Retranslation Project of FF7 IN PROGRESS

[seiferalmasy2]

*due to plagarism from elsewhere, I have had to restrict access to this project*

YouTube - Final Fantasy VII - Example of Story Based Walk Through
an example of the enhanced FF7. Soon it will also be a story based walk through with retranslated text

This is to notify all Final Fantasy VII lovers of our ongoing project to finally release this game as was intended. It is, to my knowledge, the only real attempt that has been made on this scale.

I have moved the project to my own snooker forum. I hope that most of you will welcome this change. The mod itself is only for the PC version which now has updated graphics courtesy of fanmade mods. The PC version now works fully on Vista and XP with updated graphics. I am also in the process of changing the movie files to psx movie files. The PC version now also supports other movie formats and will eventually fully support H264. The PC version has now reached a stage where it completely trumps the PSX version.

It also has many tools for editing the game, including all dialogue and names.


AT the moment we consist of myself (the organiser and researcher but I do not know the language aside from basic Katakana) and 4 other japanese speakers.

Please do not sign up at my forum unless you speak Japanese or wish to paricipate in Snooker discussion as it bogs down the progress of this project.

You will notice straight away the amount of work we have put in. The dialogue retranslating will begin shortly.

I have generally taken a step back from other forums because I have a rather arrogant personality which doesn't want to be held back and as such arguments seem to happen all over esp with die hard fanboys

If you wish to comment on this mod or make any statements or other debate then please do so here. I hope you all enjoy and appreciate the effort we are placing in. The majority of the items on the above link have already been changed in the program files of FF7

[trancekuja]

Wow, that's pretty ambitious of you guys...but I like the idea, and wish you the best of luck!

[seiferalmasy2]

Yeah I will also add, it IS possible to change the PSX version fully, or at least it will be very very shortly, because a friend of mine has almost finished programming the needed mod tools.

However, I feel changing the PSX version is a bit futile when so much work has been placed into the PC which is available for all....

It has matured. I am now preparing the short youtube video I made when I was making a story based walk through. I altered it using the available mods. It will demonstrate to you where the PC version is at.

Ready soon.

[trancekuja]

Awesome, make sure to inform us when you set up the video. I for one, would love to check it out. And no, I'm not a fanboy.

[seiferalmasy2]

well by fanboy I mean is the type that get all emotional and gung ho :P because "you are changing FF7! It was ok as it was! It was perfect"

Hopefully most will realise that they hav a choice whether to play the finished article and judging by all the changes, it was far from perfect.

I think Political correctness got in the way too, for example, one of Cid's weapons is Longinus, the spear that struck Christ. It has been renamed to "Spirit lance" in the english version.

Tons of mistakes with localisation too

Phoenix down = Phoenix Tail
megalixir = Last Elixir

and Ochu isn't even Ochu!

[trancekuja]

Hehe, I was just kidding,man. I really like the fact that someone would take the time to do something like this! Best of luck,seifer!

[seiferalmasy2]

cool

edit:

YouTube - Final Fantasy VII - Example of Story Based Walk Through


Notice:

1. Transparent Text Boxes
2. New models
3. PSX FMV
4. proper music files inc orchestra ones and Black mages
5. No battles in my walk through, cut out using a code :P

