NDS Tomodachi Collection (fully English Patched) DS rom

[richterw]

Full translation by morelikejonarbuckle0. "The foundation of this translation relies on Deepl, an AI translator. It's the most accurate one I can find. Otherwise, I used ChatGPT for phrases that don't translate well. This was originally done by @jjjewel (who's pretty much gone from the internet past 2015). I kept noticing little differences and oddities in the text and I thought I could try and rewrite everything and a bit more. @LandonAndEmma was going to do a similar thing, so I wanted them to join me so we can make the best version of Tomodachi Collection (in English) possible. The […]

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• Tomodachi Collection (fully English Patched) DS rom
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[Zuckerberg]

you know what else uses artificial intelligence?
NPCs in games
the luddites want us to all go back to living in caves bang rocks together and be afraid of fire or else the big scary ones and zeros in computer data will make him real

"Why are you against using knives to stab people, when knives are also used to cook" type comment.

 

[Juiceala]

I hope someone is inspired to translate this game properly.

One of the hurdles with this game in particular is due to the English language limitation, unlike phonetic languages like Japanese, English has no rules when it comes to pronunciation, so when you type words to make the characters speak they won't recognize all the quirks, silent letters and inconsistencies.

Think how people made Vocaloid speak Engrish after a lot of work, intentionally spelling words like how they would be pronounced which ends up sounding awkward at best, the only way to fix this issue properly is to hack the voice system in the game and add an English dictionary which requires reprogramming the audio system entirely, not sure how they got around that.

 

[William]

I hope someone is inspired to translate this game properly.

 

[gxm]

Ah, I've been DYING for a translation of this. Much love.

Also, to all you bitching about AI: it's a tool that will improve and inevitably be used by everyone in the coming decades, and it's already proven to be a sustainable business venture that rakes in billions every year. It's not going away, so shut up and get over yourselves.

you know what else uses artificial intelligence?
NPCs in games
the luddites want us to all go back to living in caves bang rocks together and be afraid of fire or else the big scary ones and zeros in computer data will make him real

 

[richterw]

As someone who has played the OG translation by jjjewel EXTENSIVELY (been going for all the achievements on RA)
View attachment 207363View attachment 207368


I don't really see the need for this translation, like it seems this dev is retreading water to get any amount of attention they can get (imo). You can get feel for the game with the human translation alone! everything makes sense and with the exception of some descriptions and news reports, its just already a pretty great way to enjoy this game if you want to give the original a try.

Just wanted to put my two cents out there as someone who loves Tomodachi Collection/Life :-]

That felt like a level-headed and respectful opinion, and while i appreciate the politeness, i disagree on the author just wanting attention.

He went the extra mile and translated graphics, which means redrawing signs on billboards, on models, on events, using photoshop or any other drawing tool. Which is an extra effort that he could ignore if he just wanted to do a "lazy-complete" patch, only focusing on written text.

And having all the news articles readable makes this probably way closer to what an official release this game would look like. I would not have shared this if i thought it wasn't worth the trouble and the anger that i knew would come my way (not from you, obviously).

 

[impmonic]

Ah, I've been DYING for a translation of this. Much love.

Also, to all you bitching about AI: it's a tool that will improve and inevitably be used by everyone in the coming decades, and it's already proven to be a sustainable business venture that rakes in billions every year. It's not going away, so shut up and get over yourselves.

what a smart, educated, and sophisticated person. i'm almost envious of you.

 

[GameNerdy]

Ah, I've been DYING for a translation of this. Much love.

Also, to all you bitching about AI: it's a tool that will improve and inevitably be used by everyone in the coming decades, and it's already proven to be a sustainable business venture that rakes in billions every year. It's not going away, so shut up and get over yourselves.

 

[Binho]

This version crashed for me

 

[chetstarr]

not a fan of AI but I think these machine translations are pretty cool, giving folks a chance to play games that might of never got a translation

 

[chaikoopa]

As someone who has played the OG translation by jjjewel EXTENSIVELY (been going for all the achievements on RA)

I don't really see the need for this translation, like it seems this dev is retreading water to get any amount of attention they can get (imo). You can get feel for the game with the human translation alone! everything makes sense and with the exception of some descriptions and news reports, its just already a pretty great way to enjoy this game if you want to give the original a try.

Just wanted to put my two cents out there as someone who loves Tomodachi Collection/Life :-]

 

[WitchDetective]

I think in this case people should be more understanding. I played the original partial translation. It's completely playable. But the incompleteness might be off putting for some people. Japanese text pops up in places and you will occasionally get fully untranslated Mii News. It looks like it might be funny but you can't understand it. It's just easier to enjoy something with a more complete translation.

