Regional Differences in Video Games.

[Tsukishima Tsukishima]

This isn't strictly Japanese and Western differences either.

I wanted to make this post due to discovering differences in the prologue movie for Pikmin.
In the USA version, brass instruments start playing as the Dolphin is crashing into PNF-404 alongside with its scattered parts.

The PAL version at-least, does not have this instrument.

Although this example is very well known, it is worth mentioning:
Luigi's Mansion's Hidden Mansion is vastly different in the American version of the game. The PAL and JP version is heavily more difficult with altered ghosts placement (harder to defeat ones appearing much earlier etc.) and differences like the Mansion layout is mirrored and the fight against Boolossus is changed in which Luigi mounts his Poltergeist instead of the normal stipulation leading to ice-level like movement.

 

[ArchienineZXAdventArchienineZXAdvent's icon]

The Cutting Room Floor covers plenty of regional differences if anyone is interested

https://tcrf.net/Category:Games_with_regional_differences

 

[sijaab]

the original eu version of pursuit force is hell
the us version is actually fun

 

[ZeromusVX4]

I was first exposed to Fire Emblem through the EU version of Shadow Dragon for DS and because of that to this day I still call Caeda Shiida and Navarre Nabarl

 

[Macaulay Kong]

I'm unfortunately mostly familiar with the kind of changes Working Design's were infamous for. Such as taking fairly normal Japanese games and setting the difficulty up to 11 to fight against rentals or just deciding the script of Alundra would be much improved by Bill Clinton references, weed and blowjob jokes and reprogramming Vay to feature a scene about a fairy with earthquake-inducing farts

 

[ArchienineZXAdventArchienineZXAdvent's icon]

Western version of Mega Man 2 included a Normal mode that made the game easier (Mega Man recives lees damage and bosses receives more damage).
Curiously, Mega Man 2 isn't a very hard game, so is more a easy mode.

 

[Majora Fi]

On PS2, we have Chameleon.
On Wii, we have Khameleon.

 

[ArchienineZXAdventArchienineZXAdvent's icon]

On PS2, we have Chameleon.
On Wii, we have Khameleon.
View attachment 209126

Also on Mortal Trilogy depending on the version (N64 having the female contrapart)

 

[Majora Fi]

Norimaro
No Norimaro

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

Playing Call Of Duty in Germany is, uh, a thing to behold.

 

[ArchienineZXAdventArchienineZXAdvent's icon]

Playing Call Of Duty in Germany is, uh, a thing to behold.

Or Wolfenstein

 

[Scotty Scotty]

The Cutting Room Floor covers plenty of regional differences if anyone is interested

https://tcrf.net/Category:Games_with_regional_differences

They're always my favorite section of each TCRF article. It's what's inspired me to highlight regional / version differences as well in the games I post on here.

 

[ArchienineZXAdventArchienineZXAdvent's icon]

They're always my favorite section of each TCRF article.

Is the best page that i know about early versions and regional/revisional differences in video games

 

[Retro Doomer]

The Pal version of Pocky Rocky on the Snes just got the whole story text removed instead of either translating it or just letting the English text stay.

Also the German version of Saints Row 2 is a cencored abomination

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

Or Wolfenstein

I don't really think they did all that much to Wolfenstein, aside for the obligatory censorship of certain logos.

I think Medal Of Honor and Call Of Duty get a much worse rep because they are about the actual war, whereas Wolfenstein is about infiltrating actual Nazi strongholds — it's kind of a big difference, especially when one has war-ravaged Berlin as a scenario while the other has castles and shit.

 

[Majora Fi]

Sacrificed Soldier
Undead Legionnaire

 

[Scotty Scotty]

"Also the German version of Saints Row 2 is a cencored abomination "

How bad are we talking, here? I'm genuinely curious.

 

[Retro Doomer]

How bad are we talking, here? I'm genuinely curious.

Very bad look yourself

 

[ArchienineZXAdventArchienineZXAdvent's icon]

Japanese version of GTA San Andreas is hell.
Every time that you shoot, you get a wanted star, NPC don't drop money while dead and you can't attack melee to NPC on the floor.

 

[Tsukishima Tsukishima]

I forgot to mention in my first post how there is an astonishing list of differences in treasures to collect between the JP, NA and PAL versions of Pikmin 2.

https://tcrf.net/Pikmin_2/Version_Differences

Some of them have rhyme and reason, others seem to have been changed for no reason at all.

 

[X y b e r - S k u ll]

I forgot to mention in my first post how there is an astonishing list of differences in treasures to collect between the JP, NA and PAL versions of Pikmin 2.

https://tcrf.net/Pikmin_2/Version_Differences

Some of them have rhyme and reason, others seem to have been changed for no reason at all.

Was just typing my own post in this thread about this

I suppose instead I'll highlight Sonic CD's soundtrack differences between the JP/PAL versions and the US version of the game

The US version of the game uses the same songs as JP/PAL for the past versions of the levels, but replaces every other song in the game. Ironically, Naofumi Hataya and Masafumi Ogata (composers for the JP/PAL versions soundtrack) thought their score would appeal to pretty much everyone since, in their own words, it was heavily inspired by Techno and House music, which was rising in popularity in Japan at the time, as well as those genres established popularity in Europe and America. Sega of America however wanted a soundtrack that was "richer and more complex" and thus hired Spencer Nilsen, David Young and Sterling Crew to record new songs for the game, for which they only had 2 months to do so.

 

[HoyeBoye]

I'm unfortunately mostly familiar with the kind of changes Working Design's were infamous for. Such as taking fairly normal Japanese games and setting the difficulty up to 11 to fight against rentals or just deciding the script of Alundra would be much improved by Bill Clinton references, weed and blowjob jokes and reprogramming Vay to feature a scene about a fairy with earthquake-inducing farts

I think Popful Mail may have been their best translation. The only timely joke I remember in there is a reference to the caning of an American teenager in Singapore.
Wikipedia: Caning of Michael Fay

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

Japanese version of GTA San Andreas is hell.
Every time that you shoot, you get a wanted star, NPC don't drop money while dead and you can't attack melee to NPC on the floor.

Sounds a bit against the spirit of things, but you can't say it isn't realistic...

In the words of Peggy Hill: "Careful with those $20, Bobby — this isn't like your videogames! Random hobos won't drop more when you kill them" xD

 

[Retro Doomer]

Contra being changed in le Europe to Probotector because killing humans is bad and n shit.
Honestly the Robots do have there own charm.

 

[Tsukishima Tsukishima]

Contra being changed in le Europe to Probotector because killing humans is bad and n shit.
Honestly the Robots do have there own charm.
View attachment 209159View attachment 209160

Sick designs honestly.
Their structure reminds me of the mechs in Macross specifically. Would be so rad to see these in Super Robot Wars and et-cetera.