Games with Famous Bad Translations into English

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The Classics

If you’ve been playing video games for a while now, or if you’ve ever read articles about bad video game translations, you’ll probably recognize these.

Zero Wing (Mega Drive/Genesis) [Read more: Zero Wing translation comparison]
Zero Wing (Mega Drive/Genesis)
[Read more: Zero Wing translation comparison]
Final Fantasy II (Super NES)[Note that this isn't actually a translation mistake though: explanation]
Final Fantasy II (Super NES)
[Note that this isn't actually a translation mistake though: explanation]
Metal Gear (NES)
Metal Gear (NES)
Metal Gear (NES)
Metal Gear (NES)
Bubble Bobble (NES)
Bubble Bobble (NES)
Pro Wrestling (NES)
Pro Wrestling (NES)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (NES)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (NES)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (NES)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (NES)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (NES)
Ghosts 'n Goblins (NES)
Ghostbusters (NES) [The Japanese version is somehow even worse!]
Ghostbusters (NES)
[The Japanese version is somehow even worse!]
Samurai Shodown IV (Arcade)
Samurai Shodown IV (Arcade)
Bōsō Tokkyū SOS / Stop the Express (Japanese MSX version)
Bōsō Tokkyū SOS / Stop the Express (Japanese MSX version)
Aero Fighters 2 (Arcade)
Aero Fighters 2 (Arcade)
Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
Final Fantasy VII (PlayStation)
Final Fantasy V (PlayStation)[Should be "Wyvern" - more details here]
Final Fantasy V (PlayStation)
[Should be "Wyvern" - more details here]
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)[Note that this isn't actually a mistranslation though: explanation]
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)
[Note that this isn't actually a mistranslation though: explanation]
Tamagotchi (Game Boy)
Tamagotchi (Game Boy)
Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal (Bootleg translation)
Pokémon Vietnamese Crystal (Bootleg translation)

Personal Favorites, Part 1

Every couple weeks I’ll add more of my favorite examples of bad translation that I’ve come across during my normal game translation research. Here’s the first set of many to come!

Samurai Ghost (TurboGrafx-16)
Samurai Ghost (TurboGrafx-16)
Magician Lord (Neo Geo)
Magician Lord (Neo Geo)
Dragon Master (Arcade)
Dragon Master (Arcade)
Dragon Master (Arcade)
Dragon Master (Arcade)
B.C. Story (Arcade)
B.C. Story (Arcade)
Beast Wrestler (Sega Genesis)
Beast Wrestler (Sega Genesis)
Blazing Star (Neo Geo)
Blazing Star (Neo Geo)
Ark Area (Arcade)
Ark Area (Arcade)
Evil Stone (Arcade)
Evil Stone (Arcade)
New Fantasia (adult bootleg arcade game)
New Fantasia (adult bootleg arcade game)
Download (PC Engine)
Download (PC Engine)
Final Fantasy II (Super NES)
Final Fantasy II (Super NES)
Harvest Moon (Super NES)
Harvest Moon (Super NES)
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (Super NES)
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (Super NES)
Art of Fighting (Neo Geo)
Art of Fighting (Neo Geo)
Twinkle Star Sprites (Neo Geo) [See more examples here]
Twinkle Star Sprites (Neo Geo)
[See more examples here]
Robotrek (Super NES)
Robotrek (Super NES)
Robotrek (Super NES)
Robotrek (Super NES)
Rock-On (PC Engine)
Rock-On (PC Engine)
Rock-On (PC Engine)
Rock-On (PC Engine)
Terranigma (Super NES)
Terranigma (Super NES)
"The fortuneteller was a lovely young woman with long flowing back hair." From Ys III - Wanderers from Ys (Sega Genesis, 1991)
"The fortuneteller was a lovely young woman with long flowing back hair."
From Ys III - Wanderers from Ys (Sega Genesis, 1991)

Personal Favorites, Part 2

When Square Enix opened a new toy line, they didn't think very hard about the name
When Square Enix opened a new toy line, they didn't think very hard about the name
Meo's Mystery Adventure (PC88)
Meo's Mystery Adventure (PC88)
Eight Forces (Arcade)
Eight Forces (Arcade)
Ride Zero (Mobile)
Ride Zero (Mobile)
Chanbara (Arcade)
Chanbara (Arcade)
Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team (DS)
Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team (DS)
Speed Power Gunbike (PlayStation)
Speed Power Gunbike (PlayStation)
Solitary Warrior (Arcade)
Solitary Warrior (Arcade)
Touhou Reiiden~ The Highly Responsive to Prayers (PC98)[Should be "HURRY" - more details here]
Touhou Reiiden~ The Highly Responsive to Prayers (PC98)
[Should be "HURRY" - more details here]
Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl (PSP)
Harvest Moon: Boy and Girl (PSP)
Metal Slug X (Neo Geo)[More details on the infamous Japanese L/R mistake here]
Metal Slug X (Neo Geo)
[More details on the infamous Japanese L/R mistake here]
Vs. Super Mario Bros (Switch)
Vs. Super Mario Bros (Switch)
Lufia: The Legend Returns (Game Boy Color)
Lufia: The Legend Returns (Game Boy Color)
Matrimelee (Neo Geo)
Matrimelee (Neo Geo)

55 Comments
  1. Flame Warp

    I swear to god, somebody NEEDS to track down that bootleg game.

