The announcement of Pikmin 3 Deluxe for Nintendo Switch may well have whetted our collective appetites for another round of this juicy, adorable real-time strategy game, but did you know about this curious translation from the original on Wii U?
One of the many pieces of fruit that you can find in the game is called the 'Scaly Custard'. It's actually an avocado, described by Brittany as a cross between a reptile and a pudding, and poor old Alph is allergic to the things. What we didn't know, though, is that it had a very different name in Japan, as brought to our attention by Twitter user, @reggie_800.
You what, Nintendo?
Other translations found across the web back up this claim, although the Pikmin Wiki has it listed as 'Crocodile Testis'. Is that any better? Probably not.
According to Business Insider, the avocado was originally called the 'āhuacatl' when first discovered by the Aztecs in 500 BC. That translates to 'testicle', so perhaps Nintendo was just giving us a quick history lesson?
Either way, if you've pre-ordered your copy of Pikmin 3 Deluxe and are looking forward to enjoying it when it launches this October, keep an eye out for the Crocodile Scro– erm, Scaly Custard.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 57
I bet that the 17 Japanese kids who bought a Wii U and Pikmin 3 were laughing about this
This really made me chuckle 😄
Edit: Just wanted to add that this is the kind of silly, useless trivia I live for. You guys should do an entire piece on the wacky, changed translations in Nintendo games
Ah yes, the classic Nintendo item lineup, the Fire Flower, the Triforce and Crocodile Scrotum.
That's funny, like what was Japanese Nintendo thinking?
Curse you, censoring mah gamez
I see that even the Wii U articles from 7 years ago get ported over
Wow, that's nuts.
@UmbreonsPapa Ok here goes a trivia regarding the avocado:
In Mexican spanish we call it "aguacate", that comes from the nahuatl word "ahuacatl" that literally means "testicle", so there's that... 😅
#themoreyouknow
Wait, so avocados AREN’T croc scrotes? Huh, maybe I’ll try one then. Next I’m gonna find out bananas aren’t Simpson... fingers.
Why is it not just called an avocado?
@bimmy-lee You cheeky devil 😇
At least the Japanese one was more accurate, I don't see the big deal...
I have visited NintendoLife everyday with the hope that one day they would finally publish an article about scrotums. Today is my lucky day!
That's funny stuff. See, frankly, I think anatomical references like this are fine. Oblique enough.
This is something I’ve always had trouble understanding. Why did Nintendo deem that name inappropriate for the English version but not the Japanese version?
@Mountain_Man Because Olimar and co. are explorers from another planet and are not familiar with the stuff they encouter, so they just name them as they seem fit.
Looks more like an arse than custard to me
Could have been worse, like... Arse custard 😩😬
They really dropped the ball this time
Not sure if a common person would think it sounds inappropriate in in japan tho. Could be just one of those words with a unwidely known orgin or just have multiple meanings for all i know🤷
In my UK copy it's called Crocodile Scrotum too.
Scaly custard actually sounds more gross than crocodile scrotum as far as food is concerned.
Think about the children !!! They should take Pikmin 3 from shops worldwide !!!
@Andy_Witmyer you win! 🤣
video game news must be slow today. Does this even warrant an article? Are we Switch owners this starved for some Nintendo news that is has come down to talking about a scaly custard?
i don't think i even noticed, but lets just keep calling the fruit "Scaly Custard" instead of calling it "Crocodile Scrotum" or "Crocodile Testis". or how about us in the west receive on option to pick the title of this fruit as well as others, but only for ones that have multiple translations for the name of the different fruits.
this translation "issue" reminds me that the fruits lemon and lime have the same name. so are we adding that translation issue into Pikmin 3? hopefully we will get to keep our lemons and limes instead of having yellow lemons and green lemons...lol
Heh heh. Funny cuz balls.
Lol, I like the old one better!
@ALinkttPresent Because ESRB and CERO have different rating standards. Any sexual references may bump up ESRB rating but not CERO. Conversely CERO cares about alcohol references but not ESRB (hence grape juice instead of wine in Phoenix Wright; "water castella" instead of saké in the Japanese version of PWAA: SoJ)
Also, "X no fuguri" is actually a real life Japanese plant naming scheme. They really do call Veronica polita "Inu no fuguri" or Dog Scrotum, and Veronica persica "Ooinu no fuguri" or Giant Dog Scrotum.
Funny, that's also the name of my favorite 90's grunge band.
@ALinkttPresent Western societies tend to demonize / stigmatize reproduction and the associated anatomy way more than Japanese society does.
@ALinkttPresent animal scrotum is not inappropriate in east Asia, it is just a type of meat like any other. Cultural differences do exists and cause that. As an example, the number 24 means nothing for you, but in my country it is often used in homophobic contexts. Anyway there's literally a world of mor examples like that.
Ngl, "Scaly Custard" doesn't sound much better; it sounds like something you'd see at the end of an erotic film about humanoid reptiles...
EDIT: Seems kinda fitting that this is comment #34 at the time of posting, since that number is associated with a certain website where you'll undoubtedly find custard of various kinds, not just scaly.
@Andy_Witmyer I see what you did there!
I'm sure they changed it to stop somebody getting the sack
Personally I think it's not a good choice to change the artist's original intent. But I do understand.
@flashboy "Because Olimar and co. are explorers from another planet and are not familiar with the stuff they encouter, so they just name them as they seem fit."
And these explorers from another planet know what crocodiles and scrotums are, but not avocados?
@bimmy-lee Scaly custard from toothy green dog testes. Hunt toothy, take to willage, show elder. Elder give many mud. This night, willage sing dance. Eat scaly custard, pick three mens to eat first. Nitnedo watch this, make game.
Pffft, pathetic crocodiles! Grow some coconuts.
@HobbitGamer - Is true. Boiko tell me of this scaly custard ritual what nintendo has stolen with black magic.
Just one reason to import.
@Mountain_Man well, because it’s funny to see how an extraterrestrial would call things from his perspective. That has always been part of the charm of Pikmin
@Luigivaldo ahh I like seeing fellow Mexican tree-testicles-knowing friends in here.
Croc and ball torture
@JHDK : There's more where that came from! This very site published an article some time ago about Mario's (uncensored) naughty bits! (and here we were thinking his exposed nips in Odyssey were scandalous!)
Also odd that this site frowns upon swearing but relishes baring.
Jokes and humor rarely if ever translate properly across the language barrier.
rofl thats pretty funny tbh!
That's b*llocks! PC culture gone too far, stop censoring our games, stupid snowflakes, etc, etc
Somewhere out there, AVGN just choked on beer.
Why not just call it an Avocado as that is what it is...
Nintendo confuses me sometimes
I apparently enjoy crocodile scrotum smoothies. Hmm.
@Mountain_Man Well, seeing as aliens are also very well known for their anal probes, I think it's safe to assume that this is why their dirty minds came up with that.
It's either that, or simply just Japanese perversity...
All kidding aside, though: literal translations almost never make sense, especially when taken out of context.
Mmm, yummy. I love eating crocodile scrotum's. Wait, we're on air. Oh crud, cut that out, CUT THAT OUT!
@Bunkerneath it's in a futuristic world, so everything has a weird name because they are "discovering" it.
Come on nintendo game we just have a little fun? (get it?)
@Mountain_Man thats because, unlike avocados, they DO have crocodiles on their home planet... and scrotums, well, you figure it out.
I nearly choked on my drink laughing when I read the Japanese name.
Writer, why would you credit pikmin.fandom.com when www.pikminwiki.com is the active one with more accurate info?
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