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[Orayn]

I'm curious, GAF: What are some names of video game genres and sub-genres in your native language? Are any of them dramatically different than the more common English names for them?

I know that strategy/tactical RPGs are sometimes called Simulation RPGs in Japan, first person shooters as "ego shooters," platformers as "jump-and-runs," but that's about it. I'm also wondering if other languages have highly specific names for certain families of games that overlap with others, like Deus Ex and System Shock being called "immersive simulations."

 

[YianGaruga]

Japan, first person shooters as "ego shooters," platformers as "jump-and-runs,"

This is the case in Japan? I only know these genre names from Germany.

 

[Orayn]

This is the case in Japan? I only know these genre names from Germany.

Oh no, I was only talking about Japan for the first one. I had heard those other two names before but I didn't know they were from Germany specifically.

 

[sasuke_91]

This is the case in Japan? I only know these genre names from Germany.

Me too.

Also, some people on GAF were really surprised when I called Fighting Games "Beat 'em Ups", so I guess that's another one.

 

[RM8]

Sometimes, RPGs are called "juegos de rol" in Spanish (role games). Puzzle games are "juegos de destreza" (skill games, lol).

 

[YianGaruga]

Oh no, I was only talking about Japan for the first one. I had heard those other two names before but I didn't know they were from Germany specifically.

Yeah I think it originates here.

Me too.

Also, some people on GAF were really surprised when I called Fighting Games "Beat 'em Ups", so I guess that's another one.

Was just going to mention that one. Why are we so weird with genre names

 

[SenkiDala]

Well I can give you a few exemples in French, but often we just use the same names than English, like "survival horror" for exemple.

So even if I translate them it doesn't mean we ALWAYS use French names in French, most of people just use the English names because before (many years ago) we just didn't translate them.

FPS/First Person Shooter : Jeu de tir à la première personne (roughly translated by "first person shooter game"

TPS/Third Person Shooter : Jeu de tir à la troisièmre personne (Première/first just become Troisième/third)

RTS/Real Time Stratégie : Stratégie Temps Réel (just a basic translation)

Open World : Monde Ouvert (same)

Sandbox : Bac à sable (same)

RPG : JDR Jeu De Rôle (same)

Action/Action (it's same word in both language )

Well and some are never translated, like Survival horror, or Puzzle game, I never heard someone using a translated name for those genre.

EDIT: But yes we don't change the meaning, it's always just basic translations.

 

[bfwings55]

Did you know in england fighting games are called "button-bashers"

 

[jbueno]

Matamarcianos is my favorite, that´s how they refer to shmups or arcade scrolling shooting games in spanish. Cracks me up.

EDIT: They use that term in Spain. Haven´t heard it in any other Spanish-speaking country.

 

[Peff]

Before the rise of digital/indie games, us Euros seemed to use Castletroid far more than Metroidvania, but the latter took over eventually. Then again at the time it only really meant Iga's games.

 

[RM8]

Matamarcianos is my favorite, that´s how they refer to shmups or arcade scrolling shooting games. Cracks me up.

Rofl, where is this?

 

[Slamtastic]

Some European countries incorrectly refers to fighting games as beat em ups.

Beat Em Up:

Fighting Game:

Know the difference!

 

[NeoRausch]

Rennspiel

Well it's literally "racinggame" in German. Nothing fancy.

 

[Orayn]

Another one from Japan that I'm vaguely aware of is "kusoge," which is literally just "shitty games." Some people use it to talk strictly about quality of any game, but I guess it can also be considered a genre unto itself and meant in an affectionate way, like certain European games (mostly on PC) with low budgets and high ambitions being called "Eurojank."

Like a more specific and potentially less negative version of "shovelware" I guess?

 

[SenkiDala]

Another one from Japan that I'm vaguely aware of is "kusoge," which is literally just "shitty games." Some people use it to talk strictly about quality of any game, but I guess it can also be considered a genre unto itself and meant in an affectionate way, like certain European games (mostly on PC) with low budgets and high ambitions being called "Eurojank."

Like a more specific and potentially less negative version of "shovelware" I guess?

Yes, kusoge comes from "kuso games" (kuso means "shit"), so that's it. ^^

Also I thought that "jump and run" or something like is the name of a "subgenre" of plateformers, there are different subgenres, run and gun, jump and run, or it's what I thought, I'm not sure. But like for exemple the difference between Megaman and Mario.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Matamarcianos is my favorite, that´s how they refer to shmups or arcade scrolling shooting games in spanish. Cracks me up.

EDIT: They use that term in Spain. Haven´t heard it in any other Spanish-speaking country.

