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.
"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.
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.)
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
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.
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 - 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.
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
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.
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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Topic: Jap-Or-These?
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