuff to the game with the release. SH3 got the XBox stuff added to it, and TM:B got the Online disc in the last version of the GH.

The Collector in me will not allow myself to buy them. I had a few in the beginning of my PSOne collection and when I discovered the altered disc art, Metal Gear Solid and FF VII were traded for non GH copies. Ive been known to hunt a game for months to come up with a non GH version. Crash 1 took me 6 months, Rayman and Tetris Plus both took over a year to find in the wild without the green stripe of death.

But what I find really scary now is the slight desire to collect the GH variant. At least for the PSOne there are only 160ish GH games, and the PS2/XB/GCN have a smaller handfull apiece, though the GH list for the PS2 is rapidly growing.

@ Jasoco, To save yourself from the Players Choice Pacman VS. look for R: Racing Evolution, There are copies of that that were bundled with the Vs. Disc. Just keep an eye out for a little yellow sticker on the Celopane(sp?) that says Bonus Disc Inside: Pac Man Vs. . I just noticed this today, and a game that i wasnt planning on buying came home with me in a hearbeat because of the extra disc.

[DigitalSpace]

I don't mind having GH and Player's Choice stuff. I buy what I can get for a good price, and if that's a GH copy, it doesn't bother me in the least. Although I wish PS2 hadn't used a red band for their GH packaging. For some reason, even though it looks a little tacky, I like the Green PSX GH packaging better than the PS2 GH packaging.

[jdc]

I focus my collecting on the N64 and Genesis. I won't buy any software unless it is in a near-mint original box with near-mint instruction book, I don't care WHAT title it may be, with the exception being near-mint Player's Choice. The nice thing about the N64 is that they did no changes to the cart label art or instructions layout when they shoved it into a Player's Choice box....so you can always buy the game and wait for a box with the original red spine to appear, so it can be swapped out.

I can't see myself EVER viewing the PSX, XboX, PS2 or Cube as worthy of being collectible...besides stuff like the limited edition Zelda Cube releases or the red-cased Turismo3....there's just way too much of a library to bother amassing, so I save bux and rejoice over the huge number of Greate$t Hit$ titles that are available. I'd love to see them ALL as Greatest Hits!!! Bring 'em on, I say. However, if I WAS collecting these consoles....I'd also be pissed.

[kainemaxwell]

Sidenote, I know in some instances with records a reissue ends up being more valueable in the long run than the original because they end up selling fewer copies. I wonder if we'll ever see that with a "greatest hits" version of a game.
Is Final Fantasy Tactics one them?

[Kid Ice]

If I have the choice of the non-GH or GH version of a game, I'd choose the non-GH version, but I wouldn't say it makes a huge difference to me. I'd take a GH version of a game I like if it's cheap enough (but not an incomplete game).

Maybe the GH games will be necessary for a truly "complete" collection (like box variations for the 2600).

[digitalpress]

I can't see myself EVER viewing the PSX, XboX, PS2 or Cube as worthy of being collectible

That's an interesting comment. Why not?

When games started coming out on CD I was thinking the same way. They're so cheap to make and they're surely going to be made in high quantities, they'll NEVER be as collectible as cartridges.

Boy was I wrong. Look at some of the TurboDuo games for starters, Might and Magic III went for over $250 on eBay last week. Air Zonk, Dynastic Hero, Dracula X, Bonk 3 CD... all over $100 and I shudder to think what Dynastic would go for on eBay right now.

If TurboDuo seems eclectic enough to be an exception, consider the PlayStation. Dragon Ball Z, Suikoden II, and many that haven't been discovered rare yet, but it has already begun.

So when I see games like PS2 REZ or Xbox Air Force Delta or GameCube Goblin Commander getting very "thin", I snap 'em up. I don't plan on ever getting the whole library, but I'll always have the games that are fun to play and/or collectible and as such, want the most collectible version of each which to me will NEVER include the greatest hits version.

Thats' my two zenny for today.

[esquire]

Boy was I wrong. Look at some of the TurboDuo games for starters, Might and Magic III went for over $250 on eBay last week.

The only reason it went that high is that there is some yahoo putting in nuclear bids and buying everything up. Check it out....

