Ways Nintendo Is Changing The English Version of Fire Emblem Fates

Kotaku released an article noting some of the changes Nintendo has made to the localization of the upcoming Fire Emblem game

Most notably is removing a controversial scene that was in the japanese version that many claimed was homophobic

Nintendo is removing a scene that’s been regarded as homophobic from the upcoming English version of the turn-based tactical role-playing game. It involves your male player character spiking the drink of another character named Soleil, a woman who’s physically attracted to other women, with magic powder. The result is that she comes to see men as women, ultimately falling for the (male) player character. Given the historical context of things like gay conversion therapy, it’s a plot line with serious potential to re-open some old wounds

What will also be controversial to some i'm sure, is details on the homosexual relationships that are available in the game

When we localize a game we do so in order to make it appropriate for that particular territory. All our choices were made from that point of view.”

“In the Conquest edition a male main character created by the gamer can pair up with another male character (Niles) which ultimately leads to marriage. Similarly, in the Birthright edition, a female main character created by the gamer can pair up with and eventually marry another female character (Rhajat). Like married couples of the opposite gender, these same-sex couples enjoy the stat boosts that come with marriage, which means when they are paired up in battle they are stronger than when they are apart or paired up with another character.”

“In the third edition, Revelation, that will be released as DLC in the eShop on March 10, a same-sex marriage is possible regardless of the sex of your main character, as both Niles and Rhajat can be encountered in this edition.”

In the relationship mechanic, they also removed a "petting" aspect from the game

Another point of contention in the Japanese version of Fire Emblem Fateswas a feature that let players use the 3DS touch screen to stroke characters, some of whom would respond with suggestive dialogue. It got excessively, um, interesting when it involved the player character’s adoptive siblings (who are apparently still romanceable). You can read a few fan translations here, if you want.

Nintendo claims that is not uncommon to make changes when localizing a game, and that they have done so many times before

Do you find a problem with these changes? Is it censorship or just knowing your audience? Should fans be given the choice playing a "uncensored" localization?

These are all changes for the better that make the game less creepy. I don't see how anyone can complain about these changes, though I am sure some will find a way.

EDIT:

“In the Conquest edition a male main character created by the gamer can pair up with another male character (Niles) which ultimately leads to marriage. Similarly, in the Birthright edition, a female main character created by the gamer can pair up with and eventually marry another female character (Rhajat). Like married couples of the opposite gender, these same-sex couples enjoy the stat boosts that come with marriage, which means when they are paired up in battle they are stronger than when they are apart or paired up with another character.”

“In the third edition, Revelation, that will be released as DLC in the eShop on March 10, a same-sex marriage is possible regardless of the sex of your main character, as both Niles and Rhajat can be encountered in this edition.”

So they added homosexual relationships to the game with the localization? That's actually a good change.

Yep, I stand by my assessment, the changes are all for the better.

Why were these features even in the game? doesn't suit Fire Emblem ....

Don't get me wrong, I dont mind lewd games..... but nintendo and fire emblem? it looks s*itty from the screenshots anyway... completely out of place.

Nintendo has succumbed to the pressure of SJW's. I've lost all respect for them.

>No face rubbing

D R O P P E D

To cater to the newfound otaku demographic that flocked to Fire Emblem Awakening.

The good thing is that Nintendo is removing them from the western release. I don't mind relationship mechanics in Fire Emblem at all, Awakening did a great job with them, but this was taking it a step too far.

So you want to play a game which lets you rub your adoptive sibling suggestively?

I don't think it was a change of localization. But it does seem odd to add those options for the first time in the series while also having a scene involving drugging a gay character

I didn't even read the OP lol. What the hell is wrong with Nintendo?

That scene's been removed, though. Cultural sensibilities are different throughout the world, what worked in Japan may not work elsewhere, and that is what seems to have happened here.

Any hue and cry over this is just affected, manufactured concern trolling- no one can actually be in support of content featuring face rubbing or incestuous rubbing.

Like I said, it came down to different cultural sensibilities, and it's good to see Nintendo act on them when it comes to the western release of this game. Something like that would definitely not fly in NA or Europe.

I've heard of games having an Easy Mode, but it appears that American Philisophically Unchallenged Illiberalism is the new.

