News Article

Feature: When it Comes to Games, What's in a Name?

Posted by Thomas Whitehead

Quite a lot, if you're fussy like us

The latest major 3DS release to hit Europe is Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros., except in our review we took to calling it by its North American name, just plain-old Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. It arrives Stateside around a month after Europe, but the shorter title seems like a better fit; that "Bros." feels unnecessary, as anyone who reads Mario & Luigi in a title but isn't sure if they're brothers is, frankly, short on basic gaming knowledge.

Now, of course, the decision to add that extra word was probably taken based on sound marketing data, and quite possibly an attempt to tie this game — in the minds of consumers — with all of those Super Mario Bros. games that are all the rage, particularly those with "New" thrown in at the start. That series of modern Mario platformers is another one that causes deep-rooted angst around the web, as how can a DS game from 2006 still be called "New"? Because Nintendo said so, that's why.

But still, regional name differences are often more drastic or interesting than the latest Mario & Luigi example, so below are some games or franchises that, despite the content being the same, are known differently depending on where you live.

Star Fox becomes Starwing, and then Europe Gets Lylat Wars...

Star Fox was an ideal name for the Super NES title, as it's a fox that flies around like something out of Star Wars; it just worked. But when it came to Europe there was another game of the same name, with related trademark issues bringing the region Starwing instead — not as catchy, but at least it made sense. By the time Star Fox 64 came around we didn't see that classic Bits number added to Starwing, but instead received Lylat Wars, which would have successfully thrown away any thought at branding it as a sequel / reboot to those not in the know. Yet by the time Star Fox Adventures came around on GameCube, the name stuck worldwide.

So Europe went from Starwing, to Lylat Wars, and then finally saw the name Star Fox on the GameCube. So what to do with Star Fox 64 3D in Europe? Lylat Wars 3D? We like to imagine a management meeting where someone at Nintendo of Europe said "screw it, let's just call it Star Fox 64 3D and pretend that trademark mess never happened". And you know what? That was a good call.

Have you played Contra, er I mean Gryzor, or is it Probotector?

A lot of people like the run and gun fun of Contra; it's classic Konami action that is still a blast today. We'd bet most Europeans call it Contra, too, but it was released on the NES in PAL regions as Probotector, which sounds cool but is a bit of a stretch. Or maybe Europeans preferred the arcade original of the game, Gryzor? Oh to be in North America, where it's just called Contra regardless of format.

Everyone could get confused for the sequel, however. The arcade was very sensibly called Super Contra, but somebody decided that was too many letters for an NES game and called it Super C in North America. Lengthy game names clearly weren't a concern for the European arm of Konami, which gave it the snappy title of Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces.

Would Rockman have become as iconic as Mega Man?

We should start this little entry by saying that we have nothing against the Rockman name used in Japan for Capcom's iconic franchise; it's typical video game naming. Yet with so many games out there with the Mega Man name, and with a loyal following of devoted — and recently spurned — fans, it's one of those "what if" questions.

Would an NES series called Rockman have taken off in the West based on gameplay alone, or is branding and a catchy name important when establishing iconic characters? You can give us your view in the mini poll below.

Would Mega Man have become such an iconic franchise if called Rockman in the West? (292 votes)

Absolutely, the name wouldn't have made a difference


Hm, I'm not sure


Heck no


Please login to vote in this poll.

Resident Evil is way better than Biohazard

We've perhaps been controversial with that heading, but we can't help it. The Resident Evil franchise, despite a choppy record of success commercially and in terms of critical reception, is nevertheless a brand that's spawned a lot of releases, movies and more. It's an important series for Capcom — even if it's struggling to hit the heights right now — and is perhaps helped by its iconic name, not to mention the infamous deep voice that announces each title in as menacing a tone as possible.

