Dragon Quest localization history: Difference between revisions

From Dragon Quest Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
mNo edit summary
(Wow, this thing reads like a salty opinion piece right out of the Den circa 2006. We are a concise, reliable encyclopedia with no opinion, not some mopey tumblr blog crying about muh childhood.)
Line 1: Line 1:
Admin Note:  This article should eventually be a full history of the various ''Dragon Quest'' localizations that have occurred.  This article will cover the high level information associated with these localizations, while other articles should be created to show comparisions between localizations. 


This article seeks to explain why there is a lack of uniformity among the various English localizations of ''Dragon Quest''.  For naming conventions used by Enix and Square Enix, see [[Localization Differences]].  For the various names of spells, see [[Spell List]]. For other changes in ''Dragon Quest IV'', ''V'', and ''VI'', see [[List of Name Changes in the Zenithia Trilogy]].
The various English localizations of the ''[[Dragon Quest (series)|Dragon Quest]]'' series, as a result of three eras of ''[[Dragon Quest series|Dragon Quest]]'' series in North America by [[Enix]] and [[Square Enix]], has resulted in a '''localization lack of uniformity''' in North America.  This article will list the causes and effects of the localization changes that Enix and Square Enix have made since the first English release of ''[[Dragon Quest]]''.
==Nintendo, Dragon Warrior, and Enix America Corporation==
In 1989, around three years after the first ''Dragon Quest'' game was released in Japan, [[Nintendo of America]] decided it was time to introduce North American gamers to the Japanese RPG genre.
So they localized ''Dragon Quest'' and renamed it ''[[Dragon Quest|Dragon Warrior]]''.  It is believed that this was necessary as a company called TSR owned the name ''Dragon Quest'' at the time, so Nintendo had no choice but to change the name of the NES game to something else. Shortly after, [[Enix Corporation]] established a localization branch in Washington, [[Enix America Corporation]], to localize additional ''Dragon Quest'' titles for North America.  Often called Enix of America, Enix America Corporation brought ''[[Dragon Quest II|Dragon Warrior II]]'', ''[[Dragon Quest III|Dragon Warrior III]]'', and ''[[Dragon Quest IV|Dragon Warrior IV]]'' stateside. While Enix America Corporation wanted to bring the Super Famicom ''[[Dragon Quest VI]]'' over as ''[[Dragon Quest VI|Dragon Warrior V]]'', sadly Enix closed their North American localization branch at the end of 1995, which meant that U.S. fans missed out on two of the best ''Dragon Quest'' titles, ''[[Dragon Quest V]]'' and ''Dragon Quest VI''.
[[Image:DQCampaign.jpg|right|The Bring ''Dragon Quest'' Back to the U.S. Campaign]]
It also meant that many new, younger gamers weren't exposed to the series. And as the ''Final Fantasy'' games increased in popularity with it's new Super Nintendo titles being released stateside, '''[[Dragon Quest|Dragon Warrior]]''' was starting to fade into obscurity. It was only through sites such as [[Dragon's Den]] and the [[DQShrine.com|DQShrine]] that fans in North America found each other and kept hopes of a return of ''Dragon Warrior'' to North America.  It was also at this time that many North American fans began refering to the series as '''Dragon Quest''', '''DraQue''' or simply '''DQ'''.
==Eidos, Dragon Warrior Monsters, and Enix America, Inc.==
In 2000 '''Dragon Warrior''' miraculously returned in the form of ''[[Dragon Warrior Monsters]]'' for the [[Game Boy]] Color, which helped to immerse several new American fans into the series. The game was followed by a reestablishment of Enix in North America, as [[Enix America, Inc.]], which released Game Boy remakes of ''[[Dragon Quest I & II|Dragon Warrior I & II]]'', ''[[Dragon Quest III|Dragon Warrior III]]'', a dual version ''[[Dragon Quest Monsters 2]]'', ''[[Torneko: The Last Hope]]'', and the much anticipated ''[[Dragon Quest VII|Dragon Warrior VII]]''. The games' translation was also improved, with the names of characters and such being more faithful to the Japanese version (one example being that the legendary hero [[Erdrick]] was renamed Loto, which was a more faithful translation of his Japanese name, Roto.) By then, Enix had established their own localization for the series. And while the localization was far from perfect, it was still "close enough" to the Japanese version for fans to truly enjoy it. The names of characters, monsters, spells, items, places, etc., had been chosen carefully to reflect the Japanese names, while still maintaining many traditions that had been established since the days of the Nintendo NES. While the localization did suffer somewhat, the fans were still satisfied with it, and all the names used in the English versions were burned into their hearts and minds. As Enix continued to release the ''Dragon Warrior'' titles in America, it seemed as though the series was here to stay. But then, something unimaginable happened.
==Enix Merges with Square, Dragon Quest VIII, and the Current SQUARE ENIX==
On April 3rd 2003, Enix and Square merged into one company to form '''[[Square Enix]]'''. Many fans were ecstatic about the merger, and had high hopes for the series' future. Perhaps now that Square and Enix had become one, ''Dragon Quest'' would  finally get the  recognition it  deserved, or so many thought. Little did we know just what the new [[Square Enix, Inc.|Square Enix USA]] had in store for our beloved series.
Shortly after the merger, the fans began asking questions about the future of ''Dragon Quest'' in America, and if we would be getting the Enix designed [[Dragon Quest V (PS2)|PS2 remake of ''Dragon Quest V'']]. However, most of the people in the newly formed Square Enix USA were former Square employees, many of whom had never even heard of ''Dragon Quest'' before the merger, and didn't really seem to care. The fans were crushed. It seemed as though their voices were falling on deaf ears, and the future of ''Dragon Quest'' looked bleak. But when Square Enix announced that ''[[Dragon Quest VIII]]'' for the PS2 would be coming to the states, the fans once again rejoiced! But their rejoicing wouldn't last long, as the game's English localization had the fans confused and dismayed at the several changes that were made which contradicted both the old Enix naming conventions and the original Japanese.  While some of the changes were welcomed, others were not. The changes of names and writing style proved to be very upsetting to fans who have become so familiar with the Enix translations, and who had expected Square Enix to carry on the traditions that had already been established when the series was known as ''Dragon Warrior''. This brought frustration to many long time fans who almost felt insulted by Square Enix for their new, and sometimes awkward, translation. It is not known if any of those in charge of the localization process had tried playing any of the ''Dragon Warrior'' games prior to translating ''Dragon Quest VIII'', but it certainly would have helped if they had.
         
