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[Mista Koo]

http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/751/751526/raw-danger-20061218062916729_640w.jpg[/mg]

Disaster Report and Raw Danger have a hilarious localisation. They decided to change a bunch of the characters to blonde (everyone is Japanese in the original game). However, due to the limited number of hair colours it often makes enormous crowds of blonde people. Very strange. (Still two of my favourite games of all time)

Scenes changed from this:
[IMG]http://i53.tinypic.com/1z49yfc.jpg

to this:

Wow, it didn't look this bad before I saw the original xD
I need to finish the second one, I got stuck early in the game and never went back (even though the first was one of my all time favorites).

 

[Azure Dream]

"Return of the Evil Forces" is such a great subtitle.

 

[revolverjgw]

Crash Bandicoot had a change similar in Japan to Ratchet & Clank. His body was wider, he had bigger eyes, and bushier eyebrows.

US/Europe

Japan

Looks like they gave him scoliosis

 

[Miroslav]

Zidane and Yitan Tribal depending on where you played the game (FFIX).

 

[neopokekun]

JP - Donald Duck | EUA - Snoppy

x

x

x

Also, the original 1987 computer game (C64, spectrum. etc) is called Alternative World Games (released in the US as Sports-A-Roni) and has no licensed characters.

 

[Alx]

In the Korean version of the Soulcalibur arcade booth, Mitsurugi was replaced by this character :

He's supposed to be an English pirate (who dresses and fights like a Samurai).
The reason is that during the XVIth century (the time when SC takes place), Japan was occupying/invading Korea, and representation of Samurais of that era is very unwelcome as a result.

edit : Arthur in action...

 

[Chuckpebble]

I've been playing this lately. Aside from finding out that there's a whole second quest that is insanely difficult, I also discovered that this game arrived in the US first. When it released in Japan, it had a nice animatic type opening cutscene and some variations.

The differences were mostly palette swaps and some text items. But there was one major difference. Stage 6 has platforms that scroll upwards continuously. If you go off the top or bottom of the screen, you reappear on the opposite side. In the Japanese version, the top and bottom of the screen have a flickering barrier that prevent you from doing this without taking damage. Which is very tough, considering its a 1-hit kill game, 2 if you have a power up.

 

[ChryZ]

This thread is more depressing than awesome.

 

[webrunner]

More "cross" censorship, this time from the .hack series!

Skeiths staff/wand in Japan:

Skeiths staff/wand in the West:

This change carried over in SIGN, Liminality, G.U... pretty much everything it appeared in that came to the west.

Interestingly enough, the Japanese version of the games is the only one with the cross. The Japanese version of SIGN also uses the Q-cifix.

 

[Roto13]

Revenge of Shinobi on the Megadrive (Genesis)

I had a switch in the machine which would toggle between EU an JAP versions of the console (bypassed a resistor if i remember).

In one of tha later levels on the JAP version you came up against Spiderman and Batman?.. on the EU, i think it was just a normal goon. My memory is pretty shot so maybe someone here remembers better.

You fought those in the North American version as well, along with a Terminator and Godzilla. All of those were edited in later releases, though. Like pink Spider-Man and robotic Godzilla even though that would totally be Mechagodzilla.

 

[dock]

Wow, it didn't look this bad before I saw the original xD
I need to finish the second one, I got stuck early in the game and never went back (even though the first was one of my all time favorites).

There are several storylines from different characters, with the later ones being shorter. The final one is amazing, and completely detached from the other characters, and only an hour or so long. Really opened my eyes to how stories can be presented in games.

 

[industrian]

Well if you're asking for the awesome ones it's hard to top this recent change made to P2: Innocent Sin

presumably it's to make it easier to localize (likely to Europe)

Dat ass.

 

[Koralsky]

All differences, here

 

[Sylver]

My one similar, to the Dragon Power one...well maybe it makes more sense. Since you know once Street Fighter 2 came along any 2D beat em' up was hot property...but animu in 1993*? Thats got to go:

Ranma ½ became Street Combat (why are these screens the wrong way round...)

No mono sound for America & where did the border graphics go.

I never noticed the Panda Hadoken until now & IIRC this was the only stage to be changed as I guess it looked too Japanese.

Clearly an accurate translation.

More gender changing...in fact:

Now I'm wondering what Happosai and Cologne got changed into (they appear in the bonus stage). Reading in an FAQ they appear to be called Happy 1 and Happy 2.

*-Ranma ½: Hard Battle came out in November 1993, Steet Combat April 1993. Acceptance was only 7 months away.

Wow I didn't know this at least Ranma ½: Hard Battle was released as japanese one on France and Spain xD.

