Check out also my Cracking Videogame Passwords: Simon’s Quest video!

Simon's Quest (Castlevania II / ドラキュラII 呪いの封印)
version differences and translation mysteries dissected

In comparison: Japanese FDS version (1987); North-American NES version (1988); PAL NES version (1990); and Finnish fan-translation by Joel Yliluoma (2012).

WARNING: SPOILERS. JUONIPALJASTUKSIA. ネタバレ

Images


Title screens.
Japanese
Japanese version
This was the original animated title screen of Castlevania II, only seen in the Famicom Disk System version of the game.
North-American English
North-American English version (NTSC)
Published one year after the Japanese version.
Likely due to political reasons, the blood effect from the Japanese version was not preserved in overseas releases.
Aside from changing a period to a comma, the prologue text was however kept completely unchanged, despite the occurrence of the word “hell”.
The nice-looking apostrophe in the word “you’ve” is actually a comma that is on the preceding line.
The Konami logo and the filmroll are placed eight pixels lower on the screen than in the FDS version, most likely due to attribute table limitations in the console hardware, and also to make sure that if something ends up being clipped because of overscan (cheap TVs render part of the content outside their own viewport), it is not the Konami logo that gets clipped.
International English
International English version (PAL)
Published two years after the USA version.
The reference to Nintendo was made simply, “Nintendo”, rather than “Nintendo of America, Inc.”
Finnish
Finnish version
I included the Japanese release year, 1987, and the two English release years in the Konami copyright year listing, because I incorporated features from all three releases.
The name of the company, Konami, was stripped of the extra legalese to match the Japanese version, and because of layout reasons.
The filmroll is eight pixels taller than in the other versions in order to make room for the version information textbox. As a consequence, the filmroll now nearly touches the edge of the Konami logo.

Main menu screens.
Japanese version
The disk system version supported saving the game state to the disk, and up to three games could be saved. Touroku=enter, kesu=wipe out. It is unknown why they used latin alphabet (rōmaji) for Japanese text. It is uncommon to do that.
English versions
The NES version did not have disk saving support, nor did the game cartridge include SRAM for saving. Instead, the game state would be encoded into a password, that could be entered later, and written on paper. These screens were also nicely decorated.

When the international English version was released after the North-American version, for some odd reason they decided to scramble the password font. Perhaps, to reduce the possibility of coincidentally obscene passwords by removing all vowels. In the USA version, there are a total of about 90 valid passwords that coincidentally consist entirely of English words, such as “PORN VOLT DEAD WHAT” or “LONG DOZY TILT RAYS” (both discovered by Bisqwit). In the PAL version, there are none found so far, unless L337 spelling is allowed, in which case the numbers for NTSC and PAL become 250 and 50 respectively.
Though the password encoding mechanism is identical in both versions, the letters displayed look different. This caused some confusion in Finland when an imported and translated gamer magazine included passwords that could only possibly be entered in the USA version, without explanation of the fact. Eventually, I memorized both versions (displayed).
The North-American version used a special pixel-shifted tileset for just the "YOUR" word to avoid the "ENTER YOUR" line touching the edge of the text box (you can see how the letters of "YOUR" do not line up with the "WORD" below). The PAL version could not use that trick due to being out of unused tiles; instead, they shifted the entire font, including the red arrow, one pixel to the left. They forgot to shift the underline, though.

I actually have made a video that explains in very deep detail how the password system works. Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ve0YEQEMw

Finnish versions
The Finnish version comes in two variants: NTSC and PAL. The password compatibility was preserved regardless of version.
The main menu box now includes a SRAM-save feature, and the font was changed into a serif font. The film roll also is 8 pixels taller. The misplaced underline in the PAL version was also fixed.

Dialog output comparisons.
Japanese English Finnish Explanation
Dialog speed comparison The Japanese version was tuned to produce the text at an approximately natural pace of speaking. When the game was translated into English, the pace was kept exactly the same, despite each character now corresponding to a single letter rather than an entire syllable, thereby producing an impression of slow speech.
The Finnish version attempts to reintroduce a new natural pace. At the faster pace, more dialog can be outputted without the game becoming slower. A special exception was added for stop characters such as the comma or the question mark, producing a longer delay.

The Japanese version also uses a serif-type font. It has strokes that are sharp at one end and round at other end (where such features can be presented in the low resolution).
For some reason, the English version went with standard sans-serif Nintendo font, despite every indication in the original game being that for latin alphabet, serif font should be used at all times. In the Finnish version, I chose the serif font already present in the game for dialog text. I also created a lowercase font, but these screenshots are from an earlier version that did not use it.

The Japanese version also renders dialog in such manner, that it leaves empty lines between text lines. My guess is that originally they planned to use the between-lines for the dakuten and handakuten marks, as is done in e.g. Chrono Trigger. However, at some point they discarded that plan, and just put those marks amidst the dialog text. They still preserved the line spacing, because it gets somewhat messy with all the dialog together at that font. When the game was ported to the NES and English, the sparse style was preserved, despite there being absolutely no reason to that. The English letters are very clear and distinct shapes that do not get mixed even if they are brought adjacent to each others. Because of this decision alone, they had very limited space for text on screen, and that was one of the main reasons contributing to the cryptic translations in the English version. There was ample unused space in the ROM for text expansion; they just chose to not utilize it optimally.
In the Finnish version, I reduced the line interval from 2 to 1, thereby allowing more text to be displayed in the same dialog box. I also experimented with increasing the width of the dialog box itself, but it produced some problems related to PPU graphics transfers. I still did make it taller in the trading dialogs.

Shop speed comparison

Dialog text

"Literal translation of original Japanese text": An attempted literal translation of the Japanese text. Not to be confused with the re-translated English version.
Tip: Mouse-over the Japanese text to see romanization.
Day and night transitions.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
0 ソシテ センリツノ ヨルカ゛ オトス゛レタ WHAT A HORRIBLE NIGHT TO HAVE A CURSE.
This text appears every time the ingame clock reaches 18:00 (6 pm), followed by a transition to night-time palette. The monsters will be twice as strong as at daytime.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: And then descended the horrible night.
Comment: The Japanese version of this dialog follows the same narrative style as the game ending. It is written like a teleplay.
Interestingly the original text makes no mention of a curse.
And then descends a horrible night. Ja sitten laskeutui hirvittävä yö. Une nuit horrible s’annonce. Sumapit ang malagim na gabi. Y ahora desciende la horrible noche. De duivelse nacht valt. Het kwaad voedt zich met de nacht. Det grusomme nattesmørket har vekket forbannelsen. Eine furchtbare Nacht bricht herein.
1 アクムノヨウナ ヨルカ゛アケタ THE MORNING SUN HAS VANQUISHED THE HORRIBLE NIGHT.
This text appears every time the ingame clock reaches 06:00 (6 am), followed by a transition to the day-time palette. The monsters are back to normal strength.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The night of a nightmare has ended (due to sunrise).
Comment: The original text speaks of a nightmare. The night was like a frightening dream.

In the retranslation, I implemented a pauseless transition between daytime and nighttime palettes. These dialog boxes, while iconic, became redundant, and were removed. See a demonstration here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCfnehhRBsk

The morning sun has vanquished the horrible night. Auringon säteet karkoittivat painajais- maisen yön. Le soleil du matin a dissipé l’horrible nuit. Nadaig ng bukang- liwayway ang malagim na gabi. El sol de la mañana ha vencido a la horrible noche. De felle ochtendzon heeft de vreselijke nacht verdreven. Morgensolen har atter seiret over den grusomme natten. Der Albtraum endet mit der Morgensonne.
The ferryman.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
11 イイトコロニ ツレテイッテ アケ゛ヨウ イッヒッヒ SURE, I’LL TAKE YOU TO A GOOD PLACE. HEH‼ HEH‼ HEH‼
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Let’s take you to a good place, *creepy laughter*
Well then‥. Let’s go to a really good place. Hehehe‼ Hee, hee‼ Joudutaanpa sitten. Vien teidät oikein hyvään paikkaan, ihihii‼ Bien‥. Allons dans un superbe endroit. Héhéhé‼ Ha Ha‼ O sige‥. Dadalhin kita sa isang astig na lugar. HEHEH‼ HEE, HEE‼ Entonces... Vayamos a un lugar muy bueno. ¡¡Hehehe‼ ¡¡Hee, hee‼ Mooi zo‥. Laten we naar een goede plek gaan. He,he‼ Hee, hee‼ Jada. Vi kan dra til et helt fantastisk sted‼ Hohoho‼ Hah, hah‼ Freund,... Gewiss werde ich Dich an einen guten Ort bringen. Har har‼
12 アナタノ ユクヘ゛キトコロニ ミチヒ゛キマショウ LET ME SHOW YOU THE WAY.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Let’s guide you to the place where you must go.
Comment: This string is shown instead of string 11, when the player shows Dracula’s heart to the ferryman.
Hints for the player: strings 88 (info: there is a curse at the river), 31 (clue: must solve curse at river to progress), 68 (rumor: try showing something to the ferryman), and 34 (clue: the heart solves a curse). It was also outright spoiled in the game’s manual, both in the Japanese and English editions.
Let me take you to where you must go. Minä vien teidät sinne, minne teidän pitää mennä. Laisse-moi te guider au bon endroit. Hayaan mong ituro ko sa iyo ang daan na dapat mong tahakin. Déjame llevarte a donde debes ir. Ik zal je brengen naar waar je moet zijn. La meg vise deg veien du må ta. Lasst mich Euch auf den rechten Pfad lotsen.
19 アナタノ ユクヘ゛キトコロニ ミチヒ゛キマショウ I’LL SHOW YOU THE WAY.
Comment: Unused copy of string 12. My guess is that they were planning to use it when returning with the ferry from Brahm’s mansion, but it was never implemented. None of the official releases contain any reference to this dialog line. I implemented it in the retranslation(s).
Everything done? Let’s get going then. Next stop: Belasco Marsh. Kaikki valmista? Joudutaanpa sitten. Seuraava etappi: Belascon suo. Allons-y. Prochain arrêt: le marais de Belasco. Handa ka na ba? Lalayag na tayo tungo sa Lati ng Belasco. Sakay na‼ ¿Terminaste? Vámonos entonces. Siguiente parada... Pantano Belasco. Helemaal gereed? Vooruit met de geit‼ Volgende halte: Belasco’s Moeras. Har du gjort deg ferdig? Da drar vi videre. Neste stopp: Belaskomyr. Ihr habt es vollendet? Dann auf, zurück ins dunkle Moor. Har Har Har‼
Clues.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
66 ハ゛-クレイノヤカタテ゛ シロスイショウヲ カサ゛ストキ ミチハ ヒラカレル CLEAR A PATH AT BERKELEY MANSION WITH A WHITE CRYSTAL.
In town of Veros. Hinted by string 78.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: When you hold the white crystal over your eyes in the Berkeley mansion, a path is revealed.
Comment: True. Without the white crystal, the entry to that mansion is difficult, but the crystal reveals a hidden moving platform.
The English text misses on the opportunity to explain in-universe how exactly this artifact helps accomplish this purpose (compare with string 89), but this is likely because of the limited space. Japanese does not have this problem because it is approximately twice as space-efficient as English.
One peek into a crystal is all you need to reveal a path in Berkeley Mansion. Berkeleyn kartanon salattu tie paljastuu kristalliin katsomalla. Un cristal peut révéler un chemin secret dans la demeure Berkeley. Ipapakita ng puting kristal ang lihim na daan sa Mansyon ni Berkeley. Un cristal puede revelar un camino secreto en la Mansión Berkeley. Het witte kristal zal een pad voor je onthullen in de Burcht van Berkeley. Det sies at en krystall kan vise vei i Berkeley herregård. Seht durch den Kristall in Burg Berkley und der Steig erscheint.
159
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Crystal Kristalli Cristal Kristal Cristal Edelstenen Krystall Der Kristall
30 カシノキノクイヲ アルモノニ ウチコムトキ マオウノ ショウチョウハ アラワレル A SYMBOL OF EVIL WILL APPAER WHEN YOU STRIKE THE STAKE.
In Berkeley mansion. Hinted by string 80.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: When you smash an oak stake at a certain object, a symbol of devil (lit. king of evil) appears.
Comment: Yes, the Japanese text uses a nonspecific ‘at a certain person/thing’ (アルモノ). And yes, both NTSC and PAL English versions had a typo in the word "appear".
Also, this game often refers to Dracula as devil (“maou”, lit. king of evil). In Chrono Trigger, Magus’s name was also “maou” (魔王).
Aside from the typo, the only problem in the translation is that it refers to generic evil, rather than Dracula the king.
A symbol of Dracula will appear when you strike certain object with a stake made of oak. Demonin symboli ilmestyy, kun tietty rakennelma murskataan tammisella vaarnalla. Un symbole de Dracula apparaîtra en utilisant le pieu en chêne. Ang sagisag ni Dracula ay lilitaw kapag ito ay tinamaan ng ensinang tulos. Un símbolo de Drácula va a aparecer al golpear algo con una estaca. Sla toe met een eiken staak, en er zal een deel van Dracula verschijnen. Slå til med en eikestake og symbolet til ondskap- en vil vise seg. Gepfählt mit einen Pflock aus Eiche werden die teuflischen Relikte erscheinen.
160
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Oak Stake Tammivaarna Pieu en Chêne Tulos Estaca Eiken Staak Eikestake Eichenpflock
31 フ゛ラ-ムノヤカタ カワノ ノロイヲ トクモノ ムカエイレル DESTROY THE CURSE AND YOU’LL RULE BRAHM’S MANSION.
In Berkeley mansion. Hinted by string 80.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The clearing of the curse of the river will usher into Brahm’s mansion (i.e. it will lead / escort you there).
Comment: In other words, when you clear the curse of the river, a path opens for you to the Brahm Mansion.
The English translation omits that it speaks of the curse of the river, in particular. The ferryman operates at the river, where there is a curse (this is mentioned by several NPCs). You need to show him the heart, and he will take you to the coast next to Brahm’s mansion that you cannot otherwise access (except by utilizing a glitch that allows you to jump three-block obstacles).
The road to Brahm’s Mansion will be heralded by dispelling the curse of the river. Tie Brahmin kartanoon kulkee joen kirouksen purkamisen kautta. Dissipe la malédiction touchant la rivière pour atteindre la demeure Brahm. Ang daan sa Mansyon ni Brahm ay lilitaw kapag ang sumpa ng ilog ay naiwaksi. El camino a la Mansión Brahm va anunciado al disipar la maldición del río. De route naar Brahm’s Burcht, zal zich tonen, als de vloek, die rust op de rivier, verbroken wordt. Veien frem til Brahms herregård vil åpnes om du fjerner elvens for- bannelse. Bannt den Fluch des Flusses um die Brahmsburg zu erreichen.
161
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Brahm’s Road Brahmin tie Brahm Daan sa Brahm Paso de Brahm Brahm’s Pad Brahms vei Brahms Steg
32 セイナルホノオノ ミナモトハ ヒニトサ゛サレタ リョウイキニ イマモ ネムル A FLAME FLICKERS INSIDE THE RING OF FIRE.
In Berkeley mansion. Hinted by string 80.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The source of the holy fire (“flame”) sleeps even now in the land that is forever closed off (trapped) from daylight (in a territory that never sees sunlight).
Comment: In other words, the flame is hidden in a cave. Which is true. The English translator misunderstood the meaning, and tried to convey that the (a?) flame is trapped and surrounded by fire: ヒ, “hi”, means both fire (火) and daylight (日). Unfortunately the result was total nonsense.
Even today the Sacred Flame rests in a realm hidden from sunlight. Vielä tänäkin päivänä pyhä soihtu lepää valtakunnassa joka ei valoa näe. La Flamme Sacrée se trouve dans un lieu caché et obscur. Ang Banal na Apoy ay nakakubli at malayo sa sinag ng araw. Hoy en día, la Flama Sagrada yace en un reino oculto de la luz del sol. De heilige vlam rust ook nu nog op een plek, waar nimmer het zonlicht zal schijnen. Selv i dag hviler den hellige ild i riket som aldri møtes av solen. Die Heilige Flamme ruht an einem Ort fernab des Sonnenlichts.
162
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Sacred Flame Pyhä soihtu Flamme Sacrée Banal na Apoy Flama Sagrada Heilige Vuur Hellig ild Das Feuer
13 アオスイショウヲ カカケ゛ コスイノマエニ ヒサ゛マス゛クトキ タ゛イチハ ミス゛ヲ ウケイレル TO REPLENISH EARTH ,KNEEL BY THE LAKE WITH THE BLUE CRYSTAL.
In Aljiba woods. Hinted by string 103.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: When you kneel in front of a lake, holding a blue crystal, the ground accepts/receives the water.
Comment: The English text is a bit uncalled-for cryptic (and it misplaces the comma), but it does give the right idea. You really need to kneel at a lake, holding a colored crystal, in order to progress to the area under the lake. At two distinct locations.
In terms of gameplay, it may be confusing how both “lakes” are tiny compared to the “river”, but most players still figure out this clue and apply it without a problem.
When the sapphire hits the sand of a lake beach, the earth will swallow the water. Kun sinisen jalokiven painaa järven ranta- hiekkaan, maa imee veden. Lorsque le Cristal bleu touche le sable devant un lac, l’eau se retire. Kapag tumama ang sepiro sa buhangin ng aplaya, lulununin ng lupa ang tubig sa lawa. Cuando el safiro golpee la arena de la playa del lago, la tierra se tragará el agua. Breng een saffier in contact met met de oever van het meer, en de aarde zal al het water doen verzwelgen. Om en safir får tilbe sjøens sand- strand, vil jorden sluke vannet. Betet mit einem Saphir am Ufer des Sees, wird das Wasser versiegen.
163
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Beach Rantahiekka Plage Aplaya Playa Oever Strand Das Ufer
92 テ゛ホ゛ラノカ゛ケノ マエニ チョウコウセキヲ モツ トシオイタ シ゛フ゜シ-カ゛ イル AN OLD GYPSY HOLDS A DIAMOND IN FRONT OF DE- BORAH CLIFF.
In town of Aljiba. Hinted by string 79.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In front of Deborah cliff there is an elderly gypsy who has a mineral chunk ("diamond").
Comment: Completely true. However, there are two different sites to the Deborah cliff. At one (north), happens the whirlwind event. At the other (south), is the gypsy. Both sites are accessed through different sections of Jam Wasteland. Both wasteland sections have a jumping-puzzle river crossing in them. It is ambiguous enough. In-game nothing differentiates or identifies them. Only the Japanese instruction manual had a map. The English one did not.

