Regional Differences

This is a sub-page of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance.

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this. Specifically: Any other regional differences? Other sections needing images.

To do: More text changes between the US and European versions, as documented here.

Banner#

Japan	International

Intro Movie#

No other changes to the intro movie other than the very end fading from Ike to the logo.

Title Screen#

Japan	International

Memory Card Checks#

New Game#

Japan	International

Difficulty#

Japan	International

Saved Game#

Japan	International

First Interaction#

Japan	International

Gameplay#

The localizations feature several gameplay tweaks. These range from bugfixes to making the international releases easier.

Items#

• The Soldier Band, which went unused in the Japanese version, can now be obtained by defeating Kamura from second playthrough onwards.
• All characters in the localization can use an item, the Renewal scroll, to learn the Renewal skill. In the Japanese version only Ena and Elincia could learn it from this item, but both of them already have the skill when recruited, making the item virtually useless.
• The Heal staff had its durability increased from 30 uses to 40 and its worth was changed from 600G to 800G accordingly. However, the official player's guide erroneously states that the Heal staff has 30 uses and worth 600G, which is only true for the Japanese version of the game.
• In the Japanese version, using a Seraph Robe while at the base will not increase the character's current HP to their increased max HP (for example, using a Seraph Robe on Elincia with 34 max HP will raise her max HP to 41 but her current health will remain at 34). This oversight was fixed in localization.

Difficulty Modes#

The Japanese version of Path of Radiance features Normal, Hard, and Maniac modes. The localized version replaced Maniac Mode with Easy Mode, a variant of Normal Mode that gives characters more experience. This changing around of difficulties introduced a glitch with an early revision of the localized sequel's data transfer feature.

Maniac Mode Changes#

All changes are in comparison to Hard Mode.

• The Physic staff, Torch staff, and Antitoxin cannot be obtained from the base shop unlike on lower difficulties.
• Generic enemies are stronger and more abundant. Additionally, all generic enemies (except for Thieves) are promoted from Chapter 18 onward.
• Havetti and Seeker have lower stats, Oliver has higher stats with stat variance (making him the only boss in the game to have stat variance), and Greil carries a Vulnerary. All other bosses are the same as in Hard Mode.
• Combat experience is reduced by 5 and all bonus experience (except for the Chapter 10 undetected bonus) is halved.
• Kieran, Nephenee, and Brom can only be recruited in Chapter 10 if they escape the map. On lower difficulties, only their cell doors need to be opened.
• The enemy ravens in Chapter 12 carry different items.
• Some of the enemy Laguz in Chapter 15 carry one-use Laguz Stones.
• More generic enemies carry skills later in the game. For instance, the generic Generals surrounding Kasatai in Chapter 21 also carry Wrath, and there are more generic enemies with skills in the Final Chapter.

Bug Fixes#

• The Critical glitch was fixed. In the Japanese version, forging a 5 critical weapon to 0 critical changed it to 255 critical.
• In Chapter 18 of the Japanese version, Shinon doesn't drop the Brave Bow if the player saves at the advance screen. If the player resets the game, then Shinon will drop the Brave Bow as usual. This glitch was fixed in the localized versions.

• In the Japanese version, if the player recruits a unit right after leaving the base, has only Ike deployed, then immediately returns to the base and saves, the number of available units at advance preparations will be reduced. This glitch was fixed in the localized versions.

Miscellaneous#

• On the win/lose condition screen, the Japanese version shows how long you've been playing the game as well as telling you how many times you have completed the game. This information was removed in the localized version.
• Berserkers, Swordmasters and Snipers were given a 15% critical bonus.
• The icon for forging tomes was changed from a staff to a tome.
• The allowed length of forged weapon names was expanded from seven characters to twelve.
• Extra costs for Forging weapons were halved, making it cheaper to forge weapons.
• Sephiran can learn the Vigilance skill in the Japanese release but not in the localized version. This is bizarre, as he is not a playable character, does not appear in combat, and never has the opportunity to learn or use any skills... so changing his possible learnset is something that no-one would notice without hacking.
• Access to the illustration gallery for the Japan-only Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi was disabled in all non-Japanese versions, although the images all remain on the disc.
• Some of the Trial Maps have different unlocking requirements.
  • In the Japanese version, "Lonely Isle" is unlocked by clearing Hard or Maniac mode. In the localized version, it's unlocked by clearing Normal Mode.
  • In the Japanese version, "Strange Turn" is unlocked by clearing Maniac mode. In the localized version, it's unlocked by clearing Hard Mode.
  • In the Japanese version, "Desperation" is unlocked by linking the game with Fuuin no Tsurugi. In the localized version, it's unlocked by linking up with Fire Emblem or Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.

