9 replies to this topic

[TSA]

http://planetgamecub...on=item&id=5866

PGC: When you say Minish Cap went gold, did you guys do the translation for the version that's being released in Europe first?

Trinen: Yeah, that was kind of a complicated project, because Europe wanted it this year for their market because they need something strong for handheld. So we did the English translation while they were still finalizing the Japanese text. And we're seeing a lot more of that. I mean, it used to be that they would finish a Japanese game, it would go gold, we would get the text, and then start working localizing. I think Mario & Luigi was probably one of the first ones where we were working in conjunction, side by side with them. Where they're still writing the Japanese text while we're translating it. It ends up being a lot more work since there are so many changes. So we did do the English translation in the European version of Minish Cap, and then Europe, they actually, I think, were going from Japanese to their other languages. But, I would recommend waiting for the US version, because the text in the US version is going to be a lot better.

PGC: So you're actually fixing it up beyond what's going in the European version?

Trinen: Yeah, we did fix it up beyond the European version.


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So, as I predicted to the folks at GameFAQs, the European version is not very accurate. It was translated BEFORE the Japanese was finalized, and the US version they will spend more time properly translating the game.

[lord-of-shadow]

Damn you TSA, I was just coming to post this And I was going to a bunch of other forums after this, too... I bet you've gotten to all of them ahead of me. *shakes fist*

I still beat Khuffie to the update, though. Mwahah.

[TSA]

Just like American citizens rely on special interest groups to police the political world and sound alarms when the public should pay attention, IGN's Zelda Board and the Nintendo Press Room alert me to breaking news in the Zelda realm.

Yeah, I see you updated - nice job. I mentioned the ESRB rating system might change anyway so a Teen Rating is premature to settle on.

[davogones]

Heh, looks like I'll be having a textual comparison project on my hands. I just hope they don't change the rom text too much, so I can do a straightforward automated text comparison between the European and American English translations.

In any case, the original Japanese version is more canon than either translation. And the changes may not have anything to do with the story. Rather, they could be cultural things, or grammatical things. Who knows, there may be terminology changes as well, but I don't think so. In the past, the European and American English translations have been nearly identical.

[lord-of-shadow]

I noticed that, in the Minish Cap, all Hylians and Hyrulians were collectively referred to as "humans". Humans... I have never seen that term applied to anything in the Zelda series before. They're always Hylians or Hyrulians. Or Shiekah or Gerudo of Hyruleans, or something along those lines.

I hope that that is one of the things changed - fixed, really - in the US version.

[davogones]

Yeah, that kind of smacks of lord of the rings, doesn't it? The "world of men" thing.

The term "human" has been used in previous Zelda games. In ALttP, the Moon Pearl allowed you to keep your human shape. In MM, Deku Link is discriminated against for not being "human." So "human" is usually used as a contrast to "monster." I think it's fair to say that anything that looks human in a Zelda game can be safely called human.

Besides, the Picori weren't just helping the Hylians, they were helping all of mankind. The Hylia are just one race of humans.

[TSA]

Yeah, the world of men...the "humans"...the way they were used in context...it seems Great Britain is obsessed with it's mythology masterpiece Lord of the Rings...

Yeah, I agree with davogones - and it's what I've been saying since I read this - the changes are probably going to be more refined dialogue for the North American culture. Localization is not just translations of words into our language, but translating contexts into our culture.

[Wolf O'Donnell]

So, for once we get a game before the Americans but at a cost of poorer translation? Meh. It was still a good game and I doubt changing the text will change it that much. I am now, however, very disappointed, in that it seems as if TMC was rushed.

[JRPomazon]

Rushed for the Holidays Wolf. Make money when santa comes around.