My retranslation adds an in-game map in all supported languages for the convenience of the player. See a demonstration here (of the Finnish version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xv2Z0PQgR4&t=3m0s

There is an old gypsy who lives in southern Jam Wasteland. She has a giant diamond. Jamin erämaassa eteläpuolella asuu vanha romanileski, jolla on valtava timantti. Une vieille gitane vit au sud de la Terre Désolée de Jam. Elle a un énorme diamant. Ang babaeng hitano na nakatira sa timugang Parang ng Jam ay may malaking diamante. Hay una vieja gitana que vive en el Baldío Jam del sur. Ella tiene un diamante gigante. De oude zigeuner uit het Droogland in het zuiden, is in het bezit van een enorme diamant. En gammel kone bor i det sydlige Ødejam. Det sies hun har en stor diamant. Die graue Zigeunerin in Jams Einöde wacht über einen mächtigen Edelstein.
164
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Diamond Timantti Diamant Diamante Diamante De Diamant Diamant Der Diamant
34 マオウノシンソ゛ウハ ノロワレシモノノ ノロイヲ トク DESTROY THE CURSE WITH DRACULA’S HEART.
In Rover mansion. Hinted by string 105.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The heart of Dracula (lit. heart of the king of evil, i.e. devil) clears the curse of something/someone that is cursed.
Comment: The original English version is terse to the degree of meaninglessness. Still, the clue is completely true, when you realize that it refers to the ferryman. Not too easy, considering the amount of stuff that is cursed in this game: Simon is cursed and will die if he does not vanquish Dracula soon enough, the ferryman is cursed (the curse of the river), there is a cursed swamp, and there is Dracula’s curse (which is solved with the clue-books), and clue-books are trapped because of a curse…
In the Finnish version, I am calling the monsters of wilderness as demons, but also translating 魔王 (maou) as the demon. To avoid misleading the player (Finnish language does not contain a way to separately express “a demon” and “the demon”), I explicitly wrote Dracula’s heart in Finnish in this particular line.
Dracula’s heart will destroy certain curse. Draculan sydän purkaa erään kirouksen. Le coeur de Dracula détruira une malédiction. Ang puso ni Dracula ang wawasak sa isang uri ng sumpa. El corazón de Drácula destruirá una cierta maldición. Dracula’s hart zal een zekere vloek opheffen. Fyrstens hjerte kan løfte en spesifikk forbannelse. Das Herz des Tieres lotst die Geiseln des Fluches.
165
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Heart Sydän Coeur Puso Corazón Het Hart Hjerte Das Herz
33 ハカハ゛ニ ニンニクヲ オクト マモノハ キエウセ ソナタヲ マツヒトカ゛ アラワレル GARLIC IN THE GRAVEYARD SUMMONS A STRANGER.
In Rover mansion. Hinted by string 105.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: At a graveyard, when garlic is placed on the ground, demons will die, and a person who awaits for you will appear.
Comment: The Japanese version uses archaic words like “sonata” (rather than “anata”) a lot. There is no direct translation in English, and I am not an expert on ye olde English anyway, so I will just use “you” rather than trying to work “thee” into my translations. Just know that almost all of the Japanese dialog is full of archaic forms in this game.
The English translation omits the notion that demons can’t stand garlic.
Put garlic on cemetery ground, and demons will die. You may also meet someone awaiting you. Valkosipuli kalmiston mullassa karkoittaa demonit, mutta saatat tavata sen, joka sinua odottaa. Pose l’ail sur le sol du cimetière pour tuer les démons. Tu y fera aussi une rencontre. Maglapag ka ng bawang sa himlayan at masasawi ang mga aswang, at may taong naghihintay sa iyo doon. Deja un poco de ajo en el cementerio, y los demonios morirán. Puede que te encuentres a alguien. Dood demonen op het kerkhof met knoflook, om er veilig iemand te kunnen ontmoeten. Legg hvit- løk ut ved kirkegården for å drepe demoner. Kanskje du også møter noen slik. Knoblauch am Friedhof erlegt Dämonen. Jemand wird auf Euch zukommen.
166
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Garlic Valkosipuli Ail Bawang Ajo Knoflook Hvitløk Knoblauch
35 キヌノフクロニ クルマレシ ケ゛ッケイシ゛ュハ タマシイヲ フキコマレル PLACE THE LAURELS IN A SILK BAG TO BRING THEM TO LIFE.
In Brahm’s mansion. Not hinted.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: A soul/spirit will be blown into the laurels, when you wrap them in a silk bag.
Comment: There is nothing wrong with the English translation of this clue. According to the plot, silk bag brings laurels (and garlics) into life, so they are twice as potent as before. How this is reflected in gameplay is that the silk bag rises the storage capacity for both laurels and garlics from 4 to 8. Another reference to this "life" phenomenon is in string 37. The idea is that once the player has read both, they should understand that in order to safely cross the large swamp of Joma, they should have laurels and the silk bag. It is still rather difficult to put together.
When you wrap dry herbs, such as laurels, in a silk bag, they will be brought to life. Kiedo yrtit silkkiseen laukkuun, ja ne heräävät henkiin. Lorsqu’un laurier est enroulé dans un sac de soie, il prend vie. Magbalot ng mga tuyong lubigan, tulad ng laurel, sa sedang supot at sila ay mabubuhay. Al envolver hierba seca, tales como laureles, en una bolsa de seda, éstos serán traídos a la vida. Bewaar dure kruiden als laurier in een zijden zak, om ze langer vers te houden. Tørre urter, som laurbær, i en silke- taske vil få tilbake friskheten. In einem Seidenbeutel gelagerte Kräuter leben auf‼ Das ist sehr mächtig.
167
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Silk Bag Silkkilaukku Sac en Soie Sedang Supot Bolsa de Seda Zijden Tas Silketaske Seidenbeutel
36 テ゛ホ゛ラノカ゛ケノ マエテ゛ アカスイショウヲ カカケ゛ カセ゛ヲマテ WAIT FOR A SOUL WITH A RED CRYSTAL ON DEBORAH CLIFF.
In Brahm’s mansion. Not hinted.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Hold a red crystal in front of Deborah cliff and wait for a wind.
Comment: The Japanese original was completely true and an important clue, without which you may not be able to complete the game. Although even the Japanese text neglects to mention kneeling. In a slight deviation from the original, my retranslation adds the kneeling into the clue as a mercy to the player.
In the original English version, they translated “kaze”, which means wind/breeze, as soul. Why? Kaze does not mean soul/spirit in Japanese. In a handful other languages, such as Russian and Hebrew, spirit and wind are the same word, but this is not the case in either Japanese nor English. This suggests that the native language of the translator was neither English nor Japanese, but one of these other languages.
Press a ruby against the Deborah cliff, kneel, and wait for a whirlwind. Paina rubiini Deboran kallioon ja odota myrskytuulta. Baisse-toi devant la falaise de Deborah avec un Cristal rouge, et attends une tornade. Hawakan ang rubi, lumuhod sa tapat ng Talampas ng Deborah at mag-abang ng ipu-ipo. Presiona un rubí contra el acantilado Deborah, arrodíllate y espera un remolino. Kniel met een robijn, aan de berg van Deborah, en laat je meevoeren door de wind. Presenter en rubin for Debraklippen og be om å bli tatt av vinden. Kniet, und haltet den Rubin gegen den Felsen von Deborah. Erwartet den Wirbelsturm.
168
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Whirlwind Myrskytuuli Tornade Ipu-ipo Remolino De Wind Virvelvind Wirbelsturm
37 イノチアル ケ゛ッケイシ゛ュナキモノ ヌマノノロイニ イノチツキル THE CURSE HAS KILLED THE LAUREL TREE.
In Bodley mansion. Hinted by string 104.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: A person without living laurels will perish on the cursed swamp.
Comment: The original English version is total nonsense. But I do not claim to be smarter than the original translator: I, too, could not make any sense of the Japanese text, until I asked a native Japanese person about it. Turns out that this clue, too, actually makes sense and is absolutely true for most players. (The Joma swamp is huge.)
The wording of ‘living laurel’ is to be understood in conjunction with string 35, which suggests that the laurels become lively when wrapped in a silk bag. And clearly, the swamp becomes easier to cross when you have 8 laurels rather than 4, especially at lower levels.
Related hints: strings 35 (silk bag makes life), 67 (laurels fix a pickle), and 91 (laurel protects from swamp poisons)
Treading through the cursed swamp without living laurels is perilous. Kirotun suon läpi tarpominen ilman eläviä laakerin- lehtiä on hengen- vaarallista. Traverser le marais maudit sans laurier est périlleux. Ang paglakad sa sinumpang lati na walang baong mga buhay na laurel ay mapanganib. Pisar a través del pantano maldito sin laureles vivientes es peligroso. Het giftige moeras over steken, is zonder verse laurier op voorraad, uiterst gevaarlijk‼ Det å vandre gjennom den forbannede myren uten friske laur- bær er helt nyttesløst. Ohne den veredelten Lorbeer geht Ihr im verfluchten Moor zu Grunde.
169
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Nail Kynsi Ongle Kuko Uña De Nagel Fingernegl Der Nagel
20 マオウノツメハ シ゛ャアクノカヘ゛ヲ ウチクタ゛ク チカラヲ モツ DRACULA’S NAIL MAY SOLVE THE EVIL MYSTERY.
At Deborah cliff. Not hinted.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The claw/nail of devil (“maou”, lit. king of evil) has the power to break evil walls.
Comment: True. Equip the nail, and your whip now can destroy the same walls that the holy water can destroy. You still need the water in order to break “evil floors”, because the whip cannot be lashed vertically.
The English translation however is maliciously cryptic. You can easily fit “can break evil walls” in same space as “may solve the evil mystery”. I did not even know the nail can break walls until I began the retranslation project. I thought the nail is as useless as the ring is.
The nail of Dracula possesses the power to shatter evil walls. Demonin kynsi antaa voiman murskata noituuden muurit. L’ongle de Dracula permet de briser les murs maléfiques. Ang kuko ni Dracula ay may lakas na titibag sa mga pader ng kasamaan. La uña de Drácula posee el poder para quebrantar muros malignos. Dracula’s nagel zal je zweep de kracht geven, om valse muren neer te halen. Draculas fingernegl bærer evnen til å knuse ondskapens vegger. Draculas Kralle besitzt die Macht trügerische Wände umzureißen.
170
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Living Laurel Elävät lehdet Lauriers Laurel Laurel Vivo Verse Laurier Laurbær Lorbeer
17 シニカ゛ミカ゛ カクシモツ ナイフニ カミ-ラノ ヒトミハ クモル DRACULA’S EVIL KNIFE BLURS CAMILLA’S VISION.
In Debious woods. Not hinted.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The god of death (shinigami) / with a concealed knife / Carmilla’s pupil becomes dim.
Comment: This clue simply tells that Death (who is in Brahm’s mansion) is hiding the golden knife, which is the most powerful special weapon in the game. Defeat Death, and you get the knife. It also offers an explanation for the “weeping” eye of Carmilla. The English translator did not understand that this refers to the actual in-game monster called Death, and thought that it is just a title referring to Dracula, like the “king of evil” (maou) used in other clues.
The English translation had an additional layer of misdirection: The manual (at least in USA) referred to the boss Carmilla as Vampira, and there is an ingame location called Ca(r)milla cemetery, where you acquire the silver knife. (Thanks Est A)
The Finnish translation puts a surprise twist to a certain idiom, by using its literal meaning. The literal meaning is an accurate translation of the original text, though at first reading one sees the idiom, which has a different meaning.
Death poked Carmilla’s eye with a concealed knife. Kuolema, se viikatemies, viilasi Carmillaa linssiin. Käyttäen kätkettyä puukkoa. La Mort a piqué l’oeil de Carmilla avec un couteau caché. Tinusok ni Kamatayan ng tagong punyal ang mata ni Camilla. La Muerte clavó el ojo de Carmilla con un cuchillo oculto. De Dood verblinde Camilla, met het mes, dat hij onder zijn gewaad verborgen hield. Døden stakk Carmillas øye ut med en skjult kniv. Gevatter Tod blendete Carmilla mit einem versteckten Dolch.
171
Comment: Name of this clue, used in the retranslation(s) if clue browser is enabled.
Death’s Ruse Kuoleman juju La Mort Kamatayan Muerte Oculta Dood z’n list Dødens puss Todes List
Road signs
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
58 ミキ゛ ヨ-ハ゛ノ モリ ヒタ゛リ ヘ゛ラスコノ ヌマ TURN RIGHT FOR THE JOVA WOODS. LEFT FOR BELASCO MARSH.
In Jova
Comment: Forest of Jova, swamp of Belasco
┄┄┄┄┄ JOVA ┄┄┄┄┄  ▬► Jova Woods  ◄▬ Belasco Marsh┄┄┄┄JOVA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Jovan    metsä ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Belascon    suo┄┄┄┄JOVA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Forêt de    Jova ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Marais de    Belasco┄┄┄┄JOVA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Gubat ng    Jova ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Lati ng    Belasco┄┄┄┄JOVA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Bosque    Jova ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Pantano    Belasco┄┄┄┄JOVA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Jova’s    Woud ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Belasco’s    Moeras┄┄┄┄JOVA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Jova-    skogen ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Belasko-    myr┄┄┄┄JOVA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Wälder von    Jova ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Belasco    Moor
59 ミキ゛ タ゛ヒ゛ノ チカト゛ウ ヒタ゛リ ヘ゛ロスノ モリ TURN RIGHT FOR DABI’S PATH LEFT FOR THE VEROS WOODS.
In Veros
Comment: Subterranean tunnel of Dabi [dah-bee], forest of Veros
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ VEROS ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄  ▬► Dabi’s Path  ◄▬ Veros Woods┄┄┄VEROS┄┄┄┄ ▬► Dabin    tunneli ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Veroksen    metsä┄┄┄VEROS┄┄┄┄ ▬► Chemin de    Dabi ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Forêt de    Veros┄┄┄VEROS┄┄┄┄ ▬► Daan ng    Dabi ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Gubat ng    Veros┄┄┄VEROS┄┄┄┄ ▬► Paso de    Dabi ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Bosque    Veros┄┄┄VEROS┄┄┄┄ ▬► Dabi’s    Pad ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Veros    Woud┄┄┄VEROS┄┄┄┄ ▬► Dabis    Vei ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Feros-    skogen┄┄┄VEROS┄┄┄┄ ▬► Dabis    Grottenweg ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Wälder von    Veros
60 ミキ゛ サ゛タ゛ムノ モリ ヒタ゛リ シ゛ャムノ アレチ TURN RIGHT FOR SADAM WOODS, LEFT FOR THE JAM WASTELAND.
In Ondol
Comment: Forest of Zadam, wasteland of Jam.
The names of these places are documented in a map image that appeared in the Japanese manual of the game, and in an English publication called Nintendo Power NES Game Atlas.
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ONDOL ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄  ▬► Sadam Woods  ◄▬ Northern Jam     Wasteland┄┄┄ONDOL┄┄┄┄ ▬► Sadamin    metsä ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Pohjoinen    Jamin    erämaa┄┄┄ONDOL┄┄┄┄ ▬► Forêt de    Sadam ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Terre    Désolée    Jam Nord┄┄┄ONDOL┄┄┄┄ ▬► Gubat ng    Sadam ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Hilagang    Parang    ng Jam┄┄┄ONDOL┄┄┄┄ ▬► Bosque    Sadam ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Baldío    Jam    del Norte┄┄┄ONDOL┄┄┄┄ ▬► Sadam’s    Woud ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Noordelijk    Droogland ┄┄┄ONDOL┄┄┄┄ ▬► Sadam-    skogen ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Nordre    Ødejam┄┄┄ONDOL┄┄┄┄ ▬► Sadams    Wald ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Nördliches    Jam    Brachland
81 ミキ゛ カミ-ラホ゛チ ヒタ゛リ オルシ゛ハ゛ノ モリ TURN RIGHT FOR CAMILLA CEMETERY, LEFT FOR THE ALJIBA WOODS.
In Aljiba
Comment: Graveyard of Carmilla, forest of Aljiba
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ALJIBA ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄  ▬► Carmilla Cemetery  ◄▬ Forest of Aljiba┄┄┄ALJIBA┄┄┄ ▬► Carmillan    kalmisto ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Aljiban    metsä┄┄┄ALJIBA┄┄┄ ▬► Cimetière    Carmilla ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Forêt    d’Aljiba┄┄┄ALJIBA┄┄┄ ▬► Himlayan    ng Camilla ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Gubat ng    Aljiba┄┄┄ALJIBA┄┄┄ ▬► Cementerio    Carmilla ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Bosque de    Aljiba┄┄┄ALJIBA┄┄┄ ▬► Camilla’s    Kerkhof ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Aljiba’s    Woud┄┄┄ALJIBA┄┄┄ ▬► Carmillas    kirkegård ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Aljiba-    skogen┄┄┄ALJIBA┄┄┄ ▬► Carmillas    Friedhof ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Wald von    Aljiba
82 ミキ゛ テ゛ット゛リハ゛- ヒタ゛リ サ゛タ゛ムノ モリ TURN RIGHT FOR THE DEAD RIVER, LEFT FOR THE SADAM WOODS.
In Aldra
Comment: Dead river, forest of Zadam
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ALDRA ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄  ▬► Dead River  ◄▬ Sadam Woods┄┄┄ALDRA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Kuollut    joki ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Sadamin    metsä┄┄┄ALDRA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Rivière    Morte ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Forêt de    Sadam┄┄┄ALDRA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Patay    na Ilog ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Gubat ng    Sadam┄┄┄ALDRA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Río    Muerto ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Bosque    Sadam┄┄┄ALDRA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Dode    Rivier ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Sadam’s    Woud┄┄┄ALDRA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Deaud-    elv ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Sadam-    skogen┄┄┄ALDRA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Toter    Fluss ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Sadams    Wald
83 ミキ゛ キタノ ハシ ヒタ゛リ シ゛ャアクノ ミソ゛ TURN LEFT FOR THE WICKED DITCH , RIGHT TO GO NORTH.
In Doina
Comment: Northern bridge, ditch of wickedness. For space reasons the English version reversed the order.
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ DOINA ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄  ▬► Northern Bridge  ◄▬ Wicked Ditch┄┄┄DOINA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Pohjoinen    silta ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Noiduttu    korpi┄┄┄DOINA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Pont    Nord ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Fossé    Cruel┄┄┄DOINA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Hilagang    Tulay ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Masamang    Kanal┄┄┄DOINA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Puente    del Norte ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Arroyo    Malvado┄┄┄DOINA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Noordelijke    Brug ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Gevaarlijke    Kloof┄┄┄DOINA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Nord-    broen ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Farlig    grøft┄┄┄DOINA┄┄┄┄ ▬► Brücke nach    Norden ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Gefährliche    Brandgräben