Text Changes#

Character Names#

Path of Radiance contains many name changes between the Japanese and international versions.

European Version#

Several other names were changed for the European release and its other languages:

French Version:

• Nephenee's name was changed to Nephenie.
• Ena's name was changed to Ina.

German Version:

• Volke's name was changed to Volker.
• Bastian's name was changed to Juri.
• Mist's name was changed to Alja possibly because "Mist" can refer to "rubbish" in German.
• Ulki's name was changed to Ajuga possibly because although "g" letter in "Ulkig" is missing, "Ulkig" means "disgusting" or "gross" in German.
• Haar's name was changed to Darahan possibly because "Haar" means "hair" in German.
• Kieran's name was changed back to its Japanese name Kevin.
• Astrid's name was changed back to its Japanese name Stella.

Italian Version:

• Marcia's name was changed to Darcia.

Other Name Changes#

• The race name Mannas had its name changed to Zunanma for the international versions.
• The location names Crimea and Gallia had their names changed to Ozna and Gania respectively in the Italian localization.

Sound Room#

Unusually, the Japanese version of Path of Radiance lists all of the song names in English. Several of these English names were changed in the international versions.

With the exception of Victory Is Near and Power-hungry Fool, the Super Smash Bros. series uses the Japanese names of these tracks even in the international versions.

Errors#

US Version#

• In the US version, there is a typo in one of Janaff’s death quotes, where he asks Ike to look after his son. In the Japanese and European versions “Son” is replaced with “Prince”, so Janaff really meant to tell Ike to look after the prince (Reyson).
• In the US version, Bryce is erroneously referred to as "Sir Bryan" in the ending cutscene of Chapter 20. This was fixed in the European version.

All English Localizations#

• In the English version, Rolf erroneously tells Tauroneo in their C support that his mother died and his father left his family. In Radiant Dawn, it is shown that Rolf's mother is alive and was the one who left the family while his father was dying. This error was not present in the Japanese version.
• The English help description erroneously states that the Beorcguard causes the bearer to take half damage from any beorc attack. In actuality, the Beorcguard negates the weapon effectiveness bonus of Laguz-slaying weapons. This error is not present in the Beorcguard's Japanese description.
• Chapter 12 is called “A Strange Land” and Chapter 25 is called “Strange Lands”. Aside from being pluralized, the chapter names are identical. In the Japanese version, Chapter 12 was called “Foreign Domain” and Chapter 25 was called “Across the Mountains”. The Chapter 12 translation is understandable, but Chapter 25’s is probably just a mistake.
• Throughout the game, Sephiran is mentioned as Duke Belsys, Duke Persis and Duke Perseus. His title in the Japanese version is Persis.
• Sometimes Duke Gados also gets referred to as Duke Gaddos. On a side note, Duke Gados/Gaddos is in fact Lekain (the reference in the English script was removed for some reason).

Command Prompts#

Several English text were rewritten in the international versions to make it more descriptive.

Main Menu#

During Gameplay#

Oddities#

• For some reason in the US version, Ike's starting inventory in Chapter 1 has an unusual variance. Sometimes Ike starts with four iron swords, sometimes just one. In other versions, Ike always starts with only one iron sword. This phenomenon seems to occur when the player skips the Visit tutorial in Chapter 1. This was not present in the Japanese version and was fixed for the European release.
• In the international versions of Chapter 7 on Normal mode, there are 3 wrong enemies that spawn in the lower center of the map (soldier lv8 iron lance, soldier lv7 iron lance, soldier lv7 steel lance (drop item)) at the start of the chapter. If the player saves and resets the chapter, the 3 enemies will be replaced by enemies that are intended to appear on the map (soldier lv8 steel lance (drop item), soldier lv7 steel lance, soldier lv7 steel lance). This was not present in the Japanese version.