Undubbing is a type of video game hacking that restores the original language audio content of a game that has been
localized for export while retaining the translated text of the language into which it has been localized.
A typical candidate for an undub is a Japanese game which has been
published in the United States, with voice acting dubbed in English and text content translated into English, but lacking an in-game option to use the original Japanese audio. The process of undubbing consists of identifying the location and format of the relevant audio content in both the localized and the original versions of the game, then grafting the audio data extracted from the original language version into the localised game.
Oftentimes, dialogue will be completely rewritten in translation, which prompts some to do a total or partial
retranslation of the game in order for the displayed text to fit the actual context of the audio content. Content present in the original game, but cut in the process of localization (due to reasons such as
censorship, or, in some cases, a lack of time) may also be restored in an undub.
Reasons for undubbing
Voice acting is a considerably bigger business in Japan than it currently is in English-speaking countries (see also
Voice acting in Japan
Voice acting in Japan is an industry where actors provide voice-overs as characters or narrators in media including anime, video games, audio dramas, commercials, and dubbing for non-Japanese films and television programs.
In Japan, and a ...
). It is not uncommon for acclaimed TV
animation
Animation is a method by which image, still figures are manipulated to appear as Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent cel, celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited ...
voice actors to be signed by a video game publisher to provide voice acting for a high-profile game. In the west, on the other hand, voice localization projects usually have smaller budgets, and as such, do not have as professional a market as the Japanese one. Due to this, there is a perceived notion that Japanese voice acting is of higher quality, and as such many fans prefer to listen to the Japanese audio track while playing the game, even if they do not speak or understand the Japanese language. Undubbing thus caters either to an audience who does not speak the original language or has not mastered it well enough to enjoy the untranslated text in an
imported version of the original game, but still prefers the original audio for the reasons mentioned above, or to an audience that speaks the original language, but prefers to read in the Latin alphabet (or simply hear the original voice-actors chosen by the original studio, as it's not uncommon in Japan to create a character with a specific voice-actor in mind). Because the localized text is left in place where present, an undubbed game can usually still be fully played by those who could not play the import.
Notable undubs
The U.S. versions of some ''
Final Fantasy'' games have been undubbed, including ''
Final Fantasy X-2'', a PlayStation 2 game by
Square, released in 2003 and undubbed in 2008.
Other series that have been undubbed include ''
Mega Man
''Mega Man'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese science fiction video game franchise created by Capcom, starring a series of robot characters each known by the moniker "Mega Man (character), Mega Man". Mega Man (video game), The original game w ...
'' (''Rockman'' in Japan), ''
.hack
''.hack'' (pronounced "Dot Hack") is a Japanese multimedia franchise that encompasses two projects: Project .hack and .hack Conglomerate. They were primarily created and developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. ...
'', ''
Xeno
Xeno may refer to:
Prefix
''xeno''- Greek prefix meaning "foreign"
* "xeno-" as used in taxonomy Geography
*Xeno, Salamis, an area in Salamis Island People
*Xeno Müller (born 1972), Swiss athlete
*Randy Hogan (musician), nicknamed Xeno, the or ...
'', ''
Megami Tensei'', ''
Persona'', ''
Kingdom Hearts
is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...
'', and ''
Tales
Tales may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Tales'' (album), a 1995 album by Marcus Miller
* ''Tales'' (film), a 2014 Iranian film
* ''Tales'' (TV series), an American television series
* ''Tales'' (video game), a 2016 point-and-click adventure ...
''.
See also
*
Fan translation of video games
*
ROM hacking
References
External links
The Undubbing FAQ
Video game mods
Hacker culture
Video game culture