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Joystiq

Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage includes both English and Japanese voice

by JC Fletcher on Jun 24th 2010 3:00PM

Chances are, if you're interested in playing Tecmo Koei's Fist of the North Star game, you aren't just tolerant of Japanese voices in video games, you prefer them. The company is aware of anime fans' preference for Japanese audio, and told Eurogamer that it will retain the original voice track in the North American and European releases of the Dynasty Warriors-alike. You'll be able to hear "ATATATATATATATATA" in the original Japanese.

In order to satisfy both the audience who craves authenticity and the audience who likes knowing what the characters are saying, Tecmo Koei is also including a full English voice track. That way, you won't have to have your screen filled with subtitles reading "ATATATATATATATATA."

Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage (6/11/10)

Source: Eurogamer

Tags: action, fist-of-the-north-star, localization, microsoft, playstation, ps3, tecmo-koei, voice-acting, xbox

Reader Comments (31)

An option every game should include. No reason not to if the Japanese track already exists!

@Geo Holyhart

I think a main reason to exclude japanese voice was to prevent foreign version to be imported back to japan. I heard of that game in japan is more expensive. While for example the nearby Hong Kong usually sell new games for US$45±5 (I get games from there).

@Geo Holyhart

Also, DVDs don't have as much space as Blu-Ray discs.

So that is why PS3 versions are more likely to have multiple language tracks such as in FF13.

A victory for gruff Japanese manliness.

YES

I have to say I am certainly wa shock at this news.

nerdgasm.

sengoku basara: samurai heroes, please follow suit.

@bca360
And I hope Dynasty Warriors can have Chinese voices for once

My brain hurt when I played the PC version of DW4 and it gave me the option of Japanese voices for Chinese warriors

Perhaps Sega could follow suit with Yakuza 4 w/both English and Japanese. Not an anime nerd but don't mind Japanese voices. However, I grew accustomed to the voice characterizations of characters in Yakuza 1 (PS2) w/the English and every game since then ditched the English with the characters having different voices in Japanese. Just a minor grumble but...still.

@C1ph3rDivyne I never played Yakuza 1 or 2, but from what I saw on Youtube the English voices were crap. (I liked Yakuza 3's approach just fine, and given it was actually set in Japan the voice direction made sense.)

@C1ph3rDivyne

Japanese voice actors work alot harder to make sure they sound good.

@kentuckyfried

that's a really dumb opinion and generalization.

@C1ph3rDivyne

I find characters speaking their national language to be a good more immersive, when it fits the setting.

One thing that peeved me a bit was in Assassin's Creed 2 you could set Italian language, but not English subtitles at the same time. DAMN IT UBISOFT, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??

@kentuckyfried: Ever watch Beasts War in Japanese? Just because the Japanese VA are good doesn't mean the voice acting may be good. The Japanese dub of Beast Wars even though had a lot of famous Japanese VAs like Megatron is voiced by Shigeru Chiba, and Kappei Yamaguichi is the voice of Rattrap, had a lot of alteration and things that didn't exist in the Original English audio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euhmeot_kyc (Japanese dub of Beast Wars)

@mdo7 I think what he meant was that when VA's dub something from their own language is easier for them? you know like how jap yakuza is better than eng yakuza?

I wish Shenmue would get re-released and do this. Better yet, give me Shenmue 3 and do this.

AWESOME. I usually play the game twice, once in Japanese and once in English. I also don't mind playing it in English as long as the voice-acting's good, which has been the case lately since video game companies are hiring professional voice actors. Always nice to have the option though, and since the games are in Blu-Ray, there's really no excuse not to do so.

ATATATATATATATATATATATATAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Omae wa mo shindeiru...
(mook explodes)

Us wapanese will be pleased.

@Anticrawl

But, you're already dead...

OH MY GOD look at those massive-ly awesome jeans

Wait...so, it's 2010, but the fashion of a post-apocalyptic future is still 1980's jean jackets, cuffed jeans, and a Rick Springfield haircut?

That's just rad.

@CaptainProtonX

The events of Fist Of The North Star happen shortly after nuclear devastation that happened sometime in the early 90s. That, and the series was made in 1983, so it makes sense that fashion's kinda outdated. Definitely part of the series' charm, though, and I can't imagine Kenshiro looking any other way.

BTW, here's a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uiui2MMgDr4) showing all the main characters in action, as well as some of the other important ones. In order: Kenshiro, Rei, Mamiya, Toki, Jagi, Raoh, Shin, Mister Heart, Amiba, Yuda, Fudoh, Jyuza, Ryuga, Shu and Souther.

All i care about is if the English cast from the anime are take up their roles in the game?

I have little interest in Hokuto Musou but it's good that more foreign games are being released (mostly) intact elsewhere in the world.

That's damn awesome.

YOU WA SHOCK!

@Cypher FDP

lol...watching the episodes now.

Thanks, Youtubes!

@CaptainProtonX: It's on Hulu also thanks to Funimation. I've watch 2 episode so far and it's very damn good. I'll buy the game because I like the anime so far.

That confirms my purchase....

Hell ya! I'll take good and cheesy JP voice acting over bad more cheesy monotone US English dub.... hell I will take engrish over English anyday!!

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