[Fairygdmther]

I played this game about a year ago, and found it an enchanting fairy tale game. I thought it was more appropriate for a parent-child playing arrangement, since I felt their were parts a child might have difficulty with, both moralistically and game-wise. Here's my review -
Fairy Tale .

Nice review Emily, and I found your analysis right on target! Guess that college course WAS worth the money! LOL


FGM-Lyn

[kitzingmarko]

At its core, Fairy Tale tells the story of Nastienka (Nastya to her friends),

I haven't played the game, but it's usually the other way round. Her name is Nastya and her nickname is Nastienka.

[Fairygdmther]

I no longer have the game to check, but I believe you're correct.

FGM-Lyn

[vonpookie]

Personally, I'm just amused by the fact that there's a game that is based off a fairy tale that was made into a Russian movie that was dubbed (badly) into English and was then used in an MST3K episode.

I about snorted my drink through my nose this morning when I read the title of the game. Include along with that my brain telling me "Noo. No, they couldn't have done THAT." But they did. It's the same thing.

That said: going by the review of the game--assuming the game didn't use the movie as a visual crutch--the game could be a tie-in to the movie it's that accurate. Wow.

Images from the movie/MST episode Note: Images possibly could contain a spoiler for those that don't know what Ivan turns into (it was intentionally left out of the review, so I'm not going to be that mean )

[Mnemonic]

Originally Posted by vonpookie

Personally, I'm just amused by the fact that there's a game that is based off a fairy tale that was made into a Russian movie that was dubbed (badly) into English and was then used in an MST3K episode.

I about snorted my drink through my nose this morning when I read the title of the game. Include along with that my brain telling me "Noo. No, they couldn't have done THAT." But they did. It's the same thing.

Yep, the game is based on that old Russian movie, because for some reason the movie is extremely popular here in the Czech Rep. And AFAIK it was supposed to be called "Father Frost", just like the movie, but there were some copyright issues so it's been renamed to the current ridiculous title What's MST3K anyway?

[fov]

About the names - it's possible that Nastienka is her nickname and Nastya her name, but that's not the impression I got. The game is framed as a bedtime story a grandmother is telling two grandchildren, and they are the only ones who seem to call her Nastienka. So I assumed, since people who actually knew her called her Nastya, that this was the familiar form. Since Ivan is "familiarized" to Vanya, it makes sense that Nastienka would be shortened to Nastya. But I don't know Russian, so I'm not sure how it works.

I have not seen the movie that this is game is supposed to be based on... my understanding, though, is that the game shares some similarities to the movie but doesn't tell the whole story told in the movie (which could be why the love story comes across as so quick and superficial in the game). I would love to hear about the similarities and differences from someone who has played the game and seen the movie.

Originally Posted by Mnemonic

What's MST3K anyway?

Mystery Science Theater 3000. It's a TV show where they play a really bad movie and have three guys in the front row of the theater (you can see their shadows against the bottom of the movie "screen") making silly comments about it during the whole thing.

-emily

[vonpookie]

Originally Posted by Mnemonic

What's MST3K anyway?

MST3K = Mystery Science Theater 3000. Kind of a "cult" TV program. The general idea is that a human was shot up into space by his mad-scientist captors/employers and is forced to watch *bad* movies. The human has several robot companions (ok, so they're actually puppets ), 2 of which accompany him into the theater to watch the movie--that's why the bottom of the screen is "covered." It's a row of theater seats with the 3 of them sitting on the right-hand side. And then they proceed to make fun of whatever movie they're watching. (also: http://www.mst3kinfo.com/mstfaq/basics.html )

Not everyone cares for the show (my husband (unfortunately) being of that mindset), but I have been utterly in love with it since I first caught an episode when I was around...10? Something like that.

A sample of one of the comments made towards the beginning of the movie where Nastya is knitting: "Okaayyyy, the first major plot point centers on knitting socks. I think we're for quite a ride, fellas."

