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Original translator for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Final Fantasy XII reflects on his work
Alexander O. Smith is one of the main people responsible for the translations of Final Fantasy XII and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Both games are fresh in players' minds right now, as they've recently received remakes/remasters. In an interview with Verge, Mr. Smith looks back on his work for both titles.
On Final Fantasy XII
“You end up waiting and grabbing the parts that you can, and playing through the game and familiarizing yourself with the text, and hope that the timing works out,” Smith explains. “We spent nine months doing the voiced part of the game, which was something like 12 percent of the total volume. And then we spent around five months doing the remaining 88 percent, which was non-voiced.”
On Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
“They gave me all the text and said ‘Go.’ It’s difficult to do something that’s super timeless, especially if the game itself is set in a particular time.”