History Bowdlerise / VideoGames

*** The dancer in Baron strips to her bikini mid-dance in the Japanese version. The English versions keep her clothes on. This extends to the ''UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance'' UpdatedRerelease. The English SNES version also removes the hidden Developer's Room in Dwarf Castle, presumably to prevent you from getting the Dirty Magazine item inside. All other ports keep this in, however.

** In the UsefulNotes/{{GameCube}} remake of the first game, the Hunter's OneHitKill DeadlyLunge no longer decapitates the protagonist. And both localizations of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'' lack decapitation animations, although you still hear the sound of a head exploding when you get a headshot. And in all versions of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', decapitations occur offscreen via GoryDiscretionShot.

** As a final note, these changes were carried over not only to the US version of the updated UsefulNotes/GameCube version, but they were bought to the Japanese version as well, and in the latter, a lot of the kanji that was used in the Dreamcast version was changed to hiragana so that younger players could read the text.

* ''VideoGame/SteelHarbinger'' have the player's character, Miranda, in a {{stripperific}} metal one-piece as her main outfit, unless you're playing the European version which turns her skin-revealing attire into a long-sleeved bodysuit. Compare [[https://external-preview.redd.it/eNF6s9TUPupuZ3vXKUH4RNJAFQbD4xFqATyoXPjEoro.jpg?auto=webp&s=b640e81e3441d713576c4c0aa0dda38151b0af7f this cover]] with the one on the page.

** The console game based on ''Film/StreetFighterTheMovie'' quotes Guile's famous (or infamous) speech during one of the story mode cutscenes, but changes "I'm gonna kick that son of a bitch Bison's ass" to simply "I'm gonna kick Bison's butt".

* The US version of the MMORPG ''VideoGame/{{TERA}}'' censored the Elin models. Compare the differences [[http://my.mmosite.com/1cd10251c16a43d090e2399862b464a2/blog/item/1c8e968e01d15c1fdfee5b36fccf123e.html here]].

** Also, due to laws against glamorizing criminals and outlaws, Rogues were renamed to a what roughly translates from Mandarin to "Ne'er Do Well" to state that they're scum-of-the-earth criminals instead of any kind of heroic outlaw lawbreaker tropes.

* The Japan-only UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn port of ''VisualNovel/YuNo'', released about a year after the original UsefulNotes/PC98 version, shortened and toned dowm the [[CoitusEnsues sex scenes]]. The Windows version, despite being sold as PornWithPlot, blanked out some words in the dialogue to obscure the fact that some of them qualify as ParentalIncest. The 2017 remake, the first ever official English release, [[AbridgedForChildren removes them entirely]].

*** ''VideoGame/MarioPartyDS'': Due to Korean content laws, the Korean version of the game either replaces or removes any and all minigames with simulated gambling.

** ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'': In the [[UpdatedRerelease GameCube port]], Rouge's {{Gainaxing}} was toned down and her most {{Stripperiffic}} alternate multiplayer outfit was replaced with a more modest one.

* The UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 game ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'' had one [[http://www.myspace.com/toumanidiabate Toumani Diabaté]] song, "Tapha Niang," excised completely by Sony, replacing with something more generic, a mere ''four days'' before its launch date, pushing back the release two weeks so that whole new, Bowdlerised discs could be distributed all over again, so that those without online access to patches might not be offended. The issue was two passages from the Koran having been set to music in the song, which is a major controversy in Islam.

*** Selphie's weapon in the Japanese and American versions are [[FightingWithChucks nunchaku]]. In the European release, its name was changed to "shinobou", likely because nunchaku are illegal in the UK.

*** Selphie's WeaponOfChoice in the Japanese and American versions are [[FightingWithChucks nunchaku]]. In the European release, its name was changed to "shinobou", likely because nunchaku are illegal in the UK.

* ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomClashOfSuperHeroes'': In the Japanese version, one of [[HornyDevils Morrigan]]'s victory animations involves a bound Lilith descending from the top of the screen and Morrigan promptly [[DressedLikeADominatrix assuming a dominatrix outfit]] with her back facing the screen, including her bare butt visible through her clothes. This animation was completely removed elsewhere, but it eventually made its way into all versions of ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2''.

* In the N64 version of ''VideoGame/{{Quake}}'', in accordance with Nintendo's censorship of religious references, the death message "You Visit the Volcano God" (death by lava) became "You Visit the Volcano Maker". Other religious references such as crucifixes were also removed.

* Many of the more violent and sexual aspects of ''VideoGame/{{Snatcher}}'' were toned down in the various ports between platforms, mainly involving instances of blood/gore or female nudity.

* ''VideoGame/StarFox'':

*** Due to Korean content laws, the Korean version of ''Mario Party DS'' either replaces or removes any and all minigames with simulated gambling.

*** 'Firebreather Dick' in the Burned Tower in Gold/Silver, who was renamed Firebreather Richard in the ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'' remakes. Which is still accurate, as "Dick" is a shorthand nickname for "Richard".

*** The Pewter Museum of Science contains a model of a space shuttle. In the original Game Boy releases, it is described as a model of the RealLife Space Shuttle Columbia. However, when the real Space Shuttle Columbia burned up on re-entry in 2003 and killed all seven crew members, the international versions of ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'' (released approximately a year later) made it a nameless space shuttle to avoid referencing a real-world tragedy. The shuttle was made nameless in all regions by Generation VII.

*** Due to the new graphical capabilities of the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor, ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' were the first games to edit Jynx's in-game sprites outside of Japan by making her skin purple instead of black, due to the controversy at the time over her heavy resemblance to {{Blackface}}. All subsequent installments in the series would do this as well, even extending to the 3DS UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole release of ''VideoGame/PokemonYellow''.