    1. BigBear

      The background text says “fantasia” (or maybe “Lantasia”) so that could be a starting point for a search.

      Arcade bootlegs are a goldmine of crazy.

      1. BigBear

        A quick search for Fantasia brings up this Gals’ Panic knockoff series (screenshots may be NSFW): https://www.arcade-history.com/?n=fantasia&page=detail&id=804

  2. winstein

    Could anybody please tell me what’s unusual about the Bubble Bobble one? I didn’t quite see any spelling or grammatical errors in that one, unless the way the sentence is the unnatural part?

    1. Clyde Mandelin

      I 100% agree that it’s one of the weaker “classic” bad translations – in fact, many classics from that era like “spoony bard”, “I am Error”, and “let’s attack aggressively” were pretty weak to begin with, but mostly became memorable through popularity, repetition, initial unexpectedness, word of mouth, etc. And given that 30+ years have passed, it’s understandable that what might’ve seemed odd back then now seems tame and normal today.

      In Bubble Bobble’s case, I’m guessing it was just the unnatural-ness, at least in comparison to the simple, straightforward messages from other arcade games from the time.

      1. Darien

        In a similar vein, there’s nothing technically “wrong” with the Terranigma shot — “thank you for arousing me” is correctly constructed, and “arousing” can very well mean what it’s being used to mean. The catch is that it has pretty strong connotations of something rather more amusing.

        Also, if I could propose one addition to this gallery, it would be “I, GARLAND, will knock you all down!”

      2. KillerBob

        The one you listed is the revised English version of Bubble Bobble. See the japanese one here: https://tcrf.net/Bubble_Bobble_(NES)

  3. Matt

    I seriously cannot make heads or tails of what B.C. Story is trying to say!

  4. Specs

    Hi Mato.
    I don’t think that “Take care, Ho!” is a bad translation. In final fantasy, the Dwarves have a habit of saying “Lalli-Ho” and I’m wondering if in japanese they end every sentence with desu-ho or something similar. I feel like it would be acceptable translation to leave some of those “Ho”s in.
    That said, it does sound very funny out of context.

    1. Clyde Mandelin

      Oh, don’t worry, I know all about hos in Final Fantasy IV: https://legendsoflocalization.com/final-fantasy-iv/dwarf-castle/#lali-more

      The interesting thing is that the Japanese version of that line didn’t have a lali or a ho, so the translator went out of their way to add it in. It’s not a bad translation in the “wrong” sense, just in the “unintentionally has alternate meanings” sense.

      1. Nanashi

        “I’ll jack into your squirrel” is also a case of this. In Battle Network characters “Jack In” to electronics to enter cyberspace, and that squirrel statue has a computer in it.

  5. Patrick K.

    “Ranger, are you working? You are working hard!” from BoFII is still my fave ^^

    The Robotrek / Slapstick ones are pretty hilarious!

  6. bahamut920

    No mention of Breath of Fire 2? Not even “Equip Lod/Bait”?

    1. Clyde Mandelin

      Not yet, mostly because I already have a dedicated gallery planned for it + I already have 100s of BoF2 bad translation pics here anyway: https://legendsoflocalization.com/breath-of-fire-ii-super-nes-localization-review/

      I guess maybe I don’t need to do a second gallery for it maybe, now that I think about it.

  7. Adamant

    It’s still annoying to see “I am Error” listed as a “bad translation”. It’s the guy’s name, it’s a pretty straight translation of the original line, and people should KNOW it’s the guy’s name since you’re told to go talk to Error to get some rather crucial information on how to progress about halfway into the game. I never got why this constantly gets treated as some context-less random nonsense line.

    1. Clyde Mandelin

      Yeah, I think it seemed funny back in the day when this sort of stuff was new and nobody knew Error was intended, but nowadays it just seems quaint. That’s why I have the “classics” section up top – I’m thinking I should put “I am Error” up there and link to my article about it, just to spread the word some more.

      EDIT: Okay, just added it and included a link to my article. Did the same with the spoony bard pic too.

      1. Adamant

        Oh right, I completely forgot you wrote an article about it way back.

  8. RadioShadow

    This might not be a translation error (or maybe it is?), but in Advance Wars 2 (US version), Flak refers to the Bombers as indirect units (units that fire at a distance). This is incorrect, as Bombers (well all air units) are direct units. https://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/2/29615/1526899-flak06.png

    It does fit Flak’s stupidity. They did fix this dialogue in the European version, which confused me at the time where the indirect joke came from.

  9. Let

    Gods, Lufia: The Legend Returns is full of some ridiculous foul ups. It’s seriously embarrassing how awful it gets, and it happens right away too.

  10. HylianFox

    oooh yeah, I loves me some hot SQEXToys

  11. Mew seeker

    In ZUN defense, he was making that game all by himself. 😀

  12. Adam

    “You cannot stop me with paramecium alone.”

