Conference rusure::nintendo

464.0. "Name Changes" by JARETH::EDP (Always mount a scratch monkey.) Tue May 29 1990 09:02

Article         7919
From: [email protected] (John Leo)
Newsgroups: rec.games.video
Subject: Game name changes (long)
Organization: Laboratory for Computer Science, MIT
Lines: 246
 
A while back I promised to start a list of differences between the
Japanese and US names of games, so here it is.  There's also a section
on name differences of the systems and their compatibility.  This list
is very incomplete, so feel free to add to it as well as send me
corrections.  Hopefully this list will be useful to those who wish to
buy Japanese games but might not be sure if a game is already out in
the US under a different name.  Also even the small name changes can
be quite interesting.
 
GAME SYSTEMS AND COMPATIBILITY
 
Japanese name           US name                         Maker
Famicom                 Nintendo Entertainment System   Nintendo
PC Engine               Turbografx-16                   NEC
PC Engine SuperGrafx    [not yet released in the US]    NEC
Megadrive               Genesis                         Sega
Gameboy                 Gameboy                         Nintendo
Lynx                    Lynx                            Atari
 
Compatibility:
 Famicom is not compatible with NES, although one can supposedly buy
adapters for both directions. 
 PC Engine Hu-cards are not compatible with TG-16 cards.  There may be
an adapter so that one can play PC Engine games on the TG-16, though.
CD-ROM games are compatible, but you cannot edit saved games on the US
system.
 Megadrive games are compatible with Genesis games, but the cartridges
are a little thicker so you need to file them down to fit into the
Genesis.  Inserting a Genesis cartridge into a Megadrive causes it to
play the Japanese version of the game.  (Does this work the other way
around?)
 Gameboy games are completely compatible between the US and Japanese
systems.
 I'm not sure about Lynx, but it looks like they are simply selling
the US unit and games in Japan, so they are probably compatible.
 
[Thanks to Leo Sugiarno for some of this information.]
 
NAME CHANGES FOR JAPANESE GAMES
 
Only games whose names have actually changed are included in this
list.  I haven't included games were Japanese title is the English one
in katakana (for example Super Mario Brothers) or where the
translation is direct (for example Zelda no Densetsu [Legend of
Zelda]).  Any word in a Japanese title that is in ALL CAPS is written
in roman letters; otherwise English words in Japanese titles are
originally written in katakana, although I have written them in
English here.  Romanization is modified Hepburn.  ?? means I'm not
sure about something.
 
"Anime" is the word for Japanese animation, and I am using this word
to cover manga (comic books) as well.  Many Japanese games are based on
anime characters, and these games, if they come to the US at all, will
typically have their names changed since Americans usually haven't
heard of the characters.
 
Company Notes:
  A/B means that B made the game but A brought it out (to the best of
my knowledge).
  Fuji TV and Pony Canyon are subsidiaries of FCI.  Any game listed as
being by Pony Canyon is by FCI in the US.
  Games by Hudson and NEC Avenue for the PC Engine are brought out by
NEC for the Turbografx-16.
  ASCII is known as Nexoft in the US.
 
Format:
original name [translation] (company): US name (company if different)
  [notes]
 
* * *
 
NINTENDO FAMICOM/NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM
 
Akumajou Dracula [Demon Castle Dracula] (Konami): Castlevania
 
Akumajou densetsu [Demon Castle Legend] (Konami): Castlevania III
 
Aokiookami to shiroki mejika jingisu kan [Blue Wolf and White Doe:
  Ghengis Kahn] (Koei): Ghengis Kahn
 
Contra (Konami): Contra
  [The Japanese name is written using kanji having the pronunciations
  "kon to ra".]
 
Downtown nekketsu monogatari [hot-blooded story] (Technos Japan):
  River City Ransom
 
Dracula II: Noroi no fuuin [Seal of the Curse]  (Konami):
  Castlevania II: Simon's Quest 
 
DragonQuest (Enix): Dragon Warrior (Nintendo)
  [Apparently later games in the series will be brought out by Enix.]
 
Famistar Stadium?? (Namco): RBI Baseball (Tengen)
  [This is just a guess.  But RBI Baseball is based on some Namco
  baseball game.]
 
Final Command?? (Konami): Metal Gear
 
Gaadick gaiden [Gaadick Legend] (Irem): The Guardian Legend (Broderbund)
 
Highway Star?? (Square): Rad Racer (Nintendo)
 
Hitler no fukkatsu?? [Resurrection of Hitler] (Capcom): Bionic Commando
  [I'm still confused about this.  Perhaps the original name of Bionic
  Commando is "Wireman"; otherwise it is this.]
 
Makaimura [Evil-world Village] (Capcom): Ghosts 'n Goblins
  [Actually there is another game "Makaishima" (Evil-world Island)
  that could be the original name of Ghosts 'n Goblins.  A sequel is
  Daimakaimura (see Megadrive list).]
 
Mickey Mouse?? (Kemco): Bug Bunny's Crazy Castle
  [Well, they did it with the Gameboy version, so maybe the Famicom
  version as well.  Bugs Bunny is not very well known in Japan.]
 
Ninja Ryuukenden [Ninja DragonSword Legend] (Tecmo): Ninja Gaiden
  ["Gaiden" also means legend.  The Japanese title may be a sort
  of pun, in that Ryuu and his father Ken are the protagonists.]
 