That an Pacman being Comecocos, which was usually used for talking of all games in general in the past lol

For english speakers, Matamarcianos means Martiankillers and Comecocos means something like Boogeymaneater, I suppose people saw the ghosts as boogeymans and pacman eat those lol

 

[Stone Ocean]

Nothing too fancy for portuguese, mostly direct translations. Fighting > Luta, Shooters > Tiro, Racing > Corrida, etc.

We mostly categorize sub genres like hack n slash by analogies, "It's like God of War"

 

[RM8]

An interesting one in Japanese is fighting games. Like with many other genres, I would have thought they'd use an English approximation, like ファイティングゲーム (faitingu geemu), but they're actually called 対戦型格闘ゲーム(taisengatakakutou geemu).

 

[Krejlooc]

Another one from Japan that I'm vaguely aware of is "kusoge," which is literally just "shitty games." Some people use it to talk strictly about quality of any game, but I guess it can also be considered a genre unto itself and meant in an affectionate way, like certain European games (mostly on PC) with low budgets and high ambitions being called "Eurojank."

Like a more specific and potentially less negative version of "shovelware" I guess?

There is also yoge, which refers to western games in Japan. So the saying goes, "yoge, kusoge"

Edit: confused a bit of jpn there.

 

[Orayn]

Nothing too fancy for portuguese, mostly direct translations. Fighting > Luta, Shooters > Tiro, Racing > Corrida, etc.

We mostly categorize sub genres like hack n slash by analogies, "It's like God of War"

I wish more people would do that in English. I've heard " hack n slash" used for everything from Devil May Cry to Dynasty Warriors to Diablo.

 

[Toxi]

Some European countries incorrectly refers to fighting games as beat em ups.

Beat Em Up:

Fighting Game:

Know the difference!

Is it really incorrect? It reminds me of how the name "daddy-long-legs" can refer to three different kinds of animals.

Spain had the weirdest names, "Don Pepe y los Globos", though not a genre name but rather the name of the original localization of Bomberman, really had me going.

Oh my God this is amazing

 

[jbueno]

That an Pacman being Comecocos, which was usually used for talking of all games in general in the past lol

For english speakers, Matamarcianos means Martiankillers and Comecocos means something like Boogeymaneater, I suppose people saw the ghosts as boogeymans and pacman eat those lol

Spain had the weirdest names, "Don Pepe y los Globos", though not a genre name but rather the name of the original localization of Bomberman, really had me going.

 

[Drop]

If you mean by literal translations, the only genres we refer differently in italian, or at least those I can think of are:
Shooters, they're called "sparatutto" it's two words, we put them together in one for the genre name, it means shoot everything.
Fighting games, we call them "picchiaduro" still two words put together, they means beat hard. It sounds really weird.

I can't really think of anything else, the rest of the genre names are taken directly from english, even some like RPGs which are translated to "Giochi di ruolo", abreviated GDR which means pretty much games of roles, is getting replaced, most people just say RPG now.

 

[Orayn]

Is it really incorrect? It reminds me of how the name "daddy-long-legs" can refer to three different kinds of animals.

I think the connection kind of got lost since the "original" beat-em-ups got dramatically less popular and "fighting game" became very strongly associated with games that took after Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat.

 

[RM8]

Spain had the weirdest names, "Don Pepe y los Globos", though not a genre name but rather the name of the original localization of Bomberman, really had me going.

Holy cow, this is awesome, lol.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Spain had the weirdest names, "Don Pepe y los Globos", though not a genre name but rather the name of the original localization of Bomberman, really had me going.

Wait wat? Im spanish and didnt know that one.
OMG that localization name, what where they thinking hahahahahaha.
Don Pepe, good lord, remind me of my uncles name lol

Don Pepe was a robot in spain lol

Just found that the first bomberman localisation name for all europe was Eric and the Floaters, thats why they call it similar in spain, although eric is some type of explorer.

 

[Mozz-eyes]

RTS in Germany is known as Blitzkrieg.

 

[woopWOOP]

Most Dutch just copy the English names for them, with English pronunciations 'n all. Hell, they refer to videogames as 'games' too, even tho we've got our very own Dutch word for it. It's videospel. Use it people!

 

[Barajas_201]

Sometimes, RPGs are called "juegos de rol" in Spanish (role games). Puzzle games are "juegos de destreza" (skill games, lol).

Don't forget "tequinofaiter" hahaha, spanglish for The King of Fighters, which is the most popular fighting game (arguable the most popular game in Mexico) and is used to describe other fighting games, like "Wey de que trata ese juego? ah es como tequinofaiter" (Dude what's that game about? oh its like The King of Fighters) you say that and boom, everyone is on the same page. Most folks don't like to refer to games in a correct sense (e.g. "juegos de peleas" - fighting games) because its still a taboo here to show you like video games so they act cool and always compare them to the "accepted" games like The King of Fighters for fighting games and Halo for shooters.

