Lost in Translation...

[Wolf Kanno]

I've always been curious to know what was changed when Ted Woosly translated this game. Squenix didn't bother giving it a new translation when it was re-released in Anthology. I don't know if it will get a new translation when it comes out on the GBA.

I just wanted to know what was changed besides the obvious spells and items. I know that most of the summons were renamed (Midgard Zolom = Terrato, Jihad = Crusader, and so on)

I don't think the plot was really changed, just poorly translated at some points but nothing was really changed. At least from what I've heard.

Anyone wish to spread their wisdom and knowledge on the subject?

[NeoCracker]

I thought the translation was fine. Some people say Kefka swore a lot and they edited that, but oh well.

[Clord]

Kefka's swearing words was changed and you can find some other badly translated things. Also Kefka actually is Cefka.

[NeoCracker]

The Spelling of Cefka is a bit confusing to me, as I don't know exactly how to convert symbols to letters, but don't spell it how its pronounced? If so wouldn't it be whatever the translator said it was?

It sounds cooler without the swears though, as Kefka says someAwsome things.

BtW: Kefka > Cefka

[Roto13]

It's pronounced with a K sound so either spelling is acceptable.

Let's see, what can I remember... Doomgaze was Deathgaze, Elaine and Owain had Japanese names, Kefka swore like a drunken sailor, the "Book of Secrets" was porn, Blitzes were called... I don't remember. Something else. Oh, and every character had a job under their name in the status screen. There's more, but that's all that's jumping into my head.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Just about any names or lines that were changed in Woolsey's translation can be attributed to one or more of the following reasons.

• Space restrictions (Phoenix Down to Fenix Down, Thundaga to Bolt3, etc.)
• Nintendo's censorship policies (Holy to Pearl, Death to Doom, "damn it" to "I hate you," Celes's attempted suicide, etc.)
• The difference between appealing to a Japanese audience and an American one (Shun to Owain, Sabotender to Cactrot, Relm referring to herself in the first person, etc.)
• The opportunity to spruce up dull spots in the script. (Just about all of Kefka's memorable lines, etc.)

[Avarice-ness]

It's pronounced with a K sound so either spelling is acceptable.

Let's see, what can I remember... Doomgaze was Deathgaze, Elaine and Owain had Japanese names, Kefka swore like a drunken sailor, the "Book of Secrets" was porn, Blitzes were called... I don't remember. Something else. Oh, and every character had a job under their name in the status screen. There's more, but that's all that's jumping into my head.

Like a drunken Kefka sailor with a rabite pirate hat?

?

But yeah, the only times I've seen Kefka with a C is on Piano Collections sheet music, Art Books, and then when I loaded my Grand Finale Cd into my computer it said Cefka.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

He's Cefca to the Japanese. But since that would be pronounced "sef-ka" in accordance with basic English pronounciation rules, and because "Kefca" looks dumb, it was changed to Kefka.

[Roto13]

[*]The difference between appealing to a Japanese audience and an American one (Relm referring to herself in the first person, etc.)

God, I'm so glad they changed that. That was really annoying in the SkyRender translation. >_<

[LunarWeaver]

Kefka swore a lot originally? I'm so behind the times in all the FFVI knowledge, yeesh. Does that mean his lines like "Son of a submariner" were something else? Because call me a Debbie Downer, but I like that much better than him going all Barret about it.

[Roto13]

Oh, Kefka is a LOT better in the American version. "Son of a submariner" was "Son of a bitch" in the Japanese version. Boo and hiss!

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Not exactly, but you've got the right idea.

[KoShiatar]

Sky Render made a complete list of the differences between the American version and the Japanese version, but his own translation is debatable, at times, and sometimes just mistaken.

[Roto13]

Sky Render made a complete list of the differences between the American version and the Japanese version, but his own translation is debatable, at times, and sometimes just mistaken.

You translated the whole thing yourself, didn't you? What did Sky Render get wrong?

[KoShiatar]

Sky Render made a complete list of the differences between the American version and the Japanese version, but his own translation is debatable, at times, and sometimes just mistaken.

You translated the whole thing yourself, didn't you? What did Sky Render get wrong?

Uh, lots of minor stuff, mostly related to Japanese grammar or interpretation (hence the "debatable"). No one of these mistakes changed heavily the meaning of a scene, but some sentences just mean something else.