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Does Nintendo Treehouse rely on memes too much? (Tri Force Heroes Localization)

BiggNife

Member
Mmemes and personality in writing are opposites.

This makes it sound like memes are everywhere in Treehouse writing. They're not. This isn't Working Designs or Guacamelee. The far majority of Treehouse writing is quite good and has plenty of clever/entertaining jokes. Just look at the Callie/Marie exchanges in Splatoon or the villager dialogue in AC.
 

sonto340

Member
ITT: So Anger. Very Butthurt.
It worth noting that the line is hidden away in a bookcase that doesn't even look like
It can be interacted with at all. I triggered it by accident when I tried to talk to the guy next to it. People are acting like it will appear dated in years down the line but honestly once no one knows what doge is it will just be wacky dialog. Like if someone makes referential humor today to things you've never heard of. A kid born today will not have the context of a meme being "dated" or that it even existed in the first place.
 
Dude, it's Tri Force Heroes. Not like a mainline Zelda or something. It doesn't bother me at all in this instance. Even without the meme the dialog has more character than the EU translation.
 
This makes it sound like memes are everywhere in Treehouse writing. They're not. This isn't Working Designs or Guacamelee. The far majority of Treehouse writing is quite good and has plenty of clever/entertaining jokes. Just look at the Callie/Marie exchanges in Splatoon or the villager dialogue in AC.
I wasn't implying any of that, just that any parricular passage with meme humor is devoid of personality to me.
 

Toxi

Banned
For proof of this, see Metroid: Other M or every MGS after 1.
And yet, with Adam, I was grateful for the nod... My past has left me with an uneasy soul, and as a result, it touched me on some level that Adam would acknowledge that past by calling me something delicate—like "Lady." And I knew more than anyone that every word from Adam was deliberate. My thumbs-down was a twofold response—a sign of derision at being called a lady, and a signal of my complete understanding of the mission orders. The other soldiers were always willing to support me with easy smiles despite the fact that I clearly had so much yet to learn.
 

Ridley327

Member
And yet, with Adam, I was grateful for the nod... My past has left me with an uneasy soul, and as a result, it touched me on some level that Adam would acknowledge that past by calling me something delicate—like "Lady." And I knew more than anyone that every word from Adam was deliberate. My thumbs-down was a twofold response—a sign of derision at being called a lady, and a signal of my complete understanding of the mission orders. The other soldiers were always willing to support me with easy smiles despite the fact that I clearly had so much yet to learn.

Now that's worth a PTSD flashback in the heat of combat.
 

Zero-ELEC

Banned
I'm more confused as to why they do two complete passes of English for all their games. It's rediculous, particularly when they rename digital only games, like Pushmo / Pullblox.

What a complete waste of money and consumer confusion.

It used to be that NoE used NoA's translations, until NoA used a word that can be considered a slur in the UK in a translation (spastic, I believe). Since then NoE has been doing their own translations. I like both versions, though NoE's tend to be more straightforward translations.
 

Firemind

Member
Read the line. The purpose of the 9000 is a hyperbole measurement. Essentially he is saying that you and your pokemon are super strong, that your power is off the charts.

Maybe because I am exposed to so much anime and well, fiction in general, but I feel "power level" isn't unique to DBZ.
Some poor kid probably had sleepless nights over this, "But why 9,000? Why not round it to 10,000?"
 
I can't stand the use of memes in serious writing. Yes, even Triforce Heroes should be considered "serious" writing, as in, the writers should take it seriously. Using memes is juvenile and shows a lack of self-confidence. As so many people have said before, if they wanted to be funny, they should have come up with an original joke. As it is, all the reference does is date the game and elicit a flash of recognition from its players. It's not even a creative and funny use of the meme. Lazy writing at its worst.
 

bomblord1

Banned
This reminds me of my recent localization vs strict translation thread. I can 100% give this a pass though even if it wasn't such an incredibly minor element I would still because It fits with the overall tone of the game.
 

PsionBolt

Member
I hate reading about things like this. It's a really hard feeling to explain -- how am I supposed to feel, on aggregate, about a translation that's 99% great and 1% awful? I don't want to just average the two, effectively giving the terrible part a free pass. But at the same time, I don't believe that one bad apple should ruin the barrel.

I have a lot of respect for the Treehouse. If I had to name translations that influenced my own philosophy the most, a good chunk of them would undoubtedly be Nintendo games. And yet, if you asked me what the single worst possible practice for a translator is, I would without hesitation answer "invention".
As I said in another topic recently: as a translator, you are an author, but there was an author before you, and they deserve your respect. When your words come only from you, without any presence in the mind of the original author, you are not being respectful.

It's kind of like having a friend who you love dearly and who you know is a good person with a lot of great and inspiring qualities, but they've got one super annoying habit they don't seem to realize is super annoying. Say, correcting your grammar when you're speaking colloquially, or something like that. It's annoying and kind of rude, but it's like it's enough to not be friends over, y'know? Especially if it doesn't happen super often. It bugs you, but you don't lose sleep over it. That's kind of like how I feel about the Treehouse sticking in memes where they don't belong.
 