 

[Stone Ocean]

I wish more people would do that in English. I've heard " hack n slash" used for everything from Devil May Cry to Dynasty Warriors to Diablo.

It gets really tricky when the person doesn't know the game though. You have to basically explain those subgenres from then on. "Uhh you move around and fight shit"

 

[RM8]

Don't forget "tequinofaiter" hahaha, spanglish for The King of Fighters, which is the most popular fighting game (arguable the most popular game in Mexico) and is used to describe other fighting games, like "Wey de que trata ese juego? ah es como tequinofaiter" (Dude what's that game about? oh its like The King of Fighters) you say that and boom, everyone is on the same page. Most folks don't like to refer to games in a correct sense (e.g. "juegos de peleas" - fighting games) because its still a taboo here to show you like video games so they act cool and always compare them to the "accepted" games like The King of Fighters for fighting games and Halo for shooters.

I once heard a guy saying he liked "juegos de pleito" (conflict / dispute games) referring to fighting games, lol.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Don't forget "tequinofaiter" hahaha, spanglish for The King of Fighters, which is the most popular fighting game (arguable the most popular game in Mexico) and is used to describe other fighting games, like "Wey de que trata ese juego? ah es como tequinofaiter" (Dude what's that game about? oh its like The King of Fighters) you say that and boom, everyone is on the same page. Most folks don't like to refer to games in a correct sense (e.g. "juegos de peleas" - fighting games) because its still a taboo here to show you like video games so they act cool and always compare them to the "accepted" games like The King of Fighters for fighting games and Halo for shooters.

Is more popular the king of fighter than Street Fighter in Mexico? Maybe because of emulation and piracy being so rampant?

I once heard a guy saying he liked "juegos de pleito" (conflict / dispute games) referring to fighting games, lol.

Juegos de pleito seems like the genre made by Phoenix Wright lol

 

[Toxi]

Just found that the first bomberman localisation name for all europe was Eric and the Floaters,

Ew...

Is more popular the king of fighter than Street Fighter in Mexico? Maybe because of emulation and piracy being so rampant?

Considering they are arcade franchises, I doubt piracy or emulation had much to do with it.

 

[RM8]

Is more popular the king of fighter than Street Fighter in Mexico? Maybe because of emulation and piracy being so rampant?

Some people call it MexiKOF for a reason Still, sadly, it's not nearly as popular as it used to be These days Mexico is mostly about console shooters.

Juegos de pleito seems like the genre made by Phoenix Wright lol

Lol, yup.

Considering they are arcade franchises, I doubt piracy or emulation had much to do with it.

I recall reading that Capcom never brought Street Fighter II to Mexican arcades. Well, Street Fighter II was everywhere in Mexico back in the day, lol.
---

Kind of relevant - in Mexico it is / was way more common to say "maquinitas" (little machines) or "chispas" (sparks) instead of "arcadias" (arcades), lol.

 

[revolverjgw]

I've seen Final Fight-style beat-em-ups referred to as "belt scrollers", not sure if that's a Japanese thing or something else.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Ew...


Considering they are arcade franchises, I doubt piracy or emulation had much to do with it.

Talking about Spain here (were piracy was rampant some years ago everywhere), but fans of KOF here were usually PC players using emulation to play those games (and of course no one of those had the arcades in their homes for those to be legal copies.
Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat fans where fans who played since the supernes and megadrive days, and those two where more popular here.
I dont remember seeing much KOF machines in arcades during those days, more things like Metal Slug and beat em ups though.

 

[Orayn]

I've seen Final Fight-style beat-em-ups referred to as "belt scrollers", not sure if that's a Japanese thing or something else.

That's one that makes a lot of sense to me. It's analogous to calling something a side-scroller, but you're free to move wherever you want on a 2D plane.

 

[Toxi]

Talking about Spain here (were piracy was rampant some years ago everywhere), but fans of KOF here were usually PC players using emulation to play those games (and of course no one of those had the arcades in their homes for those to be legal copies.
Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat fans where fans who played since the supernes and megadrive days, and those two where more popular here.
I dont remember seeing much KOF machines in arcades during those days, more things like Metal Slug and beat em ups though.

Huh. I don't know much about the arcade, so I had no idea arcade emulation was such a thing. I guess it makes sense when those games consume so many quarters.

 

[Barajas_201]

Is more popular the king of fighter than Street Fighter in Mexico? Maybe because of emulation and piracy being so rampant?

