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Germans Love David Hasselhoff/Video Games: Difference between revisions
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== Real Life Examples ==
=== Action Adventure ===
* The [[Metroidvania]] genre is hugely popular in the West, but only a niche genre in Japan. In addition to ''[[Metroid]]'' and ''[[Castlevania]]'' themselves, games like ''[[Blaster Master]]'' and ''[[Cave Story]]'' have also been subject to this trend.▼
* The ''[[Metroid]]'' series is somewhat popular in Japan, but so much more in the U.S. that for ''[[Metroid Prime]]'', Nintendo hired an American developer. This led to a humorous meme that Samus, being blonde and blue-eyed, was 'obviously' an American character. Several of the titles have released in the U.S. before Japan to cater to this fanbase.▼
** ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' was heaped with critical accolades upon its release in the West, earning several Game Of The Year awards, and is to this day considered by many to be one of the greatest games ever made. Not merely its sales, but in critical reception was, at best, lukewarm in Japan.▼
** The creators have always described the series' art direction as "American comic book style." They definitely know what they're doing.▼
** As a testament to this trope, America and Europe are getting ''Metroid Prime Trilogy'', a [[Compilation Rerelease]] of the eponymous trilogy with the first two games reworked with Wii Remote controls and the credit system from the third game, while Japan has to settle for the remade first two ''Prime'' games as standalone titles as part of their ''Play it on Wii'' product line (''New Play Control'' in America).▼
** Samus herself fits this trope. In the U.S. she's considered one of Nintendo's "Big four" characters, trailing only [[Super Mario Bros.|Mario]], [[The Legend of Zelda|Link]] and [[Pokémon|Pikachu]] in popularity . In Japan she is probably behind [[Fire Emblem Akaneia|Marth]], which would humor or confuse those not in Japan.▼
** Interestingly, the latest game in the franchise, ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'', made a strong effort to appeal to Japanese players, with anime-influenced FMV cutscenes, greater emphasis on story, emotional character development for Samus, and more linear gameplay in the style of ''Metroid Fusion''. The fandom is [[Base Breaker|thoroughly split]] over ''Other M'', with many fans complaining about Samus's characterization and the emphasis on FMV cinematics, as well as complaints of the game being too linear and lacking in exploration. The game sold about as well as any other ''Metroid'' game in Japan, and [[Americans Hate Tingle|its US sales were the lowest]] of any console-based Metroid game.▼
**** To makes things even more complicated, the few Japanese fans of the series [[Irony|didn't like it much either]].▼
=== Action ===
=== Adventure ===
* The adventure game ''[[The Neverhood]]'' was a bit of a low-key cult hit in the West. The PC version got a Japanese [[PS 1]] port called ''Klaymen Klaymen...'' and Japanese gamers absolutely ''adored'' it. In addition to getting some cool pieces of promotional merchandise, the Japanese company that localized it (and its sequel, ''Skullmonkeys'') made a [[Gaiden Game]] called ''Klaymen Gun-Hockey.'' It's about as [[Widget Series|weird as it sounds.]]▼
** The game is also very popular in Russia, Poland, and the former Czechoslovakia.▼
=== Beat 'em Ups ===
=== Fighting ===
=== First-Person Shooters ===
* [[Similarly Named Works|Not to be confused with]] [[Point Blank (video game)|the Namco game of the same name]], but the Korean multiplayer PC FPS ''[[Point Blank (2008 video game)|Point Blank]]'' has enjoyed massive success in Indonesia, mainly because it's free ([[Allegedly Free Game|yeah]], [[Bribing Your Way to Victory|mostly]]). It's now available in America (and the rest of the world) as ''[[Point Blank (2008 video game)|Project Blackout]]'', for those who want to give it a try.▼
=== Hack and Slash ===
=== MMORPG ===
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=== Racing ===
=== RPGS ===
* While the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' elements of ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' were played up to sell it overseas to traditional RPG fans, the project sprang up as a game starring Mickey Mouse and was always intended to use the Disney elements to appeal to the massive Japanese fanbase that includes adults.▼
