Comments on: Learn the language that can thwart evil!

Learn the language that can thwart evil!

Rev. Syung Myung Me — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:27:31 -0800

"Okay, I work for GameStop, and in one of the local stores, someone returned Spanish for Everyone claiming it was exceedingly stereotypical." And it turns out it kinda was. It's a game for the Nintendo DS, where the framework involves an accidentally stolen DS which is taken by a kid whose father is in a limo, being chased by the police, going back across the border to Ensenada. Luckily, the kid's aunt (who apparently doesn't recognize him other than vaguely) is here to give him a ride as far as Tijuana, leaving him stranded in the middle of a foreign country where he doesn't speak the language! Fun, and it gets worse from there! Here's The Intro, Level 2's cut scene, level 3's cut scene and the ending, featuring a whole mess of cars, "fireworks" and, ahm, drug running? Of course, this'd just be a pile of YouTube links if it weren't for The lead designer of the game popping in to share his 2 cents on it. [via]

(and, if anyone cares, actual gameplay footage. On top of all that, it doesn't even seem that great at teaching the language...)

By: rokusan

rokusan — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:32:43 -0800

It seems harmless. Plus, it sounds like there will be a "French For Everyone" sequel, with the main character on an endless quest for cigarettes and a bath. What?

By: porn in the woods

porn in the woods — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:39:27 -0800

I heisted a copy for my flash cart-equipped Nintendo DS off of the newsgroups solely for the racism, but I stayed for the Español.

By: Lentrohamsanin

Lentrohamsanin — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:53:20 -0800

It seems harmless. Plus, it sounds like there will be a "French For Everyone" sequel, with the main character on an endless quest for cigarettes and a bath. In "Russian for Everyone" the object of the game is to set up a website that sells illegal downloads of the other games.

By: pupdog

pupdog — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:53:34 -0800

"They don't call me Gina Vasquez for nothing! I can teach you many things, and Spanish is definitely one of them!" Damn, I wish my Spanish classes had come with this much double entendre, would have been a lot more memorable...

By: awesomebrad

awesomebrad — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:54:33 -0800

Nice. Tags.

By: GavinR

GavinR — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 17:55:33 -0800

If you think this is controversial, just wait for "Arabic For Everyone"....it's gonna be downright explosive.

By: Crabby Appleton

Crabby Appleton — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:03:09 -0800

Shouldn't this be in MetaTalk?

By: DU

DU — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:07:56 -0800

I don't get it. There is a stereotype about non-spanish speakers having fathers in limos? Or aunts that don't recognize them?

By: DU

DU — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:11:00 -0800

Oh the accidental thief's father is in the limo (== drugs)! I get it. This is classy.

By: box

box — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:13:49 -0800

Mentioned on DS Fanboy a little while ago, too.

By: wfrgms

wfrgms — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:15:46 -0800

Metafilter: a new adventure awaits in the back of this truck...

By: Rev. Syung Myung Me

Rev. Syung Myung Me — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:19:40 -0800

Yeah... not so much the limo on its own, but the limo + the whole "we have to leave NOW!" + cop cars kinda doesn't look so well for the kid's dad being a captain of legitimate industry. And, yeah, the aunt thing is kinda weird, I admit. I just thought her "Oh, hey, aren't you my nephew?" thing was a little weird. I'm _thinkin'_ it might be a reference to her promiscuity, considering her name is very close to "Vagina Squeeze" as is...

By: phaedon

phaedon — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:31:44 -0800

But it's...it's a passing thing...it's uh.... I mean I would never tell them this but this is uh...this is a fad.

By: DU

DU — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:55:57 -0800

"Oh, hey, aren't you my nephew?" thing I actually read that as a "Hey, you are my nephew, (ami)rite?" Like "of course I'll help you--I have an obligation to, as you are in my family tree".

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:56:44 -0800

Ego amo English ut Latin reddo.

By: ColdChef

ColdChef — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:02:07 -0800

We're protecting the wrong border.

By: kalessin

kalessin — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:02:12 -0800

Someone in the first link's forum discussion said that nothing beats this game, but I'm here to tell you that Typing of the Dead is probably more hilarious. But, I will grant you, no racism, probably, in that one, unless Zombies count.

By: ZenMasterThis

ZenMasterThis — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:02:34 -0800

Wait 'til Mencia weighs-in on this.

By: felix betachat

felix betachat — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:21:17 -0800

Wait 'til Mencia weighs-in on this. Someone else has to weigh in on it first.

