Name Changes

[jmmijo]

I was wondering how many games have had their names changed to fit the region/area they were sold. This seemed to occur most with Europeon titles when they were converted for sale here in North America.

For instance a title called Barbarian (not the Psygnosis title) in Europe, was renamed to Axe of Rage here in the states. This was most likely changed because of possible confusion with the Psygnosis title.

Now then some of this info can be gleened from BTTR and other places as sometimes they list this name change in the notes. So just how many titles were changed and what are the original names and the changed names. This should include the translation titles too as not everyone can read multiple foreign languages nor any for that matter. I unclude myself as I rely a lot on Bablefish and Google for translations.

[andreas]

OK let's name some:

Bob Morane (Europe, France) - Operation Neptune (USA?)

Nebulus (Europe) - Tower Toppler (USA)
Stunt Car Racer (Europe) - Stunt Track Racer (USA)
Powerboat USA (Europe) - Heatwave (USA)
E-Motion (Europe) - The Game Of Harmony (USA)
Barbarian [Palace] (Europe) - Death Sword (USA)
Barbarian 2 [Palace] (Europe) - Axe Of Rage (USA)
Crazy Cars 2 (Europe) - F40 Pursuit Simulator (USA)

Well, now it's your turn again...:)

[Drake1009]

I don't know if this goes for the Amiga version, and I haven't seen the other one, but according to HOTU (at least last time I checked that page a long time ago) Chaos engine also bore the name Soldiers of fortune in the US.

[TikTok]

Microprose Formula One Grand Prix (Europe) - World Circuit (US)

[CodyJarrett]

We talked about this before! ;)

Here's the list I've got - a lot of these name differences are between countries, but others are differences between the box and the titlescreen, for example.

3D Construction Kit 2 = Virtual Reality Studio 2
ATF 2 = Airstrike USA
Addictaball = Addicta
All American Tag Team Wrestling = American Tag-Team Wrestling
Alpha Waves = Continuum
Ashes Of Empire = Fallen Empire
Atron 5000 = Tron 5000
Barbarian (Palace) = Death Sword
Barbarian 2 (Palace) = Axe Of Rage
Behind The Iron Gate = Za Zelazna Brama
Bivouac = Chamonix Challenge = Final Assault
Blitz Tennis = Center Court Tennis
Blue Max = Aces Of The Great War
Bob Morane = Operation Neptune = Project Neptune
Brad Stallion In Sex Olympics = Sex Olympics
Brutal Football = Crazy Football
Buggy Boy = Speed Buggy
Captain Dynamo = Dynamo
Chrono Quest 2 = Explora 2
Computer Clue = Cluedo: Master Detective
Crazy Cars 2 = F-40 Pursuit Simulator
Day Of The Pharoah = Pharaoh
Death Or Glory: Das Erbe Von Morgan = Death Or Glory: The Battle Of Morgan
Denaris = Katakis
Doc Croc's Outrageous Adventures = Round The Bend!
E-Motion = The Game Of Harmony
Eagle's Nest = Into The Eagle's Nest...
Emlyn Hughes International Soccer = Retee!
Encounter = Amiga Encounter
England Football Championship = England Championship
European Champions (Idea) = Championship Of Europe
European Champions (Ocean) = Retee 2! = Olympique De Marseille
F-117A Stealth Fighter 2.0 = Nighthawk F-117A Stealth Fighter 2.0
Gear Works = Clik Clak
Gnome Alone = The Magic Garden
Gone Fish'n = Reel Fish'n
Grand Slam Tennis = Grand Slam
Greg Norman's Ultimate Golf: Shark Attack = Ultimate Golf
Harrier Mission = Jump Jet
Head Coach V31b, Pro Football Simulation = Professional Football Simulation
Hostages = Operation Jupiter
Hot Rubber = Grand Prix 500 2
House-On-A-Disk = Little Computer People
Impact! = Blockbuster
International Rugby Challenge = Campo's International Rugby
International Sensible Soccer = Sensible Soccer: International Edition: World Champions
Kick Off = Franco Baresi World Cup Kick Off
Kult = Chamber Of The Sci-Mutant Priestess
Le Fetiche Maya = Maya
Legend (Mindscape) = The Four Crystals Of Trazere
Live And Let Die = Aquablast
Minskies: The Abduction = Minskies Furballs OCS & AGA
Nebulus = Tower Toppler
New York Warriors = NY Warriors
Oil Imperium = Black Gold
On The Ball League Edition AGA = Carton Rouge AGA
P-47: The Phantom Fighter = P-47: The Freedom Fighter (Arcade name)
Pipe Dream = Pipe Mania
Powerboat USA = Heatwave
Premier Multi-Edit System = Premier Manager: Multi-Edit System
Pro Tennis Tour 1/2 = Great Courts 1/2
RVF Honda = Honda RVF 750
Resolution 101 = Hoverforce
Road Raider = Motor Massacre
ST Dragon = Saint Dragon
Scooby-Doo And Scrappy-Doo = Scooby Doo And Scrappy
Scrabble De Luxe = Computer Scrabble
Sesame Street Crayon: Opposites Attract = Opposites Attract
Sir Fred = Fred
Soccer = International Soccer (Microdeal)
Space Ranger = T.A.S.A.R.
Spikey In Transylvania = Spike In Transylvania
Steel Empire = Cyber Empires
Steve McQueen West Phaser = West Phaser
Stir Crazy = Bobo
Striker No. 9 = Striker (Impressions)
Stunt Car Racer = Stunt Track Racer
Super Contra = Super C
Super Wonderboy = Wonderboy In Monsterland
Supremacy = Overlord (Probe)
TV Sports Baseball = Bo Jackson Baseball
TV Sports Boxing = World Wide Of Sports Boxing
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles = Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
Terramex = Cosmic Relief
The Duel: Test Drive 2 = Test Drive 2: The Duel
Tripple-X = Triple-X
Ultimate Ride, The = Superbike Simulator
Ultimate Soccer Manager = Der Meister
White Sharks = Carcharodon