Not all of the changes were so bad. For one thing, some parts of the game were actually closer to the original Japanese, and taking any steps to achieve closer unity to the original Japanese counterpart is always welcome (Well, at least by most.) But some of the other changes are so pointless and far away from the Japanese version, it makes you wonder if they gave any consideration to the Japanese at all!
===Current Square Enix Localization of Dragon Quest===
The following sections will take a look at how the series was altered from both it's American and Japanese traditions, almost to the point of being unrecognizable at times, as well as point out some of the advantages of the new localization over the old. The purpose of this article is NOT to bash Square Enix, but to evaluate how they've handled the localization, and what the fans
have to say about it.
====Voice Acting & Script Writing====
First, let's begin with ''Dragon Quest VIII'', the first ''Dragon Quest'' game localized by Square
Enix. Square Enix USA added several new features including voice acting and the [[Dragon Quest VIII Symphonic Suite|symphonic soundtrack]] to make for a really
enjoyable experience. Nevertheless, some changes were not so enjoyable. The original Japanese version of ''Dragon Quest VIII'' had no voice acting and simply used synthesized
music, and the added voices for the English version is a subject that many fans have mixed feelings about. You see, ''Dragon Quest'' games have always been about being natural and
casual. And even though ''DQ'' games take place in a medieval-like setting, they really don't take
place in the Middle Ages. Rather, they take place in their own world with their own culture and
language, a language that is usually very modern and easy for people to relate to.
Enix understood this and transfered the casual atmosphere over into the ''Dragon Warrior''
games. With the exception of the first three ''Dragon Warrior'' games for the NES, the script had always been
very straight forward and "Americanesque". ''Dragon Warrior Monsters'' even had characters that
said "dude!", something that would be unheard of in medieval England!
But when Square Enix took over, they rewrote the script with a much more medieval "slant"
to it, as well as adding voice acting from a British acting group to accommodate the new
script. And the new script definitely has a lot of advantages over the old and all-to-often
straight forward script of ''Dragon Warrior''. However, some of the names were translated without
much regard to the actual Japanese, and many fans were sad and frustrated to see that the [[Localization Differences#Enix vs. Square Enix|names of monsters, spells, items, etc., had been rewritten]]. One example is that the Hero's pet was named Toppo in the Japanese, but renamed [[Munchie]] in English.
 
