GG3 - Part 1

Ganbare Goemon 3 (English) - Part 1

I was really excited about this project, and had kept it a secret until I knew for certain that it could work. The video was made public on January 22, 2008, only one day after I uploaded the GG3 Ending.

When I decided that I would play through all of Ganbare Goemon 3 to get the ending, I also had the idea of recording every major scene (and a few minor ones) along the way so that I could make a series of videos that would contain said scenes, completely translated. Ganbare Goemon 3 is my favorite of the SNES Goemon games, so I really didn't mind doing this. As for how many are going to be in this series, I originally said 7 or 8, but it looks like there's probably gonna be more.

I ended up breaking a few of my own rules with this one. I tried as much as I could to have only one-line subtitles, because they're easier to read that way, but it just didn't work out. I had left myself a lot less time in the scenes than I had hoped. Apparently, this was before I started my usual practice of gauging the amount of time I should keep a particular piece of Japanese dialogue on the screen based on how long it takes me to read it. (The emulator slows down and mutes when it records something.) So, as a result, I have two-line subtitles (which actually aren't as bad as I remember them being), English subtitles where there's no Japanese dialogue, and parts where one person is speaking in Japanese and somebody else is speaking in English. I totally screwed up there.

And don't even get me started on the archaic language. Apparently, even native speakers can barely understand some words, and that made translating this a real chore. I almost abandoned this particular project, it was so bad.

For the first time since starting Ganbare Goemon in English, I ran into a joke based on a pun where I had no idea how to handle it. I always worried about what I would do when such a joke would come up, and looking back on it now, I might have mishandled it. More details on the joke when I talk about the specific scene it's in.

The skipping problem was really bad this time around, and I was starting to grow really irritated. At this point, I thought something was wrong with my I-Movie program, which doesn't make a lot of sense since the GG3 Ending escaped that fate and the QuickTime video I got from my I-Movie file worked just fine. But, regardless of the cause, I decided the best way to remedy this situation would be to put the dialogue in the comments. This is a Goemon video, after all, so I didn't expect a lot of comments anyway. (This is where YouTube's 500 character limit in comments really started to annoy me.) But, that may have been interpreted as being somewhat rude, and now that I've got this, I'll take the dialogue out of the comments and put them here instead!

The script of the scene will usually be followed by commentary. For the dialogue, a "---" indicates a significant passage of time that isn't included in the video. Usually, this means a fight, and I normally use a "Cross Dissolve" transition during these parts.

Scene 1: You're Lost Little Girl

Lost Girl: A bandit chased me up here. (Sniff) I don’t suppose you can take me back to town?
Ebisumaru: Agree / Refuse
Lost Girl: I’m so happy! Just drop me off at the town entrance.
---
Lost Girl: Thank you very much, strong gentlemen, I’m okay now! Ah! But my words are not enough to show my appreciation, so I want to give you this crimson sandal strap as a present! Take it!
Narrator: Goemon and allies received a crimson sandal strap. That’s not very helpful without an actual sandal!

The title of the scene came from a song by The Doors of the same name. I planned to use similar outside references for the titles of as many scenes as I possibly could, but ended up actually doing it for a disappointingly low amount.

As you can probably tell, the person talking during "decision scenes" like this one will be decided based on who I'm playing as at the time. I can say that Ebisumaru is playing right now because his attack is better than Goemon's for fighting overworld enemies.

I had also originally intended to show Ebisumaru leading the girl back the entire way, but that idea was discarded almost immediately. It's a waste of space.

Scene 2: Mimicry Transformation Ninjutsu!

Ghost: Oh, ho ho ho ho! From here, none shall pass! (Meow)
Kurobei: Goemon! Ebisumaru! Long time no see! (Meow)
Goemon: Oh! It’s the ninja cat, Kurobei! What are you doing here?
Ebisumaru: Did something happen to Princess Yuki again?
Kurobei: Not so! (Meow) I’m keeping the townspeople from going down this road. (Meow)
Goemon: I asked you to do that? Ha ha ha ha ha!
Ebisumaru: Ha ha ha, good one, Goemon! Well, let’s go, it’s almost lunch time!
Kurobei: H-Hey, wait a minute! (Meow) I need to give Goemon a special present today! (Meow)
Ebisumaru: Food!
Kurobei: Wrong! (Meow) I want to give you an amazing transformation ninjutsu! (Meow)
Goemon: Oh! That’s great!
Ebisumaru: (So does that mean Yae might have to become our colleague?! Gu hoo hoo hoo...)
Kurobei: Ninja arts, mimicry transformation ninjutsu!
Narrator: Goemon and allies learned the mimicry transformation ninjutsu. If two people play together, they can be the same character!
Goemon: Kurobei, you’re a shining individual!
Ebisumaru: Wow! You’ve filled me with of overwhelming hope!
Kurobei: Well, I’ll leave you some money, but I have to say goodbye now. Farewell! (Meow)

There's a joke in this scene that I think didn't really work. After Kurobei explains why he's here, Goemon starts laughing. I personally think it's because Goemon is making fun of him for getting stuck with a crappy job like that, but I'm probably way off.

This is the first time I really noticed Ebisumaru using distinctly feminine language. I believe he ends his "overwhelming hope" line with "wa", which is a particle used by women to indicate emotion or admiration. Maybe he's said similar things in past scenes that I've done, but this is the first time I caught it.

Kurobei's "Meow" at the end of almost every sentence wasn't made up. He really does end his sentences with "Nya" or "Nyaa", which is the Japanese word for "Meow." In fact, Japanese baby talk for cat is "Nyaa nyaa."