It's a title that just about makes sense, too, with the storylines ultimately revolving around infections and evil groups / companies infecting the population or creating bio-weapons. The evil is within, literally, for those that are turned. As for Biohazard — the Japanese name for the series — it's technically correct, but could simply mean a sewage spill that needs to be mopped up by Health and Safety officials; not quite as glamorous or exciting.

Super Mario Bros. 2, two very different games

This is possibly the best known example of name discrepancies, which is also nice and topical with the Western version arriving on the 3DS Virtual Console in the most recent North American Nintendo Download update. In Japan, this was a very typical sequel, utilising the same graphics engine and many of the original's mechanics, but with levels that were undoubtedly a lot tougher. So tough, in fact, that the popular version of the tale has Nintendo deciding that it was too difficult for Western audiences.

What came West was a re-purposed version of Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, which for some was just fine; it was quite a departure from its predecessor but, nevertheless, a hugely entertaining game. That version was released in Japan as Super Mario USA, while the Japanese sequel eventually saw the light of day as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels; in the end, everyone won.

StreetPass games sound cooler in North America?

Today finally brought StreetPass DLC to North America — street parties will take place, and we'll call it StreetPass Day for years to come. OK, maybe not, but at least both sides of the Atlantic now have access to the same extra games. Yet something has changed; it's the names of course, with the EU versions followed by the NA equivalents, below.


StreetPass Squad vs Mii Force
StreetPass Garden vs Flower Town
StreetPass Battle vs Warrior's Way
StreetPass Mansion vs Monster Manor

We can't help but think that North America has the edge here, but you can have your say in the mini poll below.

Which StreetPass DLC names are better, Europe's or North America's? (302 votes)

Europe's all the way


The North American names are obviously better


I'm not sure


Please login to vote in this poll.

So those are just a few examples, while there are numerous others — Legend of the Mystical Ninja / Goemon, that Final Fantasy series numbering — that have confused gamers over the years. Of course the answers are just a google search away nowadays, but here's hoping for more naming discrepancies for us to chew over in the future. Tell us about your memorable examples in the comments below.

From the web

User Comments (84)



LunaticPandora said:

I agree, i don't see the point of "bros," just like i don't understand why LM2 is numbered over here, but not in US.



Lin1876 said:

Apparently Shinji Mikami thinks the name Resident Evil is stupid and he refuses to use it.



Darknyht said:

While Resident Evil may sound better to us, Biohazard is more fitting to the series about a virus run amok.



EarthboundBenjy said:

I like the StreetPass names better in Europe, because it makes it clear that it's just some StreetPass mini-activities. The American names seem like they could be real games, and that makes them seem like more than they really are, especially out of context.

As for Rockman vs Megaman... they both make me think of the Blue Bomber, and I sometimes use them interchangeably without realising. I dunno, it's really hard to say.



3DSfan134 said:

Mega Man is better than Rockman.
Resident Evil is better than Biohazard.
Contra is better than Gryzor and Probotector.
Super Mario Bros.2 is better than Super Mario USA.
Star Fox is better than Lylat Wars and Starwing.
The NA StreetPass names is better than the EU ones.
And Mario & Luigi:Dream Team is better than Mario & Luigi:Dream Team Bros.




NintendoROCK3T said:

There's also Pullblox in Europe, but it's called Pushmo in the USA! Plus Swapnote's called Nintendo Letter Box in doesn't make sense!!



EarthboundBenjy said:

I like "Letter Box" better than "Swapnote" for the same reason I liked the EU names for Streetpass over the US ones. It's more of a utility than a game, so give it a name that sounds like what it is.



MrMario02 said:

Super Mario USA is SMB2. Before Super Mario Bros. Lost Levels was in development, Nintendo developed an engine that worked horizontally and vertically. After innovating a world that moved horizontally, Nintendo decided to build a Mario game that worked both horizontally and vertically. The deal with Doki-Doki panic was struck later.



Haywired said:

Does anyone know why Luigi's Mansion 2 (in Japan and Europe) was called Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon in America?

