Not my screenshot. Source.

Part of a series on game comparisons! Last time, I looked at how localization changed a character’s circumstances rather significantly in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.

Today’s post is a small one, and covers a reader request:

“In Pokemon X/Y, there’s a girl who says Navi’s infamous “Hey! Listen!” Was it referenced in Japanese as well?”

I don’t actually remember that specific line from the game. For those who aren’t aware, Navi is a character from Ocarina of Time known for the above line.

Either way, let’s take a look!

“Hey! Listen!”

The following conversation takes place with Preschooler Mia on Route 4.

Pretty straightforward! It’s actually a very accurate translation. The localization saw an opportunity to fit the meme in rather seamlessly and decided to do so. It is very much like Veteran Timeo’s “My body is ready” line which I covered before.

The reference works fine as it fits the childish tone and keeps the meaning entirely, rather than having to go out of her way to say it.

So, to answer the question: No, the reference was not in the original Japanese (considering the Japanese Navi has the exact same lines in English). It was an opportunity the localization simply saw and acted upon.

It is possible this was just coincidence, however. The words “Hey!” and “Listen!” can easily end up next to each other coincidentally… but in this particular case the constant “nenenene” (her saying “Hey!”) over and over would have likely turned out differently (as you see in the literal translation) if they didn’t have Navi (and how some find her just as annoying) in mind.

Summary infographic:

I will continue to look at fun differences between the versions of sorts of games when I get time!  This reader actually had a few other things to look into (an entire list, actually), so expect to see some more from the 3DS Pokemon games in the future.

Any dialogue you’re interested in? Feel free to send in comments or via email!