| Samus Aran said: Pokémon is just the same with translation from Japanese to English. Pikachu means electric mouse in Japanese if I'm not mistaken (Pika meaning electric and chu the sound mouses make, at least according to Japanese). Besides, Pikmin 3 also relies on Youkai for its main story. A lot of people just don't care about the Japanese folklore as long as they're playing a fun game. And if Youkai Watch is fun then that should be enough to sell decent (especially if the show gets localized). Of course it will most likely sell nowhere near what it sells in Japan. And it's doubtful it can become as popular as Pokémon, but the sales might be enough to justify localization. |
Pika is an onomatopoeic/mimetic word, i.e. it mimics something that does not make a sound. "Pika" or "Pikapika" is the "sound" of something that shines very brightly, like a new car, or thunder/electric sparks (in Pikachu's case). In English you could say bright or sparking or dazzling or something like that.
Apart from the names, the dialogue throughout the whole games has references to older, but also everyday culture. References to TV shows, dramas, idol singers etc. All those jokes, references and allusions would be lost in translation. However!! If the people localizing it just weave in allusions from their culture to make things more interesting, it might not be so bad.
The game itself is a lot of fun, and I'm sure it would find its following. You can also collect real physical medals for it, so it appeals to everybody's love for collecting. It might even become a big hit, but the question is if the company behind it wants to take the risk. (They certainly could afford it...)
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