I can't stand the use of memes in serious writing. Yes, even Triforce Heroes should be considered "serious" writing, as in, the writers should take it seriously. Using memes is juvenile and shows a lack of self-confidence. As so many people have said before, if they wanted to be funny, they should have come up with an original joke. As it is, all the reference does is date the game and elicit a flash of recognition from its players. It's not even a creative and funny use of the meme. Lazy writing at its worst.

Point of the game is flying over your head, you're taking this way too seriously for a title that's meant to be fun and silly.

I swear, some of you people would have ruined games like the Mario and Luigi series if you had your way with the translations. Not here for people who can't laugh at a dumb joke, I can't be bothered to cry about something so minuscule when I can just let go and enjoy a little silliness. It's true to life for me too, having a battle with a serious decease. There are a lot of other valid things to bitch about in gaming than a one liner in a game that makes fun of itself because some hack on Twitter can't let things go.
 

StAidan

Member
Zelda has contained immersion-breaking dialogue since at least as far back as Link's Awakening, and really, the dialogue in that game "dates" it every bit as much as something like having memes in Tri Force Heroes. NoA translations have had informal writing for a very long time, so I don't know why this stuff would suddenly come as a surprise to anyone.

Anyway, I've certainly seen some eyeroll-inducing writing from the Treehouse, but overall it doesn't bother me. We're talking about games, after all. Games set in fantastical worlds where mushrooms help you break bricks which are affixed to nothing more than the sky, or where you can engage in silly scavenger hunts to rid some poor creature of a curse, and get a larger wallet in return. Nintendo games just aren't that serious.
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Point of the game is flying over your head, you're taking this way too seriously for a title that's meant to be fun and silly.

And some people don't equate meme spouting as fun and silly but cringy and embarrassing. This isn't about the game not being serious or having jokes in games. It's about a very specific example.

Also consider people hold Treehouse to high regard so see actions like this as a regression.
 

Mr-Joker

Banned
Well that's one sure fire way to age your games, well done Nintendo Treehouse.

Thank goodness Nintendo of Europe is smart not to pull that crap.


The real news (to me) is that NoE and NoA both localise the game separately from another. Why?

Because I complained about it as it was annoying having to wait months after the US and yet still reading US texts in my games it felt like we were getting your guys leftovers.

Plus reading mum as mom was just wrong and felt so rude.
 
And some people don't equate meme spouting as fun and silly but cringy and embarrassing. This isn't about the game not being serious or having jokes in games. It's about a very specific example.

Also consider people hold Treehouse to high regard so see actions like this as a regression.

Stop taking it so seriously, it's embarrassing.
 

Yeezus

Member
I feel like often times the people in charge of this sort of thing don't understand the internet and will confuse memes with intertextuality.
 

rhandino

Banned
Not some of you serving some serious Marshal realness in this thread...

tumblr_nvm8artCX01tgtt2jo6_r1_400.jpg


tumblr_nvm8artCX01tgtt2jo7_r1_400.jpg


tumblr_nvm8artCX01tgtt2jo2_r1_400.jpg
 

Effect

Member
The Xenoblade X translation is done by 8-4 if I'm correct.

I really hope so. I don't want to deal with this crap in that game.

I don't want to jump on Treehouse though because it will just (rightly or wrongly) get lumped in with my negative feelings I have in regard to NoA overall as a company.
 
Explaining why some people are not keen of the text in the OP's example is embarrassing?

Some people making a big deal about a one liner in a silly offshoot game is embarrassing. It's so harmless but you're making it out to be bigger than it really is, like Josh from BitBlock. This isn't Metroid or Fire Emblem, this game makes fun of itself and from what I've heard, the script is really well done.

I cringe when people make a huge deal out of tiny things like this in games. Treehouse does a good job but they're not writing novels, it's an all ages game at the core. Give me this type of dialogue over a stale, boring script taking itself way too seriously.
 
funny how some people here are like "Treehouse sucks, good thing 8-4 is localizing Xenoblade Chronicles X" and meanwhile other people elsewhere are like "8-4 sucks, good thing Treehouse is localizing Fire Emblem Fates" (both featuring complaints of "I wish they would stick to the original script" too!)

people just love to hate on localization don't they (for the record, they're both fine)
 

Pizza

Member
That sounds horrible. With they would rely on proper writing instead of easy internet laughs.



This. The Europe version will still be valid in 20 years, but will anyone understand today's "funny memes" or even care?


Or will language have already deteriorated into a hybrid of hillbilly, valleygirl, inner-city slang, memes, and various grunts?
 
funny how some people here are like "Treehouse sucks, good thing 8-4 is localizing Xenoblade Chronicles X" and meanwhile other people elsewhere are like "8-4 sucks, good thing Treehouse is localizing Fire Emblem Fates"

people just love to hate on localization don't they (for the record, they're both fine)

Of course they're both fine. There is a ton of hyperbole in here from people who are just jumping at the title and throwing in a drive by. Both Treehouse and 8-4 do an excellent job.
 
