In Gong!’s first translations we tried something: someone playing in English would be in New York, someone playing in German in Hamburg. The characters took names from that language, the simit became a bagel, Haydarpaşa turned into another station.
Then we looked at the screen. The text said “New York”, but the ferry was still crossing the Bosphorus, the simit seller was still on the corner, and the coffeehouse still served tea. Every frame of the game was Istanbul; only the names lived somewhere else.
So we went back
- The game is set in Istanbul in every language, with the city’s proper name in each: Istanbul, Estambul, Istambul.
- Everyone keeps their own name. Kerem, Saadet and Nezihe are the same in every language.
- Titles are translated. Cemil Hoca is Coach Cemil in English, Saadet Teyze is Tante Saadet in German, so you always know who someone is.
- Dishes keep their names. Simit, poğaça, menemen, mantı, balık ekmek… Outside Turkish, each comes with a short line underneath: “sesame bread ring”.
Why it matters
There are plenty of boxing games. A boxing game set in an Istanbul neighbourhood, with its coffeehouse, its five-a-side pitch and its ferry, is one of a kind. For Turkish players it’s a familiar place; for everyone else it’s a city worth visiting. Your fighter can be from anywhere, too: pick from more than 190 countries and you arrive in the neighbourhood as the new face in town.
This change came with v0.21. If you spot something we missed, write to us: rufterinteractive@gmail.com.