Topic: About Switch Game Languages/Localizations

Since the Switch is region free, its games will work on any region.

But then it comes down to language support.

Basically if one buys a Switch game from any part of the world, can it be played in all languages (Japanese, English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Italian, etc)

And then it also comes down to like localization support, mainly for games in English, French and Spanish.

Since most 1st party Switch games have different NoA and NoE localizations, I am wondering if the NoA localizations are also included on European Switch games and vice-versa (minus Splatoon 2 due to its Splatfest region locking system, meaning each regional copy will only come with the languages of the region it’s bought in)

@MrCarlos46 Do not assume all games support the language you want. Do not assume all games have an english version. Example, Yokai Watch for the switch never got made for english - It did get made for Japanese.

The cost of making a game for multiple languages adds significant cost to game development. It seems, when a game company chooses to make a game, they already have limited resources, and they make their own choice as to what languages they will support, and what markets they are making the game for. I mean... if I was going to make a game, I'd make it in english. Its nothing against Japanese. It's just that, I live in the US, and 99.9% of my friends are not fluent in japanese.

With Nintendo franchise games, mario, zelda, etc., you can usually assume english is available.

A game's eshop page lists the languages the game supports. However, these language lists aren't always fully accurate. Maybe 98% of the time they can be trusted? I think there's been at least one game I've come across that was japan eshop exclusive, and it did support english, but it's eshop page did not list english in it's supported language list - which seems stupid.

Why not sell the game in english markets when the game supports english? Who the (expletive) knows. Weird international legal reasons, I guess? Example: Cave Story's Secret Santa, by Nicalis. It was japan eshop exclusive, supported engtlish, but could only be bought from japan eshop. (I bought it from japan eshop when NL mentioned the game in a news article) On top of that, it was only available on japan eshop for like 1-2 months, then it was gone, and has never come back.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/12/cave-storys-secret-...

@WoomyNNYes Well it basically came down from a game like Smash Bros (which is a US copy). When I changed my Switch region to Europe, a few things changed, like Duck Hint being renamed to Duck Hunt Duo, and the Wii Fit Trainer voices being changed to the European ones, meaning the European version was on the card too, only if the region was set to Europe.

From there I wondered if other Switch games did the same

I wasn’t referring to all Switch games tho. Mainly games made by Nintendo.

And then in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, the difficulty level for Toadette and Nabbit are different between the NoA and NoE versions.

NoA: Easier (Toadette), Easiest (Nabbit)
NoE: Easy (Toadette), Very Easy (Nabbit)

I’m not at home right now, but when I get the chance, Imma see if the “Easier” and “Easiest” text change if I pop in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and change my region to Europe again.

@MrCarlos46 Be aware, if you ever buy a game and plan to buy DLC, the game and DLC should be bought from the same region. Not all regions are compatible with each other. If your game & DLC regions are not compatible, the dlc won't show up in your game, and you'll have wasted your money.

Usually I just buy the North American copies of Switch games anyway

@MrCarlos46 I get nervous when I see US Amazon, here, having multiple listings for a game, and the foreign game version is the only one on sale. I think many parents or uninformed buyers might get burned one of these days if they buy the foreign version because it's on sale, and then try buy DLC later on.

edit: Anyway, you asked a good question. 😉

I think it varies...but most of the UK ver. releases are pretty much the same as the US ver. releases. Mind you...MOST. I own Disgaea 5 & I had both the US & EU releases and there wasn't really much of a difference. same goes for Sonic Mania Plus & Super Mario RPG.

Now as for Asian exclusive, PHYSICAL releases...it's usually the SEA releases that have multi-language support. Again it's varies and for most.

But Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection, you need to buy either the Korean or Chinese versions since they have English support. Apparently the JP version doesn't. Since I read up on that before I bought the collection. Just keep in mind that this is from my own experience.

And there are some first party Switch games that are also in Brazilian Portuguese (like most recently, Super Mario Party Jamboree and Mario and Luigi: Brothership)

I think they have been doing that after Nintendo returned to Brazil in 2020

I don't think I have ever seen anyone say anything about the Brazilian Portuguese localization of Nintendo games, whether they're good or bad. I COULD try and check them myself, but I'm honestly a bit afraid of experiencing any grave disappointment in a direct manner.

And then Switch games in Australia get the British/European English localizations.

Welp, if such localization was made, otherwise it’s the North American English translation.

There are some games on Amazon that are listed as the US version.

I wish I could put a link to one as an example, but IDK if I can put links to other sites.

I decided to test that out, and this is what the speech bubbles in Toadette and Nabbit’s character selection screens say in the NoA version

And then when I changed my Switch region to Europe, I checked again, and now it says Easy (for Toadette) and Very Easy (for Nabbit) instead of Easier and Easiest

The pictures for the NoA version were taken after I switched back from Europe

So looks like it did change (and pretty sure if I also changed my Switch region to Oceania, it would have been the same as Europe)

Posting links to amazon relative to our regional discussion is OK. If someone see's a crazy good game on sale, that's fine to share a link, too.

We're just not allowed to post links to advertise or self promote.

@WoomyNNYes Like this Smash Bros. Ultimate listing I found that says it’s the US version: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5OKGLH?ref=cm_sw_r_apin_shpd_0W...

Back then with Wii games released after Mario Party 8, and then going into the 3DS and Wii U, the NoA and NoE English localizations were different from each other.

But once the Switch came, NoE stopped making completely separate European English localizations and just started using NoA’s English localizations, now only changing what they need to.

Not sure if it can always be a guarantee they are the US version

I also saw listings that list some as the European version, but haven’t found any that say Australian version

@WoomyNNYes Unrelated to the actual games themselves, but there are like 3 separate versions of North American covers (not counting the Brazilian covers) for first party Nintendo Switch games. One that has English and Spanish text (for the US and Latin America except Mexico), and then one that has English and French text (for Canada). There’s also the one for Mexico since the introduction of their rating system, but IDK what they look like from the back.

I’m focusing on the covers for the US/Latin America and Canada right now. Maybe for the Switch 2, instead of putting only one other language on the cover alongside English depending on where it’s being sold, they add the text in English, French and Spanish on the covers for first party Nintendo Switch games like they did back during the Wii and Wii U. That way they have one cover to use across those regions and not make 2 separate ones.

They’ll probably have to change the case size to fit all 3 languages tho.

Mexico could probably continue to do Spanish/English on the covers or use the US/Latin American/Canadian covers but with their rating (depending on what the game is rated) as a sticker on top of the ESRB ratings.

@MrCarlos46 I'm really surprised I've never seen the spanish covers, even on ebay. Granted, I haven't searched for spanish, but occasionally I see games from other regions like japan. (now I'm going to search around out of curiosity.)
edit: Oh, I guess spanish versions of Mario Odyssey and Zelda Breath of the Wild still have the english titles on them. So, I may have seen spanish versions, but didn't notice.

@WoomyNNYes It was here where I noticed that after Mexico implemented their own rating system, they started putting either Spanish only on the covers, or put that first and then English: https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.mx/MLM-2011531747-5-cajas-o...

I just wonder how they look like on first party Switch games tho.

EDIT: Ah, here we go. Found some Mexican Spanish Switch game covers. Turns out on the top half, the text is in Spanish and English. On the bottom, it’s only in Spansh.

• = For some reason on the top half, it’s still English first and Spanish underneath it

1. Metroid Dread*
2. Super Mario Maker 2
3. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
4. Luigi’s Mansion 3
5. Pokémon Sword*
6. Pokémon Violet

Also, IDK what happened, but the asterisk at the top is showing like a bullet point instead