And while the voices for many characters were entertaining (especially [[Trode]] and [[Yangus]]), others sounded very unnatural, exaggerated, goofy, and over the top, which makes the game feel too silly and really detracts from the more serious and emotional aspects. Sure, ''Dragon Quest'' has some silly apects to it, but the series itself is NOT silly. Not that I have anything against British voice acting, but I just think that Americans can relate better to characters who sound a bit more...well...American.
One good thing that came out of the voice acting, is that Square Enix in Japan took notice and
decided to implement voice acting of their own in ''[[Dragon Quest Swords]]'' for the Wii. Once again,
Square Enix used the same British actors for the English version of this game,too. Which honestly
worked out quite well, as the British voices seemed to accommodate the more "elegant" style of
the game. Most of the cast sound great, although the characters still seem to talk a bit too slow, though not as slow as ''Dragon Quest VIII''.
Now let's tackle the game's script. A good scriptwriter knows that coherency is a major
factor in writing a good script. But some parts of the script are written with broken up
English that you can hardly read, like the dialogue of those guys who wear the yellow masks. The
new script doesn't quite seem to capture the spirit of ''Dragon Quest'', and many feel Square Enix in North America doesn't truly understand the series all that well. It feels like they're trying to take a traditional Japanese RPG, and put a Western "spin" on it if you will, by changing the script around to make it feel less Japanese and more british-style. Now anyone whose played a good amount of JRPGs know that the Japanese have a different way of thinking than the western world does. And when JRPGs get localized for an English release, they should remain as faithful to the original Japanese as much as is necessary. It is understood that they have to go through some sort of "Westernization" when brought over to the states, but they still need to retain their Japanese identity, and localizers shouldn't be changing names around for no reason! Especially when some of the new names the come up with aren't even that good!
====What's in a Name====
One very peculiar aspect of the new translation, is that many monsters have been renamed without much regard to the traditional Japanese names. For instance, there is a monster called Battle Rex in the Japanese version of the series. And when Enix localized the ''Dragon Warrior'' games, they left it's name the same. But for Square Enix's new ''Dragon Quest'' localization, they changed his name from Battle Rex to hacksaurus instead. Why would Square Enix change a name that is perfectly understandable in English to something else? Changing a name like Battle Rex to Hacksaurus is just plain pointless!
Why would Square Enix go out of it's way to make these changes? Not only does it cause confusion for long time fans, it also poses a problem for the localization process of the future. For example, what if [[Yuji Horii]] invented monsters that were actually called "Gem Slime" or "Nimzo?" How would the localizers handle that? Since they already changed Golden Slime to gem slime and Mirudrass to Nimzo, that means they would have to change the names of Yuji Horii's new monsters into something else, which would only result in more confusion. Another odd thing about the new localization, is that the names of monsters and items are no longer captialized, despite always being capitalized in the ''Dragon Warrior'' games. Sure, they may not be proper names, but capitalizing words is what makes them stick out from all the rest. Capitalizing names of monsters and such is what gives them significance, and it's something that had been done since the earliest days of video games. Nintendo ALWAYS capitalizes the names of Pokemon, and even Square Enix's own ''Final Fantasy'' also has monster and item names capitalized. So why exclude ''Dragon Quest'' from all of this? Is ''Dragon Quest'' less important than ''Final Fantasy''? Some feel that Square Enix thinks so.
Square Enix also changed almost all the traditional spell names, too. Spells like [[Firebal]] were changed to [[Sizz]] and [[Vivify]] changed to [[Zing]], which doesn't fly over well with fans of the old translation. While this may have been done to reflect the perceived onomatopoeia of the Japanese spell names, some of the new localizations aren't as descriptive as the older Dragon Warrior names. Some changes are believed to be better, for example, [[Return]] was renamed [[Zoom]] and [[Outside]] was renamed [[Evac]]. Square Enix has also changed some of the item names, examples include changing [[Medical Herb]] to [[Medicinal Herb]] and [[Antidote Herb]] to [[Antidotal Herb]]. Many would prefer they had stayed with the traditional names that had already been established by the Dragon Warrior translations.
====Do You Hear What I Hear?====
In ''Dragon Quest VIII'', Square Enix also removed all of the traditional battle and spell sound effects, which have been around since the very first ''Dragon Quest'' game, and replaced them with new sound effects of their own. This came as a shock and great displeasure to fans who had come to expect the traditional sounds effects that were a staple in the series. Removing these sound effects makes the game feel less like ''Dragon Quest'', and most were not happy to see them removed. Thankfully, Square Enix repented and now all of the ''Dragon Quest'' games released in the states after ''Dragon Quest VIII'' maintain their traditional sounds.
   
