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From Japan to America
Spectral Swallow
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Alternate thread title: Video Games Go Wild: Uncensored Volume 2
So this is something I've always been interested in was how games change when they're brought across the pond. Naturally the language changes, but I'm not as interested in that as I am the actual content. I know there are entire websites and FAQs dedicated to the various Final Fantasy's and 'The Mushroom Kingdom' has a pretty good database of Mario's differences but I have yet to find a website that goes into other games. So that's where I'm hoping we can kinda help fill that void.
To get the ball rolling I've included a few examples I know just off the top of my head:
Dragon Warrior:
This is a rare example of a game getting a BETTER American version. The Japanese version had password saves(instead of battery backup), the characters always faced forward (even when moving) and there was no shoreline. Yay for being an American.
Ufouria
This is kind of a weird example since it was never actually released in America, but it was in Europe. In any case in the Japanese version the main character (bop louie) was a penguin as well as other characters getting a similar makeover. The birds in the Japanese version also dropped poop instead of the weights their European brothers did.
A Boy And His Blob
The only change I know of so far is that the boy was changed to look much more cartoony in the Japanese version. This change was carried over in the gameboy sequel.
The Real GhostBusters
This game was actually changed for both the American and European versions! The American Version on the far left had the main characters as a ghostbuster, while the european version (center) had it was Garfield. The Japanese version on the far right instead used Mickey Mouse. From what I've read this was due to licensing issues.
Kid Klown in Night Mayor World
A similiar licensing issue meant that America got 'Kid Klown' while the Japanese game stared Mickey Mouse.
MegaMan Zero
The only change I've heard about for any of the MegaMan games. In the first Zero game the reploids shot out blood when slashed.
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
A more recent example, to the left is the American artwork for Rydia. As you can see she's a bit more dressed than her Japanese counterpart.
So what about it? Know of any neat changes made when a game is ported between territories.
So this is something I've always been interested in was how games change when they're brought across the pond. Naturally the language changes, but I'm not as interested in that as I am the actual content. I know there are entire websites and FAQs dedicated to the various Final Fantasy's and 'The Mushroom Kingdom' has a pretty good database of Mario's differences but I have yet to find a website that goes into other games. So that's where I'm hoping we can kinda help fill that void.
To get the ball rolling I've included a few examples I know just off the top of my head:
Dragon Warrior:
This is a rare example of a game getting a BETTER American version. The Japanese version had password saves(instead of battery backup), the characters always faced forward (even when moving) and there was no shoreline. Yay for being an American.
Ufouria
This is kind of a weird example since it was never actually released in America, but it was in Europe. In any case in the Japanese version the main character (bop louie) was a penguin as well as other characters getting a similar makeover. The birds in the Japanese version also dropped poop instead of the weights their European brothers did.
A Boy And His Blob
The only change I know of so far is that the boy was changed to look much more cartoony in the Japanese version. This change was carried over in the gameboy sequel.
The Real GhostBusters
This game was actually changed for both the American and European versions! The American Version on the far left had the main characters as a ghostbuster, while the european version (center) had it was Garfield. The Japanese version on the far right instead used Mickey Mouse. From what I've read this was due to licensing issues.
Kid Klown in Night Mayor World
A similiar licensing issue meant that America got 'Kid Klown' while the Japanese game stared Mickey Mouse.
MegaMan Zero
The only change I've heard about for any of the MegaMan games. In the first Zero game the reploids shot out blood when slashed.
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
A more recent example, to the left is the American artwork for Rydia. As you can see she's a bit more dressed than her Japanese counterpart.
So what about it? Know of any neat changes made when a game is ported between territories.
Spectral Swallow on
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to the manliest robots ever...
Contra's dudes were changed from rambo-like guys to robots, and the title of the game was also changed to Probotector when it was brought to Europe.
Human enemies were also changed to robots as you can see.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Ah yes, and there was the Dragonball game, where Master Roshi went from requesting panties in the Japanese version to requesting a sandwich in the Engish... which was just the panty sprite flipped upside down.
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
And Birdo... good lord, Birdo.
