It was a continuous and minor gripe for 3DS owners in Europe that there was a two-and-a-half month delay from the North American release of Fire Emblem: Awakening. It may not seem too lengthy a wait, but with a title so highly anticipated and critically acclaimed, it can be borderline interminable.
Understandably, some wondered why the delay was quite so long, especially as the English translation would already be complete, with regional European localisations also needed. Yet as Europeans have learned with the ongoing absence of Scribblenauts Unlimited, delays aren't always explained or entirely logical.
While the details behind the later release of Awakening in Europe will likely remain locked up in the big N's vaults, one potential explanation is that Nintendo of Europe was removing cheeky and suggestive parts of the script. As a reader over at gonintendo has spotted, one provocative line had a complete makeover for the EU release. You can see an image of the following change, below — the capitalisation error in the EU version is as it's shown in the game, showing that it wasn't flawlessly proofread.
NA:
"And they said they bet your boingy bits are white as snow and soft as pillows."
EU:
"You know! Your Hair! it's so sleek, and shiny and stylish!"
In truth, we don't know whether this shows Nintendo of Europe being more cautious or, alternatively, following the Japanese script more accurately. In fact you could argue that the Nintendo of America line is a little risque and, to be blunt, strange; who says "boingy bits"?
In any case, it seems that Europeans and North Americans won't always be reading from the same script in Fire Emblem: Awakening.
[source gonintendo.com]
Comments 94
Sometimes the 8-4 guys try just a little too hard...
Doesn't really explain why the delay was so long, especially when the game was confirmed for Europe first.
I was talking about Scribblenauts yesterday. They're probably waiting to release that during the big gap in Wii U releases. So in the next few weeks.
I noticed that. That was a really weird conversation
Guys, I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek in terms of the delay comments, and said "perhaps" If I had to guess I'd speculate that the later arrival in Europe could have just been down to resources; it's a text heavy game, and maybe the localisation just couldn't be done quickly enough.
@meppi Hey it's a Sunday, and I thought this was quite humorous. Sorry if you don't approve! (Unless I'm mis-reading your comment)
@ThomasBW84
Oh no, I wasn't talking about you! You certainly misunderstood what I wrote.
8-4 Play are the guys that translated the game to English. (edit, well the US version anyway) That's why I said that sometimes they just try too hard to be funny. It had nothing to do with this news item.
@meppi Ah, my mistake!
I actually think the US line is bizarre, and utterly out of place. I'm not one that advocates too much caution or censorship, but the NA line isn't funny or well written, in my view. This is one time where I think the safer Nintendo of Europe approach was for the best.
I'd really like to see what the Japanese line was in this particular case.
And I certainly agree. It feels a bit like the old Working Design translations where they try way too hard to make every other line an in-joke.
Certainly not to the same extend, but a bit embarrassing nonetheless.
agh, I hate when they change dialogue for "localization purposes", it ruins the essence of the character speaking it. if the point of the character is to say out of line things then that's part of their character and should not be changed
I'm pretty sure "boingy bits" is used to convey a sort of ditsy/cute attitude. I haven't played the game, but I assume that's Nowi's characterization.
I think the NA version goes off the Japanese more so, cause she's obviously grabbing her "boingy bits" in the window in both captions, but in the Europe version she's talking about her hair? Seems alil weird she's covering her "boingy bits" and talking about her hair lol
I applaud Nintendo of America for keeping the text the way it should have been, instead of something that makes no sense.
Also, when did in a T rated game with "boingy bits" become risque? lol
Edit: Maybe Europe is closer to the Japanese, but I still say the NA makes more sense, even if it seems crude.
I'm European and I would like to express my absolute and fantastic praise to "boingy bits" everywhere!
Meh, I would rather my game clean from these kind of jokes... O.o
Actually, the Japanese script was originally talking about her hair, so the NoA guys added it in themselves.
I presume the two were localised in tandem, similar to what happened to Advance Wars Days of Ruin/Dark Conflict. In that case, NoE's translation (Dark Conflict) was closer to the original Japanese script, so I'm willing to bet NoE's translation was more accurate.
... And as I typed that, @mibbleng confirmed as much.
