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Topic: Jap-Or-These?

Posts 1 to 20 of 23

Bowsotnik

Bad thread title, couldn't think of anything else.

So, you post a game, that has different names in Japan and the West (USA, Europe, Australia), and you say which you prefer. Yes, it's that much fun.

I'll start it off with these 2:

Streets of Rage V Bare Knuckle

Resident Evil V BioHazard

Say which you prefer, why, post some of your own, or... don't.

Also, why exactly do they change the titles for some games? Some sort of supposed unsuitability for one or the other markets?

Edited on by Bowsotnik

Bowsotnik

bro2dragons

Definitely prefer Resident Evil to BioHazard. it has much deeper thematic implications.

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Bowsotnik

Resident Evil is clever, to a certain extent anyway. BioHazard... doesn't really set the scene. It sounds like the title to an episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Bowsotnik

cheapogamer4life

"Also, why exactly do they change the titles for some games?"
Their was a article in Game Informer magazine about that topic not to long ago. Something to do with popular culture in each part of the world thats not the same. Something may offend Japan might be the "norm" for us Amercians.

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Bowsotnik

Suppose... but BioHazard and Resident Evil? Can't see either of those offending anyone in any country.

Bowsotnik

edhe

Bowsotnik wrote:

Suppose... but BioHazard and Resident Evil? Can't see either of those offending anyone in any country.

Other reasons include copyright infringement (off topic, the cartoon Top Cat was retitled "Boss Cat" in the UK as it infringed on a brand of cat food) or that the Western arm of Nintendo or Konami may feel that a game would appeal to its consumers under a different name.

Obviously, when you've got a game called "Bokujou Mongatari", as a western marketer, you'd probably want to change it anyway.

Anyway, in Europe and Australia, Elebits became "Eledees" (WTH!), and I prefer "Elebits", because "Eledees" sounds naff (although it becomes a play on the word LED.)

Edited on by edhe

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Bowsotnik

I think appeal is the main reason - someone thinks it might sell a few more copies if it's renamed.

Bowsotnik

Ricardo91

Bowsotnik wrote:

Also, why exactly do they change the titles for some games?

Biohazard was changed to RE cuz a hardcore metal band called Biohazard held the rights to the name.

Personally I think the name "Resident Evil" is much more fitting. RE actually inspires terror, while Biohazard just makes me think of hospitals and dirty syringes.

Here's mine:

Salamander vs. Life Force
Nemesis vs. Gradius
Rockman vs. Mega Man

CanisWolfred

Some just sound better with the new name. while Many others have copyright issues with the old name. That's why they had to be changed.

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Bowsotnik

Well, yes, but 'better' is subjective.

Also, the 'better' name could have been used in the first place.

Bowsotnik

StarBoy91

The localized title SoulBlazer sounds a whole lot better than the Japanese original title SoulBlader, imo.

Edited on by StarBoy91

To each their own

Adamant

edhe wrote:

Anyway, in Europe and Australia, Elebits became "Eledees" (WTH!), and I prefer "Elebits", because "Eledees" sounds naff (although it becomes a play on the word LED.)

Elebits sounds like "et les bites", which is French for "also dicks". Can't have a game named that.

Ricardo91 wrote:

Salamander vs. Life Force
Nemesis vs. Gradius

Salamander and Life Force are more "different versions" of the same game than anything, though the naming convention wasn't consistent, so it all just became a mess. Both Salamander and Life Force have been used all over the world, neither are exclusive to one region.

Nemesis started out as the English name for Gradius, but then the franchise went back to being called Gradius everywhere, and then some games ended up with the Nemesis name and some with the Gradius name, and then the Gameboy Gradius games were called Nemesis in Japan too, and then Nemesis II for the Gameboy was called "Gradius" in America, and... gaaah.

But yeah, this is just "franchises that has two names for whatever reason", not region-specific renamings.

Edited on by Adamant

Adamant

StarBoy91

Donkey Kong Country or Super Donkey Kong? I go with the former.

EDIT: Just out of curiosity, why was Illusion of Gaia called Illusion of Time in Europe?

Edited on by StarBoy91

To each their own

Adamant

StarBoy91 wrote:

EDIT: Just out of curiosity, why was Illusion of Gaia called Illusion of Time in Europe?

Why was it called "Illusion of Gaia" in America?

Adamant

StarBoy91

Adamant wrote:

StarBoy91 wrote:

EDIT: Just out of curiosity, why was Illusion of Gaia called Illusion of Time in Europe?

Why was it called "Illusion of Gaia" in America?

Touche, lolinator.

To each their own

Adamant

Hell, the European title is technically closer to the original. Switch the words around, and you get "Time of Illusion", which is roughly what Gaia Gensouki means. I'd have gone with "Illusion Era" or something. "Gaia" is another word for Earth.

Adamant

StarBoy91

@Adamant - Guess the "touche" message was unnecessary, huh? My bad.
Akumajou Dracula X Chi no Rondo sounds a whole lot better than Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, imo.

Edited on by StarBoy91

To each their own

I prefer Resident Evil than Biohazard. Both sound like B-Movies but RE sounds more "cool". Didn't knew that about Bare Knuckle though!

Sometimes the japanese translations sounds too weird in english so they have to find something simmilar but more coherent for the western like Akumajō Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight vs Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Bowsotnik

That's because if you translate from Japanese to English literally, every game would be called - Amazing Adventures of Hero Who Is In The Sky With Super Weapon To Smash-O-Late Evil King Monster Death Squad XVIIXVI Hyper.

Or something.

Edited on by Bowsotnik

Bowsotnik

edhe

Adamant wrote:

Elebits sounds like "et les bites", which is French for "also dicks". Can't have a game named that..

Ooo-err

Can this thread extend to Europe <> North America?

Because I've got another one.

In Europe, I remember enjoying a game called "Action in New York" on the NES. In Japan, it was known under the title "Final Mission", while in North America, it was known as "S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team", and apart from the humourous connotations of the acronym "S.C.A.T (at least to some - it can mean either scat rapping (Scatman) or is another word for faeces), it is a bit of a mouthful.

"Action in New York" as a title is a bit generic and the title "Final Mission" is similarly generic, but I'd probably stick with the European name

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