Has Samus always been a girl ?...

[Wavelflack]

1.

This instruction manual thingy was done on purpose, not as a translation error, as Nintondos manuals didn't have really any of that.

2.

Nintendo was very meticulous. Trust me, Nintendo did NOT fuck up in their manual.

3.

Nintendo is not stupid and cares very much for its projects.

4. Zelda manual.

[Wavelflack]

Don't worry, Garrett. Even though I wasn't actually talking to you, I wouldn't want to hurt your feelings by making your attention seem unappreciated.

As a gesture of my munificence, I shall notice you in return!

As such, In the course of re-reading that other thread, I noticed that you glossed over a question I posed at the time.

"Wavelflack said:
Hmm...

Do you mean to say that the manual writer didn't actually play the game they were writing about?

Hmmm...

I'm saying the translator did what any good translator would do-they directly and faithfully translated the text they were given. Since the point about Pols Voice is technically correct (as the American player simply lacks a way to shout at the big-eared bastidges), no one ever bothered to create an oblique hint about the bow & arrow.


Tsk.
The manual writer was working on the American version of the game, wasn't he? And the American version had no microphone for the player to shout into?

So did the manual writer actually play the game?




Remember, this is your big chance at relevancy! Don't blow it!

[GarrettCRW]

Remember, this is your big chance at relevancy! Don't blow it!

Earth to jerk:

I just read the Metroid review in the Japanese book sold at the Famicom 20th Anniversary and they talk in there about the surprise ending and Samus' gender. So I am now sure the ending was also part of the original Japanese version.

*looks in his stash of books*

Oh, wow, look! I have that book! And it's in both English and Japanese, too!

"The real identity of Samus Aran," revealed in the end, was one of the biggest surprises in the history of games.

Must I scan it in, too? Because, honestly, I tire of your flame-baiting BS.

[rbudrick]

The surprise ending cannot contradict the rest of the work. And the rest of the work cannot contradict the surprise ending.

Certainly it can, and does. Just because it upsets you balance in the world does not mean it didn't happen. You know what they say about that river in Africa...

The Sixth Sense" is blah blah blah blah

Total apples and oranges. Besides. People are more picky about movies. Nobody gave a shit about plot incontinuities in videogames in 1986...not that I think it was one.

And besides, you are ignoring the evidence that NOA AND NOJ have said it was intended as a surprise ending. Sure it wasn't obvious that people would assume her gender male and it may have not needed to be stated, but one could argue it was the narrator of the story in the instruction book also assuming it was a he, and therefore wanted you to think so too. It's a very common device in all forms of movies and literature.

Or, though far-fetched, maybe Nintendo didn't want people ruining the surprise for others by telling them it's a girl. People could plainly see in their instructions it said otherwise. However, the first explaiantion is far more likely.

Anyone got the direct contact info for Gail Tilden? I believe she was in charge of localization for all games back then.

-Rob