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws1/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidItems&userid=ascorbic&sort=3&page=4&rows=25&completed=1&all=0

He's slowed down recently, but overall he's been buying everything TurboGrafx/Turbo Duo up. He has made collecting on that system a pain recently. I am nearly finished and am only looking for the harder to find Hucards and Cds. I am not saying those games aren't worth alot, I just believe they are a little overinflated right now. Give it some time and they will go back down once he stops bidding. It looks like he's moving onto Sega 32X and CD games now. God forbid you are looking for a Spider-Man Web of Fire right now cuz this guy will nuke you.

BTW, I know this is off topic, but what gives with buyers like this that buy their entire collection on ebay and do so overnight? Do they win the lottery or something?

[Richter]

he collector in me says "No!" I still keep them because I kinda like the orange. Maybe also because the bindings of the games were never standard anyway.. Sometimes Black. Sometimes White. What was with that?first gen titles were white, second gen were black



red/green bar, B/W no gloss paper manual, no disc art

i dont care what features they add in a GH release (VF4 Evolution is GH only >_<), i wont buy them

Sony has done this now with a few GH games. VF4, Silent Hill 3and Twisted Metal: Black all jump to mind with the addition of "new" stuff to the game with the release. i believe you meant SH2. i went after the XB version instead

:)

if SH3 ever goes GH, you probably wont get the included soundtrack cd

[Cmosfm]

I hate it for collecting but I like it for new games because it normally means a price drop.

Actually in the whole sceme of things that statement is right AND wrong. While it makes the official price cheaper it also makes all the clearance prices raise. For a bargain hunter like myself I hate it when a game goes GH. Take Smugglers Run for instance, before it hit GH status I could find it all over for 5.00-10.00 new being clearanced out. Now you can't find it used for less than 15.00. That goes for any game that hits GH, except for big name titles like Metal Gear Solid or Final Fantasy.

[PapaStu]

Sidenote, I know in some instances with records a reissue ends up being more valueable in the long run than the original because they end up selling fewer copies. I wonder if we'll ever see that with a "greatest hits" version of a game.
Is Final Fantasy Tactics one them?

Nope. Sorry. This is one of those games that it seems has sold more as a GH than the original version. This one is still all over the place. I remember when this hit, how the 60+ ebay prices that the original was getting just all dropped to nothing. I think that there are some of the GH games that are themselves kinda hard to get, but they are few and far between. Castlevania:SOTN was a hard to find GH for a long time itself, and a few others are as well im sure.


Richter: Yes i meant Silent Hill 2. Ive not seen any of the games that have been packaged with a soundtrack get to keep it when it turned to a GH. SH3 wont, Lunar Fan edition didnt (at least i think it had a soundtrack) and neither did FF:Anthologies (or was it Chronicles, either way, one had a Soundtrack, and it didnt get put in the GH release)

Digital Press: You know that Konami for some reason relreleased Air Force Delta Storm for the XB a while back. It was a game with no copies around for a long time, then all of a sudden it was everywhere like almost a year later. It was very strange, though those copies are drying up now too.

[digitalpress]

Digital Press: You know that Konami for some reason relreleased Air Force Delta Storm for the XB a while back. It was a game with no copies around for a long time, then all of a sudden it was everywhere like almost a year later. It was very strange, though those copies are drying up now too.

Yep.

Actually, that was a rhetorical example, just wanted to bring another recent system into the mix and this was the first that came to mind. If memory serves the game was pulled after 9/11 and was already in limited circulation, then re-released nearly 18 months later. I sold a sealed one for $80 at one point inbetween.

[Richter]

whoa, never knew FF Anthology (<- had the muisic cd) went GH

[jdc]

Well, Joe.....why don't I find those systems to be collectible?

Meh....maybe a small part of it has to do with the fact that I launched all of those systems, worked with them every day and got so familiar with them that I kinda wonder what is so special about them. There are certainly some cool "gotta have" games that every gamer should play, but I find it hard to envision myself having this room that I'm sitting in crammed with shelves of dvd cases that say PS2, XboX or GameCube on the spines. The shelves ARE filled with N64 and Genny boxes but there's also a space with about 30 or so PS2 and Cube titles and a small sprinkling of PSX as well.

I dunno....I have no qualms about trading in 128-bit games....but you'll never catch me trading in the vintage stuff from the N64 on back. That cartridge stuff has a certain lure that keeps me attached. I don't "love" the 128-bit stuff. It doesn't make me all tingly. There ARE certain next-gen games that I won't let go simply because I like to play them but not because I want to collect them. I've even let my two GBAs go as well.

