Translating games from one language to another is always a tricky process, but The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a uniquely challenging case. The game’s setting provides layers of complexity, as it combines Meiji Era Japan, Victorian England, and cases that involve the Japanese language as a key component.
Localization director of the game, Janet Hsu, wrote up a lengthy blog post about the process. She says the guiding philosophy for the game was “Authentic, yet Accessible” and goes into detail about specific scenes and the distinction between translation and localization. There’s a part that talks about the translation choices behind a line from Herlock Sholmes about having Indian curry for lunch, going into the history of curry in Japan and Great Britain.
It’s an enlightening read that really helps you appreciate the work that goes into a text-heavy game like this, so be sure to check it out!
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles releases on Nintendo Switch on July 27th.
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Written by Bryan Finch
A video editor by trade, Bryan Finch is a lifetime Nintendo fan, and he loves writing about his passions. He also spends too much time playing and watching fighting games. Bryan enjoys movies, comics, cooking with his wife, and the idea of Elite Beat Agents 2.
