American Kirby Is Hardcore: Difference between revisions

* ''[[Asterix]] and Obelix XXL'' is a bit "American Kirby" compared to the source material, with the titular characters more aggressive than usual (with a good reason though, since the premise is the burning of their village and the capture of all their friends); however, while the [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/asterix/asterix_files/asterix-xxl-gc-cover-a.jpg European cover] shows their faces drawn similarly to the comic book, the [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/asterix/asterix_files/asterix-xxl-ps2-cover-a.jpg American cover] is a render of their in-game selves, ready to fight. And, as you can notice, the game is called ''Asterix and Obelix '''Kick Buttix''''' in the US!

* ''[[Jak and Daxter]]'' got the reverse of this: Compare the [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b6/Jak_and_Daxter_-_The_Precursor_Legacy_Coverart.png original American cover] with the [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/japanboxes/jak-jp.jpg Japanese port].<ref>Image from [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/japanboxes/japanboxes2.htm Hardcore Gaming 101]</ref> Curiously, the American cover fits with the [[Darker and Edgier|tone of the rest of the series]], but not with the happy original.

* ''[[Solatorobo]]'': While all covers are taken from official game art, the [http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sruLyAW7i1Q/TaWuwcSk6HI/AAAAAAAAGvs/6AV9v5MsNYY/s1600/Solatorobo_red_the_hunter_cover.jpg Japanese cover] is definetly more happy-looking than the [http://images.nintendolife.com/games/ds/solatorobo_red_the_hunter/cover_large.jpg European] and [http://cdn02.animenewsnetwork.com/images/cms/the-x-button/42186/redcover.jpg American] ones.

* Inverted in the ''[[PlayStation 2]]'' game called ''Dogs Life''. The PAL and American covers are [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102145924/http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/2/917852_25707_front.jpg rather fitting for the game]; showcases the villains, protagonist, and the dogs you can control all in the style used for cutscenes. The Japanese cover is [https://web.archive.org/web/20121102145649/http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/bigboxshots/2/917852_63389_front.jpg just Jake running through a farm] that vaguely resembles the Clarksville levels; and a stylistic version of him anyway.

* In [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7detDcmMKY the first English trailer] for ''[[Kid Icarus: Uprising]]'', Pit's voice gets even deeper than the English ''Brawl'' voice variant, mainly because his voice [[The Other Darrin|has changed]].

 

=== Action Games ===

 

=== Adventure Games ===

** And the European one is Phoenix standing in front of a white background, looking serious. Same trope, blander cover. At least later games retained the Japanese covers too.

 

=== Beat Em Ups ===

* ''[[River City Ransom]]'' is a textbook example. Contrast the [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0e/Downtown_Nekketsu_Monogatari_game_cover.jpg Japanese box art], in which everyone looks more or less [[Super-Deformed|like they do]] in the actual game, with the [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/River_City_Ransom-front.jpg American box art]. Of course, even in the Japanese version, the heroes of that game, as well as every other game in the [[Kunio-Kun]] series, are indisputably hardcore. For the Japanese, "cute" and "hardcore" are [[Badass Adorable|not mutually exclusive]].

* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turtles in Time|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time]]''. [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/tmntbeatemups/Turtles%20in%20Time%20SNES%20Japanese%20Box%20Art.jpg The Japanese version] had art that looked just like the [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987|'80s cartoon]] (and by proxy, the actual damn game). The American version? As per Konami of America's standards at the time, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/tmntbeatemups/Turtles%20in%20Time%20SNES%20American%20Box%20Art.jpg incredibly hardcore] and more like [[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (comics)|the original comic]]. (See also: ''[[Sunset Riders]]'', most of the ''[[Contra]]'' games, and ''[[Castlevania]]'' ''III'' and ''IV''.)

* The American cover art of ''[[Guardian Heroes]]'' replaced the original anime-style depictions of the six main characters with a fantasy novel-like illustration of Han fighting against the Undead Knight, [[Covers Always Lie|even though he was one of the heroes in the game]]. The European version used the original Japanese art, but replaced the two heroines, Serena and Nicole, with Zur the magician and Macho the bodybuilder, who aren't even main characters, turning the European cover into a complete sausage fest for no reason ([http://www.kidfenris.com/guardheroescover.html see for yourself]).