Also, did they change Pushmo to Pullblox because they realized there's probably slightly more pullling than pushing in the game? I don't know...



NintyMan said:

Rockman would have been sort of confusing, I think, because western people would've been confused with the hero being called Rockman when his powers involve other elements besides rock. I thought about this before, but I think "Rockman" refers to rock music for some reason. I don't know; maybe to make his name sound cooler? I'd rather just stick with Mega Man, personally.

And I'm also curious about why Luigi's Mansion 2 is called Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon over here in North America.



RR529 said:

There's also Sakura Samurai in North America, which was changed to Hana Samurai in Europe.

"Sakura" has a deeper connection to the game's theme. Sakura meaning "Cherry Blossom", and you rescue Princess Cherry Blossom. The samurai is Sakumaru (Saku - beginning of sakura, Maru - suffix commonly associated with samurai). Your sword's swipes & special attacks are pink (the color associated with Cherry Blossoms).

In contrast the "Hana" name used in EU doesn't fit as tightly (as it has the much looser meaning of Flower).



Doma said:

So NoE and NoA always like to have separate names from each other, huh? how pointless. The US names are mostly better, i guess. EU ones are lengthened to the point of stupidity by being so literal.



DerpSandwich said:

Before the internet it made more sense to name things differently. But now that the whole world is basically one enormous community (at least within major language barriers), having different names just causes confusion. What little advantage different names offered back then seems gone now. They should just stop.

Also, "Dark Moon"? I mean, come on. Just give us a dang "2". Sounds way too serious.



datamonkey said:

9 times out of 10 I prefer the US names to European ones and I'm from Europe...

For example Pushmo/Pullblox to name but 2 recent examples Sakura Samurai/Hana Samurai...



rjejr said:

The Ractchet and Clank series gets WAY better names in the US than the EU.

Full Frontal Assault or QForce? What's that all about?

I already commented on the Streetpass game names yesterday. Though to take Benjy one step further the "real" game sounding names was probably done on purpose to get sales in the US now that they've been out for awhile in the EU and people may not think they are worth the money as Streetpass this and that. Smart move by Nintendo there.



MegaAdam said:

I prefer the streetpass games to have the name streetpass in them. I always thought "Find Mii" was lame and not nearly as awesome as Streetpass Quest.



FiveDigitLP said:

Darn you! I just spent probably the last hour following a chain of random links on due to you! It's just so easy to do on that website...



Mr-DNA said:

I always thought Super C was shortened because of the Iran-Contra scandal.



ueI said:

I think I would have called the remake Star Fox: Lylat Wars.
Biohazard is the better name.
Everything related to 3DS has a different name in U.S. and U.K, and it's annoying. I think I've also complained about the needless differences in Mario Kart Wii and 7.
No mention of Professor Layton? We in North America get the worst names for all his games, except Unwound Future. It must be the tradeoff for Europe's lame box art.



Cesco said:

Speaking about Konami games, don't forget that for us europeans the shoot-em-up smash hit "Gradius" was called "Nemesis". Other Konami games with changed names were:

  • Life force (here it's named "Salamander")
  • Gradius II (here it's named "Vulcan Venture")

Oddly enough, back in the 80s I had the NES version of Salamander and it was called... Life Force!



PuzzleMaster7 said:

@uel Only 3 out of the 5 games in the series actually have different titles between the PAL and NA regions.
Diabolic Box - Pandora's Box
Unwound Future - Lost Future
Last Specter - Spectre's Call



retro_player_22 said:

Here are some games that had different name change in other regions:

Title name in NA (title name elsewhere):

