Nintendo consoles have been home to a number of localization miracles as of late, the most notable being the release of Xenoblade Chronicles, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower on Wii in the United States, which were pushed into relevancy by the Internet fan campaign called Operation Rainfall. Fans demanded the release of these games, and their success in the western market proves that niche titles can do well overseas. The induction of the eShop is further propelling the localization of games as well, since it is a lot cheaper to exclusively distribute virtual copies of a video game. Without the eShop, localized 3DS titles like the individual Guild 01 and Guild 02 games, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, Unchained Blades, Senran Kagura Burst, and Kokuga may have never made it outside of Japan.
But because I’m incredibly selfish and greedy, this massive amount of localized games isn’t good enough for me. There are so many gems over in Japan that western gamers have not had the opportunity to explore, and I won’t be satisfied until they are all localized! In order to call some attention to these Japanese titles, I’ve decided to compile a list of ten games that I would love to see localized here in the west. So, without further ado, here are my top ten most wanted Japanese exclusive games!
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 :)