Originally Posted by fov

I have not seen the movie that this is game is supposed to be based on... my understanding, though, is that the game shares some similarities to the movie but doesn't tell the whole story told in the movie (which could be why the love story comes across as so quick and superficial in the game). I would love to hear about the similarities and differences from someone who has played the game and seen the movie.

The only version of the movie I've seen is due to the afore-mentioned MST3K episode--I don't know if there was anything cut out of the movie for this or not. Sometimes they had to edit the movies down to suit the show and bits were left out. All I know is what I've seen (although I do have the episode on tape and really need to watch it again . That said, the falling in love bit in the movie is pretty much a love at first sight kind of thing from what I can recall. Although Ivan still has to "prove" himself before she'll officially take him.

I'll definately have to grab the demo once I get home (mainly to amuse myself with the tv-show connection--I still can't get over that, heh)


The MST3K-version of the movie is also currently available for download from the Digital Archive Project (http://www.dapcentral.org)

[kitzingmarko]

Originally Posted by fov

About the names - it's possible that Nastienka is her nickname and Nastya her name, but that's not the impression I got.

You can believe me here, Nastya is the real name and Nastienka is the nickname. It is possible that they confused this in the game though, but in our real world is this way and not the other way.
I know the movie and I loved it when I was a child. Actually Father Frost is in Russia what Santa Claus is in the western world. And the characters are black or white in the movie the same way they are in the game, but it's a fairy tale and it's ok.

[Maquisard]

Originally Posted by kitzingmarko

You can believe me here, Nastya is the real name and Nastienka is the nickname.

I agree. Nastienka being the endearing term, it would make sense that kids are the only ones using it.

[fov]

Oh, I definitely believe you. Just speaking in my defense. As someone unfamiliar with the Russian language or culture, it wasn't clear to me. (I have changed the sentence in the review, though. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. )

At the beginning of the game I actually found the references to "Vanya" kind of confusing, because it was never explained that this was a pet name for Ivan. I thought the characters were referring to someone who hadn't been introduced yet.

[Maquisard]

Yeah. Russian novels especially, can be hella cofusing, seeing as how the same is true of every single character in the book. Thankfully, I speak a Slavic language, so I can sort of figure out Russian pet names.

[Morozko]

Ok, I'd like to add my own bit to this, since I'm Russian and grew up reading and watching these kind of fairy tales. First of all, the original Russian movie title for this fairy tale is "Morozko", which is an endearing form of "Father Frost". Actually, I don't know why they translate it as "Father Frost" because the more literal translation would be "Grandfather Frost". Just FYI, the name Santa Clause, I believe, originated in Finland (?) and normally has elf helpers, while Grandfather Frost is regarded in Russia as a true Russian Christmas and New Year's spirit and figure, and normally has "Snegurochka" as a helper. I believe the English translation for "Snegurochka" is "Snow Maiden" but that translation doesn't do it any justice. The term is supposed to be very endearing but English language seems to have a limitation in this area. I guess a little closer translation would be "The sweetest and kindest snow maiden", which can be expressed in Russian in just one word.

The movie "Morozko" is actually considered to be a classic in Russia, and is a beautiful, sweet, kind and charming story. Ask any Russian person who grew up watching it and similar movies are a kid, and you'll immediately see them nod and smile kindly, more of a feeling of "awwwww". I was rather surprised to find out that "Mystery Theater" showed it as a "bad" movie. Unfortunately, it seems the "reviewers" there are very ignorant and uninformed people. It's like if someone in Russia was watching a badly translated American western and ripping it apart for being dumb and stupid and saying that all people do in it is drink whiskey and shoot each other's brains out, oh, and have horrible buck teeth. Or perhaps it was a bad English translation that has lost a lot of soul and meaning along the way. I do not know who translated the movie in English but I find that because Russian language is so rich, it's often hard to find appropriate English translation for it. A person must be living and breathing both languages and have a love for what they're translating to even come close. Still, the MST3K reviewers should've considered it and shown more respect rather than bashing it and behaving like they spent all their lives in a barn. I find that ignorant people like them are usually the ones that ask completely dumb questions like, "so, does it always snow in Russia?" with a stupid smile across their face. Ok, just a bit of venting here.