** The character Xigbar is more popular in the west than in the East. His appearance in ''[[Birth By Sleep]]'' as his other, {{spoiler|Braig}} helped.▼
* The early [[Western RPG]] series ''Phantasie'' caught on in Japan, to the point where ''Phantasie IV'' was a Japan-exclusive release.▼
* English speakers can't get enough of Kefka from ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' because he's pretty much the poster boy for [[Woolseyism]], being turned into an [[Expy]] of [[The Joker]], if The Joker had god-like magical powers and was secretly a [[Nietzsche Wannabe]]. It's not so much that he isn't [[Bishounen|pretty]], but that his original lines were [[The Scrappy|obnoxious and moronic]] that he gets little love in Japan (though he has gotten a little more popularity thanks to ''Dissidia''.)▼
* [[Final Fantasy X|Jecht]]'s appearance in ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'' propelled him to the status of a [[Rated "M" for Manly]] [[Memetic Badass]] [[Memetic Sex God|Sex God]]...In America. In Japan, while he's not ''un''popular by any means, he's...just another character.▼
* The same could be said of Sazh in [[Final Fantasy XIII]]. Case in point: in the sequel, while the rest of the original main cast either make physical appearences or are very significant to the game's backstory, Sazh only appears for a [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment during the final battle. (He did end up getting [[A Day in the Limelight|his own DLC episode.]])▼
* If the huge number of translated [[Game Mod|Game Mods]] is any indication, ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]'' has a sizable Czech fanbase.▼
* [[Sweet Home]] is an obscure Japanese RPG based of the movie of the same name and was almost forgotten. In the US, a high amount of interest surged after it was discovered to be a huge inspiration for [[Resident Evil]].▼
=== Shoot 'em Ups ===
=== Stealth Based ===
=== Survival Horror ===
* The ''[[Silent Hill]]'' series is more successful overseas than in Japan, so much so that the last three titles have been developed by Western studios and had belated releases in Japan. Understandable, in that the series specifically targeted a Western audience to begin with.▼
=== Third-Person Shooters ===
=== Other ===
=== UNSORTED ===
▲* The [[Metroidvania]] genre is hugely popular in the West, but only a niche genre in Japan. In addition to ''[[Metroid]]'' and ''[[Castlevania]]'' themselves, games like ''[[Blaster Master]]'' and ''[[Cave Story]]'' have also been subject to this trend.
▲* While the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' elements of ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' were played up to sell it overseas to traditional RPG fans, the project sprang up as a game starring Mickey Mouse and was always intended to use the Disney elements to appeal to the massive Japanese fanbase that includes adults.
▲** The character Xigbar is more popular in the west than in the East. His appearance in ''[[Birth By Sleep]]'' as his other, {{spoiler|Braig}} helped.
▲* The ''[[Metroid]]'' series is somewhat popular in Japan, but so much more in the U.S. that for ''[[Metroid Prime]]'', Nintendo hired an American developer. This led to a humorous meme that Samus, being blonde and blue-eyed, was 'obviously' an American character. Several of the titles have released in the U.S. before Japan to cater to this fanbase.
▲** ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' was heaped with critical accolades upon its release in the West, earning several Game Of The Year awards, and is to this day considered by many to be one of the greatest games ever made. Not merely its sales, but in critical reception was, at best, lukewarm in Japan.
▲** The creators have always described the series' art direction as "American comic book style." They definitely know what they're doing.
▲** As a testament to this trope, America and Europe are getting ''Metroid Prime Trilogy'', a [[Compilation Rerelease]] of the eponymous trilogy with the first two games reworked with Wii Remote controls and the credit system from the third game, while Japan has to settle for the remade first two ''Prime'' games as standalone titles as part of their ''Play it on Wii'' product line (''New Play Control'' in America).