  • Fatal Frame (Zero)
  • Pokemon (Pocket Monster)
  • Darkstalkers/Night Warriors (Vampire Saviors)
  • Sonic Unleashed (Sonic World Adventure)
  • Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (Super Mario: Yoshi Island)
  • Super Mario World (Super Mario Bros. 4)
  • Tetris Attack (Yoshi de Pon/Panel de Pon)
  • Super Mario Bros. 2 (Super Mario USA/Doki Doki Panic)
  • Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (Mystic Quest Legends)
  • Fatal Fury (Garou Densetsu)
  • Mana Series (Seiken Densetsu)
  • Metal Gear Solid GBC (Metal Gear: Ghost Babel)
  • Advance Wars (Nintendo Wars)
  • Warsong (Langrisser)
  • Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest)
  • Soul Blade (Soul Edge)
  • Skies of Arcadia (Eternal Arcadia)
  • Samurai Shodown (Samurai Spirits)
  • Demon's Crest (Demon's Blazon)
  • River City Ransom (Street Gangs)
  • Mystical Ninja (Ganbare Goemon)
  • Dragon Power (Dragon Ball)
  • Streets of Rage (Bare Knuckle)
  • Out of This World (Another World)


Randomname19 said:

I thought Mega Man was just a nick name and Rock was his real name because Mega Man's sister is called Roll so they are Rock and Roll.



gilvelez1 said:

I think resident evil was great in the beginning in part 1 because it was zombies. It was a mansion. It was evil. But where the games have gone since then... biohazard is more accurate.



retro_player_22 said:


Actually Capcom intend that Rock is his real name which is why he had a sister named Roll. The Mega Man name was use in NA cuz Rock Man just doesn't sound baddonkey enough not to mention some other company had already trademark the Rockman name in NA.



hYdeks said:

North American names are way better, but I live in NA so obviously it's more suited for me

1/ Star Fox is better, Lylat Wars is ok and Starwings sounds like a cheap nock-off brand
2/ Contra IS Contra. When I heard it was called Probotector in Europe, I almost laughed my a$$ off as a kid It sounds...weird. And Gryzor doesn't sound like something that would have anything to do with the Contra universe
3/ Mega Man is a great name, but honestly if it was called Rock Man, I don't think that would have bugged anyone
4/ Resident Evil makes more sense for the first games in the series, cause they where more survivor horror, later on they could have changed it to Biohazard and it wouldn't have mattered much.
5/ Mario Lost Levels sounds better, Mario USA sounds like a Mario game based in USA lol
6/ Streetpass games, North American games sound funner than the plain European names, about it

@retro_player_22 very nice list! Shows that not all North American versions of the names is better! My favourite would be Bare Knuckle instead of Streets of Rage, one reason is because Axel actually saids "Bare Knuckle" and it's plastered all over the place in the 2nd game ^-^



ricklongo said:

A classic I immediately thought of was Mother vs. Earthbound. I know series purists tend to call it Mother after the Japanese original, but quite frankly that is a horrible name for a game, let alone an RPG. It has no "swing" to it; it's just so mundane. Earthbound packs way more punch.



Cesco said:

@hydeks I grew up playing "Gryzor" in the arcade rooms and in the cafes for many years in the 80s, so by my point of view "Contra" is the name that doesn't sound quite right



Peach64 said:

It's not just games!

In the US the book The Iron Man got renamed The Iron Giant because of some comic book! (In all seriousness, I had never heard of the super hero Iron Man until the movie!).

I don't really care about a name, it doesn't effect my personal enjoyment, although I suppose I would get a bit annoyed if a game I think is good gets screwed over in sales because someone gave it a rubbish name. I can't think of any obvious examples though.

Megadrive sounded a lot cooler to me than Genesis too. Genesis were a band my Dad listened to. How could that ever be cool?



Bulbousaur said:

Not a title, but the names of the vehicles and tracks in Mario Kart Wii are also very different from the US and EU games. Don't know about other games in the series.

Changing names between regions that speak the same language has always annoyed me, does that small change really make a difference for marketing in different cultures, especially in a world where the Internet exists?

