Final Fantasy IV Translation Comparison Stream Series

YouTube VOD Playlist:

You can also catch the streams live here on Twitch.

About

Many years ago, I used to compare video game translations live on stream, including games like Super Mario RPG, Final Fantasy VI, and a bunch more.

More recently, I’ve begun a live comparison of Final Fantasy IV’s translations. And once again, we’re comparing a bunch of things all at once:

• The original Japanese Super Famicom release of Final Fantasy IV from 1991
• The simplified Japanese Super Famicom release known as Final Fantasy IV Easy Type, also from 1991
• The original English Super NES release, released in 1991 as Final Fantasy II
• Two versions of the famous J2e fan translation – the first version debuted in 1998 or so, and the second version was released in 2001
• Another fan-made translation known as the “Namingway Edition”, which debuted in 2015

In these streams, I go into really deep detail and try to explain the nuances of each Japanese line. Then we look at all the various translations listed above, to see how well they convey the original Japanese text. Naturally, the pace is very slow. I’ve been told this also lends it an ASMR vibe, but I don’t know about that.

Informal Scoring System

Because it takes so much of my brain power to compare all these translations in real-time, I thought it’d be nice and helpful to implement some kind of scoring system. This would help me keep track in general of how the translations compare over time. The system basically works like this:

• Each translation starts with 100 points
• If a line is unnecessarily dropped in a translation, I mark off a point
• If a line is unnecessarily added in a translation, I mark off a point
• If a line has a genuine mistranslation or mistake, I mark off a point
• If a line shines especially brightly, I add a point
• If a line misses especially important nuances or details, I might mark off a point, but it’s a case-by-case thing

However, I’m extremely worried that others will place too much emphasis on this imperfect and imprecise scoring system. It’s mostly there for my personal reference. I already want to implement a more robust system, but it’ll have to wait for a future comparison project.

Personal Touch

Besides analyzing each line in the game, I also share stories and anecdotes from my professional translation career, my history with the game over the past 35 years, as well as what Japanese fans have to say about different parts of Final Fantasy IV.

I also show off tricks, glitches, and things most players might never think about. So if you like games, Japanese entertainment, or translation, or if you miss seeing the sight of humanity in this weird new AI world, then I honestly think you’ll enjoy these streams.

Handy Resources

If you like this sort of thing and want to follow along, here are some extra things to check out too. I reference them from time to time, so consider this list like a class syllabus or something:

• My Twitch page – this is where I stream this stuff
• Which Final Fantasy IV Translation Should You Play? – a big article of mine that could be considered required reading
• Final Fantasy IV Translation Comparison Writeups – I started doing these in 2011-ish, I wanted to update it recently with the section on Tomra but due to missing screenshots I eventually wound up starting this stream series instead. I still intend to update these writeups in the future, so consider these streams + the old writeups as companions pieces
• ”Funky Fantasy IV” Google-Translated FFIV – I even wrote a book about this project afterward!
• What Is Localization? – a free PDF from my book about Undertale’s Japanese translation, this covers many of the translation concepts I discuss during the streams

I intend to share a bunch of my files and data on here too sometime. I’ll probably drop all the game text into a Google Spreadsheet for viewers to reference and follow along with. So if this project sounds interesting to you, check back every so often – I might’ve added more cool stuff down here!