Jeremy Blaustein

Jeremy Blaustein (born June 7, 1966 in Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, United States, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City, and two of which are mainly suburban...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

) is a Japanese

Japanese language

is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family. There are a number of proposed relationships with other languages, but none have gained general acceptance...

 translator and localization coordinator specializing in the localization of video games, such as Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid

is a stealth action video game directed and written by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid...

, as well as anime

Anime

is animation originating in Japan. The world outside Japan regards anime as "Japanese animation". Anime originated about 1917.Anime, like manga , has a large audience in Japan and high recognition throughout the world...

 and other television programs, such as Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl. He currently resides in rural Massachusetts with his wife and three children, where he operates his own translation agency, Zpang, Inc. His sister was Maddie Blaustein

Maddie Blaustein

Madeleine Joan Blaustein was an American male-to-female transgender voice actress. Blaustein was born in Long Island, New York, United States.Blaustein was, until her death, the voice of Sartorius in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX...

, a voice actress of anime (known for playing Meowth in Pokemon

Pokémon

is a media franchise published by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world,...

). She passed away on December 11, 2008

Video games

Title	Year	Platform(s)	Role
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations, released in Japan as , is an adventure/visual novel video game developed by Capcom. It was originally released for the Game Boy Advance, and was later ported to the PC and remade for the Nintendo DS....	2007	DS Nintendo DS The is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in 2004 in Canada, the United States, and Japan. The console features a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP, with two LCD screens inside—with the bottom one being a touchscreen...	Translator (with Nanica Co., Ltd., edited by Capcom)
Hamsterz Life Hamsterz Life Hamsterz Life is a hamster simulation video game released by Ubisoft for the Nintendo DS. Hamsterz Life is also known as Love ♥ Hamster or Love Love Hamster in Japan.-Gameplay:...	2006	DS	Translator and coordinator (with Gabe Glick)
.hack//G.U.	2006	PlayStation 2 PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The PS2 console is the sequel to the original PlayStation console. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game...	Translator and coordinator (with Gabe Glick)
Shadow Hearts: From the New World Shadow Hearts: From The New World is a console role-playing game developed by Nautilus and published by XSEED Games in 2005. It is the third official game in the Shadow Hearts series....	2005	PlayStation 2	Translator, scriptwriter, English VO director, voice actor
Shadow of Rome Shadow Of Rome Shadow of Rome is a video game for the PlayStation 2 console. It is a hybrid fighting/stealth game set in ancient Rome and loosely based around the assassination of Julius Caesar.-Gameplay:...	2005	PlayStation 2, PC Personal computer A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator...	Translator, English VO director, motion capture director
Silent Hill 4 Silent Hill 4: The Room Silent Hill 4: The Room is the fourth installment in the Konami Silent Hill survival horror series. The game was released in Japan in June 2004 and in North America and Europe in September of that same year. Silent Hill 4 was released for the Sony PlayStation 2 and the Microsoft Xbox consoles as...	2004	PlayStation 2, Xbox Xbox The Xbox is a video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2, Sega's Dreamcast, and Nintendo's GameCube... , PC	Translator, English VO director, motion capture director
Shadow Hearts: Covenant Shadow Hearts: Covenant Shadow Hearts: Covenant is a console role-playing game developed by Nautilus and published by Midway in 2004. It is a direct continuation of Shadow Hearts and the second official game in the Shadow Hearts series. The game features two DVD-ROM discs instead of the usual one, which provides,...	2004	PlayStation 2	Translator, scriptwriter, co-directed certain sequences
Airforce Delta Strike Airforce Delta Strike Airforce Delta Strike, known as Airforce Delta: Blue Wing Knights in Japan and Deadly Skies III in Europe, is the third installment in the Konami Airforce Delta series. It was released in 2004 exclusively on the PlayStation 2...	2004	PlayStation 2	Translator, English VO director, motion capture director
Silent Hill 3 Silent Hill 3 Silent Hill 3 is the third installment in the Silent Hill survival horror series. It is a direct sequel to the first Silent Hill game, staged seventeen years after the game's events. This entry is centered on a teenage girl named Heather who is drawn into Silent Hill's bizarre reality after a...	2003	PlayStation 2, PC	Translator, English VO director, motion capture director
Lost Kingdoms II Lost Kingdoms II Lost Kingdoms II, known as in Japan, is a role-playing video game developed by From Software and published by Activision in North America and Europe. It is the sequel to Lost Kingdoms...	2003	PlayStation 2	Translator, scriptwriter, English VO director
Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits is the first of two Arc the Lad games for the PlayStation 2, the second being Arc the Lad: End of Darkness. The game was rereleased in Japan as a premium box set...	2003	PlayStation 2	Translator and coordinator
Dead or Alive: Extreme Beach Volleyball	2003	Xbox	Translator
