Illiteracy and Gaming

[Incog Neato]

Say, how many of you play games in a language where you COMPLETELY ABSOLUTELY DO NOT understand a single character or word?

If you do, have you ever finished the game(s) or did you give up part way though? :O

My 100% non-reading-or-verbal-comprehension adventures only extended to The War of Genesis III Part 2 (completed ... in a way -- I didn't manage to explore every sidestory and all. Langauge barrier, you see. :P), Magna Carta (PC -- Got probably 80% of the way through and I think the hard drive died so I never bothered to try again), and Narsillion (near the beginning, too lazy to figure how to get past an obstacle).

All games listed were in Korean. :D I only managed to progress through most of these games through Japanese walkthroughs and going nuts making notes and applying some mad match-the-words skills.

I don't think I'll be able to go through something like this again unless it's something I'm really interested in it since, as you can image, it's rather time-consuming. :E

[FM-77AV]

A couple of years ago, I played a lot of games in Japanese (which I do not understand - at all), mainly FC, SFC, MD, PC-8800/9800 and X68000 games... Nowadays I kind of try to keep away from them on principle alone (why play I game I can't understand when there are plenty of English ones around) but I'm still almost always "currently playing" a game in Japanese anyway. Just not as many as before. Right now it's Brandish 2, and Neutopia 2 is "on hold" (I play it from time to time). I would've course prefer to play the English version of Neutopia 2, but I don't have it, and I always miss out on every chance to buy it.

Oh right, I'm playing Ys 2 Special too. That game is in Korean. I do actually "understand" it slightly better than Japanese, but still of course, not at all. Fortunately I have several Korean friends to ask for help.

[Falcom Director of Fanservice]

I absolutely refuse to play a game in a language I don't understand unless reading is not even remotely important to enjoying the game. I am a pedant =[

[FM-77AV]

captain said:

I absolutely refuse to play a game in a language I don't understand unless reading is not even remotely important to enjoying the game. I am a pedant =[

In that case, I demand that you to play Milon SFC! The text isn't important!

If you haven't played it within 24 hours - I will put venom on your lawn, and beat up your mailbox. Yes, these are the old plans, and I transfer them to YOU! You should know what I am talking about.

Otherwise:

[Falcom Director of Fanservice]

OH YEAH!!?

Well when you come to envenom my lawn, I'll invite you inside for tea! YOU'LL BE OBLIGATED TO ACCEPT!

Actually, once I clear my plate a bit, I'll try it out. Milon's Secret Castle was a crotchkick, but it was fun.

[FM-77AV]

It's nothing like the NES game. No similiarities.

[ParanoiaDragon]

I only know english. I've beaten Dawn of Ys(before the english patch) & Legend of Xanadu 2....not to mention, Oath in Felghana & Ys Origin....oh, & the PS2 Ys Eternal Story, along with PS2's Ys 3 & 4. There's more I'm forgetting, but, I'm sure they're action games where there's not much text....like the first Shubibinman, I beat that. Oh, & Drac X RoB back in the day. Oh, & I originally beat the PC Engine version of Ys 3 back in the day, before I had the US version. And I've played several hours into LOH 2 & Popful Mail, both of them being the PCE versions.

[gnosis301]

The only game I've completely beaten in a language I don't understand is Star Ocean for the SFC.

[Gamemusicfreak]

If the game is good, it doesn't matter what language it's in to me.
Here's my import game accomplishments (import games I've finished, but don't know Japanese):

Ys I & II Eternal Story PS2
Ys III (Japanese PS2)
Ys IV (all three of them)
Ys V
Ys VI
YsF
Ys Origin
Legend of Xanadu I & II
Xanadu Next
Milon SFC
Legend of Heroes VI FC

Working on Milon DS

[Varion]

The only games I've ever played where I didn't understand a word where Shining Force 3 Scenario 2 and 3 waaay back. I'd played the first game then was left in a limbo of really wanting more, plus the icon-driven battle system made it fairly doable with occasionally consulting a guide. I plan to go back and replay it fully when my kanji reading ability is better. But yep, I finished them. It was still really satisfying but, yeah, I am looking forward to playing them again.

Other than that, nope.

[SkyeWelse]

I used to play through a few Japanese releases back in the day, but now not quite as often. I tend to give up once I've gotten stuck as I've become a bit more impatient with trying to find "plot triggers".

I've played through or mostly through:

Soukaigi (PS2)
Moon (PS1)
Chrono Cross (PS1)
Ys III, IV and V for PS2
Ys II Eternal (PC)
Ys Origin (PC)
Osu!Tatakae!Ouendan! I & II (DS)
Assault Suits Valken (PS2)
Seiken Densetsu III (SFC)
Xak: The Art of Visual Stage (MSX, SFC), Xak I & II (PCE)
Fray in Magical Adventure (MSX), Fray CD (PCE)
Berserk (PS2)
Zelda Ocarina of Time Master Quest (N64, GameCube)
and many Beatmania, Pop'n Music games which don't necessarily require much knowledge of the language.

I guess you might say that I prefer not to play them in a language I cannot understand that well, but I'll take what I can get when there isn't an English option.

-SkyeWelse

[FM-77AV]

Hey! Long time no see. Nice to see you again.

[Majuunun]

I've played through all of Ico not having a clue WTF Yorda's saying...If Yorda is even her name... ;P