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-   -   4th Gen Does knowledge of Japanese matter? (https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=186299)

Doxasikyrie July 15th, 2009 12:11 PM

Does knowledge of Japanese matter?
 
Hello all.

I myself personally don't care about the language barrier, even though I can read very, very limited Japanese (save the katakana for the Pokemon). What do you all think? Does the dialogue in Pokemon games matter to you or can you enjoy it without understanding everything? I have been importing the Japanese versions since Ruby and wasn't bothered by the language at all.

What do you all think and why?

EJ July 15th, 2009 12:13 PM

I guess some people would enjoy understanding what they're doing rather than blindly running around but I really don't care much when it comes to pokemon since it is pretty easy to get around.

EmeraldSky July 15th, 2009 12:24 PM

Story matters to me, so I want to know what's being said--hence why I wait for an English version

sanny the hedgehog July 15th, 2009 12:28 PM

well depends on the game
if its pokemon maybe because i will figure out were to go and i know how to level up pokemon. then theres the back story an that i always pay attention to cause i want to know about the story.
but if its a game like brawl and i do is throw punches and own people then i'd get the japanese version of the game

Kyledove July 15th, 2009 12:38 PM

I've been importing the japanese versions since diamond and I have no problem at all, I dont think the language matters. I've studied japanese at college for like 4 years so I can get around without much problem, but I dont bother to translate every little sentence each NPC says. After playing diamond in english I realized how much of it is really quite trivial and uninteresting...

Plus HG/SS is a remake so makes it even easier to get around and not have to know what people say.

Allure XI July 15th, 2009 12:50 PM

I personally prefer to wait for the English version, seeing as I enjoy the (very limited) storylines in the games. That said, seeing as HGSS are remakes and I already know what's going on, I'm highly considering importing one version and waiting for the other to get the full experience.

Dunsparce July 15th, 2009 12:59 PM

With my Japanese Platinum, I only need two Sheets of Paper Printed with this Information:

Page One
-Japanese Names of all the Natures
-What Stats they effect

Page Two:
-Japanese Names of Tutor Moves
-Locations of each tutor and which of the moves they teach.

After a while, I didn't even need those anymore.

I'll probably just make a HG/SS Version of the Second page, as it's inevitable that there will be Move Tutors.

Melodyfree July 15th, 2009 1:19 PM

I'll play the Japanese version, but I do find that playing it in a language you understand really enhances the experience of playing since you actually know what the hell's going on. I played Platinum in Japanese when it first came out. It was pretty fun, but not as fun as the English version was. Mind you, I never actually completed the Japanese Platinum without an English patch. It was...kind of uninteresting. And usually I don't even care for story that much.

Anxiety. July 15th, 2009 1:26 PM

If it's a game like Jump Ultimate Stars, or a good game that will only be in Japanese, I'll get it in Japanese.

If it's something with a story, or you have to listen to what is said to know where to go, then I'll wait.

ShinyMeganium July 15th, 2009 1:55 PM

It won't matter, as much as it didn't matter to me when I played Green for fun or Japanese Crystal to check out the Celebi event.
Yes, it will be a bit less fun, but the fact we're talking about Gold&Silver, just better, will make up for it. And I bet it will be awesome, with the Japanese edition and with the English edition. I also believe that if i'll really want to know what i'm doing, someone would make a walkthrough and be hella faster than me/i'll count on my knowledge from the originals.

P.S, just to let you know, there were millions of young children who weren't even 8 when RBY first came out, and weren't from America either. Including me, and hell that was a fun game even back then XD

SDODC13 July 15th, 2009 3:31 PM

yes and no. I like to play the game for the overall joy of it being the new game but I also then play it through in english to get the story too.

Pokedude45 July 15th, 2009 4:13 PM

I CARE!!!

But it would be nice to understand japaneese

Google translete? XD

Beside doesnt the english version have less bugs than the japaneese because the amarican team fixes them?

