liveinabin Posted February 3, 2002 Share Posted February 3, 2002 I've been recommended Tower Toppler for my new 7800, I had a look at the screenshots in AA, and ...what?? That aint Tower Toppler! That's Nebulus by UK developers Hewson. I had it on the C64. What's with the name change? Was it Tower Toppler on US C-64 also?? Whats wrong with Nebulus? Perfectly good name! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindfield Posted February 3, 2002 Share Posted February 3, 2002 It's the same game. I believe it was named based on where it was released -- Tower Toppler in North America and Nebulous in Europe. Or perhaps that's the other way around. Either way, it's pretty common to name something differently based on where it's being released. I've never quite understood it, but evidently some regions of the globe respond differently to different names. (Understandable for Japanese games -- I don't think Pac Man would have done as well over here if it were named Paku-Paku -- but I never really understood it between similar cultures like North America and the UK) Anyway, it's a cool game. The cylindrical scrolling was quite impressive for its time -- a great visual effect. Oh ... try typing "iamjmp" at the title screen... I think this works in both versions of the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted February 3, 2002 Share Posted February 3, 2002 Hmm, I think when Atari got the rights to the game, they renamed it. Both in the US and in Euorpe. When the NES version came out, it had yet another new name. Mitch http://atari7800.atari.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eckhard Stolberg Posted February 3, 2002 Share Posted February 3, 2002 I think the distribution outside of Europe was done by U.S. Gold, who changed the name on many of the titles they brought to the USA. Maybe it was so that US customers wouldn't notice that they were just getting old Euro titles. They also changed "Barbarian" to "Deathsword" or "Thing on a Spring" to "Coil Cop". These games were distributed in the US by EPYX, which is where I think Atari got the 7800 rights for Nebulus/Tower Toppler and Jinks from. And this is also why the 7800 versions of these games were programmed by U.S. Gold in the UK. Ciao, Eckhard Stolberg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolenta Posted February 3, 2002 Share Posted February 3, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Mitch: When the NES version came out, it had yet another new name. The NES and Game Boy versions were called Castelian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+rdemming Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Eckhard Stolberg: I think the distribution outside of Europe was done by U.S. Gold, who changed the name on many of the titles they brought to the USA. Maybe it was so that US customers wouldn't notice that they were just getting old Euro titles. And Atari 8-bit "International Karate" was reased in US as "World Championship Karate" (with a title/loading screen that the Euro version didn't have) Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted February 4, 2002 Author Share Posted February 4, 2002 I hate it when they change game names. Only fairly recently, Sega Europe gave us 'Sega Bass Fishing' - It's GET BASS for goodness sake, we had Continental Circus unchanged and that was a spelling eror!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 This also happens sometimes to avoid infringing someone's trademark in that country. While I can't think any off the top of my head (because my head is sleepy as it's 4am), I know of instances in the past where this has occured with games. I doubt that's what happened in this case, though, but you never know. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted February 4, 2002 Author Share Posted February 4, 2002 Well, it famously happened with Imageworks Speedball, which was changed to , I believe, Klashball for US markets because of its slightly dodgy River Pheonix's hobby connurtations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted February 4, 2002 Author Share Posted February 4, 2002 Trademark reasons...hmm..Oh yeah -I got one. Bust a Groove, changed from the JP Bust a Move because thats the western name for Puzzle Bobble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 Nebulus was called Tower Toppler in the US. The name was kept when the 7800 version was released in the UK. Epyx distributed the game in the US for computers, as I have that version also for C64 (besides the "original" Hewson version). There are LOTS of name changes, some of which I have documented on my site here: http://www.geocities.com/MayhemNaboo/c64names.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted February 4, 2002 Author Share Posted February 4, 2002 Welcome to Atariage, mayhemUK - wow! Its a British invasion!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted February 4, 2002 Author Share Posted February 4, 2002 They actually changed 'Driller' to 'Space Station Oblivion' in the US? WHAT a dumb name!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost Monkey Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Albert: This also happens sometimes to avoid infringing someone's trademark in that country. While I can't think any off the top of my head (because my head is sleepy as it's 4am), I know of instances in the past where this has occured with games. I doubt that's what happened in this case, though, but you never know. ..Al Jet Grind Radio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhindle The Red Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 Jet Force Gemini => Star Twins Starfox 64 => Lylat Wars Expendable => Millenium Soldier: Expendable Mario Story => Paper Mario Donkey Kong Country => Super Donkey Kong Biohazard => Resident Evil Samurai Spirits => Samurai Shodown Power Smash => Virtua Tennis Power Smash 2 => Tennis 2K2 Pocket Monsters => Pokemon Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone => Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone No one can really tell the story. Mistakes are made. But there is no mistaking the thoughts in a man's mind. [ 02-04-2002: Message edited by: Rhindle The Red ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 I always thought 'TowerToppler' was a sucko name too, Liveinabin, I remember first seeing it at a local games' dealer on the Atari ST and it was called 'Nebulous'(a very cool name). I think we had this discussion before actually...here at AtariAge a few months back... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory DG Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 Neither the names Nebulus or Castellian really tell you what the game is about. From that perspective, I think Tower Toppler is the best name of the three. The other names sound cool, but aren't very descriptive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted February 4, 2002 Author Share Posted February 4, 2002 Hey, Lylat Wars wasn't a different name for Starfox, it was the sequel. The original game DID have a name change Starfox-Starwing. There was already a game called Starfox (c64?) Where was Jet Force Gemini called Star Kids? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhindle The Red Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 quote: Originally posted by liveinabin: Hey, Lylat Wars wasn't a different name for Starfox, it was the sequel. The original game DID have a name change Starfox-Starwing. There was already a game called Starfox (c64?) Where was Jet Force Gemini called Star Kids? My bad. (I meant Starfox 64.) Also Star Twins (not "Star Kids") is the name that Jet Force Gemini goes by in Japan. I wonder what I would do in a case like that, if I were in the mental turmoil that person went through. Or if I suddenly realised that something was mentally wrong with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 There are two stories about Starfox in the UK so I've heard. The one that sounds more plausible is that Ariolasoft released a game called Starfox for C64 back in 1987 (which I have), hence they changed the name as copyright was still in force. And I'm not a new forum member here actually heh. Just you have to register now to be able to post. Been a "guest" before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hakogame 箱亀 Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 In japan, they changed the graphics to Castelian/Nebulous/Tower Toppler and released it for the Famicom as Kyoro Chan Land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted February 5, 2002 Author Share Posted February 5, 2002 I wouldn't be so sure, raccoon. Pretty much every other game on that link you provided are graphics hacks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hakogame 箱亀 Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 In my defense, I refer you to the case of Roger Rabbit's Fun House Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liveinabin Posted February 6, 2002 Author Share Posted February 6, 2002 Cool, but - going back to that site, I can't imagine that paperboy evolved from a game with a BMX riding kid throwing daggers at people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hakogame 箱亀 Posted February 6, 2002 Share Posted February 6, 2002 Well, that site's just a listing of all the NES roms available, and there's alot of hacks for the NES, but hacks are usually done poorly and easy to spot. Plus I know for a fact that Kyoro Chan is a Japanese candy company character, and very recognisable in japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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