Yeah, no offence taken, I don't m(...)
Well this is interesting o3o well looks better knowing it but the fact that much could not understand about greek mitology and be on non understanding as well... I don't know if nowadays it's easy to know about Greek or Japanese stuff (if we aren't from these contries, of curse), if yous ee for popular culture I think "mystic Ninjas" are popular than Hercules? idk XD
But like I told you: you can teach the meaning of the name ... my old brother played street fighters when young and never had idea that Ryu is dragon in japanese , Blanca was White in Spanish (Idk why spanish if the characters is Brazilian lol ) a ot of kids thought here that was something like " casablanca" or pun with " Branco" (White in portuguese) and seens that no one know this but enjoyed the game XD this was the times before internet stuff, now if you want to learn something you can search easily...(Like knowing that Phoenix Wright wasn't his real name ...)
I'm a huge Zelda fan and not knowing the meaning of " Link" or not don't make much difference , even that skywards word giving a "reason" to name him that... and linke Avatar the last airbender I bet only huge fans know the characters names meaning but a lot like and say them with no problem XD
But, yeha this is interesting and are stuff I like to explore :v but one point is HOW it's made ... the US localization even want to place all the stuff in US or a US-like world, when I believe it's not necessary for really enjoying the thing, even more if the excuse is that it's "destined to kids", I bet it's the same harder for a kid know about nortic than asiatic myths, so it would not make difference at all , so why to change? a not explaining or a quick search would solve everything xD
one thing is that for me is not just a game, but also culture and art (~=w=)~ wound not be stupid if Mona Lisa had to be re-painted and renamed on each country ethnic visual and habits?(well would be nice on an artistic way but not as replacement of the original) They do it with games because they see more as product than an art I believe ... even not being really necessary? or is more the desire to change something for their point o view and show to others, not showing the original? some games make more success in Japan? right, also some japanese games make more success in western world even without huge changes...
Ultraman and others tokusatsu made more success in Brazil than in Japan xD and without having names or place localization, not even what they did with "power rangers", maybe if the super sentai come here a ste original would made more success than as power rangers here :v
My examples are more about TV because game localization is not a thing, if happens is a translation of the reference version, that mostly the US one :B no name changes unless it like " Dooku" from star wars, that sound like " dou o cu" (use the translator :v lol) in portuguese XD and they changed to Dookan, not to " Roberto" or any "Brazilian names" xD
well what I wanted to say here with all this was : ok having the thing in your language really make you feel more "in home" and this is why I want to enter the " translation world", to help to give this felling for the players here :v, but is really this lot of cultural changes necessary? :/