King of Fighters 95

Hero Team

Cast aside from their nation, Kyo and friends step out on their own.

Story

Rugal Post-Stage 3

My translation	Official translation
Secretary: Lord Rugal... Kusanagi Kyo, Nikaido Benimaru, and Daimon Goro have now won four matches.	Secretary: Monsieur Rugal. Kyo, Benimaru, and Daimon won 4 matches!
Rugal: Hahahahaha.... The strength of the Kusanagis, hm? But when you arrive here, you'll be plunged into hell!	Rugal: Hah, hah, hah. If they've come this far, they'll meet their doom. Yah, hah hah!

The English version is slightly cut down here, but it's not so bad yet. The Japanese is one screen longer than the English, but that's just Rugal laughing.

Vice gives the participants full names in Japanese, though that was probably always getting cut down for character space reasons. I do like "Monsieur Rugal" as a translation for "Rugal-sama". Adds a bit of class to the operation. I went with "Lord Rugal" because I thought it suited Rugal a bit better, but it's kind of a toss-up.

Rugal's lines lose a bit of flavor in English. He no longer has expectations of the strength of the Kusanagi clan, for one thing. For another, there's a bit of weirdness about his second line. In Japanese, he's speaking to the PCs, not Vice, and he's pretty clear that when they arrive in front of him, they'll meet their fate. But in English, he's speaking to Vice and it sounds like the PCs are going to be doomed before they get to him. It's a little odd.

This also doesn't sound like the editor had much to do with it...yet.

Rugal Post-Stage 6

Since this is the same for all characters, it's on the boss page

Before Saisyu

My translation	Official translation
Daimon: What the-!	Daimon: What in blazes?
Benimari: Crap! Gas!	Benimaru: Oh no, gas!
Kyo: Gh! Pulling something like this...	Kyo: We're trapped!
Daimon: U...gh...	Daimon: Uh...oooooh....
Rugal: Have you awakened, gentlemen?	Rugal: Wake up, my Asian friends.
Benimaru: R-Rugal! So was you!	Benimaru: Ru...Rugal! I knew it!
Rugal: Hehehheh...you are correct. I'm afraid it's rather short notice, but your executions are be carried out right away. The charge? Ruining my wonderful hobby, and making me taste the humiliation of defeat!	Rugal: A final revelation before death. Just desserts for foiling my evil plans.
Benimaru: Tch! What a stuck-up guy!	Benimaru: Well, you sure fooled us good!
Kyo: I don't know why, but looking at you is making my Kusanagi blood boil!	Kyo: The Kusanagi blood boils with rage! You're meat, pal!
Rugal: Oh, it seems that the Kusanagi blood has noticed my power! But before you fight me, I have a present for you, Kyo. I beg you to accept it.	Rugal: Tough talk for a fly. Now,something for the Kusanagis! I know you can't pass this up!
Saisyu: Heheh...it's been awhile, Kyo!	Saishu: Long time, no see, Kyo!
Kyo: No-no way! My dad's alive...?	Kyo: I don't believe...Papa-san?
Saisyu: I have been reborn by Lord Rugal's hand. Now I understand what it is they call the greatest strength. Come, if you dare! A grand celebration awaits you!	Saishu: Yes, reincarnated by Rugal! I now know the ultimate! Join me, and feel the universe's full power!
Benimaru: Looks like your dad's been brainwashed, Kyo!	Benimaru: Kyo! Don't be fooled--he's brainwashed!
Kyo: Kh, Rugal!	Kyo: Rugal, you monster!
Rugal: Hahahahah! What a touching reunion between father and son! Surely you want to thank me for arranging it? I can't imagine you have anything to complain about! Now, enjoy that wonderful feeling to the end!	Rugal: A touching reunion. Saishu, kill them!

And already KoF95's cutscenes are blowing KoF94's out of the water with the sheer amount of text. This scene is the longest of any SNK game so far! The only other ones that come close are Art of Fighting 2's confrontations with Geese and Samurai Shodown's first meetings with Amakusa. (in terms of overall screenshots, AoF2 is still the winner thanks to all the unique pre-battle dialogue...but it's getting real close)

The English is shorter by two screens overall (it loses one from Saisyu's line, and two from Rugal's last line, but gains one for Rugal in the middle). The main beats are all covered, but the English loses some flavor, especially at the end.

The hand of the editor is felt in here, though it seems they went over the story text with a lighter hand than the win quotes. Or at least that's true for the Hero Team. That said, "Papa-san" is pretty damn goofy.

