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Favorite 'Greatest Hits' Console Games Worldwide?

Posted by simoniker on from the tastes-be-different dept.

The Gamemaster writes "Siliconera, an import video game web site, has an interesting story comparing the favorite 'Greatest Hits' console games around the world. They look at the budget-price re-releases of previously top-selling games for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube in Europe, the U.S., and Japan, and compare them, leading to some interesting contrasts in what gamers enjoy playing across the globe."

26 comments

  1. Greatest Hits are a great idea. by Naffer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I own a PS2 and a Gamecube, and I have to say I much prefer the greatest hits system that Sony has to Nintendo's. All Sony games are eligable for rerelease as a greatest hit at $20, wheras Nintendo's "Player's Choice" system is almost completly first person titles (mentioned in the article) and usually priced closer to $30. It's great to be able to pick up games that you missed early on for a discount. I recently bought GT3 and Jak and Dakster for $20 each. $20 is just such a perfect price that I'm pretty disapointed with N sticking to $30.

    1. Re:Greatest Hits are a great idea. by orthancstone · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I dunno what made Nintendo jack it up to 30 with their "it'll drop to 20 over time" thing but I consider it to be a stupid idea myself. Just make it 20 and end it.

    2. Re:Greatest Hits are a great idea. by rylin · · Score: 1

      Of course, the Cube is less than half the price of the PS2 over here, so blame them for trying to recoup some profit along the way, why don't you?

    3. Re:Greatest Hits are a great idea. by PainKilleR-CE · · Score: 2, Insightful

      All Sony games are eligable for rerelease as a greatest hit at $20, wheras Nintendo's "Player's Choice" system is almost completly first person titles (mentioned in the article) and usually priced closer to $30.

      Nintendo's Player's Choice titles tend to be 1st party titles simply because those are the titles that sell best on the platform. You could just as easily say that Sony's 1st party titles rarely make it to "Greatest Hit" status.

      As for the price, I usually find that by the time Nintendo comes around to re-releasing it as a Player's Choice title, it's already available at or below the $30 range, especially for used copies. In fact, since I bought my Cube most of the titles I've paid more than $30 for were recently released titles (F-Zero and Mario Kart, though Zelda would count if I didn't get it with my Cube). Pikmin, Metroid Prime, Super Monkey Ball 2, Rogue Squadron 2, Super Smash Bros Melee, and Mario Party 4 each cost me $20, and are on that list (additionally, most of the Resident Evil titles are in the $15-25 range, and Eternal Darkness is in the $12-18 range). Part of it may also be store pricing policies coming into effect, they may not realize that Player's Choice titles are any different than Greatest Hits titles (or individual stores may feel that people will pay the higher price for Cube titles). Animal Crossing wasn't a Player's Choice title when I bought it, and was still around $30-40, and as far as I can remember was the only older title that cost me more than $30 on the Cube.

      I think the price is the major reason I have managed to purchase so many titles for my Cube in such a short time frame. I have nearly the same number of Cube titles as PS2 titles. Considering that I bought my PS2 primarily for GT3, GTA3, Tekken Tag Tournament, and the Final Fantasy titles, I wasn't going to wait for those games to hit "Greatest Hits" status. On the other hand, I didn't buy the Cube until most of the titles I wanted had already dropped in price. My GBA library is also doing fairly well because even the most expensive games are in the $30-35 range rather than the $50 release price of most home console games.

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      -PainKilleR-[CE]
    4. Re:Greatest Hits are a great idea. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're wrong on several points.

      Any PS2 game is eligible for re-release under the Greatest Hits label as long as it sells a certain amount of titles and has been available for at least a certain amount of time. It is at the discretion of the publisher to re-release the game.

      The same applies to GameCube games, but the number of games initially sold is higher than Sony's. Also, they maintain a two-tiered system, where games are judged on an individual basis whether to be re-released as a $30 or $20 game.

  2. Not many game cube titles in the greatest hits. by LordZardoz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    One has to wonder if this is because Nintendo's first party titles are still selling strongly enough to warrent their standard retail price.

    Its also telling that pretty much all of the greatest hits games are published by Nintendo.

    END COMMUNICATION

    1. Re:Not many game cube titles in the greatest hits. by Txiasaeia · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Agreed. Super Smash Bros and Metroid are *still* worth $30, for example, and these games *still* blow away gamers' minds.

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      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
  3. Xbox/PS2 Greatest Hits pwn Gamecube by lake2112 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I can now buy either an Xbox or PS2 and play solely greatest hits games for at least the next 6 months. The options span all genres and are all at the very least "good" games. As for Gamecube, I still have to pay $30 for each Platinum Hits game, and I still can't get some of the better games. I understand they still can sell the games at a higher price, the lack of a cheap, quality alternative is quite disappointing.

    1. Re:Xbox/PS2 Greatest Hits pwn Gamecube by unclethursday · · Score: 3, Insightful
      The options span all genres and are all at the very least "good" games.

      You call all of these 'good' games? Wreckless? Blood Wake? Blinx? Obi-Wan? Unreal (only good in multi-player on Live, not in single player)? Crash?

      Please. MS' platinum hits line is more for titles that DON'T sell as opposed to those that do like on Sony and Nintendo's lowered price lines. I'm surprised to see Splinter Cell as a Platinum Hits title...it was the 4th title to hit 1 million units worldide on the Xbox. And, yet, still no Halo in that Platinum Hits line...

