The upcoming Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster has improved the visuals and the soundtrack of the game, but the developers decided to retain the infamous "You Spoony Bard!" line, even though it was the result of a poor translation. This is because the line has gained such a memetic status among Final Fantasy fans that it would practically be considered heresy to remove it.
Square Enix has worldwide releases for the mainline Final Fantasy games, as it's the company's biggest franchise in terms of name value. The localization of the Final Fantasy games is generally excellent, with fantastic voice work across the board. This wasn't always the case, especially in the days when localizers had strict memory and character limits for their work. Even FF7 suffered from a misleading and incorrect translation in parts, right down to Aerith having the wrong name.
Final Fantasy 4 suffered a great deal in the localization process. It was called FF2 in North America when it was first released, and it had a lot of content that was either cut or censored. The English localization was also pretty ropey, but it led to one of the most enduring lines in the series.
Final Fantasy 4's Origin Of "You Spoony Bard" And Why It's So Popular
In the first North American version of FF4, Tellah is an old wizard who joins the party, as he's searching for his daughter, who had run off with a Bard. The Bard in question happens to be Edward (originally localized as Gilbert), the prince of Damycan. The party arrives at Damycan as it's attacked by an air force, killing Tellah's daughter in the process. Tellah attacks Edward and says "You Spoony Bard" as he hits him.
According to Legends of Localization, the Spoony Bard line was created by the localizers of the game and wasn't a direct translation. The original text involves Tellah yelling at Edward, as he tries to explain himself. The phrase "You Spoony Bard" became popular among the Final Fantasy fanbase, especially during the early days of the Internet, when more people had access to the game through emulation. Using spoony as an insult is technically correct, as it refers to someone who is foolish, but it was an odd word to choose, given the circumstances.
The "You Spoony Bard" line became so popular that it has appeared in every remake of FF4. Square Enix even announced on the official Final Fantasy Facebook page that the line is being retained in the upcoming FF4 Pixel Remaster. The line has also appeared in other Final Fantasy games, as well as other video game franchises. The term "Spoony Bard" is likely to remain a part of the Final Fantasy franchise going forward, no matter how many times Square Enix remakes Final Fantasy 4.