Japanese animation – or & # 39; anime & # 39; as many call it – big business these days. While popular in their homeland, we saw a lot of anime outlets moving west and we found the kind of success that is usually reserved for home-grown cartoons and Franchise Media. Similar series Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball, Berserk, Bleach, Naruto, One piece, again Fullmetal Almetist they have all become real world champions, drawing millions of followers away from the Japanese beaches.
Japanese animation with world-renown is something to celebrate; unlike the west, where the images are still treated as children in some way, the Japanese took it as the official art form and many of the world's most successful blockbuster films have claimed – as some unkind westerners would say – three times.
It is good to remember that there was a time when anything that seemed so far away from Japan was seen as a commercial disaster
The rise in popularity of western anime has had a very positive effect on the outcome of game players; we are now blessed with more western anime games than ever before, with titles such as Dragon Ball FighterZ, My Fair Justice and Naruto Shippuden: The Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy are solid additions to the ever-growing switchchin library – and that can mean a lot of anime-style series, like The chiefs; The gate, Zero Escape and many others – who received a westbound fanbase a few years ago.
However, while the influence and reach of anime has grown considerably in recent times, it is worth remembering that there was a time when anything that looked even remotely Japanese was seen as a commercial disaster. Some publishers have tried very hard to limit Japanese influence from the integration of their games with new western art, others were going too far and completely changing the heritage of the game, completely removing the anime track the game was originally based on.
Of course not and so on depending on western interests – in many cases, publishers were removing Japanese licenses simply because they were not well-known in the west, and in doing so avoided paying a fee to an IP owner – but there was a definite trend back then to mark the eastern origin of many heads.
Take the memory line down as we take a look at some of the most notable examples from the time anime was making a habit.
Dragon Ball / Dragon Power (NES)
One of the earliest examples of anime licenses completely released in the video game is the 1988 years The Power of the Dragon on the NES, based on the 1986 release of Famicom Dragon Ball: Shenron and Nazo. Warrior Goku was transformed to look like your typical & # 39; s 80-kung-fu dude, while the famous Dragon Balls became balls of & # 39; crystal & # 39; very unpleasant. There are also some disappointing assumptions included; in the original Japanese language, Mr Roshi gets bleeding as he stares at Bulma institutions, but in the American style, he especially liked the Sandma sandwich. Because Dragon Ball was already popular in France, that region acquired the original version of the game in 1990, entitled Dragon Ball: This is the secret du Dragon.
Latest (North Star / Fight Last / Black Belt)
It's recent – or Hokuto and Ken, as it is known in Japan – is one of the most authentic Japanese manga and anime modes, having launched it in the & # 39; 80s. We've seen video games based on the series ever since, with Sega being one of the biggest licensors facing it. It produced the Fist of the North Star game at a Mark III concert in 1986, then put it in the west under the name of the Black Belt, removing many references to the original series. This may follow in 1989 Hokuto and Ken: Shin Seikimatsu Kyūseishu Densetsu on Mega Drive, heading west as The Last War. Also, the characters were also too drawn to hide the link to Joshiyuki "Buronson" Okamura's link to the post-apocalyptic franchise, and the spider was thrown too low (no explosive heads for us in the west). Ironically, the previous war was decided upon for home computer translation by UK company Elite.
It is notable that while Sega changed its North Star game boxing to suit the western audience, we saw the games fall from Japan to the NES and Game Boy licenses – thought to be cashing out of the 1991 release of the 1986 North Star Fist Streamline Photos.
Tecmo Cup / Captain Tsubasa (NES)
RPG gameplay would be a selling point back in the NES days, so it's no surprise that Tecmo decided to take the plunge. Captain Tsubasa western release license for its popular popular adventure. This Japanese version took things from Yangaichi Takahashi's famous manga and anime series, created a game based on the fast-paced action of many football games and instead relied on action-packed cinematic action. The western genre saved the building but removed all of Captain Tsubasa's characters, replacing them with ordinary football lovers (the lead character, Tsubasa, becomes a blonde-haired Superman who looks like Robin Field, for example).
Burai Fighter (NES / Game Boy)
Like many good Japanese games, Release the Fighter has serious diseases, Gundam-style mech on its front cover – a surefire way to get Japanese kids interested in interactive games, especially when there is no official anime license. However, when the game was released in the west, the robot was replaced by a familiar main character such as something out of Buck Rogers. Boo.
Power Blade / Power Blazer (NES)
This is a Nitoito-made Taito event for aito he is perfect An example of how Japanese publishers re-designed their games for western use. Early Japanese – named Power Blazer – the main character is beautiful, Mega Man-style cyborg, and the western system looks a bit like a Schwarzenegger that looks like a muscle (the closest the painter's wrap is Mike Winterbauer claims to have been sent threatening letters by "representatives of a certain movie star" even suggesting he use his own face as a photo reference). The game stages were changed and controls were improved, so by the time Black Power sports a cookie-cutter graphic style that clearly aims to impress young fans of the & # 39; 80s Hollywood movie, at least playing better than its Japanese counterpart. It is interesting that Power Blade 2 released in Japan under the heading Captain Saver and we share the same visual style as the western version, complete with the Arie-style protagonist.
Zelda: The Rise of the Link (Game Boy)
This is a controversial entry, but worth mentioning – Nintendo was very aggressive in removing any & # 39; anime & # 39; which are beyond the covers of its Zelda titles. From the beginning, cartoon-like images seen in the Japanese genre of The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: Adventures of Link and The Legend of Zelda: The Ultimate Link were all replaced by basic covers that had nothing to do with character art or, Nintendo is right, it will use cartoon art in both tutorials and promotional material). Perhaps the most notable change was the amalgamation of Link & # 39; s, which boasted a beautiful anime-inspired cover with its Japanese release – a cover thrown in the west favoring the Zelda trademark, complete with sword and shield. We think most of you reading this will have a seamless connection with western cover art artwork – we don't blame you – but let's face it, Japanese cover is pretty high.