▲** Samus herself fits this trope. In the U.S. she's considered one of Nintendo's "Big four" characters, trailing only [[Super Mario Bros.|Mario]], [[The Legend of Zelda|Link]] and [[Pokémon|Pikachu]] in popularity . In Japan she is probably behind [[Fire Emblem Akaneia|Marth]], which would humor or confuse those not in Japan.
▲** Interestingly, the latest game in the franchise, ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'', made a strong effort to appeal to Japanese players, with anime-influenced FMV cutscenes, greater emphasis on story, emotional character development for Samus, and more linear gameplay in the style of ''Metroid Fusion''. The fandom is [[Base Breaker|thoroughly split]] over ''Other M'', with many fans complaining about Samus's characterization and the emphasis on FMV cinematics, as well as complaints of the game being too linear and lacking in exploration. The game sold about as well as any other ''Metroid'' game in Japan, and [[Americans Hate Tingle|its US sales were the lowest]] of any console-based Metroid game.
▲**** To makes things even more complicated, the few Japanese fans of the series [[Irony|didn't like it much either]].
* A very similar example comes in the form of ''[[Blaster Master]]''; its Japanese incarnation, ''Metafight'', is all but forgotten. ''Blaster Master'', however, remains a beloved [[Cult Classic]] among Western gamers who cut their teeth in the NES era, due to its [[Metroidvania]]-style gameplay and [[Crowning Music of Awesome|amazing soundtrack]]. So much so, that the direct sequel was produced in the UK (never sold in Japan), and by the time a [[PlayStation]] revival was attempted, even Japan got the American version of the story as opposed to the original ''Metafight'' one.
* ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' is on the list of "Japanese games better known outside of Japan", as of the 2000s. While ''[[Ocarina of Time]]'' was as much of a best-seller as anywhere else, ''[[The Wind Waker]]'' and ''[[Twilight Princess]]'' in particular had disappointing sales in their homeland, despite Famitsu giving Wind Waker a perfect 40. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] even commented on it once, saying the West apparently has a bigger preference for these types of games than Japan does.
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** However, Ryoma Niitsuma, the developer of ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom 3]]'', notes that than if he had more development time, [http://iplaywinner.com/news/2010/10/23/niitsuma-disconfirms-characters-for-mvc3-but-gives-some-hope.html Jon would have been his pick for the series' fourth rep.] <ref>For reference, the three ''Darkstalkers'' characters in ''MvC3'' are [[Ensemble Darkhorse|fan-faves]] Morrigan, Felicia, and Hsien-Ko.</ref> Perhaps his fans may be [[Throw the Dog a Bone|getting a bone thrown their way]] soon... [[Yank the Dog's Chain|which got cruelly yanked the moment]] ''[[Yank the Dog's Chain|Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3]]'' [[Yank the Dog's Chain|additions are revealed... and Talbain is nowhere in sight.]]
*** To rub salt in the wounds, Ameteratsu's alternate DLC costume in Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 [http://shoryuken.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/img0852r.jpg has her looking like Talbain.]
▲* English speakers can't get enough of Kefka from ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' because he's pretty much the poster boy for [[Woolseyism]], being turned into an [[Expy]] of [[The Joker]], if The Joker had god-like magical powers and was secretly a [[Nietzsche Wannabe]]. It's not so much that he isn't [[Bishounen|pretty]], but that his original lines were [[The Scrappy|obnoxious and moronic]] that he gets little love in Japan (though he has gotten a little more popularity thanks to ''Dissidia''.)
▲* [[Final Fantasy X|Jecht]]'s appearance in ''[[Dissidia Final Fantasy]]'' propelled him to the status of a [[Rated "M" for Manly]] [[Memetic Badass]] [[Memetic Sex God|Sex God]]...In America. In Japan, while he's not ''un''popular by any means, he's...just another character.
