Gaming Spanish For Everyone

[Joey Ravn]

Have you seen this? Am I the only one that finds the portrait of both the Mexican culture AND the use of the Spanish language?

The kid gets his DS stolen by the son of a criminal (probably a drug dealer), who is chased by the police through the border. His aunt teaches him some random words in Spanish, then leaves him in the custody of a talking bull. The poor kid then gets dropped in a town called "La Zorra" (Spanish for "female fox"... although I'm %100 sure it's used with the slang meaning of "the b**ch"...), where he meets his uncle Juan, who offers him to act as a pack mule for drugs. Hooray!

I'm seriously disappointed with Nintendo. I can't believe they allowed a game with such strong prejudices against the Mexican/Spanish culture...

What do you think about this?

 

[Hitto]

Well.. You're part of a forum where we STEAL GAMES. (Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a stupid game of semantics, but that's what our enemies in the media say, and unless you're more powerful than them the general public will also think it's "stealing" and not "copyright infringement")
I don't think we're ones to talk about prejudice!

 

[tenchan4]

I originally posted this in "youtube gold"

As seen on Kotaku Spanish For Everyone on the DS, is stereotyping Hispanics in a way thats almost subliminal.

 

[Sir VG]

I've yet to see a Spanish game teach anybody anything. I'm not surprised by these statements.

And sadly, I've seen better English in a Cardcaptors episode.

 

[unusername]

actually.... "la zorra" means "b*t*h" or "hor*" in spanish...

 

[PBC]

Wow, that story line does sound alittle bit wrong...they could have done a million things that didnt involve sterotypes like this....its lazy and disturbing. This game is meant for children?

 

[CockroachMan]

I saw it on Kotaku.. that's really screwed up! I laughed hard watching this!
Not counting the graphics and music that look like and early 90's PC game..

Couldn't they have made a simpler story.. like "Little boy moves to Spain/Mexico/Argentina/whatever and learns about the country's culture and language.."? Or simply put no story at all.. just do something like Brain Age?

I was looking forward to the French one.. but after seeing this.. I'll wait for the Ubisoft "coach" game.. and french people should be prepared for some baguette seller stealing someone's DS or something

 

[Joey Ravn]

Well.. You're part of a forum where we STEAL GAMES. (Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a stupid game of semantics, but that's what our enemies in the media say, and unless you're more powerful than them the general public will also think it's "stealing" and not "copyright infringement")
I don't think we're ones to talk about prejudice!


I don't see your point. We are in forum for the NDS' games, technology and releases discussion. Wheter we do or not steal games, that's something that doesn't affect the nature of the forum: piracy is stricly forbidden by the rules.
What's more, even if it were a valid point, that wouldn't mean a big corporation like Activision can blatantly spread steoreotypes like the ones appearing in this game.

Also, let's see if you don't get mad when French for Everyone is released... =/

actually.... "la zorra" means "b*t*h" or "hor*" in spanish...

Well, that's what I said. But I assume you know that in Spain the term "zorro" (like the fictional hero) is not as frecquently used as "zorra". For the animal, of course. For example, Aesop's fable "The Fox and the Grapes" is usually translated as "LA ZORRA y la las uvas" in Spanish Spanish. We do tend to use the feminine of the word when refering to the animal, but Latin American Spanish usually chooses the masculine form.

Anyway, this games is... so wrong in so many levels. I don't get if it's a serious game with a serious message or the lamest attempt of inserting innuendos and making fun of stereotypes in a while. Doesn't matter, though... it's still crap.

 

[lagman]

Well, to be honest I couldn't care less about stereotypes 'cause when they are used properly they are really funny e.g. My Name Is Earl's South of the Border, Part Uno y Dos.
I found far more offensive the incredibly lame history and music and the overall suckyness of the game... a sudden trip to Tijuana..now that's original >_<
I'm sure My Spanish Coach will be better.

 

[david82794]

it f***ed up there no point in geting it and .... stereotypes

 

[BakuFunn]

This game does NOT help my spanish. Funny story line though.
"Oh no! Ill never get my ds back now!"

 

[sazman]

I Tryed This Game Out Just For The Storyline And Its Rather Funny Yet It Is Sort Of Sad ON The Culture In SOme Parts Though And Every DS Site Seems To Be Taking The Mic Out Of It

 

[Truliche]

Well IGN gave this game a 2.0 so it really must be crap, don't know what they were thinking...

 

[Sinkhead]

I'm learning Spanish at school so I tried this, and it sucks anyway regardless of the stereotypes etc... It doesn't teach you anything, it just dumps you straight into a few crappy minigames...

- Sam

 

[pika3000]

I think the worst thing about this is that one of the writer admitted to using innuendos, if you go to the last video on youtube the uploader posted a link to the forum the writer was on. I thought that he was faking til his name came up in the credits (the one who uploaded the videos posted a picture proving that the writer's forum alias was in the credits)

 

[mflo]

OOMMMGAAAH! OOMAAAGAAH!!! THAT IS SO FUNNY! I want to seem Carlos Mencia make comments on the game xDDD.

 

[cubin']

lol that sounds great. I'll download it now

 

[El-ahrairah]

I downloaded this yesterday. I popped this in and my wife and I sat though the opening scene and died in fits of laughter.

I'm so glad that something like this could slip though the radar. It reminds me of when public access tv operators would slip in various random programing in the middle of the night. I hope they do the French sequel.

 

[CockroachMan]

IGN gave it a 2.0

 

[Veho]

I just watched the videos... WTF?!?!

It's all kinds of idiotic. Whichever way you look at it, it's... just... wrong