I wrote about having two 3DS XL on my name earlier in this blog. If you didn’t like that blog, skip this one, because you’re not going to like this either. Just chalk it down to the doings of a crazy gaming lady…
Some weeks ago a Facebook friend mentioned studying Japanese to be able to buy a Japanese 3DS sometime. And that idea took hold in my mind, as in the past I’d already played a Japanese game, Okari Chibi Robo, and loved it. As you might know, the 3DS is region locked, so buying a Japanese 3DS makes sense if you really want to play games that have never been released in the West. But learning a Japanese is way more difficult then learning a western language.
The Japanese language has very different grammar, and the way sentences and words are built are totally alien to us westerners. Plus they use signs from several alphabets. Hiragana and Katakana both have 46 signs, and then there’s Kanji, derived from Chinese, which has thousands of signs. And then when you know the signs, you still don’t know the meaning.
So call me crazy, but I decided to go for it. I’ve imported a Japanese 3DS, and learned the hiragana and katakana alphabets. I’m not as ambitious as to learn Kanji, but the game texts always give the hiragana or katakana signs above any kanji sign they use. I got a free game to download, and chose Youkai Watch.
It’s slow going, and I can’t translate everything I come across. The signs they put above the Kanji are so small that I’m really having trouble deciphering them, even with my reading glasses, But I’ve had good fun trying, and google translator has helped me a lot. If I come across something that seems important, I type in the signs in the dictionary or google, and see what I get back. I’m almost half way through the game, and I’ve only needed expert help once, when I was really stuck. Luckily I have a Japanese Facebook friend, that was willing to help me out. This sure is a fun way of learning!
Glad you are enjoying Japanese games and learning the language at the same time! There seem to be a LOT of people who got interested in Japanese while they were trying to pursuit their love for manga/comics or anime programs and games for the past 10 years or so, and I can actually assure you that their Japanese skills are far better than that of foreign people 20 years or more ago. Their choice of words in context and pronunciation is quite impressive and I suspect the reason is that they learn it by watching their favourite anime multiple times or playing their games deciphering to beat each level, or even doing some level-grinding to repeat the same process over and over (that means you read or hear the same thing over and over), instead of learning it in textbooks that tend to be a bit boring and nothing of their interest. As a language teacher, I actually started using more videos on youtube (that have an enormous number of views, which means that many people are interested. )or some cartoons or funny quotes from Facebook when I teach LOL.
I know you wrote this blog entry a couple years ago, so forgive me for commenting on an old entry, but I’ve just stumbled across your blog! I can relate to you on this subject- I live in the U.S. and I imported Doubutsu no Mori (Animal Forest) without any prior Japanese knowledge! I am using a translator and learning as I go, and it’s a really fun process! 🙂
Very nice to see you here! I know, I visited your blog this morning and saw your journey with Doubts no Mori! Brave to face it while there’s an English game too. Well, it’s slow going, and I don’t always feel like it, but when I’m in the mood it’s such rewarding work! Have you given Magician’s Quest 4, Tongari Boushi, a try in Japanese? The game was never released in the West, only the first instalment was. And since then they’ve improved the game so much!
It is definitely very challenging, but I love it! I hope one day I’ll be fluent enough in Japanese that it won’t take me forever to get through a Japanese game, but I’m enjoying the process anyway! I have not played Magician’s Quest 4 (or the original for that matter), but I looked it up and it looks really cool! I will definitely give it a shot. Thanks for the tip! 😉
You’re welcome! I’ll be checking your blog to see if you end up playing it!