Doxasikyrie July 15th, 2009 4:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pokedude45 (Post 4861507)
I CARE!!!

But it would be nice to understand japaneese

Google translete? XD

Beside doesnt the english version have less bugs than the japaneese because the amarican team fixes them?

Sometimes the bugs have worked to our advantage, i.e the elite 4 surfing glitch in the Japanese D/P. :D

:3 July 15th, 2009 5:49 PM

I would much rather be able to read it, and then know what to do next, Then to run around just guessing what to do.

Lo~li~Pop July 15th, 2009 6:06 PM

Well I remeber when I first got my Pokémon Blue English version and for the first times playing it (I reseted a lot of times) I didn't pay attetion to the story and I got very frazeled. Even though I have never played a Japanese version, I am thinking that it might be the same thing a little. So I rather have to wait for the English version so I would know what the hell I am doing. Now if they were never going to make it into English then I would defently get the Japanese version. STEEL BLUE!

JP July 15th, 2009 7:06 PM

Being able to understand what everything says matters to me. Can't enjoy it at its fullest without understanding, if you ask me.

Mitchman July 15th, 2009 7:54 PM

Hell only thing it would matter for is the new stuff. Otherwise I could play this by heart.

Calvo819 July 15th, 2009 8:23 PM

hell no.

im going to try and go as far as possible without guides, but only use guides when i truly need them

Spinor July 15th, 2009 8:40 PM

If you can't read it then that is almost like playing the game Severely Dyslexically. You will need to read and know Japanese if you expect to get through just the main story of the game.

Timbjerr July 16th, 2009 6:04 AM

As much as I love G/S/C's storyline, I'd love to be able to actually understand it while playing it. I suppose I could find an online translator, but why bother when I can simply just wait a couple of months to have the English version?

Cherrim July 16th, 2009 7:43 AM

Pokemon does not use kanji. <_< Thus I can't tell when one word ends and another begins. It's frustrating. :C I can apparently play games like Kingdom Hearts no problem but give me Pokemon in Japanese and I don't know what's what.

So I just wait for the English versions. Pokemon relies so heavily on a bazillion different Pokemon, types, items, attacks, abilities, etc. that I just can't help but feel like I'm really missing out when I play. Not knowing that stuff off by heart just sounds tedious. I memorized that crap once in one language, I'm not doing it again. :(

Ayselipera July 16th, 2009 7:44 AM

I can't stand not knowing what everything says, so I'm just going to wait for the english version.

Jordan... July 16th, 2009 8:10 AM

I got gold/silver when i was 5 and i cant remember anything that happened in them. Ill wait untill the english version of hg/ss is out.

Plus i wouldnt know what the hell i was suppose to do if i imported the japanese version.

Alxprit July 16th, 2009 2:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightning (Post 4863429)
Pokemon does not use kanji. <_< Thus I can't tell when one word ends and another begins. It's frustrating. :C I can apparently play games like Kingdom Hearts no problem but give me Pokemon in Japanese and I don't know what's what.

So I just wait for the English versions. Pokemon relies so heavily on a bazillion different Pokemon, types, items, attacks, abilities, etc. that I just can't help but feel like I'm really missing out when I play. Not knowing that stuff off by heart just sounds tedious. I memorized that crap once in one language, I'm not doing it again. :(

Don't the words have spaces between them, though? Although I guess telling apart different pronunciations of particles would be difficult since they're essentially attached to words...

~*!*~Tatsujin Gosuto~*!*~ July 16th, 2009 6:17 PM

the story doesn't matter to me because I press A without reading all of the text, they talk too much in the games, but some people like reading the text


:t354:TG

Astinus July 16th, 2009 6:23 PM

It matters to me. I once tried to play Yellow in Japanese (this was back before it was even thought that Pokemon would be popular), and couldn't really understand it. Because of that, I couldn't enjoy the game, and I never touched it again.

