Essential hits/Platinum etc. vs original versions

[isiolia]

Just wait until years later when the PS3 and XBL servers shut down and you can no longer DL patches, people will be stuck with nearly unplayable black label Skyrims and Fallout New Vegas's, but hey they look nicer on the shelf.

Those are PC games anyway...

[Konacha]

Honestly, it isn't a huge deal for me. Typically if I'm trying to get older games that I sold off that I use to have I will try to get the version I had (even if it was a Greatest Hits) but since I'm about 95% completed on that I don't care about it. In fact, I always find it easier to find the green PS1 labels since people tend to shy away from those. I got Castlevania SotN at Goodwill but it was the green label and I didn't care since it was SotN. I hardly see the black label around since it seems people get those and stay away from the green label. I'm sorry but they are the same game, even with bug fixes. I see no reason why we need the "original label" debate at all. Yes, it may look nice to have everything look the same on the shelf but honestly, if the game plays the same why bother.

While there are a few exceptions, such as Zelda: OoT as the Player's Choice have a redone Fire Temple theme and I've used the game cartage for glitches and hacks. Of course, it is also my original copy of the game too.

[Yukima]

For older games, I do prefer original versions over GH. For current/last gen games (PS3 and up) I would buy re-releases if they're enhanced in some way like Director's Cut or GOTY versions.

And yes, PS3 is one of the worst consoles to collect for if you want all your games to look nice lined up on the shelf. It's even more depressing when you import Japanese PS3 games and you realize ALL OF THEM look nice and neat and consistent when lined up, unlike the games from every other region. In fact... it's like this on a deeper level - line up some Japanese games from PS1 all the way to PS3, and you'll see that for the most part, all of them match, even though they span 3 generations!

[Tanooki]

I don't buy player's choice releases. I've never liked them and never will. Game of the Year releases where you get all the annoying paid DLC included in one disc is fine though.

Going back to the old Nintendo days of it, I found player's choice games tended to be made of crappier materials. You had cheaper labels, cheaper and/or black and white manuals, boxes were hit and miss (I used to keep them.) I never liked the branding on the stuff as it was an eyesore on my shelf since I keep stuff out where I can get it side by side A-Z. It even bugs me when a legit release stands out, like the red shell of DOOM on SNES. I've got this whole gray wall of like 70 SNES games and 1 is red. If it wasn't for the kiddie memories and them being original I'd toss the gold zelda/link carts for the grays too but I don't see a point when you also have random black tengen games poking out.

One of the more annoying were the old gameboy games with their cheap quality non-laminate labels on the re-releases because even general/light use with a thumb on there would wear the ink off a bit or down to the white stuff under.

I think the only time I could perhaps put up with one would be a cart based system where an original release has such a game breaking damning bug it would be the only right thing to do.

[retrosportsgamer]

I'll echo a lot of what has been said in here already. Aesthetically the originals are ideal, but it is a double-edged sword because those green (going psx here) label greatest hits have bug fixes that you can't get anywhere else.

For current day stuff, I typically download any game updates/fixes so I have them on the HDD but there is something to having those perfect on a disc in the event your hardware no longer works.

I just recently purchased South Park: The Stick of Truth after the price drop at amazon but returned it when it came as the Platinum Hits version (was not pictured as such). Hard habit to break there.

[Tanooki]

The thing to them being perfect on disk is something a lot of foolish types overlook. When the networks or at least support for an old game vanishes, and your system eats it, is replaced, or you get another for whatever reason and you can't get it you're stuck with the game as-is when it released. Due to this newer lazy era of throw it out there and fix it later due to the HDD being there as a crutch you're stuck possibly with some pretty trash physical release they fixed later when it was convenient. Those growing up on their first or second game system now that get the tinglies for it again in another 10-20 years will be setup for a big pile of disappointment. Games these days even on disc are kind of disposable because you're at the mercy of lazy programmers and companies who shovel out unfinished work to fix it on the back end with patches.