Wizardry 5 - SNES version now in English & uncensored

@IndieRetroNews they report that a new English translation of Wizardry V has been produced and fully uncensored for the SNES.

@VizionGamer contacted us recently about a new English translation and fully uncensored version of Wizardry V : The Heart of the Maelstrom that had been announced via the Romhacking website. This game which is a dungeon crawler and available to play on an SNES, was already released in North America but however decent it was, it didn't the better qualities of the version that was released in Japan. All references to nudity, alcohol, blood, violence, and religion were replaced in the North American version and this hack not only keeps the English intact but removes the censorship so players can experience the game as it was intended.


Also as noted by RomHacking This hack translates the switch/options screen in the Japanese version of Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom into English. It also changes the default character names, the default language, and the default character set to use when naming your characters. The Japanese version of Wizardry V already had the ability to display text in either English or Japanese, but English players had to navigate the untranslated switch menu, which had five different switches for changing different parts of the text from one language to another. This hack combines those into a single switch that controls all of the in-game text. Additionally, several grammar errors in the game's text were corrected.

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More information.

Damn. I love it. Already had the PS1 version but I will definitely try this one first. Gotta spend a few minutes and download all the RPG translations and hacks from romhacking one of these days...

Pixelated 8-bit color nudity. Watch out internet… cover your kid's eyes.

Much nicer than the choppy PC version, which had line art dungeons and minimal color, no sound effects nor music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL7MP1-n6SM

Wow, the SNES version does look really good in comparison. I liked the PS1 versions a lot for that reason (they added wall and floor textures/graphics). The PS1 ports look like lower resolution Elminage games.

Hey Fluent,

Is the PS1 version also in English ? Does it contain the previously censored material ? Or, in this case, we better play this newly released SNES vwersion ?

henriquejr said:

Hey Fluent,

Is the PS1 version also in English ? Does it contain the previously censored material ? Or, in this case, we better play this newly released SNES vwersion ?

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Hey. You will need a website or list of what the spells do in English for the PS1 ports since the spell translations in the UI aren't translated, but the rest of the games are in English. Just look up an image on Google to see which options you have set in the menu to turn on the English.

Also, there are 2 PS1 games that I'm aware of - Wizardry: Llygamyn Saga (this disc contains the first 3 Wizardry games remade for the PS1), and Wizardry: New Age of Llylgamyn (this game has Wizardry 4, "4 Arrange" and 5 remade).

Pretty sure they are censored. As far as I know this version just released is the only uncensored version in English…

Stranger of Sword City gave me hope that these types of games will live on. (And even be improved upon.)

I don't really think I could go back and "enjoy" W5 right now. I'm not as into doing my own mapping and such. (If I want to map something I'll write up a quick lair for my D&D 5e campaign. Desire to play with graph paper, solved.)

The PS1 ports have automap. Not sure about the SNES versions.

I'd only ever play a PC version or a version ported to a PC. I honestly just could not do grid-based CRPGs on a console. I rarely use the PS4 for anything, really. Gaming is a mindset with me that involves a desk and a PC, a keyboard and a mouse.

Emulators on PC don't have keyboard control options? They should, but I'm not sure. Huh. If the keyboard controls work then playing grid-based 'crawlers should be fine. I find that games like Elminage Gothic control much better when you drag the mouse off-screen and just use the keyboard.

I couldn't get into Elminage at all but I loved SoSC because they made an interface that just *worked* for me. Elminage seemed almost purposefully obscure at times, which annoys me in games.

I think what I want are just 2017 made-for-PC versions of grid based crawlers.

The UI annoyed you or the game itself? The UI takes some getting used to + rebinding a key or two (I think TAB as the ESC/Exit button helped me), but once you leave the mouse behind and get used to how it functions, it's super fast. I dunno, I fly through that UI. But it does have weird quirks, like how you transfer items from one character to another. But if you play for a few hours you will be doing that at lightning speeds from then on out.

Fluent said:

The PS1 ports have automap. Not sure about the SNES versions.