Street Fighter II: World Champion (SNES)
While this may not be as clear to clear the case as any of the others on this list, there is no denying that Capcom – like most & # 39; 80s and & # 39; 90s – have taken steps to reduce the "Japanese" look with their game and cover. While the Japanese version of Street Fighter II included a beautiful piece of artwork by legendary artist Akira “Akiman” Yasuda – Capcom activist boxing activist at the time – North America's program was honored with Mick McGinty's new image & # 39; western & # 39; in style. It's not such a bad image; it's just amazing that Capcom decided that real art wasn't good for players outside of Japan – but as the feature shows hopefully, it wasn't alone in having this idea.
Capcom was very good when it came to changing the boxing art of its games, come to think of it. The Mega Man series on the NES is covered in amazing western art, as well as titles such as Super Ghouls & # 39; n Speakers, The final fight (1, 2 and 3) and Demon Crest they all had their own Japanese-style art work replaced by lowercase songs. Tutorial.
Dirty Days / Race Races (Game Boy)
With the title & # 39; Dirty Race & # 39; you might get the wrong idea about the top-down Game Jaleco & # 39; s Speed-fest, but when it does enter a large dose of bikini-clad girls' track girls, part & # 39; dirty & # 39; of the word comes from the fact that, unlike the real world race, it becomes more difficult on the track. The dirty race was not released on its own in the west, but UK company Gremlin would only launch it in North America Jeep Jamboree: Off Road Adventure in 1994 to create Racial Days – Finish with a new cover that pulls as many anime stylings as deep as possible.
Ranma ½: Chaziki Gekitōhen / Combat Street (SNES)
Ranma ½ by one of Japan's finest manga series, in the early '90s, it gained immense popularity in its own country, as well as many video game adaptations. The first one that comes to Super Famicom under the title Ranma ½: Chikhoi Gekitōhen. A one-on-one combat man in the same style as Street Fighter II, he was renamed Street Fighting by Irem, they stripped away Ranma's characters and settings and replaced them with something good replacing the original with the standard submission. Surprisingly, one of its sequels – Ranma ½: Solid War -I will make it to the west solid, even though the boxing art was a little west to clear the & # 39; -anime & # 39; edges.
Curse of Rolan II / Velious II Fukushuu and Jashin (Boy of the Game)
Ironically, when Sammy releases its Zelda action adventure Velious Roland and Majuu western 1991 under the heading The insult to Rolan, decided to use the original Japanese art – a very regrettable decision, as the 1992 sequel acquired a completely new piece of western cover art that excludes some of the great characters contained within. Shame.
Power Moves / Power Athlete (SNES)
This is a close call, as you would argue that the original Japanese cover Athlete Power it's not & # 39; Japanese & # 39; s to begin with – in fact, it does look western in construction, even though the anime-style characters contained in the game itself – but that didn't stop publisher Kaneko from leaving and instead using one of the most illegal covers which we have experienced. One or worse SNES covering it? Yes, indeed.
Area 88 / U.N. squadron (SNES)
Kaoru Shintani & # 39; s seminal manga (and anime anime) Area 88 is a complete series of video game switches, with loads of real-world military jets and a lot of stamina. Capcom actually came up with the 1989 arcade release that was released in the west under the title U.N. squadron – even though the character drawings remain the same. The game was introduced on the SNES in 1991 and is one of the best shooters on the console, but it's a big shame that the license wasn't made for the ride, either; cover of the excellent Japanese Super Famicom version.
Suits Assault Valken / Cybernator (SNES)
Next up is the Mega Drive game Assault Suit Leynos (released west as Target Earth), Purpose Assault Valken it was one of the first video games that sounded like a Japanese animated movie – though it has nothing to do with any manga or anime. You are blessed with character designs created by Satoshi "Langrisser" Urushihara and the beautiful cover photo of Masami Ohnishi – not to mention the in-game visuals and solid, rewarding gameplay – received rave reviews when it was launched and taken shortly to be released by Konami under the title A cybernator (although the game itself was designed by NCS and published by Masaya in Japan). Konami downplayed the influence of the anime, ordered a new piece of western style art and removed the anime footage from the game's interview time. It also eliminated the sequence in the end when the president of an enemy country, realizing that they had lost the war, committed suicide. The western game promotional campaign is also being tested by the name Robocop and The Termiler, trying unsuccessfully to create a way for a man-made game as an independent android.
Magic Hat no Buttobi Tābo! Daibōken / Decap Attack (Mega Drive / Genesis)
Magic Hats was a short-lived TV series by Studio Pierrot that ran between 1989 and 1990, and is probably known today for the best Mega Drive game ever taken. Arguably it is one of the best platforms in the console and is a sequential way to score equally Psyhco Fox in Master System. Fortunately, it went west, but minus all the anime trappings. Instead, the game was given a macabre theme, full of zombies and bones, and renamed Attack by attack. It's not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but at the loss of the bright and colorful Japanese original material, it certainly feels a little more attractive.
Phalanx (SNES)
As a Power Athlete, we have a nap here, as a cover for Kemco's Super Famicom shooter Phalanx: Enforce Fighter A-144 It's not & # 39; anime & # 39; as such, but it also includes a Japanese-looking spacecraft that will not look out of a Japanese '80s cartoon series with great tactics against floating warships. It never made it to the western cover, which included a photo of an old man playing banjo. For the full story of why this change took place, check this out.
Do you remember any Japanese titles that were made by machine to be produced in the west? Let us know about the idea.
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