@tudsworth sonicyouretooslow.mp3
@hydeks If the original Japanese version talked about hair, as confirmed by Mibbleng, how could it be that she was grabbing her "boingy bits" this way? Are you completely sure she was? O.o
Well, I dunno about the original JP script for this convo, but I DO know the guys at 8-4 cut out certain lines from the Avatar x Cordelia supports that could be considered "strange".
What a boingin' arbitrary removal.
@hydeks whos grabbing her "boingy bits"?
As far as I can make out the one on the right has her arms straight downward and the one to the left is clutching a book.
Not to be rude or anything, just wondering who you are refering to.
I believe more the american version because Japanese scripts usually have a little perversion around them. The game's rating says it has "suggestive themes" so I'm pretty sure they are allowed to do this, plus once you read the conversation it kinda makes sense since Tharja just wants to hex the crap out of everyone for talking about her "boingy bits". Why would you get mad for someone complementing your hair?
Kinda glad we got the less crude version to be honest. I'm not really one for over prudence, but that just seems so out of place with what the game's about.
Did they just change the dialogue or the graphics too? I don't generally mind boingy bits (I have enough of my own cough), but when they are unfettered and on display, then I'm not too keen. I am woman, btw.
Just had another thought, it's not a Japanese translation of rhyming slang is it?
boingy-bits? okay? errr....
@Humphries90 Agreed. It's one of the reasons I became turned off from continuing onward with it and ended up selling it. Definitely a turn for the worse, considering the decent dialogue found in NA's Fire Emblem for the GBA-- I actually found myself caring for the characters there, a rare occurrence in the medium.
Strange, the US is generally more prudish than we Europeans. Guess not in this case. Cheeky harmless fun(bags) FTW!!
I hope they didn't get rid of this funny scene
(Chrom-Fredreick level C event)
I love how the WTF tag is used quite often in NL.
That is weird.
@Whirlpool That's in the EU version, actually quite humorous in the context of the scene
@hydeks She is holding a book. She is always standing like that.
For some strange reason, I hear "boingy bits" and Code of Princess comes to mind...
Although I'm offended by the capitalization error, more than anything. Inexcusable.
@Humpries: Nah, the melodramatic story is pretty bad. The humorous dialogue is the main sellling point of the plot. I generally roll my eyes at the serious stuff and chortle 'til my wife is rolling her eyes right out of their sockets at the goofy dialogue. It's the primary reason to bother reading and following the story...
there is nothing wrong with boingy bits... we all love them
I'm pretty sure each translator worked from the Japanese version, each one from their own side and, as this and their different culture show, had a different approach to how they wanted to convey the Japanese script. Hinting at the possibility of this being the reason why the game was delayed in Europe compared to North America, even partially, is quite frankly irrelevant.
Dialogue differences in games were always interesting to me.
This is no exception.
@Stark_Nebula I would say it fits in her how her character would talk.
Doesn't make the line not strange though, more so if Nowi was talking about Tharja's hair in Japanese, I'm guessing they changed it, or it was a translation fail.
No sex please, we're British. And European.
I would have preferred that NA didn't use this version of the script. It's not funny in my eyes, and while Chrom and Fredrick do talk of something similar, it's not referring to anything in particular.
XD
@Xilef yay, I just realized after you said that, she is holding a book, so the NA now makes no sense. Please forgive me, I've never played a Fire Emblem, just going off what the picture shows
That's funny, I thought you Brits were way more comfortable with boingy bits than we were!
Given that English is not my mother tongue, I'll just assume, from the context and the comments above, "boingy bits" means "breasts".
We all know Japanese are on the perv side, but frankly this kind of feels out of place in such a game.
I'm more inclined to think that the NA translators just modified that line.
@Adhrast
Fire Emblem Awakening is more of a trashy romance novel than a serious war drama. If you've played the game, then you'd know it is very much Boingy Bits 'R Us.
@Whirlpool When I first heard about this scene, I thought it was fake. Then when I unlocked the support myself I about died laughing.
It's not the only game with differences between the US and EU versions....they do it with the Professor Layton games too. Not sure why, really.
I knew this game was missing something! Not enough talk about 'boingy bits'!
If only Nintendo could patch in some actual feet! Haha
Another classic example of Getting Crap Past the Radar.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GettingCrapPastTheRadar
English Translators
The US version is very true to Nowi's character. The UK/EU alteration is ridiculous.
