Fatal Fury 3

Andy Bogard

Isn't he supposed to be smaller and skinnier than Terry?

The backstory says that the Shiranui dojo has a bunch of girls showing up so they can get taught by Andy. I can't help but feel those girls all have incredibly low standards.

Fighter title

My translation	Official translation
The Stoic Young Noble of Koppo	The Baron of Bone-Breaking

English manual scans from Rage Quitter 87. Thank you!

This is Andy's English title from Fatal Fury Special, brought back for a new game. It's a perfect match, unlike Joe. Needless to say, it doesn't match the Japanese title at all, but it is a nice little bit of continuity on the English side.

Manual blurb

My translation

Official translation

I finally came back to Southtown and it's in an uproar over these secret scrolls. Seriously? And after Mai and I took all the trouble to come celebrate the long-awaited opening of Richard's new location... Well, it looks like it's finally my time to shine. I've been working hard on improving the Shiranui style and I'm eager to put it to the test. But I'd better keep Mai in the dark about all this...

After getting back here, all I've heard about is Secret Sacred Scrolls, Qin, and Geese. I just wanted to come back here with Mai, visit Richard's new Pao Pao Cafe and catch up on some late night TV. It looks like once again I'll be putting my skills of the Shiranui to the test in one of the most important battles of my life! Melodramatic, isn't it?

The English adds that Andy's been hearing about "Qin and Geese" in addition to the secret scrolls. It also adds Andy wanting to catch up on late night TV, which must've been a lot more exciting than I remember. It drops that Richard's been working on the new location for awhile, but I guess that's implied in him having a new location. Can't open a new place on a whim.

The English also drops that Andy's been training hard and that he wants to keep Mai in the dark. The keeping Mai out of the loop thing comes up a lot in Mai's interactions with the FF1 boys in this game, so it's a pretty big thing to just cut like that. In return, we get some jokes.

Intro vs Bob

My translation	Official translation
This rookie is Bob. His capoeira is the real thing!	Call me...Bob. My fatal Cooperia fighting style will blow you away!

Same as Terry. As usual, Andy shares a ton of lines with his older brother...though noticeably fewer in this game. That's nice.

Win vs Bob

My translation	Official translation
Please don't lose heart. You were a very strong opponent.	Hey , cheer up , kid. You were good. And with good treatment, you should heal real soon!

Hey, it's not nearly as bad as Terry's.

Honestly, it's pretty straight, bar the bit at the end. That's just kind of there. More punching up, I guess? It's FF3.

As usual, Andy is noticeably more polite than Terry is in Japanese.

Intro vs Franco

My translation	Official translation
Good thing you showed up. Right now I'm raring for a fight and you're up!	Nice timing! I've got an ungodly buildup of hormones and got to get rid of them!

Inexplicably not the same as Terry. This line is shared with Joe and no one else.

Anyway, the general meaning is...about the same. If you take out the weird innuendo. "Nice timing!" is a good translation, and uh...

I know it was on purpose and I understand enough of the translator/editor's mind to get why they'd do it, but it's still strange.

Win vs Franco

My translation	Official translation
What terrifying punching power. You might even beat ol' Axel in that regard.	Wow, what a punch! I almost lost it! What brings you to these parts, Knuckle head?

Translation from Kishi! Thank you!

So when I translated this I forgot Axel Hawk was a character and Kishi had to remind me. This probably says something about me, and about Axel.

That said, it's really nice that SNK was doing continuity like this. They even remembered Axel Hawk! Good job! ...except in English, where the reference disappears and is replaced with a fairly generic line and a confusing question. So that's weird.

I guess it's got the basic idea down, except in the part where Andy has to ask the guy at his workplace what he's doing there.

Intro vs Joe

My translation	Official translation
What, you came too? Things're getting interesting around here... I'm excited.	What? You again? Well, it looks like I can try out my new moves after all!

There's a slight difference here. Japanese Joe drops some hints that he knows about the plot, while English Joe just wants to show off his moves. They're both surprised to see Andy show up, but for somewhat different reasons.

Win vs Joe

My translation	Official translation
How are you always so light-hearted?	Take a valium, Joe, and tell me all about it while I get an ice pack for your glass jaw.

