Translation Differences

Thanks to KWhazit, Soraya, Fenris, RyogaMasaki, still working on credits, and on, etc., etc.

Character Speech

In the JP version, Ayla uses the same caveman talk, althoug she has a special nickname for Crono called Cro. She uses this almost exclusively, and in the game's code, it is denoted in dialogue with the tag {crononick}. Frog was radically changed in the NA version from his original characterization; he did not speak formally and was not the cookie cutter white knight, instead having more of a raucous, activous tone. He was not afraid to call Magus a pale-faced bastard, or Ayla an idiot for believing him a meal. Thirdly, Robo and the other robots spoke in a certain way that can be compared to HAVING SOMETHING IN ALL CAPS in English. Robo specifically had trouble with pronouns and suffixes; in the Retranslation, this is represented by certain parts of words being expressed in all caps. Coming in fourth, it is worth noting that through formal Japanese, Lucca was much more reverent and humble towards Marle before the latter expressed her dislike of formal titles. Finally, Magus was a bit more scathing and reserved. He noted the "weak die like worms" when speaking of Crono's death at the hands of Lavos.

Religious / Entity References

These constitute a separate section than chapter notes mainly because they occur throughout the game. The planet is personified as a higher being in the game. Other references include Magus and Lavos being referred to as demons or gods.

• Chapter 19: Break the Seal! - Belthasar notes that the mission will succeed only if time travelers unite for the sake of the planet. This was shortened to "only by mastering time...do you stand a chance against Lavos" in the English version.
• Chapter 25: The Fated Hour - In the Japanese version, Robo postulated that the Entity was a larger existence. This was changed to "something beyond our comprehension."

Sake

For those out of the loop, sake is Japanese rice wine. Numerous references to it were removed or replaced by tamer drinks. For instance, Ayla invites the party to drink sake in the Japanese version, whereas she merely says "Come eat" in the NA ROM. Toma orders cider instead of sake in the English version of the Truce Inn, while the Carpenter is told by the Choras Innkeeper that he's had too much sugar for hte day, rather than too much alcohol.

Chapter 06: Beyond the Ruins

Rat Warning

In the NA version, the rat notes that you shouldn't mess up the button combination to access the Day of Lavos. This line was mangled from the Japanese, which said that if you had changed button assignments in the status menu, you'd have to figure out the button sequence on your own.

Robo Dialogue

In the NA version, Marle says "Hate em!" in reference to formal titles while Lucca is convincing Robo not to use them. In the JP version, she simply nods, although there does exist comparable dialogue that should have been used. Also, Lucca does not come out and directly ask what happened to the people at the Proto Dome; she rather begins a question, but is interrupted when Robo notices an absence of humans.

Chapter 08: The End of Time

Conservation of Time Theorem

The CoT Theorem is detailed a tad more in the Japanese version, in which Gaspar states that it only acts if four or more beings from different time periods step into Gate, rather than just four beings as the NA version describes.

Magic History

In the Japanese version, Spekkio talks about the fall of Zeal and how humans were never able to use magic again. He then notes that this inability excludes the Mystics, who can still use it. This was badly mangled in the NA release, where Mystics was replaced by "wizards."

Robo's Magic

In the English release, Spekkio notes that he can't measure Robo's inner strength, and resultingly can't give him magic. This is bogus, as originally, Spekkio was meant to say that Robo did not descend from the ancient peoples who could use magic. Not only does this make sense, but it is an important corroboration of the generally accepted idea that magic was a biologically-born ability that evolved in humans after contact with the Frozen Flame in 3000000 B.C. The same rule goes for Ayla.

Chapter 09: The Village of Magic

Melchior's Wisdom

One of Melchior's lines was badly mangled in the English translation. This is the original:

Bosch: Weapons, see...
   They aren't things to take life.
   They should be things to revive.

And here is the translation:

MELCHIOR: Weapons...
   If there weren't evil in this world,
   there would be no need for
   weapons.

   What a sad state of affairs...