People do talk about such things. The chitchat I have overheard at the office....
Well... not sure what to say about the scripts, mine are in italian and I found all the lines great till now, the translators really did a good job here ^O^
Not sure if I'm seeing the "original japanese characters", but whatever I'm reading it's great and raise a lot how fun the game is, so I can't complain ^_^
EDIT: I take all back, just checked the event myself and even the "great italian translation" sound dumb >.>;
Or they tried their best for cover a forced censorship or in Japan touching someone's hairs must be very very bad... I mean... a kid asking that lose all her innocence, really?!?! @o@;
I really hope is some sort of misunderstanding between different cultures, else it would be very ironic that they messed up a dialogue of a map based exactly on that, DIALOGUES! DX
@ToxieDogg
Because some riddles won't work in other languages than English. There are also differences between the Japanese version and the US version.
This is odd XD didn't that line come from the fan-service Dlc though? Kind of expect something like that
I do not think I will ever read anything like that at the rate of my characters dying.
@3Dash
L...O...L
Anyway, I like boingy bits, especially ones soft as pillows.... ANYWAY, rather than be offended or anything, I LAUGHED SO HARD at this article, but err, nice article Thomas..... Awkward silence time....
So have any Japanese speakers taken a look at the original dialogue?
Willing to bet original dialogue talks about boobs rather than hair lol.
great to see that nobody cares about Mibbleng comment which confirmed that in the japanese original she talks about the hair...
This is probably the reason:
http://www.pegi.info/en/index/id/33/
I would not be surprised if the sex label automatically puts a game as being PEGI 16 (like how the gambling label makes it PEGi 12- this changed the Game Corner in Pokemon*). Plus NOE might not exactly want that on the box...especially for a piece of paid DLC. Still, it could be written better "smooth as silk" comes to mind but since it is DLC they could patch it...like thats going to happen.
*-The rules and the timing of them meant European Pokemon Platinum had the game corner cut (still there but the machines don't work).
Here's the full EU convo, plus my own amateur translation of the Japanese convo. I don't have the US version for comparison.
Source for JP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo0oK7juOqo&t=3m25s
EU:
Nowi: Tharja, it's so nice and shiny [note: no ending punctuation]
Tharja: ...What?
Nowi: Didn't you hear me? I said it's so nice and shiny!
Tharja: And what does that mean, exactly? ...Do I even want to hear this?
Nowi: You know! Your hair! it's so sleek, and shiny and stylish! [note: it's should be capitalised]
Tharja: Gods. Is that your idea of a compliment? One moment I'm dealing with a simpering innocent, and the next... sigh
Nowi: Sooo...can I comb it? Oh please, say I can...
Tharja: Why are you even asking ME, anyway? There must be others with more exciting hair than me.
Nowi: Oh, no. I've checked out EVERYBODY in the whooole army, and you know what? You've got the best hair of them all. ...Trust me.
Tharja: What an honour. Perhaps you should check again to be safe? Now go on. Run along.
Nowi: FINE! If you're gonna be like that, I will! CHROM! HEY, CHROM! Tharja wants to know what you think about h-
Tharja: WHAT?! Grr... Pipe down, or I'll hex you into next week!
Nowi: But you just TOLD me to-
Tharja: I changed my mind. No more asking anyone about my hair, you hear?
Nowi: Boo. Well, if I can't comb it, can you at least tell me what it's like to touch?
Tharja: What is this all about? Why do you want to know?
Nowi: Well, I heard some of the men talking about your hair... And they said they bet it was as sleek and soft to the touch as silk. That sounds pretty nice to me! So I decided I had to see for myself.
Tharja: Grrr... When I find out who these men are who've been talking about me... Well, let's just say there are about to be some new toads hopping around camp...
JP (names replaced):
Nowi: Tharja, you've got big ones, right!
Tharja: Nowi, what...?
Nowi: I said, Tharja, you've got big ones!
Tharja: B-Big...? What? That... doesn't sound like a spell. I don't understand what you mean...
Nowi: Tharja, I mean your breasts and buttocks are big !
Tharja: ...!? C-Children may seem innocent, but they can blurt out the most frightening things now and then...
Nowi: Hey~ Tharja, let Nowi touch your big ones!
