History Main / DifficultyByRegion

* The Japanese version of ''[[{{Contra}} Contra: Hard Corps]]'' features a LifeMeter system, allowing the player three hits before losing a life. This was removed in the overseas releases without otherwise modifying the difficulty, leading many to regard this as the hardest game in the series.
** While there's no actual difficulty differences between the NES and Famicom versions of the two ''Contra'' games, both Famicom games had a stage select code that were take out from their NES counterparts. The ten lives code from ''Super C'' actually gave the player thirty lives in the Famicom version, much like the KonamiCode in the first game. Likewise, ''Contra Spirits'', the Super Famicom counterpart of ''Contra III'', has both, a thirty lives code and a stage select, that were taken out from the SNES releases.

* The NES version of ''Double Dragon II'' had three difficulty settings: Practice, Warrior, and Supreme Master. In the Famicom version, these were Easy, Normal, and Difficult respectively. Besides the different names to the settings, there's actually some overall differences between the two versions as well. In the Famicom version, enemies have more hit points than they do in the NES version on the hard setting. On the other hand, traps are easier on the easy and medium settings, particularly during the disappearing platforms segments in the Mansion of Terror stage. Likewise, the Famicom actually allows the player to play through all nine stages on any difficulty setting, instead of just the hardest like on the NES version, and no cheat codes are required to continue.

Another reason for higher difficulty in non-Japanese versions is that renting games is ''illegal'' in Japan. Either you buy it or you don't play at all (unless you borrow from a friend who has bought the game). This led to increase in difficulty for games which were considered easy and short enough that gamers could finish them over a couple of days of renting it. Higher difficulty means more time has to be spent with the game in order to beat it, which requires more rentals or buying the game.

* ''StreetsOfRage'' 3 had its difficulty level adjusted when it was released to America after Japan got the game. The Japanese version had Easy, Normal, Hard, and Very Hard. The American version removed Very Hard, but at the same time, they buffed up the difficulty levels by one. Easy is equal to the Normal level from the Japanese version, Normal is Hard, and Hard is Very Hard. On top of having a harder game, enemies in the American game did more damage to you on harder difficulties while damage was fixed no matter what in the Japanese game. If that wasn't bad enough, Easy mode on the North American version only lets you play up to Stage 5, after which [[EasyModeMockery you'd get a fake ending and are encouraged to try again on a harder level]]. This could be averted through the use of cheat codes. The Japanese version let you beat the game on Easy.
** If that wasn't enough, the North American version also gave the bosses more health depending on the difficulty. The most glaring example is the final boss in round 7A, where, in hard mode, he has nine health bars. No, seriously.

** ''SuperMarioWorld'' passed on the same Japanese difficulty from Mario 3 to its American counterpart. However, the GBA remake was made easier by using the same American difficulty as Mario 3 did.

* ''ResidentEvil 4'' had Easy, Normal and Hard in European version but it lacked hard in the North American version for the GCN. Not sure if this holds true for the [=PS2=] and Wii versions.

* The Japanese version of ''[[{{Contra}} Contra: Hard Corps]]'' features a LifeMeter system, allowing the player three hits before losing a life. This was removed in the other regions without otherwise modifying the difficulty, leading many to regard this as the hardest game in the series. To make matters even worse, they also removed cheat codes that would have made it more bearable.
** The Famicom versions of ''Contra'' and ''Super Contra'' both featured stage select codes that were removed from their NES counterparts, while the ten lives code in ''Super C'' was originally a thirty lives code in Japan. ''Contra Spirits'', the Japanese version of ''Contra III'', also featured its own stage select and thirty lives codes that were removed from the overseas versions.

* In ''{{Castlevania}} [[CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse III]]'', every enemy takes off the same amount of health, and the damage they inflicted goes up with higher stages. In ''Akumajou Densetsu'', the Japanese version, different enemies take off different amounts of health, and the damage they inflict doesn't go up with higher stages. This has led to the Japanese version being regarded as easier.
** The US version also has more enemies in some rooms (such as added bats in the last room before Dracula), and the character Grant's throwing daggers (which reached across the entire screen) were replaced by a stabbing dagger with tiny range.

** ''CastlevaniaIIBelmontsRevenge'': All versions have two subweapons, but in Japan they're the Holy Water and the Boomerang Cross, while in America the Cross was replaced with the Axe (generally considered inferior, but YourMileageMayVary).
* ''{{Battletoads}}'' is a bit easier in the Japanese version (not that that's saying much). Notably, Level 3 has lots of extra jump ramps (and completely removed the island jumping section with the flashing exclamation mark) and doesn't speed up at the very end; similarly, the Hypno-orb in Level 11 moves more slowly.