So yes, I would like to know what's going on in a game when I play it, even with something like Pokemon. You have the attacks and natures of your team, and I would like to know what my Pokemon are doing when they're in battle.

Sarcastic Prince July 16th, 2009 6:23 PM

Pokemon in English = Awesome!
Pokemon in Japanese = No offense, but it sucks.

Why does the Language Problem bothers me? That's simple enough... I hate Japanese!! It sucks! Ever since I knew there is such a Language called English, I found it easy to learn and found that Japanese is... bad and it sucks by the way.

That's why even waiting 6 Months for the English Version of Heart Gold and Soul Sliver
DOESN'T bother me. That's just mainly I think that Pokemon is always cool in English, at least that's what I think.

Note: As you know, almost all of the Games I have for DS and PSP are all in English because English rocks!!!

Serazahr July 16th, 2009 6:31 PM

I always liked the idea of playing a game in its original language (especially if it's Japanese), also I care a lot about story, so probably I'll just have my browser open to search for anything I don't know. As it doesn't use kanji, I can easily type it.

Sarcastic Prince July 16th, 2009 6:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lo~li~Pop (Post 4861879)
Now if they were never going to make it into English then I would defently get the Japanese version. STEEL BLUE!

I highly doubt that Nintendo and Game Freak are never gonna make HG and SS in English. Because if they don't translate it, nobody is going to play it and Nintendo and Game Freak won't make a lot of money.

.Tactic. July 17th, 2009 1:42 AM

I would definately get English, the story is important, makes it different from other games, besides some people dont know the story because they have never played the original-like me:(

Wings Don't Cry July 17th, 2009 1:47 AM

I just started playing EOTS and it's hell not knowing what the words say, all I can understand is Pokemon Chunsoft Present, and some basic stuff like yes and no


I'd definitely be waiting for the english version of this, I've learned my lesson no to play a Pokemon game in Japanese

Serazahr July 17th, 2009 9:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruka Prince (Post 4865144)
Pokemon in English = Awesome!
Pokemon in Japanese = No offense, but it sucks.

Why does the Language Problem bothers me? That's simple enough... I hate Japanese!! It sucks! Ever since I knew there is such a Language called English, I found it easy to learn and found that Japanese is... bad and it sucks by the way.

That's why even waiting 6 Months for the English Version of Heart Gold and Soul Sliver
DOESN'T bother me. That's just mainly I think that Pokemon is always cool in English, at least that's what I think.

Note: As you know, almost all of the Games I have for DS and PSP are all in English because English rocks!!!

Short Comment:
Simplicity = Dumbing Down

Aro-kun July 17th, 2009 9:21 AM

I don't care. I've played mystery dungeon 2 in japanese before it came out, and im gonna do the same with HG/SS. As long as you're familiar with previous games and can pretty much anticipate the menus/trial and error you're fine. The japanese games still say: HP, PP, ATK, SP.ATK, SP.DF, etc so i'm fine with it. and for attacks, just trial and error in a wild battle. If they learn a new one, then go to a pokemon database and see what moves they learn at what level before learning or declining.

Doxasikyrie July 17th, 2009 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aro-kun (Post 4866871)
I don't care. I've played mystery dungeon 2 in japanese before it came out, and im gonna do the same with HG/SS. As long as you're familiar with previous games and can pretty much anticipate the menus/trial and error you're fine. The japanese games still say: HP, PP, ATK, SP.ATK, SP.DF, etc so i'm fine with it. and for attacks, just trial and error in a wild battle. If they learn a new one, then go to a pokemon database and see what moves they learn at what level before learning or declining.

That's my philosophy. It also helps those of us who play the Japanese versions when we have great sources such as Serebii and Bulbapedia (which has a lot of the information with Japanese and English side-by-side for things like natures, items, mystery gift, etc.)

Oblivion Reaper 2.0 July 17th, 2009 10:41 AM

unless you import the games,it does not matter


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