84 ミキ゛ ウ゛ラト゛ホ゛チ ヒタ゛リ ト゛-ラノ モリ TURN RIGHT FOR VRAD GRAVEYARD, LEFT FOR THE DORA WOODS.
In Yomi
Comment: Graveyard of Vlad, forest of Dora [dow-rah]
┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ YOMI ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄  ▬► Vlad Graveyard  ◄▬ Dora Woods┄┄┄┄YOMI┄┄┄┄ ▬► Vladin    hautausmaa ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Dooran    metsä┄┄┄┄YOMI┄┄┄┄ ▬► Cimetière    Vlad ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Forêt de    Dora┄┄┄┄YOMI┄┄┄┄ ▬► Himlayan    ng Vlad ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Gubat ng    Dora┄┄┄┄YOMI┄┄┄┄ ▬► Cementerio    Vlad ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Bosque    Dora┄┄┄┄YOMI┄┄┄┄ ▬► Vlad’s    Kerkhof ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Dora’s    Woud┄┄┄┄YOMI┄┄┄┄ ▬► Vlads    Kirkegård ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Dora-    skogen┄┄┄┄YOMI┄┄┄┄ ▬► Vlads    Friedhof ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ Doras    Wald
NPCs of Town 1 (Jova)
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
56 シロスイショウヲ カイナサレ ソコカラ スヘ゛テカ゛ ハシ゛マル FIRST THING TO DO IN THIS TOWN IS BUY A WHITE CRYSTAL.
monk on 2nd stair in Jova
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Go and buy a white crystal. Everything begins from there.
Comment: Arguably true. You should not skip the holy water either, though.
Go and buy a white crystal. That’s the first thing you must do, the beginning of all things. Kaikki alkaa siitä, että menet ja ostat valkoisen kristalli- kiven. Avant toute chose, tu dois acheter un cristal blanc. Ang bilhin mo una ay ang puting kristal. Ang lahat ay magsisimula doon. Primero, deberías comprar un cristal blanco. Todo empieza desde ahí. Koop zo snel mogelijk een wit kristal. Hiermee zal je zoektocht starten. Alle burde kjøpe seg en hvitfarget krystallkule. De er be- gynnelsen på noe stort. Geht nun, holt einen Kristall‼ So wird es beginnen.
61 アルト゛ラノマチニ ソナタノナカマカ゛ イル カナラス゛ アイナサレ YOU HAVE A FRIEND IN THE TOWN OF ALDRA. GO AND SEE HIM.
monk on ground in Jova
Literal translation of original Japanese text: A friend of yours is in the town of Aldra. No matter what, you must meet him.
Comment: True. Compare to #57.
There is a friend waiting for you in the town of Aldra. You must go and meet him. Eräs ystäväsi odottaa sinua Aldran kylässä. Muista käydä tapaamassa häntä. Un ami t’attend dans la ville d’Aldra. Tu dois aller le voir. Mayroon kang kaibigan na naghihintay sa iyo sa bayan ng Aldra. Makipagkita ka sa kanya. Hay un amigo esperándote en el pueblo de Aldra. Debes ir con él. Er wacht een vriend op je in het dorp Aldra. Breng hem een bezoek als je kunt. En venn venter deg i byen Aldra. Du burde gå og møte ham. Ein Kamerad wartet schon in der Stadt Aldra. Geht zu ihm, lasst Euch nicht davon abhalten.
62 13サツノ カクサレシ フ゛ンケンヲ ヒモトクトキ ナソ゛ハ トカレル 13 CLUES WILL SOLVE DRACULA’S RIDDLE.
monk on 1st stair in Jova
Literal translation of original Japanese text: There are 13 hidden clues; each of them solves a mystery when read.
Comment: Completely true, at least in the Japanese version. The English version is a bit challenged in that regard.
Another possible translation: When you have read 13 hidden clues, the mystery will be solved.
Find one of the 13 hidden clues, and a riddle can be solved. Kun löydät kätketyn vihjeen, ratkaisu arvoitukseen selviää. Vihjeitä on kolmetoista. Le mystère sera résolu après avoir lu les 13 indices cachés. Hanapin ang 13 lihim na bakas, at ang bugtong ay malulutas. Encuentra una de las 13 pistas, y un acertijo podrá ser resuelto. Vind 1 van de 13 hints, en probeer een raadsel op te lossen. Finn en av de 13 skjul- te sporene og en gåte vil la seg løse. Dreizehn Spuren könnt Ihr folgen, - Jede Spur lüftet ein Geheimnis.
65 セイスイニ アクマハ クルシミ シ゛ャアクノカヘ゛ハ クタ゛ケル A MAGIC POTION WILL DESTROY THE WALL OF EVIL.
monk on ground in Jova
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The holy water causes agony to the evil, and breaks wicked walls.
Comment: The Japanese text is self-explanatory and completely true. The English version omits the notion that the holy water also hurts enemies, and inexplicably calls holy water “magic potion”. I can only marvel the inattention of the translator and the lack of QA at Konami’s localization team.
The Holy Water is agonizing to anything evil. It even shatters evil walls. Demonit eivät siedä pyhitettyä vettä. Pyhä vesi sulattaa myös noidutut muurit. L’Eau Bénite détruit le mal et brise les murs maudits. Ang Agua- Bendita ay pasakit sa kahit anong kasamaan. Kahit pader ay kayang durugin. El Agua Bendita es agonizante para todo ser maligno. Incluso rompe muros malignos. Heilig water is pijnlijk voor alles wat duivels is. Het kan zelfs valse muren breken. Vievannet er smertefullt for alt ondt. Det kan til og med knuse ondskapens vegger. Weihwasser bereitet Dämonen Höllenpein und bricht trügerische Mauern.
68 テ゛ット゛リハ゛-ノ セント゛ウハ ニンニクカ゛ コウフ゛ツト キイタコトカ゛アル RUMOR HAS IT , THE FERRY- MAN AT DEAD RIVER LOVES GARLIC.
guy on 1st stair in Jova
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I have heard that the favourite dish of the ferryman at the Dead River is garlic.
Comment: The translation is correct. Total nonsense, but it does direct the mind of the player to experiment with introducing different items to the ferryman. Showing the heart to the ferryman is necessary for completing the game. Thankfully, this is not the only hint of the fact.
Other hints for the player: strings 88 (info: there is a curse at the river), 31 (clue: must solve curse at river to progress), and 34 (clue: the heart solves a curse). It was also outright spoiled in the game’s manual, both in the Japanese and English editions.
When I translated the game (into Finnish), and then made a re-translation of it (for English), an opportunity opened for me to make the ferryman actually respond to garlic. I long hesitated, fearing that if the player receives a response that way, it might discourage them from trying other items (particularly, the heart), feeling that the riddle of string 68 has been already solved. However, after months of thinking it through, I did eventually add it. Now, if you show garlic to the ferryman (you have to place it on ground first), he will be upset and rant about the curse with the implication that he wants to see a proof of a hero. There are a number of similar easter eggs that I added to the game. See if you can find them all.
You know the ferryman, at the Dead River? I heard that he loves garlic. Tiedäthän lautturin kuolleella joella? Olen kuullut, että hän on perso valko- sipulille. Connais-tu le passeur de la Rivière Morte? Il paraît qu’il adore l’ail. Kilala mo ba ang bangkero sa Patay na Ilog? Mahilig daw siya sa bawang. ¿Conoces al barquero, cerca del Río Muerto? Escuché que adora el ajo. Ken je de veerman van de dode Rivier? Ik hoorde dat dat hij gek is op‥..ehm, knoflook..? Det sies at fergemannen ved Daulågen elsker den rike smaken av hvitløk. Wisst Ihr, der Fährmann am toten Fluss? Man erzählt, er nähme Knoblauch fuer bare Münze.
76 マチニハ カクレテ ショウハ゛イヲ スル ハ゛イニンカ゛ イル A CROOKED TRADER IS OFFERING BUM DEALS IN THIS TOWN.
monk on 2nd stair in Jova
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In the town (or: in towns) there are sellers who do business in hiding.
Comment: While ‘kakurete’ may also mean ‘underhanded’ ("crooked deals"), from context it should be clear that it just says that those traders are hiding. Again, the translator probably never saw the actual game, and none of the playtesters could read Japanese, so nobody could tell the translation was bad.
From my professional experience, I have come to conclude that this sort of trainwreck is very common in any highly departmentalized company. Everyone does exactly what they are paid to do, and they do it perfectly according to specifications, but still the outcome is bad — because the left hand does not know what the right hand does. Information gets lost in the process, due to no fault of any individual actor.
The crystal salesman patrols that alley all day, but most traders prefer the safety of indoors. Some even hide behind fake walls. Kylässämme on salakaupan harjoittajia. Joissakin kylissä he lymyävät hauraiden valeseinien takana. Des vendeurs se cachent dans notre ville. Parfois, ils se cachent derrière des faux murs. May mga manlalako na nagtatago sa bayan. Ang iba ay nagtatago sa likod ng mga pekeng pader. Hay mercantes escondiéndose en nuestro pueblo. En algunos pueblos, se ocultan tras muros falsos. Er houden zich kooplui shuil in ons dorpje. In sommige dorpen vind je ze achter valse muren. Det finnes forhandlere som tilbyr ting i skjul. I noen byer skjuler de seg bak falske murer. In der Stadt gibt es Händler, die sich hinter falschen Wänden verstecken.
77 セイナルホノオカ゛ テ゛ニスノモリノ 6ハ゛ンメノ キノウエニ アル A FLAME IS ON TOP OF THE 6TH TREE IN DENIS WOODS.
guy on 1st stair in Jova
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The holy flame is on top of the 6th tree in Denis Woods.
Comment: Just this once, the English text is actually an accurate translation of this total nonsense.
If we look at the game map (click to view), we can notice that Denis Woods is right next to Dabi’s Path, the real location of the flame; even though the shortest path between these two places is very long in the game. My theory is that this is an actual in-joke: There was a poster-size map hung on the wall of the writing team’s office. A label for the Flame was scribbled on that general section of the map, and the text sort of looked like it pointed clearly at a certain tree in the forest. So they made an NPC say this suspiciously specific line. That is my theory, and I am sticking with it. You could also argue the same for an in-universe motivation: This NPC had looked at a similar map and came to this conclusion, without any intention to mislead anyone.
Fortunately, string 32 (clue: flame is deep in a cave) also exists. Unfortunately for English people, the translation for string 32 was totally botched, so for English players, finding the flame was left completely up to chance. Fortunately, any player quickly learns to probe any suspicious protruding surfaces and dead ends with water bottles, so most players probably did find the Flame, despite the translator’s ineptitude, even if they had to substitute brute force for ingeniousness to get it.
The Sacred Flame is on the top of the 6th tree in Denis Woods. Pyhä soihtu sijaitsee Deniksen metsässä, kuudennen puun latvassa. La Flamme Sacrée est en haut du 6ème arbre de la forêt de Denis. Ang Banal na Apoy ay nasa tuktok ng ika- 6 na puno sa Gubat ng Denis. La Flama Sagrada está en la cima del 6to árbol en el Bosque Denis. De heilige vlam kun je vinden in de top van de 6 de boom in het woud van Denis‥.. Dacht ik‥.. Den hellige ild er i toppen av 6. tre i Denisskogen. Man sagt, die heilige Flamme lodert in der Krone des sechsten Baumes von Denis Wald.
78 ト゛ラキュラノ ナソ゛ヲ トク フ゛ンケンカ゛ ヘ゛ロスノマチニ ネムルト ツタエラレテイル CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN THE TOWN OF VEROS.
guy on ground in Jova
Literal translation of original Japanese text: It is said (or it can be told), that (some) literature/books, that clear/solve Dracula’s mystery/mysteries, lie hidden (lit. sleep) in the town of Veros.
Comment: All of these "clues to <..> are" lines are true and correct, except for #103. They also follow an identical sentence format, due to substring compression in the Japanese version.
This line refers to string 66.
It is said that in the town of Veros there is a hidden book that contains a clue to Dracula’s riddle. Vihjeitä Draculan arvoitukseen löytyy Veroksen kylästä. Il paraît qu’un livre caché dans la ville de Veros révèle un indice sur l’énigme de Dracula. Ayon sa mga balita, ang bayan ng Veros ay may nakatagong aklat na naglalaman ng bakas sa bugtong. Se dice que en el pueblo de Veros hay un libro oculto que contiene una pista sobre Drácula. Het gerucht gaat, dat er een boek verborgen is in Veros. Zou er een hint in zijn beschreven? Det sies at Veros har en hemmelig bok som holder en ledetråd til Draculas gåte. In Stadt Veros liegt ein Buch versteckt, das Draculas Vermächtnis entziffern kann.
NPCs in town 2 (Veros)
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
57 オルシ゛ハ゛ノマチニ ソナタノナカマカ゛ イル カナラス゛ アイナサレ YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND WAIT- ING FOR YOU IN THE TOWN OF ALJIBA.
monk on ground in Veros
Literal translation of original Japanese text: A friend of yours is in the town of Aljiba. No matter what, you must meet him.
Comment: True. Compare to #61.
There is a friend waiting for you in the town of Aljiba. You must go and meet him. Eräs tuttusi odottaa sinua Aljiban kylässä. Muista käydä tapaamassa häntä. Un ami t’attend dans la ville d’Aljiba. Tu dois aller le voir. Mayroon kang kaibigan na naghihintay sa iyo sa bayan ng Aljiba. Makipagkita ka sa kanya. Hay un amigo esperándote en el pueblo de Aljiba. Debes ir con él. Er wacht een vriend op je in Aljiba. Ga er heen en zorg dat je hem spreekt. Du har en venn som venter deg i Aljiba. Du må gå og møte ham. Ein Kamerad wartet in Aljiba auf Euch. Was auch passiert, sucht ihn auf‼
64 マオウノ ホネハ シ゛ャアクノチカラヲ フセク゛ タテトナル A RIB CAN SHIELD YOU FROM EVIL.
guy on ground in Veros
Literal translation of original Japanese text: A rib of devil (“maou”, lit. king of evil) becomes a shield that protects from the powers of wickedness/evil.
Comment: Completely true. The English translation however neglects to mention that it is Dracula’s bone that has this power, not just any random rib.
The rib of the demon king can act as a shield that protects you from powers of evil. Demonin luu suojaa noituuden voimilta. L’os du démon te protègera du mal. Ang tadyang ng diyablo ang tatanggol sa iyo laban sa kasamaan. La costilla del demonio te protegerá de la maldad. Dracula’s rib zal je beschermen. Het werkt als een shild. Djevelens ribbein kan beskytte deg mot ondskap. Draculas Rippe wird Euch wie ein Schild vor den Mächten des Bösen schützen.
67 ケ゛ッケイシ゛ュハ シチュ-ニイレルト イイカオリカ゛ スル LAURELS IN YOUR SOUP ENHANCES ITS AROMA.
guy on ground in Veros
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Put laurels in a shichuu (stew, or fatal situation), and a nice scent is produced.
Comment: This Japanese line is a pun. The word “shichuu” means “stew”, but it also means “fatal situation”. The English translator was out of their wits, and what was a pun became nonsense. My re-translation, of course, uses the word “pickle”, which means both a broth and a difficult situation. The Finnish text has a similar pun.
Related hints: strings 35 (silk bag makes life), 37 (laurels with life make swamp crossable), and 91 (laurel protects from swamp poisons)
A laurel in a pickle makes all your worries go away. Laakerinlehti tekee ihmeitä liemessä kuin liemessä. En cas de grand danger, utilise du laurier. Maglagay ng laurel sa adobo, at ang iyong mga problema ay maglalaho. Pon laureles en ahogos, y un buen aroma será producido. Doe eens een laurierblad in de soep. Ze geven het een helende werking. I nød, bruk laurbær for å unngå din død. Lorbeer kann im Topf und im Kampf das Blatt wenden.
72 タヒ゛ノヒト カオイロカ゛ ヨクナイネ キョウカイテ゛ スコシ ヤスミナサイ YOU LOOK PALE,MY SON. YOU MUST REST IN THE CHURCH.
guy on ground in Veros
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The color of the traveller’s face [i.e. your face, indirectly and politely] is not really that good, is it? Please rest for a while in the church.
Comment: This subtly reinforces the theme that Simon is suffering from the curse, and also reminds the player that they can refill their HP in a church.
In the retranslation(s), I swapped this dialog with #80 in the same town, because I thought that #72 is better line for a monk.
In a hack called ‘Redaction’ they moved this line to the first town, on the basis that this town a bit too late for such basic instruction. However, the purpose of churches is already mentioned in the instruction booklet, and any honorable player has already found it out by basic exploration. I think the more pressing purpose of this line is to confirm that time is at issue for Simon. The more he wastes time, the less likely he is to survive the curse even if he manages to beat Dracula.
There are clues to Dracula’s riddle within Berkeley Mansion. Berkeleyn kartanossa sijaitsee vihjeitä Draculan arvoitukseen. Il y a des indices sur l’énigme de Dracula dans la demeure Berkeley. May mga bakas sa bugtong ni Dracula sa loob ng Mansyon ni Berkeley. Hay pistas sobre Drácula dentro de la Mansión Berkeley. In de burcht van Berkeley, kun je hints over het raadsel van Dracula vinden. Du kan finne ledetråder til Draculas gåte inne i Berkeley herregård. Spuren zu Draculas Vermächtnis findet Ihr in der Burg Berkeley.
79 ト゛ラキュラノ ナソ゛ヲ トク フ゛ンケンカ゛ オルシ゛ハ゛ノマチニ ネムルト ツタエラレテイル CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN THE TOWN OF ALBA.
lady on ground in Veros
Comment: "ALBA" is a mistranslation. The original text says Aljiba. There is no town of Alba.
This line refers to string 92.
One of the clues to Dracula’s riddle is within the town of Aljiba. Yksi Draculan arvoituksen vihjeistä sijaitsee Aljiban kylässä. Un indice sur l’énigme de Dracula est dans la ville d’Aljiba. Isa sa mga bakas sa bugtong ni Dracula ay nasa loob ng bayan ng Aljiba. Una de las pistas sobre Drácula está dentro del pueblo de Aljiba. 1 van de hints over Dracula’s raadsel ligt verborgen in het dorpje met de naam Aljiba. Du kan finne et hint til Draculas gåte i byen Aljiba. Eine Spur zu Draculas Vermächtnis wurde in der Stadt Aljiba versteckt.
80 ト゛ラキュラノ ナソ゛ヲ トク フ゛ンケンカ゛ ハ゛-クレイノヤカタニ ネムルト ツタエラレテイル CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN BERKELEY MANSION.
monk on ground in Veros
Comment: The retranslation(s) exchanged this line with #72.
This line refers to strings 30, 31 and 32.
Boy you are pale, young man‼ Please rest in a church and refresh your soul. Nuori mies, oletpa kalpea‼ Lepää kirkossa ja virkistä sielusi. Tu sembles souffrant‼ Soigne-toi dans une église. Namumutla ka na, iho‼ Magpahinga ka sa loob ng simbahan at giginhawa ang iyong kaluluwa. ¡¡Vaya que te ves pálido‼ Por favor, descansa en la iglesia y refresca tu alma. Tjonge, wat zie jij er bleek uit‼ Rust wat in onze kerk om op krachten te komen. Du store‼ Så blek du er, unge mann‼ Finn ro i kirken og forbered deg på å møte verden på ny. Gütiger Himmel‼ Seid Ihr blass‼ Bitte ruht Euch in der Kirche aus‼
NPCs in town 3 (Aljiba/Alba)
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
87 アルト゛ラノマチノ キョウカイノマエテ゛ ヨシミ‼ トサケフ゛ト ライフカ゛ マンタンニ ナルヨ‼ TO RESTORE YOUR LIFE, SHOUT IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH.
guy on 2nd stair in Aljiba
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Shout "yoshimi!" in front of the church in Aldra, and life becomes refilled (lit. "life" becomes マンタン, a full tank).
Comment: Background information: There is a church in Aldra, but this guy is in Aljiba. There is no church in Aljiba. Thus, the NPC might not know exactly how they work. So he relays this rumor.
This may be a pun. The word, “Yoshimi” is a Japanese male’s given name, but it also means intimacy or kindness. So it kind of makes sense. Maybe. Maybe it’s an inside joke. The English version loses this connotation, and thereby became plain nonsense. The English version also omits the town name, Aldra, which does have a church.
I do not know whether there was a staff member with name "Yoshimi". It might also have been an inside joke.
The word “life” was used as an English loanword in the Japanese version. The word “mantan” means full tank, as in literal refilling: think a milk jug. It’s a Konami thing. They use it in many games, such as Goonies II.