 

[LuFel]

Ocarina of time

JapVer:
-Ganondorf coughing red blood
- Firetemple´s muslim charming version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJEmMKvZ2Bc

USVer:
-Ganondorf coughing green blood
-Firetemple´s normal version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GvxjTFRTc8

 

[Easy_D]

SHIT. The difference is astounding! They were gettin down on the Famicom version! Was that Michiru Yamane?

No, Michiru Yamane's first Castlevania job was Bloodlines, iirc.

 

[HammerOfThor]

More "cross" censorship, this time from the .hack series!

Skeiths staff/wand in Japan:

Skeiths staff/wand in the West:

This change carried over in SIGN, Liminality, G.U... pretty much everything it appeared in that came to the west.

I love .hack!! I'm shocked I never knew this!!

Speaking of .hack, I still need to play GU pt. 2 and 3!!!!!

 

[Barrow Roll]

Ocarina of time

JapVer:
-Ganondorf coughing red blood
- Firetemple´s muslim charming version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJEmMKvZ2Bc

These were also in the early US releases.

 

[Desmond]

Well if you're asking for the awesome ones it's hard to top this recent change made to P2: Innocent Sin

presumably it's to make it easier to localize (likely to Europe)

they also changed his name from Hitler (Hitora) to Fuhrer (fyuura) why?

 

[Roto13]

I think Ocarina of Time gets more and more censored with each rerelease. Remember the moon and star symbol on the blocks and mirror shield?

 

[Sylver]

I don't know if it's in US version but on PAL SH version was censored cause that enemy look like a baby and Konami modified it.

Oh and wellknown Vega - M. Bison - Balrog mad changing name.

 

[Zoe]

they also changed his name from Hitler (Hitora) to Fuhrer (fyuura) why?

Do you really have to ask why?

 

[Desmond]

Do you really have to ask why?

Fuhrer is just as recognisable

I'm not entirely sure how this worked (I'm not sure if the new sprites were used in Japan before they were used in North America), but the original sprites for Pokemon Red and Green were hilariously bad.

http://i.imgur.com/ilv3Q.gif[/QUOTE]

I think they appeared in the JPN version of Blue, which served as a base for the Red/Blue versions everyone else got

 

[Zoe]

Fuhrer is just as recognisable

Not in the US, IMO. I had honestly never heard the term until a few years ago.

Of course the portrait is unmistakable.

 

[Desmond]

Not in the US, IMO. I had honestly never heard the term until a few years ago.

Of course the portrait is unmistakable.

Oh Really? I didn't know, if I heard Fuhrer, I'd only think of Hitler



themoreyouknow.jpg

 

[tiff]

Oh Really? I didn't know, if I heard Fuhrer, I'd only think of Hitler

Same, and I'm from America.

 

[randomlyrossy]

Crash Bandicoot had a change similar in Japan to Ratchet & Clank. His body was wider, he had bigger eyes, and bushier eyebrows.

US/Europe

Japan

Oh, Spyro was also modified for Japanese audiences to make him even cuter! For some reason, the Japanese cannot tolerate angry characters.

USA/EUROPE

JAPAN

Pretty sure both of these are wrong.

That Crash one I definitely saw on a European trailer which was on a promotional demo disk I got from Sony.

The Spyro one I'm fairly sure is a modern redesign, he never looked like that when the original games came out, more like that second image.

 

[Mr_Zombie]

He's supposed to be an English pirate (who dresses and fights like a Samurai).
The reason is that during the XVIth century (the time when SC takes place), Japan was occupying/invading Korea, and representation of Samurais of that era is very unwelcome as a result.

So they simply took Mitsurugi, changed his name, turned his hair blonde and gave him an eyepatch and called it a day? :lol
Couldn't they simply remove him completely or replace him with a hidden character (Edge Master, Lizardmen etc)?

 

[Roto13]

So they simply took Mitsurugi, changed his name, turned his hair blonde and gave him an eyepatch and called it a day? :lol
Couldn't they simply remove him completely or replace him with a hidden character (Edge Master, Lizardmen etc)?

Why would they do that?

 

[Neo Child]

I love crazy alternatives/censorship things like this.

Unfortuntaely I can't think of anything off the top of my head that hasn't already been posted! Love this though

 

[Cow Mengde]

Oh and wellknown Vega - M. Bison - Balrog mad changing name.

That reminds me. Is there a reason for this change? It just doesn't make sense. Why did the names get switched around? It's not censorship since it's still the same freakin' names.

 

[Forkball]

That reminds me. Is there a reason for this change? It just doesn't make sense. Why did the names get switched around? It's not censorship since it's still the same freakin' names.