Dark Cloud 2	2002	PlayStation 2	Translator and coordinator
Beach Spikers Beach Spikers Beach Spikers, also known as Beach Spikers Virtua Beach Volleyball, is an arcade-style beach volleyball video game for Nintendo GameCube and for arcade machines...	2002	GameCube Nintendo GameCube The is Nintendo's fourth home video game console with Wii being fifth, and is part of the sixth generation console era. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....	Translator
EOE: Eve of Extinction EOE: Eve of Extinction EOE: Eve of Extinction is a 3D beat-'em-up game released on February 26, 2002 for the PlayStation 2. It was published by Eidos Interactive and developed by Yuke's...	2002	PlayStation 2	Translator
Fatal Frame Fatal Frame (video game) -Gameplay:The game revolves around the female protagonist, Miku Hinasaki, and progresses through four chapters . As a result, players control her for most of the game except for the intro chapter, in which Mafuyu is a controllable character...	2001	PlayStation 2, Xbox	Translator and coordinator
Silent Hill 2 Silent Hill 2 Silent Hill 2 is the second installment in the Silent Hill survival horror series. The game was released in late 2001 on the Sony PlayStation 2 and was ported to the Microsoft Xbox later that year and PC the following year....	2001	PlayStation 2	Translator, English VO director, motion capture director
Ape Escape 2 Ape Escape 2 Ape Escape 2 is a platform video game developed by Sony and published by Sony in Japan and Europe, while Ubisoft published it in North America for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was first released in Japan on July 18, 2001, and was later released in Europe on March 14, 2003, and in North...	2001	PlayStation 2	Translator and English VO director
Shadow Hearts Shadow Hearts is a series of role playing games for the PlayStation 2. The original Shadow Hearts was developed by Sacnoth and released by Midway in the United States on December 11 2001. The sequel, Shadow Hearts: Covenant , was also made by the same group, although Sacnoth reformed itself into a company...	2001	PlayStation 2	Translator, scriptwriter, English VO director
Dragon Warrior VII Dragon Warrior VII Dragon Warrior VII, known in Japan as is a Japanese console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat and ArtePiazza, and published by Enix for the PlayStation in...	2000	PlayStation PlayStation The PlayStation is a 32-bit fifth generation video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December ....	Translator and coordinator
Valkyrie Profile Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is a console role-playing game developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix for the PlayStation. It was released on December 22, 1999 in Japan and on August 29, 2000 in North America...	1999	PlayStation	Translator and English VO director
Alundra 2 Alundra 2 Alundra 2, released in Japan as and in Europe as Alundra 2: A New Legend Begins, is an action-adventure video game developed by Contrail for the Sony PlayStation. It was published by Sony in Japan in 1999 and by Activision in North America and PAL regions in 2000...	1999	PlayStation	Translator and scriptwriter
Suikoden 2	1998	PlayStation	Translator and coordinator
Metal Gear Solid Metal Gear Solid is a stealth action video game directed and written by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid...	1998	PlayStation	Translator and assistant-directed English VO sessions with Kris Zimmerman Kris Zimmerman Kris Zimmerman is an American voice director, casting director, talent coordinator, and voice actor.Zimmerman is most known for directing the English voices for the Metal Gear Solid series...
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a 2D action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997. Its Japanese title is . It is the 13th installment of the Castlevania series, the first installment released for the PlayStation and is a direct sequel to Akumajō Dracula X Chi no...	1997	PlayStation	Translator
Vandal Hearts Vandal Hearts Vandal Hearts is a Japanese turn-based tactical role-playing video game by Konami, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo for the Sony PlayStation and by Konami Computer Entertainment Nagoya for the Sega Saturn. The PlayStation version was distributed in Japan, North America, and Europe...	1996	PlayStation	Translator
Snatcher Snatcher is a cyberpunk-themed adventure game published by Konami, written and directed by Hideo Kojima. It was first released in Japan in 1988 for the NEC PC-8801 and MSX2 computer platforms, followed by a remade CD-ROM version for the PC Engine in 1992, as well versions for the PlayStation and Sega...	1994	Sega CD Sega Mega-CD The is an add-on device for the Mega Drive video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and North America. In North America, it was renamed Sega CD, as the name Mega-CD bore no obvious associative meaning in that market where the console...	Localization supervisor (with translation by Scott T. Hards)

While working at Konami

Konami

is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...

 in Tokyo

Tokyo

, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and is located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the city of Tokyo in the eastern part of the prefecture, totaling over 8 million people....

, Japan

Japan

is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 in the early 90s, he also contributed to the localizations of the following games:

• The Adventures of Batman & Robin
• Animaniacs
• Biker Mice from Mars
  Biker Mice from Mars (1994 video game)
  Biker Mice From Mars is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game made in 1994 by Konami, based on the animated series of the same name. The object is to take on the role of Throttle, Modo, or Vinnie, and defeat space enemies Lawrence Limburger, Dr. Karbunkle, and Grease Pit in a series of...
  
