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Lollipop Chainsaw Is Censored In Japan… Unless You Buy The Premium Edition

By Ishaan . February 6, 2012 . 11:00pm

Lollipop Chainsaw Is Censored In Japan... Unless You Buy The Premium Edition

When No More Heroes was released in Japan, the game was originally censored, replacing blood with pixels. The enhanced HD port, No More Heroes: Heroes’ Paradise, was uncensored, but only on the Xbox 360. This version was given the CERO Z rating, which is Japan’s equivalent of the ESRB’s Adults Only rating.

 

Grasshopper Manufacture’s next major title, Lollipop Chainsaw, has a different approach. The regular version of the game will be censored and rated CERO D, which is one step below Z. If you buy the premium edition, however, you’ll get an option to toggle between CERO Z and CERO D modes.

 

Additionally, Dengeki reveals this week that the Japanese version of the game will include both Japanese and English voices. We don’t know if this will carry over to the North American release.

 

No More Heroes was published by Marvelous Entertainment, but Lollipop Chainsaw is being handled by Kadokawa Games. Warner Bros. will publish the game in the west.


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  • http://twitter.com/JezzSan Jezzy

    I can already see it, future paid DLCs to remove censorship.

    • Phlo

      I’m pretty sure there was bonus DLC for The Saboteur which was along those lines. Not to remove censorship, but to add a feature which just so happened to include uncovered breasts.

      • landlock

        Well it was free if you brought a new copy of the game.

        • Phlo

          I don’t really distinguish between those two things, since both buying new and buying DLC are going to have that extra dent on my wallet.

          • Testsubject909

            Guess you won’t enjoy rumors of the next console by Microsoft.

            Which I’ll spare you some searching, is that they’re building it to prevent any used games from working on it. So the rumors say. And one particular developer from a relatively well known company is quite in agreement with the idea.

  • JustThisOne

    …? Wait, so if you’re going to give them the option in the premium edition, why not give them the uncensored stuff in the normal one? It’ll be toggle-able anyway. Plus, they’re both mature games, so it’s not like any of that stuff won’t be expected.

    Unless it’s supposed to be a premium perk or something. I still think it’s a bit odd, but whatever floats the boat.

    • Xerain

      Because the Japanese economy is based around premium editions of everything. You’re a lower class of citizen if you can’t afford the premium edition.

      • caleb1993

        It’s true. Read ‘The World God Only Knows’ and you’ll see it.

    • androvsky

      There’s very strict rules on how stores can carry Z-rated video games. They have to be in a section completely hidden from regular customer’s view so kids don’t accidentally see them, and purchasers have to be carded.  Naturally, retail shops in Japan don’t enjoy wasting the floor space, so many simply don’t bother to carry Z-rated games.

      But as far as I know, non-video game porn has no such restrictions and can be out in the regular aisles.

      • JustThisOne

        Ahh really? I wonder what other mature games in Japan have had similar treatment… Besides ero games anyway.

      • Aoshi00

        Yeah, definitely understand the reason why they don’t want Z if not absolutely necessary since it’s like AO over there.. Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 also had purple light instead of blood.. Oneechanbara Z was Cero Z though and I don’t think there’s option to toggle off the blood.. 

        I wish the Jpn ver of Nier wasn’t Cero D and censored Kaine’s cursing to *#$@  though ike FF7′s Barret.. last night I played some FF13-2 and picked a funny choice for Serah (scolding a kid) and she sounded so much like Kaine.. and another one gushing over Snow in a chipmunk high voice, so funny..

  • z_merquise

    I wonder who would be the Japanese voice for Juliet. Though the English voices would be surely great (Tara Strong as Juliet!) I’m hoping the language option would be included in the English version.

    Same for the blood and gore option. But the “stars, sparkles and rainbow” effect is more fitting simply because of the over-the-top and humorous nature of the game.

    • http://twitter.com/Zmizk Zmizk

      -snip-

    • Aoshi00

      I guess we would find out once there’s a demo?  I hope Asura’s Wrath is indeed dual language (text/audio) like the demo, it could only be changed thru the system’s language setting but not on in-game menu..

      It’s a good thing the Jpn ver has dual audio.. Deus Ex was Jpn only for 360 and dual for PS3, and Shadow of the Damned was also Jpn only..

      • mikedo2007

        Wait Deus Ex: Human Revolution had English and Japanese voice on PS3, while the 360 version had Japanese dub only?  Another reason why Blu-ray is awesome maybe give a reason why people in Japan should buy the PS3 version, very clever from SE.

        • Aoshi00

          Some games have Jpn dub only (like Bioshock) or sub only (GTA4) while some have dual audio. I doubt it’s beacuse of Blu-ray having more space, even the Jpn Metroid Other M on the Wii had dual audio (and the EU ver of Xenoblade). Actually you can’t change the audio on the in-game menu for Deus Ex, it could only be changed by the language setting on the PS3, but the text is Jpn only, otherwise I would’ve imported it. Th Jpn dub is pretty cool.

          • mikedo2007

            I have watch the Japanese dub of Bioshock on Youtube, of all the Japanese dub of American video game, Bioshock had a excellent dub despite I don’t speak Japanese, the voice fit and the tone match how I expected.

          • Aoshi00

            Yeah, very atmospheric, you could try d/l’ing the Jpn Bioshock demo on PSN too.. Jpn dubbed most Hollywood movies quite well actually (try your WB blu-rays).. I imported games like Heavy Rain and the Uncharted series, the dub are excellent.