 

=== Fighting Games ===

* 2D fighting classic ''[[Guilty Gear]]'' had 2 different covers for all their installments which got ported over the Pacific, most notably the Isuka installment: The [http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/919961-guilty-gear-isuka/images/box-96904 Japanese version] was rather KINKY (as in NSFW) with what apparently is a threesome(!) where a visibly flushed A.B.A. is seemingly getting double-penetrated in a sandwich between Ky Kiske (behind) and Sol Badguy (front), who are meanwhile completely ignoring her as they are engaged in a staring contest with each other (homoerotically charged full of [[Foe Yay]]). The [http://www.gamefaqs.com/ps2/919961-guilty-gear-isuka/images/box-57948 American version] on the other hand, was a rather generic image of Sol wielding his Fireseal sword in the style of a bazooka with the hilt pointed at you.

* Pit's (from ''[[Kid Icarus]]'') English voice in ''[[Super Smash Bros Brawl]]'' sounds noticeably older then his original Japanese voice. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWYQx0SvVOI#t=2m36s Video comparison.]

** ''[http://www.kidfenris.com/clashcover.html Clash at Demonhead]''

** ''[http://www.kidfenris.com/evcover.html El Viento]''

** ''[http://www.kidfenris.com/tshootercover.html Trouble Shooter]''

** ''[[Valis]] [http://www.kidfenris.com/valis3cover.html III]''... twice.

=== Platformers ===

* The [[Trope Namer]] here is ''[[Kirby]]''. [http://www.n-sider.com/contentview.php?contentid=407 The box art for many of his games] have had angry eyebrows added to the main character to make an 8-inch-high pink puffball seem more aggressive. This strange practice is joked on originally in [http://angryamericankirby.ytmnd.com/ this] [[YTMND]] and subsequently in [http://www.brawlinthefamily.com/?p=288 this] ''[[Brawl in the Family]]'' strip. It seems to have calmed for the time being with the release of ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]. Brawl'', ''[[Kirby Super Star]] Ultra'', and more recently, ''[[Kirby's Epic Yarn|Kirbys Epic Yarn]]'', whose boxarts have Kirby actually looking happy for a change, but it seems to be creeping up again no thanks to ''[[Kirby Mass Attack]]'''s cover (though to be fair, roughly half the Kirbys on ''Mass Attack'''s cover still retain their cute/curious expressions and most the the "hardcore" one are already attacking something). It's back in full force with ''[[Kirby's Return to Dream Land]]''.

** It also showed up in ''Kirby Super Star''; not so much the box art as the in-game dialogue, and not so much Kirby as Meta Knight. In ''Revenge of Meta Knight'', what used to be an [[Anti-Hero]] with uncertain motives, as usual, was given several rewritten lines of dialogue to make him sound less like he was trying to do a good thing for Dream Land and more like he was trying to be the next [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]. He even got "[[Prepare to Die]]!" as a line, replacing the fairly innocent "Now we duel!", explicitly ignoring Nintendo's policy at the time. The best part is that the changes were kept (besides "Prepare to die!", which became "Come meet your [[Never Say "Die"|doom]]!") when the script was rewritten for ''Super Star Ultra''.

** ''Kirby's Avalanche'' shows Kirby as a [[Jerkass]] who acts mean to his friends and acts sarcastic, saying things like "Oh, I'm so scared" and the like. Needless to say, the game was an installment of the ineffable cute ''[[Puyo Puyo]]'' series [[Dolled-Up Installment|rebranded for an American audience]].

** At the same time, Super Mario USA's boxart is very similar to Doki Doki Panic's boxart, which was the game it mimicked.

