What are your gaming translation white whales? Games you want to see translated but feel it'll never happen?

Since they are a lot, I'll just post a list:

UFO: A Day in the Life

Wait, I'm pretty sure "UFO" already has a fan translation!

Niongyo no Rakuin for PS1 - I love more modern-setting rpgs and horror games, so this seems like a really cool Lovecraftian plot I'd love to play through. Love the art style and really baffled why this never saw wider release or translation.

Oooh, I actually tried to do that one, but had to drop it since it's a wee bit above my expertise level now. Or it was back in mid-December, ha. Can't promise anything besides I'll give it another look once I finish my current project.
 
Do you have any documentation of translation differences, especially for the more recent games? I thought Unicorn Overlord's script was great, curious to see the differences.
Here's a Youtube channel that dedicates his time to showing how bad English localization more often than not is. He also posts examples on Twitter regularly.
Here's his Playlist on Valkyria Chronicles

His Playlist on Valkyria Chronicles 4

His video about Unicorn Overlord

This particular Youtuber doesn't have an issue with the localization of Unicorn Overlord, but he does provide examples showcasing just how off the English translation is.

Some Twitter posts pointing out examples in the recent Trails game. If you scroll through any of these accounts you'll see plenty of examples from other games too.
https://x.com/GiveMeBanHammer/status/1892025809067516237
https://x.com/TheSunReaper0/status/1892069165969621209

Article about how Final Fantasy VIII was just straight up translated incorrectly.

Just a few examples. You can find examples for all sorts of games, some more egregious than others.
 
Unicorn Overlord's localizations literally changed characters dialogues to be different from the source, some are even much worse implicitly on the impact for the story plot because this is Matsuno's complex writing we're talking about.
 
One of my big ones in SMT Nine has already been mentioned. That being the case, my other white whale is Xenosaga I+II for DS, particularly since its version of II seems to be a much better/true to the original intention of Episode II than what we got for PS2.
 
Shin Megami Tensei - Devil Summoner for the Saturn - iirc the last major SMT release that has not been translated yet?

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Niongyo no Rakuin for PS1 - I love more modern-setting rpgs and horror games, so this seems like a really cool Lovecraftian plot I'd love to play through. Love the art style and really baffled why this never saw wider release or translation.

images
FH3v6QAaAAEhk3s


London Seirei Tanteidan for PS1 - charming art style and animations. They're something that is supremely endearing about Japanese stories involving Western cultures., The translation effort isn't dead totally on romhacking so here's hoping I can try this someday.

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deSPIRIA for the Dreamcast - what a fascinating premise and gorgeous and spooky art style. Would really love to play through this someday.

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DeSPIRIA is one I've been wanting really bad as well ever since I learned of its existence. Apparently its really hard to hack. I'll look into Niongyo no Rakuin. I think London Seirei Tanteidan will get translated soon enough.
 
Advanced World War Sennen Teikoku no Koubou: Last of the Millennium (Sega Saturn) - I love strategy games. If nothing else, just having the menu translated would be helpful.

Langrisser Millenium (Sega Dreamcast) - I understand it's a weaker entry. My understanding is its kind of like a cross of Langrisser and Dragon Force.

Soeldnerschild (Sega Saturn) - The artwork on the cover looks absolutely amazing. Another kind of hybrid strategy game.

Revelations: Persona (PSX) - Specifically, the Snow Queen quest on the PSX version. Call me a localization purist, but I like the look of this one over the PSP remake we got.
 
Madou Monogatari (Sega Saturn)
MadouMonogatari_Saturn_JP_Box_Front.jpg

T-6607G_23,,Sega-Saturn-Screenshot-1-Madou-Monogatari-JPN.jpg

Third-person JRPG by Compile with turn-based battle system. Majority of japanese-only Saturn RPGs are Strategy-based, but this would be an awesome addition to the likes of Grandia, Lunar, etc.

Looks amazing graphic-wise and still holds up today. I have only seen snippets of gameplay on YouTube. If anyone has ever played it, I would love to hear their thoughts on this.
 
Madou Monogatari (Sega Saturn)
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Third-person JRPG by Compile with turn-based battle system. Majority of japanese-only Saturn RPGs are Strategy-based, but this would be an awesome addition to the likes of Grandia, Lunar, etc.

Looks amazing graphic-wise and still holds up today. I have only seen snippets of gameplay on YouTube. If anyone has ever played it, I would love to hear their thoughts on this.
This game is gonna get english translation
 
Adding on to the group who is desperate for a translation of Shin Megami Tensei Nine!

I would also love to see one for any of the Sengoku Basara games. There's a group currently working on Sumeragi, but it seems like it keeps hitting bumps in the road ...
 
Mine are very niche but, I'd like Gatekeepers (1999) or Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke
 
Mine are very niche but, I'd like Gatekeepers (1999) or Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke
Niche is the idea! And I know about Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke. I think its being translated but could be wrong. Gatekeepers I don't think ive heard of but it looks cool.
 