Chapter 11: Tata and the Frog

Dreamstone's Use

Dreamstone was never used as money, as it stated in the English trasnlation. In the original, Melchior simply stated that it was valued above gold in ancient times.

Melchior Dialogue

In the English version, this confusing dialogue takes place:

Lucca: Why would your name be
   engraved on the sword?

MELCHIOR: ...

   It's a...long story.

MELCHIOR: You do want to hear this
   story, right?

Marle: Yes!
   Tell us about the Masamune!

Lucca: Of course!
   Tell us about the Masamune!

Marle: Can you fix it somehow?

Lucca: Is it possible to reforge it?

It's much clearer in the Japanese original:

Lucca: Why is your name carved on this
   sword, I wonder?

Bosch: ....

   That is.... it's a long story, but.…

Bosch: Your coming to visit wasn't in order to ask
   about that, was it?

Marle: That's right! The Grandleon!


Lucca: That's right! The Grandleon!


Marle: Can't you somehow put it back the way it was?

Lucca: Is it possible to restore it?

In the NA version, he asks if they want to hear the story, they agree that they want him to tell it, and then he says nothing else about it and no one seems to care. However, in the original, he's changing the subject ahead of time by asking why they came in the first place. Marle and Lucca's aren't so much agreement (like "Of course!" and "Yes!" in the NA version) as they are a startled "Oh, that's right, how could I almost forget we came here to get this thing fixed!" kind of meaning.

Chapter 12: The Rare Red Rock

Ayla Joke

There's a bit of a bisexual joke when Ayla and Crono first meet. Ayla notes:

Ayla: Yous strong too.
   Ayla like strong people.
   Even if man, even if woman.

To which Marle and Lucca reply:

Marle: What's that supposed to mean?

Lucca: I, I'm not into girls!

This was changed to "respect" in Ayla's case and "Marle: Oh, brother..." "Lucca: Where have they been keeping her?" concerning the player characters.

Rock Crash

The "Poi" soup of the NA version is actually pure sake. Ayla notes that they make a cocktail with it called the "Rock Crash."

Chapter 14: The Masamune!

Cyrus Flashback Note

In the English version, Frog remarks that it hurts when the mean kids hit him. In the Japanese version, it is revealed that he actually meant to say he was afraid to hit them, because it would hurt for them as well.

Chapter 15: Magus' Castle

Flea

Flea ends all his speech with "yo ne," which sounds like the end of his Japanese name "Mayone," or Mayonnaise. It's intended to be sickingly cutesy. He also uses the tough female tone of dialogue, like Ayla (without Ayla's tendency to talk like a cavewoman).

Frog and Slash

The two swordsmen had more of a mutual respect for each other. There was no "Sir Slush" joke; in fact, they never really insulted one another, and Slash congratulated Frog on defeating him before escaping.

Magus Notes

• In the NA version, Frog notes that he loves his new amphibian form, and owes it all to Magus. In the Japanese original, Frog actually gave a reason for this, noting that because of his status as a Frog, he was able to obtain the Masamune.
• In the original, Magus noted that the party should leave him alone (presumably so he could finish the Lavos summoning). This was lost to "I bet you're just dying to use it!!!" in the English version.
• The line "What have you done to the Masamune?", which suggests something special has been done to the sword, was originally, "Magus: Y, you, the Grandleon, that far....", simply an expression of disbelief at how strong Frog had become.

Chapter 16: Forward to the Past

Mystic Mountain Dream

Ayla did not have a "strange dream" that told her of her friends' placement on Mystic Mountain, but instead merely wanted to meet them and coincidentally found them there. This revelation was completely invented by the NA translation.

Ayla's Talk

When Ayla talked with the Laruba elder in the Japanese version, things were a little more specific. Particularly, Ayla noted that the rule of "win and live, lose and die" is the "law of the earth," not simply a "rule of life." Additionally, Ayla told the Laruba elder that she did not fight because she was powerful, but fought to gain power. The difference was lost in the English translation. Lastly, Ayla did not tell the elder that he was "dead on the inside," but merely said that he was not dead, but not truly alive, either.

