10 Times Pokémon Games Were Censored For Western Audiences

The FireRed and LeafGreen instalments of the game had trainers called 'Gamblers' in the Japanese versions. They were edited for the release in Europe, and so western audiences battled 'Gamers' instead. The PEGI rating board is very strict on gambling, and it appeared that having professional gamblers in the game was a step too far.

Furthermore, the Gamblers were still around in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. While they no longer resembled homeless men battling on the side of the road, their titles were edited, making them into Private Investigators.

While these changes were welcomed by the PEGI board, the way the Gamers spoke was still in line with how the Gamblers talked, with one claiming to be a 'rambling, gaming dude.'

The P.I.s also retained their gambling roots. Their Pokémon use moves of chance, such as Horn Drill, a one-hit KO move that only has a liklihood of hitting the opponent 30% of the time.

Despite the changes, the original Red and Blue games had Gambler trainers in the western releases.