In the retranslation the boy says, “priests don’t pray at nights. That’s why the forests are full of demons.”, because I thought it would be funnier than an attempt at a direct translation. Either way, it is nonsense.
The priests don’t pray at night. That’s why the forests are full of demons. Papit eivät rukoile öisin. Siksi metsät ovat täynnä demoneja. Les prêtres ne prient pas la nuit. De ce fait, les forêts sont toutes infestées de démons. Ang mga pari ay hindi nagdarasal sa gabi. Kaya ang gubat ay puno ng mga aswang. Los clérigos ya no rezan por la noche. Es por eso que los bosques están llenos de demonios. De priesters bidden nooit in de nacht. De demonen zullen in de nachten dus krachtiger zijn‥.. Presten kan ikke hjelpe deg om mør- ket har falt. Så pass deg for faren som lurer i natten. Au weh. Die Hand die einen nährt, sollte man nicht beißen‼ Vermaledeite Vampire‼
88 ノロワレシ テ゛ット゛リハ゛- イマナオ ノロイヲ トクモノ マチワヒ゛ル カワ THE DEAD RIVER WAITS TO BE FREED FROM THE CURSE.
lady on 2nd stair in Aljiba
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The accursed Dead River. A river that still desperately waits for that which will break the curse.
Comment: In Japanese, this is the only line that contains more than one sentence and where one of the sentences is without a predicate. This made it a bit difficult to parse… In any case, the lady seems to be lost in thought, pondering about the Dead River.
The accursed Dead River‥. A river that still awaits the one who frees it from the curse. Kuollut joki ‥. Joki, joka yhä odottaa kipeästi kaivaten vapauttajaa kirouksesta. La maudite Rivière Morte‥. Une rivière qui attend toujours son sauveur. Ang Patay na Ilog‥. Ang ilog ay naghihintay sa sinumang magpapalaya sa sumpa nito. El condenado Río Muerto... Un río que espera a aquel que lo libere de su maldición. De vloek op de dode rivier‥. Wie oh wie, zal hem verlossen van zijn vloek? Daulågen ‥. En elv som fortsatt venter på den som kan løfte for- bannelsen som hviler over den. Dieser verdammte, tote Fluss‼ Der Damm bricht mit dem Fluch des Flusses.
91 ケ゛ッケイシ゛ュハ ヌマノト゛クヨリ ミヲマモル A LAUREL WILL PROTECT YOU FROM THE POISON MARSH.
monk on 2nd stair in Aljiba
Literal translation of original Japanese text: A laurel protects you from the poisons of a swamp.
Comment: True, though not restricted to marshes in particular.
Related hints: strings 35 (silk bag makes life), 37 (laurels with life make swamp crossable), and 67 (laurels fix a pickle)
If you plan to trek through a swamp, eat laurels. It neutralizes the poison. Jos aiot tarpoa suolla, syö laakerin- lehtiä. Laakeri neutralisoi suossa olevat myrkyt. Si tu veux traverser un marécage, mange du laurier. Il stoppe le poison. Kung balak mo maglakbay sa mga lati, kumain ka ng laurel. Pangontra ito sa lason. Si planeas atravesar el pantano, come laureles, te protegen y neutralizan el veneno. Mocht je van plan zijn om door het moeras te reizen, eet dan laurier tegen het vergif. Vil du vade gjennom en hel sumpmyr? Spis litt laurbær‼ De motvirker giftgassene. Mit einem Lorbeerblatt erträgt man die Fäule in den Sümpfen.
96 ココノ トクサンフ゛ツハ ニンニクシ゛ャ カッテ ユキナサレ BUY SOME GARLIC. IT HAS SPECIAL POWERS.
guy on ground in Aljiba
Literal translation of original Japanese text: The specialty of this place is garlic. Go and buy some.
Comment: The English version is a mistranslation, though it makes enough sense that it might have been deliberate.
In Aljiba we pride on our garlic. It is our specialty. Have you tried it yet? If not, hurry up and buy some‼ Kylässämme arvostetaan valkosipulia. Se on hyvin voimakas ja terveellinen yrtti. Osta ja ihastu‼ L’ail est la spécialité de notre ville. Cours en acheter‼ Natatangi sa bayan namin ay bawang. Mahalagang sahog ito sa sinangag at adobo. El especial de nuestro pueblo es el ajo. ¡¡Ve y compra un poco‼ Knoflook is echt onze specialiteit hier. Het is fantastisch, dus ga snel wat kopen‼ Byen vår har spesialisert seg på hvit- løk. Kjøp deg en smaksprøve. Den er noe for seg selv. Die Spezialität unserer Stadt ist frischer Knoblauch. Holt Euch welchen‼
103 ト゛ラキュラノ ナソ゛ヲ トク フ゛ンケンカ゛ ヘ゛ロスノモリニ ネムルト ツタエラレテイル CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN THE VEROS WOODS.
guy on 1st stair in Aljiba
Comment: All of the “clues to <..> are” lines are true and correct, except for this one. It should refer to Aljiba woods, not to Veros woods. The original text has the same error.
This line refers to string 13.
Clues to the riddle of Dracula? I know one of them is in the forest of Aljiba. Draculan arvoituksen vihjeitä? Tiedän, että yksi niistä sijaitsee Aljiban metsässä. Des indices sur l’énigme de Dracula? Je sais que l’un d’eux est dans la forêt d’Aljiba. Bakas sa bugtong ni Dracula ba? Alam ko na ang isa ay nasa Gubat ng Aljiba. ¿Pistas sobre Drácula? Sé que hay una de ellas en el Bosque de Aljiba. Hints over het raadsel van Dracula? zoek er naar in Aljiba’s woud. Ledetråder for Draculas gåte? Jeg vet du kan finne en av dem i Aljibaskogen. Spuren zu Draculas Vermächtnis? Sucht im Wald von Aljiba.
105 ト゛ラキュラノ ナソ゛ヲ トク フ゛ンケンカ゛ ロ-ハ゛-ノヤカタニ ネムルト ツタエラレテイル CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN ROVER MANSION.
monk on 2nd stair in Aljiba
Comment: This line refers to strings 33 and 34.
Clues to Dracula’s riddle‥. Search in the Rover Mansion. I have heard some are hidden there. Draculan arvoituksen vihjeitä‥. Etsi Roverin kartanosta. Olen kuullut, että niitä on siellä. Des indices sur l’énigme de Dracula‥. Cherche dans la demeure Rover. Il paraît que certains sont là-bas. Bakas sa bugtong ni Dracula‥. Maghanap ka sa Mansyon ni Rover. Nadinig ko may natatago pa doon. Pistas sobre Drácula... Busca en la Mansión Rover. Escuché que hay algunas ocultas ahí. Hints over Dracula’s raadsel? ‥..Zoek in Rover’s Burcht. Daar kun je vast een paar vinden. Ledetråder til Draculas gåte ‥.? Gi Rover herregård et besøk. Jeg har hørt de skjuler noe der. Spuren zu Draculas Vermächtnis? In Schloss Lauber findet man welche.
NPCs in town 4 (Aldra). Theme: Almost all are ladies.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
89 ノロイニヨリ トサ゛サレシモノ ト゛ラキュラノ メタ゛マニヨリ ウツシタ゛サレル DRACULA’S EYEBALL REFLECTS THE CURSE.
guy deep in house in Aldra
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In Dracula’s eyeball, a reflection can be seen of something that has been trapped because of curse.
Comment: The English version is mistranslated into nonsense. The original text reveals that the eyeball helps see hidden things, such as clue scrolls.
Oddly though, the invisible floating platform in Berkeley mansion is made visible by a crystal, not Dracula’s eye.
A thing cursed away from sight can be seen as a reflection in Dracula’s eyeball. Jos on jotain minkä kirous on kätkenyt näkyvistä, sen voi nähdä heijastuksena Draculan silmämunassa. Une chose touchée par la malédiction se reflète dans l’oeil de Dracula. Ang bagay na isinumpang maglaho sa paningin ay makikita sa aninag ng mata ni Dracula. En el ojo de Drácula puede verse un reflejo de todo aquello sumerso en maldición. Dingen, die gewoonlijk niet te waarnemen zijn, worden weerspiegeld in Dracula’s oogbal. Er noe usyn- lig for det blotte øye, kan Draculas øye se det klart og tydelig. Draculas Auge übersieht die Zierden des Fluches.
95 コ゛メンネ アタイ ヒマシ゛ャナイノ マタコント゛ネ SORRY, PAL. NO TIME NOW, MAYBE LATER.
lady on 3rd stair in Aldra
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I’m sorry, you see… I don’t have time now; perhaps another time.
Comment: Rather accurate translation. The English “, pal” attempts to convey the softening “ne” particle in Japanese.
Sorry, pal. No time now, maybe tomorrow. En nyt oikein ehdi. Ehkä huomenna. Désolé, je n’ai pas le temps. Demain, peut-être. Paumanhin. Wala akong oras. Pwede sa ibang araw araw na lang? Lo siento, amigo. No tengo tiempo ahora, quizás mañana. Sorry‥. Ik heb nu geen tijd om te praten, vriend. Misschien later? Beklager. Det passer litt dårlig akkurat nå. Kanskje i morgen. Vergebung‼ Es sind sehr schlechte Zeiten. Ich hoffe es endet bald.
93 テ゛ホ゛ラノカ゛ケヲ ス゛ツキテ゛ キリヒラケ スルト オオキナ アナカ゛ アク HIT DEBORAH CLIFF WITH YOUR HEAD TO MAKE A HOLE.
lady on 3rd stair in Aldra
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Open up the Deborah cliff by headbutting, and a large hole opens.
Comment: This text is complete nonsense, although it does (vaguely) hint that there is a way to progress at Deborah cliff.
Chances are that this was another one of those false rumors. However, I deliberately chose an alternative interpretation: This lady thinks Simon is trying to hit on her, and assumes an antagonistic attitude. She suggests Simon smash his head against a rock. I think I managed to convey this passive-aggressive meaning well in both Finnish and English.
Go and hit the Deborah Cliff with your head. See which one gives first. Mene ja lyö pääsi Deboran kallioon. Katso, kumpiko antaa ensin periksi. Frappe la Falaise Deborah avec ta tête. Nous verrons qui est le plus robuste. Untugin mo ang Talampas ng Deborah at tingnan natin kung sino ang unang babagsak‼ Ve y golpea el Acantilado Deborah con tu cabeza. Ve qué se da primero. Stoot je kop aan de berg van Deborah, en kijk wie het langst zal standhouden. De berg of jij? Gå og deng hodet ditt i Debraklippen. Se hva som gir etter først. Für ein großes Loch schlagt doch Euren Kopf gegen die Felsen von Deborah‼
97 アナタッテ ハンサムネ ワタシ アナタノヨウナヒトヲ マッテタノ I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR A GOOD LOOKING GUY LIKE YOU.
lady on 2nd stair in Aldra
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Aren’t you ‹handsome›, huh! I have been waiting for a person like you.
Comment: The word “handsome” is used as an English loanword in the Japanese text (i.e. it says “hansamu” instead of some Japanese word). The “ne” particle also appears here.
I’ve been waiting for a good looking guy like you. Olet todella komea‼ Olen unelmoinut tapaavani sinunlaisesi ihmisen. J’attendais un bel homme comme toi. Naghihintay ako ng isang guwapong lalaki na kagaya mo. Eres guapo. He estado buscando una persona como tú. Lang heb ik gewacht op zo’n knappe vent als jij. Heisann, kjekken‼ Hvor har du vært hele livet mitt? Ihr seid eine Augenweide‼ Ich sehne mich so nach einem Mann wie Euch.
98 アナタカ゛ ホシイ I WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU BETTER.
lady on 1st stair in Aldra
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I lust you!
Comment: The Finnish version diverges from the original meaning here for no particular reason. I used the same line in the re-translation. “I really hope to meet a smart man some day.”
I really hope to meet a smart man some day. Toivon vielä joskus tapaavani fiksun miehen. Onko sellaisia? J’espère rencontrer un jour un homme intelligent. Umaasa akong makakatagpo ako ng isang matipunong lalaki‥. tulad mo. Realmente espero conocer a un hombre inteligente algún día. Hopelijk ontmoet ik ooit een intelligente man in mijn leven‥. Jeg vil ha deg i mørket hos meg. Bitte bleibt heute Nacht bei mir. Ich meine es gut mit Euch‼
99 コンヤ 12シ゛ カワノホトリテ゛ I’LL SEE YOU AT MIDNIGHT ON THE RIVER BANK.
lady on 3rd stair in Aldra
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Tonight, at 12am, near the river (in the vicinity of the river).
Comment: The dialog of this lady is very terse, as if she was passing you a secret note on paper. The words do not form a sentence. It is just the location and the time, with implication that she will meet you there. Which is false, of course.
Tonight. At midnight. The river bank. Be there. Tavataan keskiyöllä jokirannassa. Rends-toi à minuit sur la berge. Ngayong Hatinggabi. Sa tabing ilog. Walang indyanan‼ Esta noche, 12 A.M. A la orilla del río. No faltes. Vannacht, om 12 uur, aan de oever van de rivier‥. Zorg dat je er bent‥. I kveld. Ved midnatt. Møt meg ved elvebredden. Heute. Zu Mitternacht. Am Ufer des Flusses. Seid dort.
102 ストリコ゛イホ゛チテ゛ アヒルカラ キヌノフクロヲ モラウト ナカ゛イキスル GET A SILK BAG FROM THE GRAVEYARD DUCK TO LIVE LONGER.
lady on 2nd stair in Aldra
Literal translation of original Japanese text: When you receive a silk bag from a duck [man who waddles around] at the Strigoi graveyard, living long happens.
Comment: This has been one of the most criticized translations in Simon’s Quest.
Yes, it explicitly says ahiru, meaning domestic duck, in the original text. However, the word “ahiru” in Japanese also appears to be a slang term, that refers to e.g. an uniformed policeman that walks a beat slowly, like a duck.
The English line was an accurate literal translation of the original text. It was not an accidental concatenation of two dialog items. The translator just did not know this expression.
For length limitations, the name of the graveyard (Strigoi) was omitted in the English version. My re-translation does not suffer from such limitations.

