​

A title that I have been following with acute interest as of late is a group over on Serene's Forest that started to translate the newest 3DS Fire Emblem title, Fire Emblem if. Within a short period after release, the team has finally come out and released a translation patch that translates menus, with further work being done to translate the story and other game elements, with the thought that localization is quite a ways off and that certain features may end up being censored. Under the lead of SciresM and Cellenseres, the translation project has made incredible progress in other matters, having fully translated the first several chapters of story dialogue.

To apply this patch, tread carefully because the means of applying the patch may cause irreversible damage. Unfortunately, the patch is only available to a Nintendo 3DS that is below or equal to firmware version 9.2. It currently works on any 3DS region but may require the region free patch to operate. The patch comes in two flavors: A ROM patcher and the NTR_CFW method.

For the ROM patcher, please refer to the readme.txt attached to the download. Using the NTR_CFW method follow these instructions:

1. You need a (New) Nintendo 3DS with Firmware 9.2 or lower, otherwise there's no way to execute custom code on your 3DS now,
2. You need to get NTR_CFW + RegionFree-Plugin + LayeredFS-Plugin (1.1 for 3DS, 2.2 for N3DS).
3. Download our Patch and extract the content to the Root of your SD Card.
4. Start NTR_CFW on your 3DS (MSET-Exploit, Spider-Exploit or Cubic Ninja Exploit) or on your N3DS (Cubic Ninja Exploit).
5. Start "Fire Emblem If - Special Edition" (Retail Cartridge or eShop Version, both will work).
6. While the 3DS - Logo screen, the top-screen should blink in green for ~0.5seconds (like in the Video).
7. Your Game is temporary patched! You can play our Translation!

The GBAtemp.net Staff will not take any responsibility for any consoles damaged using this exploit. Please proceed with caution, and best of luck. The two methods of patching are linked below.

ROM Patcher Version
NTR_CFW Patch
Link to ongoing discussion

 

[Kane49]

If it was done so fast, it cant be that good. Probably google translate quality. Also the fact that FE fans cant wait a couple of months for a translation of much higher quality is absolutley hilarious, how spoiled.

And why is that ? Many translators, easy to develop tools, theres no reason translating the menus should take long at all.

People should really mind their own business.
If they want to translate a game let them, its their perogative.

 

[Duo8]

Unrelated but on the front page the picture says EmblemFat

 

[donkeymilk]

Excuse my n00bish question, but is there anyway to pack these changes in to something like an IPS so the ROMs can just be patched independently of any console? IPS patches for GBA ROMs work swimmingly. Why not something similar for this?

 

[Phil5004]

Hello,
I want to ask: Will the oiginal Fire Emblem ROM (Jap.) Work on the Sky3ds?
And: Will the translation work too?

 

[Ryukouki]

Hello,
I want to ask: Will the oiginal Fire Emblem ROM (Jap.) Work on the Sky3ds?
And: Will the translation work too?

Translation no, the original ROM will only work when Sky fixes their template.

 

[Phil5004]

But the template is Updated for Fire Emblem IF (Jap.)

 

[Ryukouki]

But the template is Updated for Fire Emblem IF (Jap.)

Yeah, except everyone's reporting problems with it. The team acknowledged and said they're trying to fix it.

 

[Cyan]

Excuse my n00bish question, but is there anyway to pack these changes in to something like an IPS so the ROMs can just be patched independently of any console? IPS patches for GBA ROMs work swimmingly. Why not something similar for this?

single patch is harder to create for encrypted content.

If they create a patch by comparing the original encrypted ROM and the decrypted+translated ROM, the patch will be the size of the ROM, as everything is different (encrypted and decrypted are fully different data, it will not create a patch only with the translated part). Doing a patch bigger than the actual data in the translation means that it also contains official code and resources from the original ROM.

To create a smal patch to apply to the official ROM, they would require re-encryption of the translated ROM and generate the patch comparing both encrypted version, but it would require that untouched files are replaced at the same location before encrypting (it's working by blocs) or else moved/shifted blocs would be part of the patch too.

The way they are releasing the translation is one of the easier choice for the translation teams:
- let the user generate the XOR Pad.
- Launch the tool to decrypt / extract / replace files / repack the ROM.

