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Working Designs - Variant
Catalog
The most comprehensive visual
reference for all things that go to 11.
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ABOUT THIS
LIST: HOW THE LIST WORKS: Each game features their respective variant releases. I have photographed in both cover, back, insert, and all CDs to cover all bases. If you see something missing, please let me know. ID TYPES: PSRM - This is the US exclusive printer's mark. You can find it at the very end of the Copyright information that encircles the outside edge of the cover art work. This number has helped with various Variant hunts, and has been used in different ways through-out the PSX history. More research is being done on it.
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SPECIAL NOTES: Note 1: Several e-mails with Victor Ireland, the once president of now defunct Working Designs, seem to show that there were only the 8 found disc variants for the Alundra set. According to Mr. Ireland, sometimes for whatever reasons, Sony would not print certain runs. This would make sense, especially with some of the sets that bounce around all over the ID board. Note 2: Several variant sets have inserts that match up to them (Alundra, ThunderForce V, etc) by a corresponding PSRM number located in the bottom right corner of the back insert. Alundra uses this technique up to a point. Two of the same-style CD artworks have no matching insert. It is assumed that since they share the same illustrative pattern (blue background with one character in front), that they simply shared the same insert sans PSRM notation. If anyone has the "Stairs" insert image, and it does NOT have 008943 in the lower right corner, PLEASE CONTACT ME. That said, on to the variants! |
Alundra - 8 Known Disc Variants / 6 Known Insert Variants
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About the Game: Alundra is an action RPG in the same vein as Zelda. It was the most abundant in the variant category, is still open to debate concerning several of the inserts. The game also came with a paper map.
About the Variants: |
Collecting Notes: The inserts are tagged to to their discs via the PSRM number. However, through many trials, only 6 inserts have been found. It's been theorized that the same insert was used for the 3 CDs with the same concept; the characters with the end boss. Also important to point out, is that there is a missing variant. What would be the F disc does not exist, and according to Vic Ireland (president of Working Designs), it was never made. If you have any information on inserts that that do not appear here, please contact me and we can compare notes. |
Alundra - "Cover Illustration" / SLUS-00553 /
PSRM-008940 (Tray Insert = 008940)
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Alundra - "Fire Dragon" / SLUS-00553a /
PSRM-008941 (Tray Insert = 008941)
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Alundra - "Alundra at the Castle" /
SLUS-00553b / PSRM-008942 (Tray Insert = 008942)
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Alundra - "Bonaire with End Boss" /
SLUS-00553c / PSRM-008943 (Tray Insert = 008943)
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Alundra - "Alundra and Girl" / SLUS-00553d /
PSRM-008944 (Tray Insert = 008944)
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Alundra - "Shattered Pieces" / SLUS-00553e /
PSRM-008945 (Tray Insert = 008945)
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Alundra - "Kline and the End Boss" /
SLUS-00553g / PSRM-008947 (Tray Insert = 008943)
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Alundra - "Septimus and the End Boss" /
SLUS-00553h / PSRM-008948 (Tray Insert = 008943)
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Arc the Lad - 2 Known Variants with 3 Known Memory Cards
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About the Game: Working Design's last big hurrah before retiring the PlayStation Collector Box sets. There are 4 games, a Making of CD, and Music CD included.
About the Variants: |
Collecting Notes: This one was truly the beast of all the burdens. The 3 Memory Card holders were the biggest surprise and pain to track down, and to this day there is no proven SLUS 'blank' or SLUS 'A' variant to rise from the eBay depths. There are no proper links to each other other than the SLUS use of B and C. PSRM numbers are consistent with multi-disc releases but do not account for the variant. Considering only 2 known CD sets exist, it is assumed the Memory Card holders were randomly inserted. |
Arc the Lad "Color" Variant B
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Arc the Lad "Monochromatic" Variant C
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Arc the Lad: Memory Cards - 1 for each main character - does not match up to the variants above
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Elemental Gearbolt - 2 Known Variants with matching Inserts
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About the Game: Elemental Gearbolt is a light gun game with RPG elements to it. It was also the game used in a tournament which provided the winners / participants with a limited edition Assassin's Case.It is assumed that the included game is one of the two variants featured here.
