EarthBound Translator Discusses Localisation Issues

In an interview, one of the translators of Earthbound discussed some of the difficulties localising the game.

Marcus Lindbloom, who worked on the English/Westernisation of the Japanese RPG, highlighted some of the challenges the team faced with both branding and culture.

Taking the game that was "an outsider's view of the U.S. and turn it into something everybody here would play and understand" was just one of the challenges. Some designs, like the pixel work on buildings/vehicles, had to be altered. For example, "the artwork on the truck looks a little bit too much like the Coca-Cola logo, we need to change that."

Even the red crosses that adorned the hospitals had to be tweaked to avoid issues with the real-life The Red Cross organistion.

Interestingly Lindblom didn't meet with EarthBound creator/story writer Shigesato Itoi, with the designer not involved with the English localisation.

For more, read the full interview with Wired.

What are your thoughts on the themes and Western aspects to EarthBound?