* Namco briefly considered giving ''[[Klonoa]]'' a rather drastic makeover for the U.S. release of the Wii remake of his first game. While not exactly "hard", the new look was significantly less cute, looking like a generic anthropomorphic cat. Most bizarrely, however, they gave him "normal" anthro cat ears, despite Klonoa's droopy, almost hand-like ears having an actual gameplay role. And they took away his Pac-Man cap. Bad Namco! Fortunately, the game was released with Klonoa's original look intact- surprisingly enough, because the ''U.S.'' fanbase demanded he remain cute. ''Who says Japanese Klonoa Isn't Hardcore?''

* For an example of becoming cuter in Japan, look no further than ''[[Ratchet & Clank|Ratchet and Clank]]''. Here's a [http://i25.tinypic.com/10rodts.jpg side by side comparison] from ''[[Ratchet and Clank Future A Crack In Time]]''. (Japan left, everywhere else on the right.)

** He isn't known as [[Big Ol' Eyebrows|'Groucho' Ratchet]] [http://i22.tinypic.com/3589vll.jpg for nothing].

*** The [[Big Ol' Eyebrows]] in his Japanese incarnation supposedly came about because initial market research showed the Japanese kids ''loved'' 'em.

* ''[[Crash Bandicoot]]'' is another American game where the main character was "cutened" up for the Japanese release. He even got a funky dance created by the Japanese that was carried back into the American versions. Some have speculated that this design change combined with Radical Entertainment's [[Incredibly Lame Pun|radical]] character redesigns that would make such things look awkward is what's making Radical's ''Crash'' games [[No Export for You|a no-go for the Japanese.]]

* [[Mega Man (video game)|Mega Man]]:

** Not quite, the facial edit aside, the US cover actually adds an authentic touch with a detailed background replicating the in game ruins (in place of the Japanese cover's blue sky background). Interestingly the EU artwork uses the US's cover dynamic, suggesting they actually re-edited it to use the cuter more cheerful Sparkster again.

** This change is in fact a rare example that became the definitive characterization, as even the Japanese promotional artwork (and even the in game sprite art) for the sequel ''Sparkster'' depicts the title character with a serious scowl (even if his original wackier demeanor [[The Comically Serious|blatantly reappears from time to time]] in game).

** Strangely inverted in ''[[Castlevania]] [[Castlevania: Lament of Innocence|Lament of Innocence]]'''s cover. The [http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/File:Castlevania_LoI.JPG US cover] shows Leon Belmont looking upward, probably in prayer, while the [http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/File:Castlevania_Lament_of_Innocence_Japan_cover.jpg Japanese] and [http://castlevania.wikia.com/wiki/File:Castlevania_Lament_of_Innocence_Europe_cover.jpg European covers] show him in an action pose (And note how the European cover's done in CG, while the other two retain Ayami Kojima's famed artwork)

* Comparing ''Panic Restaurant'''s box art [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/image/587505.html?box=2696 Japan], [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/image/587505.html?box=59517 Europe] and [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/image/587505.html?box=81043 United States] pretty much defines this trope, too.

** The [http://wiki.eretro.nl/index.php/Image:ColecoVision_Donkey_Kong_box1.jpg Colecovision cover] on the other hand was looking fairly decent.

* The NES version of ''[[A Boy and His Blob]]'' and its Gameboy sequel had a small overhaul with the Boy's design, title screen and box art in Japan to make it look cuter.

* [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/19/BoinicCommandoRearmed2_boxart.png The box art] for ''[[Bionic Commando]] Rearmed 2'' seems to be a deliberate aversion of this trope, as the image of Spencer (with goofy smile and [[Porn Stache]] looking like he's about to give the viewer a hug) on the game's front cover can only be described as jarringly happy-go-lucky. Especially funny ([[Cerebus Syndrome|until you beat the game]]) when you compare it to the [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/86/Bionic_Commando.jpg cover art] to the 2009 game which ''Rearmed 2'' is a direct prequel to, which featured a goth-ified Spencer [[Penny Arcade|smouldering with generic rage]].

* [http://www.indiegames.com/blog/2008/07/rumors_cave_story_on_wiiware.html This] ''[[Cave Story]]'' mockup cover parodies this trend.