▲* The same could be said of Sazh in [[Final Fantasy XIII]]. Case in point: in the sequel, while the rest of the original main cast either make physical appearences or are very significant to the game's backstory, Sazh only appears for a [[Big Damn Heroes]] moment during the final battle. (He did end up getting [[A Day in the Limelight|his own DLC episode.]])
* This trope is the reason why Choi Bounge from ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' who is rather unpopular and reviled (not as much as Bao, but still reviled) everywhere, managed to get into ''[[Capcom vs. Whatever|SNK vs. Capcom: Chaos]]''. Why? Because Koreans consider him top-tier, and love him. More than in-universe Korean hero Kim Kaphwan (who's also featured). So they added Choi to cater to the Korean fans.
* [[SNK]] games were (and probably still are) huge in large portions of Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, mostly because the [[Neo Geo]] MVS cabinets could hold multiple games at a time, and the games could be replaced by simply buying a new game and inserting it, rather than buying a whole new cabinet, making them more economically feasible for arcades. In these areas, it's not uncommon for characters like Terry Bogard to be more recognizable than the likes of Mario. SNK has not failed to notice this, and has added more Mexican (Angel, Ramon, Tizoc) and Chinese (Lin, Duo Lon) characters to its roster.
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* ''[[Dungeon Master (video game)|Dungeon Master]]'', first released in 1987, was very successful and enjoyed several ports and translations. Japan, however, seems to have adopted the series while the West gradually forgot it. A remixed, lighter version called ''Theron's Quest'' was released for the [[TurboGrafx-16]]; the official sequel was released in Japan first, and only much later in the West; and the last official episode of the series, ''Dungeon Master Nexus'', is a [[Sega Saturn]] game that never left Japan.
* Kinzo Ushiromiya of ''[[Umineko no Naku Koro ni]]'' isn't all that popular in Japan (according to the character polls), but, thanks to massive [[Memetic Mutation]] (helped along by "OH DESIRE") [[In America]], he's become pretty popular in the states.
▲* The ''[[Silent Hill]]'' series is more successful overseas than in Japan, so much so that the last three titles have been developed by Western studios and had belated releases in Japan. Understandable, in that the series specifically targeted a Western audience to begin with.
* ''[[Skullgirls]]'' has a loyal following in the West, but has such a large fan following in Japan that Reverge Labs is working on both a retail disc version of the game for Japan (since Japanese gamers don't care for DLC) and an arcade version.
* While [[Super Mario Bros.|Mario]] is ''the'' poster boy for video games everywhere, his [[Video Game 3D Leap]] wasn't as popular in Japan. For one the [[Sega Saturn]] kept outselling the [[Nintendo 64]] for a long time there and more recently, ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' outsold ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' within just 3 days of its Japan release.
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* The arcade game scene started in the US with games like ''Pong'', but in Japan arcade games grew to be much more popular. Today, while arcades in Western territories are a dying breed, viewed as little more than overpriced novelties (with the exception of rhythm games), Japanese arcades are still going strong. It certainly helps that Japanese-developed arcade games are very creative.
** For a more specific example, there's crane games (or UFO catcher, where you use crane to catch dolls or prices), which are ''huge'' at Japanese game centers; they're big enough that their appearances in some anime are not [[Pac-Man Fever|ignorant of modern Japanese arcades]]. They're often placed at the entrances to game centers to attract passersby, and some game centers are dedicated entirely to hosting crane games. There is even a ''[[Serious Business|national crane game competition]]''.
▲* [[Similarly Named Works|Not to be confused with]] [[Point Blank (video game)|the Namco game of the same name]], but the Korean multiplayer PC FPS ''[[Point Blank (2008 video game)|Point Blank]]'' has enjoyed massive success in Indonesia, mainly because it's free ([[Allegedly Free Game|yeah]], [[Bribing Your Way to Victory|mostly]]). It's now available in America (and the rest of the world) as ''[[Point Blank (2008 video game)|Project Blackout]]'', for those who want to give it a try.
