By now you should all be aware of Suda 51's latest cel-shaded gore-fest, No More Heroes. While completely outrageous violence and showers of blood have made up the vast majority of the game's promotional material, it seems that only America is getting what has been advertised -- if you live in Europe (like I do until I get off this stinkin' rock) then you can enjoy the Japanese, censored version.
Yes, censored. Following the BBFC's rejection of Manhunt 2, publisher Rising Star Games seems to have become frightened and decided that a "black spray" should replace blood for those of us in the PAL territories. It's not surprising, since the most logical fear in the wake of Manhunt 2's banning was that a worrying new precedent of media censorship had been set in the UK. With that in mind, it seems Rising Star intends to take no chances.
As usual, European gamers get a raw deal, though I wonder if this censorship was needed. I still maintain that a lot of Manhunt 2's banning was fuelled by politics and the mainstream attention that Rockstar's games get. Everybody knows that similar violence can get under the radar provided the mainstream media doesn't know about it, and No More Heroes is pretty obscure in that regard. At least this demonstrates what I always said -- the BBFC debacle has far wider reaching effects than just the banning of Manhunt 2.
Either way, this game was one of the few on the Wii that I truly cared about, and even though it's a little thing, the replacement of blood with something so utterly stupid seriously takes my estimation down. Oh well, yet more proof that owning a Wii in Europe just doesn't pay.
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21 comments + 95764 views
How do you say it out there? Bollocks? Yeah, Bollocks to that!
Um. Wow censorship is shit.
I saw a comparison video and it doesn't exactly seem like the end of the world. They just changed the particles from red to black, and from liquid to pixel thingies. It doesn't change the gameplay and the experience has absolutely no resemblance to reality, so who cares?
I'm quickly becoming very sick of being a gamer.
"Oh well, yet more proof that owning a Wii in Europe just doesn't pay."
Excuse me? You don't think that will happen to systems on other games? That is what your comment implies.
So they're changing everyone in the game from humans to demons? Who else would bleed black?
What. The. Fuck. I wouldn't even consider it "gore" since the "blood" is just lots of tiny red globes, it doesn't even pretend to be realistic.
What isn't clear is if this is a Europe wide censorship of the game. We all know UK residents tend to equate "PAL territory" and "Europe" with only the UK, and with all the talk of the BBFC it makes me think this may be the case here. After all Manhunt 2 supposedly enjoyed an uncensored release elsewhere in Europe. I say "supposedly" because I didn't bother tracking it down on account on it being a shitty game.
In any case, let's settle down and wait for more details to surface.
Major disappointment
I saw it coming. It was obvious that at least the German version would be free of blood. And though I'd prefer the death animation of Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked as a replacement for the bloody deaths of the US version, I'm still goint to buy it.
Suprisingly, Killer7 was not edited in germany. But the arcade mode, from CoD4, was removed. Maybe i wil understand the system to judge games one day.
Caption is win.
I thought we had moved beyond this, didn't this hysterical nonsense start and end in the 90's.
Whilst censorship of an adult rated game is unjustifiable, Rockstar haven't helped the situation by producing the perfect ammunition for alarmists. If all those who are itching to censor, had to create a perfect example which justified their decisions whilst at the same time inflicted irrational fear in the mainstream, then Manhunt IS that perfect example.
It's like "Look mums and dads, this is what game developers get up to, they're sick, as an industry their sick and here's the proof." Thanks to Manhunt being so instantly repulsive to most people, any chance of a decent argument is over before it's begun.
I'm glad, I don't even ant to play the full uncensored game.
@wardrox
even if you dont want to play the game that news is still no good so why be glad by it. i want to see what becomes of that ninja gaiden 2 game cuz that looks bloody as helll.
Censoring that game is like drinking non-alcoholic whiskey. Kind of pointless.
I don't think that a day goes by without reading a post on here about Europe getting shafted about something. GET USED TO IT.
When games are outlawed, only outlaws will game.
What does that mean?
Iīll just import the austrian version, as I always do. And if that version is going to be censored too I think itīs time to get a modchip.
If Soldier of Fortune gets cut in Australia, then we got shit all luck of having blood in our no More Heroes, if it even comes out here, ala Trauma Center.
Gee thanks Rockstar, not only do you make crappy games but you ruin good ones too. Awesome. At least there's the new Grand Dev Botch Job coming out.