I'm gonna say that for me it's a case of "familiarity breeds indifference". I may change my tune later, you never know.

~Julian

[PapaStu]

whoa, never knew FF Anthology (<- had the muisic cd) went GH

Yeah it was one of the four Square GH releases during Xmas.. FF: Anthologies, FF: Chronicles, Vagrant Story, XenoGears...

[Jasoco]

I just thought of something. When my brother gets his PS2 to add to our collection, I'm probably gonna be buying a lot of Greatest Hits. So I'll be seeing a lot of red on my shelf. LOL

I just hope this thing doesn't crap out on us too soon. I'm seriously considering the year warranty.

[tynstar]

I can't stand GH version either. Although the XBox ones don't look to bad. I like the platinum cases.

[digitalpress]

But really, can we get mad? What about the olden days. Games weren't standardized back then. NES games, (Well, not at first when they were all the same box styles. Pixelly look I mean.

I don't mind so much that they LOOK different, I love the way the mishmosh of NES or Genesis boxes look when stacked together. It's the fact that they're not the "originals" that irks me. Something non-authentic about them, like a reproduction 1952 Mickey Mantle card or a reprint of Action Comics #1 in 2004.

No thanks.

But thanks to those of you who have PM'ed or e-mailed me. Looks like my five greatest hits are going to be someone else's greatest hits soon! Game ON.

[Lady Jaye]

I don't care as such whether a game is original release or greatest hits version, since I'm a gamer first and foremost.

However, I do have to admit that I was slightly disappointed to see that the bonus music disk was not included with the GH version of FF Anthology... And a title being Greatest Hits doesn't guarantee that it'll be easy to find. It seems that no distributor in Montreal will carry the non-FF half of Square's recent GH lineup (Xenosaga and Vagrant Story)... To the point that several people I talked to seemed to even think that they weren't re-released (yet they are available at Square Enix's online store).

I did have a nice surprise one day when I bought Symphony of the Night on Ebay. I paid close to the average GH market price, thinking that this was what I was getting... The copy I received was non-GH, and it was in great condition! (the only thing that needed to be changed was the jewel case flapping cover... the easiest thing to change on a jewel case). I guess that it belonged to someone who played it a few times, no more, and that the seller just looked at how much it went for on ebay without considering GH vs. non GH versions. And since she used a stock photo, it really gave the impression that it had a green spine...

[Nature Boy]

Count me among the GH haters.

In my eyes it's the comic book parallel that bothers me. Who wants a second printing of something? The only games that have enticed me are VF4 Evolution and Pac-Man World 2/Vs. And I still haven't bought either of them yet (and probably never will).

I got burned recently on a Game Boy purchase. I didn't know they had the GH package for the original Game Boy, so when I got Metroid 2 I didn't even bother looking at the label on the cart until I went to play it. I'll probably just live with it but it irks me to no end.

[lendelin]

For collectors there is a difference between the original and a reprint, even if they are identical in content and display, not to mention when the cover changes. Same goes for books, as a rule first editions are much more valuable than subsequent editions. (I know two hardcore, a bit nutty book collectors)

There is something special about the original version of a game, the feel and knowledge that it was in this form released in 1993 and NOT 3 years later.

I'm not a collector, but even I prefer the (used) original version over a (new)Greatest Hits version. Around 5% of all my games are Greatest Hits (even the first mint Zelda), it doesn't really bother me, but I'd always prefer the original.

Greatest Hits are great becasue they bring down the prices of the available originals for awhile.

BTW, I bought the re-released Metal Slug X a couple of months ago which in content, cover and manual is identical with the original, I assume. Is there a way to tell the re-release apart from the original?

[whoisKeel]

GH hater here...this shoulda been a poll.

since SOTN got mentioned a few times: my local gamestop sells a USED, no manual, GH SOTN for 39.99...the next store over is blockbuster's gamerush which has a sealed GH copy for 14.99...hmmmmm.

[Daria]

I can't stand them either... although that said I own a few. :P

Eventually once I finish my PlayStation RPG collection (I'm sooo close it hurts) I'll start picking up the originals... I might exchange the GH versions or just keep both. Haven't decided yet. The only game I really want two versions of is Lunar I have the boxset and the collector in me is yearning for the fan art edition.


