Games you still refer to by their Japanese name?

[LaserMoose]

Do you refer to any games in your head/in conversation under their original Japanese name before they were translated? Alternatively, are there any console codenames that stick out in your head years after the official name's been revealed? Do you prefer these names over the localized/official names?

An example of this for me would be Dai Gyakuten Saiban 1:

The game has been known for a few years now as The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (which has this first game and its sequel), but I still think of the game as Dai Gyakuten Saiban, as it was known by that name for about 6 years before its international release. It's hard to refer to it as anything else for me, at this point.

 

[Tonberry]

I've tried to force that out of my head, but it still happens sometimes.

I'm always referring to Elite Beat Agents as Osu! even though I know that's just part of the japanese title, and usually refers to that freeware rhythm game. I don't know why but I think it's because I first read reviews on the japanese version when I was a kid.

 

[Glimbo]

Seiken Densetsu 3. About 25 years until it got an English title, so it's hard to change that.

 

[DunkeyKong]

Biohazard definitely

 

[Stingy Perry]

Rockman & Garou Densetsu

 

[Hikaru1057]

Tokimeki Memorial is one example, because i think it fits with it's dating sim genre, and i refer it better than refering to it's unoffical name: Heartthrob Memorial

 

[UnDubious]

Kunio-tachi no Banka, the Technos SNES beat-'em-up related to the Kunio series (River City here). Came out in 1994, fan translation dropped in 2002. Then a few years ago, Wayforward makes River City Girls, and then they finally localize it as "River City Girls Zero". To me that's weird revisionist nonsense; that game was not conceived as a prequel to some Western-made spin-off that was made 25 years later, and the lead characters are Kunio and Riki, not their girlfriends (though they are playable for the first time), so how is it called River City Girls anything? I don't like the "river city" localization anyway, these games are about Japanese banchos, we don't need to pretend otherwise anymore.

 

[prnzo x BOOZE-o ka-BEER-o]

Gryzor n Akumajou Densetsu. I wiLL name my next 2 doggies these names.

GRYZOR STOP BARKIN THE UPS GUY IS GONE

A-KUU-MAH-JOE DENN-SETZ!!! DID U PEE-PEE ON THIS CARPET?

(yea right it's jokingly in caps but I don't yeLL or spank them - any pet I have knows they can get away with murder when it comes to me lol yea I'm a softie with animuLz folk)

 

[LegitThatDude]

Dragon Quest I-VII, Puyo Puyo Fever, Final Fantasy IV and VI (of course), Digimon Story, Digimon Story Sunlight and Moonburst

 

[TotzOnGaming]

Seiken Densetsu
Ganbare Goemon
Piposaru

 

[MasterEn]

i use both. if an english name exists, i go with that; mostly because i speak english. if there is a translation of the title, i go with that or the japanese name if i hear someone say it so i know how to pronounce it.
fortunately, most series use the main character's name as the title or a name that is said the same in both languages, so that's not a problem i run into a lot.

 

[Eclipse14]

Technically more of a North American change, but Thunder Force IV.
Its name in NA? Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar.
Just...why?

 

[RageBurner]

Technically more of a North American change, but Thunder Force IV.
It's name in NA? Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar.
Just...why?

Someone was drunk and submitted this. No other explanation.
As for myself, probably the mana series (Seiken Densetsu) and the Final Fantasy Legend subseries (because calling them Final Fantasy games is factually wrong).

 

[lil_thang]

kinda a funky inversion of the question, but Like A Dragon will always be Yakuza to me

 

[MasterEn]

Technically more of a North American change, but Thunder Force IV.
Its name in NA? Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar.
Just...why?

no idea, but i think you will like checking out this short thread on another website that i stumbled across while checking on this:

A theory on "Lightening" Force - shmups.system11.org

 

[Bakuma1997]

You will catch me dead first rather than catch me call Mother Earthbound Zero, heck, for me Earthbound will always be Mother

 

[RageBurner]

You will catch me dead first rather than catch me call Mother Earthbound Zero, heck, for me Earthbound will always be Mother

Agreed!

 

[miguk]

• Vampire Chronicles. I got the DC version before Darkstalkers Chronicles came out for the PSP.
• I sometimes say The Legend of Zelda: The Hyrule Fantasy to clarify that I'm talking about the first one.
• Hokuto no Ken. I've never met one Japanese person who knows what I mean by The Fist of the North Star, so it's easier to just call it that.
• Final Fantasy II through VI. Not going back to the screwy old names.
• Shin Megami Tensei, as nobody calls it Revelations anymore.

