Popful Mail shouldn't be all too hard since the Sega CD Version is done. BTW, the game has really good color and detail on the Sega CD. It somehow used 2x the colors of what most games could do on that system. It would be better just to get that version since it is translated by Working Designs already. I wonder what the later Cosmic Fantasy games are like compared to part 2.
The Sega version is a very cool port, but I really like the PCE version as well (maybe more 'cause I'm biased
). It's cute - kinda like Legacy of the Wizard style.
Seriously, I'd love LOH2, both LOX's, both Startling Odyssey's, Star Breaker, Anearth, Neo Metal Fantasy, the Far East of Eden's, the Tenshi no Uta's, I'm sure there's more, but these come to mind first.
I've been busy cracking compression schemes and routines for PCE games. Dave and I just cracked the LZ scheme for Seiya Monogatari (compressed script). Previously I did Downtown Nekketsu (compressed font) - someone posted over at RHDN that they had started this project. An just yesterday did Gate of Thunder GFX compression scheme. Oh and Bonk's Adventure (tile compression and all sorts of game editing info
)
Games that I know are in the works:
Dead of the Brain
Spriggan Mark2 (recently had a chance to do more script inserting and a new VWF text routine - yay)
BubbleGum Crash (99.9% finished - I just need to get off my ass and format the line breaks)
Cosmic Fantasy 1 (I added SCD upgrade for easy font hacking. Sorry CD card 2.0 only users) - Dave found parts of the script.
Makia Shada - ( I have a 70% translated script but the translator couldn't continue as the language is old style japanese. Read: difficult
)
Far East of Eden is being looked at (Dave). This project is *huge* and would need one dedicated translator. This is the CD 2.0 version.
There are other games in WIP, but not much is known about them. I did some text hacking work for Cosmic Fantasy 4 chapter 1, for Animefx but I don't know the status of it. I already mentioned Downtown Nekketsu. Someone emailed me saying they were doing Snatcher for PCE and another the digital devil saga related game (can't remember the name) - but those are iffy until I see real(any) progress being made.
I've said this before and I'll say it here; I think the PCE translation scene is sort of ignored because most PCE fans are collectors and don't care for running emulators, let alone trying to apply a patch to a CD game that they themselves have to dump (this is daunting to some people). There isn't a whole lot in the way for hucards that needs translating, though I'm surprised more hucards haven't been translated. And... there's also the fact that the debugging tools have just recently showed up on the PCE scene. David Michael who made Magicengine refused to include or make a separate build of ME with a debugger even after pleas from community members. I personally think it's because ME is nothing more than a bunch of hacks for special case emulation (like the old NES emu days) - READ: inaccurate emulation. Fine for the average gamer, but not the developer/hacker. Either way, I remember this issue irritated/pissed off NightWolve.
Plus, there aren't many of us that know the PCE in and out, and who have experience with hacking CD games (much more difficult than rom hacking). Atleast not like the SNES or NES scene.
I've offered help for those wanting to translate PCE CD games, even do all the ASM side of things, but no one seems to want to take on such projects. If the PCE community/fans had a louder voice in the translation scene, things would change.
....
Edit: oops - I forgot to mention Lady Sword. I did the font hack and Filler recently finished the translation. When he's done with Pia Carrot for PCFX, then he said he'd have time to work on inserting the script. Lady Swords a pretty decent game (minus the nude cinema pics at the end of completing each level). The graphics are nice (tiles and sprites) and you actually get a map to see where you are in the dungeon (take that Double Dungeons! ).
Topic: Games in need of translation? (Read 761 times)