There are a few mini games that rely on understanding of Japanese text, such as Butt Writing. i.e. a mii wiggles their butt in the shape of a hiragana and you need to properly guess the character. This is one place where the original translation shines. The hiragana keyboard is not translated and you can use it to memorize hiragana. I don't know if this translation left it in. But it really helps with the butt writing game.

There's lots of fun stuff in this game that's unique since it was a Japanese exclusive and they didn't have to modify anything for international players.

Completely fair for folks to wanna give games a go with the new translations. I wouldn't knock on those people for wanting to do that. The whole conversation makes me feel a lot older when I remember folks like myself relying on some guy having a full translation guide/walkthrough to use for when you were really desperate to try a game out. Shin Megami Tensei games would tend to have that kind of thing if I remember correctly.
At the end of the day though, I'm glad the curation team goes through the effort to even have a machine translation tag in the first place. I'm sure they have a lot on their plate as is without flame wars in the comments all the time. I just don't want the comments to only reflect one voice on the matter and aim for people to be respectful at the end of the day. Seems with the conversation you can't make either side that happy, which stinks because Tomodachi Life is amazing and I love this series to bits honestly.

 

[Adrastia]

I'm glad it got explained that there was already a separate and incomplete human translation since I was feeling very confused at the machine translation tag on this one. The fellows mentioning a form of filter for the machine translation tag might be onto something in regards to that curbing toxic arguments in the comments. I'm sure the curators get a lot of flack for hosting them here and I'm sure even the people complaining are thankful for their work, even if they don't say it. I would be lying though if there didn't seem to be a bias for AI peddling in the comments at times. Complaints from users is no doubt important as much as the well-being and willingness to post that the curators have, so talking down to users for their complaints (even if unreasonable) doesn't seem like a smart move to me. In that same breath though, user's should try to understand and accept that we don't actually own or rule the site either. House rules and all that.

I think in this case people should be more understanding. I played the original partial translation. It's completely playable. But the incompleteness might be off putting for some people. Japanese text pops up in places and you will occasionally get fully untranslated Mii News. It looks like it might be funny but you can't understand it. It's just easier to enjoy something with a more complete translation.

There are a few mini games that rely on understanding of Japanese text, such as Butt Writing. i.e. a mii wiggles their butt in the shape of a hiragana and you need to properly guess the character. This is one place where the original translation shines. The hiragana keyboard is not translated and you can use it to memorize hiragana. I don't know if this translation left it in. But it really helps with the butt writing game.

There's lots of fun stuff in this game that's unique since it was a Japanese exclusive and they didn't have to modify anything for international players.

 

[WitchDetective]

I'm glad it got explained that there was already a separate and incomplete human translation since I was feeling very confused at the machine translation tag on this one. The fellows mentioning a form of filter for the machine translation tag might be onto something in regards to that curbing toxic arguments in the comments. I'm sure the curators get a lot of flack for hosting them here and I'm sure even the people complaining are thankful for their work, even if they don't say it. I would be lying though if there didn't seem to be a bias for AI peddling in the comments at times. Complaints from users is no doubt important as much as the well-being and willingness to post that the curators have, so talking down to users for their complaints (even if unreasonable) doesn't seem like a smart move to me. In that same breath though, user's should try to understand and accept that we don't actually own or rule the site either. House rules and all that.

 

[CSmith327]

Once a better and complete translation is made, it will replace and be the definitive option. So far, we have:

- a complete machine translation
- an incomplete human translation
- the japanese original

Even with all these choices, people tend to get angry when they hear the complete version was made with the 2 magic letters.

They prefer nothing, which is a valid choice. What is not valid, is wanting to push their preferences over others, and to deprive them of their own choice of playing it.

That's a very toxic approach that I wish people would stop doing. Trying to force their idea that if AI is the only one available then nobody should be allowed access to it

 

[richterw]

I like the idea of being able to filter machine translated roms out like you can filter out adult content. I understand that some people don't even want to mess with them because of how inferior they view them.

Personally, I prefer to have the option even though I think I have only downloaded one or two games that were machine translated and I haven't even tried to play them yet.

In any text heavy game, I would be surprised if anyone is happy with a machine translation. I mean, old games get retranslated and those tend to become the best version. There is no reason fans wouldn't look forward to and adopt a translation from human translators.

Once a better and complete translation is made, it will replace and be the definitive option. So far, we have:

- a complete machine translation
- an incomplete human translation
- the japanese original

Even with all these choices, people tend to get angry when they hear the complete version was made with the 2 magic letters.

They prefer nothing, which is a valid choice. What is not valid, is wanting to push their preferences over others, and to deprive them of their own choice of playing it.