* For no apparent reason, the [[Sega Saturn]] boxart of ''Bust-A-Move 2'' decided to treat us to the oh-so-kid-friendly image of a disembodied head of a bald guy trapped in a bubble, with ''[[Eye Scream|matchsticks shoved into his eyelids.]]''

** Actually this happened with a good few titles in the series until recently, which omitted the cute little dinosaur mascots in favor of dynamically angled shots of detonating bubbles in a space age style background.

* This happened to the rather obscure NES puzzle game ''Palamedes''. The game is basically ''[[Space Invaders]]'' [[X Meets Y|Meets]] Yahtzee. The music is cheery, the graphics are cutesy; all player sprites are tiny, sugary little SD characters. There's absolutely nothing weird or bizzare or [[Gonk]] in this game. ''So where the hell did'' '''''[http://www.mythrilmoth.net/misc/Palamedes.jpg THIS]''''' ''come from?!''

* ''Godzilla'' for the [[Game Boy]] came out in the U.S. with [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/Godzilla_Game_Boy.jpg this] cover, showing Godzilla like he looks in the movies and, with the intro screens, misleading people into expecting it to be a thrilling action game. Actually, the game, known as ''Gojira-kun'' in Japan, is a cutesy [[Puzzle Platformer]], looking more like [http://www.otakaraou.com/data/otakaraou/product/gb/202.jpg the Japanese cartridge].

 

=== Roguelike ===

* Cult classic rpg/sim hybrid ''Azure Dreams'' for the PSX (which is basically ''[[Harvest Moon]]'' if the main character were a monster-tamer/treasure-hunter instead of a farmer/fisherman) had 2 different covers: The [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/azuredreams/azuredreamsj.jpg Japanese version] was cute and emphasized the dating-sim/harem-romance aspects of the game (featuring all the girls - plus your kid sister and your sidekick - in the game you can eventually get via [[Tenchi Solution]]), while the [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/Azure_Dreams_Coverart.png American version] was scenic and emphasized the treasure-hunting/dungeon-crawling aspects of the game (the hero gazing at his hometown from a mountain cliff).

** Still, we got the Japanese box art as the cover for the manual (at least in the European version anyway), so not all bad.

* ''[[Pikmin]]'' has two covers. The Japanese image contains Pikmin just hanging out on a branch. The North-American and European cover image contains a battle. The same thing happened with the sequel, though Canada and Europe had a different, also peaceful cover.

* ''[[The Settlers]]'' European cover shows a cartoonish RTS city builder while the American Cover shows a rather stern looking lord in managing his kingdom/army [http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b214/gyrobot/1267035563970.png Comparisons here]. Upon further inspection, the American cover of the settler usually just features the armor clad knight on the cover while the other shows the other professions being as prominent. The subsequent one features a slightly more colorful boxart [http://gamediv.com/Games/151/Main%20image.jpg seen here]

 

=== Role-Playing Games ===

* ''[[Breath of Fire]]'':

** ''[[Breath of Fire I]]'' is a major example of this. Compare the [http://images.wikia.com/bof/images/5/5d/BofFJapan.png Japanese box art] with the [http://images.wikia.com/bof/images/5/57/BOF1boxartt.jpg American version], featuring [[Jim Lee]]-esque cover art in which Ryu became a Conan impersonator even though he is clearly depicted as a pretty-average built teenager in-game and Nina looked like a man.

** Some adverts added [http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/9108/speechoffire01.jpg in-your-face] [http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/1562/speechoffire02.jpg speech] [http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/6263/speechoffire03.jpg bubbles].

* On the ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' packaging in Japan, there were images of all the playable characters in the game. In the US version, it had Frog, Crono, and Marle fighting Heckran, the scene captured while the party was using the Arc Impulse/Frost Arc Triple Tech. (The [[Nintendo DS]] [[Updated Rerelease]] gave a [[Shout-Out]] to this artwork by allowing players to replicate this in the form of having battles with [[Palette Swap|Heckran-like]] enemies on a snowy mountain in a bonus dungeon.)

