Overview
Japanese games stayed in Japan. Fan translators changed that. Armed with hex editors, Japanese dictionaries, and determination, hobbyists translated games that companies wouldn’t. Mother 3, Seiken Densetsu 3, countless RPGs—players experienced these through community effort, sometimes years before (or instead of) official releases.
Fast facts
- Purpose: Translate unreleased games.
- Method: ROM hacking.
- Motivation: Love of games.
- Legal status: Grey area.
Translation process
| Step |
Task |
| 1 |
Dump original ROM |
| 2 |
Locate text in data |
| 3 |
Create translation |
| 4 |
Hack text into ROM |
| 5 |
Test and fix issues |
Technical challenges
| Challenge |
Solution |
| Text encoding |
Figure out character tables |
| Pointer tables |
Update text location references |
| Space limits |
Japanese often shorter |
| Variable-width font |
Implement new text system |
| Graphics text |
Redraw images |
Notable translations
| Game |
Team/Translator |
| Final Fantasy V |
RPGe |
| Seiken Densetsu 3 |
Neill Corlett |
| Mother 3 |
Tomato |
| Tales of Phantasia |
DeJap |
| Star Ocean |
DeJap |
| Site |
Focus |
| Romhacking.net |
Central repository |
| RHDN |
Database and forums |
| GameFAQs boards |
Discussion |
| Tool |
Purpose |
| Table files |
Character encoding |
| Tile editors |
Graphics modification |
| Script dumpers |
Extract text |
| Inserters |
Inject translations |
Impact on industry
| Effect |
Example |
| Demonstrated demand |
Mother 3 fan translation |
| Official releases |
Some games later localised |
| Community expertise |
Fans hired professionally |
Legal considerations
| Aspect |
Status |
| Patches |
Generally tolerated |
| Pre-patched ROMs |
Legally problematic |
| Company response |
Varies widely |
See also