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9. Monster Hunter 4
Monster Hunter is known for its addictive combat and wealth of content, and Monster Hunter 4 seems to be no exception. The fourth generation of the series includes a few new features, such as the ability to jump on top of monsters to kill them, a stronger emphasis on story progression, and even bigger environments. The game was originally released in Japan on September 14, 2013, and was published by Capcom.
Why it should be localized: Although Monster Hunter is not as popular in the west as it is in Japan, it does do rather well for itself overseas. The combined sales of Monster Hunter Tri in the United States and Europe total to roughly a million copies, proving that the series is rising in popularity outside of Japan.
The odds of it being localized: There’s a good chance that Monster Hunter 4 will localized. Capcom has expressed interest in making the series popular overseas, and the release of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U and 3DS proves that the company is still willing to bring these games over to a western market.
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 :)