Retranslation
Contents
General Information
Welcome to the Chrono Trigger Retranslation Project, completed in script form on March 30, 2007. The objective of this effort is to effect a full retranslation of Chrono Trigger from its original Japanese script. Thanks to fan translator KWhazit, this dream is now reality. All dialogue in the game, as well as all lists of items, weapons, armor, locations, etc. have been rendered in English once more. A clearer portrayal of Chrono Trigger as intended by its Japanese creators is now available. It is not the opinion of this project that Ted Woolsey's official translation was bad or insufficient in any way -- only that some essence of the game was lost or altered, given Nintendo of America's censorship standards and the inability of the game to hold all the original text when translated to English. Here's a sample of the final product:
The retranslation is presented as a playable patch and in HTML, Excel, and text files. The scripts present Woolsey's original translation, the Japanese script, and KWhazit's retranslation (with annotations) in a four-column format which allows easy cross referencing of sources. For those seeking specific and important differences between the original North American release and the original, a special article has been made with excerpts of the scripts. A full name guide is also up for download with the spreadsheets.
Patch
To download three patches allowing the patch's hard changes to be applied to your own work:
To learn about the making of the patch, hit Making of the Retranslation.
Script Presentations
Choose your method of viewing below. The Dialogue Packet Edition presents strings in the order they are stored in the game. The Game Order Edition presents them as the player would naturally encounter dialogue. For the HTML files, give them a few seconds to load, as the multitude of tables from spreadsheet conversion make them especially demanding on browsers.
Chrono Trigger Translation Differences
Characterization, censorships, and other myriad details were altered, effected, or lost in Trigger's original release. Thanks to KWhazit, you can discern the changes here.
Full Release (each spreadsheet is 2.5 megabytes)
- Chrono Trigger Retranslation - Dialogue Packet Edition
- Chrono Trigger Retranslation - Game Order Edition
- Comprehensive Name Guide
HTML Chapters (give them time to load)
- Chapter 1
- Chapters 2-3
- Chapters 4-5
- Chapters 6-7
- Chapter 9
- Chapters 10-11
- Chapters 12-14
- Chapters 15-17
- Chapter 18
- Chapters 19-21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25 (Part 1)
- Chapter 25 (Part 2)
- Chapter 25 (Part 3)
- Chapter 26
- Endings and Lost Lines
- Other Appendices
- Character Sets and Credits
Text Files
Why Retranslate?
A few factors contributed to our desire to have Chrono Trigger retranslated. Specifically, Ted Woolsey did remark in an interview (see here) that a lot of text was cut out because the strings became too long after translation. Additionally, Woolsey did make mistakes in places. For instance, take the line:
Gaspar: One of you is close to someone who needs help. Find this person, fast.
It was supposed to read something to the effect of, "For matters concerning each time era, talk to your teammates." It's a hint telling you to talk to the various player characters standing around the End of Time; upon doing so, they will provide information about the sidequests in their home eras. The original meaning was heavily distorted, and led to endless discussion in the community befor e a proper translation was given. Also, there's a line in Zeal that states, "Janus, Schala's step-brother, doesn't have a speck of magic." Hey, he's not a step-brother! Little mistakes like these can cloud comprehension and understanding of the game's finer plot details and characterization.
Just to clarify, we aren't saying Ted Woolsey sucks. Censorship standards were imposed by Nintendo, and translators often have a hard time fitting every last bit of meaning into sentences without running over. For a clarification of Ted Woolsey's experiences, see this page.
Playable Version?
A bunch of programs authored by bisqwit exist purely for the insertion of translations into Chrono Trigger. Called Chronotools, these should allow easy creation of a playable retranslation. The problem is that all the ROM hacking talent at the Compendium is currently booked with real life or other issues. We're continuing to request volunteers willing to work with Chronotools and create an actual patch.
From: Main Page
