Some censorship in video games is unnecessary and stupid

[WatagiKankens]

In the 8-bit and 16-bit era and even sometimes now, They change graphics, scenes and even dialogue for us releases, (not so much in europe) and some of them are just ridiculous to think that children, regulators or parents would take concern of so I will list the most unnecessary censorship in video games and after you read this, put a censorship you think is unnecessary in a reply. okay so let start it

Parappa the Rapper 2

"Burgers Burgers it's all we have in mine we cook the best US: you better get in line PAL/JAP: It tastes better than wine"

Really? what did they think a child wad about to do if they heard that? Go to a bar just to see if burgers taste better than wine?

"US: Toast the buns JAP/PAL: Warm the buns"

Only a pervert would mistake warm the buns for something else

Earthbound

The Bar (JAP) or Cafe (US) in fourside

Its funny that they changed it to a cafe but they still sound drunk

Paula US: I would have tried broke out myself if you did'nt come JAP: I would have been crying if you didn't come

They changed it because they didn't want her to look like a damsel in distress because a lot of video games do that to females and they don't want video games to look sexist, but really, the only female characters that are weak and are always damsels in distress are amy rose and peach. zelda usually helps you in the game other than just being a regular damsel in distress and also, the goal is to save hyrule and not her, and also she mostly gets kidnapped towards the end of the game.

Cruisn USA

Road Kill

Um... You honestly think if they run over an animal in this game, they'll do it in real life

Women in bikini holding a trophy

When I first saw this I laughed so hard.

Overall, if they removed this stuff, why didn't they remove the head that says "I love this job" at the new hot time screen on the convertor belt?

Okay so post yours and even comment on my opinions on the censorship

 

[Gahars]

They have unnecessary and stupid censorship in every media. Unfortunately, it happens.

For instance, Germany (quite understandably) Nazi imagery, especially Swastikas. Often, when something is brought over to Germany, the flags of the Nazi party will be replaced with the Iron Cross.

 

[the_randomizer]

Another example is changing the magic spell from "Holy" to "Pearl" in Final Fantasy 6 and "Death" to "Doom". But whatever, Nintendo had very strict censorship policies back in the day. Also forgot to mention that Frog's dialogue was censored/altered heavily in Chrono Trigger to be less rude. In the Japanese version, he spoke in a rather punk-like in-your-face tone, and not the anachronistic Ye Olde English he spoke in the US version.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Every censorship in video games is stupid. Look at art, in today's world in a lot of people's eyes, video games are a form of art. But they get censored beyond belief. Yet some movies that are considered art that have swearing, sex, and full frontal nudity are not censored because of some bullshit reason. Even paintings and statues like Michaelangelo, none of that gets censored.

 

[kupo3000]

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
The crescent moon symbol was changed to something unrelated.
Fire Temple BGM was altered because it contained a Muslim prayer chant.
Gandondorf's blood near the end was changed from red to green.

Xenosaga: Episode I (PS2)
Albedo dislocates a dead Kirschwasser arm, then cuts off his arm and later his head with a knife.

Xenosaga: Episode II & III (PS2)
When a character was shot, slashed, etc, no blood was shown.
Depending the scene if you listen closely you can still hear a blood gushing sound effect.
Thank goodness for undubs which restored all of that.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
1. The crescent moon symbol was altered to something unrelated
2. Fire Temple BGM was altered because it contained a Muslim prayer chant.
3. Gandondorf's blood near the end was changed from red to green.

Xenosaga: Episode II & III (PS2)
When a character was shot, slashed, etc, no blood was shown.
Depending the scene if you listen closely you can still hear a blood gushing sound effect.
Thank goodness for undubs which restored all of that.

Didn't GT did an episode about that and showed that it was changed before release?

 

[MelodieOctavia]

Let's not forget one of the biggest: Kakuto Chojin was pulled completely off the shelves in the US because of Muslim prayers in the lyrics Passages from the Quran being read aloud in one of the stages.

 

[kupo3000]

Didn't GT did an episode about that and showed that it was changed before release?

Haven't seen that episode yet.
All I know that OoT v1.0 and v1.1 had none of the mentioned censoring.
OoT v1.2 (N64) was definitely censored. Sadly Nintendo used that same revision in both Gamecube Zelda collections and Wii virtual console.
Even the 3DS version remake/port had the same exact censoring.

 

[the_randomizer]

All I know that OoT v1.0 and v1.1 had none of the mentioned censoring.
OoT v1.2 (N64) was definitely censored. Sadly Nintendo used that same revision in both Gamecube Zelda collections and Wii virtual console.
Even the 3DS version remake/port had the same exact censoring.

OoT 1.2 was the worst version, as 1.0 is the only one I've grown up playing (whether it be the physical copy or on an emulator). Plus, I liked the Fire Temple chanting, it gave the level a special aura to it. Censorship in videogames does more harm in my opinion.