I will demonstrate the game retranslated later

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

• I don't know why you "correct" Joker Death to "Death Joker" when the kana clearly favors the former.
• Fury Brand as "Mark of Rage" and Beat Rush as "Strike Rush" (among others) seem like arbitrary semantic differences.
• Changing all instances of "W" to "Double" might be fair enough if you have the space, but if you need an abbreviation, altering the one already in place to "2x" is just unnecessary. People understand that "W" means double.
• Again, if you're concerned with accuracy, as well as not perpetuating mistakes made in other titles (like rendering Otyugh as "Ochu"), the kana for Fire 3 actually reads Figa, not "Firaga."
• "Cometeo" is a pun: "ko-meteo" would mean "little Meteor." I don't know if you're actually concerned with reflecting this in translation, but I thought I'd point it out since you don't mention it.
• If not, it would at least be Cometeor. Meteo is Meteor. Even the original localization of FFVII got that much right.
• Daikai Shou is Ocean Collision, not "Big Tidal Wave." I could see you getting "big" from the "dai" in daikai, but that's more of an implicit modifier (just like daichi in Titan's attack, just a few lines above). "Tidal wave" isn't in there at all.
• "Raijinchō: Bird of Thor [I chose this]." I can sympathize with shortening a name if you're working with space restrictions, but claiming "translation error corrected" when you're applying your own creative license appears disingenuous.

Finally:

Knowlespole
[Referred to by Professor Gast and Ifalna, Knowespole seems to be a slight warp of "North Pole". I have submitted this to the vote]

It's less "a slight warp" and more "a deranged mangling of a simple, common phrase, emblematic of the unbelievably brain-dead state of the entire localization." If you don't make a single other change to the game, for the love of kids, fix this mess.

Oh, and the best of luck to you.

[seiferalmasy2]

I don't know why you "correct" Joker Death to "Death Joker" when the kana clearly favors the former

Joker Death sounds awkward, the correct way of stating a joker of death is Death Joker. I didn't take this change lightly, but it is so small....I may even reverse the decision.

Fury Brand as "Mark of Rage" and Beat Rush as "Strike Rush" (among others) seem like arbitrary semantic differences.

Maybe but they are closer or often sound better. Sometimes it is simply because it would be a bad habit to leave some and not others.

Changing all instances of "W" to "Double" might be fair enough if you have the space, but if you need an abbreviation, altering the one already in place to "2x" is just unnecessary. People understand that "W" means double.

They may know W is double as that is obvious, however I am told the Japanese seem to belive it means Double and not Double U. Any case, W is not Double and so I can't use it. BAre in mind that the materia is called "Double Summon" but it reads in the command menu as 2x Sum.

Again, if you're concerned with accuracy, as well as not perpetuating mistakes made in other titles (like rendering Otyugh as "Ochu"), the kana for Fire 3 actually reads Figa, not "Firaga."

Well spotted. I will put this to the team.

"Cometeo" is a pun: "ko-meteo" would mean "little Meteor." I don't know if you're actually concerned with reflecting this in translation, but I thought I'd point it out since you don't mention it.

It may be hard to reflect that but thanks a lot for mentioning it. I will amend

If not, it would at least be Cometeor. Meteo is Meteor. Even the original localization of FFVII got that much right.

well spotted again. Actually it didn't in some cases such as Tifa's limits.

Daikai Shou is Ocean Collision, not "Big Tidal Wave." I could see you getting "big" from the "dai" in daikai, but that's more of an implicit modifier (just like daichi in Titan's attack, just a few lines above). "Tidal wave" isn't in there at all.

I will place this to the team, I was always annoyed by big tidal wave.

"Raijinchō: Bird of Thor [I chose this]." I can sympathize with shortening a name if you're working with space restrictions, but claiming "translation error corrected" when you're applying your own creative license appears disingenuous.

I was told it was literally "Bird of a thunder god" It sounds so wrong to do it another way. I try my best NOT to use license, but sometimes it is necessary and Thor is a thunder god.


It's less "a slight warp" and more "a deranged mangling of a simple, common phrase, emblematic of the unbelievably brain-dead state of the entire localization." If you don't make a single other change to the game, for the love of kids, fix this mess.

What would you call it? Nortzpole? NorzPole?

It certainly isn't directly "NorthPole"

and thanks a lot for your input. If you can find me more of the Enemy moves in japanese so we can complete the whole thing?

Also, there are a few Chocobo food I have summised.

[aJaguarinRed]

At the very least this may prompt Square Enix to realize that if they don't remake the original then the fans will and that just makes for bad business... I'm excited.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

What would you call it? Nortzpole? NorzPole?