The other choice would be to generate patches for each files instead of replacing them. but it's the same method : Xor/decrypt/extract/patch/repack.


Patches were a lot easier in old console generation, there were no encryption, the files were smaller, didn't have a file system stored inside, etc.

 

[donkeymilk]

Ah, ok, so ROMs are encrypted not like the GBA days. Oh, but they are still unsigned, that's the difference.

So if I patch Fire Emblem, I only need to patch it once and I can run it over and over then, correct?

 

[Cyan]

the ROM is also signed.
But the CFW or flashcards are disabling signature check so you can run them.

and you are correct. You need to patch it once, it will rebuild a ROM with the modified content.
Then you can launch that new patched ROM like any other ROM (you choose your preferred format, 3ds or cia)
it's not a "live patch" (like IPS on Snes emulators where you could have both files separated), but need to modify the ROM and use the new patched one.


There's a method to replace files on the fly (to work like a live patch), but it requires a specific CFW and plugin. I never tried it but it's explained in the first post too. Using NTR CFW.
The advantage of this method is that your ROM is never modified physically. After an update of the patch, you only need to replace the translation's files on SD card to get the new version applied to the game.
If you used the patched method to convert the ROM/extract/replace/repack it, then on new patch update you would require to do it again from a clean unpatched ROM and recreate a new patched ROM. it takes a lot less space to use the NTR CFW method and it's easier : copy files, launch the game, enjoy.

 

[TerraEarthera]

Ummm...I'm terribly sorry to ask this, but what are the items I need in order to play this? I'm gonna buy the game in NA in early 2016 and I wanted to see the differences, but I also want to play this, so what are all the things I need? Again, so sorry to ask this, but I'm new and I'm left confused...

 

[Cyan]

You need a 3DS with system version 9.2 of below
if your console is 9.3 or newer, the patch will not work.

If you have the correct version, then you need a way to play ROMs : Flashcart or CFW.

 

[Phil5004]

But If I Patch the rom and all is ready... Can I Copy the Rom to Sky3ds to Play it?

 

[Cyan]

I don't know if sky3DS is working, it might require a different template file.
I think I saw a thread about Fire emblem and sky3DS, but I didn't read it.

edit:
The game is not compatible with sky3DS (yet?).
and if you patch the game, it can't be used with sky3DS at all, as it require official, untouched, and correctly signed games.

 

[dariakyl]

I don't know if I'm messing something up but I can't get the first chapters translation, I tried everything. The menus are in english, but I saw videos and screenshots of dialogue translation...

 

[potato3334]

I don't know if I'm messing something up but I can't get the first chapters translation, I tried everything. The menus are in english, but I saw videos and screenshots of dialogue translation...

The story patch isn't released yet

 

[dariakyl]

Oh, my bad then, I thought the first two chapters were released, sorry.

 

[DJPlayer]

Oh, my bad then, I thought the first two chapters were released, sorry.

Our first Chapter-Patch will be released in a few days!
The following Chapters will be available:

Spoiler: Chapter List

The first Chapters
Chapter 0: A Fateful Decision
Chapter 1: The Brotherhood of Nohr
Chapter 2: Dark Sword Ganglari
Chapter 3: Moment of Departure
Chapter 4: The Brotherhood of Hoshido
Chapter 5: Mother and Children
Chapter 6: A Fateful Decision

Hoshido Chapters
Chapter 6: Reaching for the Light
Chapter 7: A Gathering of Spirits
Chapter 8: A Ferocious Wind
Chapter 9: The Kingdom of Gods
Chapter 10: Ninja Village

Nohr Chapters
Chapter 6: Descent To Darkness
Chapter 7: A Forced Revelation
Chapter 8: Maiden of the Ice Village
Chapter 9: An Ordeal Once More
Chapter 10: An Unexpected Reunion

 

[RedDragonEmperor]

D*mn you people work really fast

 

[DJPlayer]

D*mn you people work really fast

Yep
It's relative simple to modify the Game and the Message-Files when you know what you've to do
We're able to output the Gametext into easy-readable files so we can easily translate them.
normally we need to put this strings back into the message-file and compress them.

Here's a example of our "easy readable version" of Chapter 0
http://puu.sh/iXtdh/53bdabce7e.txt