Retro-Bit issues an apology following the discovery of uncredited fan translations in its games

Retro-Bit has issued an apology for launching several 16-bit games featuring fan translations that did not receive proper credit.

Following criticism from fans over the use of uncredited translations in at least four SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis rereleases previously exclusive to Japan, Retro-Bit confessed to "letting its guard down." The company described the problem as "an irresponsible oversight on our end," and vowed to "contact those whose contributions went unrecognized to offer a satisfactory resolution."

The firm explained that they had worked with various translators and programmers on past projects, but due to scheduling issues, their usual collaborators weren't available for the recent releases.

Retro-Bit attributed the problem to its current translator, who provided "to a lesser or greater extent, uncredited work."

"We’ve consistently maintained a successful collaboration with our partners, but unfortunately, this time we faltered," Retro-Bit stated to VGC in a statement.

“This oversight is our responsibility, and we are fully accountable for not verifying the translations submitted. To rectify this, we will establish contact with those whose work wasn’t credited to find a resolution.”

The company mentioned they would postpone upcoming releases to enhance their localization procedures and prevent a recurrence of these issues.

“Collaborating with talented members of the retro gaming community and supporting the original developers is one of the most rewarding aspects of these rereleases," the statement concluded.

"Our intention was never to exploit this relationship, and we apologize for letting down our fans. We sincerely appreciate the retro gaming community's support and patience as we work to better our processes."