Addendum: While the “patrolling man” word was found in a Japanese slang word list, it has been brought to my attention that this theory might still be wrong, if for nothing else but that the existence of ducks is allegedly a sort of in-joke in other Konami games. Apparently “ahiru” also refers to a particular style of waddling walk, rather than the act of patrolling. In any case, I feel that the current translation is the best possible compromise between translation accuracy and not sticking out (breaking the game immersion).
If you find the patrolling man at the Strigoi Cemetery, ask for a silk bag. It will help you live longer. Elääksesi pitkään mene Strigoin hautuumaalle. Siellä asuu joku, joka antaa sinulle silkkilaukun. Si, au Cimetière Strigoi, tu obtiens d’un homme un sac de soie, tu vivras plus longtemps. Kapag nakuha mo na ang sedang supot mula sa tanod sa Himlayan ng Strigoi, mabubuhay ka ng mas matagal. Al recibir una bolsa de seda del hombre que patrulla el Cementerio Strigoi, seguro vivirás más. Als je een zijden zak ontvangt, op het kerkhof van Strigoi, zul je zeker langer leven. Legg turen til Strigoi kirkegård og få deg en silketaske fra han som patrulerer, så lever du nok lenger. Der Seidenbeutel vom Wächter der Strigoi verlängert Euer Leben‼
104 ト゛ラキュラノ ナソ゛ヲ トク フ゛ンケンカ゛ ハ゛ト゛リ-ノヤカタニ ネムルト ツタエラレテイル CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN BODLEY MANSION.
lady on 3rd stair in Aldra
Comment: This line refers to string 37.
There is a clue to Dracula’s riddle within the Bathory Mansion. Yksi vihje Draculan arvoitukseen sijaitsee Bathoryn kartanossa. Un indice sur l’énigme de Dracula se trouve dans la demeure Bathory. Ang bakas para malutas ang bugtong ni Dracula ay natutulog sa Mansyon ni Bathory. Una pista sobre Drácula reside dentro de la Mansión Bathory. In de burcht van Bathory, Kun je een hint vinden om Dracula’s raadsel op te lossen. En del av svaret på Draculas gåte ligger i Bathory herregård. Draculas Letzer Wille weilt in Burg Bathory.
NPCs in town 5 (Ondol). Theme: Old men. Almost all of them speak in old men’s accent.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
63 ムチニ フシキ゛ナチカラヲ アタエル ヒトカ゛ クラヤミニ スム A MAN LIVING IN DARKNESS CAN GIVE YOUR WHIP POWER.
monk on 3rd stair in Ondol
Literal translation of original Japanese text: A man dwelling in darkness can apply a mysterious power into your whip.
Comment: Which is true, though a little unhelpful. The man lives in Uta lower road 2: between Bodley mansion and Debious woods.
There is a hermit, living in a cave, who can empower a whip in a peculiar manner. Eräs luolassa asuva erakko kykenee antamaan ruoskalle erikoisen voiman. Un ermite vivant dans une cave peut donner à ton fouet une force mystérieuse. Ang pantas na nakatira sa yungib ay kayang palakasin ang iyong latigo. Un ermitaño que vive en una cueva puede darle poder a tu látigo. Een in een grot levende kluizenaar, kan je zweep veel krachtiger maken. Einstøingen som bor for seg selv i en hule, kan forbedre pisken din på en snodig måte. Der in der Grotte lebende Einsiedler vermag Eure Peitsche zu entflammen.
69 ストリコ゛イホ゛チノ アルハカヲ ホルト チョウコウセキカ゛ テ゛ルトイウ DIG UP THE 4TH GRAVE IN THE CEMETERY FOR A DIAMOND.
guy on 3rd stair in Ondol
Literal translation of original Japanese text: It is said that if you excavate a certain grave at Strigoi graveyard, a mineral chunk ("diamond") appears.
Comment: Something happens at Strigoi graveyard, yes. But it is not the diamond, and it is not the digging of a grave. (It is the silk bag, which you acquire by "summoning a stranger" with a garlic.)
Often, in RPGs, all rumors, tales and prophecies are completely true. Not so in Simon’s Quest. Every time someone says ’I have heard’ or ’it is said’, it is NEVER true, or at least it is a heavily altered truth. When such words are not used, the statement is usually honest and true, assuming it contains a verifiable claim to begin with. Unfortunately in the English version, the distinction of when something is a rumor or not, was not always indicated.
According to a rumor, there is a colossal diamond buried in a grave at the Strigoi Cemetery‼ Jos kaivaa hautoja Strigoin hautuumaalla, voi löytää timantin. Kuulemma. Selon la rumeur, un diamant est caché dans une tombe du Cimetière Strigoi. Ayon sa mga sabi-sabi, sa Himlayan ng Strigoi ay may mahuhukay na malaking diamante‼ Se dice que si cavas en cierta tumba dentro del Cementerio Strigoi... ¡¡Aparece un diamante‼ Men zegt dat grafschennis op Strigoi’s kerhof, je een enorme diamant kan opleveren‼ Ryktet sier at om man graver på Strigois kirkegård finner man en stor diamant‼ Es geht das Gerücht, am Friedhof der Strigoi seien auch Edelsteine verscharrt.
70 コンニチハ アナタハ カミヲ シンシ゛マスカ? シンシ゛ルモノハ ミナ スクワレル BELIEVE IN MAGIC AND YOU’LL BE SAVED.
guy on 2nd stair in Ondol
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Greetings. Do you believe in God? What you believe in decides everything.
Comment: Because of political reasons, explicitly religious dialog was changed in the USA release. Oddly, believing in magic was considered OK, but believing in God was not.
Hello. Do you believe in God? Everything depends on that. Hei. Uskotteko Jumalaan? Kaikki on siitä kiinni mihin uskoo. Bonjour. Crois- tu en Dieu? Tout part de là. Kamusta. Naniniwala ka ba sa Diyos? Ang lahat ay nakabatay doon. Saludos. ¿Crees en Dios? Tus creencias deciden todo. Goedendag. Geloof je in God? Alles is daarvan afhankelijk. God dag. Er du en troende? Det er troen som avgjør alt. Grüß Gott‼ Nun sagt, wie habt Ihr es mit Gott?
71 モラッテヤッテクタ゛サイ ウチノ ムスメヲ イマナラ タタ゛タ゛ヨ TAKE MY DAUGHTER, PLEASE‼
monk on 2nd stair in Ondol
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Please take my daughter. Right now I won’t ask for anything else.
Please, take my daughter. That’s all I am asking. Ota tyttäreni ja vie. En pyydä mitään muuta. Prends ma fille. C’est tout ce que je demande. Pakiusap‼ Kunin mo ang aking anak na babae‼ Por favor, llévate a mi hija. Eso es todo lo que pido. Neem, alsjeblieft mijn dochter. Dat is alles wat ik wens. Jeg ber deg, ta med deg min datter. Det er alt jeg ber om. Nehmt meine Tochter an Euch‼ Das sei mein einziger Wunsch...
73 シチョウセイカ゛ ミエルテ゛アロウ オワッタナ‼ DON’T LOOK INTO THE DEATH STAR, OR YOU WILL DIE.
guy in house in Ondol
Literal translation of original Japanese text: If the Death Omen Star (star of death) is sighted, it’s over!
Comment: This is a Hokuto no Ken reference. If the star of death (死兆星) is shining in the sky above two warriors engaged in a battle of destiny, one of those two men shall die. (Thanks RahanAkero!) The reference was lost on western people unfamiliar with this manga, and I doubt the translator understood it either. I certainly did not. I am not sure if the apparent allusion to Star Wars was intentional by the translator.
My own interpretation, before the above bit was brought to my attention, was this: “if you witness four deaths, you are likely to be the next.” Four is a number associated with death in superstition in Japan and China. However, because of ambiguousness in the Japanese text (lack of kanji), this sentence can be translated in a number of different ways.
The Japanese text begins with “shichousei”, which consists of three syllables, “shi”, “chou” and “sei”. There is no indication where the word break is.
· “shichou” (シチョウ) means attention, city hall, and mayor.
· “chousei” (チョウセイ) means passing away, longevity, government, and the action of adjusting something.
· “shi” (シ) can mean four, death, poem, and pride.
· “chou” (チョウ) means chief, tempo, agency, omen, and a counter for guns, tools, levers, leaves or cakes of something, servings in a restaurant.
· “sei” (セイ) means planet/star, government, life, gender and other things.
So there are actually dozens of different ways to translate this sentence.
In the Finnish version, I wrote “death follows that who sees death”, which sounds like a proverb and fits the mood of the game. In the retranslation I put different flavor.
There is so much battle in the world. I used to be a fighter myself, but I realized I need to live my life. Kuolema seuraa sitä joka kuolemaa näkee. Il y a tant de combats à mener dans le monde. Aujourd’hui, j’ai compris que je devais mener ma vie. Napakaraming digmaan sa mundong ito. Mandirigma ako noon, gayonpaman, pinili ko ang mabuhay ng matiwasay. Hay tantas batallas en el mundo. Solía ser un caballero, pero ahora necesito hacer mi propia vida. Er is zoveel oorlog in de wereld‥. Vroeger was ik soldaat, maar koos ervoor, om mijn leven nu te leven. Som soldat styrte jeg hvordan folk skulle leve sine liv, men glemte helt å leve mitt eget. Was tot ist, beißt nicht mehr‼ Lasst die Toten ruhen.
74 ワシヲ ヒキトメンテ゛ クレンカネ ワシハ トマルト シヌンシ゛ャ DON’T MAKE ME STAY. I’LL DIE.
monk on ground in Ondol
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Would you take me with you? If I stay here, I will die.
Would you please take me with you? If I stay here, I will die‼ En halua jäädä tänne. Ota minut mukaasi‼ Puis-je venir avec toi? Si je reste ici, je vais mourir‼ Pakiusap, isama mo ako‼ Mamamatay ako kapag nanatili pa ako dito‼ ¿Me llevarías contigo, por favor? Si me quedo aquí, ¡¡moriré‼ Wil je mij alsjeblieft meenemen? Als ik hier blijf zal ik zeker de dood vinden‼ Kan du ta meg med vekk her fra? Om jeg blir, kommer jeg til å dø‼ Ich flehe Euch an‼ Bringt mich weg von hier‼ Ich will hier nicht sterben‼
75 シ゛マンシ゛ャナイカ゛ コレテ゛モ ワシハ ムカシ オンナニ ヨク モテタモノシ゛ャ WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, WOMEN LOVED ME.
monk on 3rd stair in Ondol
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Not to brag, but though you might not believe it from how I look now, a long time ago I was very popular with women.
Comment: English could have added “not to brag” in the dialog box and it would still have fit. I don’t know why the translator did not think of that.