Did I mention Breath of Fire 4 was censored? The dog samurai, Scias (or however you spelled it) never stuttered in the Japanese version, but spoke in a drunken slur. Oh and the main antagonist Fou Lu cut off the Emperor's head instead of stabbing him with a sword.

 

[loco365]

Final Fantasy IV had censoring. In the original Japanese release, Rosa would be under a heavy blade, in which she'd be rescued by Cecil right before it comes down. In the USA/European releases, it was turned into a giant metal ball. Honestly, even though she never got sliced/crushed, being crushed would be much more bloody and violent than a simple clean slice.

 

[Vulpes Abnocto]

*ahem* I have four words for you.

Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles.

 

[Crimsonclaw111]

Germany also has violent content constantly cut from it's media. Japan has violence toned down in some games as well.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

These are kinda old examples, nowadays I find the censorship a lot less strict mainly because they realize video games aren't for kids any more.

But of course censorship pertains to region. As Gahars said, they'll take out Nazi imagery or references or German language versions (Germans and most of Europe take a lot of gore out as well). In the Japanese version of Fallout 3, you can't detonate the nuke in Megaton due to the Hiroshima/Nagasaki implications.

These examples are just too dated to give an accurate opinion on modern game censorship but I will say it has its place. It stops disgusting games from being released or being as disgusting as they are. I mean thanks to censorship, we don't get stuck with bullshit like Thrill Kill.

 

[emigre]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkUuABNnTC0

Poor Germany

 

[TripleSMoon]

The most ridiculous censorship that I can think of seeing recently is in Mega Man Zero. Quite literally just about every reference to death was replaced with the word "retired"... even when talking about human characters, and when we very clearly saw characters get retired, i mean KILLED, on screen.

PS: "Recently" meaning I SAW it recently, not that it came out recently.

 

[Hop2089]

Keio Flying Squadron: changing the age of Keio to 18, made no sense as unlike another game Snatcher there's no nude scenes and what not plus unlike Snatcher it ruined the story a bit.

Then Celes' captivity scene, it was censored even in the Japanese version of FFVI Advance.

 

[Hielkenator]

The last story is'nt censored is it? There's a lot of drinking in it in the first 2 hours or so.
Also Monstur hunter tri is NO greenpeece game.
No more heroes ntsc has lots of gore, the Pal and jap version are censored.
Madworld...uncensored
Scarface...uncensored
Godfather...uncensored

I honestly think that is some of the games the censoring would be oppriate.

 

[TripleSMoon]

Keio Flying Squadron: changing the age of Keio to 18, made no sense as unlike another game Snatcher there's no nude scenes and what not plus unlike Snatcher it ruined the story a bit.

Then Celes' captivity scene, it was censored even in the Japanese version of FFVI Advance.

Didn't Fire Emblem GBA ("Fire Emblem: The Sword of Flame," in Japan) do the same thing? Lyndis was 15 in the Japanese version (which makes MUCH more sense), but she was arbitrarily changed to be 18 in the American release.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Keio Flying Squadron: changing the age of Keio to 18, made no sense as unlike another game Snatcher there's no nude scenes and what not plus unlike Snatcher it ruined the story a bit.

Then Celes' captivity scene, it was censored even in the Japanese version of FFVI Advance.

Didn't Fire Emblem GBA ("Fire Emblem: The Sword of Flame," in Japan) do the same thing? Lyndis was 15 in the Japanese version (which makes MUCH more sense), but she was arbitrarily changed to be 18 in the American release.

First off, how does the age have that much of an impact? If they were from like 12 to 18 or 10 to 30 then there's an issue, but three years isn't. Unless you're trying to portray your characters in a disgusting, borderline child pornographic manner. In which case your game is shit and you should feel bad.

Age also just helps players relate to the character. The big issue everyone had with FFXII's story was that the protagonist was bad and that much of the story revolved around someone else. The protagonist was put there so gamers had a character to relate to. Admittedly it was a bad choice on Square's end but there's a reason that most "mature" (not rating wise but theme and story wise) games feature older characters. An older audience will relate more to someone their age (like Commander Shepard from Mass Effect, Nier from, well, Nier, etc) while a younger audience will relate more to a younger character (both in demeanor and actual age) like Mario, Sonic, Billy Hatcher (holy shit who actually remembers this), etc.

Again, to reiterate, age is so that a character that may be perceived as sexual is actually legal, although I think the practice of putting anyone who isn't of age into a sexual situation is downright disgusting.

 

[Foxi4]

Most instances of censorship completely fly over my radar - what I don't like is when they're changing the very premise of the game. For example, in Carmageddon 2 the pedestrians were fully replaced with zombies, blood was replaced with green goo and by-proxy your "villain" became somewhat a "hero", clensing the town of the undead. Weird, isn't it?