Chapter 17: Unnatural Selection?

Nizbel confusingly notes in the NA version that "the great Nizbel was defeated here!" Nizbel originally was meant to say, "you can reach Azala only by getting through me, Nizbel...who came back!" He was triumphantly announcing his return.

Chapter 18: The Magic Kingdom

Janus and Schala aren't step-siblings

 [Young Man]
   I heard Schala's powers far exceed
   those of her mother.
   
   Then there's her step-brother, Janus.
   He's of royal blood, but he doesn't
   seem to have a speck of magic.

I hear that even though he has the
blood of the Royal Family, he truly
does not have any magical power.

Chapter 19: Break the Seal!

Belthasar's Mission

While in the NA version Belthasar simply states that he longs for Zeal in his pre-Epoch speech, in the Japanese version he directly states that he was building the Epoch precisely to take him home. Sadly, he died before he could accomplish this.

Chapter 23: The New King

Dalton's Trick

In the original game, when Dalton was attempting to subjugate the party, he said "look over there!" to confuse them before blasting them with a variety of fireballs. Compare to Marty McFly's use of "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" with Biff in Back to the Future. This was simply changed to "How's this?" in the NA version, losing the meaning completely.

Chapter 24: The Time Egg

Nu

Concerning the Nu who sleeps "beyond the flow of time," the Japanese version more directly states that time does not flow for this Nu any longer.

Poyozo Doll

Though a minor detail, it is interesting to note that in the Japanese version, the Poyozo Dolls say "EXECUTING HIGHEST PROGRAM!" instead of merely "Executing Program."

Chapter 25: The Fated Hour

Gaspar (Make me a member of your team!)

Gaspar notes that if the party would thank him, they should make him a member of the team. This has been used to fuel the idea that Gaspar was going to be the eighth playable character. However, this was an erroneous translation. In the Japanese, he never mentions making him a team member. The line in question is the fourth one from the top. The confusion likely came from the ＿にする, which can indeed mean "make [someone/something] into ＿". It can't mean that here, though. The most obvious reason is that he uses the explicit plural 仲間達 (companions), and it doesn't make any sense in Japanese or English to say "make me your companions".

Taking the beginning of the sentence into account, the phrase should be read as 仲間達に［かんしゃ］する, with an implied かんしゃ (thanks), taken from the first half of the sentence. This unambiguously translates to "express thanks to companions". In short, the first half of his above speech means, "Don't thank me, thank your companions."

Gaspar (One if you is close to someone...)

OLD MAN: One of you is close to
   someone who needs help...
   Find this person...fast.

The gist of the Japanese statement:

For matters regarding each time era,
speak to someone here for information.

If it's about the things in your own
time period, there's somebody in your
group that knows. You should ask them.

Everyone knows about their own eras best.
You should ask them.

Rainbow Shell

Instead of remarking that it is drab, in the Japanese version Magus fashionably notes "the color doesn't suit [him]."

Sun Stone

Robo had a quote in the English ROM that exactly quantified the time needed to recharge the Sun Stone. It is a fabrication of the localization team, as Robo does not give any number or estimate in the original version of the game.

Chapter 26: The Final Battle

Magus Evolution Statement

In the NA version, Magus noted that Lavos had been "controlling evolution for its own purposes." This makes it seem as if Lavos were actively guiding evolution. In fact, the only known instance of this is humanity's contact with the Frozen Flame. In the Japanese version, Magus merely says that Lavos has been "making the evolution of all life...its own," which is similar to the other party members' statements that Lavos is merely harvesting certain traits for his own evolution. It is far removed from the sweeping statement that Lavos controlled absolutely everything.

Ending: A Slide Show?

The slide show ending is much raunchier in the Japanese version. So as to not spoil the jokes, please consult the Retranslation Script to find the humor.

From: Theory