| 1 | ->''"Creator/JackieChan made a movie called ''Film/ArmorOfGod'', and the sequel was called ''Armour of God 2: Operation Condor''. Well, when that came out in the US, there was a little difficulty. ''Armour of God'' wasn't out yet, so they decided to release the sequel here first, and change the title to just ''Operation Condor''. Well, after that, ''Armour of God'' actually did make an American release, and it was called ''Operation Condor 2: Armour of God''! A complete reversal!"'' |
| 2 | -->-- '''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd''' |
| 3 | |
| 4 | A later installment of a series gets released somewhere (in another country, or in a group of CompilationRerelease, etc.) before its original installments. A series is finally localized, thus averting NoExportForYou, but for whatever reason the company decides to begin with the latest title in the series rather than start from the beginning. |
| 5 | |
| 6 | This is common in the video game industry due to their technological nature: a video game franchise that the developers originally [[NoExportForYou didn't deem suitable for one market]] might be brought there later; if the original game was released for a platform that has since been discontinued, then the company will instead localize one of the more recent games in the same series for a current platform. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | Related is AdaptationFirst, a tendency for a startlingly large number of video game franchises in Japan to have their ancillary products (such as anime series or manga) cross the Pacific without the actual games making the jump. See also MarthDebutedInSmashBros, when a major character or element from a series makes its overseas debut in a completely different franchise, and NovelizationFirst, when the novelization of a film or television episode is released before the source material. |
| 9 | ---- |
| 10 | !!Examples |
| 11 | |
| 12 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 13 | |
| 14 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 15 | * While the original ''Manga/DragonBall'' anime had dubs from Harmony Gold in '89[[note]]Which lasted only five episodes broadcast only in test markets, as well as a movie that combined the first and third films[[/note]] and Creator/FUNimation in '95[[note]]This one only covering the first thirteen episodes and the first movie[[/note]], neither were able to gain any sort of traction. However the incredibly popular dub of ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' meant that, thanks to PopCultureOsmosis, this trope was played straight. The success of DBZ's dub would result in the first English dub of the pre-Z anime in its entirety to release in '01-03. This happened for real regarding the fighter ''VideoGame/DragonBallGTFinalBout'', which was released on the Platform/PlayStation in the West in 1997, a full six years before the first English dub of ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' would debut in 2003. Thus DBZ fans were introduced to concepts like Super Saiyan 4 and Goku's granddaughter Pan as a young teenager long before their original context was understood (and in fact, long before even Super Saiyan 2 was introduced, let alone 3). |
| 16 | * 1995's ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' was the first part of the venerable ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' franchise to make it big in other countries; this, among other factors, gave the 1979 [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam original series]] an uphill battle when it was also aired on Creator/CartoonNetwork. This was played with during the English release of the original series itself, as Sunrise simultaneously released the later spinoff OAVs ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam'', ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam0080WarInThePocket'' and ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam0083StardustMemory'', all taking place in chronological order before the first SequelSeries, ''Anime/MobileSuitZetaGundam''. |
| 17 | * ''Anime/UltimateMuscle'', aka ''Kinnikuman Nisei'', was actually a sequel to the original ''Manga/{{Kinnikuman}}'' manga and anime, which was never officially translated (but the merchandise was brought over under the localized name of ''M.U.S.C.L.E.'') |
| 18 | * ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' has an... Interesting release story in Germany. The first arc was released by Egmont Manga at the beginning of the 21th century but they haven't translated the other arcs. In 2013, Panini Manga released the "Black & White Arc". Three years later, they re-released the first arc and started translating the other arcs. The "Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire" arc was released in Germany in 2017 before its predecessor was released there. |
| 19 | * ''Voltes V'' and ''Anime/{{Daimos}}'' came out in the Philippines before ''Combattler V'' and achieved ''much'' [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff greater popularity]]. And because of this some viewers there have mistaken ''Combattler V'' as either a strange sequel or a cheap knockoff. |
| 20 | * In the same vein as the ''Voltes V'' and ''Anime/{{Daimos}}'' incident, ''Anime/UFORoboGrendizer'' was released in Italy before its prequels, ''Anime/MazingerZ'' and ''Anime/GreatMazinger''. They also made the mistake of renaming Kouji in ''Grendizer''. Thus, when ''Mazinger Z'' was brought over afterwards, people dismissed ''that'' as a cheap knockoff. |
| 21 | * The [=FUNimation=] dub of ''Manga/OnePiece'' falls into this trope. When [=FUNimation=] picked up the series from 4kids, they also optioned the rights to dub movies. [[EnforcedTrope At the request of Toei Animation]], [=FUNimation=] started on Movie 8, skipping all of the other movies in the One Piece film series. However, the stickers on the DVD identify it as "#8", so they don't appear to be reordering them number-wise. |
| 22 | * ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' is a good example of this trope. ''Jojo'' is split into "Parts", each part including a different main character. When the manga was adapted into an OVA, only Part 3, ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders'' was adapted, and they started with the final arc of Part 3, before going back years later and doing the earlier part of the series. This was later released in America, along with a Part 3 Video game by Capcom, and thus Part 3 became the most popular part of the story in the US. Because of this, when Viz optioned the rights to the manga, they skipped Parts 1 and 2 and went straight to Part 3, but removed the ''Stardust Crusaders'' subtitle. When the anime for the first two parts proved successful in 2012, Viz finally set about translating them in 2014 before going on to do the rest of the manga in proper order. |
| 23 | * When ''Anime/LupinIII'' was allowed to air on Creator/AdultSwim in 2003, Pioneer, the company dubbing it, chose [[Anime/LupinIIIPartII the second series]] rather than [[Anime/LupinIIIPart1 the first]]. The first series finally got released on DVD in North America by Creator/DiscotekMedia in 2015, but originally with subtitles only. An English dub was finally released in 2021 on [=HiDIVE=] and on Blu-ray for the 50th anniversary. |
| 24 | * ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'' was the first part of the franchise to see a mainstream release in the US, with an English-dubbed VHS release from Streamline Pictures back in 1992. ''Anime/TheMysteryOfMamo'' and two episodes of ''Part II'' directed by Creator/HayaoMiyazaki were released shortly afterword, followed by a reissue of ''Cagliostro'' (with [[DuelingDubs a new dub]]) in 2000. Funimation also began releasing several of the 90s-era TV specials in 2002. |
| 25 | * In France, the second ''Franchise/{{Tamagotchi}}'' film, ''Anime/TamagotchiHappiestStoryInTheUniverse'', was dubbed and released into theaters first instead of the first film. |
| 26 | * The manga version of ''Manga/SailorMoon'' is this. It took until 2011 for the first series, ''Manga/CodeNameSailorV'' to be translated officially into English. |
| 27 | * ''Manga/GreatTeacherOnizuka'' was published in full in North America well before an English release began of its lesser-known predecessor, ''Shonan Jun'ai Gumi!''. However, Creator/{{Tokyopop}} seemed to want to market it explicitly as a prequel, being called ''Manga/GTOTheEarlyYears'' (with ''Shonan Junai Gumi'' as a subtitle); when Vertical picked up on publishing the last 5 volumes of SJG after Tokyopop filed for bankruptcy, they dropped the ''Shonan Junai Gumi'' subtitle entirely. |
| 28 | * The anime sequel to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', ''Anime/FinalFantasyLegendOfTheCrystals'', was released in English-speaking territories a full two years before the game it was continuing ever saw release outside of Japan. |
