Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 26

Thread: Words and phrases you first learned from video games...

  1. #1
    Pac-Man (Level 10) Emperor Megas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    The Dark World
    Posts
    2,272
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    2
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    6
    Thanked in
    5 Posts

    Question Words and phrases you first learned from video games...

    Recently someone in a facebook group mentioned that Final Fantasy 6 was their first RPG, and how his mother first warmed him that he may not enjoy the game because there was "a lot of reading in it". He then jokingly thanked FF6 for improving his reading skills. He was kidding (I think) but it got me wondering. What are some words and phrases that you remember being introduced to in video games? I'm focusing more on general terms, and excluding the names of mythical creatures and the like.

    A few I recall learning from video games are:

    Ammonite - Phantasy Star
    Citadel* - Space Harrier (SMS version)
    Epilogue and Prologue - Space Harrier (SMS version)
    Gauntlet - Gauntlet (arcade) As in running the gauntlet, I knew about the 'glove'.
    Outskirts - Phantasy Star
    Paramecium - Forgotten Worlds
    Plateau - Phantasy Star
    Thwart - Several games, I don't recall the first
    Xenophobe - Xenophobe (arcade)

    *Citadel is easily my least favorite word in the English language. I've just always REALLY hated the way it sounds. :^/
    Last edited by Emperor Megas; 09-14-2016 at 10:45 PM.

  2. #2
    Kirby (Level 13) Tanooki's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    5,964
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    2
    Thanked in
    2 Posts

    Default

    Maybe games got a bit more complex over time or I paid attention to stuff, but I don't really remember learning a real new word from a game. I think I picked up a few in comic books of all things in the 80s into 1991 when I had to stop buying them. The only thing I know I can put square on games learning words and phrases was my love of Super Famicom releases we were denied. I self taught myself the hiragana and katakana tables, bought a 3" thick dictionary, looked up some basic grammar online and started to peel away at some of the menus, tiny sentences at times, and other little things. It was pretty motivational and interesting to say the least. From my time in college I still have a 20 year old text file on my computer of where I translated the Hokuto no Ken 6 manual with the help of a half japanese co-worker.

  3. #3
    Strawberry (Level 2) ccovell's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Japan
    Posts
    554
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    "gist" from the Zelda instruction manual.

  4. #4
    Crono (Level 14) Custom rank graphic

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    6,738
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    15
    Thanked in
    15 Posts

    Default

    Parasite Eve taught me about Mitochondria.
    Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.

  5. #5
    Kirby (Level 13) Tanooki's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    5,964
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    2
    Thanked in
    2 Posts

    Default

    Ok here's one... Sidle. Never had I seen that word used before let alone in a video game and it started to drive me nuts seeing it in Zelda the Wind Waker.

  6. #6
    Get Ready! SpaceHarrier's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    The Fantasy Zone, California
    Posts
    1,661
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    1
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    1
    Thanked in
    1 Post

    Default

    Embarrassing, but as a 7 year old reading the Legend of Zelda manual, I had no idea what the word 'chaos' was, or how to even pronounce it.

  7. #7
    Bell (Level 8)
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Posts
    1,672
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    5
    Thanked in
    5 Posts

    Default

    I first heard that from the Sonic Game Gear game and I thought it was pronounced similar to "Sonic Chows".

  8. #8
    Bell (Level 8) fergojisan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Slower Lower DE
    Posts
    1,651
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    I feel asleep.
    "Where my finger goes is none of your goddamn business." -Metropolisforever

    "my house is burning down as I type this because of a Sega AC adapter" -Oobgarm

  9. #9
    Apple (Level 5) Gamevet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    1,056
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    9
    Thanked in
    9 Posts

    Default

    The most obvious phrase is Game Over!

  10. #10
    Apple (Level 5) eskobar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Monterrey, Mexico
    Posts
    1,032
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    5
    Thanked in
    4 Posts

    Default

    , my motivation to learn english were video games. My mother language is Spanish and I started to play games at 4 or 5 years with the Atari 2600 ... and after video games became more complex, the text was an important part of the game and I wanted to knew what was happening so I took a spanish/english dictionary and started to learn english
    Las calles no son basurero, POR FAVOR TIREN LA BASURA EN SU LUGAR !!!!

  11. #11
    celerystalker is a poindexter celerystalker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    St Louis, MO
    Posts
    2,816
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    16
    Thanked in
    14 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by eskobar View Post
    , my motivation to learn english were video games. My mother language is Spanish and I started to play games at 4 or 5 years with the Atari 2600 ... and after video games became more complex, the text was an important part of the game and I wanted to knew what was happening so I took a spanish/english dictionary and started to learn english
    That is fantastic.

    The only one I could think of was "labyrinth" in the original Zelda, which I mispronounced for at least a year.

  12. #12
    Pear (Level 6) retroman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    MD
    Posts
    1,278
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    7
    Thanked in
    7 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    retroman20/retroman21
    PSN
    retroman13

    Default

    All your base are belong to us. Enough said..

  13. #13
    Peach (Level 3) LAGO's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Mississippi
    Posts
    776
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    A winner is you. My young self thought that was correct grammar too.
    Formerly letsallgameon

  14. #14
    ServBot (Level 11) Tron 2.0's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Maryland
    Posts
    3,091
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    13
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    31
    Thanked in
    30 Posts

    Default

    Samurai Shodown,victoly !!

    The Goonies II,Ouch ! What do you do !?
    Last edited by Tron 2.0; 09-17-2016 at 02:45 AM.

