The longer I write this column, the more often I hear one specific bit of feedback: “Graham, this stuff sounds cool and all, but I like actually knowing what’s going on when I play games.” Fair enough! The language barrier can be overcome, but it’s never without sacrificing some degree of comfort and comprehension. But I can help you too, dear skeptical reader. We’re just going to have to turn our gaze across the other ocean.
It’s a bit strange that Europe gets localized versions of games that don’t make it to North America. After all, it’s largely seen as a tertiary market, and one that brings with it untold burdens and translation costs for working across many borders and in so many different languages. But it happens, and it’s usually not without a fairly valid reason backing it up. Here are 12 great examples of games that you can totally play in English, if you can manage to track them down (and sometimes overcome a few technical hurdles).
Learn with Pokemon: Typing Adventure (DS)
Why just Europe?: Who even knows? There’s certainly a trend of borderline releases making it in Europe, and we do know that game prices (and therefore potential profits) are higher.
What you’ll need to do: The DS is region-free, but be prepared for potentially-high shipping costs if you can’t find a domestic seller; it’s a big box.
Who should get it: People who like Typing of the Dead, as well as Pokemon fanatics.
Why you should play: This thing is just so bizarre. After all, if you’re developing a portable game that requires an external keyboard and a stand to hold up the system, that really just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Still, there’s something about this technical wizardry that makes it appealing. Oh, and the puns! So many puns. The European localization team did a great job of making everything, from a world map consisting of locations tied to individual keys to a core gameplay conceit of researching Pokemon by typing their names, as silly as possible.
Also: Sorry, there’s really nothing like this game.
Inazuma Eleven Go: Light and Shadow (3DS)
Why just Europe?: Probably because it’s soccer, which doesn’t have as big a North American fan base (yet).
What you’ll need to do: Import a PAL 3DS. The system’s region-locked, and it doesn’t look like that’s changing anytime soon.
Who should get it: RPG fans who like collecting lots of party members and don’t mind anime-style trappings.
Why you should play: It certainly may not be worth the effort if you haven’t already played the US-released first title and liked it, but Go enhances the formula as much as you’d expect from a series refresh three full installments ahead. It’s also actually built natively for the 3DS, so it looks and functions a lot better.
Also: There are all kinds of Inazuma games available in Europe, from the Wii’s more action-oriented Inazuma Eleven Strikers to the (region-free) Inazuma Eleven 2 (DS) and (not so much) Inazuma Eleven 3 (3DS).
Breath of Fire III (PSP)
Why just Europe?: It’s certainly weird, since the original Breath of Fire didn’t make it to the region until the GBA remake. (The second game did release on SNES, though.)
What you’ll need to do: Nothing! The PSP is nice and region-free.
Who should get it: The kind of person who likes taking RPGs on the go.
Why you should play: A highly-regarded entry in a series that doesn’t get a lot of love, Breath of Fire III offers a nice visual half-step up from 16-bit era games, while still maintaining much of what made that era great. Even if you never played it originally, it can still elicit nostalgia for the genre and time as a whole.
Also: It’s not the only PSP port of an RPG to skip America! Tales of Eternia also made an appearance on the platform.
One Piece: Gigant Battle! (DS)
Why just Europe?: Who even knows? There’s certainly a trend of borderline releases making it in Europe, and we do know that game prices (and therefore potential profits) are higher.
What you’ll need to do: Nothing! The DS is nice and region-free.
Who should get it: Those who like Smash Bros.-style arena battlers, and liking One Piece doesn’t hurt either.
Why you should play: It’s basically Pandora’s Tower developer Ganbarion’s spiritual sequel to Jump! Super Stars and Jump! Ultimate Stars, and this time it could escape the licensing nightmare and make it to an English-speaking territory. It’s a lot like Smash Bros., but with a focus on single-player progression and manga-style art and levels. The local multiplayer mode is great, too.
Also: While you could get Jump! Ultimate Stars from Japan, there’s no comparable Europe-only release.
Terranigma (SNES)
Why just Europe?: It’s likely that the game’s mature and religious themes made it less palatable to early-’90s America.
What you’ll need to do: This could get tricky: PAL games of the time run at different speeds, and… it’s a huge headache.
Who should get it: 16-bit JRPG nuts, of which there are many.
Why you should play: You probably already know about Terranigma, what with its reputation for quality magnified by North America’s deprivation. It’s a great example of what makes JRPGs great, and manages to be both accessible and deep to appeal to most ages and play styles.
Also: Want more Japan-and-PAL-only SNES action? Check out The Firemen, a blaze-battling action-game.
Kuru Kuru Kururin (GBA)
Why just Europe?: This could be the “borderline releases” thing, or it could be because of the title’s awful acronym.
What you’ll need to do: Nothing! The GBA is nice and region-free.