Anyway, I'm glad that Chechs really loved the story and the movie that they decided to make a game based on it. Unfortunately, it seems they didn't do it a very good justice. Maybe it was budget and time issues or maybe the people who were hired to make it didn't share the same love for it as whomever wanted to see it made into a game. I remember they used to show a lot of translated Chech fairy tale movies in Russia, and they had a lot of odd things in them but still, they were fun to watch, and I know Chech people love good fairy tales and can appreciate them. It just happened that the game was not a really good translation of it. Still, I was glad to find out that the game's reviewer still saw charm in it, so maybe Chechs didn't do everything wrong. Just remember that fairy tales are meant to have exaggeration and supernatural in them. At least "Morozko" does not expect you to take everything seriously, the exaggerated parts are simply there to make it more amusing and charming.

For those who are confused about why Ivan was turned into a... Well, I should probably use a spoiler tag, so I will:

Spoiler:

After mushroom wizard rewards Ivan with a magic bow and arrows, he asks for a proper "thank you" with a traditional bow (a respectful bow was quite normal in mediaeval Russia) but Ivan says, "let a bear bow to you". So, the wizard simply decides to teach him a lesson by eventually turning him into a bear.

Watch this little preview bit from a Russian version with English subtitles.

http://www.russiandvd.com/store/prod...d=&genresubid=

If it goes to main page rather than "Father Frost", paste that link again into the same window, and it should go to the correct page that time.

Click on Preview to watch the 13-14 min sample.

While I can already tell that the English translation is a far cry from the original, at least you can hear the Russian voices and the tone used. It's quite charming and very fantasy-like. I noticed they give a basic English translation for even a narrator and that's truely disappointing because in Russian the language used is very fairy tale style, I mean it's very kind, "ancient" so to speak or "mediaeval" and just beautifully rolls of your tongue. How do you translate something like that into English? Probably impossible. I wish English was just a bit more rich. Take "Lord of the Rings" for example, that's not your typical every day English talk, is it? Well, it's something like that at times in "Morozko" and sometimes very simple on purpose but said with a lot of spirit in it.

Also, I don't think Ivan was meant to be shown a "jerk" transforming into a "non-jerk". He's a positive character from the start, he's a good guy, just with some "bad manners", which he eventually changes later. While "Nastya" is a goodie-two-shoes from the start, "Vanya" is a bit of a troublemaker, proud, dismisses a lot of things without caring too much but keeps his nose high and keeps on going to where he's going. "Nastenka", on the other hand, is always sweet and kind, even too sweet and kind. But remember, it is assumed that she was raised with a cruel stepmother and a lazy stepsister, who pretty much used and treated her as a slave her whole life. I guess her stepmother calls her names just out of jealousy and bitterness that she turned out to be beautiful and kind, and that she doesn't give much excuse to be yelled at for something.

As for the names, "Nastya" and "Nastenka" are both nicknames for "Anastasia", "Nastenka" being a more endearing form. Doesn't mean that just kids would call her that, anyone can. And "Vanya" and "Ivanushka" are nicknames for "Ivan", "Ivanushka" being a more endearing form. There are more forms of those names as well because the language is so rich.

Anyway, do NOT take this game as a basis for what this particular (or even any) Russian fairy tale is like. Rent or buy a movie with English subtitles, if you're interested. But keep in mind that not everything is translated with as much spirit and charm as the original story and dialogs are.