So let's break this down. The first four lines are basically the same. Kyo's line is different, but it makes more sense in context - I can see someone replacing it for that reason. Rugal's first line is kind of weird (why specify Asian?) but more-or-less the same. Same with Benimaru's reply.

The first big cut is in Rugal's explanation. He's kind of arrogantly polite in Japanese, but this is lost in English. The entire middle sentence is gone, replaced by the slightly-confusing bit about a revelation. I assume that's supposed to be following from Benimaru's line, which does show a bit of care. The English also gets that Rugal is doing this because the PCs beat him last game, but it's pretty simplfied compared to the Japanese.

Benimaru's line is completely different in English and Japanese, but does follow from the previous conversation in English.

Kyo's line loses a bit of nuance. He doesn't know why his Kusanagi blood is boiling looking at Rugal (it's because Rugal's all Orochi'd up now), but this is lost in English and it sounds like he's just generically mad at Rugal. "You're meat, pal" is also a very editor line.

Rugal's Japanese line follows up from Kyo's neatly, telling players that Rugal is powered up with something that the Kusanagi blood would recognize. This is completely dropped in English and replaced with a generic insult. Then his line about having a present for Kyo is genericized to all Kusanagis. Did the translator misread something?

Something to note: Saisyu's name is romanized "Saisyu" in the character names under the health bars, but "Saishu" in the cutscenes. This is really just two different ways of romanizing the same thing, with Saisyu being Nihon-shiki and Saishu being Hepburn. If you're too lazy to click on the links, Nihon-shiki is more used by Japanese people in Japan and Hepburn is used by English speakers. This suggests that the developers who wrote the UI and the translator/editors were out of sync (something we've seen before), even though they were all in Japan and working on it at around the same time.

Since everyone seems to have settled on using "Saisyu", that's what I'll be going with for Kyo's dad's name. But I'll leave it as "Saishu" in the English to show the difference.

I have absolutely no idea where "Papa-san" came from. In Japanese Kyo uses the same informal way of saying dad he used last game. The only place I can dig up papa-san is refering to a man running a geisha house or nightclub which...would be very odd.

The word is the same in Japanese, but since Saisyu's just been brainwashed, not actually died, I think "reborn" is more appropriate than "reincarnated" here. It's also shorter, so I'm kind of surprised they didn't go for it in the game. It feels like something a non-native would use. "I now know the ultimate" is also a surprisingly Engrish line, and since the English does lose a screen here...I kind of wonder if there wasn't supposed to be a "power" tacked on the end there that got lost in the editing. Saisyu also doesn't ask Kyo to join him in Japanese, he just invites Kyo to fight him.

Rugal's final line is massively simplified in English. Look at how much got lost! Rugal is grandiose and mocking in Japanese, but straightforward and to-the-point in English. Too bad.

Before Rugal

My translation	Official translation
Kyo: Dad!	Kyo: Papa-san!
Saisyu: Gh, Kyo... It seems that my training was again insufficient... I leave the rest to you, Kyo...!	Saishu: Heh, Kyo. My power wasn't so great after all. Kill him, Kyo. Avenge me..!
Kyo: Rugal, you bastard!	Kyo: Rugal, you slime!
Rugal: Heheh...so in the end, he was nothing but a failure after all. That's gratitude for you! Oh well. This is a chance to test my newly acquired power! Ooooooooooooooooh!	Rugal: Heh, heh. The defeated dog barks loudest! Taste my fury! Wooooo.....

Kishi helped with Rugal's last line.

This loses two screens in English, one from Saisyu's line and one from Rugal's.

I still don't know why "Papa-san" is there.

Saisyu just says he'll leave things to Kyo Japanese, but tells Kyo to avenge him in English. It makes it sound like Saisyu dies here! (spoilers: he's fine) That's a pretty big change. Saisyu flat out telling Kyo to kill Rugal isn't in the Japanese either.

"Slime" is a pretty SNK insult, but so far it's only shown up in Samurai Shodown.

Rugal's line is also pretty changed here. In Japanese he dismisses Saisyu and mocks the Kusanagis for not appreciating his "present", then says he has a new power he wants to test out. In English it sounds more like he's making fun of Kyo with "The defeated dog barks the loudest", even though Kyo isn't defeated yet, and once again the idea that Rugal has a new power is dropped. This is all setting up for the Orochi storyline, but it's not in English at all. It sounds like Rugal just trained or is trying harder in 95 instead of what's actually going on.