That's different.

Weirdly, Andy's Japanese line feels like it follows better from Joe's English line, and vice versa. I'm gonna call it a coincidence, but since the English version was being worked on at the same time as the Japanese, it's possible some lines got more or less out of sync in some weird ways. (but really, it's probably a coincidence)

Gotta admit, the English line sounds good, even if it's pretty brusque for Andy.

Intro vs Mary

My translation	Official translation
What's wrong? No way... You're not scared of dogs, are you?	Don't tell me your afraid of a little old wolf like me? Grrrr. Grrrr. Scary, huh?

I, uh, what?

It's not straight, it's not completely different, it feels like they grabbed two words and messed around to make a new and somewhat-nonsensical line. It's strange. It's not the first time SNK's done something like this, but it's much rarer in FF3.

Anyway, the Japanese is a pretty straight joke about Anton, the English is...something.

Win vs Mary

My translation	Official translation
Excuse me, I am NOT scared of dogs! It was just a little awkward you turned out to be a woman.	Huh? I eat wolves for breakfast. And I am not of the feminine persuasion!

Kishi helped out again!

They did it again!

The Japanese line makes perfect sense coming off of Mary's line, since it's just Andy engaging in some desperate face-saving. The English line works for a bit, but then goes off into the weeds. They clearly cared enough to adjust it to match Mary's line, but then Mary never called Andy a girl, so it feels like they just threw in something to match the second sentence but a literal translation would be fine there, so...I don't know.

(Andy is totally scared of dogs)

Accident Intro

My translation	Official translation
Piss off! Unless...you're the dumbass sniffing around for the secret scrolls?	What's with all this fussin' about? Are you the king of fighters or just a girlie?
I ain't gonna let a snot-nosed brat like you get in my way!	Okey, goldilocks! Get in my way and you're part of the bottom of the bay!

Same as Terry.

Accident Postfight

My translation	Official translation
Yamazaki: Heheh...interestin'. So you're Andy Bogard? This's been real fun. Heheh...	Yamazaki: Heh ,heh. Andy Bogard. This is a real treat.
Andy: W-wait!	Andy: Just a minute!
Andy: Secret scrolls? What're those? Sounds like something's up.	Andy: Just what do you mean by the scrolls? Spit it out, you friend!

The first two lines are the same as Terry, except for switching out the names.

The third line is the weird one. The Japanese makes perfect sense. This is the first time anyone's mentioned the secret scrolls to Andy, so it's just a bit of plot acknowledgment. Then the English gets punched up...and completely ruined by a typo.

At least, I assume that's a typo.

I realise I can never be sure but it's a common typo and FF3's script wasn't copyedited.

Anyway, English Andy rants at Yamazaki after the guy left like a crazy person.

Intro vs Mai

My translation	Official translation
Hold on, Andy! What are these "secret scrolls"? You're not off the hook until I get a full explanation!	Hey, Andy, tell me about the scrolls. If you try not to, it's Knuckle Fest '95 time.

Bhahahahaha.

Actually, this is pretty good! "If you try not to" is a bit awkward, but it's made up for by "Knuckle Fest '95 time". Either way, it's a good translation with a nice bit of punching up.

Win vs Mai

My translation	Official translation
This is my hometown, not Japan. Please, don't embarrass me with questions here....	Mai, this is my hometown. I have to save it from the evil that waits to be released!

So the word Andy uses in Japanese here can mean "embarrass" or "pester with questions" and Mai's doing both so I split the difference. Either way it's a pretty fitting line...though it also shows the limitations of FF3's story in a fighting game, because the exchange makes way more sense if Andy didn't knock Mai out for asking what's going on.

Anyway, the first part is the same in English. The second...just kind of does its own thing. That's just not what he said in Japanese and I'm not sure why they changed it.

You might remember Andy had some personal pronoun confusion back in FF2/Special. In FF3 he's settled on the relatively neutral/polite watashi in the story mode. It's normal to switch pronouns around depending on who you're talking to, but this really reads as a sign he doesn't have to share with his older brother.

He does switch over to boku in the manual blurb, but that makes sense since he's more talking to himself there.

