MediEvil (1998): Difference between revisions

The European versions of the game are among the first known instances of PlayStation games using LibCrypt protection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psxdatacenter.com/sbifiles.html|site=The PlayStation Datacenter|title=SBI FILES}}</ref>

Due to the higher refresh rate of the [[wikipedia:NTSC|NTSC]] analog television standard, the game speed in this version is much faster than in the PAL region versions. There are a few other differences as well, such as:

*A rework of the [[Land Map]] screen directional arrows.

*The haystacks in the [[Scarecrow Fields]] level no longer shrink down when set on fire.

*There is an additional hint book in [[The Asylum Grounds]] level.

*The [[Mad Monk]] enemies were reworked into the Grounds Keepers due to cultural differences, specifically the deep religiosity of some areas of the United States.{{TwitterRef|Wilson|1181476171231498241|October 8, 2019|November 1, 2024|quote=We might speak the same language but there are cultural differences between the UK and the US. We had to make a number of concessions to the US due to the deep religious views of some States.}}

The Japanese version of the game is based on the NTSC version but contains numerous differences from it, most notable among them being Sir Dan's [[helmet]]. The helmet appears in full-motion videos (FMVs) as well as an inventory item in-game. This addition was a stipulation from the studio's Japanese partners, who were concerned that Dan's skeletal head might be seen as that of a bad spirit and not a 'hero' in Japan.{{Siteref|MediEvil-Boards|11338|MediEvil developers - Q&A;|December 25, 2012|quote=For Medievil there was a worry in Japan that Dan's skeletal head might be seen as a bad spirit and not a 'hero.'|author=Wilson, Jason}}

A change specific to the game's FMVs was the addition of an extra digit on character models that only had four fingers previously. In Japan, the number four can be pronounced the same way as the word for death (''shi''), making it an unlucky number. Additionally, Japan has a class of people suffering from discrimination known as the [[wikipedia:burakumin|burakumin]] who worked in professions such as meat packing. They became associated with having four fingers due to work-related accidents. Later, a four-fingered hand gesture directed at another person came to mean that you were calling them burakumin. Depicting characters with four fingers thus became a sensitive issue in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oddworld.com/faq/|site=Oddworld Inhabitants|title=FAQ - OTHER|retrieved=January 8, 2025}}</ref>

The game's loading screens were updated to feature Dan's helmet, and the typeface used for the "LOADING" text was also changed to .  

Nine new loading screens featuring the Heroes of the Hall were also added.

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