Lunar: Magic School

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I know that someone named Ms.Tea and their team (?) has reportedly been able to successfully hack and insert text (video from 5 years ago here), and even has the script mostly translated...But the there haven't really been any public updates over the past few years so I despair that it will never be released. I'd love to give it a shot myself since I've played it and I'm a big Lunar fan, but if someone's already nearly done with it, I wouldn't want to duplicate the work/rain on someone else's parade, so...
 
Lunar: Magic School

View attachment 39530I know that someone named Ms.Tea and their team (?) has reportedly been able to successfully hack and insert text (video from 5 years ago here), and even has the script mostly translated...But the there haven't really been any public updates over the past few years so I despair that it will never be released. I'd love to give it a shot myself since I've played it and I'm a big Lunar fan, but if someone's already nearly done with it, I wouldn't want to duplicate the work/rain on someone else's parade, so...
It has lot of bugs and random encounter rate is gonna be lot easier in patch
 
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Yuuyami Doori Tankentai for the playstation, one of the games I'd love to see translated in my lifetime, but considering it is a spin-off of Twilight Syndrome and not even that series received a translation yet I doubt that'll happen anytime soon...
 
View attachment 39829
Yuuyami Doori Tankentai for the playstation, one of the games I'd love to see translated in my lifetime, but considering it is a spin-off of Twilight Syndrome and not even that series received a translation yet I doubt that'll happen anytime soon...
I want this one too. I think its more a spiritual successor than spin off. I do think the Twilight Syndrome games are getting translations though. I think at least.
 
I've heard of a translation project for Moonlight Syndrome at least but I don't know exactly how that's going right now, I hope it does come out eventually though, seeing the whole series finally translated would be a dream come true
 
I mostly love to see JP-only Fighting games on consoles get translated but as for white whales. these are my picks.

Cyber Org
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Gear Fighter Dendoh
Gear-Fighter-Dendoh-PSX-JPN-Coverart.jpg


Fist of the North Star(English Patch)
ho0.jpg


MSG Char's Counterattack PS1
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Both Macross PS2 and the VF-X games on PS1
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Macross-Digital-Mission-VF-X-Japan.jpg

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Love & Destroy
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Atelier Lilie: The Alchemist of Salburg 3 . I mean the first 2 games has gotten a fan translation + Marie has gotten a remake but the third game has felt like no one gave a dang about

Screenshot 2025-03-10 at 09-51-10 Atelier Lilie The Alchemist of Salburg 3 (2001).png


I would love to see Slayers royal 1 and 2 plus Slayer wonderful

Slayers_Wonderful.pngSlayers_Royal_2.pngSlayers_Royal.png
 
There's a lot of options so from least to most:

Kumatanchi: solely because it's the only Vanillaware not to be translated
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Star Trader (X68000): It's a mix of shmup and RPG, which makes it a pioneer decades before Undertale, this could be historical. But other than that eh.
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the other Starfy games: I'm mixed on whether or not I want to try them, but the fact that Nintendo dropped these games (unlocalised) on Switch could mean something? I guess?
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Giten Megami Tensei: gorey and likely ancient as HELL but important. All the way down here because the translation has made good progress and could actually happen soon
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Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2: ain't right to have an EO go untranslated
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Persona 1 JP PSX: The true definitive way to play Persona 1. Has a few unique features that PSP didn't retain, shame.

Yakuza 3 JP PS3: The true definitive way to play Yakuza 3 as it doesn't have a few of the issues Remastered has (like the weird quickstep spamming a lot of enemies are doing) and all the missions.

Yakuza Kenzan: Only game to not be translated at all and SEGA has no interest in localization
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the remaining Sakura Wars games: well this one's obvious
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Grounseed (PC-98): solely to see where the fuck Shop Demo plays but also because the music is really good in general

Mime (PC-98): See above, it's kinda crazy Wish appears to just be a cutscene theme

Black Bird (PC-98): see above + it's a dungeon crawler

RONDE (Saturn): Because it would be funny and Marsh would finally make "The RONDE experience"
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Devil Summoner (Saturn): obvious reasons again
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Code R (Saturn): I hear it's shit, but a mix between racing game and dating sim makes me curious
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Tales of Destiny 2: no reason needed. Also applies to Hearts on DS and Innocent R
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Custom Robo V2: I NEED IT
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Ore Shika (PSX): I think I've sung this game's praises and explained my point well enough multiple times
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Segagaga (Dreamcast): Name a reason NOT to play Segagaga. SEGA didn't even bother making an anime girl for it in the mobile game where SEGA was EVIL. FOR SHAME. Absolute shame.
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(image limit is 15, I swear it used to be 20 at one point)
 
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Easily my most wanted as I love the second game and it's a direct sequel.
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I see a bunch of Super Robot Wars already so I'll highlight this one.
 

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