Castlevania Dungeon Forums

The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => Hardcore Gaming 101 => Topic started by: P/\/\\/o on November 14, 2012, 08:19:34 AM

Title: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: P/\/\\/o on November 14, 2012, 08:19:34 AM
I think I know the answer, but is it still a mystery?  8)

(http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/028/307/iamerror.jpg?1318992465)
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: TheCruelAngel on November 14, 2012, 01:46:20 PM
I have a guess, based purely on my CS background and previous history at the big N (though not that far back).

My guess is the line "I am error" is a default string value for when a message appears to help prevent the title from freaking out and crashing when the intended value the message is looking for doesn't exist. This is double handy since it shows testers that there is an issue with the text/messaging system and they can point it out to developers to get this fixed. So what probably happened is that this was never caught (if memory serves NOA didn't really have a debug team back then) and thus made it into market.

I believe others that are more familiar with NES programming can vouch for this guess or disprove it. Regardless that's what makes the most sense to me.
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: Phoenix7786 on November 14, 2012, 03:23:47 PM
The answer plain and simple a townperson says to find and talk to Error for a vital clue. When you talk to Error after that he gives you the necessary clue.
Of course it IS still fully possible that his name bugged, and wasn't supposed to be Error but something else entirely. The again the Zelda series is full of eclectic names.
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: Jorge D. Fuentes on November 14, 2012, 05:01:28 PM
Haha, funny you say bug.

No his name is Error.
He's got a brother named Bagu (Bug) near Midoro Swamp.

The developers had some fun with the names.
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: Phoenix7786 on November 14, 2012, 05:48:06 PM
Oh damn that's right I forgot about Bagu! In that case their names are probably intentional.
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: Lelygax on November 14, 2012, 06:01:56 PM
Exact, since they translated Bug as Bagu its difficult to understand the joke xD
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: P/\/\\/o on November 15, 2012, 05:27:00 AM
My theory is boring, because it is so obvious: Lost in translation. Now, the original name of Error is Eraa or Erroru, in Japanese. While you can translate this into Error, you can also translate it into Errol,too. And Errol sounds like a medieval name, so the guy's name is probably 'Errol'. But the translators had a brainfart on this one.  ;D
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: TheCruelAngel on November 15, 2012, 01:43:04 PM
His name is actually suppose to be error? Well color me surprised, (and woefully obvious I haven't played through Zelda II) but a lost in translation does make sense.

I mean, we are talking about the company that went from Monkey Kong to Donkey Kong.

Also Errol would be a pretty sweet name, but could also be Ellol or Ellor (yay ambiguous r/l phonemes!). Shame it ended up being Error and no one questioned it. o_O
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: A-Yty on November 15, 2012, 02:03:17 PM
My theory is boring, because it is so obvious: Lost in translation. Now, the original name of Error is Eraa or Erroru, in Japanese. While you can translate this into Error, you can also translate it into Errol,too. And Errol sounds like a medieval name, so the guy's name is probably 'Errol'. But the translators had a brainfart on this one.  ;D

This would have been my guess too.

But the more you know. This kind of a findmuck. Who would have guessed that with all those games being full of engrish, one of them had a clever wordplay disguised like another messed up translation.
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: Claimh Solais on November 16, 2012, 06:35:00 PM
Also Errol would be a pretty sweet name, but could also be Ellol or Ellor (yay ambiguous r/l phonemes!). Shame it ended up being Error and no one questioned it. o_O

There's actually a character named Errol in the Jak & Daxter series, though it was spelled "Erol" in Jak II and then as "Errol" in Jak 3. I did like the name after I first heard it.

I always just thought the character of Error was a character giving you useless information a la Simon's Quest NPCs.
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: Aridale on November 16, 2012, 06:54:43 PM
There's actually a character named Errol in the Jak & Daxter series, though it was spelled "Erol" in Jak II and then as "Errol" in Jak 3. I did like the name after I first heard it.

I always just thought the character of Error was a character giving you useless information a la Simon's Quest NPCs.

Never thought it coulda just been after Errol Flynn?
Title: Re: Is it common knowledge why the guy sez 'I am Error' in ZLDII?
Post by: Claimh Solais on November 16, 2012, 07:06:31 PM
Never thought it coulda just been after Errol Flynn?

I never said it was named after anyone.