* The box art of the early ''Dragon Warrior'' games for the NES was very different from the Japanese ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' box arts.

** May or may not be related. The US artwork was all by a Japanese artist as well, just not one who made such... cherubic characters. Which was a bit of a buzzkill to be honest, as Terada's artwork was clearly done after the final product was finished, having no influence anywhere in the game.

*** The art shift also renders one character, though ostensibly wearing the same outfit, considerably more [[Stripperiffic]].

* While it's not a comparison between American and Japanese, looking at the boxart on the Xbox360 version of ''[[Eternal Sonata]]'' then looking at the [[Play Station 3]] version reveals that there were some drastic changes. The 360 version looks bright and innocent, with characters standing in a grassy meadow. The [[Play Station 3]] version has a darker background, and has the characters looking angry in various action poses.

* ''[[Guardian's Crusade]]''. The [http://rpgfan.com/pics/guardians-crusade/box-japfront.jpg Japanese box art] is more colorful and rather whimsical in looks: showing Knight and Baby doing various activities you can do in the game, all the while looking dang adorable. The back cover is [http://rpgfan.com/pics/guardians-crusade/box-japback.jpg even more cuter]. The [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Guardian%27sCrusadeCover.jpg American version] is more generic in comparison. The game came out about a year and a half after ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', during that dark period when American game companies thought that [[RPG]]s that weren't dark and existential wouldn't sell.

* When ''[[Pokémon]]'' was being localized for America, a significant portion of people at Nintendo thought that the characters were [[It Will Never Catch On|too cute to sell well]], and tried to get all of the Pokémon redone for the states as muscle-bound humanoid Pro-Wrestling monsters. In other words, they wanted to turn Pikachu into [[Kinnikuman]].

* ''[[The Last Remnant]]'''s Xbox 360 artwork depicted the young, typical ''[[Final Fantasy]]''-style androgynous male protagonist. The PC version, marketed to Western gamers, had a picture of an older, more badass antagonist, and a more energetic color scheme.

* ''[[Digital Devil Saga]]: Avatar Tuner'' arguably ''benefited'' from this phenomenon. The original box art for the two games depicted Serph/Varna and Sera/Varnani in static poses more reminiscent of action figures in a blister pack; the U.S. versions depict the exact same characters, but in more active poses. (Assuming, of course, you reverse the cover insert for the second game; the display box art depicts the entire cast in a battle scene, arguably embracing this trope in its entirety.) Though it's not like the game needed to be made any more hardcore, seeing as how it has plenty of demonic cannibalization anyway.

* Hardly uncommon in ''[[Tales (series)|Tales]]'' localizations:

** ''[[Tales of Eternia]]'' (or ''[[Writing Around Trademarks|Tales of Destiny II]]'') originally had [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/image/526350.html?box=53165 a smiling group shot], which was replaced by [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/image/526350.html?box=40641 a scene of Farah and Reid ready to battle]. The absence of everyone else is... intriguing.

** ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]'' has, in the original version, [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/image/561316.html?box=22525 another smiling group shot]. In the US, [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/gamecube/image/561316.html?box=22524 another fight scene].

* The game ''[[Resonance of Fate]]'' has [http://www.ps3trophies.org/images/trophies/400/cover.jpg peaceful box art] with the [[Three Amigos|three protagonists]] looking upon a tower in its original Japanese release ''End of Eternity''. The [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c3/Resonance_of_Fate_Cover_Art.jpg US box art] is shown to have them on various action poses with [[Sean Connery Is About to Shoot You|their guns to the viewer]].

* In ''[[Fragile Dreams]]'' for the Wii, the English voices are closer to the age of the characters, around 14/15, while the Japanese voices make the characters sound younger. In addition, the box art, which was reversible in the American version, showed a vicious looking Seto holding a golf club on the American side, while the Japanese box art shows Seto and Ren holding hands over a watery background.

