Japan-Only Games. |
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As our readership is well aware, us Americans only gain access to a fraction of the total games available on the market. Seeing as many of the top developers are based out of Japan, it comes as no surprise to learn we miss out on a ton of the fun for our favorite consoles. RPGs, especially, are oftentimes relegated to a Japan-exclusive release due to translation troubles or unfounded worries over sales in the states. Thankfully, import shops do allow us to get ahold of titles only available in other regions, to give you the full scoop on what you're missing out on! For this PPM Top 10, we're looking at the best titles presently locked overseas. Let's take a look at PPM Top Ten: Japan-Only Games (For Now!). |
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Hot Blooded Family by TechnoSoft This arcade-like PS-X brawler advances a classic genre with fun characters and items aplenty. |
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Mother by Nintendo The precursor to Earthbound, this likewise quirky title is an exclusive to the Famicom. |
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Romancing SaGa 3 by Square An intriguing RPG with oddball leveling and a completely unique battle system. |
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Hermie Hopperhead by Yuke's A la Super Mario, this hero embarks on a parallax-heavy side-scrolling adventure. |
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Steamgear Mash by Tamsoft An isometric Saturn shooter with tons of colors, wacky enemies, and weird-o boss designs. |
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Live A Live by Square Choose from seven scenarios and time periods in this SNES title packed with gameplay variety. |
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Arc the Lad by G-Craft A 32-Bit tactical RPG on PS-X featuring excellent graphics and a memorable storyline. |
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Seiken Densetsu 3 by Square It's mind-boggling to think this Mana sequel is locked to Japan! A wonderful follow-up! |
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Final Fantasy V by Square Albeit overshadowed by its successor, V is equally brilliant with sweet graphics and killer tunes. |
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Alongside the Final Fantasy series, Dragon Quest is a certain cornerstone in video gaming. Enix's franchise is a dynamo in Japan, having generated a cultural uproar as the first in our modern conception of the role-playing genre. The NES games were ported to the U.S. under the pseudonym "Dragon Warrior", but following the fourth iteration in 1990, Enix opted against future localizations. In the case of Dragon Quest V for Super Famicom, we believe this a fatal error! DQ V is a fantastic RPG adventure, utilizing traditional turn-based combat in conjunction with the ability to tame monsters and recruit them into your party. Eiyu's journey holds many lands to explore, secrets to uncover, and bosses to take down. If any entry in this series could excite interest on our shores, it's this! | |||
 [Article from the February 1996 Issue of PPM] | |||
