I hit all the local Gamestops to compare the Fatal Frame series for game Manuals and Cover Inserts. It turned out a couple of the stores had the original thicker cover manuals, thicker case inserts and memory card holder cases. These are indicators of a first edition for the first Fatal Frame. I also found a Reprint of Fatal Frame 2 confirming mine has the original thicker manual. The employee let me have the manuals and cover inserts for Fatal Frame and Fatal Frame II, so now have both styles. As for Fatal Frame III, I could only find the thinner cover manual and thinner case insert with the newer non memory card holder PS2 case. Maybe the later released Fatal Frame III came with only the thinner covers in the game manual?
The only real drastic change I can see is the first Fatal Frame. The Manual cover has a different picture and the inner pages are a little different as described in the OP. The case insert also has a couple of differences in the pictures and font size of the company logo.
As for the disc content of all three Fatal Frames of Original Run vs Reprint? This is my biggest concern, should I swap discs to get the first edition that has slight scratches or keep the reprint which is brand new and retagged as used thru gamestop? It is very likely to have the exact same content. Note the disc label in the first Fatal Frame of both the reprint and 1st edition posted in the OP. The pic of the demon matches the original Manual cover and not the reprint manual. Based on the label, the discs seem to be identical with the same content, the pristine reprint game discs seem to be the ones to keep.
In a related situation, I picked up Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne which is also a Reprint. The employee confirmed to me that it came directly from the distribution center. The disc, manual and case are pristine as if new and retagged as used just like the Fatal Frame reprints. I hit all the other local gamestops in trying to get the first edition but only reprints could be found. The 1st editions of Nocturne include a bonus music CD and thicker cover manual. The original manual also has color inner pages vs black and white inner pages of the reprint manual.
Nocturne is almost the same story as Fatal Frame series.
This tends to confirm that even though the manuals might be different and if the not a Greatest Hits game, reprint game discs are identical to First Edition discs.
Devhatesyou wrote:http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/582958-/54669284
The game disc in the reprint versions is identical to the original down to the fact it still has "
Disc 1" printed on the print-side surface. The game should load almost all things instantly on a PS2 or original backwards-compatible PS3. Mine sure did when I got a reprint copy of this.
The real differences are:
- Original version had a Soundtrack CD.
- Original version's disc case was obviously designed with one of those extra disc carrying pieces you can clip into the case, for the soundtrack.
- Reprint has Black&White manual with color cover.
- The backside of the cover art has a little bit which says "INCLUDES SOUNDTRACK CD" in the original. Not there in the reprint.
Digital Devil Saga's reprints are similar, too. Except they have full color manuals, I think.
My reprint does have "Disc 1" on the label above the Playstation logo! A tease that I don't have the bonus disc 2 music sampler. A reprint that might have different content surely would not have that "Disc 1" stamped on the disc label. At least the game itself is identical to the 1st edition.
