My PC-98 translation projects

[BabaJeanmel]

Kirinn B did it again : the graphics format for Lime is cracked ! We only need a couple extra adjustements to be able to modify some troublesome things, such as the menus, for instance. Meanwhile, here is an edited screen as a preview !

BTW I'm almost done with Episode 1. The 11 remaining episodes will be less time-consuming, as I've now got a good knowledge of the game system, along with a big user-made dictionnary. There are something like 300 lines per game, at least for the 6 first episodes. It's quite light compared to Lakers 2 for instance ! I hope to have everything translated for september or october, so the testing and proofreading phase can end around december. It would make a good christmas gift for PC-98 lovers!

In the meantime, be sure to check the awesome new patches for Desire by MrSilentVid and Sword of Kumdor by Lynn. Two awesome labors of love, for two real cult classics. Do yourself a favor and ditch the Retronomicon version of Kumdor to play Lynn's instead. The graphics are edited, the game can't softlock anymore, and the script is aeons ahead.

Also, I've done a bit of technical help on the upcoming Dragon Knight IV project, that is around 55% complete now. I've test-played what's currently done, and it's seriously awesome. The author (ShintoCetra aka shiningforceforever) put a lot of care and dedication in it, and it shows. You won't be disappointed when it's released !

Oh, another thing (minor this time). A build of Retronomicon's Dead of the Brain english version with a couple fixes I made has leaked online. I would like to make things clear : the modifications are only interesting for romhackers, in an educational purpose. To sum up, the fixes I did just make the script files fully compatible with the most commonly used editing tool for this particular game engine. Don't expect the script to be rewritten or something, it's the same old google-translated stuff with *a lot* of liberties taken. I don't have anything to do with it ^^

 

[Nikokaro]

I hope the author of this thread will not mind if I intrude to communicate news on this topic that many may be interested in.
The full english translation of "Aegean Kai no Shizuku", one of the last games released for PC-98, has just been released. This is an atypical (for PC-98) point-and-click graphical adventure, similar to old, famous ms-dos titles, but with the ever-present anime-style characters.
https://github.com/Svipur/Aegean-Kai-No-Shizuku-PC98-English/releases
On my PSP, via NP2, it works great, and it certainly looks like an anomalous title, intriguing and bizarre at the same time: what do you others think about it?
Alas, the only thing lacking is free time to enjoy it.

 

[BabaJeanmel]

I don't mind, but wouldn't it be better to make another thread ? There are quite a lot of new releases to track down these last weeks. Hacchake Ayayo-San for instance.

 

[Nikokaro]

Hmm... In my opinion it is not worth doing it: there are not that many new titles available (translated or ported back to PC-98). Besides, I fear that out there unfortunately PC-98 fans can be counted on the fingers of one hand, so it would be a pointless initiative.
And anyway I am now fond of this thread of yours.
However, if you want to formally ban me from posting in this thread (your right to do so), I will sadly resign myself to this imposition.
I should add that I had already noticed this latest title, but it is so old, rudimentary, and above all short, that it was not even worth mentioning, in my humble opinion; but at least lately something is moving on the horizon (thanks, of course, mainly to your recent initiatives).

Edit: Only now I realized that you have already opened a new thread!

 

[BabaJeanmel]

I must admit I had a laugh when I saw your suggestion to ban you for having a different opinion than mine ^^ Don't worry about that, seriously. This is just a civilized discussion about old games, I don't feel like my feelings are hurt or something

The truth is that I don't want it to look like I use other people's projects to push my own ones. Hence the new thread. It's also a better way to keep things organised (links, screenshots...)

EDIT: Oh, and about Ayayo. Yes, it's a pretty primitive game with a doubtful kind of morale, but it's also the starting point of one of the most insane eroge series ever. If you have time, check Noelle's video there:
to see what I mean It's not impossible that the later games, that are purely insane, become available in English eventually.

 

[BabaJeanmel]

Alpharobo updated Guynarock II with translated credits. So there's officially not a single trace of japanese text remaining as of version 1.01 Link on first post.

 

[BabaJeanmel]

Lime hit the 25% milestone. Here are some screenshots for episodes 2-4.

 

[Sm3bul0ck]

Amazing work, thank you!

 

[BabaJeanmel]

Update: Lime 33% done, and I'm doing another project. A really nice T-RPG by Elf, Shangrlia 2. The script is short and mostly consists of H-scenes, so now that the menus are done, it shouldn't be much of a hassle. No ETA but I'll finish it after I've done the first six episodes of Lime.

EDIT: trailer here :

 

[Nikokaro]

Chief, one surprise after another: we are speechless!!! And this was supposed to be your sabbatical, go figure. Moreover, no less than another masterpiece by ELF. What's left to say?

