Differences between JP and Asia version PSP games?

[Nico87]

I need to know.

http://www.play-asia.com/Taiko_no_Tatsujin_Portable_DX/paOS-13-71-9f-49-en-70-48fs.html

http://www.play-asia.com/Taiko_no_Tatsujin_Portable_DX/paOS-13-71-bl-49-en-70-48ft.html

Using this as an example. The only difference I can see is the rating logo and the small text next to it.

Are the Asian version games' manual in Chinese or Japanese? I know there's no differences with the game itself, it's all Japanese.

[layzee]

Note: I am hardcore anal-retentive when it comes to this subject (i.e. I choose to avoid Asian releases like the plague in order to keep my Japanese game collection pure).

The following applies to PS1/PS2/PSP games and to a lesser extent, possibly PS3. I have no direct first-hand experience of Asian/JPN PS3 differences yet (did a good job of avoiding it):

JPN: 99% of the time, the game should have a CERO ratings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Entertainment_Rating_Organization) logo on the front cover.
Asia: Lacks CERO logo. The title of the game may also have been translated into Chinese. May also have some other subtle logo changes.

EXCEPTION: For example, a brand new and sealed Asian Rockman - Complete Works (PS1) game is a little bit different from a sealed JPN game (due to a specific sticker on the Asian release). Once you unseal it (or if you buy a preowned copy), a JPN and Asian Rockman - Complete Works game are identical.

JPN: On the back of the PS1/PS2 case/box, there should be a little rectangle box in the corner that says "FOR JAPAN ONLY". There is also a barcode and barcode number, and a yellow box.
Asia: The same box in the corner says "FOR HOME USE ONLY". Most or all of the time, the barcode does not exist. The same yellow box now has English writing in it.

JPN: Instruction manual is in Japanese.
Asia: Most of the time, the instruction manual is exactly the same and still in Japanese. However, the other side of the manual's front cover (i.e. look at the left-hand side after you turn the first page) and the other side of the back cover may have additional writing on it. There might be other subtle changes.

EXCEPTION: JPN's Shin Contra manual is in Japanese. Asia's Shin Contra manual is completely in English.
EXCEPTION: In rare cases, the instruction manual is printed in the Chinese language.

JPN: The game may or may not have additional printed material (e.g. brochures, promotional pamphlets advertising the game's strategy guide book, soundtrack, other games, etc...).
Asia: More often than not, the Asian release of the game should come with a fold-out sheet that usually focuses on explaining the game's controls and other important things. This additional fold-out sheet is in English, Chinese, or both. This does not exist in JPN releases.

JPN: The serial number which can be found on the spine is yyyy-xxxxx, where y = a specific combination of letters (e.g. SLPM) and where x = any number.
Asia: 90% (maybe 99%) of the time, the serial number should be different. This serial number is unique.

JPN: Disc cover art is how you would expect it (ignoring budget releases which is off-topic).
Asia: The disc cover art may or may not be very slightly different. The serial number of the disc should also be different. 99% of the time however, the contents or rather, the data of the game are exactly the same as the JPN release. This can be proven by properly dumping (making a 1:1 digital copy) both of the games onto a PC in the form of a CD image, and checking the hash value (i.e. The CRC value is exactly the same. Ergo, the contents of the Asia and JPN discs are exactly the same).

EXCEPTION: Instead of Japanese, the Asian release of the game may be in English instead. For example, Shin Contra. The Asian release of the game appears to be the USA release (i.e. in full English). Perhaps this game is sourced from the USA disc.
EXCEPTION: In very rare cases, apparently some Japanese games have been translated into Chinese. I have not encountered any and cannot think of any examples. Maybe one of the Tales of... games.

JPN: Certain games come with bonus PS1/PS2 discs, audio CDs or video DVDs.
Asia: 90% of the time, these bonuses are not included in Asian releases.

JPN: Asian releases of games do not exist in Japan (the country). If they do, then they consist of 0.0000000001% of the population (maybe even less).
Asia: In other markets, for example eBay.com, the ratio of JPN/Asia games is about... let's say 10:1 (i.e. every 10 Japanese games you buy, you will encounter 1 Asian release). Not that common, but common enough.

[Nico87]

I love you.

I also stray away from the Asia version games, unless they're ridiculously cheap and I intend to play through the game once and then sell it, which I normally don't do, but it happens. That being said, 5% of my brain was thinking "30 bucks cheaper, and if their indentical....", but nah, I'm going to keep my stuff 100% Japanese.

I'm totally OCD about this stuff. I was looking up Neon Genesis Evangelion 3nd Impact (3 = san = Sand Impact = Sound Impact, best pun used for a title ever.) and as you can see there are some small, although dealbreaking for me, differences:

JPN: http://image4.play-asia.com/640/b3/pa.199612.1.jpg

Has some English text beneath the title stuff, the CERO rating, plus "2011 NBGI" next to it.

