NintendoLand Article - Final Fantasy I- What Does it Mean?

By: Squire Nomad

It's been a looong time since I've made an article or another review, but, with the creation of my HTML version of my FF1 Walkthrough (Which, oddly, is more popular than the site it's hosted on), I had pictures and things which meant I could make something.

Many people have ideas on FF1, but not actual knowledge. Questions came like, "What is the Japanese version like?", "Is there more of a story we should know?" "Has Final Fantasy impacted the future editions?" The answers are actually very easy if you just look at it.

Translation, Localization, and The Story

First, we'll start with localizing. Did this game have anything that was really meant for Japanese audiences. The answer, in short, can only be reduced to a "not quite." While there were differences made in images, and in text because of the apparent differences between the game, there was not much text to worry about "translating," both on my part, and on Nintendo's. The only big problem commonly seen in the Japanese version is . This word is pronouced "yah-tsu", and is a very vulgar word, though it's meaning doesn't make sense. It means something like "pal," "fellow," or "chap." Nintendo "localized" it by using something obviously rude like "fool" ("impertinent fools"), or other words that nobody ever uses, and generally is reserved for late 80s and early 90s American cartoons which, due to some people who blame television over themselves, and caused mediocre insulting words, that, of course, do not show signs of cussing. (These words can be "buffoon," "maggot," "imbecile," "blasted amphibians," etc.) Still, however, this is not to imply that there was swearing in the original version. There were vulgarities and rudeness, but no swearing.

Translating this is not easy work for an "A" student that was in Japanese II Honors, and still knew above the curriculum taught in the class. I say, had it not been for what I knew before that class, I'd be in worse shape than knowing just what I've been taught. Still, I enjoyed it, and I loved to compare works like this:

"The princess is my item! I won't hand her over to anyone! You must be Light Warriors. Insignificant slaves! This Garland will kick you around!

It is needless to say that the two are nowhere near identical. Why? I don't know.

The work was to be longer, but it had to be shortened upon translation, which is nothing I blame Nintendo about; that's just how it is. Like here:

This world is presently engulfed in darkness. Wind stops, the sea is wild, and earth goes rotting. But then people believe one prophecy. It was waiting. In the time this generation is dyed in darkness, four Light Warriors will appear. In the end of a long adventure, four youths arrived after a long struggle to this land. And then in the hands each of them were wearing a crystal.

I think that translation was pretty easy. Actually, this part is pretty much identical, I just suppose the Japanese version had the opporitunity to be more descriptive.

Still, these people refused to translate, and rather, FUNimation the thing. (That means they take the idea of the dialogue, and just rewrite it to satisfy them, and lose confusion for us stupid American gamers.) The only thing I think people had a problem with was "this Garland." I refuse to FUNimation anything I translate, therefore, if I read "this Garland," it's going to stay that way. Why would someone do that? Simple. Garland has shown himself to be very arrogant just by reading his dialogue. But, he is not being that like others who can say it, just to show they respect themselves, no, Garland chooses to speak in third person. People were to blind to see this, but if he had shown he was arrogant a few sentences before, he is going to stay arrogant. This appeared in other enemies too.

Not only was around in enemies, people got to saying it too, and that made this translation even worse. Much like here:

The Vampire is just a servant. The earth cannot rot yet the Earth Crystal's radiance is sealing and a fellow (doing that) is very profound. I possess this staff and I demand you use it on the top of the rear side of the Vampire's room!

Nothing like the translation. Here, he simply tells you to use the Earth Staff on the plate, but does not hint you to anything at all.

You saw how long that translation was. Well, actually, most of the Japanese version was different. It gave more dramatic feelings to the game, and more of an idea to form on the game. Had I not read the final boss dialogue, I would not have understood things that well (well, maybe.) Speaking of which, why don't you check that out? (Warning: Spoilers below)

HA HA HA HA.... You remember me now? I'm Garland and now 2000 years away from its future... (Note: 2000 years from their present, duh.) In that time I had nearly been murdered and then the four powers made me time trip and I was revived in the past!

The first time he says "I," he uses the "I" I generally see elderly people say (you know, sages, Emperor Gustora/Gestahl, Galuf, etc.), but then he uses the arrogant "I" again. Nothing about puny lots.

One very big thing was different. Time Loop, and Time Trip. Nintendo uses Time Loop throughout the entire end, but it is only used in the actual ending. Being "sent back 2000 years" is actually "time tripping to the past" in the Japanese version. Another thing different. On that floor, most are used to there not being enemies on the final floor, but there is, and I remember being attacked, even by a boss monster I had recently fought (the "Phantom" or "Death Beholder"), so I assume Square purposely did this, and Nintendo purposely took it out of our version. (The only reason not to is that they ran out of space and had to cut the monster areas out of the final floor.) Why? Because apparently we're not intelligent enough to handle enemies on the final floor. All in all, the translation and differences were something that makes us hate Nintendo.

One thing that is impossible for us to see is the personality of everyone. While normal townspeople may have no human-like features, you will see that the villains and other important characters do. One thing to notice is that Tiamat is the most polite of all four Chaoses, but she's still rude. Look at her dialogue in both versions:

A flash runs through the ball of chaos! You came here?.... But I will soon end your group's fate here....! Chaos of Wind Tiamat!

She appears to be somewhat formal here, but it is hard to tell because of the way Nintendo did this.

One thing I don't understand. In Dragon Warrior, they censored the cross and replaced it with the Star of David (I guess). Then, here, they censor the Star of David with triangles. I mean, how many people have to be really ignorant? Anyway, you might ask how she could be polite. Well, look closely at the next set of pictures:

If you were looking at it closely, you will notice commonality I wanted you to notice: . That means "you," and it is a rude (the less rude of the two rude words for "you") form of the word. You will notice Tiamat says and Marilith . Both of them are plural ways of saying "you." When I showed this to my teacher in class, she confirmed that my idea of the difference between to two is correct. is (barely) a polite form to refer to a group. What makes it strange is that it's an impolite way of saying "you," with a polite way of referring to the group. This implies that Tiamat is more polite and formal. is actually plainly making you plural. The last Kana on there basically is like a suffix like "pre-" is a prefix (^_^). This shows that Marilith really doesn't care and just intends on being rude whenever she can, Tiamat chooses to be more polite ("...your group's fate will soon end here also..."), it's very complicated, but knowledge of Japanese is more helpful to grasp the concept.

So maybe you understand the dialogue and such things, but there's still a few more things that you want to know? Continue on to page 2.