Fatal Frame 4 Translated by Fans

[MattK]

Fatal Frame fans were disheartened to learn that the latest iteration in the survival horror series, Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, would not receive an English translation/release from Nintendo due to poor sales in Japan. This is a shame, as the Wii controls seemed PERFECT for the unique "point and shooting" that the series is famous for. However, that hasn't stopped fans with plenty of time to work around the translation issue. One particular group has actually managed to develop a patch that replaces all on-screen Japanese script with English script, as well as providing English subtitles for the spoken dialogue (and for those of you who hate to "read movies," there's rumor of another group working on an English dub patch).

Per Kotaku:

A team of Fatal Frame fans have worked out a way to patch the data for the game, using some creative techniques revolving around an SD card and an external hard disk. According to the patch's website, it will run on any North American, European, or Japanese Nintendo Wii, bypassing region constraints and replacing the in-game text with English. Note that the patch requires a retail disc for Fatal Frame 4, meaning pirated copies are not going to cut it.

Further information regarding the patch and its release can be found at the Team's Offical Site. The site also makes mention of the other group that is working on dubbing the dialogue into English. Considering poor sales in Japan prevented foreign translations, it would be ironic if import sales increased due to the patch, leading to an official translation and release.

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