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Japanese language game titles are the best and I honestly wouldn't mind if every game title was in Japanese. Share the most badass ones!

Game titles sound more badass in the...

  • English language

    Votes: 73 52.5%

  • Japanese language

    Votes: 66 47.5%
  • Total voters
    139
Discontent

Discontent

Member
May 25, 2018
4,232
For every Shadow of the Colossus and Heavy Metal Geomatrix there's a Seiken Densetsu or Mushihemesama. Judging by my two English examples above, I'm inclined to believe that Japanese companies make better English language titles as well. I don't even know what the JP titles mean most of the time but they just sound so pleasing to the ears. Even the most chill games in the world like Boku No Natsuyasumi have names where I'm like if that name is on the card, I'm dropping out the fight.

Come tell us the most badass sounding ones or even which English ones can compete with Soukyugurentai.
 
oni-link

oni-link

tag reference no one gets
Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,014
UK
I wish some games would get better translated titles if they are going to be changed to English

I love the Yakuza games but these could have been called the "Like a Dragon" games and that's way better
 
RROCKMAN

RROCKMAN

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,818
M4oAU2q.jpg
 
AshenOne

AshenOne

Member
Feb 21, 2018
6,087
Pakistan
Japanese games to me don't feel right unless played in Japanese Audio. Obviously i need English subtitles to understand what they're saying but JP voice acting is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> western VAs.
 
ghostcrew

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,351
You may think Turok 2: Seeds of Evil sounds cool...

Turok-2-img.1-768x432.jpg


But what if it was called VIOLENCE KILLER: TUROK NEW GENERATION

n64-violence-killer-turok-new-generation-cover.jpg
 
Efejota

Efejota

Member
Mar 13, 2018
3,750
Crayon%2BShin-Chan.jpg

It's fun when they have these superlong titles and the japanese just use a codename to refer to them.

PS_WiiU_KirbyAndTheRainbowPaintbrush_ITA.jpg

I also wish translated titles were more common overall! It's always cool when they give the Kirby games different names in Europe.
The last Hyrule Warriors had this as well. Age of Calamity? Nahh, give me "La era del CATACLISMO, please".

But for the most part it's as OP said: Some stuff just sounds cooler in English or Japanese to a general audience, so they go with that name everywhere.
 
RisingStar

RisingStar

Banned
Oct 8, 2019
4,849
I did always feel like Biohazard is a more accurate description of the franchise, but Resident Evil just hits different. Same with Pocket Monsters to Pokemon.
 
ghostcrew

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,351
You may think Deadly Arts sounds like a generic title...

s-l400.jpg


But what if it was called G.A.S.P!! Fighters' NEXTream

Rc084eb908a3594066b3abefc4694ede1
 
Last edited:
Patitoloco

Patitoloco

Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,614
Not a game, but I always loved the titles of Fast & Furious in Japan.
  • The Fast and the Furious (2001)—Wild Speed
  • 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)—Wild Speed X2
  • The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)—Wild Speed X3: Tokyo Drift
  • Fast & Furious (2009)—Wild Speed MAX
  • Fast Five (2011)—Wild Speed MEGA MAX
  • Fast & Furious 6 (2013)—Wild Speed: Euro Mission
  • Furious 7 (2015)—Wild Speed: Sky Mission
  • The Fate of the Furious (2017)—Wild Speed: Ice Break
  • Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)—Wild Speed: Super Combo
 
Richardi

Richardi

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,526
Well as long as Japanese game titles don't start copying LN naming conventions, I'm okay with either.
 

Rob2K19

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,646
Finally, a cultured thread by a cultured OP. I use the JP names for all JP games as intended by their creators. That means...

Drag-On Dragoon > Drakengard.
Ryu ga Gotoku (Like a Dragon) > Yakuza.
Pocket Monsters > Pokemon.
Biohazard > Resident Evil.
Rockman > Megaman.
Medarot > Medabots.
Gyakuten Saiban (Turnabout Trial) > Ace Attorney

This goes for using JP character names and everything.