By: Rev. Syung Myung Me

Rev. Syung Myung Me — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:23:08 -0800

I actually read that as a "Hey, you are my nephew, (ami)rite?" Like "of course I'll help you--I have an obligation to, as you are in my family tree". Ah, fair enough. The English is kind of clunky, though, which, well, is kind of amusing in a language game...

By: drjimmy11

drjimmy11 — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:01:24 -0800

Wait 'til Mencia weighs-in on this. The game is offensive to horribly unfunny German-honduran comics?

By: jouke

jouke — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:33:12 -0800

I can't wait for Dutch For Everyone.

By: The Bellman

The Bellman — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:36:09 -0800

This is precisely why we need a "low budget French Canadian racism" flag.

By: felix betachat

felix betachat — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:36:10 -0800

I can't wait for Dutch For Everyone. Sitting there on the curb, eating your salty licorice with your friend Geert, his father rides by on a clunky black bike. He climbs into the basket with the rest of your licorice and you spend the rest of the game accosting taciturn yet somehow satisfied people in order to get it back. Sounds like a blast.

By: jouke

jouke — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:38:26 -0800

Heh. Sounds like a strange dream.

By: I-baLL

I-baLL — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:38:40 -0800

I think she's his "aunt" in the way that his dad or whoever is a regular customer.

By: empath

empath — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:49:31 -0800

that's how i interpreted it.

By: sparkletone

sparkletone — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 21:58:29 -0800

In "Russian for Everyone" the object of the game is to set up a website that sells illegal downloads of the other games. Shit, man. You got all the way through that? All the names are the same and the text is so insanely dense... I got so lost.

By: dhammond

dhammond — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 22:53:51 -0800

I have a DS and haven't used it for about a year, and I was all "oh yes, hilarious racism!" and about to buy it, but now everyone says that it's not the best way to learn Spanish on the DS. And now my life is more complicated again.

By: maxwelton

maxwelton — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:43:10 -0800

It seems harmless. Plus, it sounds like there will be a "French For Everyone" sequel, with the main character on an endless quest for cigarettes and a bath.

pick a reason to flag:
fantastic comment
double comment
HTML/display error
Offensive/sexism/racism
"French" not "Freedom" <--
noise
derail
it breaks the guidelines
other

By: ersatz

ersatz — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:38:06 -0800

So 2001, maxwelton.

By: toddbass10

toddbass10 — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:44:18 -0800

Jeeps are cool! I knew it.

By: maxwelton

maxwelton — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:53:44 -0800

So 2001, maxwelton. NEVAR FOR...oh, never mind.

By: slimepuppy

slimepuppy — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 04:42:22 -0800

Heh. I can only think about the Finnish for Everyone DS game that I desperately want to make now. Isolation, depression, alcohol and suicide play a large part in the learning experience. Fun for the whole family!

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 05:32:18 -0800

I was disappointed that the author took the comments with good humour and did not flame out.

By: Mastercheddaar

Mastercheddaar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 05:49:58 -0800

Wow.. did anyone else notice in the intro that the taxi is one of those European cars with the driver on the wrong side?

By: kittyprecious

kittyprecious — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:14:13 -0800

I love Mad Libs! language = Chinese hilariously inappropriate object of quest = lead poisoning Do I win?

By: anewc2

anewc2 — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:35:07 -0800

Tijuana is in the middle of a foreign country? Here I thought it was a border town. Learn something new every day.

By: misha

misha — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:46:43 -0800

My Mom gifted me with a quick guide to Spanish when I was going to Mexico on a cruise (didn't need it at all), and it was strikingly similar in stereotypes. Some of the phrases included, "Help, I have been shot!", "I was robbed" and "I want a lawyer."

By: vito90

vito90 — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:44:12 -0800

Some of the phrases included, "Help, I have been shot!", "I was robbed" and "I want a lawyer." You have to admit...those are all pretty good things to know.

By: Marquise

Marquise — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:02:42 -0800

I'm getting so excited at the prospects of 'Catholicism For Everyone', I feel a little guilty already.

By: Smedleyman

Smedleyman — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:59:49 -0800

Wait 'til Ron Paul weighs-in on this. No, really, you wait. ('Rand for everyone' )

By: SentientAI

SentientAI — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:43:31 -0800

Is Tony Montana in the game?

By: anthill

anthill — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 14:44:38 -0800

I can't wait till you get arrested at the airport with a bag full of cocaine-filled toys (and a DS) in the Paris airport. French for drug mules!

By: Cat Pie Hurts

Cat Pie Hurts — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 19:10:10 -0800

Greek for Everyone's gonna be hot.