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Yes, it's a Mage spell you can cast called DUMAPIC

The UI and the "scrolling text bar" descriptions in Elminage are what annoyed me the most. I'm a huge UI snob, though. I spent $100+ on Fantasy Grounds for D&D and I hate the UI so, so much that it's wasted on me because I won't use it.

If a UI isn't easy and intuitive off the bat I don't bother with the game. There are too many games out there I enjoy with great UIs.

When I started EG and I realized that there was no automap but a spell and that the entire game was basically "figure this shit out on your own" I kinda gave up on it.

SoSC - again - this is an example of how to do the "grid based dungeon blobber" right. It had great automaps. It had good descriptions of classes. It had a UI that looked like it was designed for PC and not console gaming. In short, it fixed everything I disliked about EG.

To me its much more "Wizardry" when its wire frame. The console versions come across to me as "ports" and I feel like I am playing a different game - especially when I see the JRPG look in some of the characters.

ElderGnome said:

The UI and the "scrolling text bar" descriptions in Elminage are what annoyed me the most. I'm a huge UI snob, though. I spent $100+ on Fantasy Grounds for D&D and I hate the UI so, so much that it's wasted on me because I won't use it.

If a UI isn't easy and intuitive off the bat I don't bother with the game. There are too many games out there I enjoy with great UIs.

When I started EG and I realized that there was no automap but a spell and that the entire game was basically "figure this shit out on your own" I kinda gave up on it.

SoSC - again - this is an example of how to do the "grid based dungeon blobber" right. It had great automaps. It had good descriptions of classes. It had a UI that looked like it was designed for PC and not console gaming. In short, it fixed everything I disliked about EG.

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We can agree to disagree that EG doesn't do blobbers "right". EG is supposed to be a harder game (even if it is made easier once you get teleportation + the ability to save anywhere), and managing your maps is part of that. Limited inventory space, decisions need to be made on what to carry/throw out, how many items to carry, aka The RPG Element of Inventory Management.

The idea behind it is that you do have to Figure Shit Out On Your Own, but it makes it so you aren't constantly relying on the map to the point you aren't also figuring out the maze and directions on your own. You have to use your brain a bit, sense of direction, get your bearings occasionally with a map, etc. It's not for everybody but that is what they were trying to do. If in the future they give a la carte options for these sorts of things it could reach more people and let us all tailor the game to our liking.

I haven't played SoSC yet but again, the UI for EG is super fast once you learn it. Scrolling spell descriptions, eh, I'll give you that one. They scroll a bit slowly. It could also use tooltips or something to describe what other elements in the UI do, such as stats/etc., but it's old-school in that you either read the manual or look up how shit works. The game has a ton of advanced complexity just like the old Wizardry games, so that's good or bad depending on how you look at it. It was also a fairly cheap port, though, and while it's certainly playable for me (spent like 80+ hours on it so far, more to come) it could be improved tremendously by tooltips in the UI and this sort of thing.

Oh I know you love that game. I don't mean to crap on your cupcake, it just isn't for me. I don't find lack of automapping "harder" I just find it annoying. And I wouldn't say SoSC is "easier" - again, I'd say it's less obscure. I've played both games. I agree mapping should be one of those features you can turn on or off; if people like figuring out where they are with a pencil and paper or by memory, that's cool. They would reach more people if they offered ala carte features, but the same could be said of most games.

SoSC loaded up on my PC like a nice, modern 2016 CRPG should be. Easy UI, everything intuitive. EG loaded like a Japanese port from the 90's - weird scrolling descriptions, no automap, no story, no explanation of monsters, etc - just you wandering around trying to figure stuff out. I don't generally find that fun, I like to get into the meat of what I enjoy - character optimization and customization which SoSC had in SPADES through the multiclass system, exploring without worrying about "getting lost" and a system for optional treasure in "ambush" zones that I thought was brilliant. If I had two kids and one was SoTC and one was EG I'd consider EG the one that needed 'special help' and SoTC the star.

And I don't want to "look up how shit works" - that made sense when you had a limit of text for very early adventure games but come on, how hard it is to include tooltips and such now for these games? Looking up something on the internet or in a book doesn't make the game 'harder' it just breaks immersion for me.