Who should get it: People who like arcade-style skill games like Super Monkey Ball and Marble Madness.
Why you should play: It’s so much fun in a pick-up-and-play sort of way. Part-racing, part-Operation, Kururin is the kind of game that would flourish these days with a good online leaderboard to facilitate chasing friends’ best times.
Also: How about a minigame collection from Mario & Luigi developer AlphaDream? Check out Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue.
Disaster: Day of Crisis (Wii)
Why just Europe?: It sold poorly enough in Europe in Japan that Nintendo of America decided to scrap its release plans.
What you’ll need to do: Import (or potentially modify) a Wii.
Who should get it: Players looking for something different who don’t mind rough edges.
Why you should play: It’s a game with an American protagonist set in America, so it’s really a matter of claiming what’s ours, right? In all seriousness, it’s interesting to look at what sort of arcade-style action Monolith Soft was up to in the days before the development of Xenoblade Chronicles.
Also: The Wii edition of Project Zero 2 (or Fatal Frame 2, as it’s known here) can also be found in English in PAL territories.
Zero Wing (Genesis)
Why just Europe?: The Mega Drive found quite a bit of success in that region, due to Nintendo’s 8-bit era distribution struggles.
What you’ll need to do: This could get tricky: PAL games of the time run at different speeds, and… it’s a huge headache.
Who should get it: Scrolling shooter fans, obnoxious Internet people.
Why you should play: To have the game that spawned the meme, I guess? Zero Wing is a fairly pedestrian shoot-’em-up, but it’s the only one that allows you to take off all zig for great justice.
Also: How about checking out Toaplan’s other Japan-and-Europe-exclusive Genesis shoot-’em-up? That’d be Twin Hawk.
Nintendo Pocket Football Club (3DS)
Why just Europe?: Probably because it’s soccer, which doesn’t have as big a North American fan base (yet).
What you’ll need to do: Import a PAL 3DS. Also, this one’s eShop-only in that region, so you’ll need credit.
Who should get it: Fans of sports management titles and Kairosoft-style sim games.
Why you should play: Known as Calciobit in Japan, this game lets you run a soccer club, training and signing players and making substitutions and strategy changes. What you won’t be doing is controlling the action on the field; you’ll need to prep your lads and hope for the best. The hook here is progressing through the promotion and relegation system until you’re in the top league, and constantly developing new players to replace aging ones and signing better talent as your budget grows.
Also: Captain Tsubasa: New Kick Off (DS), one of a long line of Tsubasa turn-based soccer games that has only once shown up in America (as the NES’ Tecmo Cup Soccer Game), is worth a look if you like both soccer and games with less action and more thinking.
Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (DS)
Why just Europe?: Who even knows? There’s certainly a trend of borderline releases making it in Europe, and we do know that game prices (and therefore potential profits) are higher.
What you’ll need to do: Nothing! The DS is nice and region-free.
Who should get it: Anyone who liked Hotel Dusk or, failing that, 999 or Ghost Trick.
Why you should play: The original Hotel Dusk is a wonderful little visual novel, and it makes sense that a sequel would be just as engrossing. The aesthetic’s unmistakable, but in a way that lets you focus on the events at hand without being distracted by all the “art” of it all.
Also: Another visual novel and the sequel to Trace Memory, Another Code R: Journey into Lost Memories (Wii) never made it Stateside either.
Go! Go! Beckham: Adventure on Soccer Island (GBA)
Why just Europe?: Well it was developed there, and it’s a soccer game starring what was then a European star.
What you’ll need to do: Nothing! The GBA is nice and region-free.
Who should get it: Fans of happy, quirky platformers like Klonoa.
Why you should play: Denki’s bright games have been seen here, through titles like Quarrel! and Denki Blocks. This is a more traditional platformer, but the glee still shows through strongly for a result not unlike Yoshi’s Island. Also, you propel a round object in order to collect and hit things, for a result also not unlike Yoshi’s Island.
Also: While you’re diving into Europe-only stuff, check out Asterix & Obelix, part of a long-running series based on the comic license.
Freshly-Picked Tingle’s Rosy Rupeeland (DS)
Why just Europe?: Who even knows? There’s certainly a trend of borderline releases making it in Europe, and we do know that game prices (and therefore potential profits) are higher.
What you’ll need to do: Nothing! The DS is nice and region-free.
Who should get it: Zelda fans who don’t hate Tingle?
Why you should play: It has just enough of the Zelda setup to be familiar to players, but then takes it in a direction that reminds you about Nintendo’s tendency to make games like Chibi-Robo!, WarioWare and Captain Rainbow. There’s all sorts of personality here.
Also: If you like super-weird Nintendo games in English, how about trying Doshin the Giant? The GameCube god game isn’t the most polished thing in the world, but there’s certainly nothing like it.