My English re-translation is quite true to the original, but I added a bit of flavor in the Finnish version. It says approximately “when I was young, I sat on beaches together with ladies, looking at stars. They downright flocked around me.”
Not to brag, but when I was your age, I was really popular with the ladies. Nuorena katselin öisin tähtiä rannalla naisten kanssa‥. He suorastaan parveilivat ympärilläni. Sans me vanter, étant jeune, j’avais du succès auprès des femmes. Hindi sa nagyayabang, noong kasing gulang kita, sikat ako sa mga bebot. No es por presumir, pero cuando, tenía tu edad era muy popular con las mujeres. Ik wil niet, opscheppen, maar op jouw leeftijd was ik erg in trek bij de dames‼ Ikke for å skryte, men da jeg var på din alder flokket alle damene seg rundt meg. Damals konnte ich Frauenherzen im Sturm erobern. Damals war ich noch ansehnlich.
NPCs in town 6 (Doina/Fetra). Theme: Hostile towards Simon.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
94 1ネンマエモ ココテ゛ ミカケタネ マサカ ライネンモシ゛ャ ナイタ゛ロウネ AFTER CASTLEVANIA I WARNED YOU NOT TO RETURN.
monk on ground in Doina
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I happened to see you here last year. I cannot bear the thought that (it would happen) next year, too.
Comment: The villager is not pleased to see Simon there again. He expresses deep contempt in a read-between-lines manner that is very typical to Japanese language. The fourth-wall breaking reference to "Castlevania" is an invention of the English translator.
In the re-translation, I made this very blunt: “You again‼ Last year I was hoping to never see you again.” It still fit in five lines. The Finnish version did not.
You again‼ Last year I was hoping never to see you again. Taasko sinä olet täällä. Viime vuonna, kun lähdit, luulimme päässeemme sinusta eroon. Encore toi‼ Depuis notre dernière rencontre, j’espérais ne jamais te revoir. Aba‼ Ikaw na naman‼ Sa nakaraang taon, umaasa akong di ka na makikita‼ ¡¡Otra vez‼ El año pasado esperaba no volverte a ver de nuevo. Jij weer‼ Vorig jaar hoopte ik je nooit meer te hoeven zien. Deg igjen‼? Du er som et symbol på problemer‼ Jeg håpet at aldri kom til å se deg igjen‼ Ihr schon wieder‼ Ich hatte so innig gehofft Euch nie wieder zu begegnen.
100 カエレ‼ GET BACK‼
guy in house in Doina
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Return‼ (Go back, don’t come, get lost, etc.)
Go away‼ Mene muualle‼ Va-t’en‼ LAYAS‼ ¡¡Vete‼ Ga weg‼ Forsvinn‼ Verschwindet‼
101 アンタノセイテ゛ コノアタリカ゛ サワカ゛シクナッタ テ゛テイッテクレ YOU’VE UPSET THE PEOPLE. NOW GET OUT OF TOWN‼
monk on 1st stair in Doina
Literal translation of original Japanese text: It is your fault our neighborhood has become filled with noise (trouble, annoyance). Go away.
Comment: The villager is blaming Simon for the appearance of demons all around.
The Japanese text says, ‘this area has become noisy’. The English translation was probably a deliberate choice given the lack of space within the dialog box.
It’s your fault that it’s not safe around here anymore. Please, just leave and never return. Sinun takiasi täällä ei ole enää rauhallista. Ole hyvä ja lähde. Mene matkojasi. A cause de toi, ce lieu est devenu dangereux. Va-t’en, et ne reviens plus. Kasalanan mo kaya hindi na ligtas manirahan dito. Kaya lumayas ka at huwag ka nang babalik. Es tu culpa que ya no sea seguro por aquí. Por favor, solo vete, y no regreses. Het is jouw schuld dat het niet meer veilig is‥. Alsjeblieft, ga weg en kom nooit meer terug‼ Det er din skyld at det nå ikke er trygt her. Bare dra din vei og aldri kom tilbake. Euretwegen sind die Blutsauger erst hier‼ Verlasst die Stadt, geht wieder‼
106 ラルハ゛ノヤカタテ゛ ロサ゛リオヲ カナラス゛ テニイレルンシ゛ャソ゛ THE CROSS IN LARUBA’S MANSION MUST BE FOUND.
monk on ground in Doina
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In the mansion of Laruba, no matter what, you must possess (receive into your hands) the rosary (magic cross).
When you go to Laruba’s Mansion, you must find the Rosary. Do not exit without it. Kun menet Laruban kartanoon, älä poistu sieltä ilman ruusukkoa. Tu dois trouver le chapelet dans la demeure Laruba. Ne repars pas sans lui. Kapag pumunta ka sa Mansyon ni Laruba, kuhanin mo ang Krusipiho at huwag na huwag kang lalabas nang wala iyon‼ Cuando vayas a la Mansión Laruba, debes encontrar el Rosario. No te vayas sin él. Als je naar de Laruba’s Burcht gaat, zorg dan dat je de hem NIET zonder het kruis verlaat‼ Før du drar fra Laruba herregård, må du finne rosenkransen. Ikke forlat herregården uten den. Verlasst die Raubersburg nicht ohne das geweihte Rosenkreuz. Ihr sollt es dort finden‼
NPCs in town 7 (Yomi/Ghulash). Theme: Deserted town
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
90 ココテ゛ フタリテ゛ クラサンカ LET’S LIVE HERE TOGETHER.
guy in house in Yomi
Comment: In the Finnish version and in the re-translation I added a number of context-sensitive dialog options to this character (and many others). This is no longer the only line he can say. The context-sensitive dialog options are triggered by various conditions depending on character. Conditions such as items you are carrying and the day number.
Let’s live here together. Jää tänne asumaan kanssani. En pärjää enää yksin. Vivons ici ensemble. Mabuhay tayo dito nang magkasama. Vivamos aquí juntos para siempre. Laten we hier gaan samenwonen. ..hips‼.. Her kan vi dele våre dager sammen. Es ist sehr behaglich hier. Setz Dich doch zu mir.
"Friend"
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
85 シロト アオノ スイショウヲ トリカエ アナタニ ワタシノオモイヲ タクソウ I’D LIKE TO EXCHANGE A WHITE CRYSTAL FOR A BLUE ONE.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I have an idea: Let’s exchange our crystals, white and blue.
Comment: Hints for the player: string 61 (info: a friend awaits you in Aljiba)
This text is only shown if you have the required crystal. The exchange is being performed as the text is output, with no possibility to cancel it.
Is that a sparkling shiny white crystal? I want it‼ You can have my blue sapphire instead. Minulla on sininen safiiri, mutta haluan vaihtaa sen kirkkaaseen kristalliisi. Je souhaite échanger mon saphir bleu contre ton étincelant cristal blanc. Meron akong sepiro. Ibig kong ipagpalit ito sa iyong kumikinang na puting kristal. Tengo un safiro azul, pero quisiera cambiarlo por tu brillante cristal blanco. Ik heb een mooie blauwe saffier maar, wil deze wel ruilen tegen jouw witte sprankelende kristal. Jeg har en blå safir, men jeg vil gjerne bytte den mot en blank, hvit krystallkule. Ich besitze einen Saphir‼ Ich überlasse ihn Euch gerne im Tausch für Euren Bergkristall.
86 アオト アカノ スイショウヲ トリカエ アナタニ ワタシノオモイヲ タクソウ I’D LIKE TO EXCHANGE A BLUE CRYSTAL FOR A RED ONE.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I have an idea: Let’s exchange our crystals, blue and red.
Comment: Hints for the player: string 57 (info: a friend awaits you in Aldra)
Is that a, a blue sapphire? I have always wanted one‼ Let’s swap. You can have my red ruby instead. Minulla on punainen rubiini, mutta haluan vaihtaa sen kauniiseen siniseen safiiriisi. Je souhaite échanger mon rubis rouge contre ton magnifique saphir bleu. Meron akong dalang rubi. Ibig kong ipagpalit ito sa iyong maganda at makintab na sepiro. Tengo un rubí rojo, pero quisiera cambiarlo por tu hermoso safiro azul. Ik heb een rode robijn maar, wil deze graag ruilen tegen jouw mooie, blauwe, saffier. Jeg har en rød rubin, men jeg vil gjerne bytte den mot din vakre, blå fair. Ich besitze einen Rubin‼ Ich überlasse ihn Euch gerne im Tausch für Euren Saphir.
107 ワタシト アナタノ スイショウト テ゛ハ コウカンテ゛キヌ I REFUSE TO EXCHANGE MY CRYSTAL FOR YOURS.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I don’t want to exchange my crystal with yours.
Comment: Both collectors use this same message, if you don’t have the exact type of crystal that triggers their exchange. A bit blunt for a “friend” if you ask me.
I love gem stones. If you find something more interesting than what you have now, come back and we might barter a bit. Rakastan jalokiviä. Mutta sinulla ei ole sellaista kuin mistä haaveilen‥. Je souhaite échanger ma pierre gemme, mais tu n’as pas le type de cristal que je recherche. Ibig kong ipagpalit ang batong hiyas ko‥. Pero hindi mo dala ang nais kong kristal. Me gustaría cambiar mi piedra preciosa... Pero no tienes el cristal que yo quiero. Ik zou graag mijn juweel ruilen tegen die van jou. Je hebt alleen niet het soort dat ik zoek. Jeg har lyst til å bytte bort edel- steinen min. Men du har ikke den krystall- typen jeg vil ha. Ich bereite Edelsteine zum Tausch vor. Doch Ihr habt kein Juwel von Wert für mich.
The priest.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
49 ココテ゛ カラタ゛ヲ ヤスメテイキナサレ チチト コト セイレイノナニオイテ ア-メン REST HERE FOR A WHILE.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Let your body rest here and then go. In the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.
Comment: Due to politics, the prayer was censored in the English version.
In the Finnish version, I initially considered adding a more elaborate prayer along the lines of ‘heavenly Father, please bless this weary traveller’, but I think it would not have been fitting for a catholic priest.
Rest here for a while. In the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen. Lepää täällä hetki. Isän, Pojan ja Pyhän Hengen nimeen, aamen. Tu peux te reposer ici. Au nom du Père, du Fils et du Saint-Esprit, amen. Magpahinga ka muna dito, iho. Sa ngalan ng Ama, ng Anak at ng Espiritu Santo, Amen. Descansa aquí un momento. En el nombre del Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo, amén. Rust hier een poosje In de naam de Vader, Zoon en Heilige geest, amen. Hvil her en stund. I Faderen, sønnen og den hellige ånds navn. Amen. Weile hier, bete mit mir mein Sohn. Gottes Segen sei mit Dir. Amen.
Altruists who give gifts
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
117 ソノムチテ゛ハ ワシノ シ゛ュモンニ タエラレヌテ゛アロウ テ゛ナオスカ゛ヨイ TO BREAK MY SPELL, COME BACK WITH A POWERFUL WEAPON.
At Lower Uta Road (large blue-toned cave)
Literal translation of original Japanese text: You better replace that whip [lit. repair/heal], for it probably will not withstand my spell.
Comment: See string 14 below. (Same NPC.) The person uses old-man’s language. The English translator botched this line but it still manages to be convey the important bit.
Sorry, but your whip is too weak to withstand the power that I would bestow. Can you not find a better one? Ruoskanne ei kestäne loitsuni voimaa. Teidän olisi hyvä hankkia vahvempi ruoska. Désolé, ton fouet est trop faible. Il ne peut supporter le pouvoir que je veux te transmettre. Ang latigong hawak mo ay napakahina para sa kapangyarihan na igagawad ko. Magdala ka ng matibay na latigo. Lo siento, pero tu látigo es muy débil para aguantar el poder que le otorgo. ¿No tienes un látigo mejor? Sorry, maar je zweep is te zwak voor de kracht die ik hem kan geven. Vind eerst een betere‥. Beklager‼ Pisken din tåler ikke de magiske kreftene jeg kan gi den. Du må gjøre noe med det først‼ Eure Peitsche sollte man gut stählen. Brüchig wird sie meinem Zauber nicht standhalten können.
14 ソナタノ フント゛ウノムチニ シ゛ャアクヲ ヤキツクス チカラヲ サス゛ケヨウ I’LL GIVE YOUR MORNING STAR POWER TO BURN AWAY EVIL.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I will gift/grant/award your morning star (“whip of weight”) the power to burn the wickedness into nothing.
Comment: Hints for the player: string 63 (info: A man in darkness empowers your whip)
These five strings all used the sentence format of 「ソナタ~サズケヨウ」, but substring compression was not used.
I will give your Morning Star the power to burn away evil. Annan aamu- tähdellenne voiman polttaa pimeyden tieltään. Je vais donner à ton Etoile du Matin le pouvoir du feu. Gagawaran ko ang iyong Buntala ng kapangyarihan na palingasin ang kasamaan. Le daré a tu Estrella Matutina el poder para quemar la maldad. Ik zal je Morgenster de kracht geven om het kwaad weg te branden. Jeg kan opp- gradere din morgen- stjerne med ondskaps- brennende kraft. Ich verleihe Eurem Morgenstern die Kraft, Geister zu verbrennen‼ Mögen sie brennen wie Zunder‼
15 ソナタニ キヌノフクロヲ サス゛ケヨウ I’LL GIVE YOU A SILK BAG.
At Strigoi cemetary
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I will gift/grant/award you a silk bag.
Comment: Hints for the player: strings 33 (clue: drop garlic at graveyard, and a stranger appears), 35 (clue: there is a benefit to acquiring silk bag), 102 (info: stranger at Strigoi graveyard gives silk bag) and 69 (rumor: you get something at Strigoi graveyard)
Please accept this gift, a fine silk bag. Lahjoitan teille tämän silkkilaukun. Je te prie d’accepter ce présent. C’est un sac en soie. Tanggapin mo ang aking alay sa iyo. Isang bagong sedang supot. Por favor, acepta este regalo, una fina bolsa de seda. Accepteer alstublieft mijn gift, het is een zijden zak. Her har du en gave. En flott silketaske. Herr, Ich vermache Euch diesen wertvollen Seidenbeutel.
16 ソナタニ キ゛ンノナイフヲ サス゛ケヨウ I’LL GIVE YOU THIS SILVER KNIFE TO SAVE YOUR NECK.
At Carmilla cemetary
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I will gift/grant/award you a silver knife.
Comment: The “to save your neck” was added in the English translation for some reason.
Hints for the player: string 33 (clue: drop garlic at graveyard, and a stranger appears)
Please take this silver knife. It may save your life some day. Ottakaa tämä hopeinen puukko. Se voi pelastaa henkenne. Accepte ce couteau d’argent. Il peut te sauver la vie. Tanggapin mo itong pilak na punyal. Matutulungan ka nito. Por favor, toma este cuchillo de plata. Puede salvar tu vida. Alstublieft, neem dit silveren mes. Wellicht kan het uw leven redden. Ta denne sølvkniven. Den kan bli din redning. Bitte nehmt diesen silbernen Dolch. Er möge Euch stets den Hals retten.
18 ソナタニ チョウコウセキヲ サス゛ケヨウ I’LL GIVE YOU A DIAMOND.
In front of south Deborah cliff
Literal translation of original Japanese text: I will gift/grant/award you a mineral chunk ("diamond").
Comment: Hints for the player: string 92 (clue: gypsy at Deborah cliff has diamond)
I would like to give you this giant diamond. Olkaa hyvä. Annan teille tämän timantin. Je souhaite t’offrir cet énorme diamant. Nais kong ihandog sa iyo itong malaking diamante. Me gustaría darte este diamente gigante. Ik geef je graag mijn enorm grote diamant‥. Pas op je rug‼ Jeg ønsker å gi deg denne diamanten. Ich werde Euch meinen Rosenstein überlassen.
120 ケ゛ッケイシ゛ュヲ サス゛ケヨウ I BEG OF YOU TO TAKE THESE LAURELS.
In Laruba mansion
Literal translation of original Japanese text: Laurels will be gifted/granted/awarded.
Comment: This text is different from the others in that it lacks the word "ソナタニ", "sonata ni", meaning "to you".
Please have these laurels. God bless you. Lahjoitan teille nämä laakerin- lehdet. Olkaa siunattu. Prends ces lauriers, je t’en prie. Tanggapin mo itong mga laurel. Pagpalain ka nawa ng Maykapal. Por favor, ten estos laureles. Dios te bendiga. Alsjeblieft. Neem mijn laurier. God zij met u. Her‼ Ta noen laurbær. Må Gud være med deg. Bitte, Junge, nimmt Dir soviel Lorbeerblatt Du kannst. Gott segne Dich‼
Items you acquire from something other than a merchant or an altruist
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
24 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ アハ゛ラホ゛ネヲ テニイレタ YOU NOW POSSESS DRACULA’S RIB.
Found in Berkeley mansion, after smashing the stake at the right thing.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In this instant, Dracula’s rib bone was placed in your hand.
Comment: The Japanese version used this complicated sentence for Dracula’s body parts. The English version used the word "possess" to convey the abnormality of the wording.
