Game Title Debates

[Pezcore343]

I don't know why it bothers me so much, but ever since the first Halo was released (I know it's not a classic game, but the real topic at hand concerns all console generations) I've always called it Halo. As far as I'm concerned, that's the title. Just "Halo". And I remember in 2001 and 2002 when I first got into it that the majority, if not the entire community, referred to it as Halo as well. If someone said Halo: CE in those days, they meant Halo: Custom Edition for the PC.

In recent years, I guess ever since the release of Halo 3 I've noticed it, people have started referring to it as Halo: Combat Evolved in order to distinguish it from the other Halos in the series. It just always struck a nerve with me. In my eyes, Halo is the title and Combat Evolved is a tag line like on a movie poster. You don't hear people talking about "X-Files: The Truth is Out There" or "Alien: In Space No One Can Hear You Scream". It's just my opinion, but it's something that has always bothered me immensely.

So on to the topic of discussion, are there any games that perhaps have a somewhat ambiguous title, and you are diehard in support of one version over the other? Another example I can think of is Zoda's Revenge. How can you put the subtitle after the main title? It should totally be StarTropics II: Zoda's Revenge. Amirite?

Obviously both of these are just my opinions so no one get angry or anything, but I want to hear your opinions on this. What game titles do you wish people would just get right?

[Rob2600]

"Combat Evolved" isn't a tagline, it's the subtitle. Here are some other examples:

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

[Graham Mitchell]

On the topic of title ambiguity, how the hell do you pronounce Xexyz, Kileak, Seaman (semen or sea man?), Turrican, Exed Exes, Cameltry, Volfied, Chack'n'Pop (taito had some really bad ones), Qix...I'm sure there are many others that I can't think of right now.

[Kitsune Sniper]

On the topic of title ambiguity, how the hell do you pronounce Xexyz (...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xexyz
"Xexyz (pronounced zeks'-zees/zeks'-iz)"

And don't forget about Xexex - officially pronounced Sexsex.

[Rob2600]

On the topic of title ambiguity, how the hell do you pronounce Xexyz, Kileak, Seaman (semen or sea man?), Turrican, Exed Exes, Cameltry, Volfied, Chack'n'Pop (taito had some really bad ones), Qix...I'm sure there are many others that I can't think of right now.

Kartia... is it "kar-tee-uh" or "kar-shuh"?

[Pantechnicon]

How can the "Final" Fantasy have 12+ sequels?

[TurboGenesis]

I have never heard anyone ever refer to the original Xbox launch game as 'Halo: Combat Evolved' we have always refer to it as just 'Halo'
similar to the motion picture 'Star Wars: A New Hope' - 'Star Wars: episode IV' this film has always been regarded as just 'Star Wars' and no one I am aware of speaks of the succeeding films as 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' or 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi'… they are simply known as just 'Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi'
that is my examples…

[Gooch3008]

needs moar ff3 or ff6

[Cornelius]

I'm a big fan of the NES game Jaleco, but now that I think of it, I don't even know how to pronounce it properly.

[Ro-J]

I used to have problems with Mr. Do!. Is it pronounced "doh" as in do-re-mi... the sound the cherries make when collected? Or does it sound the same as in "do you want fries with that shake?".

My Japanese friend thankfully told me the later pronunciation was correct, and since he's Japanese I assume he's right.

[pseudonym]

I always pronounced the word Gaiden as "Gay-den" in Ninja Gaiden until I was corrected a few years ago. The more you know and all that.

[allyourblood]

I'm a big fan of the NES game Jaleco, but now that I think of it, I don't even know how to pronounce it properly.

"JAL-uh-co"

Some of their games used to have this spoken out loud during the opening credits (I believe on the SNES).

[j_factor]

A lot of people put Out Run as one word, but I've always seen it as two.

I used to have problems with Mr. Do!. Is it pronounced "doh" as in do-re-mi... the sound the cherries make when collected? Or does it sound the same as in "do you want fries with that shake?".

My Japanese friend thankfully told me the later pronunciation was correct, and since he's Japanese I assume he's right.

Since there's a sequel called Mr. Do Run Run, I always assumed the latter.

[Pezcore343]

"Combat Evolved" isn't a tagline, it's the subtitle. Here are some other examples:

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

I know what a subtitle is. I just never thought of Combat Evolved as a subtitle for Halo.

[Drixxel]

Continuing in the vein of j_factor's first example, I often see Mega Man written as one word, Megaman or MegaMan. It's much the same way with the Game Boy. These seem like names naturally suited for a single word with double capitalization but it annoys me for whatever reason to see them anything but two pieces separated by a space.

[goatdan]

I have always wondered what is the most normally accepted way to spell Eliminator Boat Duel. The box spells it like I just did, but the cartridge has the amazingly awesome type of calling it ELIMINOTOR BOAT DUEL.

I tend to refer to it like that, as it is much more common to see the end label than it is to see it in a box.

[Aussie2B]

I think we have to blame the companies more than the fans. Like how Capcom has used BOTH Mega Man and MegaMan. And other weird cases of capitalization mid-title, like the aforementioned StarTropics. And, yeah, I too have been confused at times over if something is a legitimate subtitle or just a tag line. I create my own game collection page and I try to get the titles 100% correct. I remember I just recently had an internal debate over putting Toy Story 2 on there. I still can't decide if "Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!" is a tag line or not.

[Jorpho]

Where's that terrible ad informing people in no uncertain terms that Garius is pronounced "Gay Ar Us" ? I can't seem to find it.

[buzz_n64]

I hear yeah, it's even worse when the label says one thing, and the in game title says another. Sometimes one version has a subtitle, and another won't (example- Super Mario World: Super Mario Bros. 4) but it is to be expected. Just shake your fists angrily like an old man at the game companies!

[SpaceHarrier]

Sometimes games with pretentious abbreviated titles annoy me..

S.L.A.I (Steel Lancer Arena International) or XGRA (Xtreme G Racing Association) for PS2.

Sometimes they don't: M.U.S.H.A. (metallic uniframe something hurr ahhhnggghh)

*shrug*