Total Makeover - Same Name, Different Game

[Discoalucard]

Another article I did for 1up:

www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3158520

Basically, it's a look at games that got huge makeovers when being localized, sometimes to the point of becoming completely different games. Some of the stuff is already covered on this site (Wonder Boy became Adventure Island, Puyo Puyo became tons of stuff) but there are a lot of games that got reworked a lot (Power Blade, for example, is completely different from the original Japanese version, and much better), or licensed games exchanged characters.

After my deadline on this, there were a handful of other games I discovered that I had neglected - I'll write about those later. Including Magic Dragon, in the other topic, which I just found out about today. There's Super Noahs Ark and Wolfenstein 3D. And I guess Kato & Ken and JJ & Jeff count, though I haven't played them to see up any differences.

There's also Golden Fighter / Ultimate Fighter:

choujin.mpage.jp/japanvsusa/hiryunoken.htm

Anyone know of any others I may have missed?

[The bag of sand]

Front Line: The Next Mission for game boy color was thrown in the Sgt. Rock lisence and named Sgt. Rock On the Front Line in North America. It was also localized by BAM! the same people who did Dexters Lab.

[Discoalucard]

I remember someone bringing this up when I had a topic asking about it months back, but I didn't get to look too far into it. What's Sgt. Rock?

[The bag of sand]

Its a comic by DC that takes place during World War II, Sgt. Rock is one of those one man army type of guys.

[ReyVGM]

Here are some differences from Kato & Ken and JJ & Jeff games:
www.vgden.com/hucard/reviews/kat.htm

The differences aren't too many. I played the American version and the NPC's seem to be the same one from the Japanese screenshots in that site.
I couldn't beat the game because on the last level (6-4), there is a huge pit that's impossible to jump and if you fall in it you get sent back to 6-3. So, I can't see if there's some weird difference in the ending.

About Sgt. Rock, he's one of those Army Men characters that got his own spin-off game. Not bad actually, comparing them to the other GBC Army Men games at least.

[ReyVGM]

Some games you missed:

-Blaster Master Boy/Bomber King 2 and Bomber King /Robowarrior.

-The GBC Solomon's Club that got changed to Monster Rancher Explorer.

-Mickey's Racing Adventure and sequels (GBC and N64) which are really just Diddy Kong Racing in disguise. All from RARE.

-Survival Kids (GBC) is a heavily modified King Kong 2 from the MSX2, both by Konami.

-Metal Gear MSX2 heavily changed when released on the NES.

-Akumajo Dracula MSX2 completely different from the Famicom one.

- Nes Ninja Gaiden changed for the Arcade Ninja Gaiden.

-The Arcade/NES Punch-Out and Arcade/Super NES Super Punch Out

-Maybe Power Punch II as the unofficial Punch-Out sequel that was never meant to be?

-Also maybe Pop n Twin Bee (SNES)? The Japanese version has a map screen where you can select any level, different paths, battery saves to save your collection percentage, multiple endings. The European one has a linear map, no battery saves (so no percentage saving) and just one ending. The changes are not aesthetic, but it significantly modified the experience.

And what about the MSX2 Contra?
It starts the same as the Arcade one, but it has 10 more levels and another last boss.

Also, what about the Best of The Best/Kick Boxing/Andre Panza Kick Boxing games that are the same game under different names and minor changes?

And does Salamander/Life Force (NES) count?
The games are basically the same, but the weapons systems is completely different.

[ninjarygar]

I haven't got anything to contribute, besides a well-deserved congratulations on another great article.

[mainpatr]

How about mentioning that Pirates of the Caribbean for the PC was originally a game in the Seadogs series?

[Discoalucard]

Well, the scope of the article was one game having graphics/levels changed for different territories (or platforms, in the case of Wonder Boy) but still essentially being almost the exact same game at its core. Stuff like Punch Out/Ninja Gaiden/Life Force doesn't qualify, as those are just standard ports, though I think the Blaster Master Boy stuff does. I'll look into the King Kong bit though - that sounds WEIRD. The FC King Kong 2 is like this overhead action game, and I thought Survival Kids was like Lost in Blue...?

mainpatr said:

How about mentioning that Pirates of the Caribbean for the PC was originally a game in the Seadogs series?

This too.

There's also the Chakan games that ended up being turned into Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2.

[Malroth]

EDIT: Scratch that, you did cover SMB2. Helps when you look at the article before making suggestions.

[ReyVGM]

admin said:

I'll look into the King Kong bit though - that sounds WEIRD. The FC King Kong 2 is like this overhead action game, and I thought Survival Kids was like Lost in Blue...?

Not the Famicom one, the MSX2 version.
You are an adventurer that reaches an island (that looks more like a cave) and has to collect stuff and combine them to advance in the game, rescue King Kong and fix a radio to call a helicopter that will take you away from the island.
You could say it's more like Zelda than anything else.

But when Survival Kids came out, the concept was advanced even further in which you were forced to combine stuff to make fire, weapons, etc. to really survive on the island.
Depending on the ending you are aiming at, you also have to fix a radio to call a helicopter that will take you away from the island.
Both games share almost the same graphical style, the same level structure and same mechanics.

You could say that King Kong 2 is to Survival Kids what Tactics Ogre is to Final Fantasy Tactics.

Lost in Blue is just Survival Kids 3 in 3D

Don't forget about the GBC Solomon's Club/Monster Rancher Explorer games too.

[Deleted]

admin said:

Anyone know of any others I may have missed?

Bionic Commando / Top Secret: The Resurrection of Hitler

[ReyVGM]

Aren't they both the same game just with different character names?

[Deleted]

At least Top Secret has swastikas all over the place, unlike Bionic Commando. Not sure about other changes. Probably not bigger than that.

Edit:
Acording to this the color palette is slightly more cartoonish in Top Secret, heh.

[ReyVGM]

Ah right, I forgot about that.