Asian: http://image4.play-asia.com/640/be/pa.205108.2.jpg

English text beneath the title is gone, and (oddly enough) there are some Japanese characters next to the Chinese rating thing.

For me, the extra $25 or whatever is worth it for the JPN release.

I'm not joking when I say that one of my biggest regrets in life to this day is my purchase of the Asian 360 version of BlazBlue. That Chinese text on the spine kills me every night I go to bed. The same could be said about my Asian versions of Tales of Vesperia, Lost Odyssey, and Eternal Sonata, but my excuse is that the only 360 I have is a NTSC-J one, and those games are all region-locked or have JPN voices in their Asian releases.

Anyway, looks like I've kind of answered my own question. I suspect you're a bit off when it comes to the JPN to Asian ratio, though, especially when it comes to PSP games. I've noted that almost every Japanese seller (or at least the five or six I've visited) on eBay has basically the same games for sale. On the other hand there are a few sellers from Hong Kong that offer games that rarely can be found at the Japanese sellers I've looked at, though they are obviously Asian versions.

...WHICH I AM GOING TO AVOID.

Again, though, thank you so much for your thoroughful reply.

PS!

Ordered the following just now:

Chikyuu Boueigun 2 Portable
Jigen Kairou
Goku Makaimura Kai
Onore no Shinzuru Michi wo Yuke

To buy:

Hatsune Miku - Project Diva Extend
Taiko no Tatsujin Portable DX
Ikuze! Gen-San: Yuuyake Daiku Monogatari
Neon Genesis Evangelion: 3nd Impact
Ikki Tousen: Xross Impact
Dariusburst
K-On! Houkago Live!!
Puyo Puyo!! 25th Anniversary
echochrome
Bleach: Heat the Soul 6
Naruto Shippuuden: Narutimate Impact
Brandish: Dark Revenant

[layzee]

Double post.

[layzee]

Nice to see other people with similar degrees of anal as mine.



I also stray away from the Asia version games, unless they're ridiculously cheap and I intend to play through the game once and then sell it, which I normally don't do, but it happens. That being said, 5% of my brain was thinking
"30 bucks cheaper, and if their indentical....", but nah, I'm going to keep my stuff 100% Japanese.

$30 is a lot to give up on, but I'd do the same thing. "Give me the original, or give me nothing" I say. Not everyone would agree of course, but then, not everyone is anal.


English text beneath the title is gone, and (oddly enough) there are some Japanese characters next to the Chinese rating thing.

It appears that the "Kanji" is indeed a Chinese rating meaning "For General Audiences/All Ages (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/普)". It is also indeed strange why they would add 「カラー」when Chinese people don't understand Japanese (granted most Japanese language students are Chinese) and why it is necessary to state that a PSP game is in "colour" when that should be self evident (I'm not aware of black-and-white PSP games).


I'm not joking when I say that one of my biggest regrets in life to this day is my purchase of the Asian 360 version of BlazBlue. That Chinese text on the spine kills me every night I go to bed. The same could be said about my Asian versions of Tales of Vesperia, Lost Odyssey, and Eternal Sonata, but my excuse is that the only 360 I have is a NTSC-J one, and those games are all region-locked or have JPN voices in their Asian releases.

Funnily enough, my situation is the exact opposite. I have those very same games, except they are proper NTSC-JPN ones. My Xbox 360 console is also NTSC-J, however it is an Asian NTSC-J one, not a 100% Japanese NTSC-J one. I don't mind though since I'm located in Australia, I would need a massive step-down converter/transformer in order to power a proper NTSC-J Xbox 360 console, which I do not need for an Asian console. Functionally though, they're mostly the same.

On the bright side, your Lost Odyssey case should be a proper 4 disc green case like mine. I need not reiterate the NTSC-USA and other non-Australian (Australia uses the proper case) European region case debacle.


Anyway, looks like I've kind of answered my own question. I suspect you're a bit off when it comes to the JPN to Asian ratio, though, especially when it comes to PSP games. I've noted that almost every Japanese seller (or at least the five or six I've visited) on eBay has basically the same games for sale. On the other hand there are a few sellers from Hong Kong that offer games that rarely can be found at the Japanese sellers I've looked at, though they are obviously Asian versions.

Ah yeah, Japanese sellers on eBay selling items located in Japan always sell proper NTSC-JPN items. Hong Kong sellers are a mixed bag.