Again, do you want content that involves suggestive incestuous rubbing? Because that's what they removed, that and a scene with potential date rape.

I'm surprised Nintendo even includes shit like that in their games to begin with. I thought they cared about their family friendly image? I guess family friendly has other meanings in Japan lol.

Eh, Fire Emblem was always a more adult oriented franchise. Plus Nintendo of America are the prudish ones. For instance, Xenoblade X in Japan had a 13 year old girl dressed in a scanty two piece swimsuit- content removed from the western release of the game, naturally.

Right, but it was in the japanese version along with homosexual relationships. It doesn't seem the relationships were added only for the localization. But perhaps the scene is understood differently by a japanese audience than a western one

That may be it. Cultural contexts can probably give it a different meaning there than here.

It's not about what I want or prefer, it has everything to do with the fact I'm not some blathering titty-baby who thinks my world is so small as to be challenged by that inclusion in a videogame.

Dammit I was looking forward to the face rubbing.

EDIT: Characters have feet this time! This is all I wanted!

Well, then its exclusion shouldn't challenge your world either, should it?

Yeah, i'm not sure if japan has had the same history with homosexuality and gay conversion as we have had in the US

Fair question. I would say that in the sake of honesty, I would defer to the original creator of the game. As it is, the problem is on a societal scale where Americans are being perceived as unable or unwilling to entertain the integrity of art.

It's easy to conclude that rubbing your family members and drugging a girl to seduce her are morally wrong. Hey, it's a no-brainer. My problem is that other far more legitimate forms of expression may be hampered, censored, or outright kept out of the US simply because of the increasing leverage of the cabal in that country crying out for illiberalism.

In my view, I say, keep it all or don't bother. I won't support it. Ever.

Oh dear god, thank GOD Nintendo removed the petting feature.

Users on Reddit have translated a number of suggestive dialogue lines from this feature. Here are a few examples:

• Camilla: “The way you’re using your hand feels so good. Very skillful.”
• Lazwald: “I also want to touch you, will you come closer?”
• Takumi: “You can touch me wherever I like, but don’t say I didn’t warn you…”
• Joker: “We can’t… it’ll have to wait for tonight.”
• Camilla: “When you do it this much, it’s embarrassing…”

The story of Fire Emblem Fates follows the main character and a number of their siblings. The dialogue can become sexual even when interacting with siblings, and may border incestuous.

For example, Takumi, the player’s brother, may say “If mother saw this, what would she think?” during a petting session.

SOURCE

Apparently, when buying items at the Accessory Shop, players can "strip party members down to their underwear and can then rotate the camera around their bodies and zoom in to get a closer look."

Sheesh, what the ****, Nintendo. Why'd they have to include all this in the game to begin with? I mean, I know, it's not like they're the first company to do something like this (Team Ninja's boob juggling in NGS2 was frankly much more offensive), but if you've got enough sense to not include this in the Western versions of the game, why did you put it into the game to begin with?

I agree with the general principle- I absolutely do. Censorship of speech and information control are the two subjects I feel strongest about, and I also realize that there are things with real artistic value that tackle some controversial or uneasy subject matter which could potentially be hampered. It's a slippery slope. So I get that.

But this feature in this game has no merit, artistic or otherwise. it doesn't even integrate into the other systems- it's just there. It's there for some crude, low brow fanservice, it adds nothing to the game, while also going for some unnecessary shock value (see the quotes khoof posted). Given that there is no artistic merit to it, or even mechanical merit (judging by the fact that it can be removed from the game without any of its systems or balance being affected, or, well, import impressions), I don't think this specific removal is something that we should get up in arms about.

Again- there is a larger point to be made. I am with you on that, and I understand it. I just don't think this is the best platform for that, not this specific instance.

That is exactly, precisely, why it is so important. I believe in drawing the wide line. If people who thought all literature should be "decent" had their way then we'd never have Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Thank you Nintendo. Keep your weird sibling petting fetishes to yourself.

Thank god. The face petting was stupid and has no place in this type of game.

That's a good thing! Why are they changing the franchise to benefit J-Pop culture? Glad they removed the petting feature!