Nope, is not because of piracy, the reason why is the most popular in my opinion is because most convince stores or "tienditas" have arcades, and with an entry point of 1 peso (0.067 USD) everyone can game. The King of Fighters is such an easy game to get into, so flashy and fun to play that elementary, middle, and high school kids all play it. We have a neat little arcade scene going on and some times mini-tournaments sort of happen all of the sudden in a convince store (which are everywhere, literally in every corner) and The King of Fighters is always the game being played... I love it when it happens.

Some people call it MexiKOF for a reason Still, sadly, it's not nearly as popular as it used to be These days Mexico is mostly about console shooters.

Were do you live? In Guadalajara the fighting scene is alive and kicking

 

[Zolbrod]

Terms for game genres in Japan are pretty much all taken from English, so there's not much difference.

One thing I think is interesting is that they consistently refer to Monster Hunter as an action game whereas it seems to be called an RPG by everyone in the West, strangely.

 

[Tygamr]

Me too.

Also, some people on GAF were really surprised when I called Fighting Games "Beat 'em Ups", so I guess that's another one.

In my mind "Beat 'em Ups" are games like Golden Sun, Ninja Gaiden or Muramasa- scrolling level/area based games with more movement and less restrictions than fighting games, though gameplay is pretty much the same as fighting games except with less restrictions.

 

[ToiJu]

In Finnish shooter genre is called "räiskintä", which quite literally means shooting very carelessly and all over the place (potshot), like this.

What irks me is some people calling all driving games "rally games", I don't know about other countries but this is a thing in Finland. According to MTV, Driveclub is a rally game.

 

[RM8]

Were do you live? In Guadalajara the fighting scene is alive and kicking

Toluca and Mexico City :0 The scene exists, as in, there definitely are arcades and people play KOF on them. But there are way, way less arcades now compared to back in the 90s, and people mostly stick to old iterations of KOF, often "hacked" versions even, while I haven't seen KOF XIII being widely adopted.

 

[Orayn]

Terms for game genres in Japan are pretty much all taken from English, so there's not much difference.

One thing I think is interesting is that they consistently refer to Monster Hunter as an action game whereas it seems to be called an RPG by everyone in the West, strangely.

Different aspects of the game hit people first, I guess. The combat itself vs. the looting/crafting/stat+item micromanaging.

It might also be that Westerners are more likely to associate highly open-ended games like MH with MMORPGs and loot-RPGs like Diablo.

 

[SirMossyBloke]

Wait wat? Im spanish and didnt know that one.
OMG that localization name, what where they thinking hahahahahaha.
Don Pepe, good lord, remind me of my uncles name lol

Don Pepe was a robot in spain lol

Just found that the first bomberman localisation name for all europe was Eric and the Floaters, thats why they call it similar in spain, although eric is some type of explorer.

Oh god. I had that game. You've opened the nostalgic feels for the first time since I joined this forum.

I'm...stunned.

 

[YianGaruga]

Terms for game genres in Japan are pretty much all taken from English, so there's not much difference.

One thing I think is interesting is that they consistently refer to Monster Hunter as an action game whereas it seems to be called an RPG by everyone in the West, strangely.

Isn't "Hunting game" a generally accepted genre at this point? At least in english speaking communities? I never see people refer to it as RPG.

 

[Santiako]

That an Pacman being Comecocos, which was usually used for talking of all games in general in the past lol

For english speakers, Matamarcianos means Martiankillers and Comecocos means something like Boogeymaneater, I suppose people saw the ghosts as boogeymans and pacman eat those lol

Aren't the 'cocos' the pills that pacman eats? That seems way more logical than the ghosts.

 

[MrCunningham]

Some European countries incorrectly refers to fighting games as beat em ups.

Beat Em Up:

Fighting Game:

Know the difference!

I'm Canadian, and I have always refereed to the Double Dragon style of game as a beat 'em up, and the Street Fighter style of game as a fighter.

That always made sense to me.

 

[MiszMasz]

Did you know in england fighting games are called "button-bashers"

No they're not, but games like International Track and Field are.

The "Beat 'Em Ups" for fighting games thing is because when games like Streets Of Rage were more common, we'd call them side-scrolling beat 'em ups as opposed to normal beat 'em ups / fighting games.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Terms for game genres in Japan are pretty much all taken from English, so there's not much difference.

One thing I think is interesting is that they consistently refer to Monster Hunter as an action game whereas it seems to be called an RPG by everyone in the West, strangely.

Monster Hunter has really become a genre of its own called "hunting games." Capcom has always called the genre "Hunting Action" in Japan, though.