Careful about terminology here...
When Bt and I referred to the "Catalog number" in PCECP, we were referring to the identification in ink on the disc and on the back cover of the packaging. Something along the lines of "HCD4066"
On the other hand, there is an identification number in contrasting tones pressed into the innermost part of the aluminum itself on the disc. This would be more like "HRKM70217-4FAAT", and would probably represent either the pressing batch, or the digital glass master from which the pressing was made. I'm not sure what else to call this than "disc identifier" or something along those lines. I previously used the term "serial number, but that's technically incorrect as the discs themselves are not serialized - only their masters or pressings would have been.
There were a few discs which got different pressings or otherwise multiple releases, like:
- Tengai Makyo Ziria, which was CD the first time, and Super CD for the re-release
- Urusei Yatsura (released with and without soundtrack)
- Galaxy Fraulein Yuna (rereleased with the HuVideo disc)
- Emerald Dragon, Seiya Monogatari, Tengai Makyo Kabuki Den, and both Lodoss War games, which were released both as a regular game, and also as a "CD and Mook". There are likely all different versions because these were often promotional, and may not be the entire game. To bo honest, I don't recall if any of them were the entire game.
- "Special Version" Super Real Mahjong games (kisaku would know more about these than me); supposedly the "nude" scenes are "more nude".
- Bug fix games. Gotzendiener (if I recall correctly) was legendary, having been pressed a few times, and never having fixed all the bugs. I think Mad Stalker might have had a bugfix release as well.
- I wasn't aware of Last Armageddon (although it doesn't surprise me, as I heard somebody on this board invested 80 hours to find that they could never complete), but I vaguely recall something about Linda3 having a quick recall and re-release.
- I wan't aware of Ys 4 as a re-release either
- The story of Tokimeki Memorial is even more convoluted than the re-pressings listed above. I had heard a rumor that there were different *versions* released, with slight differences in them (such as mini-games, etc.). The story goes, that the packaging has a symbol next to the catalog number, on the back cover of the disc package (such as a star, filled circle, circle with the dot in it, etc.). This is probably where the origins of the tracking of the serial numbers disc identifiers came into effect. I never saw this corroborated or proved though.
Still on the subject of Tokimeki Memorial... If I remember correctly (sorry, my memory is foggy as this happened about 15 years ago), I acquired three different "versions" according to this symbol, and ripped them to find that two of the data tracks were identical - but the third one had slight variances according to a binary compare. I'd have to go digging and spend some time repeating this experiment in order to verify it though. Even if true, it could just have been a bugfix release.
By the way, it would be interesting to find out how many of these "multiple pressings" have identical TOCs, but different binaries. That would be very likely in the case of a bugfix, but a TOC change could happen on a major code change.
... Tracking this sort if thing would be especially important for patches.
-Dave
