The Name Switcheroo For Boxer, Claw, And Dictator For Americans May Have Worked Better For Street Fighter Overall

 

It's a common playground argument about which name was which. A person who had a Super NES (American) may argue with the one who has the Super Famicom (Japan). I even remember using the Street Fighter: The Movie (which had Boxer as a good guy) to be the source of the real names. However, if anybody observed it -- if the game uses the Bison-Balrog-Vega naming -- the GAME WAS IN JAPANESE. This is a naming controversy that actually understood the INTERNATIONAL MARKET. If Rockman was renamed as Mega Man for America, then a lot of localizations DO HAPPEN! 

There's no questions asked that I can be "quite a purist" with Japanese sources. My dislike for Power Rangers is something I can't deny even if I acknowledge the necessity. The Mike Bison controversy may have just been one -- all to avoid a lawsuit with Mike Tyson. We need to look into the NAMES and what they meant and why they may fit the international market better...

Changing M. Bison to Balrog for the Boxer

Any Google search would tell us that the Balrog means DEMON OF MIGHT. The name Mike Bison sounded too much like MIKE TYSON. The word bison explained that many of his moves were like the Charging Buffalo; he would use a Buffalo Headbutt, and he was practically like a charging bull. However, the moves might've been more intimidating if Balrog were like a balrog in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Changing Balrog to Vega for the Claw

This is the most useful name change. Claw was called Balrog, but he wasn't a savage fighter. Claw was renamed from Balrog to Vega. If we look at the name Vega, the name actually means the following:

• Brightest star of the constellation Lyra
• Three brightest vertices of the Summer Triangle
• Vega is a risk measure that represents the option's sensitivity in finance
• Falling eagle or swooping vulture
• Dweller in a meadow

This creates the ULTIMATE renaming. In fact, Vega is a common Spanish surname and the name fit better. Not to mention, Vega uses a lot of triangular attacks and eagle-like attacks more than his boss, Master Bison (who was originally Vega for Japan) ever did!

Changing Vega to Bison for the Dictator

This may sound funny because Bison doesn't have blatant bull references. Bison's trademark attack the Psycho Crusher (as a special move) was a flying torpedo attack. Street Fighter Alpha series added the Flying Fist attack which he did a diving attack. He had the Double Knee Press attack too. What might be a "gaming accident" may have eventually cemented the name Bison better than Vega. 

Bison often used charging attacks (and the mainstream Street Fighter series has him a charge-based character) more often than not. The Psycho Crusher, whether it was a special move (mostly) or a Super Move (in many instances), has the ferocity of a BISON. The Double Knee Press seems to be like a pair of CHARGING HORNS. 

If M in M. Bison means MASTER then this is fitting. M. Bison is the MASTER BULLY of the Street Fighter franchise. Think about that!