KouAidou

  • Last Login: Nov. 19, 2008 05:41 PM
  • Age: 26
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  • Now Playing (DS):: Kanken DS
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Around twelve years ago, I watched my brother beat the Lost Levels in Super Mario All-Stars. Just before the final flagpole, a message is spelled out in Japanese characters; we assumed it was a "You are a super player!" message like the one from Super Mario World, but for all we knew, given the Lost Levels' general tone, it could have just as easily been an insult.

One thing I knew for sure, though, is that I'd never know what it said, because Japanese was a scary language with a scary foreign alphabet that only crazy people would try to learn.

Naturally, thirteen years later, I've got my bachelor's degree in Japanese language and literature, and make my living translating 400-page strategy guides for companies like BradyGames and DoubleJump.

The irony is that we've long since lost the cartridge for Mario All-Stars. The FAQs claim that the message says "Thank You", but I don't think I believe them.