Intro vs Andy

My translation	Official translation
What's with that tacky outfit? The colors! Don't you have anything less godawful?	Just what is that getup? And those colors are ghastly! I'm glad at least I have taste!

Yes, that's accurate. Really. I couldn't believe it either.

The Andy doppelganger specifically calls out the color of Andy's outfit, so that's the emphasis. And it makes sense, since he's just a palette swap! Hahah, it's great.

Win vs Andy

My translation	Official translation
I don't think you have any room to trash my fashion.	Hey, no one talks about my clothes and lives! Now pick up your teeth and leave.

Meanwhile, this got punched up.

Japanese Andy just thinks his doppelganger doesn't have any taste either, English Andy is vehement about defending his choice to wear bright, eye-catching white as a ninja.

It's okay, the backstory takes care to explain that the Shiranui style is no longer for assassination but is just another martial art so it doesn't matter Andy and Mai don't have a stealthy bone between them.

Intro vs Hon Fu

My translation	Official translation
Secret scrolls? I heard about them from Cheng, but they've got nothing to do with me. If you're gonna interfere with my manhunt, then get out.	Secret scrolls? Yes. Cheng told me you have them. I will relieve you of them now.

...wha?

So that's not just different, it's the literal opposite of Hon Fu's Japanese line. And it's not like they grabbed a word and ran off in a different direction like Mary, it's just completely off in a way that could almost make sense if you came across it in isolation but doesn't actually make sense in the greater whole. What the hell.

Sure changes Hon Fu's character, though. Japanese Hon Fu explicitly doesn't care about the scrolls, but you'd never know that from the English version.

Win vs Hon Fu

My translation	Official translation
Oh, you're one of Cheng's acquaintances? No wonder you have an accent when speaking English.	So you know Cheng? That's why I couldn't understand what you were saying.

Yes, that one's real too. Sometimes it's just as fascinating seeing what lines are accurately translated vs what ones are completely off.

There's a slight nuance difference where Japanese Andy just notices that Hon Fu has an accent, while English Andy can't understand what Hon Fu is saying. The Japanese line also feels a bit more polite...more 'oh, of course you have an accent, that makes sense, nothing that can be done about that' sort of feeling.

The English version also drops the explicit note that everyone is speaking English because...well, they are speaking English. The entire game's in English. You only need to specify it if the game's in Japanese.

Intro vs Sokaku

My translation	Official translation
It seems you too are searching for the secret scrolls. This is a sign of the shura. Fall prey the powers of darkness!	It looks like your searching for the secret files, too. I hate competition, so die!

Same as Terry.

Win vs Sokaku

My translation	Official translation
The power of darkness? My master told me about the Mochizukis, who oppose the Shiranui...are you one of them?	The power of dark thought? Ahh, you're Mochizuki, huh? Die you slug-eating filth!

...wow.

It's interesting to see how the official translation handled 暗黒の理力, which I translated as "the power of darkness". The first bit is a pretty standard way to say "darkness", often with a kind of evil/demonic connotation. The second bit is a bit more obscure. The individual kanji mean "logic, reason" and "power, strength", so you can sort of see how they got "the power of dark thoughts" out of there. It more commonly means magical power/force. (in fact, it's the word Star Wars uses for the Force) It's the sort of thing that's easy to look up now, but would've been a huge pain back in 1995. While we know that SNK did simultaneous translation, it's unknown how closely the translators/editors worked with the Japanese devs.

Anyway, Japanese Andy just sort of heard about the Mochizuki and mostly seems curious if Sokaku actually is one. English Andy has...a few more feelings on the matter.

Intro vs Terry

My translation	Official translation
Lots of tough guys on the move around here. You grab Mai and head back to Japan.	Things are getting messy here. Take Mai with you and haul your hinder back to Japan to safety.

This is pretty good! I like "haul your hinder".

Terry's still calling her "Mai-chan", by the way.

Win vs Terry

My translation	Official translation
It's you who needs to lay back and take it easy, bro.	Maybe it's you who should go to Japan. I'm gonna get the bad guys for a change!

