From Jägerschnitzel and Bratwurst to Kinder chocolates and Doppelbock beer, German cuisine is a staple amongst my hebdomadal rotation of kitchen ingredients. While nutriment is routinely cited as the most popular form of one’s cultural exploration, another German constituent has also captivated my attention: techno music.
Known for galvanizing and repetitive electrical beats, the techno genre began to garner a following the early 1980s. Popularized by German artist Talla 2XCL, techno quickly became the primary component of dance clubs in Frankfurt and other European cities. Although relegated in modern times to night clubs, techno music is still my preferred motivation during workouts. I was entirely unaware that the inspiration behind my exercise regimen had also infiltrated my favorite video game.
Ever the fan of YouTube channels that catalog video game history, the Gaming Historian and DidYouKnowGaming recently documented the legendary “Totaka Song” Easter egg in the Link’s Awakening remaster. But a lesser-known Nintendo employee by the name of Claude M. Moyse has also hidden a secret track inside the German translation of the original Game Boy version’s code.
During the early 1990s, Claude Moyse served as an editor-in-chief for Club Nintendo, but he also localized games for Nintendo of Europe in his spare time. Despite serving in relatively prominent and visible roles, Claude Moyse was fond of taking liberties with video game music and translation. While some of Claude’s notable works include Donkey Kong Country and Star Fox 64, the German localization of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening was perhaps his most ambitious work.
Much like the Japanese composure Kazumi Totaka, Claude Moyse was able to hide a musical Easter egg in the German version of Link’s Awakening. Although Nintendo later removed the song in both the Game Boy Color and Nintendo Switch editions, the German localization is where Moyse exercised the most creative freedom. By entering the character name of “MOYSE” in all capital letters, players could listen to a special techno rendition of the game’s opening theme.
Not only did Claude Moyse work with the German development staff to revise several in-game assets, but he also adjusted the meaning of several conversations between Link and various NPCs. While most of the text revisions fall into the “not-safe-for-work” category, the most jarring modification involved the trading sequence with Martha.
In the Japanese and Western releases of Link’s Awakening, Link discovers a troubled mermaid named Martha just west of the Catfish’s Maw. Having lost her precious necklace, Martha agrees to give Link a scale from her tail in exchange for recovering the necklace. A chance meeting with a fisherman leads to the missing piece of jewelry, which Link gladly returns to Martha as part of the game’s trading sequence. However, Claude Moyse decided to accentuate the encounter.
In Claude’s version, Martha loses slightly more than a glamorous accessory. Upon conversing with the mythical aquatic creature, German players discover that Martha has misplaced her bikini top and will scold Link if he tries searching nearby for the swimsuit. After exchanging the fishing hook with the angler, Link is rewarded with the lost bikini top, which Moyse describes as both “sexy” and “drooling.”
While most localization teams aspire to uphold the original context, Claude longed to be unique. Some criticized his creative decisions, but others embraced Moyse’s eccentric perspective of Nintendo properties. Claude Moyse eventually left Nintendo of Europe to seek other opportunities; however, his translation of Link’s Awakening remains an oddity in The Legend of Zelda series. Whenever the rhythmic beats of techno music accompany a workout session, I will always remember the quirky German translator who relished in overstepping his bounds.