  
• International Superstar Soccer
  International Superstar Soccer (video game)
  International Superstar Soccer is a football video game developed by Konami for the Super NES...
  
  
• Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters
  Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters
  Lethal Enforcers II: Gunfighters is a 1994 arcade game that takes place in the American Old West. The object in the game is to shoot outlaws in order to eradicate crime from a stereotypical Old West town. Like in the original Lethal Enforcers, lives can be lost by shooting innocent civilians...
  
  
• NBA Give 'N Go
  NBA Give 'N Go
  NBA Give 'N Go is a 1995 Super Nintendo Entertainment System basketball game that uses licensed teams from the National Basketball Association. The game is essentially a home version of Konami's arcade game Run and Gun, which featured similar graphics and gameplay but no NBA license...
  
  
• Rocket Knight Adventures
  Rocket Knight Adventures
  Rocket Knight Adventures is a 16-bit generation side scrolling platformer produced and released in 1993 by Konami for the Sega Mega Drive console, designed by Nobuya Nakazato, designer of several titles in the Contra series such as The Alien Wars, Hard Corps and Shattered Soldier...
  
  
• Sparkster
  Sparkster (SNES)
  Sparkster is a 16-bit generation side scrolling platformer produced and released in 1994 by Konami for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, directed by Hideo Ueda . The eponymous main character is an opossum knight who fights an army of wolves and robots...
  
  
• Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Sports Challenge
  Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Sports Challenge (SNES)
  Tiny Toon Adventures: Wacky Sports Challenge is the second Tiny Toon Adventures-based game, released on the Super NES, released in 1994, and developed and published by Konami...
  
  

Style

Blaustein is consistently recognized for his superior work. GameFan praised Snatcher, calling the translation "perfect" and the voice acting "flawless," while GameCritics said, "The writing and adaptation from the original Japanese is so good that you don't even think about what an achievement it is for the video-game industry," with the voice cast "going above and beyond anything the industry had previously seen."

IGN

IGN

IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games...

 said of Valkyrie Profile, "this is one of the best English scripts I've ever read in a role-playing game... Characters speak like they ought to - some rough, some formal, some friendly, some distant - and you relate to them accordingly."

GameSpot

GameSpot

GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which purchased...

 noted Alundra 2s localization as one of the game's strongest points, saying "The character voices are lively, and the text is grammatical, occasionally amusing, and pretty natural - Activision's localization team has done a great job."

GameSpot also praised Blaustein's work on Dark Cloud 2, saying, "Dark Cloud 2's translation and voice acting deserve special mention because they show how far the localization of Japanese games has come in the last decade or so. The dialogue's phrasing is imaginative and the voices are of the caliber you'll find in any animated television show. ... Sony clearly put some real effort into localizing Dark Cloud 2, and the work pays off big."

In their review of Shadow Hearts: Covenant, PSM said, "This amazing sense of humor is one of the game's greatest strengths. Excellent localization and quality voice-overs deliver an incredible level of sarcastic humor, as well as RPG-standard melodrama and personality. Amazingly scripted with more humor than every RPG put together."

For Silent Hill 4, IGN said, "One of the best changes in the series since its humble beginning is the improvement in voice work. Even since Silent Hill 3, the voice work in this version has markedly improved. ... Conversations are much more realistic and fluid. ... The dialog has also improved to stay in step with the voice-over work." Furthermore, Gaming Target

Gaming Target

Gaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.Gaming Target is updated several times daily and features news, reviews, previews, interviews, cheats, screenshots, trivia and game information...

 said, "However, it's definitely the evolving story that lies within Silent Hill where you'll get the peak of performance from the actors' as you'll get to view some of the most inspired death sequences in gaming right here. Great cast. Great acting. Good going, Konami."

Trivia

• His "ghost" may be viewed in Metal Gear Solid by taking an image of or near the corpse of Sniper Wolf. Many of the production staff of that title are immortalised in this way.
• His brother Michael Blaustein worked for Konami of America, and can be seen as a shotgun-wielding badguy in Lethal Enforcers II.
• He is the brother of the late voice actress Maddie Blaustein
  Maddie Blaustein
  Madeleine Joan Blaustein was an American male-to-female transgender voice actress. Blaustein was born in Long Island, New York, United States.Blaustein was, until her death, the voice of Sartorius in Yu-Gi-Oh! GX...
  
  .

External links

• Zpang, Inc.
• Jeremy Blaustein at MobyGames
  MobyGames
  MobyGames is a website which catalogs computer and video games, both past and present. The site contains an extensive database of video game information...
  
  
• Interview with Superfami.com's Chris Barker mirrored at JunkerHQ.net