 

[theKlois]

I like the idea of being able to filter machine translated roms out like you can filter out adult content. I understand that some people don't even want to mess with them because of how inferior they view them.

Personally, I prefer to have the option even though I think I have only downloaded one or two games that were machine translated and I haven't even tried to play them yet.

In any text heavy game, I would be surprised if anyone is happy with a machine translation. I mean, old games get retranslated and those tend to become the best version. There is no reason fans wouldn't look forward to and adopt a translation from human translators.

 

[richterw]

Relevant article from The Big Translation Hacker
"The very serious part-time unofficial hobby of videogame fan-translation" by Hilltop

I've read this article before. It's clear he's against MTL translations for 2 reasons:
1 - simply because it is what he does to receive donations through patreon.
If everyone uses AI to get into it, he loses possible means for income.
2 - people are against it, so he's against it.

He's not the "definitive specialist" voice to hear on the topic. This text keeps getting shared as if his opinion should be taken as the gospel that will debunk any argument.

The whole "translation is art" angle, while valid, is an artifice used to monopolize the craft.

This discussion goes in loops, around and around, neverending and repeating itself, like an ouroboros.

The conclusion will always be this:
- Hilltop will not work on every niche and obscure life-simulation rpg with hundreds of dialogue lines.
- A random dude with internet connection and passion will brute force through all his limitations, and by sheer will of seeing a 30 year old game playable, he will do it, using any means he can. And he will be blasted for having used a tool, but he doesn't care, because he and others enjoying that forgotten game is his end goal, no matter what.

 

[bombatomba77]

Well, if anything the machine translation might make the game even weirder.

 

[Kero]

Relevant article from The Big Translation Hacker
"The very serious part-time unofficial hobby of videogame fan-translation" by Hilltop

 

[richterw]

well, yes, but there are other implications as well. i don't think the excessive use of ai should be treated as harmless just because it produces more output. even outside fan translation, the broader ai discussion is already moving toward the idea that speed and availability should not be the only priorities. recently, anthropic called for major ai labs to consider a coordinated, verifiable pause if risks rise, warning that rapid ai development could move faster than society can properly manage. so, even in the ai industry itself, there is a growing recognition that "we can produce more, faster" is not automatically a good thing.

not to mention that nobody should become completely dependent on ai in the first place. if people start treating ai as a replacement for actual technical knowledge, then eventually we may end up with fewer real programmers and rom hackers who genuinely understand what they are doing inside the code.

The summary is that generally speaking, AI as a concept, in theory, supposedly, is bad.
In reality and in the specific case of game translations, it allows passionate fans of obscure games to take the matter in their hands and work on forgotten games.

It is not the same as generative AI that creates books and images, stealing other people's works, but everyone tends to classify it all as one thing.

Also, people selectively use AI in their everyday life (gps, translators, auto-complete, etc...), and selectively, they choose to get outraged at one aspect of it, and be ok at another, when it aleviates their burden.

 

[Juiceala]

I'll just share this meme I made a while ago.

 

[richterw]

I'm confused, I've had an english translated rom of this on my R4 for over a year at this point... Was it just an early version of this MTL one?

The earlier translation was missing news and graphics (things that had to be manually edited in photoshop). This one is the whole thing.

 

[dkpopman]

I'm confused, I've had an english translated rom of this on my R4 for over a year at this point... Was it just an early version of this MTL one?

 

[impmonic]

Luckly for us, each new MTL created means that a game has the hacking aspect figured out. All that is missing now is someone with alot of free time and fluent enough in japanese to work on it for free out of his good will, so, half the job is done.

well, yes, but there are other implications as well. i don't think the excessive use of ai should be treated as harmless just because it produces more output. even outside fan translation, the broader ai discussion is already moving toward the idea that speed and availability should not be the only priorities. recently, anthropic called for major ai labs to consider a coordinated, verifiable pause if risks rise, warning that rapid ai development could move faster than society can properly manage. so, even in the ai industry itself, there is a growing recognition that "we can produce more, faster" is not automatically a good thing.

not to mention that nobody should become completely dependent on ai in the first place. if people start treating ai as a replacement for actual technical knowledge, then eventually we may end up with fewer real programmers and rom hackers who genuinely understand what they are doing inside the code.

 

[richterw]

well, that was only one of the issues i mentioned, but now we have three examples of games: ex troopers and the ones you mentioned.

not a very high number, at least for now.

Luckly for us, each new MTL created means that a game has the hacking aspect figured out. All that is missing now is someone with alot of free time and fluent enough in japanese to work on it for free out of his good will, so, half the job is done.