But yeah big green and red bars are ugly... eww.
________
LovelyWendie (http://www.lovelywendie99.com/)

[Jasoco]

Thank you, whoisKeel, for giving me dirty thoughts until you edited your post. LOL

[Ed Oscuro]

BTW, I know this is off topic, but what gives with buyers like this that buy their entire collection on ebay and do so overnight? Do they win the lottery or something?
Go easy on him, he's boosting the economy ;D

Sucks about the Spiderman: Web of Fire though :/

[The Manimal]

I prefer the black bars but will buy GH most of the time because THEY ARE NEW. I would rather buy a NEW game than a USED one, as far as DISC BASED GAMES go. So about 50% of my games are GH :D

NEW BLACK BAR PS1 GAME VS NEW GREEN BAR PS1 GAME:

Winner is BLACK


USED BLACK BAR PS1 GAME VS NEW GREEN BAR PS1 GAME:

Winner is GREEN


:)

[chrisbid]

its not that big of an issue if you separate the GH games from the rest of the collection.

i dont see it any different than separating atari carts by manufacturer, pulling out Tengen NES carts, pulling out PSX long boxes, pulling out cardboard sleeve demo disks. etc.

I sort my collection so I can find a particular game. Strict alphabetical order only really helps another person find a title that isnt familiar with my collection. So I categorize for looks as well as organization. In fact, I separate my black and white spine DC games, and it looks very sharp now.

[cyberfluxor]

God what a good old topic to bring up. I for one just hate "Greatest Hits" written on the top and killing the artwork on the box/case. I currently own 2 greatest hits games:
Final Fantasy 7 (PS1) ~ Given to me free a long time ago from a good friend of mine still.
Zelda - A Link to the Past (SNES) ~ Was $1 at a pawn shop and in nice condition.

Obviously I try to stray from them which generally forces me to hit pawn shops and all. I can't stand seeing a complete pile of 1 game all greatest hits covers. It's one reason I still haven't gotten half the GameCube games I want. :(

[keiblerfan69]

I hate them too. I don't hate the price drop but I hate the box. Thats why I am gonna get GT4 and God of War before they release the packaging.

[jajaja]

Same here. Well, maybe not hate, but the coverart looks so cheap, which sux.

[alec006]

I hate greatest hit becuase there not the original and have a huge fat GREATEST HITS sticker that never comes off. :angry:

[Mayhem]

Similarly for the Cube, I'm just collecting the original versions, no Player's Choice for me. To compound matters, I also am only after US versions, no Canadian for me either!

(the only exception is Donkey Konga as I don't believe it was sold in anything but dual language)

[Leo_A]

I play games, I don't buy them to look nice on shelfs. So I love lower priced games.

[esquire]

Then there's the problem of exclusive releases as Greatest Hits only. For instance...

Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution (PS2)
Pac-Man World 2 with Pac-Man Vs. (GCN)

and isn't the remake of Devil May Cry 3 also a Greatest Hits?

[Truffle]

Im a Greatest hits Hater aswell. It really screws up the asthetic of my game shelves.
I have 3 GH GameCube cases out of 54, and those ugly yellow spines really jump out at you.

Everytime I open a package and get a surprise -GH WTF??-it pisses me off for the rest of the day.

[suckerpunch5]

All you need to do in order to understand why GH versions are inferior is set an original Xenogears next to a GH Xenogears. If the reason isn't obvious at that point, then hey, I have a few GH playstation games you should buy!

Also, don't some GH version update the game code? I'm pretty sure you can do things on the original Super Smash Brothers Melee that you can't do on the Player's Choice version. Can anyone confirm or deny this? I know a lot of the PSX "Collector's Editions" have deoms and/or trailers for other games. So they are definitely different some times.

Meh. I won't intentionally buy them.

[zektor]

Joe, I hear yah man.

I have been going through the same thing recently with those "Best Of Super Nintendo" carts. And of course the ebay stock photo is almost always this one. Do a search for F-Zero and see what I mean.

True, it is "no big deal" to them. But, there really should be some consideration here. They should KNOW that a good majority of the people purchasing these games are collectors. I guess the only sure-fire way to know for sure is to do what you have been doing....email and ask. Sucks indeed, but it is what it is.

[Snapple]

This topic is old.

Anyway, I disagree with almost everyone in this thread.

I love Greatest Hits. I love Player's Choice.