  15. #15
    Peach (Level 3) SMB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Central Ohio
    Posts
    704
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kupomogli View Post
    Parasite Eve taught me about Mitochondria.
    You and me both haha

  16. #16
    Pac-Man (Level 10) Zap!'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Staten Island, New York
    Posts
    2,410
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    2
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    5
    Thanked in
    4 Posts

    Default

    Inevitable, in 1987 from Alex Kidd In Miracle World. For over a decade after that, I mispronounced it as "In-Evite (sorta like invite)-able."

    Adjacent, also from 1987, in The Legend of Zelda. Strangely enough, I also mispronounced this one until my 30's as "Ajj-A-sent."

  17. #17
    Pretzel (Level 4)
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    KY, USA
    Posts
    800
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    1
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    15
    Thanked in
    13 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    Azathoth1488
    PSN
    Azathoth_IKA
    3DS Friend
    4313-0753-9074

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Zap! View Post
    Inevitable, in 1987 from Alex Kidd In Miracle World. For over a decade after that, I mispronounced it as "In-Evite (sorta like invite)-able."
    I can't think of many specific instances but the SMS introduced me to a *lot* of things. Much of it wasn't in the games themselves but in the instruction manuals where they'd have detailed names of enemies and items. I knew what a chameleon was and how to pronounce it, but I think reading it in the Wonder Boy manual was the first time I'd seen it written. I thought it was pronounced "cha-mel-on". Took me a few days to figure that out then I felt like a moron.

    I was introduced to a ton of Japanese terms through SMS games and manuals. I never realized until now how openly Japanese Sega left their US releases and didn't make a lot of effort to remove that had a distinct cultural difference to US products.

    Hell, I thought the little black and white onagiri thing at the end of the Miracle World stages was like a tiny cave entrance that took you to the next level. I seriously thought, "Why is Alex shown eating the cave entrance?!?" The manual said to be sure to look for the rice ball for extra points and the only rice food I'd ever heard of was a round white cake. For years I honestly thought that was a typo in the manual and Alex was eating the cave entrance until my buddy bought a newer SMS that had him eating a hamburger instead.

    I can point to Miracle Warriors and Dragon Warrior as being the first things I can remember reading that were written in ye olde English. Both are pretty laughable in the attempt of just throwing "ye", "thou" or "whilst" into a sentence but as a young kid in North America it's something you'd never come across.

  18. #18
    Kirby (Level 13) Tanooki's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    5,964
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    3
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    2
    Thanked in
    2 Posts

    Default

    I guess it's the late 20th century educational experience, but I may be off on this, but I never learned metric for distance or really ever seen it up until 1990 when of all things Wing Commander came out. I had to figure out what a kilometer was and its distance relative to a mile which is what we were taught (imperial system.) I would not be surprised if kids in the 00/10s have had metric thrown at them in grade school and up but back then nope. I got curious in the big Klaw Marks guide and in flight what this whole kph/kps stuff was when they're were talking speeds and distances relative to location and target.

  19. #19
    Pac-Man (Level 10) Emperor Megas's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    The Dark World
    Posts
    2,272
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    2
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    6
    Thanked in
    5 Posts

    Default

    'Flotsam' I learned from the arcade game Toobin'.
    'Vangaurd' from the 2600 game of the same name.
    'Retainer', as in someone in service to a lord, I learned from Super Mario Bros. (Mushroom retainers)

    Quote Originally Posted by Az View Post
    Hell, I thought the little black and white onagiri thing at the end of the Miracle World stages was like a tiny cave entrance that took you to the next level. I seriously thought, "Why is Alex shown eating the cave entrance?!?" The manual said to be sure to look for the rice ball for extra points and the only rice food I'd ever heard of was a round white cake.
    Man, I LOVED SEGA for that. They used to leave so much Eastern stuff in thier games, unmolested. Alex Kidd was my first introduction to rice balls as well. Till this day my best friend and I sing "Boy, lemme tell ya, this rice tastes good!" in time to the stage map jingle that plays when Alex is eating the rice ball. Try it and you'll do it for the rest of your life.

    Quote Originally Posted by Az View Post
    For years I honestly thought that was a typo in the manual and Alex was eating the cave entrance until my buddy bought a newer SMS that had him eating a hamburger instead.
    Urgh. I didn't appreciate the later burger change AT ALL.

  20. #20
    Pac-Man (Level 10) Zap!'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Staten Island, New York
    Posts
    2,410
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    2
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    5
    Thanked in
    4 Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Az View Post
    Hell, I thought the little black and white onagiri thing at the end of the Miracle World stages was like a tiny cave entrance that took you to the next level. I seriously thought, "Why is Alex shown eating the cave entrance?!?" The manual said to be sure to look for the rice ball for extra points and the only rice food I'd ever heard of was a round white cake. For years I honestly thought that was a typo in the manual and Alex was eating the cave entrance until my buddy bought a newer SMS that had him eating a hamburger instead.
    That's funny, because at the time I always thought the rice ball looked exactly like popcorn! In fact, in the first world, my friend's and I said "eww, soggy popcorn!" since it was under water.

    So they changed it to a hamburger? I never knew that, interesting that there were two versions!

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 55
    Last Post: 10-18-2016, 05:48 PM
  2. The greatest..most catchy phrases in a video game?
    By Nick in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 159
    Last Post: 09-08-2008, 11:18 PM
  3. Video Game Reviews In Five Words Or Less
    By Gapporin in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: 09-19-2005, 07:43 PM
  4. Words you've learned from video games
    By Dahne in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 50
    Last Post: 03-25-2005, 10:28 PM
  5. 34 things i learned from video games..(Arcade & Console)
    By sniperCCJVQ in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 01-16-2003, 01:42 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •