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1. Ghost Watch
EarthBound. Pokémon. Ni no Kuni. These are games I am instantly reminded of when I look at Level-5’s new JRPG Ghost Watch, known as Youkai Watch in Japan. The game has the modern city setting of EarthBound, the monster catching elements of Pokémon, and the beautiful art style of Ni no Kuni. Yet, despite all of these distinct comparisons, Ghost Watch stands on its own as an incredibly unique experience. Instead of going out and catching monsters through battle, the protagonist Keita uses a watch he finds to see things that are not normally seen, such as collectable ghosts that you can capture. You then use these ghosts in turn-based battle segments, which are controlled entirely on the touch screen. There is a wheel on touch screen that switches party members in and out whenever it is turned during battle, which could be used in instances when your monsters are low on health. You will also need to juggle this with curing negative status effects, such as popping purple bubbles on the touchscreen to alleviate poison. The game was released in Japan on July 11, 2013, and was published by Level-5.
Why it should be localized: Ghost Watch features one of the most innovative battle systems I’ve ever seen in a turn-based RPG, and I’m dying to try it out! Pokémon is massively popular in the west for its monster catching elements, so it only makes sense that Ghost Watch could be a success here as well.
The odds of it being localized: Ghost Watch has sold well in Japan so far, so I think that it is likely that Level-5 will consider localizing the game for western markets. Since the company has taken a chance on bringing Ni no Kuni to the west, I could see Ghost Watch making the jump overseas as well.
Do you hope any of these games will be localized? Is there anything that you want to be localized that is not on this list? Sound off in the comments below!
I’m definitely a Game Center CX fan, and I love that there are a group of fans so dedicated to getting the shows translated into English when they come out. I don’t own Retro Game Challenge, but I followed the development of both the first and second game, and I thought the team did a fantastic job of capturing the era of gaming featured so often on the show.
It’s a shame that the game didn’t sell well in the west, but the fact that games like this exist warms my heart.
I’ve wanted to play Beyond the Labyrinth since I first saw a trailer a few years ago. I suppose the only hope is that someone concludes that the cost of localization will be covered by sales in the West, and that Japanese sales might not be the best predictor.
Here’s hoping! These all look interesting in one way or another, but Beyond the Labyrinth looks especially appealing to me.
…Well, that and Dragon Quest VII. :^)
Very, very good list Anthony.
Nice list of games! Some were already on my personal watch list, others I’d heard about then forgotten, and a few were complete unknowns for me. Great to see them get some exposure in the West. With software like this, it’s no surprise that 3DS has become a “must own” piece of hardware.
Thanks for the comments everyone! I had a lot of fun writing this one up, and I genuinely hope that these games get localized! More software on the 3DS is never a bad thing :)