Data Merging, Separation & Removal Mega Thread

these are also the same game:
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/107142
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/107646

same games:
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/128268
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/121933

Same game

Less a merge request and more a deletion request.

Half-Life 3 has not been announced.

Less a merge request and more a deletion request.

Half-Life 3 has not been announced.

Nah no way T_T

Less a merge request and more a deletion request.

Half-Life 3 has not been announced.

One backlog and one beat... :D

I noticed that Grim Fandango only has one entry for the original and the remaster:
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4123

But Day of the Tentacle has two entries:
Original: https://howlongtobeat.com/game/2285
Remaster: https://howlongtobeat.com/game/35880

Both remasters were done in a similar style. Both remasters have the same art style as the original, but the artwork is higher quality. In Grim Fandango, some of the lighting and shadows look different, but in Day of the Tentacle, it looks the same but just higher resolution. Both remasters include remastered audio, a concept art browser, and commentary. Day of the Tentacle Remastered has a new user interface for picking an action (in the original the actions are always visible, and in the remaster you click to display the actions, but the actions to choose from are the same in both versions). Neither remaster has any new gameplay content, and both remasters let you change between the old or new style at any time.

Should Grim Fandango should be separated into two entries? Or should Day of the Tentacle be combined into one entry? Based on how similar they are, I feel like both remasters should be dealt with in the same way.

I also noticed that The Secret of Monkey Island has two entries, "The Secret of Monkey Island" (the original game) and "Monkey Island: Special Edition Collection" (includes the 1st and 2nd game), but no entry for "The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition" (remaster of the original game) even though it has its own entry on Steam.
Original: https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10162
Special Edition Collection: https://howlongtobeat.com/game/98251

Unlike the two examples above, "The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition" has a completely new art style and new voice acting, but there's no new gameplay content. I'm wondering if it should have its own entry, due to the new art style?

I noticed that Grim Fandango only has one entry for the original and the remaster:
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4123

But Day of the Tentacle has two entries:
Original: https://howlongtobeat.com/game/2285
Remaster: https://howlongtobeat.com/game/35880

Both remasters were done in a similar style. Both remasters have the same art style as the original, but the artwork is higher quality. In Grim Fandango, some of the lighting and shadows look different, but in Day of the Tentacle, it looks the same but just higher resolution. Both remasters include remastered audio, a concept art browser, and commentary. Day of the Tentacle Remastered has a new user interface for picking an action (in the original the actions are always visible, and in the remaster you click to display the actions, but the actions to choose from are the same in both versions). Neither remaster has any new gameplay content, and both remasters let you change between the old or new style at any time.

Should Grim Fandango should be separated into two entries? Or should Day of the Tentacle be combined into one entry? Based on how similar they are, I feel like both remasters should be dealt with in the same way.

I also noticed that The Secret of Monkey Island has two entries, "The Secret of Monkey Island" (the original game) and "Monkey Island: Special Edition Collection" (includes the 1st and 2nd game), but no entry for "The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition" (remaster of the original game) even though it has its own entry on Steam.
Original: https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10162
Special Edition Collection: https://howlongtobeat.com/game/98251

Unlike the two examples above, "The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition" has a completely new art style and new voice acting, but there's no new gameplay content. I'm wondering if it should have its own entry, due to the new art style?

These should all have single entries, apart from the combination of Monkey island 1+2 as this is a compilation entry.

Can The Oregon Trail (1978) be separated into two entries?
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10123

I think there should be one entry for the 1978 version, and one entry for the 1985 version. They're very different from each other, so I don't think they can be considered the same game.

Here's a timeline of the different versions with links to videos:
- The original 1971 version was played on a Teletype machine. The text wasn't shown on a screen, but had to be printed.
- The original Apple II version was released in 1978, and it was a text-only game with no graphics. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trXBPiaQhYs
- Several similar versions were released over the next few years, including an Atari version, a Commodore 64 version, and a TRS-80 version. There was also a 1980 Apple II version which had simple graphics for a hunting mini-game and a map screen, but it was still mostly text. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z5zwA-tw3Q
- The most famous version is the 1985 Apple II version. The game was completely remade, with graphics throughout the entire game, and a new hunting mini-game (it's different from the 1980 hunting mini-game). Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YisayFepAA0
- The 1990 DOS version was similar to 1985 Apple II version. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Bgs9jfSo9k
- The 1991 Mac version had some significant changes compared to the 1985 version, but I'm not sure if it's different enough to justify a 3rd HLTB entry. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwkUKHTv6jQ
- The 1992 DOS version and 1993 Windows version were similar to the 1991 Mac version. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaWmldKoo9Y

Robopon is like Pokemon Red and Blue in that it has very similar version released at the same time.

Robopon and Robopon Sun, Star and Moon are the same

Robopon 2 doesn't mention the two versions in the title: Ring and Cross Versions

Duplicates for the game "Firegirl"

https://www.howlongtobeat.com/game/101434
https://www.howlongtobeat.com/game/95205

Virtua Fighter
Virtua Fighter Remix

Remix is literally the original Saturn port but with the removal of some lighting features in favour of fixing the graphical issues with the original Saturn release. Content is identical, and I can find no mention of the alleged gameplay changes some sites claim to the point where they either don't exist, or are extremely minor balancing changes.

Just to highlight the redundancy in having two listings, the PC version is a port of Remix, yet released simply as Virtua Fighter PC.

Remix was released in the arcades, but it's just the Saturn version running on the ST-V system so Sega could sell it to more arcade operators due to its reduced cost versus the Model 1 original.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/91097
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/82027

The first one has the localized title, with the Japanese title as an alias, the second one is the Japanese title.