Ending

My translation	Official translation
Rugal: Gh, so even with this power, I still lost...!	Rugal: Even with my new power, I lost.
Rugal ?!....What? My body is....!	Rugal: What? My body.....?????
Rugal: Ridiculous...that this should happen to me....
Rugal: Heheh...very well. As long as this world has need of me, I shall surely rise again...	Rugal: No...to meet such a fate! But I'll be back...you jerks!
Rugal: ...farewell....!
Benimaru: Wha- What was that at the end there?	Benimaru: What was that shade?!
Kyo: Couldn't be...	Kyo: I don't believe it!
Benimaru: Huh?	Benimaru: What?
Kyo: Nevermind! It's nothing. Just my imagination...probably....	Kyo: Ah, nothing. Just....
Benimaru: ! Kyo! Where's your dad?	Benimaru: Huh? Kyo, your father!
Daimon: Mm, now that you mention it, I don't see him anywhere....	Daimon: Yeah, where did he go?
Kyo: My dad... I don't think anything like that's enough to kill him. Hell, we just wait a bit and he'll probably show up again.	Kyo: I knew he wasn't dead. He'll find his way home.
Benimaru: You think so...? Yeah, that makes sense!	Benimaru: Yeah, I guess you're right.
Kyo: So, let's head back to Japan!	Kyo: Well, let's go back to Japan.
Benimaru/Daimon: Yeah!	Benimaru, Daimon: Yeah!
Saisyu: Kyo... One way or another, it seems that neither you nor I are able to escape the destiny of the Kusanagis... Now that they have started to move, a tough battle is going to start for our Kusanagi clan.	Saishu: Kyo, you can't escape the Kusanagi fate. We face a greater battle, soon to begin.
Saisyu: Become strong, and then become even stronger than that....Kyo.	Saishu: Strengthen yourself, Kyo. Good luck.

This loses five screens in English. Two from Rugal, one from Kyo's long line, and two from Saisyu. None are really big losses, but they're adding up.

Finally the English version acknowledges Rugal's new power. It does drop that Rugal can't believe he's getting betrayed by Orochi, that he's got some sort of Dracula/Zeromus "as long as there is evil" thing going on, and that he's not actually all that mad. Which is...quite a bit, really. "...you jerks!" is an infamous bit of SNKglish, and of course it's not in Japanese at all.

(Rugal would not actually be back for another twenty years)

Benimaru is refering to the big skull when Rugal exploded. "Shade" is an odd word to use here, though it's not technically wrong. I assume they meant in the "ghost/spirit" sense, but that's not a typical usage. This also sounds like something a non-native would put in. (in contrast with the editor's "you jerks!")

Kyo's line is a bit odd in English, though again, not technically wrong. He's reacting to the Orochi power, but you're not really supposed to know that even in Japanese yet. It just sounds weird. His next line is also shortened a lot in English.

Benimaru and Daimon's lines are pretty much the same in both languages.

Kyo's next line is simplified in English. It does lose that Kyo doesn't think what just happened to Saisyu is enough to kill him, and makes it sound like Kyo always knew Saisyu wasn't dead (which isn't true in the Japanese version, if you look at the Saisyu pre-fight).

The last few lines from our heroes are basically the same.

Saisyu's lines are also cut down in English. This is a lot of Orochi foreshadowing, and while the main beats are there, it's all just shorter. A couple things are dropped completely: that Saisyu doesn't think either of them can escape the Kusanagi destiny, and that "they" have started to move, which suggests opponents getting ready instead of just some mysterious battle in the future. And then his repeated urging for Kyo to get even stronger is cut down to just telling Kyo to "strengthen yourself". Which is a nicely natural bit of phrasing, but loses a bit of "the next battle will be much harder!" feel.

Win Quotes

Kyo

Edit Teams

My translation	Official translation
Burn up in my flames! We've got no use for losers!	Burn in the fury of my flames, you worthless weakling!
That's all you got? God, what a let-down! Total bummer.	That's it? Well, I'm not angry. Just disappointed.
You get how much you suck now, right? Peace out! We won't meet again.	So long, weenie king. We won't meet again.

Kishi helped with the first one.

I feel like I'm channeling the editor. Maybe I've been doing this too long...

The first is pretty close. The official version is a bit goofy, but it gets the idea across.

The second loses that Kyo is pretty annoyed about a lousy fight, but does use a recognizable and natural phrasing. So it all kind of comes out in the wash.

The third drops the entire first sentence, but otherwise is...pretty close. "Weenie king" is a legendary SNK insult that's not technically in there in Japanese, though you can make a good argument about it fitting in anyway. ...and besides, I translated あばよ as "Peace out", I have no room to talk.

