Because video games have a global appeal, translations are important. After all, people from different countries need to understand what is going on in the game they’re playing.
Yet, translating an entire video game isn’t always simple, and mistakes are made. This seemed particularly common in previous eras, as many old games contain a bunch of translation issues, from bad grammar to misspelled words. Thankfully, they don’t harm the appeal of the games they’re in. In fact, some of the errors are hilarious and improve your experience. Here are some of the most memorable mistranslations that video games have ever seen.
8"This Guy Are Sick"
Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7 is one ofthe greatest RPGs of the ’90s. However, it is not perfect. For example, there is a moment when Aerith checks up on a guy in a pipe and claims, “This Guy Are Sick. " That is a very grammatically incorrect assessment of the guy’s condition.
Perhaps Aerith is (are) sick, too, which is why she’s having trouble with her words. What’s more likely is that someone messed up the translation. Thankfully, this didn’t hurt the game’s appeal. In fact, it made the game funnier.
7"Don’t Underestimate The Power Of Dolphin.”
Aero Fighters 2
Aero Fighters 2 is a flying shoot ‘em up game where you can control a range of pilots, including Spanky. He reveals that he is the first-ever Dolphin pilot. As I’ve never seen another Dolphin flying a plane, I can’t deny it.
Along with revealing what a trailblazer he is, he says a few other things in the game, and several of them are poorly translated. The best is when he says, “Don’t Underestimate The Power Of Dolphin.” There is clearly an ‘a’ missing from that sentence, but it makes for a humorous accident.
6"Welcome To Die"
X-Men
Magneto is one ofthe most powerful mutants in the X-Men universe. His incredibly impressive magnetic powers make him a fearful foe. That said, the version of the character from the X-Men 1992 arcade game has one weakness: speech.
This is clear in one encounter when the villain greets the X-Men by saying, “Welcome To Die.” It’s a strange line, and it’s unclear what it was really meant to be. The most likely option is “prepare to die,” but that wouldn’t have been as memorable.
5"Insane Worrier"
Exciting Hour
Exciting Hour is a wrestling game that features all sorts of fictional combatants. One of them is called ‘Insane Warrior.’ You likely don’t want to mess with that fearsome-sounding wrestler. At least, that is what his name is supposed to be.
Yet, his name is actually mistranslated to ‘Insane Worrier.’ That is a more relatable but less intimidating-sounding foe. After all, he may not even attack you, as he will be busy worrying about things. It really hurts his image as a fearsome wrestler.
4"All Your Base Are Belong To Us"
Zero Wing
The scrolling shooter known as Zero Wing has one incredible intro. There is a great techno track playing, some interesting visuals, and a villain makes a memorable appearance. Throughout it all, you get to witness some unusual dialogue.
The translation is horrible, meaning so much of it sounds very strange. However, the most memorable line comes from the villain when he says, “All Your Base Are Belong To Us.” Only seven words are in that line, but they still somehow fit in multiple mistakes.
3"Conglaturation!"
Ghostbusters
While there aresome good movie tie-in games out there, these types of titles don’t generally have the best reputation. The 1988 Ghostbusters game doesn’t help that rep, particularly when it comes to the game’s ending.
When you finish the game, you get a poorly translated message that begins with “Conglaturation!” This isn’t even close to the word “congratulations.” Then, a couple of lines later, you get a sentence that reads, “and prooved the justice of our culture.” So, the mistranslation errors don’t just end with the first word.
2"I Feel Asleep!!"
Metal Gear
In the Metal Gear series, enemy guards aren’t always alert. In fact, some even fall asleep on duty. One such guard in the original game does this, and they suddenly wake up and shout, “I feel asleep!!” Of course, they were supposed to say that they ‘fell asleep.’
In their defense, though, it is common to be a bit discombobulated after a snooze. So, getting his words wrong isn’t that unusual. In reality, though, it was just a translation error that made for a funny scene.
1"A Winner is You"
Pro Wrestling
When playing a game that is simply titled Pro Wrestling, you probably don’t expect the most interesting and creative writing. After all, not even the title of the game is creative. That said, this is a wrestling game, so it isn’t even required to have dialogue.
Yet, the developers clearly thought you deserved to hear some positive words after winning matches in this game. So, once you get the victory, a screen pops up that says, “A Winner Is You.” It isn’t the most well-phrased congratulations message, but the spirit is there, and it’s a factual statement.