Why? Because I like saving money. The point of these rereleases is that they're cheap. If it weren't for Greatest Hits and Player's Choice, there would be a lot of PS2 and Gamecube games that are still being charged at or near full price, and I'm not willing to pay that much.

Besides, most of these games that sold enough to warrant a "greatest hits" release don't exactly have tremendous resale value (except probably FFT), so I don't think it makes much difference from a price standpoint which copy you own.

Maybe y'all are willing to spend an extra $20 to get a black binding instead of a green binding, or to not have that yellow "Player's Choice" strip on the top of a GC game, but I'll take the little harmless strip and I'll take the $20 I saved.

And that's just the way I feel.

[evildead2099]

I'm the same way, and have a "no GH" policy for all my games. I even made a black bar for my VF4 Evo to cover the red bar so it won't mess up the look of my collection.

Wow, that's dedication!

However, if you own a PS2 and you like Silent Hill, you lose out by sticking with the original release of Silent Hill 2; the Greatest Hits version includes the bonus mission that was included with the Xbox port (not to mention an extra ending).

[evildead2099]

I'm the same way, and have a "no GH" policy for all my games. I even made a black bar for my VF4 Evo to cover the red bar so it won't mess up the look of my collection.

Wow, that's dedication!

However, if you own a PS2 and you like Silent Hill, you lose out by sticking with the original release of Silent Hill 2; the Greatest Hits version includes the bonus mission that was included with the Xbox port (not to mention an extra ending).

[evildead2099]

I'm the same way, and have a "no GH" policy for all my games. I even made a black bar for my VF4 Evo to cover the red bar so it won't mess up the look of my collection.

Wow, that's dedication!

However, if you own a PS2 and you like Silent Hill, you lose out by sticking with the original release of Silent Hill 2; the Greatest Hits version includes the bonus mission that was included with the Xbox port (not to mention an extra ending).

[DeputyMoniker]

Yeah. It just isnt the same. Kinda feels like emulation...same game but not the piece of nostolgia I want. I never consider my GHs to be a true part of my collection, just something to play until I get the original.

[Slate]

Personally i don't mind the Greatest hits cases, but if i have a choice between a game being original and greatest hits, i'll take the original.

And for those ones in my collection that are greatest hits, i group them together with the other greatest hits games so the rest of the games don't look wierd. I do the same for genesis games - Red with red, black with black, EA White Case Sports games with themselves.

[McBacon]

Have fun comprehending the new "Best of Platinum" range on Xbox!!

[bangtango]

I side with the gaming companies. They have no obligation whatsoever to cater to collectors and can reissue a game to death if people are willing to pay for it. After all, these are not baseball cards where you CAN'T do anything but look at them. Not that many game companies release product specifically for collectors, nor do they feel any need.

Considering I buy then resell cd's at cut-rate/wholesale prices, lots of music collectors have precisely the same problem with labels that reissue budget priced cd editions of albums that have long been out-of-print, which then head to Ebay or used music stores. But people are still clamoring for original issues of said albums and find themselves winning auctions for some cheap reissue.

[BocoDragon]

I also avoid GH, and have managed to do so for every normal game, but I think some have you have crossed over to fundamentalism when it comes to avoiding enhanced GH games (VF4: Evolution, Silent Hill 2 w/ "Born From a Wish" scenario, DMC3: Special Edition, Twisted Metal Black, which comes with online disc).

When a game has been enchanced from the orignal release, I have no problem picking it up in GH form. Actually, because the GH packaging is actually kinda nice these days (red stripe > green stripe) it gives me the opportunity to display a few red case games.

So in my collection, the red stripe means "enhanced". Trust me, there is no "break" in my lined-up collection when the GH version actually means something, aside from being a cheap-ass. It means it's the best version.

I've heard of many gamers buying the enhanced GH and then switching the case for the original release, but I don't agree with that (not to mention that the disc is still red band). Frankly, as a fellow game collector, I would show off the fact that I have the best version, not hide it.

[WasherDryerCombo]

I hate Greatest hit's titles as well but if the game is diffrent from the regular retail release I will pick it up, like with Virtua Fighter 4 EVO, Devil may cry 3 SE and soon Midnight Club 3 Dub Remix.

[WasherDryerCombo]

I hate Greatest hit's titles as well but if the game is diffrent from the regular retail release I will pick it up, like with Virtua Fighter 4 EVO, Devil may cry 3 SE and soon Midnight Club 3 Dub Remix.