Writings of Mass Deduction

Or more than twice, in some cases.

With strong indication that a Halo collection (bundling up games 1-4) will be coming to the Xbox One later this year. As a big Halo fan, I’m almost certain to purchase this collection. That will be at least the second time I’ll have bought all those games. It’ll be the third time I bought the original Halo (having previously purchased it on disc near launch, and on Games on Demand for the Xbox 360, and soon in this collection if it indeed comes out). I purchased the deluxe, and Legendary editions of Halo 2, which would make this the third time I purchased it. I purchased the deluxe and the Legendary edition of Halo 3, to make sure I got all the bonus content, and snagged it again on Games on Demand; I also bought the regular edition with the intention of re-gifting it, but never did, so I guess I’ve purchased it a total of four times. Halo 4 I purchased on Games on Demand, as I’ve gone entirely digital distribution in my game purchases, so this would be the second time I picked that up. It led me to think about what other games I’ve purchased multiple times.

– I bought Hydro Thunder twice (DC version and then as part of Midway Arcade Treasures 3, all the while continuing to play it whenever I ran into the arcade cabinet… yes, it’s a sickness).

– I bought Uno twice (XBLA, and then as part of a retail XBLA collection).

– I’ve bought Halo Wars on both disc and through Games on Demand as well (I’d trade in my disc… but I can’t find it; take that you digital distribution haters!).

– I bought Gears of War on the 360, and then bought it again on the PC (there was a PC-exclusive chapter, plus the ability to get all the achievements again).

– Then there’s Klax. Ah, Klax. I have bought you more times than makes any sense at all. I first purchased you on the Atari Lynx, a good system but one so starved for releases that every game that came out was an event. If memory serves I later bought it on cartridge for the Sega Genesis, and on TurboChip for the TurboGrafx-16 (PC Engine to some of its friends). But I didn’t stop there, I also bought it as part of a GameBoy Advance game collection. I actually beat it on the Lynx (there were 100 levels), and it is one of a very small number of games I’ve ever completed. That’s an assertion that seems strange to a lot of modern gamers, but you have to understand that the Intellvision (etc.) games that I grew up with generally didn’t have an “end”, and you played them for the sheer joy rather than “beating it”. I’ve never quite lost that, and it doesn’t bug me to leave a game unfinished.

I expect there are other games I’ve purchased multiple times, but those are the highlights. What games have you bought multiple times?