 

[moonbits]

*tips fedora*
Zeruda no Densetsu

 

[RageBurner]

• Vampire Chronicles. I got the DC version before Darkstalkers Chronicles came out for the PSP.
• I sometimes say The Legend of Zelda: The Hyrule Fantasy to clarify that I'm talking about the first one.
• Hokuto no Ken. I've never met one Japanese person who knows what I mean by The Fist of the North Star, so it's easier to just call it that.
• Final Fantasy II through VI. Not going back to the screwy old names.
• Shin Megami Tensei, as nobody calls it Revelations anymore.

Every time someone still uses the old numbering convention for Final Fantasy games I die a little.
Also absolutely agreed on SMT. I'm glad that localization never stuck. The reason I think they don't translate it properly is because it's both too long and somewhat controversial, possibly.

 

[Eclipse14]

no idea, but i think you will like checking out this short thread on another website that i stumbled across while checking on this:

Well, it could be worse.

Could be like why Wipeout 2097 got changed to Wipeout XL.

 

[Bakuma1997]

• Vampire Chronicles. I got the DC version before Darkstalkers Chronicles came out for the PSP.
• I sometimes say The Legend of Zelda: The Hyrule Fantasy to clarify that I'm talking about the first one.
• Hokuto no Ken. I've never met one Japanese person who knows what I mean by The Fist of the North Star, so it's easier to just call it that.
• Final Fantasy II through VI. Not going back to the screwy old names.
• Shin Megami Tensei, as nobody calls it Revelations anymore.

Agreed with the SMT, i think only TWO games got unlucky to get that name, the first Persona and Last Bible, like... ¿Why? a game called True Reincarnation of the Goddess will always rock more, regarding the FF *Enter Ghaccio Mode*

WHY BOTHER GIVING US THE ACTUAL FINAL FANTASY II IN USA WHILE YOU WON'T TRANSLATE FINAL FANTASY III UNTIL MORE THAN TWO DECADES, YOU BROUGHT TO GAMEBOY ADVANCE FINAL FANTASY VI THEREBY ACKNOWLEDGING FINAL FANTASY VI AS THE TRUE SIXTH INSTALLMENT, DITTO WITH IV WHILE FINALLY BRINGING V TO WEST, ¿WHY NOT BOTHER TO BRING III IF YOU BOTHERED TO BRING II, THE MOST POLARIZING GAME OF THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY!!!???

 

[MasterEn]

Agreed with the SMT, i think only TWO games got unlucky to get that name, the first Persona and Last Bible, like... ¿Why? a game called True Reincarnation of the Goddess will always rock more, regarding the FF *Enter Ghaccio Mode*

WHY BOTHER GIVING US THE ACTUAL FINAL FANTASY II IN USA WHILE YOU WON'T TRANSLATE FINAL FANTASY III UNTIL MORE THAN TWO DECADES, YOU BROUGHT TO GAMEBOY ADVANCE FINAL FANTASY VI THEREBY ACKNOWLEDGING FINAL FANTASY VI AS THE TRUE SIXTH INSTALLMENT, DITTO WITH IV WHILE FINALLY BRINGING V TO WEST, ¿WHY NOT BOTHER TO BRING III IF YOU BOTHERED TO BRING II, THE MOST POLARIZING GAME OF THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY!!!???
View attachment 44138

have you played 3? i did. i see why they skipped it.

 

[RageBurner]

Agreed with the SMT, i think only TWO games got unlucky to get that name, the first Persona and Last Bible, like... ¿Why? a game called True Reincarnation of the Goddess will always rock more, regarding the FF *Enter Ghaccio Mode*

WHY BOTHER GIVING US THE ACTUAL FINAL FANTASY II IN USA WHILE YOU WON'T TRANSLATE FINAL FANTASY III UNTIL MORE THAN TWO DECADES, YOU BROUGHT TO GAMEBOY ADVANCE FINAL FANTASY VI THEREBY ACKNOWLEDGING FINAL FANTASY VI AS THE TRUE SIXTH INSTALLMENT, DITTO WITH IV WHILE FINALLY BRINGING V TO WEST, ¿WHY NOT BOTHER TO BRING III IF YOU BOTHERED TO BRING II, THE MOST POLARIZING GAME OF THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY!!!???
View attachment 44138

3 is great (my favorite of the first trilogy), but the reason they never gave us 3 Advance is because they were just uplifted ports from the Wonderswan games.
That said, they should just have used the WS data and make FF3A go straight for the GBA.

Edit: check here https://www.unseen64.net/2012/10/11/final-fantasy-3-wonderswan-color-cancelled/

 

[LaserMoose]

Another example I can think of is Fire Emblem: Fate's Japanese title:

Fire Emblem if. I like both if and Fates as the title, but "if" seems to imply a question of sorts, whereas "Fates" implies a matter of predetermined destiny. Really neat stuff.


Additionally, the Switch's codename as NX has stuck with me back when the rumors of the system began those few years ago. I like the use of X as "Cross" in Japan. The codename tells us quite a bit about the system in that way.