The NTSC English version had the word "possess" misspelled as "prossess". The PAL release had that fixed.
You now possess Dracula’s rib. Nyt olet kreivi Draculan kylkiluun kantaja. Tu obtiens l’os de Dracula. Nakamtan mo ang Tadyang ni Dracula‼ Ahora posees la Costilla de Drácula. Vanaf nu bezit je Dracula’s rib. Draculas ribbein funnet. Ihr verfügt nun über Draculas Rippe.
25 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ シンソ゛ウヲ テニイレタ YOU NOW POSSESS DRACULA’S HEART.
Found in Rover mansion, after smashing the stake at the right thing.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In this instant, Dracula’s heart was placed in your hand.
You now possess Dracula’s heart. Nyt olet kreivi Draculan sydämen kantaja. Tu obtiens le coeur de Dracula. Nakamtan mo ang Puso ni Dracula‼ Ahora posees el Corazón de Drácula. Vanaf nu bezit je Dracula’s hart. Draculas hjerte funnet. Ihr verfügt nun über Draculas Herz.
26 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ メタ゛マヲ テニイレタ YOU NOW POSSESS DRACULA’S EYEBALL.
Found in Brahm’s mansion, after smashing the stake at the right thing.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In this instant, Dracula’s eyeball was placed in your hand.
You now possess Dracula’s eyeball. Nyt olet kreivi Draculan silmämunan kantaja. Tu obtiens l’oeil de Dracula. Nakamtan mo ang Mata ni Dracula‼ Ahora posees el Ojo de Drácula. Vanaf nu bezit je Dracula’s oogbal. Draculas øye funnet. Ihr verfügt nun über Draculas Auge.
27 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ ツメヲ テニイレタ YOU NOW POSSESS DRACULA’S NAIL.
Found in Bodley mansion, after smashing the stake at the right thing.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In this instant, Dracula’s fingernail (or claw or talon) was placed in your hand.
You now possess Dracula’s nail. Nyt olet kreivi Draculan kynnen kantaja. Tu obtiens l’ongle de Dracula. Nakamtan mo ang Kuko ni Dracula‼ Ahora posees la Uña de Drácula. Vanaf nu bezit je Dracula’s nagel. Draculas fingernegl funnet. Ihr verfügt nun über Draculas Kralle.
28 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ ユヒ゛ワヲ テニイレタ YOU NOW POSSESS DRACULA’S RING.
Found in Laruba mansion, after smashing the stake at the right thing.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In this instant, Dracula’s ring was placed in your hand.
You now possess Dracula’s ring. Nyt olet kreivi Draculan sormuksen kantaja. Tu obtiens l’anneau de Dracula. Nakamtan mo ang Singsing ni Dracula‼ Ahora posees el Anillo de Drácula. Vanaf nu Bezit je Dracula’s ring. Draculas ring funnet. Ihr verfügt nun über Draculas Ring.
118 コノシュンカン ソナタハ セイナルホノオヲ テニイレタ YOU NOW POSSESS THE SACRED FLAME.
Found in a cave.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: In this instant, the sacred flame was placed in your hand.
Comment: Text follows the same pattern as with Dracula’s body parts; however, no version had the "prossess" typo here.
Hints for the player: string 32 (clue: flame is in cave), string 77 (info: flame is in the next forest (which is false))
Obtained the Sacred Flame‼ Käsissäsi on nyt pyhä soihtu. Tu obtiens la Flamme Sacrée‼ Nakamtan mo ang Banal na Apoy‼ ¡¡Obtuviste la Flama Sagrada‼ Je hebt het Heilige Vuur gevonden‼ Den hellige flamme funnet‼ Ihr nehmt Die Heilige Flamme an Euch.
38 コノトキ ソナタハ ロサ゛リオヲ テニイレタ YOU NOW POSSESS THE MAGIC CROSS.
This item is acquired by killing Carmilla/Vampira.
Literal translation of original Japanese text: At this time, the rosary ("magic cross") was placed in your hand.
Comment: The text pattern for this and the next is different from the previous six.
Obtained the Rosary‼ Käsissäsi on nyt ruusukko. Tu obtiens le Chapelet‼ Nakamtan mo ang Krusipiho‼ ¡¡Obtuviste el Rosario‼ Je hebt het Kruis verkregen‼ Rosenkransen funnet‼ Ihr nehmt Das Rosenkreuz an Euch.
119 コノトキ ソナタハ キンノナイフヲ テニイレタ YOU NOW POSSESS THE GOLDEN KNIFE.
This item is acquired by killing Shinigami (Death).
Literal translation of original Japanese text: At this time, the golden knife was placed in your hand.
Obtained the Golden Knife‼ Käsissäsi on nyt kultainen puukko. Tu obtiens le Couteau Doré‼ Nakamtan no ang Gintong Punyal‼ ¡¡Obtuviste el Cuchillo Dorado‼ Je hebt het Gouden Mes verkregen‼ Den gylne kniv funnet‼ Ihr nehmt Das Goldene Messer an Euch.
Vendors.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
29 カシノキノクイヲ カッテユカヌカ? INVEST IN AN OAK STAKE?
Exists in all five mansions. Cost: 50 ♥, one-time use
Comment: All of these Japanese texts follow the pattern, “<item> wo katteyukanuka” (which I think is short for more modern “<item> wo katte ikanai ka”, meaning literally "Would it not be good for you to buy <item>" said in a humble, indirect manner typical to Japanese). The English versions have more variance to them, but are still restricted to the two lines of text. In the Finnish version, I have up to five lines of text (or six, if I want to sacrifice the top margin).
Would you like to invest in an oak stake? Myyn ikivihreästä tammesta veistettyjä vaarnoja. Veux-tu investir dans un pieu en chêne? Gusto mo bang bumili ng isang ensinang tulos? ¿Te gustaría invertir en una estaca de roble? Voelt u wat voor de aanschaf van een eiken staak? Ønsker du å investere i en eikestake? Asche für den Pflock aus Eiche?
47 ニンニクヲ カッテユカヌカ? WILL YOU BUY SOME GARLIC?
Exists in Aljiba and Aldra. Cost: 50 ♥ for 2
Comment: Because this same dialog item (and the above, and the below) is used by multiple vendors, it cannot be made too personal.
Garlic‼ Get your best quality garlic here, while supplies last. Myyn itse kasvatettua valkosipulia. Je vends de l’ail. Veux-tu en acheter? Bawang ang tinda ko. Bibili ka? Maganda ang klase nito. Vendo ajo. ¿Quieres un poco? Te garantizo la calidad. Wilt u wat knoflook kopen? De kwaliteit is uitstekend. Jeg selger hvitløk. Vil du ha? De har full smaksgaranti. Ich biete frischen Knoblauch an. Wollt Ihr welchen?
48 ケ゛ッケイシ゛ュヲ カッテユカヌカ? BUY SOME OF MY LAURELS?
Exists in Aljiba, Aldra, Ondol and Doina. Cost: 50 ♥ for 2
Would you buy some of my laurels? Myyn laakeripuun lehtiä. Ostatteko muutaman? Veux-tu m’acheter du laurier? Bibili ka ba ng mga tinda kong laurel? ¿Comprarás algunos de mis laureles? Wilt u wat van mijn laurier kopen? Vil du kjøpe noen av mine laurbær? Wollt Ihr Lorbeer erstehen?
50 シロスイショウヲ カッテユカヌカ? BUY A WHITE CRYSTAL?
In Jova. The only outdoors vendor. Cost: 50 ♥
Would you like to buy a white crystal? It has untold magical powers. Ostatteko minulta kirkkaan, valkoisen kristallin? Veux-tu acheter un cristal blanc? Bibili ka ba ng isang puting kristal? ¿Comprarás un cristal blanco? Belang bij een wit, sprankelend kristal? Vil du kjøpe en hvit krystall? Wollt Ihr meinen weißen Bergkristall erstehen?
55 セイスイヲ カッテユカヌカ? WANT TO BUY HOLY WATER?
In Jova. Cost: 50 ♥
I sell Holy Water. It is very potent‼ Are you interested? Minä myyn pyhitettyä vettä. Erittäin riittoisaa. Je vends de l’Eau Bénite. N’hésite pas. Tinda ko ay Agua-Bendita. Bilhin mo na at hindi ka magsisisi. Vendo Agua Bendita. Compra, y no te arrepentirás. Ik verkoop Heilig water. Je zult geen spijt van je koop krijgen. Jeg selger vievann. Kjøp litt‼ Du vil ikke angre på det. Wollt Ihr Weihwasser erstehen? Es wird Euch helfen‼
51 イハ゛ラノ ムチヲ カッテユカヌカ? BUY A THORN WHIP?
In Jova. Cost: 100 ♥
Home-made thorn whips for sale. Buy one? Ostakaa hyvä piikkiruoska. Je vends mon fouet d’épines. Veux- tu l’acheter? Ang tinda ko ay latigong tinik. Bibilhin mo ba? Estoy vendiendo este látigo de espinas. ¿Vas a comprarlo? Ik verkoop mijn oude doorn-zweep. Wil jij hem kopen? Jeg har en tornepisk til salgs. Vil du kjøpe den av meg? Ich biete diese Dornen-Peitsche an. Wollt Ihr sie erwerben?
52 クサリノムチヲ カッテユカヌカ? PURCHASE A CHAIN WHIP?
In Veros. Cost: 150 ♥
This chain whip is worth its price. Are you interested? Tämä vahva ketjuruoska on hintansa arvoinen. Kiinnostaako? Ce fouet chaîne est incroyable. Es- tu intéressé? Sulit ang halaga ng latigong kadena ko. Bibilhin mo? Este látigo de cadena vale todo su precio. ¿Estás interesado? Deze ketting zweep is z’n geld waard. Heb je interesse? En kjetting- pisk er prisen verdt. Har du lyst til å kjøpe en av meg? Diese Ketten- Peitsche ist ihren Preis wert.
53 フント゛ウノ ムチヲ カッテユカヌカ? MORNING STAR - BUY ONE?
In Ondol. Cost: 200 ♥
This is the Morning Star. Its tip has a spiky steel ball. Tämän ruoskan päässä on piikkipallo. Kutsun sitä aamutähdeksi. l’Etoile du Matin a des épines en acier. Ang Buntala ay kadenang may bakal na bola sa dulo. Walang tawad‼ La punta de la Estrella Matutina tiene una bola de acero con puntas. De morgenster heeft een gepunte ijzeren bal aan het eind. Ytterst på morgen- stjernen sitter en ball med pigger. Er det noe du vil ha? Der Kopf des Morgensterns ist wuchtig‼ Wollt Ihr ihn erwerben?
54 タンケンヲ カッテユカヌカ? WILL YOU BUY A DAGGER?
In Veros. Cost: 50 ♥
Awesome daggers for sale‼ Super cheap‼ Ostakaa hyvä tikari‼ Ei maksa paljoa. Dagues à vendre‼ Petit prix‼ Bili na ng astig na mga punyal‼ Murang mura‼ ¡¡Asombrosas dagas en venta‼ ¡¡Muy baratas‼ Prachtige dolken te koop‼ Super goedkoop‼ Kule kniver til salgs‼ Superbillig‼ Wollt Ihr Wurf- Dolche von mir erwerben?
These strings never appear in dialog in the English version. They could be used as substrings (and indeed were used as such in the Japanese version), but the English translators did not utilize that feature (which still remains in the game). For no reason at all, they entered "NOTHING" into those table items, probably for the poor translator not understanding what they are used for. The engine of the English versions still had support for the substrings (despite being never used), and I utilized it in the retranslation(s) just for fun.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
2 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ NOTHING.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
 ▬► ▬► ▬► ▬► ▬► ▬► ▬► ▬►
3 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ NOTHING.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
 ◄▬ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬ ┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄ ◄▬
21 アュオ NOTHING.
Substring: <garbage>
youalkosipulidemeure alaacertijo jeen
22 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ NOTHING.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
Mansion kantaja. laurier ay úñacht Ihr
23 ヲ テニイレタ NOTHING.
Substring: was placed in your hand.
You sijaitsee le na eñts    Wouder
39 スイショウ NOTHING.
Substring: crystal
of sta Tu ayanBosqúe    aarsch
40 ヲ カッテユカヌカ? NOTHING.
Substring: -the-buying-of would be okay, no? (i.e. will you buy)
laurels   metsäaisMansyon ni la Mañsióñijn    
41 ケ゛ッケイシ゛ュ NOTHING.
Substring: laurel
I in indice molaúrelesde a.Verlasst die Raubersburg ni
42 ミキ゛ NOTHING.
Substring: Right
    laakerin- lehimetière aghihintayistade er
43 ヒタ゛リ NOTHING.
Substring: Left
Draculaa.ristalkristalmaldicióñer Knoblauch
44 ヲ トリカエ アナタニ ワタシノオモイヲ タクソウ NOTHING.
Substring: would like to exchange with that of yours.
heresinu Veux-tulaurelqúisiera cambiarlo por tú noflook Draculas
45 ト゛ラキュラノ ナソ゛ヲ トク フ゛ンケンカ゛ NOTHING.
Substring: Clues to Dracula’s riddle are
Please. la ay est Ik cht
46 ニ ネムルト ツタエラレテイル NOTHING.
Substring: -in-something sleeps, it is said.
crystal┄┄┄acheter sa púeblovan en.
108 NOTHING. a täällä un ang ¡¡Obtúviste raadselch
109 NOTHING.willihjeitä du aka┄┄┄er erwerben?
110 NOTHING.withn. est ito espereilig┄┄┄
111 NOTHING. tolla┄┄┄kasamaan.añtlsjeblieftSeidenbeutel
112 NOTHING.curse on attendat es ver Ein Freund wartet in
113 NOTHING.┄┄┄taa ivière┄┄┄as van Fluss
114 NOTHING.ightOlen kuullut, että Je mgaa. Debes ir coñ él.┄┄┄versteck
115 NOTHING.that Joudutaanpa sittene. ka de lijkist
128 must go and meet him.uolema de Mae gústaría De Rosenkreuz
129 reallykirouksd’AljibaMansyon ni Berkeley.o. je Friedhof
130 ould Kun menet Larubae rebugto Het überlass
131 is pyhitettyä vettäant akoparaoor Woll
132 somenneque ko ocúlt Je hebtn.die
133 vervoiille. Estrella Matútiña . das
134 garlic vaorêtiyoo    in n Pflock aus Eiche
135 inkaapouvoirdoon., pero zalnehmt
136 havessa La Flamme Sacréelatigoo. datsi.nde
137 Obtained lle    Bibilompravloekin
138 andstä Il kademoñiokristalristall
139 Woodsssäes pagla met in
140 emeterysi.s.amamúros maligños.chtche
141 Let’s ja tohincoñlauriauf
142 toruusukkocach ni púedniet. Viel Erfolg.
143 onetteko our   lt u wat ver
144 sapphirelli unita El te Edelst
145 giant diamond.emonparaîtKrusipihoñdo diamantAljiba
146 . jokale awaill    es
147 forruoskendata úñ opann
These are also substrings. It can be seen from the game code that they were planning to utilize these messages when the player gains a level-up, but maybe they never got it to work, so the strings remain unused. In the retranslation(s), they are used as substrings.
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
4 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ YOUR LEVEL OF SKILL HAS INCREASED TO 1.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
You now possess Dracula’s Nyt olet kreivi Draculan sur l’énigme de Draculang DrácúlaDracula’s Ihr besitzt nun Draculas
5 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ YOUR LEVEL OF SKILL HAS INCREASED TO 2.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
the Draculan arvoitukse Tu obtiens lng Ahora posees en Draculas Vermächtnis
6 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ YOUR LEVEL OF SKILL HAS INCREASED TO 3.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
to Dracula’s riddleen de Nakamtan mo a qúe Vanaf nu bezit je Ich
7 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ YOUR LEVEL OF SKILL HAS INCREASED TO 4.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
youan kylässä. Muista käydä tapaamassa häntä.DraculaDracula de en eine
8 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ YOUR LEVEL OF SKILL HAS INCREASED TO 5.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
the Käsissäsi on nyt Je souhaite échanger m sa de en.Euch
9 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ YOUR LEVEL OF SKILL HAS INCREASED TO 6.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
ingn kartanodans na el het t Ihr
10 コノシュンカン ソナタハ ト゛ラキュラノ YOUR LEVEL OF SKILL HAS INCREASED TO 7.
Substring: At this instant, Dracula’s
Comment: The maximum level is actually 6. Attempting to invoke level 7 by cheat codes will cause out-of-bounds array access at a few places.
In any case, these seven texts are never used in the game, as explained earlier.
Thean malédiction sa Por favor het en
Endings
IDJapanese textEnglish textExplanationsRe ENRe FIRe FRRe TLRe ESNL (WIP)NN (WIP)DE (WIP)
end1AND THE BATTLE ENDED. SIMON BELMONT PUT AN ETERNAL PERIOD TO THE LEGEND OF DRACULA. HIS BLOOD AND SWEAT PENETRA- TED INTO THE GROUND OF TRA- NSYLVANIA WILL BRING US FULL- BLOWN FLOWERS WITH HAPPINESS IN NEXT SPRING . TOAST TO YOUR 0DAYS’ BATTLE PROGRAMMED WITH THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTIC INVINCIBILITY AKAMATSU PERMANENCE IWASA PHILOSOPHY TOGAKUSHI MASTERPIECE KAWANISHI SENSITIVITY HATANO EXCELLENCE TERASHIMA AMBIVALENCE KUWAHARA FLOURISH HIGASA ADMIRATION OHYAMA WARM-HEART MATSUOKA SUPERIORITY MURATA SYNCHRONISM MATSUBARA CIRCUMSTANCE KONAMITHE ENCOUNTER WITH DRACULA IS TERMINATED. SIMON BELMONT HAS PUT AN END TO THE ETERNAL DARKNESS IN TRANSYLVANIA. HIS BLOOD AND SWEAT HAVE PENETRATED THE EARTH AND WILL INDUCE MAGIC & HAPPINESS FOR THOSE WHO WALK ON THIS LAND.
Beat game at day 0—7. String numbers: Japanese=0—15; 48—80, English=0—15
Comment: Yes, the Japanese version is in English, and it is also longer than the English version. The ending also includes the number of days it took to beat the game. To compensate for the longer duration it takes to display the text, the Japanese ending song also includes multiple stancas. Both songs last for the duration of their respective texts.

