Region
Due to the different cultures and languages in the world, some aspects of the Pikmin games had to be changed in each region. These changes are more pronounced in Pikmin 2, where the in-game treasures are actual items in the real word, and due to the cultural differences, not all players would recognize the objects and brands existing in the original Japanese version of the game.
There are three main game release regions: Japan, United States of America, and Europe. The Pikmin games are released all over the world, but there are only three main versions for each, one focused on each region.
Release order
Nintendo EAD's headquarters are located on Kyoto, Japan. As such, the development of each game is done in Japanese and consequentially, the first version to be released is the Japanese one. Either shortly before release or after, the game is then sent to be localized for the United States (by Nintendo Treehouse) and Europe. More than just a translation of the Japanese game, some graphics, sounds, scripts or objects may be altered in order to fit the culture of the region.
This holds true for the Pikmin games. For all three main titles, the Japanese version is developed first, and content is then altered to suit the American and European fan base.
Naming
Commonly, the words "NTSC" and "PAL" are used to describe the different regional versions of the game. These are, however, incorrect terms to use, as the words "NTSC" and "PAL" refer to the color encoding systems used for analogue television. For the most part, the US uses the NTSC system and Europe uses the PAL system. The boxart of the European version of the Pikmin games also contains the word "PAL" next to the Nintendo logo, as do most GameCube and Wii games. These factors helped popularize the use of the terms "NTSC" and "PAL" to categorize the game regions, incorrect as they may be.
Other common names and terms for the region versions of a game are:
- Japanese: J, JP, NTSC-J.
- United States: U, US, USA, NTSC, NA (North America).
- Europe: E, EU, EUR, PAL.
Regional differences
In order for the games to be enjoyed in several places along the world, the in-game text is written in a different language, depending on the version that's being played. The Japanese version of the Pikmin games has Japanese text, the US version has English text, and the European version has the ability to choose between English, Spanish, Italian, French and German. Another common change between versions is the boxart: the front normally contains a logo in Japanese or English, and the back contains text in Japanese, English, or the aforementioned European languages.
| File:Treasure Hoard denchi 2 red J.png | File:Treasure Hoard Optical Illustration.png | File:Treasure Hoard Abstract Masterpiece PAL.png |
| Comparison between the Japanese, US and European icons for denchi_2_red. | ||
During development, Pikmin 2 needed more than just a translation, so that the in-game treasures would reflect items familiar to each region's culture. An example would be the treasure with the internal name denchi_2_red: in the Japanese version, this corresponds to a red battery of the Japanese brand "National Hi-Top". During localization for the US, it was likely decided that there were too many batteries in the game, and that the American players would not recognize the brand, so this treasure was instead replaced with a lid of Ragu pasta sauce. For the European version, it was assumed that European players would not recognize the Ragu sauce brand, so the treasure was replaced with a PscHitt! lid.
While most treasure changes in Pikmin 2 come in the form of including items that are familiar to the players on each region, there are a few changes that have been enforced due to potential controversies. One of the most noteworthy examples is Pikmin 2 is the Arboreal Frippery: in the Japanese version, Olimar's notes hint at it actually being a marijuana leaf. In the US, this reference was removed, but the leaf's green color was kept. Finally, in the European version, the leaf changed color entirely, in order to remove any and all similarities to the drug. The reason for these changes comes from each region's views on drug-related themes.
Other differences also exist, for varying reasons:
- At times, treasures are changed not because of cultural differences, but presumably, because they were deemed too uninteresting. For example, the treasure with the internal name kan_b_gold is a simple popsicle stick in the Japanese version, and was changed to a tube of lipstick for the following versions.
- On the Japanese version of Pikmin 2, e-Reader support exists, which had been removed for the other two releases.
- The Nintendo logo when the game is booted up is blue in the Japanese version, and red everywhere else, as is the norm with some Nintendo games.
- The Silencer's value was changed from 666 Pokos in the Japanese version to 670 in the other versions, in order to remove the relation to the devil's number.
- The sign on the landing site of the Wistful Wild is a stop sign in the Japanese version, as stop signs are triangular. This was changed to a Yield sign in the other releases, so that the triangular shape would not be changed.
- Sometimes, glitches are discovered after a certain release, but before another. If possible, they are fixed before the new release. This happens with the Decorative Goo, as it can be seen floating on the Treasure Hoard in versions prior to the European one.
Outside of Pikmin 2, there aren't many regional differences in the remaining Pikmin games, besides the translations mentioned above. In the case of Pikmin, it was decided before the European release that skipping the sunset cutscene by pressing Start would be convenient, so that feature was added for that version of the game. In addition, the Japanese version contains an option on the main menu that allows the player to toggle between a "child" mode and an "adult" mode; the former makes the text easier to read.