Because of examples like this, whenever I read or watch a foreign story or a movie, I approach it with utmost care without making swift judgments, as I know that a lot can be lost in translation. Which is why I try to listen to the tone of voice of any particular character and watch their facial expressions as well. And if it's a mediaeval type of story, I try to imagine an old tongue, an older manner of speaking, with charm and beauty, rather than a plain and dry translation.

[fov]

Welcome to the forum, Morozko! Thank you for your detailed response. It's nice to get another perspective.

Grandfather Frost is regarded in Russia as a true Russian Christmas and New Year's spirit and figure, and normally has "Snegurochka" as a helper. I believe the English translation for "Snegurochka" is "Snow Maiden" but that translation doesn't do it any justice. The term is supposed to be very endearing but English language seems to have a limitation in this area. I guess a little closer translation would be "The sweetest and kindest snow maiden", which can be expressed in Russian in just one word.

Okay, this brings up a question about something that wasn't explained very well in the game. (I'm going to use spoiler tags since not many people here have played it or seen the movie.)

Spoiler:

Near the end of the game, Nastya is cast out of her house by her stepmother and Father Frost finds her in the snow and brings her home with him. I got the impression she is going to take care of him and do his housekeeping. Does this make Nastya the Snegurochka?

The movie "Morozko" is actually considered to be a classic in Russia, and is a beautiful, sweet, kind and charming story. Ask any Russian person who grew up watching it and similar movies are a kid, and you'll immediately see them nod and smile kindly, more of a feeling of "awwwww". I was rather surprised to find out that "Mystery Theater" showed it as a "bad" movie. Unfortunately, it seems the "reviewers" there are very ignorant and uninformed people.

You're probably right that a lot is lost in translation - and not just in the translation of the language from Russian to English. A lot of cultural cues and folklore that just "makes sense" to someone who grew up with them are going to seem strange and out of place to someone who didn't... and you're right, laughing at it isn't a nice thing to do. But what you're saying about the nostalgia you and other Russian people who saw this movie growing up is exactly what I was trying to get at in the review. Have you played the game? I think it would be especially fun for someone who is familiar with this movie and has that kind of nostalgia for it. In comparison - when I was a kid I LOVED the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder (for those who aren't familiar, it's a series of books written by a woman who grew up as a pioneer, about her family's travels west and experiences homesteading in America in the 1800s). I must have read each of those books 50 times. Right now Wonderful World of Disney is doing a miniseries that's very accurate to the books, and I've been having a great time watching them. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and remind me of how much I loved those books when I was a kid. I can see this game having the same effect on someone who watched and enjoyed Morozko.

It's like if someone in Russia was watching a badly translated American western and ripping it apart for being dumb and stupid and saying that all people do in it is drink whiskey and shoot each other's brains out, oh, and have horrible buck teeth.

Don't worry, Mystery Science Theater makes fun of Western movies, too. They're an equal opportunity show.

Also, I don't think Ivan was meant to be shown a "jerk" transforming into a "non-jerk". He's a positive character from the start, he's a good guy, just with some "bad manners", which he eventually changes later. While "Nastya" is a goodie-two-shoes from the start, "Vanya" is a bit of a troublemaker, proud, dismisses a lot of things without caring too much but keeps his nose high and keeps on going to where he's going

This is interesting. It's certainly not how he's portrayed in the game (good guy / troublemaker) but I wonder if you played the game, how you would react to his character. Maybe the game developers were assuming that the player has seen the movie, so the player will be more forgiving of Ivan (in other words, maybe they thought they didn't have to set up his character as carefully because they were falling back on how he was portrayed in the movie). Or maybe the people who created the game interpreted him differently than you did... or maybe they meant to make him more of a good guy / troublemaker but didn't do a good job of it.

As for the names, "Nastya" and "Nastenka" are both nicknames for "Anastasia", "Nastenka" being a more endearing form. Doesn't mean that just kids would call her that, anyone can. And "Vanya" and "Ivanushka" are nicknames for "Ivan", "Ivanushka" being a more endearing form. There are more forms of those names as well because the language is so rich.

