North American Version has less language options

[Mint]

Below are images from the North American, Australian and Japanese eShops.

North American versions of ACNH will only have English, Spanish (Latin American localization), and French (Quebec French localization) available.




I really want to know how languages will work in ACNH. If we're not locked into choosing our language at the start (like Pokemon), maybe past region exclusive holidays will be more accessible.

 

[Boccages]

Great news !

 

[satine]

This is really depressing to me. I saw on the German box art that Russian was available and I was extremely excited. That is my other language and it would be very dear to me that I could play in it on my favorite game. I'm really saddened by that. I wish there was something I could do to get a version that has its compatibility. I have no idea why this makes sense for them to do that. It really baffles and disheartens me.

And it doesn't make sense for this to be good news at all -- there are many people whose native tongue or favorite gameplay language is now not an option for them in the US/Americas (an area with many immigrants from many different corners of the earth).

 

[QueenOpossum]

Great news !

Why would less language options be good news...?

 

[jiojiop]

I get what Nintendo is doing here by having only the countries' official languages available in the game, but there are a lot of Chinese and Arabic speakers in NA. Though I don't know how online play would work if you want to communicate in English – is there also an English keyboard available to type in?

Why would less language options be good news...?

He's just glad they have French Canadian localization.

 

[Mint]

This is really depressing to me. I saw on the German box art that Russian was available and I was extremely excited. That is my other language and it would be very dear to me that I could play in it on my favorite game. I'm really saddened by that. I wish there was something I could do to get a version that has its compatibility. I have no idea why this makes sense for them to do that. It really baffles and disheartens me.

If you change your country of residence on your Nintendo Account to a European country/Australia/Japan, you can access their eShop and buy their version or import a physical copy from Amazon.

 

[jiojiop]

If you change your country of residence on your Nintendo Account to a European country/Australia/Japan, you can access their eShop and buy their version or import a physical copy from Amazon.

If you do this, don't you need to buy eshop cards in that foreign currency too though? Like you can't just use an NA credit card right?

And will your other games work that were bought on your countrys store?

 

[Dacroze]

This is really depressing to me. I saw on the German box art that Russian was available and I was extremely excited. That is my other language and it would be very dear to me that I could play in it on my favorite game. I'm really saddened by that. I wish there was something I could do to get a version that has its compatibility. I have no idea why this makes sense for them to do that. It really baffles and disheartens me.

And it doesn't make sense for this to be good news at all -- there are many people whose native tongue or favorite gameplay language is now not an option for them in the US/Americas (an area with many immigrants from many different corners of the earth).

I checked the german eShop and it will be available in the European version at least. I'd assume this will be the case for every European version based on the languages and not just for Germany, so importing or switching the eShop might be an option for you.

Spoiler: image from the german eShop

The available languages are: Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Korean, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional)

 

[satine]

I get what Nintendo is doing here by having only the countries' official languages available in the game, but there are a lot of Chinese and Arabic speakers in NA. Though I don't know how online play would work if you want to communicate in English – is there also an English keyboard available to type in?

He's just glad they have French Canadian localization.

I do know that Russian Cyrillic keyboards were an option on the 3DS, I have a vague memory of them while flipping through all of the options. I feel like Arabic was on there too? I am sure they'd include the same sorta system where you can flip through the different keyboards? But that is a good question! I haven't touched my Switch too much yet so I don't know if it has the same sorta keyboard.

If you change your country of residence on your Nintendo Account to a European country/Australia/Japan, you can access their eShop and buy their version or import a physical copy from Amazon.

Omg!! I am going to go try that out, thank you so much you are a lifesaver!!! <3 I really hope that that works!!

- - - Post Merge - - -

I checked the german eShop and it will be available in the European version at least. I'd assume this will be the case for every European version based on the languages and not just for Germany, so importing or switching the eShop might be an option for you.

Spoiler: image from the german eShop

The available languages are: Japanese, English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Korean, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional)

Ah I think I might try and do that if I can!!! Since it has English on that version's options too I am sure I could switch to/from both if I wanted to. Thank you!!! I am gonna go try that right now.

 

[QueenOpossum]

I get what Nintendo is doing here by having only the countries' official languages available in the game, but there are a lot of Chinese and Arabic speakers in NA. Though I don't know how online play would work if you want to communicate in English – is there also an English keyboard available to type in?



He's just glad they have French Canadian localization.

The United States does not have an official language, so all languages should be supported.

 

[Mint]

If you do this, don't you need to buy eshop cards in that foreign currency too though? Like you can't just use an NA credit card right?

And will your other games work that were bought on your countrys store?