* Oh boy, ''[[Nie R]]''. It is quite possibly the ultimate logical conclusion of this trope, to where it not only deals with cover art but the actual game. To explain: ''NieR'' is the name of two parallel-developed [[Square Enix]] games, ''NieR Gestalt'' (Xbox 360) and ''NieR Replicant'' ([[Play Station 3]]). In ''Gestalt'', the eponymous protagonist is a hulking, white-haired middle-aged man searching for a cure to the Black Scrawl virus, which is ailing his daughter, Yonah. In ''Replicant'', the eponymous protagonist is a young [[White-Haired Pretty Boy]] who is searching for a cure to the Black Scrawl virus, which is ailing his little sister, Yonah. In case you haven't caught on yet, this is literally the only difference between the two versions. The American branch of Square Enix actually paid to develop an entirely separate version of the game where the only difference is the design of the protagonist. The official reason behind the two versions is that they believed the game would not sell well in the west if the protagonist was young and pretty, rather than grizzled and muscle-bound. While ''Replicant'' was the original idea, in Japan both versions of the game are available, and overseas only ''Gestalt'' was released (entitled simply ''NIER'').

** On the flip side, this is why the young, pretty Vaan was added to ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]''. The original protagonist was supposed to be Basch. This is why Vaan has nearly no character development.

* The indie/doujin game ''[[Protect Me Knight]]'' does this on their web page. [http://www.ancient.co.jp/~game/mamotte_knight/index.html The Japanese page] depicts a bunch of cute characters in a more [[Puni Plush]]/[[Bishonen]] style while [http://www.ancient.co.jp/~game/mamotte_knight/en.html the English page] depicts something more muscular, epic, and violent.

** This may have been intentional [[Lampshade Hanging]] on the dev team's part though.

* ''[[Final Fantasy III]]'' had an intricate design in the Japanese and European versions while in the US release, everything was removed except for the logo.

** Interestingly, this is a reversal of the usual trend for new entries. Typically, the Japanese and European cover art for any one main instalment will consist almost entirely of the logo against a clean white background, while the American cover art will move the logo to a corner to focus on a rendering of one or more of the central cast.

** Take a guess which is the Japanese artwork and which is the American [http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/9/9b/Ceodore_US_vs_JP.jpg one]

** Thunder... Thunder... THUNDERCATS, HOOOOO!

* ''[[EarthBound]]'' has a minor example: the Japanese boxart was just blank red with the logo, whereas the English boxart instead depicts a Final Starman towering imposingly over Ness on a psychadelic background. Also, the English release material made and used modified versions of Ness and Paula's clay-model artwork to make them look more realistically proportioned, less cutesy, and in Ness's case more [[Totally Radical]] (strangely, neither Jeff nor Poo were modified the same way).

* The ''[[Phantasy Star]]'' series has always had awful, awful box art for the western releases, but they went all out for the fourth game. They hired renowned fantasy artist ''Boris effing Vallejo'' to re-do the cover for the European and American editions of the game, which turned Rune into a 40-something kung-fu movie villain, Rika into a brunette elf with an 80's secretary haircut, and Chaz into Hans from ''[[Die Hard]]''.

* The American box art for ''[[MS Saga]]'' is the original box art, but zooms in on the [[Pietà Plagiarism]] to avoid showing the colorful landscape in the corners and then mutes the colors a bit.

 

=== Simulation Games ===

* The game ''Princess On Ice'' isn't so much "hardcore" as hideously ugly in the US version, even going so far as to replace the cute in-game sprites with "girls" that look like what you see on the box. [[media:princess-on-ice.jpg|Observe]].

** Aksys learned their lesson afterward and released ''Rockin' Pretty'', which uses the same characters, [http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/image/954317.html with the artwork untouched.]

* Bucking the trend, when ''[[Resident Evil 4]]'' was released in Japan, Ashley's [[Jiggle Physics]] from the US version were removed. [http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/56936.html Here's a comparison.]

** And the chainsaw decapitation was censored out.

* [http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kw03i8aShm1qzqgkn.jpg Here's] the Japanese boxart for ''[[Deadly Premonition]]'', which shows you exactly what to expect. [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/Deadly_Premonition_cover_art.jpg This] is what was decided on for localization for some bizarre reason.

