Topic: Japanese Contra

[theANdROId]

So, I stumbled across this earlier today.

NES Longplay [096] Gryzor (Japanese Contra - English Fan translation)

I guess I can't testify to the actual existence of the game (or the translation accuracy for that matter), though I don't see why there couldn't be a Japanese version and US version. I watched their playthrough and as a fan of Contra, it was interesting to note the differences between this and the US version...like some of the animated backgrounds, and the fact that there were a few story elements.

I know there have been differences due to censorship or whatever, but when it comes to differences like those seen in here, it makes me wonder why they changed/scrapped certain things.  Anyway, I thought I'd share in case anyone else was or is fond of Contra.

[Abnormal Freak]

Konami were known for utilizing custom chips in their Famicom cartridges. In the US, things were more standardized and so you had more limited capabilities.

[Lelygax]

So Konami was so OP at time, that Nintendo needed to strip it down to US, or their games would sell more than Nintendo's. XD
Someone else noticed that "B" (barrier) item at 6:16? At 11:31 you can see a eagle item that acts as a Castlevania rosary too. It was removed too isn'it?

Strange that even in arcades they have removed these features. Its called Gryzor in Japan until when?

[theANdROId]

I feel like I remember both items being in the US version of the game, but not very common.

[X]

I have the Japanese to English rom of Gryzor on my PC and I find it a better play. Not game-wise as there's no difference  there. But in terms of the story elements were are given a background as to what had transpired. The meteor impact on the island of Galuga, the rise of the Red Falcon terrorist organization, and their eventual purpose of humanity's destruction. These story elements remained largely unknown until the release of Contral: Shattered Soldier. Through Shattered Soldier's story and the background files you unlock, only then did we learn the complex history of the Contra series. And also the fact that Red Falcon itself is actually not a hellrazor alien overlord, but a biological construct of an advanced alien race. And its purpose was to guard over and protect something called the Relic. The very reason why Red Falcon kept coming back to Earth time and again was because the Earth federation government had stolen the relic and Red Falcon was simply trying to recover it. Black Viper on the other hand is very much a US-made villain and does not appear at all in the Japanese story. Shattered Soldier's story explanation of Operation C is that an undisclosed country was experimenting with and using alien tech so the federation sent in Bill Rizor to shut it down. With the release of contra 4 in which Black Viper returns, I would need to see a translated version of the Japanese game in order to see how "it' fits into the Gryzor series. I'd really like to know about this one. This is one of the many reasons why I hate localization; they like to change and/or strip down games to what they think is acceptable for us. Why can't we be allowed to make up our own minds? Granted we were all kids at that time...well most of us anyways.

[theANdROId]

In the video I thought it looked like the "angry defensive linemen"* didn't spawn as continuously (read: relentlessly or endlessly) as they do in the US version.  Maybe it only looked that way though.

I'm pretty sure the whole Mario 2/Doki Doki Panic issue was the first instance I discovered there were differences between the Japanese and US releases of games...although I realized this about the Final Fantasy series, Earthbound/Mother, and the differences in CV games all about the same time, so I'm not positive about that.  I find the whole thing dumb and annoying.  Even things that are allegedly copyrighted (like all the issues with Earthbound) it makes me think things like, "Really?  Did someone really lose out on this?  Are people really so sensitive that their feelings are hurt over this?  Are people really such babies that they can't handle satire/whatever?"
Then again, I also haven't created anything to be used "satirized" anywhere, and I'm sure I don't completely understand the whole issue...but I also think I'd be thrilled to be made fun of in a video game, or by Weird Al, or whatever.

But I too wish all the localization stuff wasn't such a big deal.

*credit where it's due -- this is Brentalfloss' term for some of the enemies...though my cousins and I did always call them "Football players"...never considering how it made no sense that there would be football players in any of these places, attacking us. ;-P

[X]

*credit where it's due -- this is Brentalfloss' term for some of the enemies...though my cousins and I did always call them "Football players"...never considering how it made no sense that there would be football players in any of these places, attacking us. ;-P

LOL! Same here! For the longest time I had thought they were football players and of course it doesn't help the fact that you shoot flying footballs in order to get the power-ups. It was like the NFL except with guns.

[JR]

Haha! And all these years I thought I was weird for thinking they looked like football players. Never heard anyone else mention that until now. Glad I wasn't the only one.

[Bloodreign]

I feel like I remember both items being in the US version of the game, but not very common.

The B and the screen clearing item are indeed in the US version. Other than cutscenes and background animation, the rest of the game is untouched, though I believe the Japanese version has a level select, and gets harder faster than the US version.

[Lelygax]

Maybe I've never noticed these items because I was busy dying.

Haha! And all these years I thought I was weird for thinking they looked like football players. Never heard anyone else mention that until now. Glad I wasn't the only one.

I thought that they were football players too, so add me on that.

[darkmanx_429]

Finally, a Contra thread!

[X]

lol, welcome aboard darkmanx_429

[Abnormal Freak]

So Konami was so OP at time, that Nintendo needed to strip it down to US, or their games would sell more than Nintendo's. XD

That would be funny if that were the case, but I think part of Nintendo's Seal of Quality is they manufactured all the carts themselves to combat unlicensed games and also get more money out of publishers and game developers. In Japan, publishers could make their own carts and add their custom chips. Hence why a game like Castlevania III is so stripped down compared to its  original Japanese version because it used standard hardware.

[theANdROId]

The B and the screen clearing item are indeed in the US version. Other than cutscenes and background animation, the rest of the game is untouched, though I believe the Japanese version has a level select, and gets harder faster than the US version.

I was thinking this version looked like it might be a touch easier than the US version.

[PFG9000]

Wow, this is pretty sweet.  I had no idea all those things were in the Japanese version.  It really makes the US one look incomplete, especially with that lame ending we got.