Whether or not you’re a fan of importing games, nothing can really beat playing something in your native language. It’s sometimes hard to know just what is going to make it to the West and what isn’t, though. In the second edition of the Guide’s Localization Radar, we’ll take a look at the likely candidates to get picked up in the near future.
The time since the last Radar has been absolutely full of localization announcements, from the likely (Monster Hunter 4) to the not-so-much (A-Train 3DS). So… what else is out there to make it out of Japan? Oh, don’t worry: plenty.
READ MORE
It’s a fairly common game development practice: build on a game’s engine and assets to make a new experience on the same platform with less time and effort. It’s resulted in some all-time great games, like The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and it’s also meant dev teams could deliver more than one title in a generation.
These games aren’t often the ones we miss; once a series starts being localized, it tends to stay that way for a while. But sometimes it happens! Thankfully, these are easy games to import, as you know the controls and systems well from the previous game we did get. In this edition of Gaijin Guide, I’m sharing five games that follow this formula and could be worth your time.
READ MORE
It’s the primary goal of this column to help readers better understand the world of imports and make it easier to jump in and play some themselves. Much of the time, it’s interesting to go in-depth on topics, but not always. Sometimes, it’s valuable to answer some questions directly and succinctly, and this time, I decided to do just that. So here we go: answers to eight things I’m asked all the time! READ MORE
The games importing hobby can be a difficult one to get into, purely due to logistics. As always, Gaijin Guide wants to help! So here’s the rundown on systems’ barriers and specialties, to help you know where to start. READ MORE
It’s weird to think of Advance Wars as some sort of import series these days. After all, we’ve seen the last four entries in the West, and in some cases several years before they’re released in their original Japanese form. The last title, Days of Ruin, was released in the U.S. and Europe in 2008, after a breakneck localization process that saw completely different English names and conversations in the two regions. Japanese players could buy it… in October 2013. As a digital-only Club Nintendo reward. This is just the latest in the Famicom Wars franchise’s rocky, questionable release history, one sometimes affected by real-life conflict. READ MORE