Balrog's Japanese name is M. Bison, which is a bit too close to M. Tyson. I think they were afraid of copyright or a lawsuit from that, so they bamboozled the names around.

 

[webrunner]

That reminds me. Is there a reason for this change? It just doesn't make sense. Why did the names get switched around? It's not censorship since it's still the same freakin' names.

Mike Bison is based on Mike Tyson, but they didn't want to have an overt Tyson reference in the US since he was kind of a hot button at the time.

 

[Syril]

That reminds me. Is there a reason for this change? It just doesn't make sense. Why did the names get switched around? It's not censorship since it's still the same freakin' names.

The M in M. Bison stood for Mike. So if it was unchanged, you'd have a game come out here featuring a crazy violent boxer with a name two letters away from Mike Tyson.

 

[Cow Mengde]

Mike Bison is based on Mike Tyson, but they didn't want to have an overt Tyson reference in the US since he was kind of a hot button at the time.

Ok, then why was Balrog changed to Vega? I'm guessing Vega sounded more Hispanic so they gave it to the Spanish guy.

 

[Mr_Zombie]

Why would they do that?

Because apparently they wanted to remove a samurai character from the game, but failed to do so (calling him a pirate, yet keeping samurai clothing and fighting style is kind of stupid).

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

Not in the US, IMO. I had honestly never heard the term until a few years ago.

Of course the portrait is unmistakable.

Poster child for American public education!

Sheesh man, you've never watched even 5 minutes of the Hi(tler)story channel?

That Ranma 1/2 game makes me feel old as I remember being pissed at the time while reading about all the changes made to the game before it was released. Think I read about it in Gamefan now that I think about it.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

All differences, here

Yep. I will never understand why they had to make so many changes.

 

[Roto13]

Because apparently they wanted to remove a samurai character from the game, but failed to do so (calling him a pirate, yet keeping samurai clothing and fighting style is kind of stupid).

Nobody got mad, though, so mission accomplished. The Korean version of Soul Calibur got all of the characters with one reskin. That's better than removing a character and I don't know how you can argue otherwise.

 

[erlim]

I love posts like these. Thank you OP and everybody else who posted for this neat videogame miscellany.

 

[Zoe]

Poster child for American public education!

Sheesh man, you've never watched even 5 minutes of the Hi(tler)story channel?

In every single class, he was referred to as Adolf Hitler. You know, his name?

These are IB courses, BTW. So you have to blame the international community!

 

[SoilBreak]

Contra 3/Super Probotector Alien Rebels or also known as When Europeans suddenly got awesome robots.

Briareos?

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

In every single class, he was referred to as Adolf Hitler. You know, his name?
These are IB courses, BTW. So you have to blame the international community!

Hey man we wouldn't be Americans if we didn't!

I do have to say that sticking sunglasses on Hitler to hide his identity makes about as much sense as people who work with Clark Kent not knowing who Superman is.

 

[Herbspiceguy]

 

[revolverjgw]

Probotector looks sooOOOooo lame

 

[truly101]

Did Nomura design that bear?

 

[Pimpbaa]

Not only that .... xD

(Admins : if this is considered to be "posting a scan", just pm that i will edit it as soon as possible)

I still think it's just a retcon to explain all the gender changes rather than just saying it was due to Nintendo's retarded censorship.

 

[alf717]

Dragon Quest VIII, hands down. Adding voice acting and an orchestrated soundtrack to the US version... THIS is how you localize a video game.

Never knew this. I like these kinds of thread. Keep em coming.

 

[Tizoc]

Ok, then why was Balrog changed to Vega? I'm guessing Vega sounded more Hispanic so they gave it to the Spanish guy.

Pretty much what you wrote =p

Oh and in Garou: MotW, these characters got their name changed from the JP ver., and IMHO they are awesome changes/differences-

In JP his name is Marco Rodreguiz (could you think up of an even more generic name?), but in English releases, his name was changed to avoid issues with a real life martial artist who beared a similar name. In the English ver. he is named Khushnood Butt.
Now THAT is so random it's almost creative.
Oh and in JP, he's South American, but in English versions he was changed to Pakistani or some such?
Still a badass character, who sadly needs to appear in KoFs =/

Secondly is-

In JP he is known as (The) Griffon Mask, obviously after Tiger Mask. In Eng. his name was changed to Tizoc. Dunno why they would chose that name, but I guess Griffon Mask didn't sound so impressive to English speakers? Or that players wouldn't get the reference?
Either way, I kinda like the name 'Tizoc' =P

 

[Fine Ham Abounds]

Rofl I forgot all about this one. Probably one of my favorite localization "WTFs".