In another instance of content lost in localization, Kotaku is reporting that Fire Emblem Fates’s “petting” feature has been removed from Western versions.
Following an interview with a Nintendo representative, Kotaku is claiming that the feature is “100 percent out.”
“Yes, that is the case [that petting has been removed],” the Nintendo representative said. “You might have heard somewhat misinterpreted or exaggerated information about the Japanese original game, but even in the Japanese original version, we have not included any features which are considered inappropriate in Japan.”
The feature, commonly referred to as “skinship,” involved players “petting” their character units to build Support.
It proved controversial to some when revealed to Western players upon the Japanese version’s release.
Players using the skinship option could use the 3DS touch screen to stroke their units, resulting in dialogue one might consider suggestive.
The option was enjoyed by some players as a useful way to quickly build character Support, especially among characters not in the field.
The news has upset several members of the Fire Emblem community, who claim that the feature’s removal is detrimental to game strategy requiring strong character relationships.
The Kotaku scoop comes just days after another report of Fire Emblem Fates censorship in the West.
Nintendo is no stranger to altering content for regions outside Japan. Take a look at our article
covering the company’s past practices here.
Written by Daniel Dell-Cornejo
Daniel is an editor at Nintendo Wire. Always with his head in the clouds, he is never apart from his creative thoughts – a blessing for an aspiring fiction writer. As a journalist and lifelong gamer, he aims to provide readers with the very best in Nintendo coverage.
