What are your gaming translation white whales? Games you want to see translated but feel it'll never happen?

[Chapu]

Since they are a lot, I'll just post a list:

UFO: A Day in the Life

Wait, I'm pretty sure "UFO" already has a fan translation!

Niongyo no Rakuin for PS1 - I love more modern-setting rpgs and horror games, so this seems like a really cool Lovecraftian plot I'd love to play through. Love the art style and really baffled why this never saw wider release or translation.

Oooh, I actually tried to do that one, but had to drop it since it's a wee bit above my expertise level now. Or it was back in mid-December, ha. Can't promise anything besides I'll give it another look once I finish my current project.

 

[Nidstang]

Do you have any documentation of translation differences, especially for the more recent games? I thought Unicorn Overlord's script was great, curious to see the differences.

Here's a Youtube channel that dedicates his time to showing how bad English localization more often than not is. He also posts examples on Twitter regularly.
Here's his Playlist on Valkyria Chronicles

Gaming Re:Translated: Valkyria Chronicles

Here's all my streams for re:translated on Valkyria Chronicles

www.youtube.com

His Playlist on Valkyria Chronicles 4

Gaming Re:Translated - Valkyria Chronicles 4

A collection of all my VC4 Streams, highlights will be in a seperate playlist

www.youtube.com

His video about Unicorn Overlord

This particular Youtuber doesn't have an issue with the localization of Unicorn Overlord, but he does provide examples showcasing just how off the English translation is.

Some Twitter posts pointing out examples in the recent Trails game. If you scroll through any of these accounts you'll see plenty of examples from other games too.

Localization makes a mockery of Japanese works. This is a complete embarrassment & it's absurd that this is what's considered a professional job. Anyone who sees fit to insert this nonsense should be barred from the industry.pic.twitter.com/TSaAlEn9rh

— Scratch Point (@Scratch_Point_Z) February 12, 2025

https://twitter.com/x/status/1889319684110975339

"This English translation work is based on the fan-translation by Geofront, as confirmed on Geofront's official website." https://t.co/xS8Y49cgRX pic.twitter.com/94IkfAFOSP

— Zakogdo (@zakogdo) December 21, 2024

https://x.com/GiveMeBanHammer/status/1892025809067516237
https://x.com/TheSunReaper0/status/1892069165969621209

Article about how Final Fantasy VIII was just straight up translated incorrectly.

Legends of Localization: Squall’s “Whatever” Line in Japanese Final Fantasy VIII

Squall's catchphrase appears much more often in English than in Japanese.

legendsoflocalization.com

Just a few examples. You can find examples for all sorts of games, some more egregious than others.

 

[CG4R12I4N]

Unicorn Overlord's localizations literally changed characters dialogues to be different from the source, some are even much worse implicitly on the impact for the story plot because this is Matsuno's complex writing we're talking about.

 

[SpaceCadetGenocide]

I've posted this before in other threads but I'll post it again:
The Summon Night mainline games from 1-4
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someday, when I become more proficient in Japanese I'll try to take the incentive and learn to romhack so I can do it myself because Summon Night is also on my list

 

[Omegapunch's iconOmegapunch]

someday, when I become more proficient in Japanese I'll try to take the incentive and learn to romhack so I can do it myself because Summon Night is also on my list

If you do, please tell me!
I'd love to see it!

 

[WerewolfJones]

One of my big ones in SMT Nine has already been mentioned. That being the case, my other white whale is Xenosaga I+II for DS, particularly since its version of II seems to be a much better/true to the original intention of Episode II than what we got for PS2.

 

[Romance90]

I have always wanted to play Memories off but sadly I can`t and I have always wanted to play

Uta no☆Prince-sama as well.​

Memories Off series

 

[Mago]

Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Summoner for the Saturn - iirc the last major SMT release that has not been translated yet?

Niongyo no Rakuin for PS1 - I love more modern-setting rpgs and horror games, so this seems like a really cool Lovecraftian plot I'd love to play through. Love the art style and really baffled why this never saw wider release or translation.

London Seirei Tanteidan for PS1 - charming art style and animations. They're something that is supremely endearing about Japanese stories involving Western cultures., The translation effort isn't dead totally on romhacking so here's hoping I can try this someday.

deSPIRIA for the Dreamcast - what a fascinating premise and gorgeous and spooky art style. Would really love to play through this someday.

DeSPIRIA is one I've been wanting really bad as well ever since I learned of its existence. Apparently its really hard to hack. I'll look into Niongyo no Rakuin. I think London Seirei Tanteidan will get translated soon enough.

 

[Waffle_the_Great]

Advanced World War Sennen Teikoku no Koubou: Last of the Millennium (Sega Saturn) - I love strategy games. If nothing else, just having the menu translated would be helpful.

Langrisser Millenium (Sega Dreamcast) - I understand it's a weaker entry. My understanding is its kind of like a cross of Langrisser and Dragon Force.

Soeldnerschild (Sega Saturn) - The artwork on the cover looks absolutely amazing. Another kind of hybrid strategy game.

Revelations: Persona (PSX) - Specifically, the Snow Queen quest on the PSX version. Call me a localization purist, but I like the look of this one over the PSP remake we got.

 

[NAthan88]

Madou Monogatari (Sega Saturn)

Third-person JRPG by Compile with turn-based battle system. Majority of japanese-only Saturn RPGs are Strategy-based, but this would be an awesome addition to the likes of Grandia, Lunar, etc.

Looks amazing graphic-wise and still holds up today. I have only seen snippets of gameplay on YouTube. If anyone has ever played it, I would love to hear their thoughts on this.

