Multiple Copies of the Same Game

Some gamers are fine with just one copy of a game and pass on compilation and digital releases. That's their choice and it's perfectly fine. However, there's no harm in owning more than one version of the same game and in some cases it can really come in handy.

I own Super Mario Bros. on the NES, the Super Mario All-Stars remake on the SNES, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe for the Game Boy Color, the Virtual Console release and the Wii re-release of Super Mario All-Stars. That's five versions of Super Mario Bros. If I feel like screwing around with my NES (often times I don't) to play SMB on the original hardware, I'll play it on the NES, but the Wii's Virtual Console is a much better option. SMB Deluxe lets me swap between Mario and Luigi and use the brothers different play styles. If I want to play SMB with 16-bit graphics and sounds, two versions of Super Mario All-Stars is available to me and these days, it's usually the Wii version.

Being a huge Mega Man fan, I own all original releases of Mega Man 1-8 on the NES, SNES and PlayStaion. I also own the Mega Man Anniversary Collection, which contains all the aforementioned titles on a single disc. On top of that, I own Virtual Console versions of Mega Man 2-4. I'll get around to buying the original Mega Man and I hope Capcom releases 5-7. Rockman X is getting a Virtual Console release in Japan, so heres hoping the the game comes to the Virtual Console in the states.

Despite owning all the original copies of Mega Man X1-6, I was still stoked to hear that Capcom would release a Mega Man X Collection and had no problem parting with $30 for it when it hit the shelves. Considering that Mega Man X1-3 aren't easy to find and X3 tends to be pretty pricey, the MMX Collection is a much cheaper alternative. The version of X3 here is actually the PlayStation version and features arranged tracks, which many fans aren't too fond of, myself included. Still, I'll admit that the PlayStation version of X3 is nice to have but I'm hoping we can get the whole X SNES trilogy on the Virtual Console.

Ever play Legend of the Mystical Ninja on the SNES? I bought a copy from a forum member on Digital Press some years ago. It's a wonderful game. My main gripe with it? An insanely long character password system! Sadly not every SNES game used a battery pack backup save feature and Legend of the Mystical Ninja was one of them. Luckily, the game got a Virtual Console release it since it auto saves for you, no more stupidly long passwords for Goemon!

Maybe for whatever reason you don't have access to all of your systems, so you don't have access to all of your games. This is another area where owning more than one copy of a game comes in handy. I'm living with my family now and my N64 is down stairs for my nieces to play but I do most of my gaming in my own room. If I want to play some Pokemon Puzzle League, the Virtual Console has me covered.

I love me some Genesis Sonic the Hedgehog games but the Genesis isn't hooked up right now. The PS2 is and Sonic Mega Collection Plus is a great way for me to get my Sonic fix. Or if I feel like having Sonic on the go, I've got the Sonic Classic Collection on the DS and of course, there's the Virtual Console.

As arcade perfect as Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting is on the Capcom Classics Collection, I still love the SNES version. Sure it doesn't have all the frames of fighter animations but it still looks and plays great. Plus, it uses the awesome SNES sound chip. I'm still quite fond of the SNES music in SFII. In fact I think the best version of Sagat's theme can be found in SFII before it went Super Street Fighter II.

Having more than one version of the same game may seem like overkill but I've personally found that this type of flexibility has helped me out a lot.