Interesting! I'm sure the nicknames would not cause any confusion for someone familiar with the culture. It's an issue with the translation that the developers wouldn't necessarily have foreseen.

I appreciated the game for giving me a glance into the Russian stories it's based on, but I didn't come away from it thinking the game is the definitive representation of Russian folklore. It's obvious to me that this is just one development team's attempt to retell the story. The game's "foreign" aspects (foreign to me, at least) are definitely the best thing about it. I don't think it would have been nearly as interesting to me if it were based on fairy tales I'm already familiar with, or if it were just a straight love story without the fairy tales at all. I think it definitely suffers from some problems but at its core the developers really meant well, and the charm of the original (as well as the developer's feelings about the story, which are clearly favorable) does shine through in spite of the game's problems.

[vonpookie]

Originally Posted by fov

Don't worry, Mystery Science Theater makes fun of Western movies, too. They're an equal opportunity show.

Definately. The fact that they used this particular movie isn't so much saying the movie itself is "bad," more that this particular version (in this case the dubbed English) is laughable. The people that did the show are actually some pretty big movie buffs.

[Morozko]

Originally Posted by fov

Welcome to the forum, Morozko! Thank you for your detailed response. It's nice to get another perspective.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by fov

Okay, this brings up a question about something that wasn't explained very well in the game. (I'm going to use spoiler tags since not many people here have played it or seen the movie.)...

Very nice! I'm very impressed that you picked up on that. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. Smarty pants! The answer is yes.

Originally Posted by fov

You're probably right that a lot is lost in translation - and not just in the translation of the language from Russian to English. A lot of cultural cues and folklore that just "makes sense" to someone who grew up with them are going to seem strange and out of place to someone who didn't... and you're right, laughing at it isn't a nice thing to do. But what you're saying about the nostalgia you and other Russian people who saw this movie growing up is exactly what I was trying to get at in the review. Have you played the game?...

I haven't played the game yet, unfortunately, but I'm not worried about the spoilers, since I know the story by heart. And don't worry, you sound like a very smart girl, I could tell you tried your best when reviewing this game. You didn't just take a simplistic narrow-minded approach, you tried to revive all your previous knowledge of fairy tales, and open-mindedly and honestly told how you felt. I thought you review was fine, it was honest, cute, and respectful. You never said that the game should've been customized to your own views of fairy tales or adventure gamers in general. So, I appreciate that. (a note to this site's editors: don't let this girl go, she rocks! )

Originally Posted by fov

Don't worry, Mystery Science Theater makes fun of Western movies, too. They're an equal opportunity show.

I'm glad to hear that. I did watch MST a bit before. Well, not really "watch" but I caught glimples of it and did, in fact, see some western movies on it as well but the movies I did see were usually regarded as "crap" even by westerners themselves. Did they ever bash "Gone With the Wind"? I doubt it. So, that's why I thought it was disrespectful on their part.

Originally Posted by fov

This is interesting. It's certainly not how he's portrayed in the game (good guy / troublemaker) but I wonder if you played the game, how you would react to his character. Maybe the game developers were assuming that the player has seen the movie, so the player will be more forgiving of Ivan (in other words, maybe they thought they didn't have to set up his character as carefully because they were falling back on how he was portrayed in the movie). Or maybe the people who created the game interpreted him differently than you did... or maybe they meant to make him more of a good guy / troublemaker but didn't do a good job of it.

Now that I think of it, perhaps his bad manners could be described as being a "jerk", depending on how you view "jerk". I just meant he was never the kind of jerk that would, for example, treat a girl without respect. He'd be bragging about himself, sure, but if he liked a girl, he would express it honestly. For example, when he first meets Nastya, he's very sweet and kind to her, he feels bad for her being treated badly by her stepmother. He was being a "jerk", however, when he said what he said to the mushroom wizard, which I mentioned in my earlier spoiler. And that meant to show that he was too proud to bow. So, a more appropriate term would be a "kind jerk", I think. Basically, he was a good guy from the start, would defend the weak, fight the evil etc, but too proud. The wizard just taught him some lessons in humility.