So the Japanese is sort of "relax and take a break", which can be translated a few different ways considering the context. I originally went with "it's you who needs to take a vacation", but eventually decided against it. Though that does work pretty well with Andy trying to be the hero for a change...

What I'm saying is that this is an inexact art.

Anyway, the English line has Andy telling Terry to go to Japan, which is more specific than he is in Japanese, but works nicely with Terry's line and would make sense as a place for Terry to take a vacation. Cool!

Then it has Andy explicitly saying that he's going to be the hero this time, like in his manual blurb, but much more directly. That's entirely added to the line, but it doesn't exactly come out of nowhere when taking the entire game+side materials into account. So it's an addition, but it does make sense.

Incidentally, Andy switched from 兄さん/niisan (fairly standard) in Fatal Fury 2/Special to 兄貴/aniki (rougher) as the way he refers to Terry. Then he goes back to 兄さん in Real Bout.

Intro vs Geese

My translation	Official translation<
Heheh... What's with that face? I'm immortal! Let's finish what we started three years ago!	Heh , heh. It's time I pay you back for the boot out of the window, Andy baby!

Same as Terry, but with the right name.

Win vs Geese

My translation	Official translation
Geese: Heheh... Both father and son are dedicated to getting in my way.	Geese: Well, the show is all over, Andy. Had a blast!
Either way, it seems I underestimated you.	I underestimated you. You were stronger than the best! Jeff, Krauzer, the whole lot!
Farewell, Andy...heh...ahahahahahah.....	Later, Andy. Gotta run.
Andy: G...Geeeeeese!	Andy: Geese!

So it's similar to Terry, but different in a lot of places. Let's take a look.

Japanese Geese starts off by chatting about Jeff a bit in a cute (?) moment. I was tempted to make it "like father, like son" but I'll leave that for any proper localizers out there. The English drops this completely for a line that quite a bit more like Terry's, but doesn't quite match.

Geese's second line gets a lot added to it in English. It's interesting that they added the bits about Andy being stronger than Jeff or Krauser...it makes him match with Terry more, which makes me wonder if it was a deliberate choice.

And then the Geese's last line is...I dunno, man. Geese has a very distinctive and consistent character voice in all these segments, but it's really wacky and noticeably doesn't match the rest of his lines in the entire game. I don't know what's going on there.

Andy's line is just Terry's.

Cheng appears!

My translation	Official translation
Cheng: Heeey! Andy! Over here!	Cheng: Hey, Andy! Come over here!
Andy: Oh, that's Cheng, isn't it? Why are you here?	Andy: Why , if it isn't Cheng. I've been meaning to call, but you're hard to find!
Cheng: Andy! You're needed elsewhere. I want you to defeat that Yamazaki.	Cheng: I know. There's a million of me in the phone book! Now go after Yamazaki!
Now hurry up and get on!	Now get, buckaroo!

Cheng's first line uses Andy's name in English and Japanese, so there's no confusion about who's talking to who like there is on Terry's route. It's clear in both languages.

Andy's line adds that he was trying to get in touch with Cheng, which is just joke setup and isn't there in Japanese. It does make him sound less surprised to see Cheng.

And then we have joke payoff. Yeah, editor's sense of humor, yep yep. It does drop Cheng explicitly telling Andy he's needed elsewhere, but they both have the same refocusing on Yamazaki now that Geese is down.

"Now get, buckaroo!" is a hell of a thing to say and I like it. Some may say my brain has turned to mush after doing this for two years, but...well, they're probably right.

At the trainyard

My translation	Official translation
Cheng: Tell me that's not Hon Fu wiped out over there. That fool, trying to do everything himself again...	Cheng: Oh, the gods! That's Hon Fu! That crazy fool!
Andy: Mr. Cheng! Leave Yamazaki to me, please hurry and get Hon Fu to the hospital!	Andy: Cheng. See Hon Fu gets to a hospital. I'm going after that Yamazaki clown!

Kishi did the translation of stuff that's the same as Terry's route.

Cheng's line and Andy's English line are, say it with me, same as Terry.

What's interesting is that Andy's Japanese line isn't. It's a more polite and Andy-ish rewrite of Terry's line, but that got completely lost in translation.