MOTHER (Nintendo): ??
  [I'm waiting with dread to find out what they rename this to.]
 
Palutena no kakami [Palutena's Mirror] (Nintendo): Kid Icarus
  [Palutena is the name of the woman you save at the end, and was
  retained in the US edition.]
 
ROCKMAN (Capcom): Mega Man
 
Salamander (Konami): Life Force
  [The Japanese title is written using four kanji with the
  pronunciations "sa ra man da".  See also Contra.]
 
Sangokushi?? [Ambition of 3 Countries??] (Koei): Romance of the Three Kingdoms
 
Spartan X?? (Nintendo/Irem): Kung Fu
 
Super Chinese?? (Culture Brain): Kung-Fu Heroes
 
Super Contra (Konami): Super C
  [See also note for Contra.]
 
Top Gun: Dual Fighters (Konami): Top Gun II: The Second Mission
 
V'BALL (Technos Japan): Super Spike V'Ball (Nintendo)
 
Yumekoujou dokidoki panic [Dream Factory dokidoki Panic] (Fuji TV):
  Super Mario Brothers 2 (Nintendo)
  ["Dokidoki" is the sound of the heart beating rapidly from
  excitement.  Nintendo changed the four characters in this game to fit
  in with the Mario series.  The ending (and perhaps other details) is
  somewhat different.  The original SMB2 has not been released in the US.]
 
* * *
 
NEC PC ENGINE/TURBOGRAFX-16
 
Gunhed (Hudson): Blazing Lazers
  [Gunhed (also written Gunhead) is the name of a robot and movie
  based on it.]
 
Kato & Ken (Hudson??): JJ and Jeff
  [Kato and Ken are apparently a famous comedy duo in Japan.  Anyone know
  more about them?]
 
PC Genjin [PC primitive man] (Hudson/Atlus/Red): Bonk's Adventure
  [The Japanese title is obviously a pun on the name of the system.
   PC stands for "Pithecanthropus Computerurus" and has apparently
   been retained in the US version.]
 
Soukoban WORLD [Warehouse Guard World] (??): ??
  [Will it come out in the US?  What will it be called?  See under
  Megadrive and Gameboy.] 
 
USA Pro Basketball (Eicom): Takin' it to the Hoop
 
Wataru (Hudson): Keith Courage in the Alpha Zones
  [Wataru is an anime character.]
 
 
* * *
 
SEGA MEGADRIVE/GENESIS
 
Juuouki [Beast King Story] (Sega): Altered Beast
 
Daimakaimura [Big Evil-world Village] (Sega/Capcom): Ghouls 'n Ghosts
  [Sequel to Makaimura (see Famicom list).]
 
Hokutou no Ken?? (Sega??): Last Battle
  [Hokutou no Ken is a popular anime series, recently brought out
  (at least in comic form) as "Fist of the North Star" in the US.]
 
Soukoban [Warehouse Guard] (Sega??/Thinking Rabbit): Shove It! --
  The Warehouse Game (Dreamworks)
  [Compare to Gameboy.]
 
The Super Shinobi (Sega): The Revenge of Shinobi
 
TATSUJIN [The Master] (Sega): Truxton
 
 
* * *
 
NINTENDO GAMEBOY
 
Asmik-kun World (Asmik): Boomer's Adventure in Asmik World
  [In both Japan and the US, players were asked to name Asmik's
  mascot.  I'm not sure how it was handled in the US (where the choice
  was Boomer) but in Japan there was a 2 page ad: on one page
  Futamura-bucho wanted "Asmik-kun" to be the name ("kun" is a somewhat
  informal title similar to "san" (Mr./Ms.) but usually used for men)
  and on the opposite page other employees disagreed, so readers were
  asked to vote (and they'd get presents and so forth).  The results
  were announced in another 2 page ad: the vote was close, 5231 for
  Asmik-kun and 5186 against.  A name suggested by a reader, Ami-chan,
  was used for the female protagonist.]
 
Dracula Densetsu [Legend of Dracula] (Konami): Castlevania: The Adventure
 
Makaimura gaiden [Evil-world villiage legend] (Capcom): Gargoyle's Quest
  [From the Makaimura series (see Famicom list).]
 
Makaitoushi SAGA [Evil-world Fighter Saga] (Square): The Great Warrior Saga??
  [The Japanese title is a pun: the character used for "tou" is
  "tower," the centerpiece of the game.  The US title seems tentative;
  another possibility is "The Great Hero Saga."
 
Mickey Mouse (Kemco): The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle
 
Pengin-kun WARS VS. (ASCII): Penguin Wars
 
Puzzle Boy (Atlus): Kwirk (Akklaim)
 
Soukoban [Warehouse Guard] (FCI/Thinking Rabbit): Boxxle
  [Compare to Megadrive.]
 
Wani 66-hiki daikoushin [Big Parade of 66 Alligators] (HAL Laboratories):
  Revenge of the Gator
 
John Leo                  ^[$@4i$K8w$,$D$-$5$5$k^[(J in highland
[email protected]     ^[$@$+$$$@$3$H$N$J$$Fw$$^[(J in highland
[email protected]    ^[$@;T>l$N5{$,$5$5$d$/^[(J `Welcome to Thailand'
                          ^[$@!=!=LpLn82;R^[(J
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