Yes, you will need eShop cards. I've purchased a few games from the Japanese eShop. Playasia sells the Japanese eShop cards.

The Japanese games have always worked even when playing with my non-Japanese switch profile.

 

[Dacroze]

[...]Ah I think I might try and do that if I can!!! Since it has English on that version's options too I am sure I could switch to/from both if I wanted to. Thank you!!! I am gonna go try that right now.

I'm not sure how Nintendo will handle regional items, if there will be any, but you might not get the NA items if you don't purchase the NA version.

Yes, you will need eShop cards. I've purchased a few games from the Japanese eShop. Playasia sells the Japanese eShop cards.

The Japanese games have always worked even when playing with my non-Japanese switch profile.

Wasn't there also something about your balance and gold points not transferring and/or preventing a switch? I haven't purchased from another eShop yet, but I heard people had some issues with that.

 

[satine]

Yes, you will need eShop cards. I've purchased a few games from the Japanese eShop. Playasia sells the Japanese eShop cards.

The Japanese games have always worked even when playing with my non-Japanese switch profile.

Ooh. So would someone with a predicament like me need to create a separate Nintendo Account to even access the alternate eShop regions? And then use an AUS/EUR eShop card to purchase it?

Does that have complications with playing on your main US account/Nintendo Online? Like would it be better to just use and play out of the one that you bought the game under?

 

[Mint]

I'm not sure how Nintendo will handle regional items, if there will be any, but you might not get the NA items if you don't purchase the NA version.



Wasn't there also something about your balance and gold points not transferring and/or preventing a switch? I haven't purchased from another eShop yet, but I heard people had some issues with that.

I use a separate account for my Japanese eShop purchases. Maybe those that had issues were using the same profile and switching back and forth between regions?

My previous 2200 yen balance from my last Japanese eShop purchase in December was still hanging around and I put that towards ACNH.

 

[Dacroze]

I use a separate account for my Japanese eShop purchases. Maybe those that had issues were using the same profile and switching back and forth between regions?

My previous 2200 yen balance from my last Japanese eShop purchase in December was still hanging around and I put that towards ACNH.

You're correct, I only heard the problems in regards to purchasing from different countries on the same account. Due to the required Nintendo online membership for online play, I guess a second account needs it's own subscription if you plan to play online, so you'd also have to account for that.

Edit: It appears you don't need a second Switch online subscription for this, as I've just learned.

 

[LambdaDelta]

this is about par for the course with them, but still disappointing that they can't get their **** together on this in 2020

 

[jiojiop]

I use a separate account for my Japanese eShop purchases. Maybe those that had issues were using the same profile and switching back and forth between regions?

My previous 2200 yen balance from my last Japanese eShop purchase in December was still hanging around and I put that towards ACNH.

Ok let me get this right. You have 2 profiles on you Switch and each one is attached to a different Nintendo account. One profile has an American account and the other profile has a Japanese account. So you purchase Japanese games on that one profile, and you can still play those Japanese games even when you're using the profile that's attached to the American account?

 

[Mint]

Ok let me get this right. You have 2 profiles on you Switch and each one is attached to a different Nintendo account. One profile has an American account and the other profile has a Japanese account. So you purchase Japanese games on that one profile, and you can still play those Japanese games even when you're using the profile that's attached to the American account?

Yes!

I haven't played online with the Japanese games I've bought, but based on this article it should still be possible to play online with a different account that has a Nintendo Online subscription.

 

[Corrie]

At least it's in English. It's the only language I can speak. Sucks for others though.

 

[satine]

Alright. So I got kind of overwhelmed by the complexity of the option of switching to a different region and etc. And I was curious about this so I went to try Russian out on Mario Kart 8, which I already own.

I stayed in my US region account, I went into the eShop to look at the listing for Mario Kart 8. It says the same: "English/French/spanish". But it gives options for Russian and Japanese/etc in other regions, of course, with the AUS region account I made. Same as ACNH. So in my US region account, I went and changed my language to Russian in the system, just in the settings. And I clicked on Mario Kart 8 and lo and behold, the title screen and options were all in Russian. On my US region account.

Of course the "Mario Kart 8!" Mario voice that sounds off was still saying that in his English. But on the results of the race I ran, everyone's name is in Russian. As was the text and instructions and etc.

I am hopeful and curious about this then -- perhaps it's not advertised as compatible with all of the other languages that it actually is, but it's still in its system?

I am wondering if anyone knows if this does mean that ACNH will be in those other languages too if you switch your system. Like, surely since there is no actual English dialogue in the game (it's all animalese), and it's just the text bubbles and etc, it would be the exact same as Mario Kart 8 was in this instance?