I’m here to explain why people like myself are always geeked when collector’s editions or limited editions of games are announced.  They often come in casing that is so much better than the normal casing.  Thanks to Capcom, I’ll use Lost Planet’s Collector’s Edition as my first example of this and my first showing of The Edition Examiner.  I’ll be taking an inside look at other Limited or Collector’s Editions of games to examine if they’re worth collecting or not.  I hope you enjoy it.

These are just my opinions of the limited or collector’s editions that I’m able to get in my grasp.  The Edition Examiner scale will cover two important things; craftsmanship and extras.  I’ll use a 5-point scale to gauge whether these types of editions are truly worthy of being called such.  

Craftmanship - The case clearly stands out when you first see it.  It’s protected by a plastic casing sleeve.  Any edition that doesn’t come with the sleeve to protect the case is suspect.  I’m glad Capcom included it.  The artwork on the front/back of the case is done very well.  It almost captures the “icy” theme of Lost Planet perfectly.

The case is sturdy and has a steel design.  (it’s only tin/aluminum)  It feels great to the touch.  It’s also properly marked on its side so filing it shouldn’t be a problem if you’re like me and keep your games filed away like books on a shelf.  Some editions leave this out and you can’t identify what it is in your collection.  It may be a small thing to some but for the Examiner, I had to point it out.

Extras - When initialy released, the Lost Planet CE came with a 48-hour trial, bonus map, exclusive art book (classy) and a bonus CD with soundtracks, trailers and more.  The art book alone I think was worth this being in the collection.  It details the Vital Suits, environments, the Akrid and the characters in the game.

Screenshots: The Edition Examiner - Limted & Collector’s Edition Photos

Edition Examiner Result - The case and art book really help the Lost Planet CE stand out.  You can see from the screenshots that it was designed beautifully and the extras at the time of release were well worth it.