About the Variants: |
Collecting Notes: PSRM numbers are the vital evidence pieces when tracking down variants. Since the discs SLUS numbers aren't sequential (it should go 'nothing, a, b, c, etc), the PSRM proves the B variant is indeed the 2nd disc in order. The two inserts can be aligned to become one picture - the two girls are looking at each other. |
Elemental Gearbolt - "Nell
in Armor / Nell in Confinement" / SLUS - 00654 / PSRM - 010140
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Elemental Gearbolt - "Seana
in Armor / Seana in Confinement" / SLUS - 00654b / PSRM - 010141
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Lunar: The Silver Star Story Complete - 5 Known Variants
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About the Game: Lunar is the re-release of a fan favorite Sega CD game. The PSX versions are re-masters with extra content and new cinemas.
About the Variants:
The B set seems to be the harder-to-find of the five. |
Collecting Notes:: The "Fan Edition" is named so due to Working Designs using a gamer / consumer's artwork on the CD illustrations. The artist was very popular in the old days when Working Designs would have art contests and the like.
The other 4 come with a
Hardbound Book, a cloth map, and a large outer box. Within the case is
also a "Making of" CD and a Music CD. Please refer to the
game's
main page for all details concerning the pack ins. |
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Lunar: The Silver Star Story
Complete - "Regular Edition" / SLUS - 00628, 00899 / PSRM - 0140150, 014160
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Lunar: The Silver Star Story
Complete - "Regular Edition A" / SLUS - 00628a, 00899a / PSRM - 0140151,
014161
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Lunar: The Silver Star Story
Complete - "Regular Edition B" / SLUS - 00628b, 00899b / PSRM - 0140152,
014162
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Lunar: The Silver Star Story Complete - "Regular Edition C"
/ SLUS - 00628c, 00899c / PSRM -
014153, 014163
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue
Complete - 2 Known Variants About the Variants: Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete "Main Cast"
Variant A / SLUS - 01071a, 01239a, 01240a / PSRM - 017510, 019780, 019790
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete "Main Cast"
Variant B /
SLUS -
01071b, 01239b, 01240b / PSRM - 021510, 021520, 021530
About the Variants:
The SLUS numbers are A and B
(there should be a letter-less version), but when the PSRM numbers are
referenced, they are not sequential nor variant sequential.
RayCrisis Variant 1 "4 Image Disc" / SLUS -
01217a / PSRM - 019620 RayCrisis Variant 1 "Blue Boss Mech" / SLUS -
01217b / PSRM - 020490 About the Variants:
Interestingly, the ships
designation numbers are the opposite of their PSRM designations. 1 is 2
and vice versa.
Silhouette Mirage - 2 Known Variants About the Variants: Silhouette Mirage Variant 1 "Blue Guy" / SLUS
- 00728b / PSRM - 015991
Silhouette Mirage Variant 1 "White Guy" / SLUS
- 00728c / PSRM - 015992
Thunder Force V: Perfect System - 2
Known Variants with matching Inserts About the Variants: Thunder Force V Variant 1 "Main Ship with Moon"
/ SLUS - 00727 / PSRM - 010690 Thunder Force V Variant 1 "White Ship with Red
Planet" / SLUS - 00727a / PSRM - 010691 Vanguard Bandits - 2 Known Variants About the Variants: Vanguard Bandits "White Robot" Variant / SLUS
- 01070a / PSRM - 017780 Vanguard Bandits "Yellow Robot" Variant / SLUS
- 01070b / PSRM - 017790
© Game Rave. All Rights Reserved. Game Rave is a © of Jason
Dvorak.