    1. The Opponent

      Did you find the guy?

  13. MT

    Seeing the evergreen “HARRY UP” mistake made me nostalgic enough to fire up Highly Responsive to Prayers, and I thought you might get a chuckle out of the stage clear screen: https://imgur.com/a/20VnUht

  14. Timmy Menard

    Bad translations in video games exist because of not only deadlines, but for overbearing censorship policies. I bet Nintendo of America’s Early 90’s overbearing video game policies were just as stupid as the bad English that we know and remember today.

  15. The Opponent

    I always thought “A WINNER IS WHOM!” was a top-level reference to “A WINNER IS YOU”, which is doubly appropriate given the context of the game’s storyline.

  16. Mr. Argent

    Heads up, that “YOU ARE INVOLVED IN A CRIE” screencap is from Data East’s Chanbara.

    1. cuba200611

      Yep.

      Speaking of warnings in arcade games – there’s also the “FULL EXTENT OF THE JAM” in DoDonPachi.

    2. Clyde Mandelin

      Thanks! I was trying to figure that out forever!

  17. Dave

    My favorite ones are “X-men! Welcome….to die!” in X-men the Arcade game, and “Why should it goes well?” in Captain America and the Avengers.

    The Megaman one isn’t a bad translation though! Jacking in is a common term in cyberpunk fiction.

    1. KingMike

      Pretty sure they spoke of jacking in to a car in at least the first one, which sounds like a RATHER SERIOUS crime. 😛

  18. Morgil

    What about this one: https://imgur.com/Z5uNsXF
    I don’t know what game it’s from, though i can guess the franchise at least.

    1. KingMike

      An SNK vs. Capcom game for the NeoGeo Pocket Color?

  19. Håkan

    I fail to see any big problems with the “Vs. Super Mario Bros” screen (except for “area” instead of “level”). Is it mainly a pretty strained description of game mechanics most players know by heart?

    1. Clyde Mandelin

      I actually highlighted the problem in the the Vs. Mario screenshot – it’s the one at the very top: “The heroes Mario and Luigi must rescue Bowser from Peach.”

      1. Håkan

        Ah, I missed that in the wall of text… Thanks!

      2. lan-vuhoang

        Someone must make a ROM hack that reverses Bowser and Peach’s roles based on this line.

  20. AgentAquarius

    I remember the Robotrek ones fondly back from when I first discovered that game around 2000. In the same scene as the first screenshot with the Hacker soldier, Dr. Akihabara’s line immediately before is also pretty good. Something like, “It never fails! You Hackers area [sic] all alike! What an evil bunch!”

    Though I never noticed before now that Nagisa’s tutorial for the Invention Machine says “maintenaned”. I’d always read it as “maintained”, even though I noticed all the other oddities in that line.

  21. Sui

    Lufia 2’s entire bestiary has messed up names to the point where you wonder if the translator was doing it intentionally or if he had never played an RPG before.
    Stuff like Wyverns became Waibans, Golems became Gorems, Liches became Leeches and even basic mythology stuff like Sirens became Seireins for some reason.
    Hell the translator even messed up with stuff like Black Kelps being translated as Crow Kelp, Sea Vipers as She-Vipers, Assassins as Asashins and Blade Plants as Red Plants.
    https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rJ_5t_GwN4Q/hqdefault.jpg
    But my favorite case is this guy in this picture. Orky, this guy appears really late in a 100 floor dungeon and he’s one of the bigger difficulty spikes in the game, he gets 8 attacks in one turn and has nearly the most hp a normal enemy gets in the game (Second only to the strongest enemy in the game the Gold Dragons).
    I had a small fascination with them since they were the hardest I got beaten in the game up until that point and for the longest time I wondered where the hell they came from and why they were so strong.
    A few years ago I came to realize they were actually supposed to be named “Orochi” after the eight headed snake from Japanese mythology but the translator somehow messed this up despite having as much Engrish as possible in his other names.

  22. Jendrej

    I can’t see anything wrong with the text from Meo’s Mystery Adventure. What was the original?

    1. Clyde Mandelin

      Oh, the game is entirely in English to begin with, so that is the original text. There’s nothing wrong with it grammatically or anything, it’s just a very ridiculous sounding line.

  23. 1Thunderfire

    “Confirm the origin of fire!” is hilarious to me and I don’t know why.

    1. Dracula on a bike

      That one might be even more amusing if you’re a Blue Öyster Cult fan…

    2. bobbert

      Decades later, it just hit me in the shower, what it was trying to say!

      Our little man is checking the pilot-light on his gas stove.

  24. bobbert

    I am trying to remember my grade-school rules and I think ‘A winner is you.’ checks out as grammatically correct; it just sounds very stupid.

  25. Thad

    “Reploid Research Lavatory” (Mega Man Xtreme 2 opening) is a good one.

    And this one from the arcade Captain America and the Avengers:

    – You can’t escape!
    – You will be the one escaping!

  26. Hernán Droguett

    Thanks for this post! The Ghosts ‘n Goblins screenshots really take me back 🙂
    Great blog!