When “movable fighting man” G.I. Joe first made his way to British shores in the 1960s, he was renamed as the less nation-specific “Action Man.” Despite this amusingly bland new moniker, Action Man was still a smash success with British kids, going on to sell thousands of dolls, (“It’s an action figure, mum!”), in the ensuing decades.
The plastic military man and his kung-fu grip became so huge here in Britain, that when the super-popular G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero animated series made the leap overseas, it also needed to be renamed, to keep marketing in line with the toy range. So do you know what we got? Action Force. ACTION FORCE. The Brits are nothing if not great at poorly localizing American properties. That and making abysmal political decisions.
Nice history lesson, Moyse, but what does this have to do with G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout, GameMill Entertainment’s new video game adaptation of the aforementioned Saturday morning show? Honestly, not all that much. But what’s important is that now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
Source: Destructoid Review: G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout