@Deuteros linked to this old gold mine of a thread from that's a great read through and it seemed like a good idea to revisit given how long it's been since it was running.
The thread was born in the early NTSC-UK days and was a place for people to discuss what they thought to be definitive versions of games in cross of Digital Foundry, personal opinion and Yakumo's Battle of the Ports. It was heavily focused on comparisons between PAL and NTSC editions which are much less of a concern when it comes to modern releases. Bearing in mind the old thread ceased activity thirteen years ago, even the games that were listed in the above thread have sometimes seen updates and rereleases to factor in today's evaluations.
The rules remain the same as Brats for the most part:
1 - Consider Everything: From framerate, resolution and content to box art. Why is your choice the best one?
2 - Objectivity: The evaluation should be about the quality of the product, not its resale value or how 'at home' a franchise feels on a platform (eyeballs you Ridge Racer fans)
3 - Editions: If a limited edition is so good it elevates a same version above the standard release, be specific in detailing what that LE version is and why
4 - Explain: Give clear reasons as to why that specific version is the best rather than blanket reasoning such as a regional version always being best by default of where it's from
5 - Japanese Games: It should be factored in that recommendations should assume newcomers have limited understanding of the language
6 - Ties: Don't be afraid to call a draw if it's too close
7 - Portability: It's fine to discuss portability but it cannot be a reason for a version being the best. Portability is a perk of the host hardware, not a comment on the quality of the software itself
8 - Peripherals: Factor in the need for peripherals and impact that has on both the experience and cost of the software
9 - The PC Problem: These days most games appear on PC and introduce a sticky issue as the host hardware is often powerful enough to create the best version, especially as time goes on and users can force higher framerates or patch issues consoles can't. If you're discussing a modern cross platform release consider the PC more from a port point of view. For older games, the format should largely be discounted due to the modern day bias it introduces.
10 - Disagree: Challenge any recommendations you disagree with, tell us why your version is truly the version to play for newcomers.
Let's Redefine the Definitive Edition!
The thread was born in the early NTSC-UK days and was a place for people to discuss what they thought to be definitive versions of games in cross of Digital Foundry, personal opinion and Yakumo's Battle of the Ports. It was heavily focused on comparisons between PAL and NTSC editions which are much less of a concern when it comes to modern releases. Bearing in mind the old thread ceased activity thirteen years ago, even the games that were listed in the above thread have sometimes seen updates and rereleases to factor in today's evaluations.
The rules remain the same as Brats for the most part:
1 - Consider Everything: From framerate, resolution and content to box art. Why is your choice the best one?
2 - Objectivity: The evaluation should be about the quality of the product, not its resale value or how 'at home' a franchise feels on a platform (eyeballs you Ridge Racer fans)
3 - Editions: If a limited edition is so good it elevates a same version above the standard release, be specific in detailing what that LE version is and why
4 - Explain: Give clear reasons as to why that specific version is the best rather than blanket reasoning such as a regional version always being best by default of where it's from
5 - Japanese Games: It should be factored in that recommendations should assume newcomers have limited understanding of the language
6 - Ties: Don't be afraid to call a draw if it's too close
7 - Portability: It's fine to discuss portability but it cannot be a reason for a version being the best. Portability is a perk of the host hardware, not a comment on the quality of the software itself
8 - Peripherals: Factor in the need for peripherals and impact that has on both the experience and cost of the software
9 - The PC Problem: These days most games appear on PC and introduce a sticky issue as the host hardware is often powerful enough to create the best version, especially as time goes on and users can force higher framerates or patch issues consoles can't. If you're discussing a modern cross platform release consider the PC more from a port point of view. For older games, the format should largely be discounted due to the modern day bias it introduces.
10 - Disagree: Challenge any recommendations you disagree with, tell us why your version is truly the version to play for newcomers.
Let's Redefine the Definitive Edition!
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