Note: There are no “good” or “bad” endings. There are three endings. They are:
Ending 1 (<9 days): Simon won. But in an ironical twist, Dracula still wakes up.
Ending 2 (9…23 days): Simon won, but it took him just a bit too long and he did not make it.
Ending 3 (≥ 24 days): Simon won, but it was way too late for him personally. The ending text is an eulogy.

Currently the ending texts in the re-translation (both English and Finnish) are a bit mis-adjusted to account for these descriptions.

Interestingly the crew roles are replaced with characteristics. I have heard a theory that this was to avoid headhunters. Konami wanted to keep their workers.
THE BATTLE WITH DRACULA HAS CONCLUDED. SIMON BELMONT HAS PUT AN END TO THE ETERNAL DARKNESS IN TRANSYLVANIA. HIS BLOOD AND SWEAT HAVE PENETRATED THE EARTH AND WILL INDUCE PEACE & SERENITY FOR THOSE WHO WALK ON THIS LAND. TOAST, TO THE VICTORY, ACHIEVED IN 0 DAYS.JA NIIN PÄÄTTYI TAISTELU. DRACULAN KIROUS ON PÄÄTTYNYT IKIAJOIKSI, JA RAUHA JA ONNI OVAT PALANNEET TRANSYLVANIAAN. SANKARIN NIMI ON IKIAJOIKSI PAINETTU KAN- SAN SYDÄMIIN. SE NIMI, JOKA ON SINUN NIMESI, ON: SIMON BELMONT. KOHOTTAKAAMME MALJA VOITOLLE, JOKA ON SAATU 0 PÄIVÄSSÄ.LE COMBAT CONTRE DRACULA EST TERMINE. SIMON BELMONT A MIS FIN A L’ETERNELLE OBSCURITE EN TRANSYLVANIE. SON SANG A PENETRE LA TERRE, ET VA APPORTER MAGIE ET BONHEUR A CEUX QUI MARCHERONT ICI. BRAVO POUR CETTE VICTOIRE OBTENUE EN 0 JOURS.ANG LABAN KAY DRACULA AY NAGWAKAS. NAWAKASAN NI SIMON BELMONT ANG SUKDULANG KADILIMAN SA TRANSYLVANIA. ANG DUGO’T PAWIS NIYA AY TUMAGOS SA LUPA AT MAGPA- PANATILI SA KAPAYAPAAN AT KATAHIMIKAN SA LUPAING ITO. ANG TAGUMPAY AY NAKAMTAN SA LOOB NG 0 NA ARAW.LA BATALLA CON DRACULA HA CONCLUIDO. SIMON BELMONT HA PUESTO UN FIN A LA ETERNA OSCURIDAD. SU SANGRE Y SUDOR HAN PENETRADO LA TIERRA E INDUCIRAN PAZ Y SERENIDAD PARA AQUELLOS EN ESTA TIERRA. SALUD, POR LA VICTORIA, LOGRADA EN 0 DIAS.HET GEVECHT MET DRACULA IS GEEINDIGD. SIMON BELMONT HEEFT EEN EIND GEMAAKT AAN DE DUISTERNIS IN TRANSYLVANIE. ZIJN BLOED EN ZWEET ZIJN DOOR DE AARDE OP GENOMEN EN ZORGEN VOOR RUST EN VREDE VOOR WIE HET LAND BETREED. PROOST,OP DE OVERWINNING, BEHAALD IN 0 DAGEN.THE BATTLE WITH DRACULA HAS CONCLUDED. SIMON BELMONT HAS PUT AN END TO THE ETERNAL DARKNESS IN TRANSYLVANIA. HIS BLOOD AND SWEAT HAVE PENETRATED THE EARTH AND WILL INDUCE PEACE & SERENITY FOR THOSE WHO WALK ON THIS LAND. TOAST, TO THE VICTORY, ACHIEVED IN 0 DAYS. JUBEL ’WR EUREN ER’OLG, ERREICHT IN 0 TAGEN.DER KAMP’ MIT DRACULA IST GESCHLAGEN. SIMON BELMONT BEENDETE DIE EWIGE ’INSTERNIS TRANSSYLVANIENS. SEIN BLUT UND SEIN SCHWEISS DWNGTEN DIE ERDE UND SCHA’’TEN ’RIEDE UND RUHE ’WR JENE, DIE DURCH DAS LAND SCHREITEN.
end2AND THE BATTLE ENDED. BUT ON ACCOUNT OF THE INJURY SUFFER- ED DURING THE BATTLE,SIMMON BELMONT PASSED AWAY. UNTIL A YOUNG MAN TO FIGHT AGAINST EVILS LIKE HIM COMES AGAIN TO THIS WORLD, TRANSYLVANIANS WILL KEEP PRA- YING FOREVER. TOAST TO YOUR 9DAYS’ BATTLE <credits>ALTHOUGH THE CONFONTATION BETWEEN SIMON AND DRACULA HAS CONCLUDED, SIMON COULDN’T SURVIVE HIS FATAL WOUNDS. TRANSYLVANIA’S ONLY HOPE IS A YOUNG MAN WHO WILL TRIUMPH OVER EVIL AND RID THE CITY OF DRACULA’S DEADLY CURSE.
Beat game at day 8—14. String numbers: Japanese=16—31; 48—80, English=16—31
Comment: The English version is a horrible mistranslation. It makes it look like Simon did not accomplish anything. The original intention appears to have been moreover, that the world lost a great hero. The concept of praying was removed for political reasons.
AND THE BATTLE ENDED. BUT ON ACCOUNT OF THE INJURY SUFFE- RED DURING THE BATTLE, SIMON BELMONT PASSED AWAY. UNTIL A YOUNG MAN TO FIGHT AGAINST EVILS LIKE HIM COMES AGAIN TO THIS WORLD, TRANSYLVANIANS WILL KEEP PRAY- ING FOREVER. TOAST, TO THE VICTORY, ACHIEVED IN 9 DAYS.JA NIIN PÄÄTTYI TAISTELU. MUTTA VAIKKA DRACULA ONKIN VOITETTU, SIMON BELMONT MENEHTYI KÄRSIMIINSÄ HAAVOIHIN. TRANSYLVANIA RUKOILEE, ETTÄ NOUSEE UUSI NUORUKAINEN, SANKARI, JOKA TAISTELEE PI- MEYTTÄ VASTAAN KUTEN HÄN TEKI. KOHOTTAKAAMME MALJA VOITOLLE, JOKA ON SAATU 9 PÄIVÄSSÄ.LE COMBAT EST TERMINE. SIMON BELMONT N’A CEPENDANT PAS SURVECU A SES BLESSURES. LE PEUPLE DE TRANSYLVANIE CONTINUE DE PRIER, EN ATTENDANT QU’UN AUTRE HOMME COMME LUI VIENNE COMBATTRE LE MAL. BRAVO POUR CETTE VICTOIRE OBTENUE EN 9 JOURS.AT ANG LABANAN AY NAGWAKAS. GAYONMAN, SA NATAMONG PINSALA SA LABANAN, SI SIMON BELMONT AY PUMANAW. HANGGA’T MAY TAONG LALABAN SA KASAMAAN KAGAYA NIYA, ANG MGA TAO’Y MAGHIHINTAY SA KANYA NG HABAMBUHAY. ANG TAGUMPAY AY NAKAMTAN SA LOOB NG 9 NA ARAW.Y LA BATALLA TERMINO. PERO DEBIDO A LAS HERIDAS SUFRIDAS EN BATALLA, SIMON BELMONT HA FALLECIDO. HASTA QUE OTRO JOVEN QUE LUCHE CONTRA LA MALDAD VENGA A ESTE MUNDO, LA GENTE SEGUIRA ORANDO. SALUD, POR LA VICTORIA, LOGRADA EN 9 DIAS.HET GEVECHT IS TEN EINDE. MAAR DOOR DE GELEDEN VERWONDINGEN OVERLEED SIMON BELMONT. TOT DAT EEN JONGE MAN HET GEVECHT TEGEN HET KWAAD OPNIEW AANGAAT ZULLEN DE TRANSYLVANIERS VOOR ALTIJD BLIJVEN BIDDEN. PROOST,OP DE OVERWINNING, BEHAALD IN 9 DAGEN.AND THE BATTLE ENDED. BUT ON ACCOUNT OF THE INJURY SUFFE- RED DURING THE BATTLE, SIMON BELMONT PASSED AWAY. UNTIL A YOUNG MAN TO FIGHT AGAINST EVILS LIKE HIM COMES AGAIN TO THIS WORLD, TRANSYLVANIANS WILL KEEP PRAY- ING FOREVER. TOAST, TO THE VICTORY, ACHIEVED IN 9 DAYS. JUBEL ’WR EUREN ER’OLG, ERREICHT IN 9 TAGEN.DIE SCHLACHT ENDET. ABER SIMON BELMONT IST SEINEN VERLETZUNGEN ERLEGEN. BIS NUN WIEDER EIN JUNGER MANN DIE KWHNHEIT BESITZT, SICH DER MACHT DES BQSEN ZU STELLEN, WERDEN DIE BWRGER VON TRANSSYLVANIEN BETEN MWSSEN.
end3AND THE BATTLE ENDED. NOW THE PEACE AND CALM HAVE ARRIVED BACK AT TRANS- YLVANIA JUST LIVE BEFORE. THE NAME OF THE HERO WILL BE ETCHED UPON OUR MIND DEEP- LY. HIS NAME IS SIMMON BEL- MONT,THAT IS THE NAME OF YOURSELF. TOAST TO YOUR 24DAYS’ BATTLE <credits>THE BATTLE HAS CONSUMMATED. NOW PEACE AND SERENITY HAVE BEEN RESTORED TO TRANSYLVANIA AND THE PEOPLE ARE FREE OF DRACULA’S CURSE FOREVER. AND YOU, SIMON BELMONT, WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR YOUR BRAVERY AND COURAGE.
Beat game at day 15—99. String numbers: Japanese=32—47; 48—81, English=32—47
Comment: The word, “live”, is an authentic typo in the Japanese version.
The Japanese version contains an easter egg: If the game was beat exactly on day 69 (not before, not later), an extra line is displayed after the text: SEE YOU AGAIN. The English version still contains this check, but it does not work, because the text is shorter and thus never reaches line number 80.
THE BATTLE HAS CONSUMMATED. NOW PEACE AND HAPPINESS HAVE BEEN RESTORED TO TRANSYLVANIA AND THE PEOPLE ARE FREE OF DRACULA’S CURSE FOREVER. AND YOU, SIMON BELMONT, WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR YOUR BRAVERY AND COURAGE. TOAST, TO THE VICTORY, ACHIEVED IN 24 DAYS.JA NIIN PÄÄTTYI TAISTELU. DRACULAN KIROUS ON PÄÄTTYNYT IKIAJOIKSI, JA TRANSYLVANIA, JONKA MAAHAN SANKARI SIMON BELMONT HAUDATTIIN, TULEE KEVÄÄNÄ KUKKIMAAN JA KUKOISTAMAAN ONNEA JA RAUHAA SYMBOLISOIDEN. KOHOTTAKAAMME MALJA VOITOLLE, JOKA ON SAATU 24 PÄIVÄSSÄ.LE COMBAT EST TERMINE. LA TRANSYLVANIE A RETROUVE PAIX ET SERENITE. LE PEUPLE EST LIBERE DE LA MALEDICTION DE DRACULA POUR TOUJOURS. LA BRAVOURE ET LE COURAGE DE SIMON BELMONT MARQUERONT LES ESPRITS A JAMAIS. BRAVO POUR CETTE VICTOIRE OBTENUE EN 24 JOURS.ANG LABANAN AY NAGWAKAS. KAPAYAPAAN AT KALIGAYAHAN AY NANUMBALIK SA TRANSYLVANIA AT ANG MGA TAO AY MALAYA NA SA SUMPA NI DRACULA NANG HABAMBUHAY. AT IKAW, SIMON BELMONT, AY MAALALA SA IYONG GITING AT TAPANG. ANG TAGUMPAY AY NAKAMTAN SA LOOB NG 24 NA ARAW.LA BATALLA HA TERMINADO. AHORA LA PAZ Y LA FELICIDAD HAN SIDO RESTAURADOS A TRANSILVANIA Y LA GENTE ESTA LIBRE DE LA MALDICION. Y TU, SIMON BELMONT, SERAS RECORDADO SIEMPRE POR TU VALENTIA Y CORAJE. SALUD, POR LA VICTORIA, LOGRADA EN 24 DIAS.HET GEVECHT EINDIGD HIER. GELUK EN VREDE ZIJN HERSTELD IN TRANSYLAVIE DE MENSEN ZIJN VOOR ALTIJD VERLOST VAN DRACULA’S VLOEK. JIJ SIMON BELMONT, ZAL ALTIJD WORDEN HERINNNERD VOOR JE HELDHAFTIGHEID EN MOEDIGHEID. PROOST,OP DE OVERWINNING, BEHAALD IN 24 DAGEN.THE BATTLE HAS CONSUMMATED. NOW PEACE AND HAPPINESS HAVE BEEN RESTORED TO TRANSYLVANIA AND THE PEOPLE ARE FREE OF DRACULA’S CURSE FOREVER. AND YOU, SIMON BELMONT, WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR YOUR BRAVERY AND COURAGE. TOAST, TO THE VICTORY, ACHIEVED IN 24 DAYS.DIE SCHLACHT IST GESCHLAGEN. ’RIEDE UND ’REUDE SIND NACH TRANSSYLVANIEN ZURWCKGEKEHRT. DRACULAS ’LUCH IST ’WR IMMER GEBANNT. UND IHR, SIMON BELMONT, WERDET ’WR IMMER ’WR EURE HELDENTATEN IN ERINNERUNG BLEIBEN. JUBEL ’WR EUREN ER’OLG, ERREICHT IN 24 TAGEN.

Truthfulness analysis on dialog text

It is said that everyone is lying to Simon in this game. Let's see how much of that is true, and which "lies" are attributed to translation errors.
Legend
Total nonsense / irrelevant text Minor misinformation True, but incomprehensible True, but a bit vague True and clear
NPCS THAT APPEAR TO PROVIDE GAME-APPLICABLE ADVICE
Re.String IDJapaneseEnglishDifferenceExplanations
102: GET A SILK BAG FROM THE GRAVEYARD DUCK TO LIVE LONGER.vaguecryptic-1Translation neglects detail: Graveyard name. Japanese idiom does not exist in English.
?72: YOU LOOK PALE,MY SON. YOU MUST REST IN THE CHURCH.vaguevague0Flavor; ok in any case
?88: THE DEAD RIVER WAITS TO BE FREED FROM THE CURSE.vaguevague0
?63: A MAN LIVING IN DARKNESS CAN GIVE YOUR WHIP POWER.vaguevague0
65: A MAGIC POTION WILL DESTROY THE WALL OF EVIL.goodvague-1Translation neglects detail: hurts enemies. Strange wording
64: A RIB CAN SHIELD YOU FROM EVIL.goodvague-1Translation neglects detail: Dracula’s bone, not just any bone
61: YOU HAVE A FRIEND IN THE TOWN OF ALDRA. GO AND SEE HIM.goodvague-1Lack of map degraded usefulness
57: YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND WAITING FOR YOU IN THE TOWN OF ALJIBA.goodvague-1Lack of map degraded usefulness
78: CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN THE TOWN OF VEROS.goodvague-1Lack of map degraded usefulness
79: CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN THE TOWN OF ALBA.goodvague-1Lack of map degraded usefulness; Typo: should be Aljiba
80: CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN BERKELEY MANSION.goodvague-1Lack of map degraded usefulness
104: CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN BODLEY MANSION.goodvague-1Lack of map degraded usefulness
105: CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN ROVER MANSION.goodvague-1Lack of map degraded usefulness
49: REST HERE FOR A WHILE.goodgood0Victim of policies
117: TO BREAK MY SPELL, COME BACK WITH A POWERFUL WEAPON.goodgood0Translation is different
?96: BUY SOME GARLIC. IT HAS SPECIAL POWERS.crypticgood2Minor mistranslation actually improves text
56: FIRST THING TO DO IN THIS TOWN IS BUY A WHITE CRYSTAL.goodgood0
106: THE CROSS IN LARUBA’S MANSION MUST BE FOUND.goodgood0
91: A LAUREL WILL PROTECT YOU FROM THE POISON MARSH.goodgood0
62: 13 CLUES WILL SOLVE DRACULA’S RIDDLE.goodfalse-4Translation errors falsify this
76: A CROOKED TRADER IS OFFERING BUM DEALS IN THIS TOWN.goodfalse-4Lost in translation
89: DRACULA’S EYEBALL REFLECTS THE CURSE.goodfalse-4Lost in translation
103: CLUES TO DRACULA’S RIDDLE ARE IN THE VEROS WOODS.falsefalse0Lack of map degraded usefulness; Error in original text. Fixed in retranslation.
!93: HIT DEBORAH CLIFF WITH YOUR HEAD TO MAKE A HOLE.falsefalse0
!68: RUMOR HAS IT , THE FERRYMAN AT DEAD RIVER LOVES GARLIC.falsefalse0
!77: A FLAME IS ON TOP OF THE 6TH TREE IN DENIS WOODS.falsefalse0
!69: DIG UP THE 4TH GRAVE IN THE CEMETERY FOR A DIAMOND.falsefalse0Translation neglects detail: Graveyard name
!87: TO RESTORE YOUR LIFE, SHOUT IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH.falsefalse0Possible pun not translated
STATUS
Re.String IDJapaneseEnglishDifferenceExplanations
0: WHAT A HORRIBLE NIGHT TO HAVE A CURSE.goodgood0Minor translation difference
1: THE MORNING SUN HAS VANQUISHED THE HORRIBLE NIGHT.goodgood0Minor translation difference
CLUES
Re.String IDJapaneseEnglishDifferenceExplanations
13: TO REPLENISH EARTH ,KNEEL BY THE LAKE WITH THE BLUE CRYSTAL.goodgood0Strange wording; erroneous placement of comma
30: A SYMBOL OF EVIL WILL APPAER WHEN YOU STRIKE THE STAKE.goodgood0Translation neglects detail: Symbol of Dracula; Contains a typo
33: GARLIC IN THE GRAVEYARD SUMMONS A STRANGER.goodgood0Translation neglects detail: Kills enemies
66: CLEAR A PATH AT BERKELEY MANSION WITH A WHITE CRYSTAL.goodgood0Translation neglects detail: Crystal is related to sight.
92: AN OLD GYPSY HOLDS A DIAMOND IN FRONT OF DEBORAH CLIFF.goodvague-1Lack of map degraded usefulness
36: WAIT FOR A SOUL WITH A RED CRYSTAL ON DEBORAH CLIFF.goodvague-1Lack of map degraded usefulness; strange wording
20: DRACULA’S NAIL MAY SOLVE THE EVIL MYSTERY.goodcryptic-2Lost in translation
31: DESTROY THE CURSE AND YOU’LL RULE BRAHM’S MANSION.goodcryptic-2Lost in translation
?34: DESTROY THE CURSE WITH DRACULA’S HEART.vaguecryptic-1Translation neglects detail: The curse of someone particular
?35: PLACE THE LAURELS IN A SILK BAG TO BRING THEM TO LIFE.vaguecryptic-1Translation error in #37 makes this less useful
?17: DRACULA’S EVIL KNIFE BLURS CAMILLA’S VISION.vaguenonsense-4Lost in translation
32: A FLAME FLICKERS INSIDE THE RING OF FIRE.goodnonsense-5Lost in translation
37: THE CURSE HAS KILLED THE LAUREL TREE.goodnonsense-5Totally lost in translation
TANGENTIAL NPCS
Re.String IDJapaneseEnglishDifferenceExplanations
?67: LAURELS IN YOUR SOUP ENHANCES ITS AROMA.vaguenonsense-4Pun lost in translation; as result, actual gameplay hint was lost, too
73: DON’T LOOK INTO THE DEATH STAR, OR YOU WILL DIE.nonsensenonsense0Lost in translation, but meaningless in any case
70: BELIEVE IN MAGIC AND YOU’LL BE SAVED.nonsensenonsense0Victim of policies
75: WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, WOMEN LOVED ME.nonsensenonsense0Terser than original
90: LET’S LIVE HERE TOGETHER.nonsensenonsense0
95: SORRY, PAL. NO TIME NOW, MAYBE LATER.nonsensenonsense0
97: I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR A GOOD LOOKING GUY LIKE YOU.nonsensenonsense0
98: I WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU BETTER.nonsensenonsense0Translation is different
100: GET BACK‼nonsensenonsense0
94: AFTER CASTLEVANIA I WARNED YOU NOT TO RETURN.nonsensenonsense0Translation is different
101: YOU’VE UPSET THE PEOPLE. NOW GET OUT OF TOWN‼nonsensefalse1Translation is different
!71: TAKE MY DAUGHTER, PLEASE‼falsefalse0
!74: DON’T MAKE ME STAY. I’LL DIE.falsefalse0
!99: I’LL SEE YOU AT MIDNIGHT ON THE RIVER BANK.falsefalse0