====God is in His Heavens, All is Not Well with Square Enix====
In Square Enix's new localization, all references to [[God]] are replaced with [[Goddess]], and
Christian crosses have been distorted to look almost like forks. While it may be safe to
assume that Square Enix made these changes to avoid controversy, it still provides a problem
for the future of the ''Dragon Quest'' localization. For instance, "God" plays a major role in
''[[Dragon Quest VII]]''. And should that game ever be remade (for the 3DS perhaps), how would Square
Enix handle the localization? Would they change His sprite to a female and call
Him "Goddess" instead? This is the kind of problem you run into when you replace an originally
masculine term with a feminine one. If Square Enix had opted for a different term such as "The
God" or "The One", this problem could be avoided much easier. In the ''Dragon Warrior'' games for Game Boy color, Enix simply replaced all references to God with "gods", although the references to God in ''Dragon Warrior VII'' remained intact.
It also seems very unusual that they would remove Christian symbolism and references to God, since many video games also contain such symbols and references. Such games include ''Mega Man Legends'', ''Mega Man Battle Network 2'', and even Square's very own "Threads of Fate." So why would Square Enix preserve references to God in one of their own titles, but not in others? Even the ''Dragon Warrior'' games since ''Dragon Warrior Monsters'' maintained all of the Judeo-Christian symbolism. And so far, I have heard of no such religious outburst from peoples concerning these religious themes.
Religion has always played a significant role in the ''Dragon Quest'' series, and while Square
Enix hasn't quite thrown out all of the religious themes, they have thrown out some of the
greatest traditions in the series, and it makes the games feel once again less like Dragon
Quest.
==Dragon Quest IX and Beyond; Current Localizations==
In 2010, Nintendo of America published ''[[Dragon Quest IX]]'' in North America and Europe, marking only the third time that a ''Dragon Quest'' game had been published by a company other than Enix/Square Enix. In the translation, some of the localizations that had been changed by [[Enix America, Inc]] were reverted to their earlier NES era localizations; such as:
*Loto reverted to [[Erdrick]]
*Lorasia reverted to [[Midenhall]]
*Sidoh reverted to [[Malroth]]
However, other aspects of the translation, such as items and spell names, remained consistent with the newer localizations adopted by Square Enix.
In 2011, Nintendo published the DS release of ''Dragon Quest VI'' in North America and Europe, and published ''Dragon Quest Monsters 2'' and ''[[Fortune Street]]'' in these regions as well.  It is possible that as Nintendo continues to be involved with the English localizations of ''Dragon Quest'', that further name changes could occur.
==Remaining Faithful==           
Many believe that when a Japanese video game is localized, it should remain as faithful to the Japanese version as much as necessary. Of course, Japanese games have to go through some sort of "Americanization" when brought over to the states, but they still need to maintain their Japanese identity. Which is why it is believed by some that a name should only be changed when it really doesn't make sense in English, such as changing Kukule's name to [[Angelo]] in ''Dragon Quest VIII''. However, localizers shouldn't be making unnecessary changes for what could appear to be no real reason.
There is also something to be said for maintaining or preserving long established naming conventions.  While some of the changes Square Enix has made have improved over the earlier Enix localizations, specifically in regard to spell names, most have not.
The character, monster, and item names are all what the original author [[Yuji Horii]] intended them to be. And to just change them is very disrespectful to the author. So for the sake of the Japanese authors, and for the sake of the fans, Sqaure Enix should revise their localization of ''Dragon Quest'' so that everyone can enjoy and understand the series the way Yuji Horii wants the games to be enjoyed and understood.

Revision as of 15:08, 3 June 2016

Retrieved from "https://dragon-quest.org/w/index.php?title=Dragon_Quest_localization_history&oldid=74553"