| 29 | * In the United States, ''Anime/GlitterForce'' (''Smile Pretty Cure!''), the ninth entry in the ''Anime/PrettyCure'' series, was the first series of the franchise to be aired and dubbed in the United States. Before this, the characters of ''[[Anime/YesPrettyCure5 Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo!]]'' [[https://ogiuemaniax.com/2010/05/09/well-they-do-say-that-presentation-matters/ made a brief cameo]] on an episode of ''[[Series/IronChef Iron Chef America]]''. |
| 30 | ** The ''Yes! Pretty Cure 5'' team would later be brought internationally on 2023...as the SequelSeries ''Anime/PowerOfHopePrecureFullBloom'' (along with ''Anime/FutariWaPrettyCureSplashStar characters''). |
| 31 | * ''Anime/OsomatsuSan'' is available to legally stream with English subtitles via Crunchyroll and has an Australian DVD release from Madman Entertainment. Neither the original manga of ''Manga/OsomatsuKun'' nor either of its anime under that name have gotten official releases until Discotek Media got the 1988 series nearly 30 years later, though Spanish-speaking countries got in in the proper order since the 1988 anime came as a package deal with ''Manga/TensaiBakabon'''s two 90s iterations under the title ''Cosas de Locos''. |
| 32 | * In Japan, ''[[Anime/FLCLProgressiveAndAlternative FLCL Alternative]]'' was released on September 7, 2018, while ''[[Anime/FLCLProgressiveAndAlternative FLCL Progressive]]'' was released three weeks later, on September 28. And the first episode of ''Alternative'' also aired subtitled in the US as an [[AprilFoolsDay April Fools' joke]], two months before the first episode of ''Progressive.'' |
| 33 | * ''[[Anime/KingOfPrism KING OF PRISM Shiny Seven Stars]]'', a sequel to both ''KING OF PRISM'' films and ''Anime/PrettyRhythmRainbowLive'' is the first official release of anything related to the ''VideoGame/PrettySeries'' in North America and most territories outside of Asia. [[note]][[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2021-02-09/crunchyroll-adds-idol-time-pripara-anime-to-catalog/.169323 Prior to]] ''Idol Time VideoGame/PriPara'' [[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-12-31/crunchyroll-adds-kiratto-pri-chan-anime-to-catalog/.168011 and]] ''Anime/KirattoPriChan'' being licensed by Platform/{{Crunchyroll}} [[LateExportForYou in the 2020s]] alongside ''Anime/WacchaPriMagi'' [[https://www.sentaifilmworks.com/a/news/sentai-to-debut-waccha-primagi-anime-this-fall being licensed for simulcasting by]] Creator/SentaiFilmworks, only Spain and Italy got anything else from the Pretty Series, both getting releases of ''Anime/PrettyRhythmAuroraDream'' and nothing further, though the latter country's dub was [[UnfinishedDub incomplete]], stopping at episode 35.[[/note]] Because of this, people who haven't watched ''Rainbow Live'' or any of the ''King Of Prism'' films will be faced with problems, as the series has multiple instances of {{Late Arrival Spoiler}}s that require watching either the films or ''Rainbow Live'' to understand. |
| 34 | * The 2008 ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'' anime never aired in America, likely due to the niche popularity of sports anime and soccer in general at the time. The next several anime were skipped as well. In 2019, ''Anime/InazumaElevenAres'' began airing on Creator/DisneyXD. It's an AlternateContinuity of the original but can also be seen without any knowledge of the older series. |
| 35 | * Because of [[ScrewedByTheLawyers music clearance issues over]] [[Music/JohnDenver "Country Roads"]], the English dub of ''Anime/TheCatReturns'' came out a year before the film it was a spin-off of, ''Anime/WhisperOfTheHeart''. |
| 36 | * After famed nipponologist Frederik L. Schodt's English translations of the first five volumes of ''Manga/{{Phoenix}}'' spent nearly three decades languishing in DevelopmentHell, the second volume, ''A Tale of The Future'', was finally released in English as a standalone in the early 2000s, mainly to cash in on the renewed interest in Creator/OsamuTezuka's work generated by the success of ''Anime/Metropolis2001''. It was thought a science fiction story would sell better with Western readers, as the first volume is a historical epic taking place in ancient Japan. Viz eventually gave the series a full release starting at volume one. |
| 37 | * While the subtitled version of the series was released simultaneously with the original Japanese broadcast, the English dub of ''Manga/KaguyaSamaLoveIsWar'' started with season 2 before eventually releasing season 1 four months later. |
| 38 | * ''New Cutey Honey'' was the first installment in the ''Anime/CuteyHoney'' franchise to see a North American release, despite the fact that it's a sequel OVA to the original anime series from 1973, which wouldn't receive an official release there until ''2013''. |
| 39 | * While ''Series/KamenRiderDouble'' hasn't been made fully available outside of asia since its release in 2009/2010, but the sequel manga, ''Manga/FuutoPI'', is being published in france and other countries, with the anime adaptation being available in many territories through Platform/{{Crunchyroll}}, with latin-american and brazilian dubs to boot. |
| 40 | * ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}'' (2009) and its spinoff ''Manga/{{Caterpillar}}'' (2012) were first translated to English in 2022 for the Manga UP! app. ''Caterpillar'' starts as a prequel and was translated far ahead of ''Arachnid'', but the problem is that it not only spoils who the BigBad of ''Arachnid'' is but also ends at the same point in time as it, even recapping the major events of that story in the process. |
| 41 | [[/folder]] |
| 42 | |
| 43 | [[folder:Film]] |
| 44 | * The North American release of the Creator/JackieChan film ''Film/ArmorOfGod II: Operation Condor'', retitled simply ''Operation Condor'', came six years after its release in Hong Kong... ''before'' the original ''Armour of God''. When the original finally made it across the Pacific (direct-to-video, no less,) it was retitled ''Operation Condor 2: The Armour of the Gods''. Confused, yet? |
| 45 | * The first film in the ''In the Line of Duty'' series was ''Film/YesMadam'', which would be shortly followed up by ''Film/RoyalWarriors''. Confusingly, ''Film/RoyalWarriors'' was released in the States first as ''In the Line of Duty''. ''Film/YesMadam'' would be released shortly after as ''In the Line of Duty II'', despite being the first film in the series. |
| 46 | * ''[[Film/MadMax2TheRoadWarrior Mad Max II/The Road Warrior]]'' got a bigger world-wide release than the original ''Film/MadMax1'', which is why it's generally known just as ''The Road Warrior'' on some markets. The New Zealand release is especially noteworthy, as #1 was banned due to [[spoiler:Goose's death]] [[DistancedFromCurrentEvents resembling an incident in the North Island]]. |
| 47 | * Creator/LucioFulci's ''Film/{{Zombi 2}}'' was titled as such to capitalize off the success of ''Zombi'', which was actually the Italian recut of George A. Romero's ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978''. When it was released in the U.S. it was retitled ''Zombie''. Subsequent sequels weren't retitled, leaving many Americans wondering where the mythical second ''Zombie'' film could be found. If that doesn't hurt the mind to begin with, the issue was corrected in a two disc re release of the original titled, you guessed it, ''Zombie 2'', leaving a whole new generation of horror fans to wonder where the hell the first ''Zombie'' picture could be found. The Italian cut (which removes humor) of ''Dawn of the Dead'' is out in America as ''Zombie: Dawn of the Dead''. Whether this makes things more or less confusing is up for debate. |
| 48 | * In Italy the ''Film/ManiacCop'' series received the same treatment: ''Film/ManiacCop2'' became ''Poliziotto sadico'' (''Sadist Policeman'') while the first movie was retitled as ''Maniac Cop - Poliziotto sadico 2''. |
| 49 | * Film fans who pay attention to the credits must have wondered why the poster for ''Film/MissingInAction'' has the credit "Based on characters created by Arthur Silver and Larry Levinson and Steve Bing." Creator/TheCannonGroup filmed ''Film/MissingInAction2TheBeginning'' FIRST (as ''Battlerage'') but it was decided the actual sequel, in which Braddock (Creator/ChuckNorris) goes back to Vietnam, was the stronger of the two and hence Cannon released that first. |
| 50 | * The fourth and eleventh of Creator/CliveCussler's Dirk Pitt adventures, ''Film/RaiseTheTitanic'' and ''Film/{{Sahara 2005}}'', received film adaptations first. |
| 51 | * ''Literature/TheDaVinciCode'' was written as a sequel to ''Literature/AngelsAndDemons'', which came out first. The former's immense popularity meant that it was adapted into a film first, then ''A&D'' was made (and rewritten) as a sequel. This incontinuity is referred to in some added film dialogue, when the Vatican personnel are trying to get Landon to help them ("Hey, you guys called me!") |