Still, its fun to annoy my friend by calling Lylat Wars Star Fox 64.



flummerfelt said:

I've always enjoyed North American game names slightly more, but I think regional differences are quite interesting. I never did like "Starwing" though. Earthbound will always be Earthbound to me, as Mother seems a little too far out for an RPG title, imo.



DarkCoolEdge said:

Resident Evil is a stupid name and in fact, its creator hates the name. Biohazard should have been the name in the west too.



EarthboundBenjy said:

The change from 悪魔城ドラキュラ (Akumajou Dracula) to "Castlevania" is one regional name-change I really really like. The name "Castlevania" sounds so awesome and perfectly describes the tone and mood and style of the games.



Giygas_95 said:

I almost always prefer the American names, but a couple exceptions are Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon and Kersploosh. I like Luigi's Mansion 2 and Splash or Crash better.



link3710 said:

If megaman's marketing was that big of a deal, It would have died from the box art.



ueI said:

@KodyWB-98 3 games is still quite a bit. Diabolical Box is alright, but Last Specter is a horrible title compared to its international equivalents.



Dormouse said:

After some thought.... I actually like Luigi's Mansion : Dark Moon better than 2. Dark moon is actually in the game. Adding "2" is just so common. I'm tired of numbers after a game.. plus sometimes its off putting to people who havent played previous games. People think its like movies if they dont see them in order perhaps they won't get it



Beta said:

Who cares? As long as the games are the same, we aren't gonna pay much attention to the names, you know XD



unrandomsam said:

I like the Jap names for pretty much everything. Other than ones that are not easy to identify. (e.g Dai Makaimura - Ghouls and Ghosts. Something like that could be absolutely anything and I have no idea how to pronounce it). Biohazard is a much better game than Resident Evil.

I think who makes the game should decide what it is going to be called. (As well as the content tons of stuff that is watered down outside the Japanese release. The TG16 was better).

I don't know why Contra is not on the 3DS or Wii VC (Other than the MSX version). If it because he has a cig in his mouth that is utterly moronic.



Cinaclov said:

It's the Pullblox/Pushmo and Fallblox/Crashmo that confused me. I read an article referring to Pushmo once and it took me ages to realise it was talking about a game I already owned



unrandomsam said:

@gilvelez1 What makes Zombies evil ? I don't think they are evil any more than an animal that kills someone would be. I think you cannot be evil without the capability to understand what you are doing.



gilvelez1 said:

@unrandomsam lol ok. Evil in the sense that "undead" beings want to eat you.... may be no evil in intention since they are brain dead... but evil in nature?



TG1 said:

Fun article, although I certainly disagree with Resident Evil ... at least you admit the controversy in your claim. I remember the "iconic name" getting made fun of quite a bit back in 1996. The game was a success in spite of it's goofy name, not because of it. Biohazard certainly makes more sense to the story & settings of the original games ... score 1 for Japan!



Stark_Nebula said:

There's Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (NA) and Advance Wars: Dark Conflict (EU). I'd argue with the titles here, but since both games got different localisations, the storyline is actually different in both games (EU's being closer to the JP script). So in this case, I'll give the benefit of a doubt to the title reflecting their respective interpretations.



Geonjaha said:

Names are important, but saying that a series wouldn't be half as influential as it is due to be being called Rock Man instead of Mega Man is just ridiculous.



Wheels2050 said:

@ueI: do you really think the box art for Layton is better in the us? I find the PAL ones much better, personally



hYdeks said:

@Cesco ohh ya, I can easily believe that. It seems the names are the way they are because it would appeal more to that region. Gryzor is not the worst name in the world, not by far, just in my heart it will always be Contra Like with Gradius, I like the name, but I actually think Nemesis is a cooler name



GamerZack87 said:

If you ask me, the European names of the SPMP minigames have better rings than the NA ones. StreetPass Quest sounds so much more epic than "Find Mii". This makes the rest of them sound better thematically rather than the jumbled mess of names in North America.

