The last panel attended was on Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. It focused more on the process of localization and translation, offering something different from most of the panels on gaming. It was somewhat depressing to learn that only 5 of the 11 Fire Emblem games had come over to the US, with the US gamers starting on the 7th. Still, there is hope that someday more will appear, as Nintendo is not adverse to release older games if the climate is right for them. The game offers more of a prequel view, expanding on the story of Marth, the hero of the Fire Emblem series. This game offers a tutorial, something of a first in the series to help you get the hang of it. It also boasts head to head Wi-fi play with voice-chat and 6 different modes of play.



    They then started talking about the game itself in respect to those who would be entering into the series. They said that Shadow Dragon is a good entry point into it as you are learning more about the history of the main character. This allows you to get closer to the main story in the game. The game itself had some shifts as well. Within the game, something that was added in was the ability to pick who you advance in levels. This is a vicious series though, where a dead character is simply dead, there is no resurrection. Many other turn-based strategy role playing games have the option to revive lost characters, this one doesn’t. It adds more to the game though, creating a stronger emotional attachment. Some battles that would only take 30 minutes to complete instead can take a few hours just so it could be completed without anyone dying. One thing casual gamers will be happy to hear is that there are multiple save options, including one for in-battle saving. 

 

    The game begins with a 4 chapter prologue, which then leads into Marth’s story. The game functions, in ways, like its predecessors with the weapons triangle of Swords – Axes – Lances, influencing a lot of the tactical decisions. Every unit will have something of an advantage over at least 1 other kind. By moving the cursor over an enemy you can see their potential movement areas. Also, if you spot a named enemy, there is a chance by talking to them you could sway them to your side. All of the named units are different, having a variety of elements unique to them.





    What the panel was actually focused on we started to learn about now, localization. While relatively a self-explanatory process, there was a fair bit they did tell us about. Tim one of the people present, worked as a translator, taking the Japanese and changing it over to working English. The focus of this process is to hold true to the spirit of the words, taking the Japanese idioms and replacing them with the appropriate ones for an American audience. There is still a lot of game play involved to get the context and the feel that the phrase is meant to express, what it is meant to make you feel. This understanding is again applied to the translation, now working to bring over the characteristics of the speech. The translation he provides gives the framework that the story begins to flush out from. They also work very closely with the original writing staff, teleconferencing about the story and characters. This is important because the developers see the characters as family. Many people who work on this game series see the various installments as their children of sorts. It was easy to see that it really was that way with them, each game adding something precious to the world that hadn’t been there before.



The panelist then opened up to the floor and began a Q&A. The questions ranged from word choice to advice. The most interesting question waswhen the panelist were asked about censorship and how it impacted their work. They responded telling us that one thing this series will do is broach onto serious issues that need to be handled as they were in the original game to have the proper impact. The staff present was very clear they keep the story because otherwise it would be a different game and would be less enjoyable. They were blatantly clear they will only work really change material that has no impact on the story. In one of the games, they cited as an example, it addressed the issue of racism through the Lahasse characters and how they are treated. There were always no graphics moved, just little translations tweeks, leaving in the complete story.

 

    A good question that followed that one was someone asking them about what they felt were the hardest and most enjoyable games that they’d worked on. Immediately they cited Animal Crossing. The challenge there was the sheer volume of idioms that needed to be changed so they were applicable to an American audience. Tim’s favorite was Hotel Dusk for the DS, as it offered a very different style of play. Rich enjoyed a different game, Rhythm Heaven. It was very enjoyable for him to work on the songs and get a functional translation.

 


    The last question that really came up was getting to work in their departments. Both of them got their jobs in different ways. Tim worked his way up from a tester because of his tendency to fix all the grammatical errors in the game. To cut out the middle man, they upped him to editor so he could fix them earlier. Rich lived in Japan for an extended period of time and managed to find work with Nintendo. Through diligence he made an impression and was hired on full-time. Both had lots of practical experience in the areas they were working in as well as a degree or two.

    The panel ended only too soon after they started answering questions. That they had to impose a limit was fairly appropriate as many people had questions with multiple parts. Still, it was a great panel to attend and learn a lot about the series in general. It was a great way to start things up and stir up some interest in the game.