Scene 3: Sasuke

Sasuke: Huh! G-Goemon? What are you doing here in the mansion?
Ebisumaru: The Wise Man screwed up while using the time machine to look at girls...
Goemon: Ah! Ebisumaru, keep quiet about that! Actually, the Wise Man...
Sasuke: What?! Is that really true? In that case, we have no choice but to go into the future after him!
Ebisumaru: Well, do you have a time machine? Is it somewhere in this mansion?
Sasuke: No, it’s not here!
Goemon: Augh! Then how are we going to go into the future?
Sasuke: I think the Wise Man wrote it down and hid the note somewhere. If we use the conch shell, we should be able to call...
Ebisumaru: I can use the c-conch shell?
Goemon: Ebisumaru! Be a nice guy and wait a little before using the old guy’s great...
Sasuke: Uh! Looks like someone set off my self-destruct switch a little while ago...
Goemon/Ebisumaru: Sasuke!

There's actually a funny story about the title to this one. I was pretty close to calling this one"Good/Evil Switch?! We Don't Need No Stinkin' Good/Evil Switch!", but that was way too long and didn't really have anything to do with the actual content of the scene. For those of you who don't know, there's a widespread (and unsubstantiated) belief that Sasuke attacks Goemon and Ebisumaru because somebody flipped some switch on his back that allows him to change spontaneously from "good" to "evil" and vice versa. After you defeat him, the theory goes, Goemon and Ebisumaru change him back to normal by flipping the good/evil switch. I can assure you that this theory is bogus; the only switch mentioned in the entire scene is the "jibaku suitchi" ("self-destruct switch) that Goemon (presumably) hits. The real reason that Sasuke attacks them is revealed in another scene.

This is where the pun I mentioned above can be found. The word for conch shell is "horagai", and the word for bragging/boasting is "hora." I'm pretty sure I used the wrong word. I think I should've had Ebisumaru say something like, "Was he boasting about me?" (referring to the note the Wise Man wrote), and Goemon would say "Ebisumaru! Wait a little while before assuming the old guy is calling you a nice guy!" Something like that. I don't know, I think I mishandled it.

Oh, and before I forget, one more thing I should mention. I read somewhere that the Japanese don't really have any nicknames. That being said, I found it a bit odd that Goemon sometimes refers to Ebisumaru as "Ebi" and Ebisumaru sometimes refers to Goemon as "Goe". I guess it's OK because they're good friends, but I was under the impression that even good friends don't have nicknames for each other. Oh well. I still call them by their full names in all translations.

Scene 4: Sasuke?!

Goemon: Ah! We’ve got a problem here!
Ebisumaru: Looks like Mr. Tanuki exploded, too...
Sasuke: We’ll travel using this walker, an invention of the Wise Man’s.
Ebisumaru: Huh?! This is surprising!
Goemon: S-Sasuke?! Didn’t you just blow up?
Sasuke: That was just a joke. Anyway, we have to hurry to Festival Village.
Ebisumaru: Why do we have to go to Festival Village?
Sasuke: The time machine was purchased there, so that’s where we can learn more about it.
Goemon: I can’t believe Sasuke made a joke...

The title is a callback to the title of the previous scene. No surprises there, right?

I love the fact that Sasuke's idea of a joke is pretending to blow up. I wonder if the Wise Man told him it would be funny.

Scene 5: Run, Goemon, Run!

Goemon: Sasuke, I was surprised when you attacked us back there!
Sasuke: I’m sorry! There was a strange uprising, and everything in the mansion became that way. Everybody started acting blindly.
Ebisumaru: Well, we can’t have that! I am certainly...
Goemon: Huh?! What’s with this tremor?

The title is a reference to "Forest Gump" (or "Star Wars", if you prefer, though Forest Gump was what I was originally thinking there).

There was a bit of confusion here during the translation because I made a mistake copying the Japanese symbols. It made absolutely no sense when I got the first version of the translation, so I took a closer look and realized I had "misspelled" one word. This was corrected right before I sent the script to Sarahsuke.

Scene 6: The Wise Man's Vacation Home

Sasuke: Well, well...It looks like we were able to reach safety.
Goemon: What the hell are you talking about?! What place is safe while that weird machine is chasing us?!
Ebisumaru: Yeah! And I’m so hungry, I feel like I’m about to die!
Sasuke: I don’t care! Festival Village is right over there, and the Wise Man’s vacation home is just beyond it. Actually, that place...
Ebisumaru: That place must have a ton of food in it! I wonder whether there’s even enough for me to eat...(mumble, mumble)
Sasuke: (Unn...) It’s necessary for us to go there because the conch shell should be hidden somewhere in the house for safekeeping. It would be advantageous if we can get it.
Goemon: All right then, enough talk! Let’s go! Sasuke! Ebisumaru!
Ebisumaru: Yes, Goemon! I can’t wait for the feast!
Sasuke: (Those two are certainly enthusiastic about going to the Wise Man’s vacation home. I guess they don’t realize how difficult it’s going to be to get through there. The Wise Man is a tricky individual, after all.)

Of all the scenes in this video, this is a personal favorite because I was able to translate a sizable portion of it on my own ("sizable portion" being the first 4 or 5 lines). Also, I think it's hilarious that Ebisumaru is so obsessed with food, he's totally convinced that a huge feast will be waiting for him at the Wise Man's vacation house. In case you couldn't tell, Ebisumaru is probably my favorite character, mostly because he's the most fun to write for (both here and in fanfiction).

I hope you guys enjoyed my (long and boring) scene analysis. I'll be doing more soon, so check back periodically.