| 52 | * The film adaptations of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' and ''Film/TheHobbit''. Not quite your typical example, as they're not trying to pass off the events of the latter as happening after those in the former, but some people do seem to think that the ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' books came out earlier. |
| 53 | * The ''Vengeance Trilogy'' was distributed like this in the US. The second part, ''Film/{{Oldboy 2003}}'', opened first, followed by the first part, ''Film/SympathyForMrVengeance'', and then the third part, ''Film/SympathyForLadyVengeance'' (which was renamed ''Lady Vengeance'' for its release). |
| 54 | * The most famous example is the ''Franchise/StarWars'' franchise, starting out with Episode IV. After Episodes V and VI, I-III and VII-IX written/filmed decades later. Though this is also somewhat retroactive as ''A New Hope'' was simply labeled as ''Star Wars'' upon its first theatrical release. |
| 55 | * ''Film/DrunkenMaster'' and ''Drunken Master II'' were both big successes in Hong Kong but did not cross into western markets. After Creator/JackieChan became a star in the USA, ''Drunken Master II'' was released to American theaters under the title ''The Legend of Drunken Master'' to avoid confusing audiences. |
| 56 | * When the 1997 Wrestling/HulkHogan film ''Assault on Devil's Island'' and its 1999 sequel ''Assault on Death Mountain'' were exported internationally, they were mislabeled, with Death Mountain being called ''Shadow Warriors'', and Devil's Island being called ''Shadow Warriors 2''. |
| 57 | * Only the latter two books of Creator/JackKetchum's 'Off Season' trilogy (''Offspring'' and ''Literature/TheWoman'') were made into films. The first has yet to be adapted due to rights issues. |
| 58 | * The first ''Film/FiftyShadesOfGrey'' film was [[NoExportForYou not released in China]] [[BannedInChina as the studio believed it had no chance of passing the Chinese censor board]]. However, the sequels would later be [[InternationalCoproduction co-productions between the US, China and Japan]] and would be allowed to screen in Chinese cinemas, despite the fact that the first film never had an official Chinese release. |
| 59 | [[/folder]] |
| 60 | |
| 61 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 62 | * Peter Robinson's book series about the police detective Alan Banks so far numbers 18 titles. The Swedish translation starts only at book number 10 (''A Dry Season''). |
| 63 | * ''Literature/WarriorCats'': The ''Lost Warrior'' manga trilogy, which involves events that don't happen until part way through the second series of books, was released in Germany before they finished translating the first series. |
| 64 | ** Although ''Secrets Of The Clans'' was the first book in the field guide spin-offs, it was released a few years after ''Code Of The Clans'', the third book of the spin-offs, in Germany. There are no known plans for translating the other five field guides into German. |
| 65 | * Creator/NeilGaiman has referred to ''Literature/{{Stardust}}'' as Book 2 of a trilogy that hasn't happened yet. In a new afterword to that novel, he claimed that Book 1 is partially written (and has been since a few years before ''Stardust'' came out), and that he has a plot developed for Book 3. |
| 66 | * Some popular series of children’s books were retroactively renumbered, leading to generational confusion about which book is “first”. ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'', for example, originally went by publication order: ''The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe'', ''Prince Caspian'', ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader'', ''The Silver Chair'' were followed by ''The Horse and His Boy'' (overlapping the events of ''LWW''), ''The Magician’s Nephew'' and ''The Last Battle''. Later the author renumbered the series based on dramatic date, in the order '''6 1 5 2 3 4 7'''. Something similar has happened with the ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'' series, involving even more titles. |
| 67 | * Happened with the Italian release of some of the ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid'' side books: |
| 68 | ** ''The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Next Chapter'' was released before ''Double Down''. As ''The Next Chapter'' is a behind the scenes for the fourth movie, it should have no issue... except that early in the book, as a brief explanation of how scripts and storyboards work, we see Greg's script for ''Night of the Night Crawlers 2'', the sequel of the horror movie he and Rowley made in ''Double Down''. |
| 69 | ** ''Literature/DiaryOfAnAwesomeFriendlyKid'', which makes a few references to the events that happened in ''The Meltdown'', was released in Italy before ''The Meltdown''. |
| 70 | * The Italian release of ''ComicBook/{{Dog Man|DavPilkey}}'' began before they even ended the release of the ''Literature/CaptainUnderpants'' books. As a result, George and Harold's introduction in the first ''Dog Man'' book spoils Yesterday George and Yesterday Harold's POV of the ending of ''Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-a-Lot'' to Italian readers. |
| 71 | [[/folder]] |
| 72 | |
| 73 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 74 | * The ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' series began with footage from the 16th ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' series, ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger''. Although there was a partial GagDub of ''Series/KagakuSentaiDynaman'', and some countries had dubs of series as far back as ''Series/ChoudenshiBioman''. |
| 75 | ** In a case of this crossing series, many Americans thought ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' was a live action ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'' ripoff since that was their first exposure to a ColorCodedForYourConvenience FiveManBand with CombiningMecha series. |
| 76 | * ''Franchise/KamenRider'' meanwhile had adapted both footage from the [[Series/KamenRiderBlackRX last Showa Era Kamen Rider show]] and from its [[Series/KamenRiderRyuki third Heisei era Kamen Rider Show]]. |
| 77 | ** This even extends to the source material, as ''Series/KamenRiderV3'' has been released on DVD in the US, but the ''[[Series/KamenRider original]]'' series hasn't. Which is particularly weird as, unlike most Kamen Rider series, V3 is a ''direct sequel'' to the original series. Even odder is that this trope is ''[[Main/InvertedTrope inverted]]'' for the reboot movies as the [[Film/KamenRiderTheFirst remake movie of the original series]] was released on DVD in the US, but ''[[Film/KamenRiderTheNext the remake of V3]]'' hasn't. |
| 78 | * ''Series/StargateSG1'' and ''Film/StargateTheArkOfTruth'' on DVD are still MIA in Russia, even after all 10 seasons and the movie finished airing. However, ''Continuum'' was recently released. Apparently, the DVD retailers decided to skip from the original ''Film/{{Stargate}}'' movie straight to ''Continuum''... |
| 79 | * Only the last season of ''Series/EightSimpleRules'' is shown in Ukraine, presumably in order to skip [[TearJerker the part where the family copes with Paul's death]] and being able to air the episodes in any order without making the fans ask questions like [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse "where'd the father go?"]]. As far as Ukrainians are concerned, the character of Paul died prior to the series' beginning and was never shown on screen. |
| 80 | * ''Series/TheShannaraChronicles'' adopts the second book of the original Shannara trilogy, ''The Elfstones of Shannara'', in its first season. |
| 81 | * When the original ''Series/IronChef'' was dubbed into English, they started with the later episodes with the third Iron Chef Japanese, Masaharu Morimoto, likely because Morimoto was already a well known name in New York as the head chef of Nobu (at the time). They only started to dub the earliest battles (with first Iron Chef Japanese Rokusaburo Michiba) when they ran out of Morimoto-era episodes but the ratings continued to be good. Sadly, most of the middle episodes with second Iron Chef Japanese Komei Nakamura [[NoExportForYou never got dubbed]] because by then Food Network decided to [[StartMyOwn do their own version]]. |
| 82 | [[/folder]] |
| 83 | |
| 84 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 85 | * Music/EltonJohn's first album to be released in North America was his self-titled second album in 1970. [[SequelDisplacement He had released an album before that]] in Britain, ''Empty Sky'', which was not released in the US until 1975. |
| 86 | * ''Shazam'' by TheMove was released before their self-titled debut album. |
| 87 | * In 1999, Music/{{Muse}}'s debut album, ''Showbiz'', was greeted with indifference by American audiences. Their next album, ''Origin of Symmetry'' (released in 2001 in the UK), did not receive an official release in the United States until 2005, the year after their third album, ''Absolution'', found an audience in the States. |