@Dev: You are correct about that. Several characters in the Mega Man series are named after music styles:

Mega (Mega Man) = His Japanese name, Rock, is derived from rock music.
Roll = Mega's sister, so together they are Rock & Roll. Her name makes no sense in English, though.
Proto Man = In Japan he's known as Blues.
Bass = The name speaks for itself.

Those are some examples.



smashbrolink said:

Rock Man only makes sense if you relate it to music and know about Roll, and not everyone would do that/know that.
Whereas everyone under the sun can relate the term "Mega" to something loosely resembling the concept of "Awesome", so Mega Man just fits better.



RoryJames said:

I've been a casual gamer on other consoles, but a Nintendo fan, since 1991. I've only just found this amazing web site!

Anyway, gotta say that Probotector was a stupid name, but an awesome, awesome game.



EarthboundBenjy said:

Kirby games are always changing names.

Kirby Super Star - Kirby's Fun Pak
Kirby's Avalanche - Kirby's Ghost Trap
Kirby Canvas Curse - Kirby Power Paintbrush
Kirby Squeak Squad - Kirby Mouse Attack
Kirby's Return to Dreamland - Kirby's Adventure Wii



EarthboundBenjy said:

BTW, in Mega Man 4's intro, it says that Mega Man was a lab assistant named "Rock" before he became the fighting robot known as Mega Man. So Dr Light created two lab assistants known as "Rock" and Roll". Pretty cool, right. Well, that is until Mega Man Powered Up came along. Mega Man Powered Up told the same story, except it retconned it, and Mega Man's old name is/was now "Mega". Roll is still Roll. So now it's dumb. ... :/



Zombie_Barioth said:

It looks to me like the US prefers catchy sounding names while Japan prefers a more literal approach.

Rock Man wouldn't have made sense unless you knew about the theme, and it'd probably be considered too cheesy over here.

Biohazard makes sense for the first few games but after 4 they went beyond just being about a virus outbreak and mutations.



TheAdza said:

Flower Town? Streetpass name for Streetpass game. Sounds heaps better to be. However I will say that Swapnote sounds better than Letterbox.



BlackStar9000 said:

@EarthboundBenjy you just fixed a problem and added one, if he was called the blue bomber I would still love it, but be kinda confused since he doesnt go around blowing things up (like bomberman)



Williaint said:

I think Rockman would confuse the American Audience, too. "Why isn't he made of stone?" or "Why doesn't he have a guitar?"
I prefer the name BioHazard.
Lylat Wars isn't bad; it intrigues the curiosity of the player in to what (or who) Lylat is, before they even play the game. Star fox does this, too — just on a more personal level (who is the Fox?). Starwing... it doesn't offer as much curiosity...
Earthbound is a much better name, than "mother". Considering almost any HardCore person these days, wouldn't go close to a game called "mother", even if it got 10/10 ratings.
Personally, I don't care what a game is named, but an average person has an imaginative social image to uphold, and having a game called "Pink and Purple Silly Geese" — a gory hardcore porn and FPS RPG shooter rated GPA (Grandparent Supervision advised, too gory for most adults) — would cause people to avoid the game. If it was called "Black and Red Slash Crows", it could avoid those problems.
Flower Town ... not a good name, unless it's a Garden Simulator...



Eliasson said:

Not to forget the whole final fantasy mess or even better the even messier mana series...



edhe said:

Europe has a tendency to give their games stupid tag lines. The ones that come to mind are:

"Beat the Beat: Rhythm Paradise" (coupled with them getting rid of the cool signature logo and replacing it with an almost plain font!)
"Dr Kawashima’s Devilish Brain Training: Can you stay Focused?"

My favourite is how X-Scape (DSiWare) became the ridiculous "3D Space Tank".



Bass_X0 said:

Has anyone watched Cinemassacre's video "Chronologically Confused" - in which James (the AVGN) talks about movie titles? I agree with him on many points raised. Games and movies should be numbered. It doesn't matter if its common.