[jmmijo]

Thanks Cody, I figured if this was brought up before then you would know about it ;)

Thanks for the list, now, how about more translations then. I noticed a few in your list :)

[andreas]

Atron 5000 = Tron 5000
Are you sure that this 'Atron' name was real?
I always thought it was an "invention" of the Dreamzone webmaster (like so many names found there...)
Stir Crazy = Bobo
I'd like to affirm that Bobo was ALWAYS released under "Stir Crazy". 99% sure. If some ADF collectors use wrong naming on their webpages this can't be called a "name change".
Cody, I'd like to remove titles from your list whose names weren't changed publisher-wise. The only names that interest here are the ones officially used.

[CodyJarrett]

There was an Amiga Power mini review which called Tron 5000 by the name "ATron 5000". I think that the 'A' means Amiga, but I don't know any more about it, so I can't confirm where the difference arose. It's worth noting that these two names are the same game, as it clears up confusion.

As for Stir Crazy, the French release was called 'Bobo'. I have an original of Stir Crazy (I only have the disk and it says "Stir Crazy"), but I can't remember what the titlescreen was.

[Twistin'Ghost]

That's one down, one to go...

[andreas]

:shocked:shocked
Well I stand corrected.
Atron 5000, in fact! :hooooo
Ah Cody, I checked out my version of BoBo - it's true! I did remember these big yellow 'BoBo' letters, but 'Stir Crazy' was written next to it! (see screenshot)
Ok so if anyone else happens to have the original French version (cracked or not cracked), please post it! :)

[CodyJarrett]

I've posted the French version of Bobo from my screenshot above. Can you post your English one, andreas?

[Galahad/FLT]

The James Bond Files = Operation Stealth

Minskies Furrballs and Minskies the Abduction is the correct titles for the game as you can play in story mode or direct as arcade... there was never a specific release for US market.

Another World = Out of this World

Carcharodon White Sharks is the full name of the game, it was never advertised nor sold as either names, but both.

[CodyJarrett]

For Minskies, the box says Furballs and the game titlescreen says The Abduction.

About Carcharodon - yes, I just didn't separate the list out by whether they were country differences or whatever. It's just that in some places, it is listed as only White Sharks and other places as Carcharodon, so this list is an attempt to clear up any confusion that arose from someone else not fully naming it.

Have you got a copy of Operation Stealth as The James Bond files? Did it really get an official licence?

[Galahad/FLT]

I saw it on Ebay, some guy had it for sale, from the screenshots it was obvious what game it was, released by Interplay.

[andreas]

@Cody: Bien sûr. :)

[jmmijo]

Originally posted by Galahad/FLT
I saw it on Ebay, some guy had it for sale, from the screenshots it was obvious what game it was, released by Interplay.

Yes, this makes sense, I believe that Interplay was the distribution outlet for the Delphine titles in N. America. I even have the lame PC-DOS version of the Stealth Affair because I'm a Bond phreakazoid:cheese

The only one I don't have is Goldeneye :(

[Twistin'Ghost]

Originally posted by Galahad/FLT
The James Bond Files = Operation Stealth
Is it possible that you may be thinking of the U.S. name for this game, which is "James Bond - The Stealth Affair"? I have an original (actually a couple of copies) of this version.

[jmmijo]

I know that's the one I was thinking of :)

[andreas]

I believe that Interplay was the distribution outlet for the Delphine titles in N. America.
Possibly, so they might have gone both ways: the first was the distribution way of other titles, the second the Interplay-only way (Battle Chess for example wasn't "distributed" from any other publisher AFAIR, this was a genuine Interplay release).

[Twistin'Ghost]

Yes, Interplay was a normal publisher and, like many others on both shores, imported titles for distribution in their native country.

I saw a unique example of this on ebay the other night: it was (I assume a UK version of) Dungeon Master from Psygnosis, complete with the traditional black-bordered Pysgnosis box. Very strange to see, as I have only previously seen the standard FTL US/Canada box.