| 88 | ** This is because their American record company asked Matt Bellamy to rerecord the vocals for Origin Of Symmetry, because they thought the falsetto would not sell, and also wanted to lump Muse in with the nu-metal bands of the time. Muse's refusal to do this led to the album not being released there. |
| 89 | * Music/WithinTemptation's ''fourth'' studio album, ''The Heart of Everything'', was the band's first album to be released in the United States in 2007. Their first album, ''Enter'', and the EP ''The Dance'' followed a few months later. Their second and third albums (''Mother Earth'' and ''The Silent Force'') didn't see a stateside release until 2008. |
| 90 | * The American leg of the Music/{{Genesis|Band}} ''Music/TheLambLiesDownOnBroadway'' tour was scheduled to happen before the often difficult to follow ConceptAlbum had even been released in the US, since guitarist Steve Hackett had injured his hand late in rehearsals, thus requiring the band to change the tour dates so he could heal. The band ended up playing the entirety of the album to audiences who hadn't heard it yet and certainly weren't expecting anything like that. |
| 91 | * Music/{{Nirvana}}'s debut album ''Music/{{Bleach|Album}}'' only saw a wide international release after the massive success of follow-up ''Music/{{Nevermind|Album}}''. |
| 92 | * Music/TheClash's first album wasn't released in the US because the record company over there thought it was too controversial. Their second album "Give Em Enough Rope" was their first released in the US, albeit with the cover text in a different font and the title of the last track changed. After the "I Fought The Law" from The Cost Of Living EP was a hit, the record company wanted to capitalise on its success so they put out a butchered version of Music/TheClash's first album in the US including the track and several of their recent singles replacing some of the songs they had deemed controversial. This caused an odd situation where stuff recorded after their second album was included on a rerelease of their first. |
| 93 | * ''Opium'', Music/{{KMFDM}}'s 1984 debut album, was initially only released in Germany as a limited cassette run and didn't get an international release until ''2002''. Even then, the album had to be somewhat reconstructed as the master tapes were damaged due to poor storage conditions, forcing Konietzko to redo the drum tracks in particular; sometimes, however, the drum samples he originally used weren't available, so he had to replace them with similar-sounding ones. |
| 94 | * Music/TheBeatles debut album, ''Please Please Me'', was not released in its original form in the US until the CD release in 1987. Instead, the Vee-Jay Records version, retitled ''Introducing... The Beatles'' and minus two songs was released to much legal dispute, including a temporary injunction against any more production that meant ''Meet the Beatles'' was the first to see widespread success. |
| 95 | * ''Ring Ring'', Music/{{ABBA}}'s 1973 debut album (under their unwieldy original name, "Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida") wasn't released in the UK or US until the 1990s. Its title track appeared on UK releases of the next album, ''Waterloo'', and several other songs appeared on their 1976 ''Greatest Hits'' compilation, but (unlike tracks taken from later albums) no mention was made of their original source. |
| 96 | ** The reason for this is that Greatest Hits was a rush release to capitalise on their popularity. It had the same tracklisting as the Swedish compilation of the same name (though a different cover). The main reason Waterloo was released in the UK in the first place was to capitalise on them winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Interestingly, they did enter the song Ring Ring for Eurovision in 1973, but never made it to the finals. If they had won, the album probably would have been released. |
| 97 | * Music/OrchestralManoeuvresInTheDark: Their first US release was a unique album made up of 4 tracks from ''Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark'', 6 tracks from ''Organisation'', and the single rerecording of "Messages." The title and artwork came from the debut album. |
| 98 | [[/folder]] |
| 99 | |
| 100 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 101 | * JustForFun/TheZerothLawOfTropeExamples: Some scholars think that Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/HenryVIPart2'' and ''Theatre/HenryVIPart3'' were written and produced before the play now known as ''Theatre/HenryVIPart1''. |
| 102 | * ''Theatre/TheMaidOfPskov'' was written in 1872 and premiered in 1873, while its short prequel, now often staged as a prologue, ''Theatre/TheNoblewomanVeraSheloga'', was written in 1898. |
| 103 | [[/folder]] |
| 104 | |
| 105 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 106 | * The ''Barcode Battler II'' handheld was released internationally as ''Barcode Battler''. |
| 107 | * ''[[VideoGame/{{Bomberman}} Bomberman GB]]'' was released in the USA and Europe as the [[DolledUpInstallment dolled-up]] IntercontinuityCrossover ''Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!'' The USA/Europe ''Bomberman GB'' is the Japanese ''Bomberman GB 2''. |
| 108 | * The first Mickey Mouse game in the ''[[VideoGame/TheBugsBunnyCrazyCastle Crazy Castle]]'' series was released in the US as ''Mickey Mouse: Magic Wands!'' This is the fifth game in the ''Mickey Mouse'' series. The previous games were released in the US as ''The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle'' 1-2, ''Kid Klown in Night Mayor World'', and ''The Real Ghostbusters''. In Europe, ''Mickey Mouse II'' was released as ''Mickey Mouse'', then goes to the fifth entry with ''Mickey Mouse V'', released as ''Mickey Mouse V: Zauberstäbe!'' The game ''Bugs Bunny: Crazy Castle 3'' was released in Europe with no game titled ''The Bugs Bunny Crazy Castle 2''. |
| 109 | * ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'' (''MOTHER 2''), the second in the ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER}}'' series, and the first [[NoExportForYou (and originally, only)]] one to be released in the US. The original ''MOTHER'' was originally slated for a North American release under the title ''Earth Bound'' (two words), but was scrapped after being completed due to the company shifting focus to the Platform/{{Super NES}}. When the prototype surfaced years later and made playable by the fan community, the game was called ''[=EarthBound=] Zero'' to avoid confusion. When Nintendo would officially release the finished version themselves in 2015, it was entitled ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings''. |
| 110 | * The ''VideoGame/EZ2DJ'' series did not receive any international releases until ''[=EZ2ON=] REBOOT : R'' in 2021, 22 years after the original ''[=EZ2DJ=]'' and 13 years after the first ''[=EZ2ON=]'' game. In fact, by the time of ''REBOOT : R'', the arcade ''[=EZ2DJ=]''/''[=EZ2AC=]'' line was already retired. |
| 111 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': |
| 112 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' was the first one to be released in PAL regions, and at that time only three of the first six (''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI I]]'', ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV IV]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI VI]]'') had been released in the US and Canada. |
| 113 | *** Squaresoft tried to cover this by retitling the American versions of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' into ''Final Fantasy II'' and ''Final Fantasy III'' respectively, but went back to the actual numbering with ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. Naturally, this caused a lot of Americans unfamiliar with the Japanese version to wonder why the series jumped from ''III'' to ''VII''. |
| 114 | ** On the subject of ''Final Fantasy'', there's Chocobo's Dungeon 2, an iteration in the Mystery Dungeon series. The US got 2 first, but it ''wasn't re-numbered.'' |
| 115 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' had a similar problem, as noted in the Anime and Manga category up above. |
| 116 | * While the original ''Getsu Fūma Den'' remains exclusive to Japan to this day, its 2021 follow-up ''Getsu Fūma Den: Undying Moon'' did get an international release. Weirdly, despite being based on a Japan-only series, it was developed by a Western company. |
| 117 | * ''Growlanser Generations'' is a compilation of second and third games in the ''VideoGame/{{Growlanser}}'' series, though a sort of summary of the first game's plot is included. ''Growlanser: Heritage of War'', the next game released in the U.S. and the first to be released in Europe, is the fifth game and an entirely NonLinearSequel. |