Ok ruin is a strong word. But I hate knowing I'm not playing how it was intended, it's incredibly frustrating. A lot of the time you just have to accept it but this is totally unecessary. This place is turning into Equilibrium.
I've been putting off getting my Wii chipped because, even though it says it's safe, I worry and it's hard to find a decent mod chip store online.
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?nmh3r03s
If you care sign it... :) I know it's not much, but let's try at least... (I'm number 158 :) )
BLOODY HELL ITS NOT BLOODY ANYMORE!!!!!!!
other than the little red square sprites being black, the game is pretty damn fun. i got over the censored issue a long time ago after killing the first assassin. it does take away from the overall style and feel of the game, but there are times when there are so much shit going on on-screen, that it doesn't matter.
anyhoo, 3 more assassins for me to kill :D
oh, and epic caption ftw.
Somebody give Jim some "BLOOD!"
Sega > Nintendo. Always has, always will :P
This isn't Nintendo's call, this is the publisher deciding not to take the chance with the BBFC. You guys need a sociopathic freedom fighter in a Guy Fawkes mask to blow up 10 Downing Street already.
Bah well one less reason to buy a WII.
I hate censorship i live in the North and this game could have gay snuff and we would still not care.
Censor = Bullshit.
JohnnyWadd:
It's one of my fields of coverage, but OKAY JOHNNYWADD I will change what I cover JUST FOR YOUS!
Nyuk.
Censorship is the reason I modded my Xbox for Ninja Gaiden with decapitations.
And why haven't you supported modding your console yet Jim? :P
Nintendo has a firm policy against anyone who spells words with extra u's.
America is calling you Jim....
What I don't get, which has been stated previously, is that the game doesn't even try to take itself seriously or be realistic. So what's the problem?
The violence in the game is over-the-top ridiculous with people literally exploding into showers of red ooze... from a sword attack. It's not anything at all like the Manhunt games where the whole idea is to be gritty and realistic and such. It's literally akin to cartoon violence, just with red splatters.
In hindsight, I think it would make the game cooler if the pixelated black ooze was a red pixelated ooze for the American release just to see how much attention the game would get for showing violence, but in a clearly unoffensive (and arguably more stylish) manner via pixels. It'd be like the guys bled Tetris blocks and it would be hilarious.
Meh, if anything, they should've changed the american version to black blood splatter as well. It would've made it way more stylistic. Red is just boring anyway. Blood is overdone. Sin City stylized. I actually think this palette swap could be the smartest move they made. It might make it a little easier to stomach for people who wouldn't normally play, thus making more money for the developers to do a sequel. It's easy to get up in a tizz over spilt milk, but as far as gaming goes, I could care less about changing the colour of something. It's not like they banned it outright.
I bet this is going to have all you europeans furiously charging your light sabers
jim that photoshop made me lol. why do you guys always get the shaft? your games are twice as expensive with half the content
I'm not defending their actions - I mean, it's very gory, but it looks way, way cartoonish - but I actually like the distintegration animation better. Sowwee.
Oh god damnit, why do publishers censor games that only get's in trouble in UK? I mean, Europe is a whole lot bigger then that. Manhunt2 was going to be released uncensored in Sweden, but bitch ass UK ruined that for us. Exclude UK from the PAL region and give us the gore we want!
This is digusting.
You know what's a threat to decency? Censorship.
The developers should be rebelling with all their will, not backing down like this. Haven't they ever heard of Neville Chamberline?
Fucking fuck FUCK fuck fuckers. Fuck them.
Europe gets fucked when it comes to games.
It's bullshit.
They need to treat this like Turok and give us the option of having green blood
It's funny, the Europeans don't mind nudity on tv but don't get blood in a game while Americans don't mind blood in video games but don't get nudity on tv.
Glad America still finds blood acceptable. Good ol' gore.
Thats complete bullshit. The gore isn't even realistic!
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Free Games!
What's with all of this censoring all of a sudden? Maybe it was just me being blind (and not British), but it seems like this is something new...
Sterling:
Never said i wanted you to change your coverage, personally i like hearing how inferior Europe is, it makes us Canadians feel better.
Sad day for carnage :(.
Takes the piss. Looks like I'll have to chip my Wii for sure now and get an NTSC version.
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