We all know that there are a massive number of Japan-only games that have never been localized. This happens due to several factors, perhaps the game was not fit for release in Western shores. But sometimes the reasons are as dumb as companies not wanting to localize their games.
Let’s take a look at some of these Japan-only games over the years, which have not only never been localized but are also very obscure.
Japan-Only Obscure Games That Need To Be Localized
Twilight Syndrome
Goichi Suda or Suda51’s games are well-loved among fans. His most popular franchise is definitely the No More Heroes series. But there are some other obscure games that he worked on, which have remained untranslated.
His games have a unique design language and style to them, all of which makes them more in demand. But unfortunately, most of those games have not seen the light of day on Western shores. One such game is The Twilight Syndrome games, which he helped direct.
These are obscure horror adventure games that were made for the PlayStation system but were only released in Japan. The basic premise involves high schoolers investigating supernatural phenomena.
Mizurna Falls
Grand Theft Auto 3 on the PlayStation 2 is the game that really showed the world how powerful fully open-world games can be. But years later, we found out that a Japan-only, obscure game did it back on the first PlayStation system.
Mizurna Falls is a game released in 1998 by a company named Human Entertainment that went defunct later. The game is set in a small town following a mysterious death and some disappearances.
It is heavily inspired by the popular television drama Twin Peaks, which has a similar setting and plot. Mizurna Falls is a game that needs to be localized, even though it has aged quite a bit. There is definitely a small section of niche fans who missed out on this revolutionary game.
Boku No Natsuyasumi
Boku No Natsuyasumi, or My Summer Vacation, is a game that is unlike any other video game ever. If you are a fan of anime and love shows that are about warm and simple slice-of-life stories, then this is your game.
Unfortunately, it never left the shores of Japan for localization. The game is created by Millennium Kitchen, who have made similar games recently, which are thankfully not Japan-only releases.
Director Kaz Ayabe wanted to make video games that are about recapturing childhood innocence. Times long gone, such as a lazy but comfortable summer vacation. These are some of the most cozy and charming games of the bygone era, and they definitely need to be localized.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
Atlus is well known among JRPG fans for the Persona franchise. But those games actually originate from an old monster-collecting franchise that predates Pokémon. Shin Megami Tensei is the franchise that a lot of people in the community have been begging for localization for years.
Most of the new releases these days do come to Western shores, but some remain obscure and are Japan-only releases. One such game in the franchise is the Devil Summoner sub-series, mainly the first game.
This is weird because all the other releases in the Devil Sumoner series have been localized to Western shores. The first Devil Summoner title was released in 1995, and unfortunately, it is yet to be localized. The game is an interesting experience that combines detective game mechanics with monster collection.
Digimon Adventure
Digimon is always clashing with Pokémon when it comes to the fanbases. But anyone who has played games from both franchises knows how different these are from one another.
Although most of the Digimon games are localized, there is one game that has stayed Japan-only for some reason. This game is Digimon Adventure for the PSP, which is a retelling of the events in the first anime.
It is really absurd as to why the game never reached Western shores. The anime was well-known in the West and other parts of the world. It is probably the least obscure title thing in this whole list. Except for the fact that most people don’t know that the popular anime had a game.
Kowloon’s Gate
People may not be aware of this, but at one point in time, the Sony Music Entertainment division made a video game. To this day, it has stayed locked to the shores in Japan and on the first PlayStation, without any localization in sight
Kowloon’s Gate is the name of that title, and it definitely deserves to get localized. It is probably one of the most obscure, cyberpunk games that remains Japan-only on the PlayStation system.
The game is set in the Kowloon Walled City of Hong Kong. You, as the player, get to traverse through pre-rendered locations on the backdrop, completing missions and puzzles. The game has a convoluted combat system that could do with better explanation in a remaster.
Spriggan: Lunar Inverse
Spriggan is a manga series from the 90s that has quite the popularity among niche anime fans. It recently even got a film adaptation by Studio David Production, which was released on Netflix.
You must be wondering what all of that has to do with video games? Well, the rule of thumb is that any old manga that’s popular enough definitely had video games. Thus exists Spriggan: Lunar Inverse, which was released for the original PlayStation but never localized.
This is an obscure one, because not many will know that the game was published by the FromSoftware studio of Dark Souls fame. The game is a third-person action game where you take control of a newly recruited ARCAM agent.
Policenauts
If you keep up with video game news, then you definitely know who Hideo Kojima is. He is one of the most important and well-respected figures in the gaming industry. He has contributed to the evolution of video games several times through his games.
But did you know that he also made games that have stayed Japan-only for ages and never been officially localized? One such game of his is Policenauts, which was released for Japanese computer systems and home consoles later.
It is an obscure adventure game of the bygone era that deals with a story set in a sci-fi universe. You follow the exploits of a detective as he investigates a space colony for a murder suspect, but steps into something far more sinister.
Initial D Extreme Stage
If you are into cars and love anime, there is no way you haven’t heard about Initial D. But even beyond that, it is impossible not to come across Initial D memes in the internet era. This is a manga series that was created by Shuichi Shigeno, which chronicled the adventures of a talented street racer.
Being a show that is thoroughly enjoyed throughout the world, it became a popular media that spun off into several arcade racing games. The genre has not been gaining much traction in recent times outside sim racers. But there are some obscure arcade racers that the niche audience is tapping into.
Thus, it is the perfect time for one of the Japan-only titles, Initial D Extreme Stage to finally get localized. This game was released for PlayStation 3 back in 2008 and has stayed locked in Japan for years now.
The title boasts a story mode that takes from the anime and has several other modes that make up a fun arcade racer.
Captain Rainbow
Captain Rainbow is one of the many odd cases of a Nintendo title never reaching beyond Japanese shores. This is very odd because if you take a look at this game, there is no reason to believe that this game would have been a failure in the West.
It is a title that is based on a guy who dresses up as the superhero named Captain Rainbow for television. Most of the gameplay deals with slice-of-life related activities with Nick, the person behind Captain Rainbow, fulfilling the wishes of other characters.
This is a game that was released on the Wii, a Nintendo system that was beloved all over the world. Platheora of weird Japanese games are seeing a resurgence and finally getting localized. It suffices to say that Captain Rainbow should no longer stay Japan-only and be remastered for modern systems.