Tharja: N-No... Touch someone else's, please... There must be someone with even b-bigger ones than me, no...?
Nowi: Whaaaat~! There's nobody like that~! Tharja has the most biggest ones out of everyone Nowi's ever seen!
Tharja: I see... Well, if that is just your personal impression, you may be wrong, no...?
Nowi: Hmph! Well then, I'll ask someone else! Hey! Big brother Chrom~! Tharja's big o-
Tharja: H-Hold on! I'll get mad at you if you say any more!!
Nowi: Aww... Nowi doesn't want you to be mad at Nowi, so Nowi just won't touch them then!
Tharja: Hmph... As long as you understand...
Nowi: Then instead, tell me how soft your big ones are!
Tharja: ...And what is the reason you wish to know?
Nowi: Well, it's what a soldier guy said earlier! "Tharja's big ones must be the best, they're so huge and springy!" That's why Nowi wanted to touch them!
Tharja: !! What a thing to say...! That man... If I ever find out who said that, I'll put a curse on them that never ends...
ok, we have different information regarding this. Someone in the comments at gonintendo said in the JP version she talks about hair and Mibbleng here said the same, but bluesun just gave us a transcript of the JP version where she talks about breasts...
What is right?
@Bluezealand The puzzle differences I can understand....there's lots of little changes to sections of storyline/cutscene dialogue in the Layton games though between the US and EU English versions...even to the extent of the EU versions having a different English speaking voice actor for Luke. I just find it strange and a little pointless.
@Starwolf_UK
that Pegi page, it reminded me that if our real life would be a game it would possibly wear all those labels shown on that page..
@Marioman64
Yeah but you can't always get a direct literal translation as it might translate to something that just doesn't make sense.
There are also times where they are changed to fit the culture. I don't always agree or support changes made but they are sometimes necessary, and I certainly don't hate that it happens.
This is odd. Because usually Europe gets the uncensored/unaltered versions of games. (like PMTTYD)
@bluesun: Ha! I sincerely hope you are pulling that JP translation out of your booty. Just for comedy's sake. Seriously, you'd have my respect.
"Touch someone else's, please.". How many times have we all heard that rejection...?
@Scollurio: So true. In real life people get blown to shreds at a marathon finish line or shot in the head at school. Real life is brutal. Talking about our bodies is so innocent by comparison.
@bluesun
I'm getting the Japanese version, lol.
Breasts......Hmmmm.....Buttocks.......hmm, seems like a win-win
@bluesun #58
It appears that America decided to stay true to the text while the Europeans blushed like twelve year olds and changed it.
@ACK #30
But who really plays Fire Emblem for the story? It's one of those games where story is not even necessary.
@Legromancer #56
Because he didn't have any evidence to back it up.
@ACK
bluesun may be correct on this one. If one looks up one of the words in japanese text in google images (ex: that one word starting with BAINBAIN [if you don't know how to type it in japanese katakana use an online japanese dictionary and type it in CAPS], btw NSFW), you get. . . yeah, what the NOA translation is going for (Also that Tharja Figma thing). Also, on the gonintendo site, there's a user by the name of Tekka who has a translation of that part.
As for me, I like that the NOA translation kept close to the original. It's just odd that Tharja would get so mad about other people looking at her hair.
We all need more boing-boings in the video game world. Be glad that these games even got localized at all. Remember all those wonderful Japanese games that didn't make the cut during the NES/SNES era?
Suprised people are offended by this, this is pretty tame for most JRPGs (Or anime ones I should say.)
But I guess since Awakening is having a much wider audience, NOE decided to change it.
@hydeks
Actually, it looks like she's covering her "boingy bits" with some kind of clip board that she's holding while looking a little embarrassed and/or defensive about something.
Which probably still matches better to someone focusing on and talking about her "boingy bits" than her hair being shiny.
The dastards!
I do love how they use "dastard" in this game.
Anyway, the European version doesn't make sense. While I'm not offended by the other version, I am very disappointed in the writing in general. Most female characters aren't likeable at all, it's like they're only interested in talking about BOYYYS and combing ponies and being pretty, etc... Even the resident awesome person, Sully has her moments. There's way too much male-oriented fanservice, and nothing else--I mean, WTF is wrong with those character designs? No one goes to war half-naked!