RROCKMAN said:
M4oAU2q.jpg
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I was going to bring this up. Boring overseas logo got nothing on the JP logo. Brilliant Diamond JP logo is Unbreakable.
 
jankuza

jankuza

Member
Jan 13, 2021
279
Try this with a English Title:

00000003059724_A01.jpg


夏色ハイスクール★青春白書 ～転校初日のオレが幼馴染と再会したら報道部員にされていて激写少年の日々スクープ大連発でイガイとモテモテなのに何故かマイメモリーがパンツ写真ばっかりという電実と向き合いながら考えるひと夏の島の学園生活と赤裸々な恋の行方。～

translates to:

Summer-Colored High School ★ Adolescent Record – A Summer At School On An Island Where I Contemplate How The First Day After I Transferred, I Ran Into A Childhood Friend And Was Forced To Join The Journalism Club Where While My Days As A Paparazzi Kid With Great Scoops Made Me Rather Popular Among The Girls, But Strangely My Camera Is Full Of Panty Shots, And Where My Candid Romance Is Going.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Source
 
dude

dude

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,634
Tel Aviv
Japanese titles are a horrible mess , and they also have some of the ugliest logo design I've ever seen.
I don't get the love for these.
 
Dogui

Dogui

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,785
Brazil
Ryu Ga Gotoku definitely sounds better than Yakuza.

Both Biohazard and Resident Evil are boring names imo.

Non Japanese indies has lots of great names tho. Crypt of the Necrodancer is complete genius. Stuff like Transistor is pretty cool also.

I really like the "League of Legends" name myself, it stays in your head like glue.

But most western AAA names are boring. Like Anthem, God Of War, Call of Duty...Dragon Age holy fuck, no video game title can be more boring than Dragon Age.

I agree that some japanese titles are hella cool and western AAA stuff are mostly the bottom of the barrel but imo the top tier of fun game titles are on indies in general. Not only Crypt of the Necrodancer, think Hotline Miami, Octodad, Genital Jousting, VVVVVV...just brilliant stuff imo.
 
LiK

LiK

Member
Oct 25, 2017
32,049
dude said:
Japanese titles are a horrible mess , and they also have some of the ugliest logo design I've ever seen.
I don't get the love for these.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Non-native speakers always think they look cooler. Same reason Japan comes up with the most insane English titles for some games because it seems cool to them.
 
Korigama

Korigama

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,483
God Eater sounds very badass, though that was screwed up in the US initially by the first game being pluralized as Gods Eater.
 
Musubi

Musubi

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
23,611
ghostcrew said:
You may think Turok 2: Seeds of Evil sounds cool...

Turok-2-img.1-768x432.jpg


But what if it was called VIOLENCE KILLER: TUROK NEW GENERATION

n64-violence-killer-turok-new-generation-cover.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I was about to come in here and say this is the most weeb thread I've seen in awhile on ERA but....you've convinced me. Violence killer is objectively a fantastic video game title.
 
ghostcrew

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,351
Not really a dramatic one but I always found it interesting that Tomb Raider (just the first one) was called TOMB RAIDERS (plural) in Japan.

tumblr_inline_p2yqzyCEOi1s5ihu7_400.png
 
Truno

Truno

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Jan 16, 2020
4,816
Rob2K19 said:
Finally, a cultured thread by a cultured OP. I use the JP names for all JP games as intended by their creators. That means...

Drag-On Dragoon > Drakengard.
Ryu ga Gotoku (Like a Dragon) > Yakuza.
Pocket Monsters > Pokemon.
Biohazard > Resident Evil.
Rockman > Megaman.
Medarot > Medabots.
Gyakuten Saiban (Turnabout Trial) > Ace Attorney

This goes for using JP character names and everything.



I was going to bring this up. Boring overseas logo got nothing on the JP logo. Brilliant Diamond JP logo is Unbreakable.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I think that Pokemon and Megaman are way better than their JP counterparts. Resident Evil is 55/45, both are sick but I prefer RE a bit more
 
ghostcrew

ghostcrew

The Shrouded Ghost
Administrator
Oct 27, 2017
30,351
Yeah, I'm never gonna accept that Rockman is a better name than MEGA MAN.
 
Zaimokuza

Zaimokuza

Member
May 14, 2020
951
Biohazard's way cooler than Resident Evil, I know it won't happen but I really wish Capcom would change the international title.

I also want to add that nothing will ever rival the italian translation of the 3ds minigames:
Streetpass quest -> Libera Mii
Puzzle swap -> Pazzi per i pezzi
 
Coinspinner

Coinspinner

Member
Nov 6, 2017
2,152
Hard for me to like a game title in a language I don't understand. Nothing sounds cool to me by itself and bereft of meaning.
 
Fisico

Fisico

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,106
Paris
oni-link said:
I wish some games would get better translated titles if they are going to be changed to English

I love the Yakuza games but these could have been called the "Like a Dragon" games and that's way better
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I'll always remember when I was talking videogames with japanese friends and I asked them what they thought about YAKUZA and everyone just instantly looked at me in a weird way.
 
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