* The US version of ''{{The 7th Saga}}'' is legendary for being obscenely hard and featuring insane level-grinding. The JP version wasn't nearly as bad -- they reduced the average stat gains per level for player characters in the US. This also added an {{Unwinnable}} situation, as they ''didn't'' tone down the stat gains your rivals get as bosses based on your level, so leveling up too much can ''literally'' make them too powerful to beat.

* In the US version of ''{{The Adventures of Bayou Billy}}'', ''anything'' in the driving segments kills you in one hit. The Japanese version just takes a chunk of life away. And this is ''one'' example.
* The EU releases of ''MetalGear Solid 2'' had a special "European Extreme" mode, where the enemy sentry behaviour and damage behaved VERY realistically. Only true ninjas need apply. The manual for Substance goes as far as to call it "for the truly possessed".
** Want to ramp up an already NintendoHard challenge? Selecting Hard, Extreme or European Extreme enables an option called "Game Over If Discovered", where [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin getting spotted leads to exactly that]], GAME OVER. Thankfully, this was optional...but did it help that guards could see you from a mile away on EE difficulty?
** This Troper actually wrote the FAQ for that: European Extreme in MGS 2 has no rations, no free items, and no mercy. You died if you were shot anywhere significant even once, a single boss hit would kill you, and just when you think you're hiding fine, you might sneeze. You were better off restarting if you got seen. This Troper has done it, but really, really got to hate the RAY fight.
*** A 'European Extreme' mode was also featured in ''Snake Eater'', but the difference in difficulty isn't as significant as in ''2''.
** The Japanese version of the very first ''Metal Gear Solid'' had no difficulty selection, although you could replay the game with the soliton radar turned off. The Japanese version's difficulty was the same as the American version's "Easy" setting, but graded you with the same codenames you would get on "Hard" in the American version (with the Big Boss grade being available only on "No Radar" mode).

* ''BionicCommando'' has a few changes from ''Top Secret: Hitler no Fukkatsu'' besides the more famous {{Macekre}} that change around the difficulty of certain areas a bit. Generally, they make the early sections of the game harder, and the later sections easier.
* The NES version of ''Double Dragon II'' had three difficulty settings: Practice, Warrior, and Supreme Master. In the Japanese Famicom version, these were Easy, Normal, and Difficult respectively. In terms of overall differences, the Famicom version has stronger enemies who can take more punishment than their NES counterparts. On the other hand, the NES version only allows you to continues via a cheat code that differs between every three stages. Likewise, the NES only allows you to complete the entire game and see the ending on the hardest setting, a restriction not found in the Famicom version.
** Likewise the Famicom version of ''Double Dragon III'' gives the player slightly more energy per character and reduces the player-to-enemy ratio, making it slightly easier than its NES counterpart. On the other hand, the Famicom version only shows the characters you completed the game with during the WhereAreTheyNow epilogue, which technically makes more sense anyway.
** ''Return of Double Dragon'', the Japanese version of ''[[DoubleDragon Super Double Dragon]]'' for the {{SNES}}, was different in many ways from the American version, one of which was that it offered three selectable levels of difficulty. The American version, which has no adjustable difficulty, is harder than the Japanese version set on "Hard".

* In the NES version of ''Life Force'' (''Salamander'' on the Famicom), each player can have two {{Attack Drone}}s, while the Famicom version allows up to 3 shared between both players. At least you get the Konami Code, while Japan didn't.
* In ''Lightning Fighters'', the US version of ''Trigon''(an obscure arcade-only {{Konami}} ShootEmUp), the [[GameBreaker game-breaking]] Homing Trigon weapon is no longer available in 1-player mode. On the plus side, it does have instant respawning when you die, although you still [[ContinuingIsPainful lose all your powerups]].

* In ''{{Castlevania}} III'', every enemy takes off the same amount of health, and the damage they inflicted goes up with higher stages. In ''Akumajou Densetsu'', the Japanese version, different enemies take off different amounts of health, and the damage they inflict doesn't go up with higher stages. This has led to the Japanese version being regarded as easier.

** ''Bloodlines'': Other than Eric having a [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore facial makeover]], the US release was made a bit more difficult than the Japanese release.