 

[BabaJeanmel]

When my sabbatical is over, I'll do some bigger scripts

Shangrlia 2 is pretty barebones. If I wasn't doing Lime ATM, it would be done in a couple weeks.

 

[BabaJeanmel]

Lime is now 50% done. I'll do a bit of Shangrlia while episodes 4-6 are being proofread, then I'll get back to it. Some screenshots:

 

[SuperNintendo64]

As longs as this is a fun and lighthearted discussion about old computer games that we only now are having the chance to get to know, can i ask a question? Is there more PC98 games more focused on gameplay that could be translated? I know most of the system library is populated by visual novels, but maybe there´s more complex rpgs or action games available that i dont know of

also, are there more horror games that were released for the pc98?

 

[Nikokaro]

Is there more PC98 games more focused on gameplay that could be translated?

Of course. There are a ton of fantastic jrpg and tactical-rpg games, often with anime interludes, that deserve to be translated; but all, or almost all, contain some, how can I put it...... pornographic ( HENTAI) scene. You know, certain Japanese office workers in the 1980s and 1990s couldn't help themselves, it would seem.
As a deep connoisseur of these now-forgotten games, and perhaps one of the few here, around these places, I take the liberty of mentioning these titles, based on purely personal taste:

Advanced Power Dolls 2
Appare Den
Agalta series
Amaranth series
Metajo
Branmarker series
Crystal Rinal
Cry Sweeper
De . Ja series
Dokyusei series
Guernica
Horny Sweeper series
L. W. Raidy series
Nana Eiyu Monogatari series
Nooch series
Rance 3/4/4.1/4.2
Rouge no Densetsu
Super Erection Taisen (Sic!)
Toshin Toshi series
Wompara Wars series
Words Worth

there more horror games that were released for the pc98?

Dead of the Brain has been translated into english, but you may already know that. I don't know of any others.

 

[BabaJeanmel]

There are a lot of cool action games for PC-98 such as Night Slave, Rusty, Totsugeki! Mix, Burning Dragon Plus, Elm Knight... along with a lot of arcade ports. But most of them can be played without the need for a translation patch.

There are also a lot of cool RPGs and T-RPGs on the platform (Metajo, Guardian Recall, Amaranth, Branmarker, Slayers, Dragon Half...) that would clearly deserve a translation.

 

[BabaJeanmel]

As the first one has already leaked and the second would have anyway, I present you my improvement patches for two of the infamous Retronomicon translated PC-98 games.

They convert the games to the hdi format, and fix a lot of bugs in the process (like softlocks in DOTB, missing animations and text display issues in DK).

Most of the DOTB fixes aren't mine, proper authors are credited in the README files. I've done all the DK fixes myself, though.

Just be aware the translations are pretty bad and inaccurate. I haven't retranslated anything so you should know what you're playing.

Here are the links :

Dead of the Brain
Dragon Knight

 

[Nikokaro]

   Just be aware the translations are pretty bad and inaccurate.

By that, do you mean that they are linguistically and grammatically incorrect, or that they are not faithful to the original Japanese? Some time ago I almost finished DOTB and narration and dialogue seemed okay, if I remember correctly. DK is not worthy of my attention, instead I eagerly await the upcoming translation of DK4.

 

[BabaJeanmel]

They're edited machine translations, with a lot of errors, inaccuracies or plainly made up stuff.

The most infamous example in DK is Obaba (by the way, that could be translated as "Granny"). In japanese, she uses "washi" (儂), an old-fashioned way of saying "I". But with a different kanji (鷲), "washi" means "eagle". As the game uses relatively few kanji and relies a lot on kana (the phonetic alphabet), if you parse the script into a machine translation tool, you're likely to have a wrong translation because the tool can't possibly pick up the context. So in the Retronomicon version, "Obaba" calls hereself "the Eagle" the whole time. Of course, it makes no sense at all...

Another example is in Night Slave. I remember something like "That will be easy, the enemy doesn't have ground-air defenses" being translated as "Bang bang" in the opening sequence.

 

[Nikokaro]

Well, congratulations on your knowledge of japanese language. I too would have liked to learn it, because of the love I carry in my heart for Japanese culture (folklore, religion, animation, video games, tokusatsu..... everything), but I quickly gave up: it is really too challenging to understand and memorize, and requires immense effort in terms of time and dedication. Imagine, I especially wanted to read that literary monument and masterpiece of Buddhist spirituality that is Dogen Kigen's Shobogenzo, do you happen to know it? Ultimately I was content to read it translated into my own language. Sorry for the digression.

 

[BabaJeanmel]

I just have enough Japanese knowledge to read eroge, so I'm far from Japanese litterature atm ^^