    2. Re:Xbox/PS2 Greatest Hits pwn Gamecube by lake2112 · · Score: 1

      These games were are not bad but they aren't great. Each system has games for its greatest hits collections that were extremely hyped yet did not live up to extraordinary expectations. Examples: PS2 - State of Emergency Xbox - Obi-Wan Gamecube - Luigis Mansion, Star Fox Adv.

    3. Re:Xbox/PS2 Greatest Hits pwn Gamecube by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How the hell are you playing "Platinum Hits" games on a GameCube?

      Do you really even own a GameCube? Or do you just like speaking poorly about them?

  4. Rallisport Challenge by orthancstone · · Score: 1

    For me, Rallisport Challenge is easily the best 20 buck game ever. After playing it, I would've paid the extra 30 dollars without a second thought about it. Definitely a steal at 20 bucks.

  5. Nintendo doesn't really label greatest hits by prockcore · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nintendo doesn't really label greatest hits. They have a players-choice label, but there are tons of games that are out that are available for cheap that aren't labelled "player's choice".

    One game that comes to mind is Eternal Darkness. You can find that everywhere for $15-$20.. yet it's not on the list.

    1. Re:Nintendo doesn't really label greatest hits by ArmyOfFun · · Score: 2, Informative

      Another great cheap game you can pick up for less than $20 for Gamecube (and PS2) is TimeSplitters 2. Decent single player, but an awesome multiplayer game (better than Goldeneye IMO).

    2. Re:Nintendo doesn't really label greatest hits by filtur · · Score: 1

      Yeah, Eternal Darkness is great. That game scared the hell out of me at certain parts.

  6. Greatest Hits by TurnerK12 · · Score: 1

    I think it's great that they do these studies so that the big name companies know which games are greatest hits, and thus what kind of games the players want to see designed in the future.
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  7. Platinum Hits are NOT the best games! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "The best games for the Xbox are universally known as the platnium hits collection."

    That statement just isn't true. There are plenty of crappy Platinum Hits (Blood Wake anyone?). Going "Platinum" isn't any kind of seal of approval or commendation, it's merely an indication that the game got enough sales or buzz to justify repackaging it and squeezing a few more bucks out of it.

    1. Re:Platinum Hits are NOT the best games! by AvantLegion · · Score: 1
      Most of the crappy Platinum Hits were early releases. Same with every other console (case in point: Luigi's Mansion).

    2. Re:Platinum Hits are NOT the best games! by PainKilleR-CE · · Score: 1

      Yes, but if a game continues to sell well (and this goes for all 3 platforms) it rarely goes into the Platinum Hits (or Greatest Hits, or Player's Choice) listing until Microsoft (or Sony or Nintendo) decides that they won't lose significant profits by dropping the price. Halo's a good example, as it was one of the first titles to pass the sales marks usually required for this status, but was still selling full price 2 years after release.

      You can see the same thing with the Final Fantasy series on the Greatest Hits lines and Zelda on the Player's Choice side. Mario Kart easily broke the sales points usually set for the Player's Choice line in less than 7 weeks, so it's almost guaranteed not to see Player's Choice status for another year.

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      -PainKilleR-[CE]
  8. there's more than "Vive la France" by imperator_mundi · · Score: 2, Informative

    is interesting that in the list pages Europe hit are marked with a french flag...

    hey people at Siliconera France is a lovely and quite large country and of course it's in Europe, but it's far far far away from represent the entire continent; the EU flag might be more appropriated : )

    1. Re:there's more than "Vive la France" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The white flag of surrender would be more apt.

  9. Greatest hits? by odorf · · Score: 1

    Because games have the title "greatest hits" make them the best games? I personaly dont think so, they are based on sale prices and such, what if a sequel to a game comes out and every one buys it because the prequel was great. Does that automaticly mean the new game is "great"? I personaly pay no attention to those labels when I buy games, I get opinions from friends I trust who have played the games.

  10. I wait for the price drop by Xian97 · · Score: 1

    I rarely ever buy any game at full price. If you wait 6 months it will be half price or less for most titles. $20 is a decent price point - I can get 5 greatest hits for the price of 2 new games. In the case of computer games many times if you wait you also get the Gold edition which will have an expansion pack and other extras. I have plenty of unfinished games I can play without having to go get the latest and greatest while I am waiting for them to come down in price.

  11. Halo not being on there is a big "DUH" by orthancstone · · Score: 1

    Please, Halo won't be platinum until Halo 2 comes out. No way Microsoft is going to sacrifice anymore than it has to on that title considering it is still considered the premier game for the console.

  12. Xbox Classics by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 1

    The best games for the Xbox are universally known as the platnium hits collection. All around the world game titles covered with the silver boarder are the best picks for the Xbox.

    Except in the UK, where we have Xbox Classics, which have white / green border designs. The same appears to be true for France and Germany as well (from checking on Amazon's sites.) So I'm guessing this person did research on budget games in Europe, but completely failed to notice what the Xbox range was called.

    Presumably a silver border and 'Platinum' would be too close to the Playstaion / Playstation 2 Platinum ranges from Sony. Although that didn't stop Nintendo Europe, who have absolutely horrid silver designs for European Player's Choice releases. But Xbox classics is a bit of a misnomer when the best game on the system has yet to be released in it, despite being a launch title (Halo, still 40 in HMV!)

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