Nintendo will release the "Pokemon Sun, Moon" games with a new name for Pikachu. Reports say that Nintendo is now under fire in Hong Kong over Pikachu for the "Pokemon Sun, Moon" games.
Pikachu As An Icon In 'Pokemon'
Citing Quartz, Hong Kong gamers are calling Nintendo out after the gaming company's attempt to give the "Pokemon Sun, Moon" games a unified Chinese translation unintentionally effected a name change on Pikachu. As a character, the name Pikachu has become synonymous to the game and was expected to remain so for the "Pokemon Sun, Moon" games.
No To New Pikachu Name In 'Pokemon Sun, Moon' Games
Hong Kong fans are especially outraged that Pikachu in the "Pokemon Sun, Moon" games will now reflect 皮卡丘, which in Mandarin reads as Pikaqiu. For Hong Kong fans, however, writing Pikachu as 皮卡丘 in the "Pokemon Sun, Moon" games will read out as Pei-kaa-jau in Cantonese.
In the past the more regional translation of Pikachu in Hong Kong was 比卡超, which read as out Bei-kaa-chyu. This is closer to Pikachu than what the "Pokemon Sun, Moon" games will be using.
New Pikachu Name, 'Pokemon Sun, Moon' Games Disrespectful Of Diverse Chinese Culture?
According to Quartz, Chinese fans in both Hong Kong and Greater China are unhappy with the unified Chinese language offering in the "Pokemon Sun, Moon" games as a whole. In the past 20 years, "Pokemon" fans in both Hong Kong and Greater China have been translating the game as well as literature and merchandise based on Nintendo's franchise in more regional dialects.
For majority of the Chinese fans, the unified Chinese used in the "Pokemon Sun and Moon" games is a careless disregard their history with the franchise. Essentially fans feel that the "Pokemon Sun and Moon" games reflect an oversimplification of their diverse cultures by Nintendo and Pikachu is an illustration of it.
Pikachu Protest Goes Beyond Changes Through 'Pokemon Sun and Moon' Games?
Gamezone reports that Hong Kong fans have taken to public protests against the Pikachu change in the "Pokemon Sun and Moon" games. The media outlet suggests that a victory for Hong Kong fans in bringing the Cantonese Pikachu back, as they know him, in the "Pokemon Sun and Moon" games is victory for the Cantonese language.
The Metro reports that Nintendo Hong Kong asks Cantonese fans to keep reading 皮卡丘 as Pikachu and not its Mandarin version in the "Pokemon Sun and Moon" games. "Pokemon Sun" and "Pokemon Moon" are both scheduled for a Nov. 18 release by Nintendo.
