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NOA's Censorship and Localization Changes [roundtable]
 
It's something that's gotten a few people really worked up over the past few years--various Nintendo games getting altered in some way when they come to the US. Here's a brief list, but I might've missed some:

Fire Emblem: Awakening -- Tharja's swimsuit bottom covered by curtain

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
-- Tharja trophy removed

Fatal Frame 5 -- Underwear/bikini outfits removed, including in a story sequence (replaced with Nintendo character outfits as unlockables)

Xenoblade Chronicles X
-- "Boob slider" removed, underage character outfit altered

Fire Emblem: Fates -- "Petting" minigame mostly removed except certain situations when married, purchasable "bikini" outfits removed

Bravely Second
-- Native American style outfit changed to cowboy/cowgirl, some outfits covered up, art book pages modified to remove blood or scantily clad girls, bad endings for certain choice-driven sidequests removed (it's a little unclear if this is NOA or not, but they're publishing the game in the West so it might be)

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
-- Covering revealing clothing


I thought it might be good to talk about the latest Nintendo controversy and see what you guys think. Is the localization team not doing their job well by altering content? Are the games better off without the extra sexuality? Is the principle more important than that? And is today's censorship any more or less acceptable than NOA's censorship in the 80s to mid-90s? Let's hear what you guys think! (and add to the list if I missed any recent examples)

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03/05/16, 20:28  
 
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Mario Kart 8 - CENSORED

In seriousness, when localizers soften things up I can see a real argument (even if it gets overblown a lot), but in this case it seems like Japanese developers really just didn't understand that this gesture was basically an "F U" gesture in another region (Europe I guess?), and when it came to light, they removed it. Seems legit to me, Nintendo isn't going to leave an "F U" gesture in one of their all ages games.
05/18/17, 16:33   
Edited: 05/18/17, 16:45
@Zero That's a shame, the bicep thing is cute. But yeah I guess that's a naughty gesture across the pond somewhere, makes perfect sense that they'd remove it.
05/18/17, 17:29   
If anything, that gesture seems to be pretty obscure in the US. Or maybe I'm just not that familiar with it. The bird seems to be the go-to rude gesture here in the States.

Kind of a shame it had to be pulled, because when I saw it I thought it was a reference to this:



Which is pretty neat!
05/18/17, 17:46   
It's pretty common IMO. I've seen it in movies a fair bit.
05/18/17, 21:28   
@Zero

They had to do the same thing to Bowser's victory pose from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars back on SNES.

The original Japanese pose on the left, North American version on the right.
05/19/17, 21:19   
Edited: 05/20/17, 14:42
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