I read somewhere that Kojima added it to the North American release because Americans are huge fans of James Bond.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it's a really great game.
You didn't need that story, did you?
I think thats more like it.
I never asked for this!
1) Tales of Series -- These games have almost complete voice acting in the Japanese versions, whereas there only about half of the game is voiced in the American counterparts. I believe in Tales of Legendia the second half of the game is literally unvoiced. This has remained true all the way to the last game, Tales of Vesperia, where the PS3 version probably has about twice the VA as the 360 version.
2) Dragon Quest -- US releases are generally upgrades. DQ1 was basically a remake. DQ2 and DQ3 had brand new openings that were not in the Japanese versions. Also, DQ1 and DQ2 had password systems in the original.
3) God Hand -- In the Japanese version of God Hand there a space on that wheel-thing that lets you use your super moves that reads miss. If you hit that, a fryingpan falls on your head and you get a couple of seconds of invincibility. It's supposed to be a punishment, but people have exploited it to help them beat harder levels.
4) RE4 -- As the other person said, and I have NOT played the US version, there are no decapitations in the Japanese version of the game.
5) Fallout 3 -- Haven't actually played the JPN version, but from what I understand the quest where you destroy Megaton has been disabled as a cultural sensitivity issue.
You could point out a ton of regional differences in every Metal Gear game because Kojima seems to add things to them every time he moves it to another region. European Extreme modes and whatnot.
That reminded me though, that game was also during Namco-Bandai's "No sword stabbing" phase, which they may still be in. Tales of the Abyss definitely suffered from this. Nobody ever gets stabbed on screen in their recent games. It always has the camera panned just out of frame and it's really stupid.
The Fat Man was also renamed to the Nuka Launcher
e.
I don't know about Japan vs America when it comes to TF2
But I do know that in the German version of TF2 the characters are robots and explode in springs and gears and oil instead of gibs and blood
The original American release of The Witcher was significantly censored when compared to the European version. Not only nudity, but some dialogue as well. I believe this content has since been restored.
Tons on SNES games were censored for American audiences. You can read about many of them here. Its all quite interesting. Nintendo, during that era, banned a ton of things. From semi-nude statues to tobacco use to blood and even any form of the cross (including the Red Cross image, immediately recognizable as the universal videogame symbol for health packs).
Japanese version:
Western version:
The censorship really ruined the death scenes of Destroyman and Holly Summers, but otherwise I was fine with it.
Gilder I hope you know that because of your love for Skies you are one of my top five penny arcade forum posters. Maybe top 3.
Also, I preferred the altered version. loqua was a small change but vigoro is basically a minute away from proper full blown rape in the uncensored version. it was tonally well out of place.
Nope.
NSFW
I'd heard that Zell's love of hotdogs wasn't actually hotdogs in the Japanese version but I've no clue if that's actually true. Can anyone verify what it was?
Bread.
I am not kidding.
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (2017, colorized)
Yeah there was, and it was more Albedo censorship.
The_Scarab: Why thank you. My love of Skies will never wane. I may not remember all the character names anymore but it's the thought that counts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-Strike_Neo
That's the Japanese version of Mariokart 64, the American version just had signs that said "MARIO" or "YOSHI" and that's it.
I'm still bitter that you took Gilder as a name.
Gilder was basically awesome.
"Dance for me"
I remember that, though the second Ranma game made it to the US unaltered (all, besides being translated). I guess by then the series had made a few circulations on TV.
On the subject of the lack of decapitation, the European release of the original Ninja Gaiden on Xbox had the decapitations removed. No surprises there.
The ridiculousness of a futuristic cyborg wielding an AK47 cannot be overstated. What, they ran over budget giving you the helmet?
Also, they made a Japanese visual novel for the game. Yes really.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaatAvdVIAY
Also, in Tekken 2(I think) in Nina's ending she came upon her sister sunbathing, and in the Japanese version took Anna's bikini top off. In the US version she just dumped water on her or something.
Also, for Soul Edge in the opening movie where Sophitia is in the water and meeting Posiden, in the original her clothes are wet and pretty much see through, and in the US version, her clothing is thick and covers her completely.