Cats & Seek and Cats & Seek: Osaka are the same game.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/141654

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/151664

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/76182 Honoo no Toukyuuji: Dodge Danpei
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/66681 Honoo no Doukyuuji: Dodge Danpei (1992)

From what I can tell these are the group of games based on the same manga, but with one character transliterated differently (perhaps due to mistake). They are different games though (at least the PC Engine/Mega Drive/Game Gear versions are) according to MobyGames, but the second game here has multiple platforms including those anyway, so it already represents multiple games.

More straightforwardly:
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/41897 Daikaijuu Monogatari 2
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/85035 Super Shell Monsters Story II

The latter is the localized title of the former, and has the former name as an alias.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/76182 Honoo no Toukyuuji: Dodge Danpei
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/66681 Honoo no Doukyuuji: Dodge Danpei (1992)

From what I can tell these are the group of games based on the same manga, but with one character transliterated differently (perhaps due to mistake). They are different games though (at least the PC Engine/Mega Drive/Game Gear versions are) according to MobyGames, but the second game here has multiple platforms including those anyway, so it already represents multiple games.

More straightforwardly:
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/41897 Daikaijuu Monogatari 2
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/85035 Super Shell Monsters Story II

The latter is the localized title of the former, and has the former name as an alias.

Since it's not immediately clear, Honoo no Toukyuuji: Dodge Danpei is the correct title.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/3537 Final Fantasy XV
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/53305 Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition
Same game, the only difference is dlc included in Royal Edition

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4409 Heretic
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4410 Heretic - Shadow of the Serpent Riders
Same game, one has complete name while the other don't. Actually based on the cover art the first one would be for the shareware version, but shareware are demo, it seems weird to have a listing for the demo, and every reported time are for the full game anyway

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10880 Valkyrie Profile
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10883 Valkyrie Profile Lenneth
Lenneth is a port of the original game

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/3537 Final Fantasy XV
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/53305 Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition
Same game, the only difference is dlc included in Royal Edition

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4409 Heretic
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4410 Heretic - Shadow of the Serpent Riders
Same game, one has complete name while the other don't. Actually based on the cover art the first one would be for the shareware version, but shareware are demo, it seems weird to have a listing for the demo, and every reported time are for the full game anyway

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10880 Valkyrie Profile
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10883 Valkyrie Profile Lenneth
Lenneth is a port of the original game

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/3537 Final Fantasy XV
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/53305 Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition
Same game, the only difference is dlc included in Royal Edition

Since that DLC extends the game with additional playable content, they are not the same "game", as per established precedent.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4409 Heretic
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4410 Heretic - Shadow of the Serpent Riders
Same game, one has complete name while the other don't. Actually based on the cover art the first one would be for the shareware version, but shareware are demo, it seems weird to have a listing for the demo, and every reported time are for the full game anyway

Shadow of the Serpent Riders is really an expansion pack. There are three episodes in the full version of heretic, and an additional two in Shadow. Shareware Heretic only consists of the first episode, as was the tradition of the time.

I think the problem here is that Shadow was the first Retail version of the game much like The Ultimate Doom was the first Retail version of Doom. But both titles could be bought by mail order from id first and they may have had limited distribution at a handful of stores that bought them from id

So the separate release versions are both legitimate.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10880 Valkyrie Profile
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10883 Valkyrie Profile Lenneth
Lenneth is a port of the original game

This one you might be correct with. There are differences given Lenneth is based on the Japanese version not the American version, and additional differences in the mobile version but nothing that is unusual with similar other ports (I'm thinking FFX and a couple of Trails games)

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/3537 Final Fantasy XV
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/53305 Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition
Same game, the only difference is dlc included in Royal Edition

Since that DLC extends the game with additional playable content, they are not the same "game", as per established precedent.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4409 Heretic
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/4410 Heretic - Shadow of the Serpent Riders
Same game, one has complete name while the other don't. Actually based on the cover art the first one would be for the shareware version, but shareware are demo, it seems weird to have a listing for the demo, and every reported time are for the full game anyway

Shadow of the Serpent Riders is really an expansion pack. There are three episodes in the full version of heretic, and an additional two in Shadow. Shareware Heretic only consists of the first episode, as was the tradition of the time.

I think the problem here is that Shadow was the first Retail version of the game much like The Ultimate Doom was the first Retail version of Doom. But both titles could be bought by mail order from id first and they may have had limited distribution at a handful of stores that bought them from id

So the separate release versions are both legitimate.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10880 Valkyrie Profile
https://howlongtobeat.com/game/10883 Valkyrie Profile Lenneth
Lenneth is a port of the original game

This one you might be correct with. There are differences given Lenneth is based on the Japanese version not the American version, and additional differences in the mobile version but nothing that is unusual with similar other ports (I'm thinking FFX and a couple of Trails games)

I didnt know for Heretic, thanks for the clarification, I should change in my listing then

Lifeline (2015) and Lifeline (2017) are the same game.

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/31505

https://howlongtobeat.com/game/65884

Two different pages for Naheulbeuk's Dungeon Master:

Here and here.

Naheulbeuk's Dungeon Master: 163125 appears to be a duplicate of 129971.

Edit: GC Tuba beat me to it.

Dupes
Staffer Case: A Supernatural Mystery Adventure (Real title)
StafferCase: A Psychic Mystery Adventure

Downfall: A Horror Adventure Game: https://howlongtobeat.com/game/2733

This is the Russian release of Downfall (2009): https://howlongtobeat.com/game/18710, Akella is not the developer but just the Russian publisher.