Does FFVII have the most insane enemy names ever?

[Neo Bahamut]

Most of FFVII's names were probably due to terrible localization. Midgar Zolom and all that.

Midgar Zolom was intentional. It was an alternate translation, not a mistranslation.

There's also a raptor-like monster named Vlakorados.

And that's another thing I loved about FFVII: It had lots of references to there once being dinosaurs. And dinosaurs=awesome.

 

[Ascension]

Yes, it's obvious Midgar Zolom was intentional.

Vlakorados? Must be a mistranslation of Velociraptor or another variation of it and I thought Vlakorados was a chocobo that gave you nuts?

 

[Joyful Blue]

Yes, it's obvious Midgar Zolom was intentional.

Vlakorados? Must be a mistranslation of Velociraptor or another variation of it and I thought Vlakorados was a chocobo that gave you nuts?

Vlakorados gave you Carob Nuts but they were dinsoaur-esque monsters.

Also, how is it "obvious" one translation was intentional and another was a msitake?

 

[ForceStealer]

And also, all the other enemies of the same type in subsequent FF games are usually called Ahriman as well.

But then in the older ones (and IX) its called Veteran...wonder why that is...

 

[The Joker]

I dunno, DQ has some pretty funny sounding names for monsters lately. Bona Conscripter? Perilwinkle? LOL

Earthbound has even stranger names. Annoying Old Party Man, Unassuming Local Guy, New Aged Retro Hippie, the list goes on and on. Though EB is a strange game none the less, FFVII's names are nothing in comparision.

 

[Ravynne Nevyrmore]

Ahh, the Vlakorodos. I once started a fanfiction in which two characters squabbled in the first chapter about one of them being attacked by a Vlakorodos as a child and how horrifying it was, and how much of a baby he was for relating the tale as "horrifying," and how much of an ass the one calling him a baby was.

I didn't get far past that intro. Good times.

 

[Neo Bahamut]

Also, how is it "obvious" one translation was intentional and another was a msitake?

Assuming that the poster wasn't being sarcastic, here's the way I see it:

"Midgar" has been called a mistranslation of "Midgard." However, thanks to additional Compilation entries, we know that "Midgar" is, in fact, official*. The Zolom's swamp is in close proximity to Midgar. Things are named after adjacent areas all the time, hence "Midgar Something" makes perfect sense, as a name.

I'm not 100% positive on this next part, but I also believe that "Zolom" is another word for "snake," in some such language, or a reference to such a word.

In the end, it's impossible to know for certain until another title comes along with the serpent in it, but all things considered, I think it's more likely that the name is intentional, rather than a mistranslation.

*=Midgar isn't alone, either. Nibelheim was called a mistranslation of "Nifleheim" before Crisis Core came out. The problem is that people are too quick to label something as a mistranslation, rather than a reference.

 

[Tetsujin]

The Zolom part is what isn't correctly translated. Should be Sorm...something. o.o

 

[Makoeyes987]

It should be "Midgardsormr"

Which is actually a mythological creature in reality. It's also known as the Jörmungandr, or the "World Serpent."

Zolom should be "Sormr" so going by the current English localization, it would be...Midgar Sormr or Midgarsormr.

In FFVI, the same name and creature exists. It was "Ted Wossley'd" as "Terrato" but correctly translated in FFVI Advance as Midgardsormr. It's also an rare game in FFXII, and the summon used by Elidibus in FF Tactics.

 

[Neo Bahamut]

No, it should be "Midgar Zolom." It doesn't need the exact name to be a mythology nod.

I repeat: Nibelheim is not Niflheim.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Which is why the continued using "Zolom" and never bothered to correct the creatures name anywhere else, right?

 

[Neo Bahamut]

Which is why the continued using "Zolom" and never bothered to correct the creatures name anywhere else, right?

Protip: FFXII=/=FFVII. They don't have to use the same enemy names.

Midgarsormr is also used in FFT, which came out around the same time.

All in all, it looks more like an alternate translation than a mistranslation.

 

[Makoeyes987]

It's all the same translation and localization team though. And in Japanese its the exact same name. So going by that, S-E corrected the shoddy translation job done by Sony of America. They're different games but have the same localization team working on the same Japanese name. And its been given a new consistent translation.

It's not an "alternate translation" anymore than the translation of "Midgar Swarm" is an "altnerate" of "Midgar Zolom."

 

[Neo Bahamut]

I'll believe it's incorrect when a Compilation title uses the name "Midgardsormr."

 

[Makoeyes987]

Well I guess we'll see if they ever get around to that FFVII remake

 

[ForceStealer]

Neo could do a better job of picking his battles, and sormr is probably what its supposed to be. But, in all fairness, Odin's horse is supposed to have 8 legs.

 

[Neo Bahamut]

"A better job of picking [my] battles"? Right, because all of the logic I posted was ignored because it simply MUST be word-for-word, or else it's a mistranslation, I clearly lost that argument.

Yes, clearly, he was on the translation team, & therefore can tell me what's what.

/sargasm

The Nibelheim/Niflheim thing alone is proof of concept.

 

[ForceStealer]

Do you know the meaning of "picking your battles?" It doesn't mean that you have no chance of winning it, it means there's no point in arguing it, who cares?

EDIT: Or it could refer to you having a go at me when I support your argument with the Odin thing.

 

[Neo Bahamut]

Do you know the meaning of "picking your battles?" It doesn't mean that you have no chance of winning it, it means there's no point in arguing it, who cares?

The problem with using that meaning is that the argument was on-topic. Moreover, I believe I killed the argument, because it wasn't going anywhere.

Edit: I figured your notation with Odin was more of an on-the-other-hand thing. My apologies for misinterpreting your meaning.

 

[ForceStealer]

Stop assuming, I didn't accuse you of being off-topic either. I was just commenting on the fact that you like to get in rather heated arguments over very menial things.

 

[Neo Bahamut]

Stop assuming, I didn't accuse you of being off-topic either. I was just commenting on the fact that you like to get in rather heated arguments over very menial things.

I'm attempting to tell you my reasoning.

Besides that, I've treated only one argument as heated so far, & quite frankly, I don't think acting like a complete ass while lecturing someone on "flaming" is menial.

But that's just me.

 

[ForceStealer]

Now you're off-topic.

But yes, we'll find out if Square ever does the damn remake.

 

[Neo Bahamut]

Well, FFT had a remake, & VI has had like 3, so yeah.

 

[Tetsujin]

The Nibelheim/Niflheim thing alone is proof of concept.

But that thing was intended to be different from the beginning, even in the Japanese. This doesn't have anything to do with translation. Sormr however is something I can see very easily being mistranslated from the Japanese if one is unfamiliar with the mythology crap behind it.

 

[Neo Bahamut]

But that thing was intended to be different from the beginning, even in the Japanese. This doesn't have anything to do with translation. Sormr however is something I can see very easily being mistranslated from the Japanese if one is unfamiliar with the mythology crap behind it.

Oh, I can certainly SEE it being mistranslated, I'm not arguing that it's impossible.

However/mindfuck: Even if the Japanese & the English are different, it's not necessarily a mistranslation.

I mean, do you have any idea what kind of nonsense you'd get if you translated everything literally & verbatim from Japanese to English?

Granted, grammar=/=monster name, but what I'm saying is that it's difficult to really know what the official English name is, at this point.

There's a Trope for what I'm talking about, I know that much, I just don't know what it is....