Originally Posted by fov

I appreciated the game for giving me a glance into the Russian stories it's based on, but I didn't come away from it thinking the game is the definitive representation of Russian folklore. It's obvious to me that this is just one development team's attempt to retell the story.

No worries. Your review is perfectly fine. If a game did not do justice to the Russian folklore, I'd rather you pointed it out rather than saying it did it great justice and then everyone getting a wrong and bad idea about the Russian folklore from this game.

I will try my best to get my hands on the game and play it and let you know exactly how I feel. But even from your detailed review I can already tell it is but a shadow of the original.

I'm just very glad that a very smart and intelligent individual like you got to review the game rather than someone from "Mystery Theater".

[Morozko]

Originally Posted by vonpookie

Definately. The fact that they used this particular movie isn't so much saying the movie itself is "bad," more that this particular version (in this case the dubbed English) is laughable. The people that did the show are actually some pretty big movie buffs.

I can agree that the English translation is bad but a quote was mentioned about a "great beginning" when you see Nastya knitting a sock. I'm not sure the language would've made a difference in their view and ignorant comment on it. I just felt it shouldn't have been a basis for a "bad" movie review. I've seen far worse American or English movies that had a horrible dialog compared to a badly translated movie. When it's a foreign movie and you bash it, it's a more dangerous territory than bashing your own stuff.

[vonpookie]

Originally Posted by Morozko

Well, not really "watch" but I caught glimples of it and did, in fact, see some western movies on it as well but the movies I did see were usually regarded as "crap" even by westerners themselves. Did they ever bash "Gone With the Wind"? I doubt it. So, that's why I thought it was disrespectful on their part.

Originally Posted by Morozko

I can agree that the English translation is bad but a quote was mentioned about a "great beginning" when you see Nastya knitting a sock. I'm not sure the language would've made a difference in their view and ignorant comment on it. I just felt it shouldn't have been a basis for a "bad" movie review. I've seen far worse American or English movies that had a horrible dialog compared to a badly translated movie. When it's a foreign movie and you bash it, it's a more dangerous territory than bashing your own stuff.

Well, there is a difference between making a fun of a movie because you think it's bad and making fun of it simply for the sake of comedy. In this case, it was their "job" to do so whether any of the people involved with the show really liked/enjoyed the movie or not. Apart from that, there was never anything mean-spirited in what they were doing--whether or not it was a foreign movie didn't matter in the least. It was just a matter of what movie they could get their hands on.

I believe that the majority of the movies they used on the show were US junk (though I'm not sure whether to be proud of this or not )

They even did a version of Hamlet on the show. Now personally, I LOVE Hamlet. However, I was never aggravated by it or thinking "how dare they?!" Personally, I was more interested in seeing what they *could* do with the material. In this case, they were dealing with a version that was done for German television in the 60s and dubbed into English--however the material was pretty much word for word from the play. They were really focusing on how much of a terrible *production* of the play it was.

That said, there's no way they would ever be able to do Gone With The Wind. They would never be able to afford the rights to it

[fov]

Originally Posted by Morozko

Very nice! I'm very impressed that you picked up on that. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. Smarty pants! The answer is yes.

Neat! See, that's the kind of connection the average player isn't going to make, but that will be really obvious to someone who knows the culture.

The whole scenario is actually very similar to the story of Snow White, which is a Grimms fairy tale. (The Grimms tales were not necessarily written by the brothers Grimm, though -- they were traditional stories -- so having similar but independent fairy tales in two different cultures is not really uncommon.)

