Legends of Localization
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All Articles  »  Popular Articles
  • Long Ago, Pokémon Married People All the Time

    Long Ago, Pokémon Married People All the Time

    The English and Japanese scripts explain this historical fact differently.

  • Tricky Translations #4: “I” & “Me” in Japanese

    Tricky Translations #4: “I” & “Me” in Japanese

    With dozens of ways to say "I" and "me" in Japanese, a lot can get lost in translation.

  • Examining the Creepy Secret Message in Sonic CD

    Examining the Creepy Secret Message in Sonic CD

    The Japanese text says "Infinite Fun - Sega Enterprises- Image by Majin"

  • Common Problems When Translating Games Into Japanese

    Common Problems When Translating Games Into Japanese

    Translating your game into Japanese can be disastrous if it's only an afterthought.

  • MOTHER 3’s Timeline of Hope

    MOTHER 3’s Timeline of Hope

    A cycle of hope, hype, and disappointment has surrounded this game almost 30 years.

  • Castlevania: Symphony of the Night’s “Miserable Pile of Secrets” Scene in Japanese

    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night’s “Miserable Pile of Secrets” Scene in Japanese

    "What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets." wasn't in the original text.

  • Squall’s “Whatever” Line in Japanese Final Fantasy VIII

    Squall’s “Whatever” Line in Japanese Final Fantasy VIII

    Squall's catchphrase appears much more often in English than in Japanese.

  • Is This Character in Pokémon X/Y Transgender?

    Is This Character in Pokémon X/Y Transgender?

    A line in Pokémon X/Y had fans clamoring for details and analysis.

  • The Many Japanese Pop-Culture References in Super Mario RPG

    The Many Japanese Pop-Culture References in Super Mario RPG

    The Japanese script is filled with references that were lost in translation.

  • Is This Pokémon Couple as Suggestive in Japanese?

    Is This Pokémon Couple as Suggestive in Japanese?

    This lovey-dovey couple has an "interesting" Pokémon combination.

  • Which Final Fantasy IV Translation Should You Play?

    Which Final Fantasy IV Translation Should You Play?

    There's a new Final Fantasy IV translation every 3 or 4 years. Which is best?

  • The Infamous “Retard” Line in Japanese Final Fantasy VII

    The Infamous “Retard” Line in Japanese Final Fantasy VII

    The Japanese line simply says "Whoa! Don’t say that, you’ll jinx us!".

  • The Problem with L, R, and Other Letters in Japanese Translation

    The Problem with L, R, and Other Letters in Japanese Translation

    There's logic behind all those funny Japanese typos, and it goes beyond L and R.

  • Pokémon’s Famous “Comfy Shorts” Line in Japanese

    Pokémon’s Famous “Comfy Shorts” Line in Japanese

    "Shorts are nice and easy to move around in! Why don’t you wear some too?"

  • How to Pronounce Ryu’s Name

    How to Pronounce Ryu’s Name

    The language barrier has plagued Ryu's name for decades now.

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Update Status

I'm taking a relaxed break from Legends of Localization at the moment, but I still plan to add more articles and comparisons from time to time.

I'll also slowly be improving and updating various sections of the site. During these times, pages, links, and images will surely break somewhere - I apologize in advance. I've also turned off comments for now until I can reasonably keep up with them again.

In the meantime, check out some of these other articles:

  • What is localization? (PDF)
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press start to translate [Final Fantasy IV]

A funny and insightful look at *why* it's a bad idea to let a computer translate a video game!

Legends of Localization

You know how the news media (and general audiences) get games, science, and technology stuff wrong all the time? I feel the same way when it comes to entertainment and video game translation, so I decided to use my professional experience to shed light on this mysterious topic.

- Clyde Mandelin

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