I don't know why gay conversion and pseudo-incest was even considered for a Nintendo game, but thankfully they removed that shit.

I don't agree with censorship so on general principle it's something I frown upon, but meh.....otherwise I don't see the big deal.

No complaints here. The things changed are things that wouldn't really work outside of Japan. Most hyped game on the month, and possibly the year. I can't wait to play it on my 20th Anniversary Pokemon Edition New 3DS on February 27th. Until then, I'll just play it on my original 3DS.

Im fine with the removal of the face rubbing and the addition of same-sex marriages, but I dont get the backlash on the Soleil stuff as much. I didnt find it to be done in a malicious way...I wonder if it will be reworked for NA or completely removed

It could easily be misconstrued, no matter the intention, which is probably why it was removed.

Lulz, only Nintendo gets away with shit like that. Please buy the game three times to get the full experience.

They're three completely different games. They follow the same path till Chapter 5, after which they all take a completely different direction. Revelations is nothing like Conquest, with is nothing like Birthright.

This isn't like Pokemon.

As someone who doesn't believe that censorship (or in this case, editing) is always some 100% evil thing worth getting up in arms about, I can't say I am really upset. If anything I'm kind of glad it's gone, since the petting and accessory shop stuff sound like fanservicy BS to begin with.

I guess they're aware how the west might take these features here.

This reminds of RE DS, where you can poke Jil in the ass and het tits, but i only poked Chris in the ass, cause i din't want to know what i was going to poke from the front.

Nintendo treating it's fanbase like toddlers. What else is new? They shouldn't have taken the skinship. It was a harmless goofy minigame

A harmless goofy minigame which allows you to incestuously rub your siblings.

Have you read this?

Users on Reddit have translated a number of suggestive dialogue lines from this feature. Here are a few examples:

• Camilla: “The way you’re using your hand feels so good. Very skillful.”
• Lazwald: “I also want to touch you, will you come closer?”
• Takumi: “You can touch me wherever I like, but don’t say I didn’t warn you…”
• Joker: “We can’t… it’ll have to wait for tonight.”
• Camilla: “When you do it this much, it’s embarrassing…”

The story of Fire Emblem Fates follows the main character and a number of their siblings. The dialogue can become sexual even when interacting with siblings, and may border incestuous.

For example, Takumi, the player’s brother, may say “If mother saw this, what would she think?” during a petting session.

Camilla: “When you do it this much, it’s embarrassing…”

She's not wrong...

@khoofia_pika: Harmlessly goofy mini game. You can even rub your big burly men and younger boy members of the army. It's not something that needed to be stripped out of the game.

Im not sure how i feel about not having the face rubbing. It was a feature i was looking forward to, even if it was just a gimmick. I dont agree with removing the powder drink either. Not happy with this localization, i might sell my collectors and just grab the Nohr edition. I will fight for the face rubbing though, Nintendo will hear about this.

So face rubbing is gone. I guess this makes the game ever so slightly less creepy.

That said the principle of censorship is wrong, but I am not too bothered by this. I dont think any authority figures imposed this change on nintendo.

Edit: Considering how atrocious the writing in fates is. It would be hilarious if the replaced S. Link is the most well written dialogue in the game. It could happen, consideirng the massively low bar.

That has always been NoA that wanted a family friendly image. Some of the japanese exclusive games a certain character who got too close to his sister.

While I'd agree that censorship or changing the artist's intent even if I personally disagree with it is somewhat wrong, I'm glad they made these changes. Look forward to the game though! Loved Awakening.

Nintendo doesn't care about your opinion!

It was a stupid mini-game to begin with an should have never been added to the franchise! Also, it's too creepy and too weird.

@FireEmblem_Man: They dont have to.

@FireEmblem_Man: They should take it out of the Japanese version as well in that case. I can agree that it shouldn't be in the game at all but I can't agree with ripping it out for certain regions. It's pointless censorship and it's straight up disrespectful to the consumer. I'll decide myself if I want to play the mini game. Don't make the goddamn decision for me. Treating your consumers like children is unacceptable.

Im not sure how true it is about removing the touching, IGN showed off the American Version and it still had the touching, im confused.

They did the right thing with these changes.