Japan is the land of gaming. From Final Fantasy to The Legend of Zelda, not to mention Monster Hunter, Pokémon, and Super Mario, too many iconic franchises have sprung from the minds of Japanese creators to keep count of. But there is a drawback as just as many video games never saw the light of day outside of their home turf. So, here come some Japan-exclusive games I would pay good money to see released in the West.
A Few Games Worth A Global Release
Policenauts
Hideo Kojima is one of the most visionary game designers ever, whose celebrity status extends way beyond mere gaming circles. When Kojima talks video games, we all listen. And I would love nothing more than to get my hands on one of his first projects, Policenauts. To my dismay, this hard sci-fi story never left Japan. Coming out in 1994, the game follows an ex-astronaut rescued from cryosleep while stranded in space, who travels back to LA as a detective to investigate the murder of his ex-wife, only to discover an illegal organ trafficking ring.
Now that’s one convoluted narrative I’d like to explore. An English translation was in the works at some point, but Kojima himself canned it due to technical problems. The game has been unofficially localized by the Policenauts Translation Project. Still, the lack of a proper release is just wrong, especially for fans of the Metal Gear series.
Valkyria Chronicles 3
Valkyria Chronicles 2 dropped worldwide in 2010. Fast-forward to 2018, and Valkyria Chronicles 4 expanded the story of that tactical JRPG series. Yet, the third chapter in the saga skipped launch on the global stage. Acting as a prequel to the first installment in the franchise, the plot of Valkyria Chronicles 4 runs parallel to that of its original predecessor. Players follow a penal military black ops unit called the “Nameless,” which serves the nation of Gallia all along the Second European War.
Because the first two installations sold poorly in the West, it was probably reasonable for Sega not to invest too much money into an English port. That said, I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that the Valkyria Revolution spin-off has been localized and Valkyria Chronicles 3 has not.
Bahamut Lagoon
This one is probably wishful thinking since Bahamut Lagoon was released nearly thirty years ago on the SNES, but hear me out. Developed by the Square studio, with members of the Final Fantasy team handling the project, this retro Japanese classic fuses traditional turn-based RPG combat mechanics with narrative-driven strategy. Add to that formula a dragon you raise throughout the entire game to turn it into a full-fledged killing machine, and you’ve got a compelling combination.
A soundtrack composed by Noriko Matsueda further tickled my curiosity. When all is said and done, however, the rest of the world was still denied this game. But the perfectionist attempts at localizing this obscure game show that there’s a strong Bahamut Lagoon community out there.
A Ray Of Hope
The games above have little to no chance of ever coming out in the West, I hear you say. Recent examples have shown that it is still worth clinging onto hope, though. Titled The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, the historical spin-off to Capcom’s Ace Attorney saga arrived in the West unexpectedly in 2021. The samurai tale of Like a Dragon: Ishin! also surprised the world this year. This remaster of a 2014 spin-off set in late Edo Japan takes us to a fictional version of 19th-century Kyoto, where we may draw our katana against any foe, go bounty hunting, or gamble away if we so choose.
Granted, these gambling minigames might feel slightly redundant and simplistic. Incidentally, many players looking for a challenge turn to online casinos instead. Newcomers can start their online journey by checking out expert analyses and guidelines. Some platforms even list hundreds of casino offers for players to pick, including lofty welcome packages, with handy tools to compare them all. That way, players can test out both tabletop classics and online slots – Japanese-themed pokies notwithstanding.
Final Words
Japan-only games have always been a thing, and Western fans have found ways to counter their disappointment by working on fan translation projects. Yet, there is still hope for international releases of past classics made in Japan, as fan requests do not always fall on deaf ears on the other side of the world.