Finally, here's my list:

HAVE

ULJM-05424 UMD Brandish: The Dark Revenant
ULJM-05029 UMD Breath of Fire III
ULJM-05262 UMD Dissidia: Final Fantasy
BOX Eiyuu Densetsu Gagharv Trilogy: Shiroki Majo
ULJS-00004 UMD Eiyuu Densetsu Gagharv Trilogy: Shiroki Majo
ULJM-05353 UMD Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki the 3rd
ULJS-00054 UMD Every Extend Extra
ULJM-05241 UMD Final Fantasy
ULJM-05245 UMD Final Fantasy II
ULJM-05194 UMD Final Fantasy Tactics: Shishi Sensou
ULJM-05158 UMD Guilty Gear Judgment
ULJM-05042 UMD Guilty Gear XX: The Midnight Carnival #Reload
ULJM-05123 UMD Gurumin
ULJS-00005 UMD Lumines, Puzzle X Music:
ULJM-05001 UMD Metal Gear Acid
ULJM-08011 UMD Metal Gear Acid 2
ULJM-05193 UMD Metal Gear Solid: Portable OPs
ULJM-05257 UMD Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
ULJM-05261 UMD Metal Gear Solid: Portable OPs Plus
ULJM-05309 UMD Phantasy Star Portable
ULJM-05493 UMD Phantasy Star Portable 2
ULJM-91018 UMD Phantasy Star Portable 2 - Special Taikenban
ULJM-05215 UMD Rockman Dash: Hagane no Boukenshin
ULJM-05391 UMD Rockman Rockman
ULJM-91016 UMD Sora no Kiseki: Material Collection Portable Mini
ULJM-05290 UMD Star Ocean: First Departure
ULJM-05325 UMD Star Ocean 2: Second Evolution
ULJS-00015 UMD Tales of Eternia
ULJS-00093 UMD Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology
ULJS-00209 UMD Tales of VS.
ULJM-05101 UMD Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
ULJM-05332 UMD Vantage Master Portable

WANT

Akumajou Dracula X Chronicle
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Portable
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Dissidia: Final Fantasy Duodecim
Dissidia: Final Fantasy - Universal Tuning
Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable
Eiyuu Densetsu Gagharv Trilogy IV: Akai Shizuku
Eiyuu Densetsu Gagharv Trilogy V: Umi no Oriuta
Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki FC
Eiyuu Densetsu: Sora no Kiseki SC
Final Fantasy Type-0
Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Gensou Suikoden I-II
Guilty Gear XX: Accent Core Plus
Irregular Hunter X
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep - Final Mix
Lord of Arcana
Lunar: Harmony of Silver Star
Metal Gear Solid: Bande Dessinee
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Phantasy Star Portable (PSP the Best)
Project Cerberus
RockMan Dash 2 Episode 2: Ooinaru Isan
Sora no Kiseki FC & SC Kanzenban
SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny
Tactics Ogre: Unmei no Wa
Tales of Destiny 2
Tales of Phantasia Narikiri Dungeon X
Tales of Phantasia: Full Voice Edition
Tales of Rebirth
Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2
Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3
The 3rd Birthday
The Last Ranker
Wild ARMs: Crossfire
Ys I & II Chronicles
Ys Seven
Ys vs. Sora no Kiseki: Alternative Saga
Ys: Felghana no Chikai
Ys: Napishtim no Hako
Zwei!!

[Nico87]

Ah, nice set of games there. I take it you can read and understand Japanes 10x better than me.

Regarding the 360, I'm in Norway and I use a PAL power supply/brick for my NTSC-J 360. You only need to match the models of the 360 (Falcon, Jasper etc) and make sure you're power supply isn't newer than the model of your 360. Price wise it makes completely sense to buy an Asian 360 though, and if I recall correctly, Australia use the same power thing as UK with the three sticks in the wall or whatever, so no hassle at all regarding power.

[layzee]

Ah, nice set of games there. I take it you can read and understand Japanes 10x better than me.

Nah, I'm still learning. :P I can read random bits and pieces but nowhere near enough to properly enjoy a game in full without switching to an electronic dictionary every few seconds. So for now, those games (among others) are just my incentive to learn it ASAP.


Regarding the 360, I'm in Norway and I use a PAL power supply/brick for my NTSC-J 360. You only need to match the models of the 360 (Falcon, Jasper etc) and make sure you're power supply isn't newer than the model of your 360. Price wise it makes completely sense to buy an Asian 360 though, and if I recall correctly, Australia use the same power thing as UK with the three sticks in the wall or whatever, so no hassle at all regarding power.

Oh okay, I guess the Xbox 360 is somewhat universal then when it comes to taking foreign power supplies. I'm not completely up to date with all the models out there and I also have a fear of blowing up valuable electronics so I think I'll just stick with my Asian 360 for peace of mind.

Australia does have the same voltage requirements as UK (220-240v), not sure about other European countries. It also has the same three sticks as UK but just aligned a little bit differently but a universal travel plug adapter solves that.