The translation world has legends of its own, but not all legends involve greatness. Many provide pain, confusion, or comedy, as these examples of bad game translation prove.
![Bad Game Translation Hall of Fame Bad Game Translation Hall of Fame]()
Bad Game Translation Hall of Fame
Let's take a look at the best of the worst English game translations of all time!
![Games with Famous Bad Translations INTO Japanese Games with Famous Bad Translations INTO Japanese]()
Games with Famous Bad Translations INTO Japanese
English-speaking gamers have "All Your Base", but what do Japanese gamers have?
![This Be Bad Translation #01, Zero Wing! This Be Bad Translation #01, Zero Wing!]()
This Be Bad Translation #01, Zero Wing!
This infamous scene from the start of Zero Wing has become the face of bad translation worldwide.
![This Be Bad Translation #02, Vroom in the night sky! This Be Bad Translation #02, Vroom in the night sky!]()
This Be Bad Translation #02, Vroom in the night sky!
This notorious Nintendo Switch game is proof that bad translation is alive and well, even on the newest game consoles.
![This Be Bad Translation #03, SLASH HERO! This Be Bad Translation #03, SLASH HERO!]()
This Be Bad Translation #03, SLASH HERO!
This Japanese mobile game is a treasure trove of machine-translated nonsense.
![This Be Bad Translation #04, Download! This Be Bad Translation #04, Download!]()
This Be Bad Translation #04, Download!
This Japanese game has a surprising amount of interesting and colorful English.
![This Be Bad Translation #05, Gunbarich! This Be Bad Translation #05, Gunbarich!]()
This Be Bad Translation #05, Gunbarich!
This popular Japanese arcade game finally hit the Nintendo Switch, along with an awkward English translation.
![This Be Bad Translation #06, Hana no Star Kaidō! This Be Bad Translation #06, Hana no Star Kaidō!]()
This Be Bad Translation #06, Hana no Star Kaidō!
This weird old game was only released in Japan, yet it features lots of memorably bad English writing.
![This Be Bad Translation #07, Battle Rangers! This Be Bad Translation #07, Battle Rangers!]()
This Be Bad Translation #07, Battle Rangers!
This arcade classic features amazing examples of bad 1980s video game translation.
![This Be Bad Translation #08, Tales of Berseria! This Be Bad Translation #08, Tales of Berseria!]()
This Be Bad Translation #08, Tales of Berseria!
This big-name, modern translation is bursting with post-game problems.
![This Be Bad Translation #09, Sloppy Mobile & PC Ports! This Be Bad Translation #09, Sloppy Mobile & PC Ports!]()
This Be Bad Translation #09, Sloppy Mobile & PC Ports!
When classic games get ports or remakes, weird little mistakes sneak into their translations sometimes.
![This Be Bad Translation #10, Kidō Senshi Gundam Part 1: Gundam Daichi ni Tatsu! This Be Bad Translation #10, Kidō Senshi Gundam Part 1: Gundam Daichi ni Tatsu!]()
This Be Bad Translation #10, Kidō Senshi Gundam Part 1: Gundam Daichi ni Tatsu!
This obscure Japanese computer game is entirely in English - and it's charmingly bad.
![This Be Bad Translation #11, Twinkle Star Sprites! This Be Bad Translation #11, Twinkle Star Sprites!]()
This Be Bad Translation #11, Twinkle Star Sprites!
This Neo Geo classic is a great example of a lesser known, "slow burn" bad translation in action.
![This Be Bad Translation #12, Breath of Fire II! This Be Bad Translation #12, Breath of Fire II!]()
This Be Bad Translation #12, Breath of Fire II!
Breath of Fire II has a reputation for having a bad translation... but it's so bad it's almost miraculous.
![This Be Bad Translation #13, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment! This Be Bad Translation #13, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment!]()
This Be Bad Translation #13, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment!
Why is this infamous translation considered a modern "All Your Base"? Let's find out!
![This Be Bad Translation #14, Kitty Love! This Be Bad Translation #14, Kitty Love!]()
This Be Bad Translation #14, Kitty Love!
Nintendo's eShop is filling up with poorly translated Japanese games. Here's a look at another notorious one.
![This Be Bad Translation #15, Ayakashi Koi Gikyoku! This Be Bad Translation #15, Ayakashi Koi Gikyoku!]()
This Be Bad Translation #15, Ayakashi Koi Gikyoku!
Another poorly-translated otome game hit Nintendo Switch's eShop. Let's look at the best of the worst lines.
![This Be Bad Translation #16, Iris School of Wizardry! This Be Bad Translation #16, Iris School of Wizardry!]()
This Be Bad Translation #16, Iris School of Wizardry!
This poorly translated Nintendo Switch game was given a new translation. Here are some before-and-after comparisons!
![This Be Bad Translation #17, Alice in the Heart ~Wonderful Wonder World~ ! This Be Bad Translation #17, Alice in the Heart ~Wonderful Wonder World~ !]()
This Be Bad Translation #17, Alice in the Heart ~Wonderful Wonder World~ !
This is one of THE best, unknown gems of bad video game translation. Let's see why!
![This Be Bad Translation #18, Summer Sweetheart! This Be Bad Translation #18, Summer Sweetheart!]()
This Be Bad Translation #18, Summer Sweetheart!
What happens when a Chinese game is localized into Japanese and then again into English?
![This Be Bad Translation #19, Refreshing Sideways Puzzle Ghost Hammer! This Be Bad Translation #19, Refreshing Sideways Puzzle Ghost Hammer!]()
This Be Bad Translation #19, Refreshing Sideways Puzzle Ghost Hammer!
Are you ready to drink the roast nail stains of a princess?
![This Be Bad Translation #20, Selfy Collection: The dream fashion stylist! This Be Bad Translation #20, Selfy Collection: The dream fashion stylist!]()
This Be Bad Translation #20, Selfy Collection: The dream fashion stylist!
Bizarre fashion meets bizarre translation in this Nintendo Switch game!



















