



                             Game no Kandzume
                  (Phantasy Star II text adventures only)
                         English Translation Patch




 History
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100711 Initial release




 Overview
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This is a pair of translation patches for the MegaCD game compilation
"Game no Kandzume" volumes 1 & 2, also known as "Game Can". Only the
Phantasy Star II text adventures have been translated.

These text adventures were originally released on SegaNet and there
are translations patches available for those versions as well. The games
were enhanced somewhat and re-released a few years later as part of the
Game Can MegaCD collections. While the CD incarnations are generally
superior, you may wish to play the SegaNet editions instead of or in
addition to these versions.




 Applying the Patches
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First you will need to obtain image files of the Game Can discs. Hopefully
they will be split into tracks rather than a single file. If not, you will
need to extract the data track, which must be Mode 1 / 2048 bytes per block.

The included patches are in the IPS format so you can theoretically use any
IPS-compatible program. However, the data tracks are somewhat larger than
most IPS programs typically deal with, so you might run into problems.




 Playing the Game
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Once the data track has been patched, you should be able to run it directly
in an emulator (but make sure the unpatched track works first.) You can
also attempt to convert the data and music tracks into a full CD image,
which could then be burned to disc.

Some trouble-shooting advice is included in the section below. If you are
having too much trouble, consider trying the SegaNet translations instead.




 Q & A
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Q: Why doesn't my emulator work with any SegaCD game?

A: It probably needs a copy of the appropriate BIOS ROM.

   Make sure your emulator is capable of playing commercial USA SegaCD
   games before you go any further.


Q: Why do I get the CD player instead of the game?

A: The BIOS detected some problem with the disc.

   One common cause of failure is region lockout. These patches are designed
   for SegaCD/USA systems, so make sure your emulator is configured correctly.

   In the event you are trying to run this on a real MegaCD, you will need to
   convert the disc region (explained later on).

   Another possibility is an erroneous cue file, if you are using one.
   Some emulators/burners don't handle malformed cue files well,
   and I've seen files with the wrong mode listed for the first track.

   The simplest solution is to not load a cue file at all; most emulators
   can handle split track files as long as they are properly named.

   The more challenging fix is to open the cue file up in a text editor
   and replace MODE1/2352 with MODE1/2048 in the entry for the first track.
   However, that may not fix the problem; there could be other errors in
   the file. It also assumes that you are working with a compatible set
   of files -- if the data track does not actually use 2048 byte sectors
   then you will have to convert it before you can use this patch at all.

   (If you didn't understand that then don't bother trying to figure it out;
   just try something else or give up.)


Q: Why are these discs not compatible with my (real) MegaCD?

A: The default region for the translation patches is USA (SegaCD).

   The patches supplied in the directory named 'Boot' can be applied
   on top of the translated disc images to allow them to run on different
   region models. They are only necessary if you are using a real MegaCD.
   For emulators, just make sure you are running in the correct region.


Q: Why is there no title-screen music?

A: Most likely it is because the game can't find its audio tracks.
   This is a fairly trivial problem, since most of the music is synthesized.

   Assuming you actually have the necessary data, the solution will depend
   on your emulator or CD-ROM burning software, so check the relevant
   documentation or support forums. Again, this is not a big deal since
   only the title music of the PS2A games is CD audio. All you really need
   are the data tracks.


Q: Is it "Game no Kandzume" or "Game no Kandume"?

A: Both spellings are correct.

   Technical explanation: 'dzu' and 'du' both represent the same Japanese
   character, they are just the product of different romanization schemes.

   The former is phonetically closer and is more appropriate for Western
   audiences. For example, we use 'kudzu' in English rather than 'kudu',
   even though most people are unaware that the 'd' is silent. There are
   several other characters with multiple romanizations, such as tsu/tu
   and cha/cya/tya.

   The latter method is commonly used by the Japanese, for whom the
   phonetics are irrelevant, and also for electronic input.


Q: Will you translate the other games on the discs?

A: Not likely. The only reason this project was attempted in the first place
   was because half of the SegaNet text adventures were not readily available
   at the time, so the Game Can discs were the only way to play them. There is
   not much point in translating the CD versions of the other games when the
   ROM versions are much more convenient for all involved.

   Also, most of these games don't really need to be translated at all since
   they have little or no Japanese in them and are easy enough to figure out.
   Some of them are re-releases of Sega games from various platforms (e.g.
   Flicky, Teddy Boy) with basic online instructions in place of a manual.

   In the case of Shi no Meikyuu (the Rouge-like maze exploration game in the
   upper-left corner of volume 2) it appears to be a port of Fatal Labyrinth
   for the Genesis, which is a dual-language game. Since this feature was
   preserved, you get to play it in English with this patch, although I don't
   know if there were any significant changes over the Genesis version.
   (Incidentally, there is also another version of this game which is called
   Dragon Crystal for the Master System and Game Gear.)