| 118 | * ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' is the seventh installment in the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series, but the first game officially released outside Japan, with it simply being titled ''Fire Emblem'' (no subtitle). Oddly enough, despite the franchise mostly consisting of {{Non Linear Sequel}}s, ''Blazing Blade'' is actually a direct prequel to the previous GBA game, ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade Binding Blade]]'', which was never released internationally despite that game's protagonist, Roy, appearing in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee''. This caused Western players to misinterpret its ForegoneConclusion ending as a SequelHook instead. As of 2021, only three of the preceding games would see international release by way of [[RemadeForTheExport remake]], though the original NES game would also get [[LateExportForYou a surprise translation]] for the series' anniversary in addition to a prior remake. |
| 119 | * ''VideoGame/CosmicFantasy 2'' was the first and only game in the series released outside Japan until 2024, ''32'' years later. |
| 120 | * ''Dragon Knight 3'' was released in the US as ''VideoGame/KnightsOfXentar''. |
| 121 | * ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'' was the first game in that series to be released in PAL territories as well, and they dropped the numbers to hide that fact. |
| 122 | ** The North American release of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'' was released nearly a decade after the last release of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV''. The two Super Famicom entries, ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' and ''[[VideoGame/DragonQuestVI VI]]'', wouldn't see release until long after that when they were remade for the Nintendo DS. |
| 123 | ** To add more confusion, the NES games were titled Dragon Warrior. |
| 124 | * ''VideoGame/TheGoonies'' was released on the Famicom in Japan and on Vs. System arcade machines in the US. The US did not receive the game on home consoles, though the NES ''Goonies II'' is a sequel to the first game and retains its sequel numbering. |
| 125 | * The first ''VideoGame/PokemonStadium'' game released internationally was actually the second released in Japan. The first was skipped over entirely because it actually did not have the full roster of Pokémon at the time, only having the handful of Mons that were most used in the competitive scene. |
| 126 | * ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', although that's for a very good reason (specifically, straightening up all the licensing rights for the games which aren't OriginalGeneration would be a nightmare). The series started in 1991, but no one outside Asia would have any installment until ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration'' for the Platform/GameBoyAdvance, about a decade later. Any installment with licensed characters wouldn't see international release until ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars30'', 30 years since the series started. |
| 127 | * Europe never got ''VideoGame/AceCombat3Electrosphere'' ([[{{Macekre}} not that anyone outside Japan has ever gotten the original game]]), so installments ''[[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies 04]]'', ''[[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar 5]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar Zero]]'' had the numbers dropped from the PAL release. ''4'' and ''5'' also [[PublisherChosenTitle had their subtitles changed]] into absolutely awful ones for no apparent reason. |
| 128 | * The ''Front Mission'' series debuted internationally with its [[VideoGame/FrontMission3 third game]]. |
| 129 | * The only ''VideoGame/GloryOfHeraclesDS'' game released in the US is the sixth game in the series. |
| 130 | * ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars'', released for the GBA in 2001, is part of the long-running ''Wars'' series that had until then been Japan-only. Ironically, the Japanese version of the game (''Game Boy Wars Advance'') was not released in Japan until 2004, when it was included in a two-in-one cartridge with its sequel. This was echoed when both titles were remade for the Nintendo Switch seventeen years later. |
| 131 | * PAL countries got ''We ♥ Katamari'' when it first came out, but didn't get the original ''VideoGame/KatamariDamacy'' until its remastered edition, ''Reroll'', came out in 2018. |
| 132 | * Similarly, Europe only got ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} Episode II'' with an extra DVD containing the cut-scenes of the first game. |
| 133 | * In Europe, ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'' came out before ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations''. |
| 134 | * The first ''VideoGame/SonicDrift'' game was Japan-only until long after the demise of the Platform/GameGear. The sequel was released internationally, and was still called ''Sonic Drift 2'' in its U.S. release. It was however renamed in Europe and released as ''Sonic Drift Racing''... but only on the box, the title screen in the actual game still reads "Sonic Drift 2" just to add to the confusion. |
| 135 | ** Though not necessarily a true example, it is worth noting that ''Sonic Adventure 2: Battle'', a remake of ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'', came out before ''Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut'', a remake of ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''. |
| 136 | * ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'' was released in Germany as simply ''Lufia'' because the original never made it to Europe. The name "Lufia" is mentioned only in the secret epilogue which appears after playing though the game for a second time. The solution for this problem? Renaming the Dual Blade "Lufiasword". Then they kept this up in the sequel, leading to a DubInducedPlotHole. |
| 137 | * ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' was the first game in the series to be released outside Japan. |
| 138 | * ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' was the first game in the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' to be released outside Japan. |
| 139 | ** Related to this, ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' was the first series to be released in Europe. |
| 140 | * Again in the PAL territories, ''VideoGame/DigimonWorld3'' was renamed ''Digimon World 2003'' because Bandai skipped ''VideoGame/DigimonWorld2''. Strangely enough, despite Japan dropping the number after ''3'', the PAL release of the next game was given the American title, ''VideoGame/DigimonWorld4''. |
| 141 | * North America is the last of the three major regions to get ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}} II'' in some form, having been officially introduced to it 2006, 18 years after its initial Japanese release and long after the North American releases of ''III'', ''IV'', and ''V''. |
| 142 | ** Before that, Konami of America did promote the ''Gradius'' spinoff ''Life Force'' (aka ''Salamander'') as a sequel to the original ''Gradius'', causing players who didn't know any better to assume that ''Life Force'' was an unaccounted sequel. |
| 143 | * ''VideoGame/BeatmaniaIIDX 27 HEROIC VERSE'' has been the first American arcade release of ''beatmania IIDX'' out of what was then 28 Asia-exclusive arcade installments of the series. [[note]]The second game in the series, ''beatmania IIDX substream'', is excluded from the numbering scheme due to being a MissionPackSequel.[[/note]] Justified in that each installment builds off its predecessors in terms of features and song list, so there's very little reason to start with an older release. |
| 144 | ** Though its predecessor series ''beatmania'' was given 3 limited arcade releases in the US under the new title "Hiphopmania". |
| 145 | * ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' was released in North America before its predecessor ''VideoGame/LaPucelle''. |
| 146 | * ''VideoGame/AtelierIris'' was the first of the ''VideoGame/AtelierSeries'' to be released outside of Japan; most of its predecessors still haven't been. |
| 147 | * ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'': |
| 148 | ** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' was released in North America despite the fact that the [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI previous]] [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiII two games]] had never been released. [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiI The first game]] got released in 2014 for iOS, but Western fans [[NoExportForYou still haven't gotten the second game yet, though.]] |
| 149 | ** The same applied for the first two ''VideoGame/DevilSummoner'' games when the third, ''VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy'' was released in the West.[[note]]The second one, ''VideoGame/SoulHackers'', eventually also saw a Western release.[[/note]] |
| 150 | ** ''VideoGame/{{Persona 2}}'' is a particularly awful offender, as the game came in two parts, the first of which was never released in North America in its original form. Oddly enough, they decided to release part two in NA, despite the fact that it was a somewhat direct sequel. |