*** Interestingly, the female Swimmers (and some of the other female enemy trainers) go the ''other'' way in this. The Beauty in the original version of Gold/Silver/Crystal had her skirt lengthened and no longer winked at the player (the latter also applies to female Swimmers), but the female trainers haven't been Bowdlerised since.

* The ''VideoGame/DeptHeaven'' series has fallen prey to this in Creator/{{Atlus}}' translation. In ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', main character Ein's speech decrying the villain was heavily toned down (the original Japanese version carried strong atheist -- or as some would say, "anti-organized religion" -- undertones) and is considered by many to make the scene very weak and {{Narm}}-filled. In ''VideoGame/YggdraUnion'', one of the main antagonists is {{Flanderiz|ation}}ed heavily to make him appear less sympathetic to the player, and there were a few lines changed or added for no apparent reason. ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare'' is more of a CutAndPasteTranslation than anything else, as the translated text is often inconsistent with prior translations or abandons stylistic speech patterns, depriving characters of their individuality. There's also the arbitrary name changes. Also, Riviera actually Bowdlerised ''itself'' once -- in order to keep the game's rating at CERO-A, Sting was forced to remove the bath scenes from the PSP remake. The "special edition" rerelease of the remake put them back in, but clad all the girls in bathing suits -- they were going ''swimming'', not getting naked! The fandom found this hilarious, as [=CGs=] are still included of the girls panicking when Ein arrives, leading to the meme "OH NOES! EIN SAW MY CLEAVAGE!" It's actually even more funny when you think that it is a remake from a Nintendo platform to a Sony platform.

* In the NES [[PolishedPort port]] of ''VideoGame/DragonSpirit'', the Japanese version has a hidden EasterEgg during the ending where pressing Select twenty times will flip Alicia's skirt. All other versions remove this.

* The 2.5 and 2.6 updates of ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'' changed the outfits of certain female characters when appearing as NPCs and in cutscenes to less revealing alts to comply with tightening censorship laws in China. To be more specific:

* The English localisation of ''VideoGame/LaPucelle'' removed every single [[CreepyCrosses crucifix/cross]] from the game. Considering that the plot was based around a church of [[NunTooHoly demon-hunting battle nuns]], that's a hell of a lot of crucifixes. The company in charge of the localisation released a statement explaining their reasoning: namely, that they were a very new and very small publisher that simply could not afford their game to be crucified by the MoralGuardians, so they preemptively gave every concession they could to 'good taste'. There were also other edits, such as [[NoSmoking removing the cigarette from Croix]] (but keeping his victory animation where he takes a smoke from his invisible cigarette). The American version's box was also subject to censorship as well. Instead of the original artwork of [[SexyPackaging Prier standing front and center]], the American cover appears to be some kind of fanart piece where [[DemotedToExtra she's kind of off in the corner while the other characters take prominence]]. This is a pretty blatant attempt to distract attention away from the fact that [[MsFanservice she has rather large breasts and thighs]].

* Several of the ''VideoGame/TonyHawksProSkater'' games had to do some censoring of the licensed soundtrack in order to retain a Teen rating. ''Pro Skater 3'' probably had the heaviest amount of soundtrack censorship, with songs like Guttermouth's "I'm Destroying The World" and Redman's "Let's Get Dirty" being heavily edited for foul language. Outside of curses being removed from songs, Music/TheRamones' "Blitzkrieg Bop" had an implied reference to gun violence removed ("shoot 'em in the back now"), and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien's "If You Must" dropped a reference to hard liquor ("he had a can of O.E." [[note]] O.E. being short for Olde English 800, a brand of malt liquor - apparently the issue was that the song mentioned a specific, particularly strong, brand of alcohol, since the aforementioned Guttermouth song still gets a general reference to beer by[[/note]]).

** ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' was inconsistently censored for its GBA release, mostly to remove references to/consumption of alcohol while leaving most of the remaining content intact. For one example, the party getting drunk on an overseas voyage was changed to just them having a feast, but Arche passing out and having what is obviously an EroticDream about Cless is kept.

* ''VideoGame/SteelHarbinger'' have the player's character, Miranda, in a {{stripperific}} metal one-piece as her main outfit, unless you're playing the European version which turns her skin-revealing attire into a long-sleeved bodysuit.

* In non-Japanese versions of ''Capcom vs. SNK 2'', Rugal's [[SignatureMove Genocide Cutter]] is renamed to Destroyer Cutter in his movelist, and [[CallingYourAttacks the accompanying voice clip when he uses it]] was muted. His Super Combo version of the move, Genocide Heaven, was also renamed to Total Annihilation.

*** ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleAndChase'': The original Japanese artwork for Guts Man in the Wild Arms depicts him doing a pose that heavily resembles the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bras_d'honneur bras d'honneur]], an equivalent to FlippingTheBird in many European countries. An alternate version with him in a different pose was created, but the instruction manual for the European release still uses the Japanese artwork.

* ''VideoGame/AssaultSuitsValken'': In the Japanese version, the final stage features a scene where the president of the nation that controls the enemy forces, upon realizing that he has been overthrown, commits suicide by shooting himself in the head with a pistol. The English version circumvents showing this by not only truncating the final stage so that the game ends before this cutscene takes place, but also ''writing the president out of the game's story entirely''.

** As a final note, these changes were carried over not only to the US version of the updated UsefulNotes/{{GameCube}} version, but they were bought to the Japanese version as well, and in the latter, a lot of the kanji that was used in the Dreamcast version was changed to hiragana so that younger players could read the text.

* The English versions of ''VideoGame/{{SOS}}'' for the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] make the ship's bar inaccessible (and the people inside unable to be rescued later on as a result). Redwin's minor alcoholism was removed from his character, and his job status as a minister in the Japanese version was changed to him being a counselor.