Here's the skinny on the translation patch, since the original thread turned into a bit of a mess.
Q: What is this?
A:An English translation patch for the Samurai Spirits RPG.
Q: What platform is this going to be on?
A:Neo*Geo CD only.
Q: What about the Saturn and PSX versions?
A:I don't have the means to hack/translate either. The NeoCD is the best of the three, anyway.
Q: Is there going to be a cost?
A:No. The patch will be completely free of charge. If you are so inclined, however, you are welcome to donate by going here. No compensation is expected, though it is always appreciated.
Q: Is this compatible with Neo*Geo CD emulators?
A:Partially. The only version of Nebula that I can personally attest to working is 2.23a. It runs fine in NeoCD/PSP, as well.
Q: Which versions of the Neo*Geo CD will it work with?
A:The original front loading and top-loading 1x systems can be used without issue. For a CDZ, you will need to further patch the ISO to get around the copy protection.
Q: How do I do that?
A:I don't know, and the answers will not be provided in this FAQ. Do some research and ask around.
Q: I found a prepatched archive to make a copy of SSRPG work on the CDZ. Can I use this?
A:No. The translation patch has to modify the same files, and the use of that prepatched archive will break the translation.
Q: Can I betatest the patch?
A:No. I have beta testers already.
Q: When will this be released?
A:When it's completed. Not before.
Q: When will that be?
A:I don't know. I have a job, a wife, two stepkids, seven cats and a dog. This is a hobby.
Q: Are the original Japanese voices going to be left intact?
A:Yes, thanks to neo-geo.com's own Murray. Originally, for technical reasons, I had to leave them out of the Mizuki chapter. The text is precisely timed to display as the voices are heard, and the dialogue boxes are advanced automatically. So with the change to English text, I have to adjust the speed commands accordingly, or it falls out of sync, and everything comes off wrong. With Murray's help, that is no longer a live issue.
Q: You're not going to dub the game in English, are you? I hate dubs!
A:No.
Q: Does it matter what region my console is?
A:No. The patched game will always play in English, just as the unpatched one always plays in Japanese.
Q: What's the English title going to be?
A:'Samurai Shodown: Tales of the Bushido'
Q: Why are you calling it 'Samurai Shodown' instead of 'Samurai Spirits?'
A:Because the name of the series is 'Samurai Shodown' outside of Japan. The translated name of this game will reflect that.
Q: But isn't 'Samurai Spirits RPG' the actual title of the game?
A:No, the original title is 'Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden.' This translates more or less to 'A new take on Samurai Spirits: A set of bushido stories.'
Q: How accurate is the translation going to be?
A:This patch is going to be done up properly. The only Romaji you're going to see is for proper names, like for people and places, and words that have been appropriated into English, like samurai, katana and dojo. Movenames will be translated to English. You will not see any uses of Japanese honorifics. No -chan, -kun, -sama or any of that. No, I will not change my mind on this, and no, I will not do an alternate version.
Q: But it's not accurate if it's not full of Japanese words!
A:Then play it without the patch. I'm not interested in catering to obsessive fanboys.
Q: Why didn't you use the font SNK used for the non-Japanese text in the game?
A:The original English font in the game was 16x16 pixels per character, which would've halved the available space per screen to put in text (which is already at a premium).
Q: Why not use the English font from SS2 or SS4?
A:The original arcade font is only in capital letters, and it's kind of ugly, to be honest. All well and good for the short snippets of text in the arcade games, but for the ongoing reading that TotB requires, it's a little eye-straining.
Q: Are you still working on this?
A:Yes. Regardless of how long it may eventually take, I will see the translation completed.
Q: How much is done?
A:The script is completely finished. What's being done now is working on getting the combat menus looking right.
Q: Why haven't you put up any new screenshots lately?
A:When there is enough progress to show new pictures, I will post them. The text is divided up by area. An incompletely-translated area cannot be inserted. If there's no new pictures, that means there's nothing new that can be shown ingame yet.
Q: What assurance do I have that you won't up and quit this project?
A:You have none, other than my statement that it won't happen.
Q: Will you give me the utilities you used to make this patch?
A:No. They were custom-made and were not intended for redistribution. They are also not mine to give.
Q: Then will you help me make a version in a language other than English?
A:No. Sorry, but I dislike derived translations.
Q: Why do you have a problem with people asking when the translation will be done?
A:Because no one likes to be hounded. When the patch is done, it'll be released, and you can bet your ass I'll be promoting it like mad. You'll see a link in my signature. You'll see a post stating that it's finished and ready to play. I know people are waiting for it. Believe me, I want it to be completed, too; if I didn't, I wouldn't be doing this.
Q: What's with the attitude?
A:Because being constantly asked when it's going to be done is frustrating and puts me in a bad mood.
If your questions are not answered here, please ask and I will update this post accordingly.