About the Game:
The 2nd of 2 Lunar
games re-released from Working Designs and original creators Game Arts.
Only 2 variants are
known at this time, and there are no insert variants, be it the
cardboard or the Omake box.
Collecting Notes:
Nothing really bad here,
just the usual non-conformist hi-jinx we've come to know and love. PSRMs
are numbered as extra discs, not variants. No known 'non lettered' SLUS
variant.
About the Game:
RayCrisis is
the final game in the Ray series, following RayStorm. Oddly
enough, it's the final game in the series, but the first in the
storyline. It was released quietly in November of 2000.
The A Disc is the rarer of
the two to track down. More importantly though, is that this set does
not adhere to any WD rule of variants.
Collecting Notes:
The game disc is the only true variant, as the insert seems to be the
same across all copies. There are two known variants, however, they have
peculiar issues.
RayStorm Variant Disc 1 / "R~Gray 2" (Blue
Ship) / SLUS - 00482 / PSRM - 006830
About the Game:
RayStorm was
Working Design's first game release for the PlayStation, as well as the
first game released under their SPAZ label. The branding would
eventually be dropped in favor of their 16-Bit "Signature Series"
branding. This was the sequel to RayForce, or as we know it on
the American Sega Saturn, Layer Section.
The Red Ship version
is far and away the rarer of the two; in my many trails I have only come
across a handful of them, maybe 5 tops. The blue version is probably at
a 20-to-1 or even higher print ratio.
Collecting Notes:
Due to the first
disc's SLUS number not having a letter designation, I spent many a year
believing this was a variant-free game release from Working Designs.
Silly me; thanks to a helpful reader's tip, the red version was
eventually retrieved.
RayStorm Variant Disc 2 / "R~Gray
1" (Red Ship) / SLUS - 00482(??) / PSRM - 006831
About the Game:
Treasure's bizarre
dual-persona game was brought over to the US. Essentially the main
character fires a different colored weapon depending on the side she is
facing. Working Designs added a bit of changes, some of which have been
argued as being 'destructive' to the original Japanese version.
Another game where
only the disc artwork was changed. Both versions are pretty even in
print runs, this is one of the easily attainable variant hunts.
Collecting Notes:
There is a very large
mystery to this particular one. Where RayCrisis' ID tags were all
over the place, SM's are correctly sequential, but the 'first' in the
series is missing. By generic default, all PSX game's first print run
would have a standard SLUS number (i.e. no letters after it) and a PSRM
number that ends in 0. SM's two variants are lettered B and C, with PSRM
numbers ending in 1 and 2 respectively. That means that, unless there
was a print run not accepted by Sony, there should be a 3rd variant
somewhere, with a standard PSRM and SLUS number. So far nothing has
turned up.
About the Game:
The final
Thunder Force project gets released in America. Oddly enough, the
original was on the Japanese Saturn, but Sega's system died before
Working Designs could snag it. Hence, they got the US version. Minimal
changes were made to the American Release.
Like Silhouette
Mirage, these are pretty easy to collect. I nabbed the 2nd variant on my
first hunt for it.
Collecting Notes:
One of the easier variants
to track down.
These actually adhere
to the rules of the SLUS and PSRM, so no frustrations from me.
About the Game:
A very cool turn based strategy game stuck in a slightly archaic front
end and graphic engine. If you can get past the slow combat, an amazing
story lay beneath the surface, with a branching story system that
requires multiple play throughs.
The yellow robot
seems to be the harder to find one. The discs' PSRM numbers are
sequential, but not variant based. They're numbered as if they were
parts of the same game.
Collecting Notes:
The game features a slightly
typo'ed ESRB font. This game was originally supposed to be called
"Detonator Gauntlet" but Midway complained about the Trademark on
"Gauntlet". Thus, Working Designs simply renamed it Vanguard Bandits,
from the original Epica Stella.