| 151 | ** The West finally got the first part in the form of the UpdatedRerelease, twelve years later. The teaser email for the game lampshaded this, parodying the internet of 1999 and making every reference to that era imaginable short of referring to those two big buildings in New York. |
| 152 | ** The first ''SMT'' game to even get a US release was a GaidenGame on a very unpopular console -- that being ''Jack Bros.'' on the Platform/VirtualBoy. |
| 153 | * The first ''VideoGame/ThunderForce'' game to be released outside of Japan was ''Thunder Force II'' (more specifically, its Platform/SegaGenesis port). The first ''Thunder Force'' was released only for various Japanese microcomputers and is [[SequelDisplacement rather obscure even in Japan]]. |
| 154 | * Three games in the ''VideoGame/CustomRobo'' series were released in Japan without coming out anywhere else. You know what they called the GCN game ''Custom Robo: Battle Revolution''? We just call it ''Custom Robo''. |
| 155 | * ''VideoGame/WarioWareTouched'' came out before ''VideoGame/WarioWareTwisted'' in America and Australia. This is a problem in itself, since the latter game obviously serves as 18-Volt's real introduction in the series (which is part of the reason why he says "Word!" a lot (except in the game's manual). Also, ''Twisted'' unlocks a secret video in ''Touched'' when ''Touched'' is played with ''Twisted'' in the GBA slot, thus meaning that the ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' game that came out three months AFTER ''Touched'' unlocked a video in ''Touched''. Lastly, ''Twisted'' was skipped entirely in Europe, meaning 18-Volt had no introduction and ''Touched''[='=]s bonus video cannot be unlocked. |
| 156 | * The fifth (and final) game in the ''Densetsu no Starfy'' series, ''Densetsu no Starfy Taiketsu! Daiiru Kaizokudan,'' was the first to be released outside of Japan as ''VideoGame/TheLegendaryStarfy''. |
| 157 | * The Game Boy Advance rhythm game ''Rhythm Tengoku'' was never released outside of Japan due to releasing late in the system's life: it came out in 2006, two years after the release of the Nintendo DS. However, the Nintendo DS sequel, ''Rhythm Tengoku Gold'', was released in North America as ''VideoGame/RhythmHeaven'', and in Europe as ''Rhythm Paradise''. Some minigames from the original ''Rhythm Tengoku'' were later [[NostalgiaLevel remade]] for ''Rhythm Heaven Fever'' and ''Rhythm Heaven Megamix'', marking their first appearances outside of Japan. |
| 158 | * The original ''VideoGame/MetalGear1'' was only released in North America after a [[ReformulatedGame reworked port]] of the game was made for the NES, but ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' remained [=MSX2=]-exclusive for many years and never got officially released in the west as a result. To make matters more confusing, the NES version of ''Metal Gear'' did get a separate sequel titled ''VideoGame/SnakesRevenge'', which was developed before the Kojima-directed ''Metal Gear 2'' and was only released in the west. As a result, when Konami revived the series with ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', it included plot summaries of the two [=MSX2=] games within the game itself. |
| 159 | * The first ''VideoGame/GanbareGoemon'' game released outside Japan was ''Legend of the Mystical Ninja'' for the Platform/{{Super NES}} (the series had previous installments for the {{Platform/Famicom}}), in which for some reason Goemon and Ebisumaru [[DubNameChange were renamed]] "Kid Ying" and "Dr. Yang". The two Platform/Nintendo64 games that were later localized kept the characters' original names. |
| 160 | * ''Stinger'', aka ''Moero!! Twinbee'', was the second ''VideoGame/{{Twinbee}}'' game for the Famicom and the only one released for the NES in North America. ''Pop'n Twinbee'' was later released in the PAL region for the Super NES along with the side-scrolling platformer spinoff ''Rainbow Bell Adventure''. The second arcade game, ''Detana!! Twinbee'', also saw an overseas release as ''Bells & Whistles'', while the PC Engine port eventually got an overseas release via the Platform/{{Wii}} Platform/VirtualConsole (albeit, untranslated). The original ''Twinbee'' arcade game was eventually released in the US on Konami's ''Arcade Hits'' compilation for the Platform/NintendoDS under the name of ''Rainbow Bell''. |
| 161 | * The ''VideoGame/SakuraWars'' series finally saw the light of day in the US when [[Creator/NipponIchi NIS America]] localized [[VideoGame/SakuraWarsSoLongMyLove the fifth game]] ''five years'' after it was originally released in Japan. Strangely, this was also seven years after the Japanese release of a Platform/PlayStation2 remake of the first game that was ''intended'' to be the first Western release of the series, but never got exported. |
| 162 | * The Genesis and PC Engine version of the original ''VideoGame/{{Valis}}'' weren't produced until after ''VideoGame/{{Valis}} IV'' was released in Japan (and ''Valis III'' in the US). Only the Genesis version made it to the states. |
| 163 | * ''VideoGame/{{Zanac}}'' for the NES was a remake/sequel of a MSX game, though that was in fact released in Europe. |
| 164 | ** ''VideoGame/TheGuardianLegend'' was the sequel to the MSX game ''Guardic''. |
| 165 | * ''VideoGame/TombsAndTreasure'', an NES adventure game, was a port of a Platform/PC88 game called ''Taiyou no Shinden Asteka II''. As the name indicates, this was a sequel to a game called ''Asteka'' (a command line-driven [[InteractiveFiction text adventure]] with some graphics), which was never translated into English. |
| 166 | * ''VideoGame/ClockTower'' on the Platform/PlayStation was actually ''Clock Tower II'' in Japan. [[VideoGame/ClockTower1995 The original Super Famicom game]] was never localized, not even after it was ported to the [=PlayStation=] as ''Clock Tower: The First Fear''. |
| 167 | * The iPhone port of ''Espgaluda II'' was released ''in North America'' in 2010, seven years after the still-Japan-only ''Espgaluda''. |
| 168 | * As an example of this happening in Japan, the console versions of the medieval-themed FPS, ''VideoGame/{{Hexen}}'', a sequel to ''VideoGame/{{Heretic}}'', were released there, though they never got ''Heretic'' itself. |
| 169 | * ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'' was never released in Europe, but ''7'' and ''8'' were and both used their original titles. |
| 170 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterRancher DS'' was released in Japan in 2007, and a sequel was released in 2008. ''Monster Rancher DS 2'' was released in the US in 2010, under the title ''Monster Rancher DS''. |
| 171 | * Creator/{{Irem}} had two ''Major Title'' games, the first of which wasn't released in America. The sequel was released under the title "The Irem Skins Game". |
| 172 | * ''Axis: Bold as Love'' from [[Music/JimiHendrix The Jimi Hendrix Experience]] hit the ''VideoGame/RockBand'' platform a few months before (a modified edition of) ''Are You Experienced'', which was released first originally. The platform in general has had this plenty of times; a hit song is released, and then an earlier hit from the same band sees its way on the platform later. |
| 173 | * Outside Japan and North America, the Mario RPG spinoffs came out of nowhere and started with ''VideoGame/PaperMario'', which of course made the call backs confusing. As a result, in those regions ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' is often used to describe the series. The original 1996 ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' did, with a little bit of bowdlerising, eventually make it to PAL regions... in ''2008''. Three generations and three sequels later. |
| 174 | * What North America got as simply ''VideoGame/{{Culdcept}}'' in 2003 was the [=PS2=] port/expansion to ''Culdcept Second'' in Japan, and it was released in America by NEC of all companies.[[note]]They released the Platform/TurboGrafx16 internationally, and after that they dropped out of video games entirely in America. They decided to go back to publishing games in America, but they only released two titles - this game and a Platform/NintendoGameCube racing game called Tube Slider.[[/note]] The original ''Culdcept'' for the Sega Saturn came out in Japan in 1997. |
| 175 | * For some reason, ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTheManhattanProject Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project]]'' was never released for the NES in PAL territories. That didn't prevent the Super NES port of ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime'' from being called ''Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles IV'' in Europe. |
| 176 | * Inverted with the ''VideoGame/WonderBoy'' series. ''Monster World II'' (aka ''VideoGame/WonderBoyIIITheDragonsTrap'') was originally made for the Platform/SegaMasterSystem. But because the Master System was unpopular in Japan and was already discontinued by the time the game finished development, it ended up being released only in North America and Europe, where the console still had some life left. When Westone developed ''[[VideoGame/WonderBoyInMonsterWorld Monster World III]]'' for the Platform/MegaDrive, they decided to release it a Platform/GameGear port of ''Monster World II'' shortly afterward. |
