dressupgeekout
commented
4 years ago @AlanisSmithee Thanks, this is very good to keep in mind. I should do a proper playthrough of New School to see how it behaves for me. I have only ever encountered and played with original PM releases.
It kinda sounds like there are different versions of the game out there (like, v1.0, v1.1, so to speak) but they're not explicitly labeled anywhere. Thanks for putting this on the radar
There is evidence that some of the games had multiple print runs. This may cause compatibility issues with LP.
The non-Mattel, Purple Moon exclusive Rockett games (School, Tricky, Secret, Adventure Maker, MAYBE Dance?) had reprintings when the company was sold to Mattel. My guess is these copies are the ones included in the Rockett's Collection bundle. You can easily tell a PM copy apart from a Mattel one by the packaging. PM published copies come in cardboard/plastic jewel cases and feature different colors for the accents on the CD art. Mattel copies come in the traditional glass/plastic jewel cases, have the Mattel Media logo and an ESRB rating on the disc, and use yellow accents for the CD art. Like so:
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/purplemoon/images/5/50/TrickydecisionCD2.png - Purple Moon version of Tricky https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/purplemoon/images/7/71/TrickydecisionCD.jpg - Mattel version of Tricky
According to a "Rockett Talk" article on the Purple Moon website, New School may have also received a printing to change the ending screen. (As players were getting confused by the blank choice screen at the end.) This may or may not be a feature of the Mattel printing, as the article was written around the time Mattel would have control of the company's assets. (October 2000).
I personally haven't seen a version of New School without the blank ending screen. So I can't tell if it exists for certain or not.
All that said, I don't think there will be that big of an issue. Based on some comparison of the compile dates on the discs that I have (my ISOs (made from physical copies that I own) vs ISOs of Mattel copies I've found on archive.org), the only things Mattel changed were the READMEs (to update the copyright info). But it is still something to consider.
(If you're curious, I have PM copies of Tricky and Secret, and Mattel copies of Dance and Adventure Maker. My physical copy of New School got lost in a move. But the compile dates indicate that it was a Mattel copy. I don't recall what type of jewel case it came in. It ends on the blank bathroom screen. My copies of the PM Secret Paths games are both PM copies.)