 

[Toppis]

Madou Monogatari (Sega Saturn)
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Third-person JRPG by Compile with turn-based battle system. Majority of japanese-only Saturn RPGs are Strategy-based, but this would be an awesome addition to the likes of Grandia, Lunar, etc.

Looks amazing graphic-wise and still holds up today. I have only seen snippets of gameplay on YouTube. If anyone has ever played it, I would love to hear their thoughts on this.

This game is gonna get english translation

 

[lilizu]

Adding on to the group who is desperate for a translation of Shin Megami Tensei Nine!

I would also love to see one for any of the Sengoku Basara games. There's a group currently working on Sumeragi, but it seems like it keeps hitting bumps in the road ...

 

[SageoThyme]

Mine are very niche but, I'd like Gatekeepers (1999) or Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke

 

[Mago]

Mine are very niche but, I'd like Gatekeepers (1999) or Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke

Niche is the idea! And I know about Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke. I think its being translated but could be wrong. Gatekeepers I don't think ive heard of but it looks cool.

 

[sun0wl]

Lunar: Magic School

I know that someone named Ms.Tea and their team (?) has reportedly been able to successfully hack and insert text (video from 5 years ago here), and even has the script mostly translated...But the there haven't really been any public updates over the past few years so I despair that it will never be released. I'd love to give it a shot myself since I've played it and I'm a big Lunar fan, but if someone's already nearly done with it, I wouldn't want to duplicate the work/rain on someone else's parade, so...

 

[Toppis]

Lunar: Magic School

View attachment 39530I know that someone named Ms.Tea and their team (?) has reportedly been able to successfully hack and insert text (video from 5 years ago here), and even has the script mostly translated...But the there haven't really been any public updates over the past few years so I despair that it will never be released. I'd love to give it a shot myself since I've played it and I'm a big Lunar fan, but if someone's already nearly done with it, I wouldn't want to duplicate the work/rain on someone else's parade, so...

It has lot of bugs and random encounter rate is gonna be lot easier in patch

 

[Arklem]

Yuuyami Doori Tankentai for the playstation, one of the games I'd love to see translated in my lifetime, but considering it is a spin-off of Twilight Syndrome and not even that series received a translation yet I doubt that'll happen anytime soon...

 

[Mago]

View attachment 39829
Yuuyami Doori Tankentai for the playstation, one of the games I'd love to see translated in my lifetime, but considering it is a spin-off of Twilight Syndrome and not even that series received a translation yet I doubt that'll happen anytime soon...

I want this one too. I think its more a spiritual successor than spin off. I do think the Twilight Syndrome games are getting translations though. I think at least.

 

[Arklem]

I've heard of a translation project for Moonlight Syndrome at least but I don't know exactly how that's going right now, I hope it does come out eventually though, seeing the whole series finally translated would be a dream come true

 

[TotzOnGaming]

I mostly love to see JP-only Fighting games on consoles get translated but as for white whales. these are my picks.

Cyber Org

Gear Fighter Dendoh

Fist of the North Star(English Patch)

MSG Char's Counterattack PS1

Both Macross PS2 and the VF-X games on PS1

Love & Destroy

 

[Hotwer]

The World Neverland series.

 

[SwordBreaker40]

Atelier Lilie: The Alchemist of Salburg 3 . I mean the first 2 games has gotten a fan translation + Marie has gotten a remake but the third game has felt like no one gave a dang about




I would love to see Slayers royal 1 and 2 plus Slayer wonderful​

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

There's a lot of options so from least to most:

Kumatanchi: solely because it's the only Vanillaware not to be translated

Star Trader (X68000): It's a mix of shmup and RPG, which makes it a pioneer decades before Undertale, this could be historical. But other than that eh.

the other Starfy games: I'm mixed on whether or not I want to try them, but the fact that Nintendo dropped these games (unlocalised) on Switch could mean something? I guess?

Giten Megami Tensei: gorey and likely ancient as HELL but important. All the way down here because the translation has made good progress and could actually happen soon

Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2: ain't right to have an EO go untranslated

Persona 1 JP PSX: The true definitive way to play Persona 1. Has a few unique features that PSP didn't retain, shame.

Yakuza 3 JP PS3: The true definitive way to play Yakuza 3 as it doesn't have a few of the issues Remastered has (like the weird quickstep spamming a lot of enemies are doing) and all the missions.

Yakuza Kenzan: Only game to not be translated at all and SEGA has no interest in localization

the remaining Sakura Wars games: well this one's obvious

Grounseed (PC-98): solely to see where the fuck Shop Demo plays but also because the music is really good in general

Mime (PC-98): See above, it's kinda crazy Wish appears to just be a cutscene theme

Black Bird (PC-98): see above + it's a dungeon crawler

RONDE (Saturn): Because it would be funny and Marsh would finally make "The RONDE experience"

Devil Summoner (Saturn): obvious reasons again

Code R (Saturn): I hear it's shit, but a mix between racing game and dating sim makes me curious

Tales of Destiny 2: no reason needed. Also applies to Hearts on DS and Innocent R

Custom Robo V2: I NEED IT

Ore Shika (PSX): I think I've sung this game's praises and explained my point well enough multiple times

Segagaga (Dreamcast): Name a reason NOT to play Segagaga. SEGA didn't even bother making an anime girl for it in the mobile game where SEGA was EVIL. FOR SHAME. Absolute shame.

(image limit is 15, I swear it used to be 20 at one point)

 

[Pjira]

Easily my most wanted as I love the second game and it's a direct sequel.

I see a bunch of Super Robot Wars already so I'll highlight this one.

 

[Jotaro]

i so want these games to be translated at some point, they so lit and classic levels in quality, sheesh