* ''CrashBandicoot 3'' altered the difficulty both ways. In the PAL version, the power you get for beating the final boss (which enables Crash to run faster) is more effective than in the American version, making the timed goals easier. However, the requirements for one of the time trials (on which you can't use that power) were revised. One of the enemies was given an extra attack and another was given the (unique outside of boss fights) ability to survive Crash's first attack in the PAL version, although neither makes the enemies significantly more difficult to beat and the second might have been done solely so they could include [[NakedPeopleAreFunny something which the American censors]] [[GoofyPrintUnderwear might have considered too crude]] [[DefeatByModesty for a game aimed at all ages]].

* A rather silly case in ''{{Dissidia}}: Final Fantasy''. The difference in damage for most attacks between the American and Japanese releases is atleast a single hit point.

* This occured with ''{{Pokemon}} Heart Gold'' and ''Soul Silver''. Due to European ratings board aggression against any reference to gambling, the non-Japanese releases did ''not'' feature the original Game Corner. Instead, everyone else got a game that is best described as "minesweeper + sudoku + (noticeably less) LuckBasedMission". While attempting to earn prizes early would be a pain if you could actually lose money, it is instead fairly easy to get Dratini[[hottip:*:a DiscOneNuke that comes with Dragon Rage, which always deal 40 hp of damage at a point in the game when nothing has that much, and Thunder Wave, which gives the opponent a 1/4th chance of not being able to act and always reduces their speed to 25% almost always making them act last and ''stays'' strong by turning into something with a higher stats total than many legendaries. Making it worse is that you can easily save scum this one so it is of Adamant nature, boosting its already high attack while lowering the special attack you won't use.]] when you can't.
* In Pokémon Red and Blue, there is an infamous glitch where surfing on the east coastline of Cinnabar Island (or Seafoam Islands) yields strange Pokémon, depending on various factors. The most well known example of this is [[TheMissingNo MissingNo.]], which, while causing nasty side effects like corrupting the player's Hall of Fame, is also useful for duplicating items to cheat. The glitch can also be used to find and capture Safari Zone Pokémon easily this way. However, apparently this bug was already discovered before the games were released in Spanish (and possibly other languages), where the bug was fixed. This makes the game much harder.

* ''CrashBandicoot 3'' altered the difficulty both ways. In the PAL version, the power you get for beating the final boss (which enables Crash to run faster) is more effective than in the American version, making the timed goals easier. However, the requirements for one of the time trials (on which you can't use that power) were revised. One of the enemies was given an extra attack and another was given the (unique outside of boss fights) ability to survive Crash's first attack in the PAL version, although neither makes the enemies significantly more difficult to beat and the second might have been done solely so they could include [[NakedPeopleAreFunny something which the American censors might have considered too crude for a game aimed at all ages]].

* In ''RocketKnightAdventures'', all regions have the same four difficulties, but the names are different: Japan has "Normal", "Hard", [[HarderThanHard "Very Hard", and "Crazy Hard".]] In Europe, "Normal" was renamed "Easy". And in America, the same difficulties were called "Children", "Easy", "Normal", and "Hard". Notably, in the non-American versions, Very Hard and Crazy Hard require codes to unlock, but in America all four difficulties are immediately selectable.

* Odd example in ''RocketKnightAdventures'': All regions have the same four difficulties under different names. However, in the American version, all four difficulties (Children, Easy, Normal, and Hard) are immediately selectable in the options menu, while everywhere else, the top two difficulties (called [[HarderThanHard Very Hard and Crazy Hard]], but are the same as American Normal and Hard) require codes to unlock.

** ''Bloodlines'' other than Eric gets a [[AmericanKirbyIsHardcore facial makeover]], the US release was made a bit more difficult than the Japanese release.

* The North American 360 version of ''{{DeathSmiles}}'' runs at around 150% the speed of the Japanese version, making it harder and preventing people from accurately comparing scores across regions. In a moment of {{Tropes are not bad}}, the developers have stated that the US version is the game they had intended to make from the start, and some parts of the Japanese version were complained about as too slow, though {{Your Mileage may vary}} on whether or not the US version is too fast.

* ''Bionic Commando'' has a few changes from ''Top Secret: Hitler no Fukkatsu'' besides the more famous {{Macekre}} that change around the difficulty of certain areas a bit. Generally, they make the early sections of the game harder, and the later sections easier.