            I hear you on the censorship contradiction bit.. the real stuffs are more gory and disturbing yet they glorify it, but in video game or anime blood can’t even be red..

          • mikedo2007

            I live in the US, there’s no way I can access the Japanese dub of Bioshock demo. Also yeah Japan censorship confuse many people and they do agree it contradict about Japan’s pop culture. Why censor gore in video game, but yet allow movies to have over the top gore (which is more disturbing and gross out then video game with gore) with no censorship.

          • Aoshi00

            I live in the US as well.  But it’s actually quite easy to make a Jpn acct. for either PSN or Xbox Live.  Try registering for a Jpn e-mail say w/ hotmail (xyz@hotmail.co.jp) (instead of .com), and then go thru setting up a PSN ID, that would let you access the Jpn PSN and d/l free stuffs or DLCs.  If you’re getting a Vita, they have many Vita demos up now. 

    • mikedo2007

      I hope they can get Rie Kugimiya or Eri Kitamura, I imagine one of the 2 seiyus voice fitting Juliet.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002395146276 Peace Legacy

    “originally censored, replacing blood with pixels”
    …but the blood is made out of pixels itself *confused*

    • Exkaiser

      Big pixels of blood!

    • http://twitter.com/Chris_Kraft Chris Kraft

       It was these black shadowy blocks made to look “pixelized”.

  • heartless141

     why not give a free DLC to unlock that? those who have a PSN account is supposedly need to be over 18 anyway?

    • venomryu

      its know longer psn its s.e.n

      • doubleO7

        Thats not true. The PSN is just now part of the Sony Entertainment Network. It still exists and is still called the PSN, but they changed what the accounts were called so they can work between everything that falls under the SEN.

  • http://www.facebook.com/shawn.dickenson1 Shawn SomethingOtaku Dickenson

     Japan loves to Censor stuff lol XD  

    • mikedo2007

      Well at least this will shut some people up whenever US censor games from Japan, when Japan does the same thing.

      • http://www.facebook.com/shawn.dickenson1 Shawn SomethingOtaku Dickenson

        yeah

      • Luna Kazemaru

        Lol I don’t see how.

        • mikedo2007

          Japan has done some notorious censorship like Resident Evil 4 was censored in Japan for that chainsaw cutting off Leon’s head.  Also when it comes to sex, it’s double standard, like for example Mafia 2 boob and butt censored in Japan.

          http://kotaku.com/5690053/mafia-boobs-censored-in-japan/gallery/1

          So Japanese chick and an anime chick can show theirs, but the magazine in Mafia 2 can’t.  Talk about double standard and one reason why I hate CERO (Japan’s ESRB).

          Also they have altered the purple dildo bat for Saints Row 3 for the Japanese release:

          http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/11/thq-japan-enforces-rigid-dildo-restrictions-to-smooth-over-contr/

          And this is the same Japan that has a festival dedicated for the male genital like this:

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honen_Matsuri

          So they can have a penis festival but a purple dildo bat is too much for them.  Again, I hate CERO for their contradiction and what’s allow and not allow in Japan.

          Also this isn’t the only time Japan censored blood and gore, COD: Black Ops got censored in Japan for that.

          http://kotaku.com/5636501/japan-censoring-call-of-dutys-blown-off-body-parts

          • Luna Kazemaru

            CERO isn’t the ratings board for their anime tho but I can agree with you censorship is a contradiction in itself but Japan and western rating boards have double standards.

          • mikedo2007

            I never said CERO was the one rating anime (where did I say that?).  As I said, I hate CERO because they censor videogame because of this yet the same content in anime, manga, and movie can be shown without censorship.  when it comes to extreme blood and gore, CERO does not want that in video game.  Have you ever seen Japanese movie like Tokyo Gore Police, Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl, and Ichi the Killer?  Those movies are over the top blood and gore, and yet they’re not censored when they’re shown in Japan (I find those gory movies more disturbing then any gore in video game).  I mean really, censor gore in video game but yet gore in movie (which are more gross out and disturbing then video game) don’t get censor at all.  Japan really contradict a lot.  I’ll agree western rating boards do have double standards, but Japan is somewhat weird and confusing. 

    • Gatchaman1

      What exactly are they censoring though? Oneechanbara Z Xbox 360 game, which also has skimpy dressed females with chainsaws and blood still looks pretty violent and revealing.

      • Exkaiser

        Oneechanbara Z is rated CERO Z.

        They’re censoring the blood here to get the rating down to a CERO D. CERO Z is the equivalent of the ESRB’s AO rating, while D is the equivalent of the M rating. Stores are more strict on Z ratings than what AO ratings get over here.

        • Gatchaman1

           Wouldnt it make more sense to get Oneechanbara Z’s rating down to a CERO D since that game is an XBox exclusive and the XBox is pretty low in numbers as it is in Japan?

          • Exkaiser

            Mm, in Japan, the 360 is basically the system for hardcore otaku (one of the reasons it gets so many bullet hell shmups). They’re not really going to reach more people with the CERO D expressly because of the 360′s tiny install base, so they don’t lose as much with the Z rating.

  • http://www.facebook.com/benjtan Benjamin Tan

    japan has a law to restrict gore, lest their samurai bloodlust gets the better of the otaku horde!

  • http://twitter.com/ExceptionL ExceptionL

    Rainbow pixel blood DLC

  • http://twitter.com/Shadowmen19 Shadowmen #19

    Dang ya’ll want to take all japanese people YEN.

  • PrinceHeir

    Premium Version all the way!!!

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