Topic: Japanese Contra

[theANdROId]

Yeah...but at least it wasn't something like, "Conglatrations!" or "A winner is you!" or "Many Combolations Elizagerth!" ;-D

[Inccubus]

There are actually quite a few games that were 'stripped down' in the US.
Metal Storm and S.C.A.T. (<- what were they thinking!) both had their intros removed.
Fortunately, there are retranslation patches for "Gravity Armor: Metal Storm" and "Final Mission".

[theANdROId]

I realize this isn't Contra, but I thought it fit here and didn't need a new topic.  It's along the same point of Japanese/US differences -- I found the Japanese version of Battletoads.  This time, it seems theirs is easier...particularly the Jet Bike part of the Turbo Tunnel level that everyone remembers and hates!  Here's a link that (I think) will start just before the jump part.

http://youtu.be/eVigdRzhgwc?t=9m34s

Instead of 4 ships to dodge there are 3, and instead of being required to make some jumps on your own there are ramps.  RAMPS!!  Plus, the walls definitely come more slowly!  It kinda makes me wish I was friends or neighbors with AVGN so I could share this with him and hear/see what he does with it.  I'm sure he could make an entertaining video about it!

That's really the only part I watched...I don't feel like watching to see how it all compares.  It's another interesting difference, and I wonder why, this time, they decided to make the US one so much harder!

[X]

S**T! That WAS a lot shorter then the US version. Now I really feel let down that we were forced to undergo such torture.

[theANdROId]

I've got mixed feelings.
On the one hand, I find this a bit frustrating.  Again it's a question of why in the world would you change x, y, and z the way that you did?  With many of the differences I've seen it's as if someone is trying to mollycoddle the US.  Things are changed or removed as if to "protect" us from the difficulty or whatever various implications.  Then the Battletoads difference comes along and our version is harder!  What in the world?!! X-D

On the other hand, having beaten the game (with a few warps, but I still had to survive a few of the really hard parts) I'm not as bothered by this one.  I feel quite a sense of accomplishment having overcome this particular example of "Nintendo Hard"

[affinity]

another series, like Valis series had much of its story content removed from the localized or mainstream console versions.

Just compare the MSX / X6000(?) versions compared to the Turbografx 16 and Genesis versions for example.
Each version of each game/sequel were practically like a different game in itself.

also the most complete Valis games came complete with cinematic animated sequences AND voiceovers. 

[X]

Ture that. Valis IV I believe suffered the most damage out of all the other games in the series. The only thing the SNES version had going for it was the music. That and a slightly better level layout that wasn't overly difficult like it's Turbo-Due counterpart.