JRPGs that never left Japan

[OmegaWeapon]

I'm always interested in learning abut Japan exclusive JRPGs that never got fan translations. Let's make thread where we list titles that we would love to play in English so this way we all may discover some unknown gems. As per rules all types of JRPGs are allowed - turn based, action RPGs, strategy RPGs and even we can include dating sims in style of Tokimeki Memorial which also have stats based gameplay.

I will start with RPGs made by Namco. Obviously their first game that comes to the mind is Tales of Rebirth but Namco is more than just Tales series.

7: Molmorth no Kiheitai and Venus & Braves are two titles that are virtually unknown outside the Japan. Both of them use rotation battle system which seems to be very unique and interesting mechanic, they also have fairy tale book aesthetics that reminds me a bit Saga Frontier 2 and Vanillaware games.

Khamrai is real time RPG that set in the world that resembles ancient China/Japan, it also uses character relationship system that have impact on the battles. Game looks quite nice for PS1 and quite fun to play

 

[Waffles]

I actually beat it in Japanese.

As far as I know, a fan translation is being made.

 

[It's Thinking 2]

Shadowrun for Sega CD, Rurouni Kenshin Meiji Kenyaku Romantan Juuyuushi Inbou Hen for PS-One, Shining Force Gaiden for Sega Game Gear, El Dorado Gate Volume 1-7 for Sega Dreamcast, Sakura Wars 2 for Sega Saturn, Sakura Wars 2 for Game Boy Color, Famicom Jump II: Saikyō no Shichinin for NES, all of these need fan translations!!!

 

[Waffles]

Shadowrun for Sega CD, Rurouni Kenshin Meiji Kenyaku Romantan Juuyuushi Inbou Hen for PS-One, Shining Force Gaiden for Sega Game Gear, El Dorado Gate Volume 1-7 for Sega Dreamcast, Sakura Wars 2 for Sega Saturn, Sakura Wars 2 for Game Boy Color, Famicom Jump II: Saikyō no Shichinin for NES, all of these need fan translations!!!

Wow! I didn't know Shadowrun was on SCD! I beat it on both Genesis and SNES!

 

[It's Thinking 2]

Wow! I didn't know Shadowrun was on SCD! I beat it on both Genesis and SNES!

The Sega CD version is a unique version with it's own story.

 

[Smiley Cat]

As far as I know, a fan translation is being made.

Sadly that doesn't seem to be the case...

The supposed translation project was announced in 2019, and as far as I'm aware there hasn't been any significant progress made.
It's now almost 2025, and there is no recent news.

So I think it's fair to consider the project dead, and thus open to other translation groups.
Hopefully other people will be able to make swifter progress.

 

[Waffles]

Sadly that doesn't seem to be the case...

The supposed translation project was announced in 2019, and as far as I'm aware there hasn't been any significant progress made.
It's now almost 2025, and there is no recent news.

So I think it's fair to consider the project dead, and thus open to other translation groups.
Hopefully other people will be able to make swifter progress.

You are most likely right... there hasn't been any updates in a really long time.

However, the Summon Night 3 translation has been going on for longer and is still very much a thing. Who knows, maybe the patch will just drop one day...

 

[Inkingsama]

SMT devil summoner has a script translation but no patch.

 

[stealthRUSH]

I'm most interested in playing- Riglord Saga 2 (SAT), Okoku no Grand Chef (3DO), Black/Matrix (SAT), Tricolore Crise (DC), Söldnerschild (SAT), Legend Of Xanadu I & II (PCE), Tengai Makyou: The Apocalypse IV (SAT), Ungra Walker (PS1), Terra Phantastica (SAT).

Not sure about but look promising- TwinBee RPG (PS1), Sorvice (SAT), Magicoal (PCE), Mahoutsukai ni Naru Houhou (SAT/PS), Sol Moonarg (PCE), Blue Breaker: Ken Yori mo Hohoemi o (PCFX/SAT/PS1), Travellers! (PCE), Tilk: Aoi Umi kara Kita Shoujo (SAT/PS1), Blue Forest Story (3DO), AnEarth Fantasy Stories (PCE/SAT).

 

[Aziamuth]

Any Fire Emblem before Blazing Blade, as well as New Mystery. Plenty of Dragon Quest games, especially their original incarnations. Bahamut Lagoon.

 

[Strategist]

There are some old Squaresoft games that never left Japan but most have been translated by now. I remember when I was a teen and Final Fantasy V got fan translated. That was one of the first fan translated games to get distribution online. Those were exciting times. Bahamut Lagoon was the holy grail for a while and has been translated by now.

I'd say the biggest ones I've been waiting for are Langrisser 3 and 5. I'm a fan of strategy RPGs and I enjoy the Langrisser series. I've played Warsong/Langrisser, Langrisser 2, Der Langrisser and Langrisser 4 and enjoyed them all. I imagine the other games are just as good.

