Nintendo's decision to withhold release of Fatal Frame 4 from Western release didn't sit well with fans, so a group of them has produced an English patch that translates the game for players in North America and Europe.
Fatal Frame 4, known in Japan as Zero: Tsukihami no Kame, won't see a U.S. retail release any time soon, but it's now playable in English, thanks to some dedicated fans, some interesting technology, and import stores. A team of Fatal Frame fans have worked out a way to patch the data for the game, using some creative techniques revolving around an SD card and an external hard disk. According to the patch's website, it will run on any North American, European, or Japanese Nintendo Wii, bypassing region constraints and replacing the in-game text with English. Note that the patch requires a retail disc for Fatal Frame 4, meaning pirated copies are not going to cut it.
While we aren't able to test the patch and therefore cannot comment on its performance, numerous visitors to the patch's forums have professed success in getting the patch working.
It's amazing to see what a group of passionate fans can accomplish when they band together. I'm just hoping this doesn't end with the dreaded cease and desist letter from the big N.
Fatal Frame 4: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse Patch Page [Official Website - Thanks Wolkan!]
Screen taken from of the patch in action.


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