I know sometimes games need to have different titles in different regions (due to some obscure copyright threat, or local tastes), but it seems like I've seen much more of it on eShop than usual (especially in Nintendo published titles).
Pushmo ⇒ Pullblox
Crashmo ⇒ Fallblox
Swapnote ⇒ Nintendo Letter Box
Sakura Samurai ⇒ Hana Samurai
Ketzal's Corridors ⇒ Potzol's Puzzle
Fluidity ⇒ Hydroventure
I know there are plenty of titles that are unchanged, but there seems to be more title flips on eShop than I usually see (and for seemingly no reason).
Anyone want to speculate on reasonings?
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
I always assumed it was also called Swapnote here! Also I don't see any reason why the name would get changed, except there's no way to be snippy about the pronunciation of "Hana". What I really didn't like though was changing X-Scape to "3D Space Tank" - they took a perfectly fine name and made it one of the most dubious sounding titles ever!
always thought I'd change to Gyarados after I turned 20 but hey, this is more fitting I guess. (also somebody registered under the original Magikarp name and I can't get back to it anymore orz)
Competition with other similar products on the market, names that consumers might get confused with, blah blah blah.
QUEEN OF SASS
It's like, I just love a cowboy
You know
I'm just like, I just, I know, it's bad
But I'm just like
Can I just like, hang off the back of your horse
And can you go a little faster?!
Cultural differences is my answer to this question. What sounds appealing to consumers in one region/country may not be as appealing in a different one. The same thing goes for box art. I don't know where it is (probably because a threw it out), but I remember a story in Game Informer from a few years ago about how box art is changed from country to country to be more appealing to consumers, specifically Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, where the heroes displayed on the cover changed from country to country (i.e. Thor being prominent on the Italian cover while Captain America is downplayed).
I can't say for most of the game, but I think the reasoning for the titles of Pushmo and Crashmo definitely come down to cultural differences. You can't really use the term "block" in any puzzle games over here in North American anymore, without people immediately thinking you mean Tetris. I know that's a bit of a trigger word ACROSS the globe, but with gamers over here I think it carries harsher connotations. A gamer here hears "Fallblox" and will immediately think "Tetris", and when that game is NOT Tetris, they are not pleased. "Pushmo" and "Crashmo" remove any word associations.
I realize this makes it sound like I'm saying American gamers are stupid... but hey! I'm not!
I'm from Canada so I'm including Canadian gamers in that too . (lol I'm mostly joking - though it is kind of true, a lot of gamers over here aren't very bright, and can only judge a game based on how it relates to any game they feel it has any similarities to).
Here's a slightly Nintendo related one, though not eShop specific. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -> Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles. 'sup with that?
Because in the '90s some parts of Europe (specifically Germany?) thought ninjas were a violent influence on kids so anything with "ninja" in the title had to get renamed.
I'll do the region I know with the region I am
New myth Paultenas Mirror - Kid Icarus Uprising
push or Pull - Pushmo
The rolling western - Dillons Rolling Western
LOZ the dream island - links awakening
LOZ the mysterious hat - Minish cap
LOZ. tri forceof the gods - a link to the past
Kirby and the great mirror labrynth - amazing mirror
LOZ steam whistle of the earth - spirit tracks
LOZ baton of the wind - Wind Waker
Kirby and the Derouch Gang - Squeak Squad
MechouBots - Excite Bots
ExciteBike World Race - world rally
Mecha Fight - blaster Master
Actually if you wanna know more just go to my Backloggery since I input all my games as there Japanese names
Digitaloggery 3DS FC: Otaku1 WiiU: 013017970991 Nintendo of Japan niconico community is full of kawaii! Must finish my backlagg or at least get close this year W...
Where'd you get that from? In the game, you're tasked with rescuing Princess Cherry Blossom (Cherry Blossom = Sakura). You're playing the role of the samurai who's destined to save her, and thus, are the Sakura Samurai (Cherry Blossom Samurai). This is further supported by the fact that the slice of your sword & special attack are pink, the color associated with cherry blossoms.
How Hana would make more sense than Sakura is beyond me.
Now, if you're saying you like the sound of Hana Samurai more, I can't argue with you there (I personally prefer the sound of Sakura Samurai, but to each their own).
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
Digitaloggery 3DS FC: Otaku1 WiiU: 013017970991 Nintendo of Japan niconico community is full of kawaii! Must finish my backlagg or at least get close this year W...
^Hana means flower so it makes sense, not as much as Sakura but still
of course, but his post made it seem like the change from Sakura to Hana was sensible. While Hana still makes sense (albiet more loosely), the more specific Sakura holds a deeper meaning with the game's theme.
Currently Playing:
Switch - Blade Strangers
PS4 - Kingdom Hearts III, Tetris Effect (VR)
Oh sorry I thought you meant it made ZERO sense, but yeah it makes some but not as much as Sakura
Digitaloggery 3DS FC: Otaku1 WiiU: 013017970991 Nintendo of Japan niconico community is full of kawaii! Must finish my backlagg or at least get close this year W...
actually, I prefer Hana Samurai: Art of the Sword. People here all know that Sakura means cherry blossom, and combined with the cartoony graphics of that game people are sure to think it's kiddy. On the other hand, nobody knows that Hana means flower, and "Art of the Sword" just makes it sound like a game where you go around hitting things (and as we all know, hitting things = marketable)
always thought I'd change to Gyarados after I turned 20 but hey, this is more fitting I guess. (also somebody registered under the original Magikarp name and I can't get back to it anymore orz)
They can call it whatever they want, I'm just happy I can finally play it this week.
Currently playing: Rhythm Heaven, Minecraft (XBLA), Pokemon B/W 2, Halo 4, The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave, Fallblox, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (GCN)
Will be playing soon: Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Cave Story +, Wii U: NSMBU, Nintendo Land, (And lots more!)
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Topic: Regional Title Changes
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