Cool things taken out of U.S. releases

[Kroogah]

The thing that annoys me the most about localization. When things are not just altered but REMOVED from games. Some of my favorite (least favorite?) examples:

Rival Schools & Project Justice had create-a-character modes. For the U.S. versions they inexplicably removed these features and just added a ton of characters created using that feature.

Super Smash Bros. Melee had a trophy removed...a character from the Famicom game Devil World.

The Japanese version of Yo! Noid (I can't remember the name...it wasn't a Noid game) had an extra level. You can only get this level on the U.S. version with Game Genie.

In Final Fantasy 6, Cyan (Cayenne) could read books in his room, and one of these books taught him how to use the "Tools" command.

[Dire 51]

There's too many instances of that happening. Check out what was removed from the U.S. version of Assault Suit Valken: http://www.geocities.com/opcfg3/asv.html

It's not much, but talk about a surprise...

[Kroogah]

I'm reminded of something else mentioned in one of your articles: The blue seals removed from Ice Climber. NO SEAL CLUBBING FOR YOU!!!

Don't forget the porn in the Final Fantasy games...

In the PC CD version of Snatcher, you can buy a porno movie in the marketplace. There's even a cutscene of Gillian and Metal watching it. ^_^

[Dire 51]

Oh yeah!

http://www.geocities.com/opcfg3/iceclimber.html

Here's something else - we lost the hidden Roulette game and "Anime Recap" from the PCE version of Valis III when NEC brought it out here. Neither of those are even remotely essential to the actual game, but they shouldn't have been yanked, imo.

http://www.geocities.com/opcfg3/valis3.html

[GaijinPunch]

There's a lot of these... this could be a fun thread.

The Phantasy Star series: Most of the "attitude" of some of the characters. Definitely the slang.

Chrono Trigger: In the English version, you go to a "Cafe". In the Japanese version, it's a Pub. In the cafe, you get Toma's Soda or something. In the Japanese version, you get Toma's Liquor.

Lots of old SFC games have some scantily clad women that are edited severely.

[Queen Of The Felines]

Persona for the PSX had an entire side-quest removed. It involved the one teacher wearing a possessed mask, and the kids had to go crawling around a tower in order to save her. Probably was removed because it appeared to be unfinished even in the Japanese version.

The characters were altered as well. Mark was originally white and wore a "Cat in the Hat" type of hat, and the others were most definitely Japanese instead of "Americanized."

Kristine

[devilman]

I know the Bare Knuckle/Streets of Rage series have had amendments in the past. Even on the GBA. That's why I want to get hold of a Jap Bare Knuckle III. I'll have my games uncensored, thanks.

[Mayhem]

Final Fight SNES US... no blacks or women for you... can only beat up on good ol' white boys

[Kroogah]

A little more info on the Ice Climber censorship: They did the same thing in the U.S. and PAL releases of Super Smash Bros. Melee. Topi was changed from a seal to a weird yeti-like thing. The text in the trophy remains the same, but the graphics are changed.

[Raccoon Lad]

Captain Silver SMS, they cut the game in HALF! http://www.digitpress.com/reviews/captainsilver.htm

[chadtower]

There's too many instances of that happening. Check out what was removed from the U.S. version of Assault Suit Valken: http://www.geocities.com/opcfg3/asv.html

It's not much, but talk about a surprise...

Ha, that's awesome.

[Dire 51]

Captain Silver SMS, they cut the game in HALF! http://www.digitpress.com/reviews/captainsilver.htm

That pisses me off. I liked the game, castrated as it was, and I'd love to get the complete game.

[Tetsu]

Super Castlevania had some scantily clad statues, and Protestant crosses removed here and there. Also, the dungeon stage has green slime in it, instead of red blood like in the SuperFamicom version.

[GaijinPunch]

One game I noticed that *DIDN'T* have something taken out that I thought would was Taito's Ninja Warriors (on the Arcade anyway).
Ever noticed that with the exception of the generals, snipers, and bosses, everyone was black? Basically, if you had a knife, you were black. Then the couple of guys a stage w/ guns were white. That struck me as funny the first time I played it.

[Li Wang]

Super Chinese World. The game was pretty much given a complete graphic overhaul and had it's battles and encounter rate edited. For the worse. Someone obviously saw FF2 and said "that game was an rpg and mildly successful, so make it look like that", because that's exactly what Super Ninja Boy looks like. Super Chinese World has lush, much nicer looking graphics. Even your character's sprite looks nicer. The encounter rate is much more tolerable in the Japanese version, at least from how far I've played. The battle scenes have more variety in what type of scene you'll get. They also chopped out a picture from the opening storyline, apparently just for the hell of it.

[DDCecil]

Time Gal (Sega CD)

The Japanese version has:

- Lyrics to the opening song!
- 999 A.D. is really 666 A.D.

[davidbrit2]

Smash Brothers Melee has a few interesting changes that you can see when you switch the language to Japanese. So far, I've seen the Japanese game systems in the background on the Trophy ("Figure") Collection screen. Also, the Lottery machine says FiguPon instead. I'm not sure what other differences there are... I checked the Topic trophy in Japanese mode, but it's still the beaked Yeti midget. I wonder if any of the trophies actually do change if you switch languages.

[Kroogah]

A few more SSBM changes, accessible by changing the language to Japanese.

The Home Run Contest platform is slightly wider.

You can see a Virtual Boy in the background with all the Japanese systems on the figure collection screen.

The trophies all have Japanese release dates. And of course, they don't say "Japan Only"

[WiseSalesman]

No one else caught in SSBM that, on the back of Falcon's uniform in the US Version it says "BloodHawk", but in the Japanese version it says "HellHawk"?

[Kroogah]

Ah yes. That's only if he's wearing the Blood Falcon colors, though.

[WiseSalesman]

Oh, really? I didn't know that....those are the only colors I ever use with him.

[ArnoldRimmer83]

Salamander had 3 endings depending on how many continues you used. In the US version Life Force these ending pictures and the entire credits sequences were all removed, so all you get at the end was the Konami logo. I still cannot fathom why Konami did this.

An interesting fact. For those who own issue 2 of Nintendo Power, (With Simon Belmont on the cover holding Drac's head. Which apparently gave kids nightmares. Was always my favorite NP cover actually.) go to the Life Force section. On page 18 there's a close up pic of the Vic Viper, and on page 19 in the upper right is a picture of a helmet. Those two pics were from the endings from the Japanese version.

[Ruudos]

I've heard that they take a lot out of Pop'n TwinBee Rainbow Bell Adventures when it was released in Europe.

[fcw3]

Splatterhouse on the Turbografx had an inverted cross removed. Your hero walks forward afterr beating a level boss and looks at... nothing.

FRED

[Mr-Monday]

There's a good page showing the differences between Bare Knuckle 3 and Streets of Rage 3 on this site:-

http://www.classicgaming.com/soronli..._sor3vsbk3.htm