Though this is a testament to different strokes, different folks. You had the patience to really pour into a game like EG but I'm not that patient anymore; perhaps when I was in my 20's. I expect certain design elements to my games now.

ElderGnome said:

Oh I know you love that game. I don't mean to crap on your cupcake, it just isn't for me. I don't find lack of automapping "harder" I just find it annoying. And I wouldn't say SoSC is "easier" - again, I'd say it's less obscure. I've played both games. I agree mapping should be one of those features you can turn on or off; if people like figuring out where they are with a pencil and paper or by memory, that's cool. They would reach more people if they offered ala carte features, but the same could be said of most games.

SoSC loaded up on my PC like a nice, modern 2016 CRPG should be. Easy UI, everything intuitive. EG loaded like a Japanese port from the 90's - weird scrolling descriptions, no automap, no story, no explanation of monsters, etc - just you wandering around trying to figure stuff out. I don't generally find that fun, I like to get into the meat of what I enjoy - character optimization and customization which SoSC had in SPADES through the multiclass system, exploring without worrying about "getting lost" and a system for optional treasure in "ambush" zones that I thought was brilliant. If I had two kids and one was SoTC and one was EG I'd consider EG the one that needed 'special help' and SoTC the star.

And I don't want to "look up how shit works" - that made sense when you had a limit of text for very early adventure games but come on, how hard it is to include tooltips and such now for these games? Looking up something on the internet or in a book doesn't make the game 'harder' it just breaks immersion for me.

Though this is a testament to different strokes, different folks. You had the patience to really pour into a game like EG but I'm not that patient anymore; perhaps when I was in my 20's. I expect certain design elements to my games now.

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I didn't actually look up how EG works, just played it "blindly" for the most part as I do with all my RPGs. The complexity I'm talking about is how a lot of complex RPGs work like that, including modern ones, in which the more advanced stuff you have to go to another site for, i.e. a Wiki page or something. Even games with triple-digit million budgets need that for some things (Diablo 3, Skyrim, etc.). I think I looked up 2 or 3 things when playing EG, not much, but also discussed elements on forums with other players. I still know very little about the game compared to some, but I knew enough to last 80+ hours without much help, so it's not really that obscure, IMO. You can do just fine using your typical RPG knowledge. EG was also my first turn-based blobber. Literally the first game like that I've ever played, so yeah. Haven't even gotten to the old Wizardry games yet.

What do you mean by explanation of monsters? It has a Bestiary that gives you information about monsters. Maybe not the most advanced bestiary, but it's there. The story is sort of like Dark Souls, you piece things together from dungeon to dungeon based on things you find in the dungeon. Certain artifacts, NPCs, special encounters,, things to increase atmosphere, etc. Automap, again, it's a different design idea to achieve something different. Still should have an option on how the maps work (but I think every RPG can benefit from more difficulty/customization options). I think an option to draw your own map in a small side screen could be cool, like Etrian Odyssey does it.

I'm not saying EG is perfect, either. It has things it can improve. Clicking every wall to find a secret could be improved. I liked how old M&M did that, with a skill check and a visual reference in the UI. Better bestiary, better translation, more options for difficulty, etc. It can definitely improve.

But yeah, different strokes for different folks. I'm glad that we have a few different options for games like this. I would love more Elminage ports on PC, but more polished ports. EG could definitely use that. Haven't played SoSC but it looks good, however I have heard it is more casual/easier than EG, which is fine, but EG isn't that hard at all when you have teleportation and you can save anywhere, so yeah. More dungeon-crawlers with more options for all is what we need.

I wouldn't call SoSC "casual" at all, I am guessing it has a pretty niche market - people who enjoy turn-based grid CRPGs. (I don't think we're a huge portion of the population. Or if we are, we're all in our late 30's early 40's by now. )

If you play it I'd be really interested to hear how you think it compares to EG.

(Edit: Wow, especially if EG was your first turn based grid CRPG! I consider SoSC a "good" port with a great UI and ease of use; but you can still get killed - easily - from the starting area on. It's not a game for those without patience.)