| 177 | * ''Penguin Land'' for the Platform/SegaMasterSystem was actually a sequel to the original ''Doki Doki Penguin Land'', which was never released outside Japan. |
| 178 | * The first ''VideoGame/{{Parodius}}'' game released in Europe was ''Parodius: Non-Sense Fantasy'' (a.k.a. ''Parodius Da!''), which is actually the second game in the series. Many of {{Creator/Konami}}'s {{Platform/MSX}} games had European releases, but not the original ''Parodius.'' |
| 179 | * ''[[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/exile/exile3.htm Exile]]'' was originally released in Japan for the Platform/PC88, Platform/PC98 and {{Platform/MSX2}} under the title ''XZR II''; the original ''XZR'', to which it was a direct sequel, wasn't localized (and had no console port). However, the versions of ''Exile'' that were localized, for the Platform/SegaGenesis and [[Platform/TurboGrafx16 Turbo Duo]] were titled without number even in Japan, and the following game for the Turbo Duo, ''Exile: Wicked Phenomenon'', was ''Exile II'' in Japan. |
| 180 | * ''Samurai Ghost'' for the Platform/TurboGrafx16 was a localization of the sequel to the Namco game ''VideoGame/GenpeiToumaDen''. The arcade original wasn't released outside Japan until it appeared on ''[[CompilationRerelease Namco Museum Vol. 4]]'', where it was titled ''The Genji and Heike Clans''. |
| 181 | * ''Arcus Odyssey'' for the Platform/SegaGenesis was a GaidenGame in the otherwise Japan-exclusive ''Arcus'' RPG series by Wolf Team. |
| 182 | * The ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' video game for the NES was actually a localization of the Famicom's ''Hokuto no Ken 2''. |
| 183 | * The game released internationally by Maxis under the title ''VideoGame/ATrain'' was actually the third game of the long-running series. The original game was Japan-exclusive, but the second game had previously been released in the US as ''Railroad Empire''. |
| 184 | * The first ''VideoGame/FireProWrestling'' game released outside Japan was ''Fire Pro Wrestling A'' for the Platform/GameBoyAdvance; naturally, the [[SuperTitle64Advance letter A]] was dropped from the title. |
| 185 | * ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV'' was released in Europe about a month prior to ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse'', as NES games were delayed for ludicrous amounts of time in Europe as a rule. |
| 186 | ** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'' wasn't released anywhere outside Japan until ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaTheDraculaXChronicles'', ten years after its direct sequel ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight''. The [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaDraculaX Super NES remake]] of Rondo had been released internationally, but said remake AdaptedOut Shaft, an important character in ''Symphony''. |
| 187 | * In Japan, there were three ''VideoGame/KingsField'' games for the original Platform/PlayStation instead of two. The original ''King's Field'' was released just after the system's Japanese launch, and was not released internationally. Thus, the English version of ''King's Field II'' dropped the number, while ''King's Field III'' was renumbered ''King's Field II''. |
| 188 | * ''Final Zone II'' for the Platform/TurboGrafxCD was a sequel to a game released only on Japanese 8-bit computers. The Platform/SegaGenesis game released in the U.S. as ''Final Zone'' is a GaidenGame to the former two, and involves piloting a HumongousMecha rather than on-foot run 'n gun action. |
| 189 | * ''VideoGame/TimeCruise'' for the Platform/TurboGrafx16 was titled ''Time Cruise II'' in Japan, even though the game it was supposed to be a sequel to was never released. |
| 190 | * ''Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman 2'' was the only game in the series to be released outside Japan, under the title ''Shockman''. |
| 191 | * The Platform/GameBoy game ''X'' was released only in Japan, with a canceled international version going by the title ''Lunar Chase''. Its Platform/DSiWare sequel was released worldwide as ''X-Scape'' (US) or ''3D Space Tank'' (EU). |
| 192 | * ''VideoGame/SenranKagura Burst'', the second game in the series is the first game to be localized for North America. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] [[EmbeddedPrecursor since it has the content from the first game as well]]. |
| 193 | * More like SpiritualSequel first, but ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' got localized, while ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'' didn't. |
| 194 | * In ''Videogame/ThePinballArcade'', ''Pinball/TheMachineBrideOfPinbot'' got released in Table Pack 1. ''{{Pinball/Pinbot}}'', the game it was a sequel to, didn't get released until Table Pack ''14''. |
| 195 | * The third ''VideoGame/UmiharaKawase'' game was released under the title ''Yumi's Odd Odyssey''. (Natsume previously canceled a localization of the PSP port of the second game under the same title.) |
| 196 | * ''Fortune Street'' for the Wii was the first game in the long-running ''VideoGame/FortuneStreet'' series to be released outside of Japan. |
| 197 | * {{Averted|Trope}} with ''VideoGame/PuzzleAndDragons Z'', which was bundled with ''Puzzle & Dragons: Franchise/SuperMarioBros Edition'' for its international May 2015 release, despite being released in Japan on December 2013 (more than a year older than ''SMB Edition'', which saw release in Japan in April 2015). |
| 198 | * The second ''[[VideoGame/HatsuneMikuProjectDiva Project Mirai]]'' game was released in America and Europe under the name ''Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX.'' There's still no word on the first game. (However, considering the second game has [[UpdatedRerelease all songs and pretty much all other content from the first game]], the first one might not be missed too much at this point.) |
| 199 | * ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'': ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse'' is the first game in the series to see an official release in Japan, skipping both the original Platform/GameBoyColor game and ''Risky's Revenge''. Being an InternationalCoProduction probably helped. Europeans didn't get the Game Boy Color game either. (A likely reason for this is that [=WayForward=] was a smaller company at the time and couldn't afford to translate the game into other languages, ''Shantae'' being rather dialogue-heavy for a platformer.) |
| 200 | * ''VideoGame/SeventhDragon III Code: VFD'' is the first and so far only installment in the series that Creator/{{Sega}} opted to localize. This unfortunately means that Western fans are [[LateArrivalSpoiler ruined on one of the series' bigger surprises]], namely that the original ''7th Dragon'' [[spoiler:is actually part of the same continuity as its successors, which are set in future Tokyo]]. |
| 201 | * ''Sega 3D Classics Collection'', a CompilationRerelease of the Platform/Nintendo3DS remakes of a selection of Sega's games, was actually the second compilation to be released -- the first one, consisting of ''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin'', ''[[VideoGame/FantasyZone Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Brothers]]'', ''VideoGame/OutRun'' (both the original arcade version and the 3D Master System edition), ''[[VideoGame/{{Shinobi}} Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master]]'', ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'' (both the original arcade version and the 3D Master System edition), and ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRage'' -- was only released in Japan. All of the aforementioned games are available to download individually on the Nintendo eShop in all regions, except for the aforementioned Master System editions of ''Out Run'' and ''Space Harrier'', as they're exclusive to the compilation. |
| 202 | * The original ''VideoGame/Splatoon1'' wasn't released in South Korea because the Platform/WiiU wasn't, meaning the franchise would instead debut with [[VideoGame/Splatoon2 the second game]] on Platform/NintendoSwitch two years later. |
| 203 | * Namco did not give ''VideoGame/WanganMidnight Maximum Tune 4'' to North American players, but eventually gave them ''Maximum Tune 5''. Similarly, China skipped ''Maximum Tune 5'' to go from ''MT 4'' to ''MT 5DX''. |
| 204 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' was released after ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterGenerations Unite'' in Japan (January 2018 for ''World'' in all major regions, July 2017 for ''GU'' in Japan), but it's the other way around in the West (August 2018 for ''GU'' in North America and PAL territories). |
| 205 | * ''VideoGame/TreasurePlanetBattleAtProcyon'', the video game sequel to ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'', was released on the 31st of October, 2002, nearly a month before the film it is a sequel to was released (27th of November, 2002). |