Spoiler:

Snow White is forced out of her house by the evil queen (who is her stepmother) because the queen wants to be the most beautiful person in the land, but Snow White is more beautiful than she is. Snow White is taken in by the 7 dwarfs, and in exchange she cleans their house and cooks for them. Then she is put under a spell (because she eats the poison apple that the queen gives her in disguise) and falls into a near-death sleep, and can only be awoken by Prince Charming's kiss (in the Disney movie, anyway; in the original Grimms tale the prince hits her on the back and the piece of apple she choked on comes dislodged from her throat).

In comparison: Nastya is forced out of her house by her evil stepmother, because the stepmother wants her own daughter to be the most beautiful, but Nastya is more beautiful than her daughter. Nastya is taken in by Grandfather Frost, and has the same role in his household that Snow White did for the dwarfs, and she falls into a near-death sleep when she accidentally touches Grandfather Frost's ice wand. Ivan has to save her -- not by kissing her, but he's still the only one who can bring her back to life. And in the game, the way Nastya is lying when she's under the spell (click here for screenshot) is very reminiscent of how Snow White looks in the Disney version of Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs (unfortunately I can't find a screenshot).

(a note to this site's editors: don't let this girl go, she rocks! )

Thanks.

*looks around to see if Jack is watching...*

I will try my best to get my hands on the game and play it and let you know exactly how I feel. But even from your detailed review I can already tell it is but a shadow of the original.

I'm not sure how available it is. It does come up on ebay from time to time. If you do play it, I'd love to hear your reactions.

[Morozko]

Originally Posted by vonpookie

In this case, they were dealing with a version that was done for German television in the 60s and dubbed into English--however the material was pretty much word for word from the play. They were really focusing on how much of a terrible *production* of the play it was.

Yikes, I can only imagine what a mess they've made with the dubbing. It's unfortunate that when a story and a movie are great and popular and so are being introduced into other countries, something gets horribly messed and lost in the process. I realize that my view may be biased but I'm quite a movie buff, and have also lived for 10 years in both, US and Canada, so I'm quite adapted to the local culture, while still retaining the Russian background. I never saw any "bad production" when watching the movie as a kid or as an adult. True that the older movies don't have the modern Hollywood type effects but that's not what their strengths are. In fact, "too Hollywood" is even used as an insult nowadays. Other than that, fair enough, I understand your explanation.

[Morozko]

Originally Posted by fov

Neat! See, that's the kind of connection the average player isn't going to make, but that will be really obvious to someone who knows the culture.

True, it often becomes a choice of keeping it subtle or spelling it out. Some talented people out there can sometimes pull it off well for other cultures but it's definitely hard.

Originally Posted by fov

The whole scenario is actually very similar to the story of Snow White, which is a Grimms fairy tale. (The Grimms tales were not necessarily written by the brothers Grimm, though -- they were traditional stories -- so having similar but independent fairy tales in two different cultures is not really uncommon.)

I've read and seen quite a few fairy tales from different cultures and, indeed, there are many many striking similarities in the stories. You're right, it's quite common, and most of them have roots in the old folk stories of their respective cultures. For example, Baba Yaga is THE witch in Russian folk stories, so it was quite pleasant to see her in games like "Quest for Glory". There's also THE villain in many Russian folk stories, called "Koshei Bessmertnyi", which roughly translates as "Koshei the Undead". He's often in league with Baba Yaga in doing his evil doing. I'm not sure if I've seen Koshei in any non-Russian games yet but perhaps there are similar characters.

I'm sure you know the story of the frog-prince. Well, in Russian folklore, it's the princess who's a frog and a prince is the one who kisses her to turn her into a human form. So, that's just another example of similarities.

By the way, as a kid, I absolutely loved a story by Wilhelm Hauff called "Longnose the Dwarf". To this day it's very popular in Russia and is being sold on DVD in an animated form. Have you ever heard of it?

Originally Posted by fov

I'm not sure how available it is. It does come up on ebay from time to time. If you do play it, I'd love to hear your reactions.

I'll do my best.