It certainly isn't directly "NorthPole"

I think it should at least be recognizable that it's meant to resemble "North Pole." The exact Romanization is probably a matter of personal preference, though.

and thanks a lot for your input.

Likewise, thanks for taking my comments well. Not everyone who does this kind of thing is so understanding.

If you can find me more of the Enemy moves in japanese so we can complete the whole thing?

I'll see what I can do!

[seiferalmasy2]

It is good to be among people who use facts and find problems that are genuine and not just a sad excuse to put the project down. I am afraid most forums are filled with people who simply act like crazed maniacs to derail the topic.

Your kind of help is the help that is needed.

I take it you are a good speaker of the Japanese language?

When I have finished the entire listing, it goes to everyone to look through it in detail and bring up any problems they have. That will be pretty much the end of the none dialogue areas. I hope you will help with that final stage when it arrives

There are a LOT of enemy moves..... and I found quite a few with the japanese but some of them.... nothing.

The writing in pink is the conflicting areas where I dont know what it should be, and havent placed it to the translators...also, sometimes they dont know either. We spent a lot of time working out origins too.... chocobo food is recent. Me and gemini worked out that it is minerals, trees and the like. For example Rutile and tantalum.

If you can help with any of the pink writing esp in the items and characters area, it is welcome. YOur opinions and facts are taken on board. I don't have the power to overrule what is essentially a fact anyway. For example, cometeo HAS tio be cometeor. I don't geta choice there and nor would I want one. The idea is to get it looking great but also to stick as close as possible to the intended translation.

I may even have to use "bird of a thunder god" because you are right, it is license and I don't like doing that :P

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...2008/menu1.png
http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...sy2008/222.jpg

note underwater is back as 1 word. Also, second picture shows 1 area underlined that I can't edit. I have brought the issue up with the modders. I did not name the characters that haha

Kawaii Ryûkishi

I placed your corrections to 1 of the team.

Said:

1. it's more like Firega, Figa is a slang term for female genitalia

figa

2. Agrees on "little meteor"

3. Agrees on Ocean Collision also.

Edit by Psychotic: Hey seiferalmasy2, please don't double post. Use the edit/delete button if you have more to say. Thanks a lot, and good luck with your project!

[MJN SEIFER]

I have been reading through the translations and I am finding it very interesting - I have always been interested in translation errors/changes, and as much as I love FFVII I have always wonderd what some of the legendary name changes of monsters, items, attacks etc where (people here would often say certain things where poor translations, but wouldn't say what they where.)

[seiferalmasy2]

Hey Ryu, You know anything about these:


Kearu > ケアル > Care not Cure
Kearura > ケアルア > Carera not Cura
Kearuga > ケアルダ > Carega not Curaga

< That was put up as a possibility. Certainly it seems more plausible to the romaji? What say you?

:P

And:

Gysahl/Gizzard Greens > ギサールの野菜 > Gisahl Greens
[ Gysahl Greens - The Final Fantasy Wiki has more Final Fantasy information than Cid could research
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Gysa ... asy_III%29
They get their name from the town in FF3 where they were first bought
There is still debate on what the town is properly translated to:
Gisahl, Gizarl among them
Has a duplicate named Gizzard Greens]

=========

not sure how many of you saw this but I found it fascinating. I discovered a lot of the background information with the translations myself iand with some digging worked out this one >

Teioh > トウホウフハイ > Tōhōfuhai > Eastern Invincible/Unbeaten
[Tohofuhai, meaning Master Asia is a character in a Japanese Anime
List of Mobile Fighter G Gundam characters - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The manga borrowed the name, however, from a character in a chinese novel The Smiling, Proud Wanderer Dongfang Bubai - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 東方不敗
The name means Eastern Unbeaten/Eastern Invincible/Asian Invincible/
For that reason I have named Teioh (which means Emperor in Japanese) Eastern Invincible]

[Bolivar]

This is awesome! Good luck.