* In the NES version of ''Life Force'' (''Salamander'' on the Famicom), you can only have two {{Attack Drone}}s, as opposed to 3 in the Famicom version. At least you get the Konami Code, while Japan didn't.

* ''{{Battletoads}}'' is a bit easier in the Japanese version (not that that's saying much). One of the more notable changes is in Level 11, where the orb that chases you throughout the entire level moves a little slower.

* ''SuperMarioBros 3'' had some subtle changes in its difficulty. In the Japanese version, if you were Fire or Raccoon Mario and you were hit, you'd revert to Small Mario (same as the original ''SuperMarioBros''). This was changed in the American version where being hit while having fire or raccoon powers would revert you back to Super Mario.
** ''Super Mario World'' passed on the same Japanese difficulty from Mario 3 to its American counterpart. However, the GBA remake was made easier by using the same American difficulty as Mario 3 did.
** Super Mario Bros 2 in Japan was just like the first game with very hard levels. So hard that instead of making them easier, Nintendo [[DolledUpInstallment Dolled Up]] Doki Doki Panic into a Mario game in the other regions. That game was harder in Japan too: no dashing, and you had to beat the whole game as each character. At least you could save your progress between worlds.

* ''MegaMan 2'' was originally released outside of Japan with two difficulty options: Normal and Difficult. The Japanese version only contained Difficult mode, and was deemed too challenging for most American players, explaining the change. The ''Wily Wars'' port was more faithful to the original Japanese version and had no difficulty selection.

** You lucky CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys!
*** Hey now, we're not ''all'' like that. Just the [[AcceptableTargets French.]]
**** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so1TqjpMLZU&NR=1 Better be careful]]!

* In Pokémon Red and Blue, there is an infamous glitch where surfing on the east coastline of Cinnabar Island (or Seafoam Islands) yields strange Pokémon, depending on various factors. The most well known example of this is MissingNo., which, while causing nasty side effects like corrupting the player's Hall of Fame, is also useful for duplicating items to cheat. The glitch can also be used to find and capture Safari Zone Pokémon easily this way. However, apparently this bug was already discovered before the games were released in Spanish (and possibly other languages), where the bug was fixed. This makes the game much harder.

* The early GuitarHero and RockBand games have a rare unintentional version of this trope. Due to a bug the game seems not to register some of the strums above a certain strumming speed, in extreme cases only registering about half of a players strums. While details are uncertain it seems the bug is linked to the television refresh rate, with lower refresh rates having a higher tolerance for strumming speed. Since PAL mostly uses a 50Hz refresh rate compared to NTSC's 60Hz you can get away with strumming a little bit faster. This means that in songs that have very fast strumming it is much less difficult to get a [[OneHundredPercentCompletion Full Combo]] while playing on a PAL system.

* This occured with ''{{Pokemon}} Heart Gold'' and ''Soul Silver''. Due to European ratings board aggression against any reference to gambling, the non-Japanese releases did ''not'' feature the original Game Corner. Instead, everyone else got a game that is best described as "minesweeper + sudoku + (noticeably less) LuckBasedMission". While attempting to earn prizes early would be a pain if you could actually lose money, it is instead fairly easy to get Dratini [[hottip:*:a DiscOneNuke that comes with Dragon Rage, which always deal 40 hp of damage at a point in the game when nothing has that much, and Thunder Wave, which gives the opponent a 1/4th chance of not being able to act and always reduces their speed to 25% almost always making them act last and ''stays'' strong by turning into something with a higher stats total than many legendaries. Making it worse is that you can easily save scum this one so it is of Adamant nature, boosting it's already high attack while lowering the special attack you won't use.]] when you can't.

Games with various difficulty levels allow you to choose how hard or easy you want the game to be from the start. While some can be easy or hard no matter which one you pick, some games may seem harder or easier just because of the region the game was made in. Typically this occurred due to there being a belief in Japan that Americans preferred harder games; often US versions would have the lowest difficulty setting totally removed and / or an even harder bonus mode added. However, the inverse also occurred at times—some Japanese game developers felt that Americans (usually, but this could apply to PAL regions too) would not be able to handle a game's difficulty, so a North American release would be made significantly easier, or [[SuperMarioBros2 replaced entirely]]. (But of course, they were right about SMB2.)

Sometimes, the difficulties are the same but named differently to be more or less encouraging depending on the region. For example, one region might have Beginner, Easy, Normal while another has the same difficulties, but labeled Normal, Super Hard, and Impossible respectively.