A little-known Magic: The Gathering video game from more than 25 years ago is finally getting an unofficial English language update thanks to a dedicated fan effort.
MagiC: The Gathering (Dreamcast) English Translation
Even die-hard Magic: The Gathering fans may not be aware that the game once received a SEGA developed video game adaptation in the early 2000s. This version of the game launched on the Dreamcast exclusively in Japan and unfortunately never made its way to the west.
Luckily, a new fan-driven translation effort is finally making it possible for retro gaming and Magic: The Gathering fans to experience the game (or at least most of it) in English.
The obscure Dreamcast version of Magic: The Gathering is back thanks to AstraleAmalthea, who single-handedly led the project.
“There was really hardcoded text string limits. Card names and prompts needed to be shortened. I tried to make each one readable, but I was editing a lot of them without context. There are a lot of possible board states, so if you see something that doesn’t make sense at all, or even something that is entirely wrong, please let me know.”
The creator did disclose that they used AI to write some python scripts to extract the text and format it into a CSV, but that all the actual translation work was done by a human.
“I either looked up content on Scryfall, MTG wikis, Jisho.org, or just from my own game/Japanese language knowledge. All texture edits were done in PaintNet with the PVR plugin.”
Despite all the hard work, players interested in checking out this version of the game should note that the tutorial videos still do not include translations. Magic veterans who are familiar with the gameplay already likely can get by without playing through the tutorials anyway.
Gamers who play through the title will find most of the cards are inspired by the sixth edition Magic: The Gathering expansion. That said, there are a handful of other cards from earlier sets in the mix, as well. All of the cards feature the popular white borders, as well. There’s enough variety in the cards available for players to experiment with various archetypes like burn, control, and merfolk.
It’s a far cry from something like Magic Arena, but the game features a unique story to play through and some cards, like Armageddon and Earthquake even have dramatic animations when they hit the battlefield.
Be sure to check back soon for lots more retro gaming news and updates.
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