Like a Version. An editorial by The Avardancer Ever notice that there are different versions of some games? You haven't? Then wake up and read this, buddy. Let's face it; YOU need to know this information! There's different versions of many games and I will help you identify them! Calling all Versions, step up now. The first Version on display is pre-production versions! Version Number 1 is here to tell us about the wonders of pre-production. Pre-Production copies of a game are refered to by Roman Letters. An "Alpha" version is the first draft of a game. A "Beta" is the rough draft. For some unusual reason the versions stop right there. Usually there are several versions of a "Beta" version. Those are sometimes denoted by a Version Number. For instance "Beta 1.0" would be the rough draft made for Bug Testing purposes. After the bugs are found and weeded out; the game could be refered to as "Beta 2.0". Our next Version on display is the retail and demo versions. A Retail version is the game you probably own. And a demo is the shortened version made for showing off a game. Sometimes a Demo version can pre-date a Beta version. For a little international flavor, Version number three will tell us about translations, and edits. A translation is a simple transfer from the original language to a different language. For instance: Japanese Kanji to French, English, German, Spanish, Chinese characters, etc. An edit is when a game is butchered or changed to fit a culture difference. For instance, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the USA is Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in Europe because of the negative connotations of the word "Ninja". Another example is censoring in America, or a complete culture shift as in the case of "Probector" and "Contra"; both are the same game; but the graphics are different. In Japan the hero is a robot; but the hero is a muscled bound guy in the American version. Our next Version will explain about Debugs, and rereleases. Sometimes a glitch or an error is left in a game by accident; sometimes a company will hear about it and start manufacturing copies with the same game... MINUS the glitch(es). Think Final Fantasy 6 in the USA. Look at the number on the cartridge. Sometimes the higher number is a more stable version of the game. But, on Gameboy games this isn't as evident. Rereleases are the same game; but it has been rereleased to the public because of scarcity. Sometimes this is complex; like Sunsoft buying the rights to rerelease Square's Final Fantasy Gameboy games, or Nintendo rereleasing some of Capcom's older titles. Or Sony's "Greatest Hits" rereleases; where the game is rereleased to celebrate an event. Our last Version is illegal Versions, and Mutations. My, this is the seedy side of our Versions. A pirated copy is usually a copy of the game that has been made without consent or a "Hack" of a game. These are identified by the cases or shoddy make of the cartridges. Look at the screw in the back of the Gameboy Cartridge. If it is different from your other games. (For instance, the screw may be a different make then the "Bi-Hex" screw/bolt used for Licensed games.) You should turn in a pirated version of a game. But I would hold on to a hacked version. A hacked version is a completly different game that Nintendo didn't make or approve. The games by "Wisdom Tree" count as such. Or a copy of "Sonic The Hedgehog" on Gameboy would count as a Hack as well. Hacks are not illegal in many countries. In fact only some Asian countries crack down on Hacked games. In America, we celebrate them. There's a really funny hack of "Super Mario Bros" in the Pizza Hut down the street; there's always some type of wierd game being sold at the K-Mart. It's even better south of the border. :) These "hacks" are revealed by thier strange cartridge cases or the lack of a "Bi-Hex" screw/bolt. Jeff Frohwein can tell you all about Hacks. Go see the links in "Area Dmg". A mutation is a game with the same name as another; but it is COMPLETELY different. For instance, Game & Watch Gallery and Game & Watch Gallery 1997. Both have the same name; but one has a battery backed memory, tons of secrets added perks, different games etc. Well, I hope you have an understanding of your various Versions now. Good Bye.