This. The Europe version will still be valid in 20 years, but will anyone understand today's "funny memes" or even care?


Or will language have already deteriorated into a hybrid of hillbilly, valleygirl, inner-city slang, memes, and various grunts?

Wait, are you really gonna drag inner-city slang?
 
Some people making a big deal about a one liner in a silly offshoot game is embarrassing. It's so harmless but you're making it out to be bigger than it really is, like Josh from BitBlock. This isn't Metroid or Fire Emblem, this game makes fun of itself and from what I've heard, the script is really well done.

I cringe when people make a huge deal out of tiny things like this in games. Treehouse does a good job but they're not writing novels, it's an all ages game at the core. Give me this type of dialogue over a stale, boring script taking itself way too seriously.

It's possible to do humor without being lazy, which is what dogespeak-style writing is. It's not a universal indictment as overall most non-hyperbolic people feel the Treehouse does very well, which makes things like this tend to stand out more.
 

Glowsquid

Member
Pretty sure they had British localisation/localization long before that.

British scripts used to be based on the Treehouse (American) translation with, little alteration beside the requisite color --->colour change and maybe one or two words changed (Super Paper Mario changed one instance of "shag" to "mustache", WarioWare Smooth Moves had "I don't get my jolies" changed to "I don't get my kick"... etc). It's only after the Mario Party 8 cock-up they started doing completely different translations.
 

FreeMufasa

Junior Member
Zelda has contained immersion-breaking dialogue since at least as far back as Link's Awakening, and really, the dialogue in that game "dates" it every bit as much as something like having memes in Tri Force Heroes. NoA translations have had informal writing for a very long time, so I don't know why this stuff would suddenly come as a surprise to anyone.

Anyway, I've certainly seen some eyeroll-inducing writing from the Treehouse, but overall it doesn't bother me. We're talking about games, after all. Games set in fantastical worlds where mushrooms help you break bricks which are affixed to nothing more than the sky, or where you can engage in silly scavenger hunts to rid some poor creature of a curse, and get a larger wallet in return. Nintendo games just aren't that serious.

I like the OG deku tree the best.

"Thou must make haste and save these darken lands. If thy fairy calls upon you, press Up C to speak and B to skip the text"
 

Firemind

Member
Some people making a big deal about a one liner in a silly offshoot game is embarrassing. It's so harmless but you're making it out to be bigger than it really is, like Josh from BitBlock. This isn't Metroid or Fire Emblem, this game makes fun of itself and from what I've heard, the script is really well done.
fe.jpg
 

BGBW

Maturity, bitches.
Some people making a big deal about a one liner in a silly offshoot game is embarrassing. It's so harmless but you're making it out to be bigger than it really is, like Josh from BitBlock. This isn't Metroid or Fire Emblem, this game makes fun of itself and from what I've heard, the script is really well done.

I cringe when people make a huge deal out of tiny things like this in games. Treehouse does a good job but they're not writing novels, it's an all ages game at the core. Give me this type of dialogue over a stale, boring script taking itself way too seriously.

So people can't express a dislike for something if it isn't of a certain quantity? I don't think people are really making a bit a deal out of it as you're implying.

And why is finding doge unfunny being seen as being for boring scripts? How about just a humorous script without lazy meme use? Treehouse can do humour well. This isn't one of those cases.
 

BatDan

Bane? Get them on board, I'll call it in.
I love that people are freaking out over one line of dialogue in a game with hundreds.
Is it important to the story? Does it disrupt the flow of important dialogue? From the looks of it, it's "Link" looking at some books on a shelf. It's the same thing you do in Dragon Quest games and find humorous stories about Slimes and Cats.

You guys need to calm down.
 

rhandino

Banned
I wonder how many people bursted into flames of righteous anger about the sanctity of the original script after playing Pokemon Diamond, Pearl or Platinum or even know how different Animal Crossing is between regions.

Anyway, the meme jokes are fine mostly for me because:

1) They don't make a big deal about it.
2) Fits the tone of the game.
3) You can get the joke even if you never heard of doge.

This is not Treehouse tho.
Is still funny and HILARIOUS when you know why his "body is ready"
 
I like how people defending the use of memes are painting those against as if they opposed them because they detracted from the gravitas. Nobody disagrees that the translation in a game like Triforce Heroes has to be funny and silly; the argument is that memes are a) extremely lazy attempts at comedy that substitute actual, original comedy, b) not nearly as funny in the first place, even assuming one gets the reference, and c) prone to get worse really quick as they fall into saturation and discredit.
 
I don't mind them using 'my body is ready' or 'your princess is in another...' because those are Nintendo's own in-jokes. I hate using stuff like the dog thing or crap like that.
 

rpmurphy

Member
I'm not sure if a game like Triforce Heroes is supposed to be a paragon of quality writing in the first place, since the whole game is rather light-hearted and doesn't take itself seriously at all.

Doge meme is pretty lazy, but it's not really that big of a deal. Some text off of examining a bookshelf? That's kind of scraping at the bottom.
 
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