The HD release of Capcom's Ace Attorney trilogy for several platforms is "at the door," exciting many fans and people interested in the series. However, the absence of Portuguese among the game's languages disappointed many Brazilians, who still could not experience the franchise because of the language barrier.
What many people do not know is that a team has been working on translations of the Phoenix Wright games for years. Meet Jacutem Sabão (humorously named after Gyakuten Saiban, the series' original name), a team of Brazilians that not only translates, but also adapts Ace Attorney games for our language.
In 2018, the translation of the first game, called Advogados de Primeira: Fênix Veríssimo, was released with five cases entirely in Portuguese. This March, it was the second game's turn, now subtitled Justiça Para Todos, to receive a translation.
Why "Fênix Veríssimo," a different name?
As mentioned, the team seeks not only to translate but also to adapt the games into Portuguese. According to Jacutem Sabão, the series is already known for adaptations in different languages, involving pun-based names and slightly different stories. The English version, the best known, already adapts much of the original. Other translations make different changes. Therefore, making the game as accessible as possible to Brazilian audiences while adding its own sense of humor is only fair. Did you know that in the original version that is not a payphone, but a telephone booth?
Besides Phoenix Wright becoming Fênix Veríssimo, longtime fans may be surprised to see Miles Edgeworth become Eduardo Spada, and Maya and Mia Fey become Alice and Aline Sato, among other changes that go beyond names.
Not everything is a joke, however. The team carefully discusses and studies every change, seeking the best possible adaptation to our context. One example is the character Ini Miney, whose name refers to an American nursery rhyme and became Sara Memingue, referring to the Hebrew "Sarah" and, of course, the famous "uni duni tê" (all names are explained on its website). Despite the serious work, they occasionally slip in jokes and references that only Brazilians can understand—fair enough, considering that the American translation does the same.
Good humor is not lacking!
How can I check out the translation?
Jacutem Sabão provides all the instructions needed to play its translations on its Facebook and Twitter pages. Using them, it is possible to play the translated games on both Nintendo DS and 3DS, where the visuals are prettier and the whole trilogy is in one game.
It is important to note that, for legal reasons, the team does not provide any ROM to the public, which is entirely at the player's own risk.
Future goals
The team's current goal is to translate the first three games for Nintendo DS and 3DS. Only Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations remains, with the creative subtitle Casos e Acasos, scheduled for 2020.
The team is already considering bringing its translations to the trilogy that will be released on Steam in April, but there are no guarantees.
