Bits of Shakespeare popping up in videogames.

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AKA my finals SECRET WEAPON. There is always an other media/adaptations question, and I reckon I have a decent grasp of the required theory to be productively poncey about this, if only I could think of any examples...

(Actually, I can think of two: there's a bit in Grandia II where a character says "A tale told to children, full of song and fancy, meaning nothing" (Which is SUCH A COOL LINE to talk about, and gave me the idea in the first place), and a text adventure called Romeo & Juliet & The Dog)

More! Um, if you are feeling kind, etc.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Saturday, 26 March 2005 04:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Metal Gear Solid 2 definitely quoted Shakespeare at some point in the dialogue.

― Richard K (Richard K), Saturday, 26 March 2005 05:16 (twenty-one years ago)

That would have to be the only good bit of dialogue in MGS2 then! God what a hilariously badly acted game that was :/

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 26 March 2005 05:44 (twenty-one years ago)

That's great, Richard! I found the quote on gamescripts (presume it's the "Nought's had, all's spent, Where our desire is got without content" abt inventory management one?)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Saturday, 26 March 2005 07:35 (twenty-one years ago)

various lines in various final fantasy games

― kingfish van pickles (Kingfish), Saturday, 26 March 2005 07:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Can you think of any words I could search for in scripts, Kingfish?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Saturday, 26 March 2005 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.epinions.com/content_30071426692

"You spoony bard" shows up in FF4, thanks to a well-read translation staff.

― kingfish van pickles (Kingfish), Saturday, 26 March 2005 18:12 (twenty-one years ago)

still, my knowledge is limited. i'd asking a similar question to the forums over at RPG Codex or in the Games section on SomethingAwful

― kingfish van pickles (Kingfish), Saturday, 26 March 2005 18:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Wicked! Cheers for both tips. I'll go and do that.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Saturday, 26 March 2005 18:23 (twenty-one years ago)

rather, i'd RECOMMEND asking

― kingfish van pickles (Kingfish), Saturday, 26 March 2005 18:33 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.markwenzel.com/shakespeare.jpg

"ALL THY BASE..."

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 26 March 2005 18:55 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.ids.org.au/~jboyer/public/SA/discounttent.jpg

― BOATPEOPLEHATEFUCK (ex machina), Saturday, 26 March 2005 20:12 (twenty-one years ago)

awesome

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 26 March 2005 21:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Its a stretch, but the Sims2 has a game area called Veronaville, and within that are premade families such as the Summerdreams, the Capps and the Montys. I think it's cute ;)

― Trayce (trayce), Sunday, 27 March 2005 01:24 (twenty-one years ago)

also, there are various throwaway jokes in Anachronox which are R&J refs...

― kingfish van pickles (Kingfish), Sunday, 27 March 2005 02:12 (twenty-one years ago)

heh. there's also an entire town that your character wanders thru that's essentially straight out of Dosteovsky...

― kingfish van pickles (Kingfish), Sunday, 27 March 2005 02:13 (twenty-one years ago)

VAGRANT STORY has a couple of key characters named Rosencrantz & Guildenstern. There are sure to be other Shakespeare refs as well, it's probably the most literate game I've ever played - the localization is outstanding, each room, enemy and object was thoughtfully named, and the dialogue isn't painful and sludgy, unlike pretty much every other RPG ever.

― Cabaret Voltron (PUNXSUTAWNEY PENIS), Sunday, 27 March 2005 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)

each room is named?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 27 March 2005 02:57 (twenty-one years ago)

what is this vagrant story anyway?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 27 March 2005 02:57 (twenty-one years ago)

ps1 game, developed by the ogre battle team

― a banana (alanbanana), Sunday, 27 March 2005 04:03 (twenty-one years ago)

adrian OTM. Dialogue-wise, beats anything Square has/will ever create. In the credits, they even bother to credit Medieval scholars who consulted on the story.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Sunday, 27 March 2005 04:23 (twenty-one years ago)

only the best console RPG ever. (oh sip)

indeed, each room had its own (completely batshit) name. a sampling:

The Reaper's Victims
The Suicide King
The Passion of Lovers (a Bauhaus reference)
Drowned in Fleeting Joy

it was a late-generation PS1 game from square, an RPG with action trappings. An exquisitely well-executed game with high production values, it particularly showcased the value of a good translation - the writing in the Japanese version was fairly plain and anachronistic (you were part, literally, of an anti-terrorist force), which left the NA localization team making up a lot of the game's atmosphere. i'm sure it helps that it was already a pretty bitchin game, the producer/director was Yasumi Matsuno - the same guy responsible for Ogre Tactics/Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and the upcoming Final Fantasy XII. i'm pretty much peeing my pants 24/7 in anticipation of that one, despite my disillusionment with the franchise.

― Cabaret Voltron (PUNXSUTAWNEY PENIS), Sunday, 27 March 2005 04:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Drowned in Fleeting Joy

hahahah A NEW BANDNAME! LET'S ALL DYE OUR HAIR BLACK AND GET WALLET-CHAINS!

― kingfish van pickles (Kingfish), Sunday, 27 March 2005 04:38 (twenty-one years ago)

coming soon to victory records

― Cabaret Voltron (PUNXSUTAWNEY PENIS), Sunday, 27 March 2005 04:43 (twenty-one years ago)

that game sounds great. i wonder if i can get some sort of emulator thing going on for my mac!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 27 March 2005 05:39 (twenty-one years ago)

one of my friends just got back in touch with me and she is working for trustk1ll records... oh god!

― BOATPEOPLEHATEFUCK (ex machina), Sunday, 27 March 2005 16:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I would've big upped Vagrant Story more if not for its convoluted storyline -- it confused me, so if you were to explain it to me, I'd be happy to revise my opinion.

― Leeeter van den Hoogenband (Leee), Sunday, 27 March 2005 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

The witch in Zelda A Link To The Past (that's the one on SNES, right?) that you give the mushrooms to says "Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble"

― Lingbertt, Sunday, 27 March 2005 20:39 (twenty-one years ago)

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