| 206 | * The first ''VideoGame/DokaponKingdom'' game the West got was a dungeon-crawler spin-off. It did not get a proper main series game until the semi-RecycledTitle [=Wii/PS2=] release, itself an EnhancedRemake of the second game in the series. Later, the West got ''Dokapon Journey'', an EnhancedRemake of the ''first'' game in the series. Both these enhanced remakes came out the same day in Japan. |
| 207 | * ''VideoGame/AkibasTripUndeadAndUndressed'' was the second cardinal game in the ''VideoGame/AkibasTrip'' franchise, but the first installment to cross over westward in most territories. Its [[VideoGame/AkibasTripHellboundAndDebriefed predecessor game]] was released 7 years later, albeit after the third game and anime were released in proper order. |
| 208 | * Due to the popularity of Ekoro's appearance in ''VideoGame/MightyGunvolt'', the ''VideoGame/GalGun'' games from ''Double Peace'' on were brought westward. The first game wouldn't be translated until its remaster was announced for English territories in 2021. |
| 209 | * ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' and its parent series, ''VideoGame/MadouMonogatari'': |
| 210 | ** ''Madou Monogatari 2'' was actually the first game in either series to be released anywhere. A beta version was included in the Christmas '89 edition of Discstation. |
| 211 | ** The first ''Puyo'' game to be released internationally was the [[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo1992 1992 arcade game]], skipping the original MSX and Famicom Disk System version. |
| 212 | * ''Gundam: The Battle Master'' never saw a release in America until ''The Battle Master 2'', which was remade into ''Battle Assault'' in order to include the anime cast rather than keep the OriginalGeneration due to the western success of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing''. The Wing Gundam was haphazardly inserted in the roster as a reskin of the already existing (and playable) Zeta Gundam as a result. |
| 213 | * ''VideoGame/LiloAndStitch2HamstervielHavoc'', the tie-in game to ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitchTheSeries'' released for the Platform/GameBoyAdvance, was released in Japan (as simply ''Lilo and Stitch''; no number, subtitle, or even the ampersand) without [[VideoGame/LiloAndStitchGameBoyAdvance the first]] ''[[VideoGame/LiloAndStitchGameBoyAdvance Lilo & Stitch]]'' [[VideoGame/LiloAndStitchGameBoyAdvance game]] for the same platform having been released there at all, which is odd considering that [[Franchise/LiloAndStitch the franchise]] is [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff very popular over there]]. |
| 214 | * ''Super Real Darwin'' was released worldwide first due to the predecessor, ''Darwin 4078'', [[NoExportForYou not being released outside of Japan]]. |
| 215 | * The games developed by '''Ninetail''', originally for Japanese audiences, have released their remasters in this fashion. |
| 216 | ** ''VideoGame/VenusBloodFrontier'' is the sixth game in the ''VideoGame/VenusBlood'' series, but the first to get a remastered ''International'' edition. It was followed by the eighth installment, ''VideoGame/VenusBloodHollow'', and then the ''seventh'', ''VideoGame/VenusBloodGaia'', with its remaster also adding some mechanics introduced in ''Hollow''. |
| 217 | ** ''VideoGame/GearsOfDragoon2'' was the first in its series to be remade and released internationally, dropping the number and adding a subtitle to become ''Gears of Dragoon: Fragments of a New Era''. |
| 218 | [[/folder]] |
| 219 | |
| 220 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 221 | * The Franchise/{{Nasuverse}} with ''VisualNovel/WitchOnTheHolyNight''. It was the first entry to be written, then followed by its sequels (if indirect; the only major connection is how they follow up on the Aozaki sisters) ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'' and ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}''. However, ''Witch on the Holy Night'' had trouble finding a publisher, leaving it in DevelopmentHell until 2012, around twenty years after it was written and its sequels were published. Incidently, it would be the first visual novel from the Nasuverse to be officially localized and released outside Japan. |
| 222 | [[/folder]] |
| 223 | |
| 224 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 225 | * The original ''Webcomic/YokokasQuest'' comic was written to completion but never published. A sequel named ''Enter The Combat Zone'' (usually shortened to ''[[InitialismTitle ETCZ]]'') was published from 2009-2013 in Kyowa Quebec, a French language manga-inspired anthology local to the Montreal area; this anthology concluded publication while ''ETCZ'' was still in its prologue. The full English language prologue later had a small print run and could be read online, [[TemporaryOnlineContent until it was removed in 2019]] for containing {{spoiler}}s to ''Webcomic/YokokasQuest''. As the current run of ''Webcomic/YokokasQuest'' is a {{rewrite}}, some of the lore and events of ''ETCZ'' no longer fit its established canon. |
| 226 | |
| 227 | [[/folder]] |
| 228 | |
| 229 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 230 | * In Germany, only the first two seasons of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'' were aired. The preceding two seasons that ran under the simple title ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' were never shown, and neither was the third season of JLU. The reason for this apparently was that ''Justice League'' is technically a different show than its successor ''Unlimited'', and the German network was only offered the rights to the latter. |
| 231 | * The same German channel also aired ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'' but only seasons two and four, which of course leaves several plot points unclear. |
| 232 | * In a strange example, the first movie of the latest ''Franchise/CareBears'' reboot (''Share Bear Shines'') has only been released in Australia, with only the movies that come after it (''To The Rescue'', ''The Giving Festival'') airing in the US, despite the fact that a character introduced in the first movie also shows up in the third. |
| 233 | * There are two 1970s ''{{ComicStrip/Peanuts}}'' storylines involving Linus and a girl named Truffles. The second storyline, where Linus and Truffles are reunited, was animated as part of ''A Charlie Brown Celebration'' in 1981. The first storyline, where Linus and Truffles meet for the first time, was animated two years later in an episode of ''The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show''. Truffles was colorized differently in the ''Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show'' episode than in ''A Charlie Brown Celebration'', with light brown/dirty blonde hair in the latter but dark brown hair in the former, so they were evidently not trying for any continuity between her two animated appearances. |
| 234 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheBraveLittleToaster'''s sequel ''[[WesternAnimation/TheBraveLittleToasterGoesToMars Goes to Mars]]'' was released before ''[[WesternAnimation/TheBraveLittleToasterToTheRescue To the Rescue]]'', despite the former clearly taking place after the latter. Advertisements even referred to ''To the Rescue'' as the "final" installment in the story. |
| 235 | * ''WesternAnimation/NoddysToylandAdventures'' was the first ''Noddy'' series released in most of the world, as prior adaptations (save for the 70's version airing in Australia and Canada) were United Kingdom-exclusive. |
| 236 | * A complicated example. ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' was {{cancelled}}, though had clear plans for how the rest of the show would have gone. The franchise would follow up with various sequels (mainly ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'' and ''Series/TheMandalorian'') to what was planned for ''The Clone Wars'', only for the show to be {{uncanceled}} after the conclusion of ''Rebels''. To reflect the addition of new content, ''The Clone Wars'' revival contains aspects from its various sequels as a "prequel" to them, such as a cameo appearance from ''Rebels'' character Caleb Dume/Kanan Jarrus. |
| 237 | * In an unusual move where this was done to avoid spoilers, the ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrol'' movie ''Ready, Race, Rescue'' was released in Japan before the first movie, ''WesternAnimation/PAWPatrolMightyPups'', due to the latter film featuring the least amount of characters who hadn't been introduced yet in the Japanese dub. ''Mighty Pups'' featured cameos of every character that appeared as of the show's 5th season. |
| 238 | * ''WesternAnimation/DanielTigersNeighborhood'' was the first piece of ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood''-related media to officially be released in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. |
| 239 | [[/folder]] |
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