 

[Mecharocca]

Venus & Braves, great pick!
For me it's criminal neither Tales of Destiny (PS2) and Rebirth were never released. Especially ToD, what a gorgeous and masterful game.

 

[dropsmegamega]

deSpiria for Dreamcast, by Dennou Eizo, developers of Hellnight and the ps1 remake of SMT 1. If I had to choose one game to get a fantranslation, it would be it. It's like they fused their two past games into one in a super bizarre mix of adventure horror and rpg with some of the most creepy and unique enemy design I can think of.

 

[It's Thinking 2]

There are some old Squaresoft games that never left Japan but most have been translated by now. I remember when I was a teen and Final Fantasy V got fan translated. That was one of the first fan translated games to get distribution online. Those were exciting times. Bahamut Lagoon was the holy grail for a while and has been translated by now.

I'd say the biggest ones I've been waiting for are Langrisser 3 and 5. I'm a fan of strategy RPGs and I enjoy the Langrisser series. I've played Warsong/Langrisser, Langrisser 2, Der Langrisser and Langrisser 4 and enjoyed them all. I imagine the other games are just as good.

Then there's the Romancing SaGa series.

 

[Lime]

Sadly that doesn't seem to be the case...

The supposed translation project was announced in 2019, and as far as I'm aware there hasn't been any significant progress made.
It's now almost 2025, and there is no recent news.

So I think it's fair to consider the project dead, and thus open to other translation groups.
Hopefully other people will be able to make swifter progress.

One of the people behind it was posting updates on cohost right until that site went under a month ago.

cohost!

cohost.org

I'm not sure where they would be sending them now.

 

[Duwen]

If anyone's interested, here's a link to the Bitmap Books Guide to Japanese Role Playing Games book (as a pdf) MegaLink

 

[Leon]

Probably the one that's mostly forgotten that i wanted to play was dragon shadow spell, a ps2 strategy-jrpg that had a unique style and music i still listen to.

However i'm going to one up all of this and go for games that came out in japan, but were not originally japanese and especially, were pc jrpg's that never came to the west, the 2 that come to mind were published by nihon falcom in japan, one i believe taiwanese, one south korean, the taiwanese one is genso sangokushi 1 and 2 which i have alot i don't know about other than the games take place during the 3 kingdoms era of china's history, the korean one is Arcturus: The Curse and Loss of Divinity, a game rather famous in south korea but unknown in the west, it's a rpg built using the same engine ragnarok online used, this one is unique in that it actually does have a rather hard to find english translation, but the game itself is difficult to run on modern operating systems, though still doable if your willing to jump through some hoops as it's a old windows 98 game.

As for other Japanese only games, while a few have already been mentioned here that i was hoping for a translation of (venus and braves, tales of rebirth), there are 4 specific nihon falcom games i've always wanted to get translations, but never have, those being dragon slayer: the Legend of Heroes II (any version, though pref pc engine cd), the sega dreamcast version of sorcerian, and The Legend of Xanadu 1 and 2, all 4 games have been games i've been waiting for well over a decade for something to happen with, but nothing sadly, though before RHDN went down i remember hearing someone was working on a translation of legend of xanadu 2, so there's that at least.

Thankfully we got the tengai makyou the Apocalypse IV psp translation, even if it's machine translated at least it exists, otherwise that would have made a list.

 

[JPC]

I want a translation of the Dreamcast versions of Sakura Taisen 1&2, more beautiful than the Saturn versions. Also the NDS version, which is a dungeon RPG.
Nage Libre on Super Famicom and PS1.
Maten Densetsu on Super Famicom.

 

[RageBurner]

The Black Matrix series comes to mind. There were incomplete efforts to translate Black Matrix Zero on the GBA but it never materialized; it's an SRPG, I believe.

 

[Karnik]

Super Robot Taisen series, excluding the Original Generation titles for GBA. Only thanks to the tireless efforts of some brilliant, passionate rom-hackers (AGTP and Gideon Zhi stand out among them all) we can enjoy some memorable gems today. Forever debtors....

 

[RetroLaw]

Legend Of Xanadu I & II

Post automatically merged: Dec 5, 2024

If anyone's interested, here's a link to the Bitmap Books Guide to Japanese Role Playing Games book (as a pdf) MegaLink
View attachment 1806

Wow thanks !

 

[Duwen]

I want a translation of the Dreamcast versions of Sakura Taisen 1&2, more beautiful than the Saturn versions.

I'm sure I read somewhere that they were being worked on by the same ppl that worked on the Saturn translations.

 

[JPC]

I'm sure I read somewhere that they were being worked on by the same ppl that worked on the Saturn translations.

Oh great !

 

[Bonkers225]

Still pissed about this one

 

[spectresfrommercury]

i have onizero and soma bringer from my collection visualnovel wise sampugita is one such vn long with love once mermaids tears for the ps3 is also in my collection.