I would prefer Donkey Kong Country Returns: Tropical Freeze to have been numbered DKC 4 and keep the subtitle. Treat the Wii and 3DS Returns game as a one-time spin-off.

I also would have preferred Super Mario 3D Land to have been called "Super Mario Land 4" but since its called what it is, I'm okay with Super Mario 3D World being the name of the sequel.



Sgt_Garlic said:

Dream Team > Dream Team Bros. for me. I also like "Dark Moon" more than "2" for Luigi's Mansion.



ToxieDogg said:

Another one....I much prefer the name Fluidity over Hydroventure.

Unfortunately, I'm in the UK so I get Hydroventure.

Then there's Kirby: Squeak Squad which sounds pretty cool. Us poor Europeans got lumbered with Kirby: Mouse Attack It looks even worse when it's on my DS games shelf right next to Kirby: Mass Attack

@rjejr Agree with you about the Ratchet and Clank games....think in the US, Ratchet & Clank 2 was called 'Going Commando', where it was changed to 'Locked and Loaded' here, and with Ratchet & Clank 3, that was called 'Up Your Arsenal' in the US, but po faced Sony Europe didn't have a sense of humour and just dropped the subtitle altogether



Bakajin said:

I think Rockman is far superior to Megaman. Before I ever knew about the music thing, when I first heard he was originally Rockman in Japan it made so much more sense to me than "Mega." To me it made him the ninth themed robot master, where his special power was rock-solid dependability, whereas as "mega" isn't rally a theme, at least not along the same lines as wind or ice or . . . um, Pharaoh.

I never could figure out why stone would be weak against spikes.



RantingThespian said:

I never liked the title Rockman. My friend who is really into Japan almost always calls Megaman by it's Japanese title, Rockman. It always irritates me. I also just find the name stupid. Plus, Dr. Light turning his robot Rock into Rockman also seems stupid. Turning Rock into Megaman has a much better ring to it.

I am just so much happier that in NA, he is known as Megaman, and I hope it stays that way.

Megaman > Rockman



ParSnake said:

About the MOTHER/Earthbound argument, I prefer the Japanese name, but I'm glad it was changed to Earthbound in the U.S. I've always thought that MOTHER is more appropriate when looking deeper into the series' story, but I doubt many Americans would play a game called MOTHER. I told one of my friends that I got an awesome game called MOTHER, and he responded, "Is this some kind of sexist joke?"



ToxieDogg said:

@Bass_X0 I've seen Chronlogically Confused and thought James was talking a lot of sense.

Your suggestion for DKCR: Tropical Freeze just creates even more confusion though as technically it's the fifth Donkey Kong Country game in the series, not the fourth. Why should the Wii/3DS DKCR game be treated as a separate spin off? Or at the very least, DKCR: Tropical Freeze is a direct sequel to that game, so it should be 'DKCR 2: Tropical Freeze'.

It's probably best not to think about it too much, to be honest.



Bass_X0 said:

Ehh. The "Returns" part of the title makes it a spin-off game to me. Its a nostalgic look back at the original game but with new stages. If the same game had been called Donkey Kong Country 4, I'd have had no problem with it. I'd just rather have sequels be numbered - 2, 3, 4, 5. Even if technically there are more games in the series - Country 2, Country 3, 64, Country Returns, Country Tropical Freeze, Country 4, Country 5.



theperson said:

pushmo sounds stupid and so do the american versions of the layton games which changed, bros is unneccary for dream team and our strretpass game names are loads better than "find mii" which sounds utterly stupid and doesnt fit, as for resident evil, it could have been the subtitle for biohazard 1 easily but i would have preffered lylat wars 3d to star fox 64 3d



WiiLovePeace said:

A year or so ago, my best friend & I came up with the idea that Biohazard & Resident Evil would've sounded cooler had they swapped part of the names with the other:

Bio Evil.
Resident Hazard.

Cool huh?

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