▲* The adventure game ''[[The Neverhood]]'' was a bit of a low-key cult hit in the West. The PC version got a Japanese [[PS 1]] port called ''Klaymen Klaymen...'' and Japanese gamers absolutely ''adored'' it. In addition to getting some cool pieces of promotional merchandise, the Japanese company that localized it (and its sequel, ''Skullmonkeys'') made a [[Gaiden Game]] called ''Klaymen Gun-Hockey.'' It's about as [[Widget Series|weird as it sounds.]]
▲** The game is also very popular in Russia, Poland, and the former Czechoslovakia.
* ''[[I Wanna Be the Guy]]'' is much more popular in Japan than its home country of the US. On [[YouTube]], the most viewed video of that game has less than a million views, and the second most viewed has less than 500,000. On the Japanese site [[Nico Video]], however, there's tons of videos of it with 100,000s of views, including several that have over a million. What's more, multiple Japanese-developed fangames exist.
** The fact that it was inspired by a Japanese web game ("The Big Adventure of Owata's Life", aka "The Life-Ending Adventure") might have something to do with this... in fact, the final version of Owata included the first few screens of IWBTG as its final level in an extended [[Shout-Out]]!
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* ''[[Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors]]'' sold far better in the US than it did in Japan. This actually caused a supply problem (Aksys had only manufactured a small number of games, anticipating sales similar to Japan) and until the second release the game often sold for upwards of $80 on Ebay/Amazon.
* The ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series is only fairly popular in Japan but has never stopped being a cultural icon in America (both of them) and is especially loved to pieces in Europe ([[Alton Towers]] even has a Sonic themed roller coaster and a Sonic themed hotel). Over the years, SEGA's marketing became increasingly western-oriented, and major releases, ''[[Sonic Generations]]'' notwithstanding, came out in America and Europe before Japan by about a month.
▲* The early [[Western RPG]] series ''Phantasie'' caught on in Japan, to the point where ''Phantasie IV'' was a Japan-exclusive release.
* Of the ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' series, in the western fanbase, ''[[Fire Emblem Jugdral|Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' and/or ''[[Fire Emblem Jugdral|Thracia 776]]'' are regularly cited as the best and most beloved of the series, despite the fact that [[No Export for You|neither of them were ever officially released outside Japan]]. Compare to Japan, where not only do they cite [[Fire Emblem Akaneia|Marth's games]] as the best ([[Americans Hate Tingle|which just confuses western players]]), but ''Genealogy'' even got the lowest Famitsu review score of the entire series (though it still sold well).
* Not that he's lacking popularity in Japan, but from ''[[BlazBlue]]'', Iron Tager seemingly gets more fanbase in America, helped with the [[Values Dissonance]] of how manliness is better valued in America and he's probably the second manliest character in the game (after Bang) as well as helped with some American-exclusive memes like "REAL SOVIET DAMAGE" and "GIGANTIC TAGER!" (The Japanese version instead censors with [[Kenji Nomura]] yelling "Gauntlet Hades" thus missing out the joke), and one of the more higher-tier male voice actor ([[Jamieson Price]]) to voice him, making him seeing more fanbase in America.
▲* If the huge number of translated [[Game Mod|Game Mods]] is any indication, ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]'' has a sizable Czech fanbase.
▲* [[Sweet Home]] is an obscure Japanese RPG based of the movie of the same name and was almost forgotten. In the US, a high amount of interest surged after it was discovered to be a huge inspiration for [[Resident Evil]].
* While the [[Nintendo 64]] and [[Game Cube]] were beat by their [[PlayStation]] rivals worldwide, they were both even less popular in Japan than they were in North America and Europe. It was very often when the Playstation 1 and/or 2 version of a game got a Japanese release while the N64/Gamecube version stayed in North America and Europe (sometimes, even North America only).
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