Set Teams

Team	My translation
Hero Team	How do you like these real flames?! A half-assed imitation gets you burned!
AoF Team	This is all you got after a whole year? I can see the end of kyokugen coming!
FF Team	You fought us and lost. I'm thinking this is a golden opportunity...to retire. Right, sempais?
Ikari Team	My fist burns red-hot! You can't extinguish these flames!
PS Team	As both martial artists and performers, you're finished. Later!
Kim Team	Yeah, I don't think you can really be called "martial artists".
Women Team	Underestimate your opponent and it's over! That's a world-class tournament for you!
Rival Team	You don't have what it takes to kill me, Yagami! It's over, for you AND your clan!

Kyo gets more punk by the year.

Only the Fatal Fury team gets the nod of previous SNK heroes this year. I couldn't really think of a better way to handle this than "sempai", so...that's what you get.

The Kim and Psycho Soldier team ones are pretty brutal.

Benimaru

Edit Teams

My translation	Official translation
I wish I could say "good job", but you were nothing but a scared lamb in front of my lightning!	Lambs are tougher than you. How do I know? Well, uh...
False rumors are everywhere! For instance, the one about you being good.	Rumors of your strength seem greatly exaggerated! Pansy!
No matter what the era, a beautiful man is strong! Remember that!	Someone who looks as good as me just has to win. Later!

Well, that first line sure is different. It changes from a cheerful put-down to implying Benimaru got beat up by a lamb. About the only thing that's the same is the word "lamb", which is a thing we've seen the editor do before.

The second line has a rephrasing of the well-known (and misquoted) Mark Twain line "Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated". It's actually a pretty good job on the original line, though I do like my version too. "Pansy" is another SNK insult we've never seen before, which feels weird. Sounds like it would've been right in their wheelhouse.

The last line drops the idea that beautiful men being strong is true across time and space, but is otherwise pretty good.

Set Teams

Team	My translation
Hero Team	It's natural for there to be a difference in our skills! You can't get popular based on looks alone, you know!
AoF Team	To get bopped by us again, you three must be unlucky!
FF Team	No one wants to cheer for a loser hero! Got it?
Ikari Team	It's a good thing this isn't a battlefield, or you'd already be on the way to heaven!
PS Team	It's not that you got weaker, it's that we're just so much stronger!
Kim Team	You've got the ability, but you just don't stand out enough! Don't you think so?
Women Team	Lovely ladies! Please, cheer for me, the wonderful Benimaru, from now on!
Rival Team	You've sure got a warped way of thinking! That'll lead to an early death, you know.

Kishi got the Art of Fighting team line.

Not much to say about these. They're all about what you'd expect out of Benimaru.

Daimon

Edit Teams

My translation	Official translation
Training is everything!	Life is only training! Training, and bowling!
Only those who put forth the maximum effort can become the strongest!	You had no chance against me, the ultimate fighting machine!
Good fight! Come and challenge me again anytime!	You did good, slick! Ciao for now!

I think everyone knew something was up with the first quote from the beginning. As you probably suspected, Daimon does not secretly love bowling.

The second quote is odd. The Japanese is a pretty straightforward bit about doing your best and working hard, but the English turns it into a bit of self-aggrandizement that's weird for Daimon. The Japanese sort of implies Daimon won because he works hard, but he doesn't say it. Meanwhile the English drops the idea of hard work at all! Very odd.

The third is good, except for the extremely weird tone. Which...we're all used to that by now, right? Right?

Set Teams

Team	My translation
Hero Team	I told you, I hate imitators!
AoF Team	If that's your limit, then you shame the name of kyokugen...
FF Team	Practicing every day is essential...remember that!
Ikari Team	I want a world without war!
PSTeam	Even if you've got psychic powers, you need to know how to use them.
Kim Team	Doing it all for justice's sake...keep up the good work!
Women Team	People like you should take up judo!
Rival Team	You'll never win if you can't clear your evil thoughts!

The AoF line has a bit of a pun in it that's hard to translate into English. "Kyokugen" means "extremity" or "limit", the idea being that kyokugen karate pushes the limits of what karate is capable of. So when Daimon says "if that's your limit", he's also saying "if that's your kyokugen". It's cute.

Daimon is probably recommending judo to the women's team (instead of anyone else) because it's about using your opponents strength against them and skill overcoming strength, which might make it better suited to women. Also Mai would make a fashionable judo girl.

The rest are about what you'd expect.