It took a while for RPG Maker’s original publisher ASCII to discover that Don Miguel was distributing RPG Maker 2000 illegally, but when they did, they immediately threatened legal action and demanded he take down his download links. If you’ve ever come across people referencing things like “YOU WON A COMBAT” and “Safe Tea Boots”, you’ve encountered Donglish. RPG Maker 2000 (often referred to online as RM2k) was initially only intended to be distributed in Japan, you see, but Don Miguel recognised that there was interest in the series in English-speaking territories, so he translated it into English… or at the very least a close approximation thereof, which has come to be known by the community as “Donglish”. For many people - particularly in Europe, where the PlayStation version of RPG Maker never got a release - this was their first experience with the franchise, thanks to the efforts of a Russian fan translator who went by the name Don Miguel.