Fire Emblem has never had stellar writing, but at least I've never felt excluded from the audience just for having... well, boingy bits.
(I haven't got to the second part yet, maybe it gets better. I hope so)
@Kirk The pose doesn't have anything to do with the context: it's the only one she has.
@Kirk It's a tome
Do gerome supports with indigo
If in doubt, get around pedophilia by calling your pre-pubescent girls 1,000 years old!
Thanks for the new chat up line, Nintendo.
Just to point something out: THIS IS FROM A DLC EPISODE. If you didn't want to, you'd normally won't have to ever read this conversation. Besides, the Scramble DLC episodes are pretty much the equivalent of festival, beach, and hot spring episodes in anime. They exist solely for fan service and ridiculous lines and comedy. Besides, "boingy-bits"? This is extremely tame and kinda makes sense for Nowi to be asking stuff like that.
...I want to get the European version of Fire Emblem Awakening now. Damn it Nintendo of America, this is Fire Emblem for goodness sake, not a soul successor of the Mother series!
I am never in favor of altering the meaning of the original script.
@DarkKirby then go learn Japanese
I'd be willing to wait any amount of extra time to have that junk removed even if it is in a DLC episode. Count yourselves lucky, Europeans.
Anyway, I think I'll go with DKCR 3D instead. This sort of thing turns me off, and there's probably more like it in the rest of the game. Or at least so I've heard from the rating boards.
It's not a total loss for me though. That's $40 more dollars I won't have to spend, and I won't be tempted to drop extra money on the DLC.
@Fusion14
It's not just Japanese, I mean any game or movie from any country, I don't want localizers and translators changing the meaning of the original script because they assume I'm an idiot that "wouldn't understand" or "wouldn't get it". If I don't know what it is I'll look it up, I don't need people changing and dumbing stuff down so I have to think less.
"No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have researched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby."
— H. L. Mencken, "Notes on Journalism"
http://tinyurl.com/y88hz99
@Five-seveN
I don't know it's necessary to point this out but you are overreacting big time. You make it sound like an interactive hentai game.
If there is more innuendo I haven't come across it yet. In fact I haven't found any inappropriate dialogue yet, as I haven't even initiated this 'boingy' discussion.
This type of response always gets me though. It doesn't even have to be sexual acts or nudity, but even dialogue is too much...in a game where diplomacy doesn't exist, success and victory celebrations are based on you murdering them before they murder you.
@sweetiepiejonus That doesn't matter to me. It's unneeded, and I don't like that sort of thing. It's not that I'm overreacting and saying, "OH SUGGESTIVE DIALOGUE I'M GONNA BOYCOTT IT!" It's just that it bothers me and dulls my interest in the game. Besides, I already said it would save me 40 bucks, and there are a lot of other games that I want to get so this just helps me narrow down the choices.
@Five-seveN
If it didn't matter then why is it affecting your decision to buy the game? I didn't mean overreact as in typing all caps and using exclamations. Just that you are acting on one example and what you "heard" from ratings boards and telling Europeans they are lucky. It's just silly.
A backlog is isn't a ridiculous excuse to have to pass on a game. Too bad you are letting such a petty minor event prevent you from playing an awesome game. It's your loss though.
Lord knows I've played many games that have had things I thought were unneeded but still enjoyed the heck outta them. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to this amazing game, and I'll leave you to your stand against sexual innuendo in video games.
@sweetiepiejonus I was saying it doesn't matter in the sense that I don't care it how minor it may be, and I don't think it has any place in video games. Do you have to be so rude? My decision isn't hurting you so don't get so upset please...
@Five-seveN
Sorry I didn't mean to be rude. Now that I re read I was and apologize. I should have just said you are missing out if you pass on this.
No, your decision isn't hurting me. But it does Intelligent Systems. I can't force you to think a certain way and it's too bad because they really nailed it with this game. That is apparent as many people had never tried (or even heard of) Fire Emblem and there wasn't a bombardment of advertising to hype it up or convincing people to buy it.
@Kirk I guess to clarify — she's a mage. She's holding a spell book.
Lol!
@softserve
Makes sense.
@Marioman64
I know right? It annoys me to no end.
@sweetiepiejonus That's okay, man. Apology accepted.
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