** Miku's actual in-game model in the first game was altered to look slightly older and less schoolgirl-y [http://www.cameraslens.com/fatalframewiki/index.php5?title=Miku%27s_Character_Design for the US release.]

* In ''[[Dino Crisis]]'', Regina's character model in CG artwork was modified. In the Japanese version, she had small lips and big anime-style eyes. In the western version, she was given smaller eyes and fuller lips.

=== Comics ===

* American edition of [[Graphic Novel]] ''[[Marzi]]'' looks like [http://www.dccomics.com/vertigo/comics/?cm=20192 this], while the original looks like [http://www.komiks.gildia.pl/komiksy/marzi/1,okladka this].

 

=== Literature ===

** Israeli Covers are... interestingly cartoonish ([http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110319140234/redwall/images/f/f5/Hebrewredwall.jpg here] and [http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110319142123/redwall/images/c/c2/Redwisraelchar1.jpg here]).

** German covers stay usually on one level with the British ones ([http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060105082731/redwall/images/4/4f/Matti-german.jpg like here]), but have quite some... unnerving exceptions ([http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060106055125/redwall/images/f/f9/GermanMossflower2.jpg here] and [http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080422054506/redwall/images/3/37/Redwallaudio1995.jpg here]). [[Uncanny Valley]] ahead.

** Inverted with the Japanese covers. The Japanese [http://i25.tinypic.com/v75dls.jpg cover] for ''The Darkest Hour'', which is probably the most carnage-tastic book in the series, is of [[Covers Always Lie|two fluffy kitties smiling]].

* To ensure that it sells with the mainstream crowd, Yen Press [[Executive Meddling|was told by distributors]] that (the first volume) American ''[[Spice and Wolf]]'' is [[Contemptible Cover|Trashy]] and Realistic. It didn't go well, so the original art was used from the second volume onwards.

* Peter Grant is way macho in the [http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_f50VvY-dR9k/TTFXfCPOleI/AAAAAAAAAU0/8SuxsbjJmo0/s1600/9780345524256.jpg US cover] of [[Midnight Riot]]/[[Rivers of London]] compared to the restrained 'arty' look of the [http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f50VvY-dR9k/TSl06w6CaTI/AAAAAAAAAUc/7STCe6nzULE/s1600/riverscover_.jpg British cover]. Also note that Peter Grant, who in the books is described as a slender mixed race young man who by his own admission looks more North African, has metamorphosed into a [[Scary Black Man]]. And as a [[British Coppers|British Copper]], he'd better have signed for that gun.

 

* Inverted for ''[[Transformers Animated]]'''s debut in Japan. In order to turn it into a prequel to the [[Transformers (film)|live-action movies]] ([[Lying Creator|or so we thought]]), among other things, a new logo looking almost exactly like the film logos was comissioned, [http://www.tv-aichi.co.jp/TF-animated/ which practically clashes with the show's cartoony art style]. And to think that Japan once played this straight with ''[[Transformers]]'' by [[Gag Dub|gag dubbing]] the edgy ''[[Beast Wars]]''... (Though there might be a reason as to the shift in attitude --- see the ''Transformers'' films' entries on [[Germans Love David Hasselhoff]]).

** Just to be clear, this is not the first time that Japan has made Americans very confused about the continuity choices the Japanese side makes.

* ''[[Oban Star Racers]]'' had a mixed french/japanese J-pop opening theme in France, Great Britain & Japan. The US got a generic rock song called "Never say Never" ([[I Thought It Meant|No, not]] [[Justin Bieber|that one]])

 

* [http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/07/13/real-touhou-art-terrible-to-behold/ These box arts] for ''[[Touhou]]'' merchandise are in the same parody league as Handre's art. ...we hope. NSFW link, by the way.

* Back in the 80s Japan got some special ''[[My Little Pony]]'' toys which were supposed to be even cuter than the normal ones, called [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GdfAoE9__g&feature=player_embedded Osharena Pony].

 

{{reflist}}