Intro vs Yamazaki

My translation	Official translation
Heh heh... Andy Bogard. You were just saying? Hmmm...? Wake the hell up!	Andy Bogard. It's about time we met. This clown is going to show you his bag of tricks!

Thank you, Kishi.

Same as Terry, with a changed name.

Ending A

My translation	Official translation
So, ya got me... But after this, there ain't no way someone of your level can win. Give it up...	To be beaten by a ball-capped weeny like yourself! To die of shame! But next round...

Kishi got the pics. Thank you.

Since only the first line of the ending is unique, I put the other parts over here.

And this is same as Terry.

Win vs Yamazaki

My translation	Official translation
Andy: Doesn't look like it's over yet.	Andy: Okay, spit it all out! No, not the blood! The scrolls! Talk, toe jam breath!
Yamazaki: Gh...	Yamazaki: You blond fool! If you know what's good for you, you'll get over to Delta Park!
Chonshu: Andy Bogard... I knew we'd meet eventually.	Chonshu: Andy Bogard. I was bound to meet you before I died. Just like tonsillitis!
Andy: W-What the...?!	Andy: W-what the...!
Andy: W-What is this place...?	Andy: Just where the blazes am I?

Lordy.

I'm not even sure what to say about Andy and Yamazaki's conversation here. It's wild.

Chonshu's line is basically the same, with the addition of "before I died" and "just like tonsillitis" which is a hell of a thing to put down as inevitable. It's common, but...yeah.

Andy's last two lines are the same as Terry.

Intro vs Chonshu

My translation	Official translation
Beating Yamazaki is no small feat. But after meeting me, you're going to wish you hadn't bothered.	Wow, you sure knocked Yamazaki senseless. But he was weak. I am not.
My name is Jin Chonshu. The secret scrolls I'm searching for were written by my father 2200 years ago.	Call me, Jin Chon Shu. Why? Cause that's my name, fool!
Since that time, I have been destined to return to life by possessing this body.	Hand me the scrolls! At last, the world and immortality are mine!!!
Once I gather all three scrolls, I will be revived in a perfect body capable of ruling the entire world.	Mine, after waiting in this body for 2,200 long years!
None of this concerns you, but you just had to stick your neck out... Come right this way, then...	The world will be mine, except for Oshkosh. But first, to take care of you!

All translated by Kishi.

All of this is the same as Terry.

Ending B

Ending B is also the same for all characters, so it's on a common page too.

Chonrei

Chonrei's intro is the same for everyone, so it's on a common page.

Ending C

My translation	Official translation
The hero's blood flowing through the Jin family mutated into evil ambition over the course of ages and possessed the brothers' bodies.	The blood of the Jins is the blood of death. It could only, in the end, conclude this way.
Aug 16, 1995 Andy Bogard defeats the Jin brothers, returning this town to days of peace.	Aug 16, 1995 Andy Bogard rids the world of all its evil Jins.
The perfect, immortal body that the Jin family believed in was nothing more than a figment of their 2200-year history.	The delusions of the Jins were just that. Immortality...the last refuge of corruption!
Kishi got most of this stuff too.

Mostly the same as Terry, besides the date. There is one bit of interest: Terry's line is "Terry Bogard rids the world of all its evil Jins!" with an exclamation point. Andy's version drops that. It's an early notice that the middle bits of Ending C are different for different characters in the English version, while they're mostly the same in Japanese.

That's it.

Andy's Ending

My translation	Official translation
Gh...gah! I knew it... During that fight with Geese...I pushed myself too hard....	Oh, jeeeez! No date with Mai tonight! I think I pulled something in my last fight.

Somehow, after everything, this is the massive break in tone that gets me the most.

So the sort of basic idea is there, but there's a lot of difference in the details. Japanese Andy sounds much more exhausted, and he specifically says that he was injured during the fight with Geese. He sounds a lot more casual in English, and the general "my last fight" makes the player think it's more about the fight with Chonrei than Geese.

The tone mismatch is extra jarring here because man, Andy's coughing up blood. Go to a hospital already, dude.

It is interesting that English Andy has a date with Mai, which we all know Andy would never do willingly.