Masahiro Sakurai’s YouTube channel is a fantastic and insightful look into the creation of video games from a unique level of expertise. If you haven’t checked it out for yourself, I can’t recommend it enough.
While the videos are in Japanese, English translations have been built into the videos. This means that folks like myself, who do not speak or understand Japanese, are able to watch them. What a concept!
But who do we have to thank for these translations? Well, according to Sakurai, a company best known for video game localisations are responsible. However, a notable name also comes into the mix: Toby Fox, the creator of Undertale and Deltarune.
In a post on Sakurai’s YouTube community tab, the developer explains that 8-4, a Japanese localisation company, is responsible for translating the videos uploaded to his channel.
8-4 in the Western world is known for its work in localising Japanese games since 2005, working with companies such as Nintendo, Bandai Namco, and Konami. In Japan, they do the opposite by localising Western-made games into Japanese.
As explained by Sakurai, 8-4 was responsible for localising Undertale, and he actually got in touch with 8-4 through Fox. So what does this mean?
This means that we, once again, must thank Toby Fox.
I say once again as we have thanked Toby Fox for something like this before. It was revealed in 2020 that, in an interview with VICE Games, Toby Fox provided Moon scenario writer and designer Yoshiro Kimura with the “emotional motivation” necessary for him to bring his game to Western audiences for the first time.
It’s no big news that Fox and Sakurai are buddies, either. The main reason why Sans from Undertale is available as a costume for the Mii Fighter in Super Smash Bros Ultimate is that Fox played Smash at Sakurai’s house and impressed him so much that he simply had to.
From all this to the Pope listening to Megalovania this year, it’s still quite mind-boggling to see just how much of a big deal a guy that came from making EarthBound ROM hacks.
So, inadvertently, I say thank you to Toby Fox. Thank you, Toby Fox! And thank you, 8-4!
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