The number of video games that were created in Japan and later released in the United States has steadily increased throughout the years. One of the reasons behind this is that digital versions of games are now more easily accessible than in the past. This allows gamers in the United States to now play the previously strictly Japan-based games and not need a physical copy.
There have been a plethora of games that have been released only in Japan, but what about games that were released basically everywhere else but the United States— especially games released in other English-speaking countries so they've already been translated anyway? With all the technology available to bring these games to North America, there are still a number of games that haven't been brought to the U.S. in any form.
10 The Company Behind The Firemen Went Bankrupt
The Firemen was released for the Super Famicom (Japan's version of the Super NES) in 1994. It was created by Human Entertainment, the company also known for developing the popular and long-running Fire Pro Wrestling series.
Players take on the role of firefighters and are tasked with putting out a fire that erupted at a Christmas party. The game was released in Japan in September 1994 and came to Europe in May 1995. It was never released in the United States. And with Human Entertainment shutting down in 2000, a localization seems unlikely unless another company happened to pick up the rights to this niche title.
9 Deep Fear Brings Horror To The Deep Sea
Deep Fear is a survival horror game that was released for the Sega Saturn in 1998. Players take on the role of ex-Navy Seal John Mayor in an underwater research facility called the "Big Table." Mayor needs to defeat the various mutants he comes across and escape the facility. The game was released in Europe in June 1998 and in Japan the following month. Deep Fear was the last game to be released for the Sega Saturn in Europe. It was never released in North America, even though the majority of the dialogue is in English.
8 Inazuma Eleven Strikers Is A Spin-Off Of The Popular Inazuma Eleven Series
Inazuma Eleven Strikers is a football (soccer) game that was developed by Level-5, the company behind the Professor Layton series as well as acclaimed JRPGs like Dragon Quest VIII and Ni no Kuni. The game came out for the Wii in Japan in July of 2011, and later came to Europe in September of 2012. The Inazuma Eleven franchise was first created in 2008 and was a successful series on the DS. They even developed manga and anime based on the franchise. While the previous Inazuma Eleven games were released in North America, this spinoff never made it.
7 Another Code: R - A Journey Into Lost Memories Is Like Famicom Detective Club
Another Code: R - A Journey Into Lost Memories is the sequel to Another Code: Two Memories. While the first installment of the series was released in North America, the second one never made it there. This game was first released on the Wii in Japan in February 2009 and in Europe four months later. This game can be compared to the Famicom Detective Club series. Players take on the role of 16-year-old Ashley to solve puzzles and the mysteries surrounding her mother's death 13 years prior.
6 Disaster: Day Of Crisis Was Released Almost Everywhere Except The U.S.
Disaster: Day of Crisis is yet another Wii game that was never released in North America. This survival game debuted in Japan in September 2008, Europe in October 2008, and even Australia in November 2008. The main protagonist is former Marine Raymond Bryce who lost his partner to a volcano eruption. He is later recruited by the FBI and has to survive the many disasters that come his way, including fighting terrorists, navigating natural disasters, and solving puzzles. Players need to make sure that Raymond's health bars are doing okay by feeding him and avoiding toxic fumes.
5 The 10,000 Bullets Soundtrack Is Done By Square Enix Veterans
10,000 Bullets is a third-person shooter for the PlayStation 2. It was first released in Japan in February 2005 and in Europe in October 2005. The game was never released in the United States.
The protagonist of 10,000 Bullets is a hitman named Crow who lives in Ireland but an Italian gangster family called the Tonio Family recruited him for work. The music for this game was co-composed by Miki Higashino and Yasunori Mitsuda. They are known for their work for the Square Enix classic Chrono Trigger.
4 Rakugakids Is A Fighting Game For Kids That Looks Like A Parappa Spin-Off
Rakugakids is a child-focused brawl game by Konami that was released on the Nintendo 64 in 1998. The Japanese release was in July 1998 and the European release was in December 1998. The art style of this game is reminiscent of the 2D hand-drawn style of the Parappa the Rapper series. with its title meaning "doodle" in Japanese. Players can choose different characters to battle one another. The game is pretty simple and can most likely be beaten in less than an hour. A reference to the game was even made in Castlevania: Circle of the Moon.
3 Air Boarder 64 Is Another Release By Human Entertainment
Air Boarder 64 is centered around hoverboard racing in the style of Back to the Future, at a time when there were enough different hoverboard racing games to consider it its own sub-genre. The game was released in Japan in March 1998 for the Nintendo 64 and in November 1998 for European players. There was an attempt to bring this game to North America called Airboardin' USA but the project was later canceled. Most reviews were pretty abysmal for this one, and this is a case where U.S. gamers were definitely better off.
2 One Piece Unlimited Cruise Did Not Come To The U.S. Despite How Popular The Anime Is In America
While a beloved anime in the United States and making an appearance in several video games released, One Piece had some games that never made it to North America. One Piece Unlimited Cruise was divided into two episodes for the Wii and later for the 3DS.
One Piece: Unlimited Cruise Episode 1 - The Treasure Beneath The Waves was released in September 2008, followed by a Europe and Australia release months later. The second installment, One Piece: Unlimited Cruise Episode 2: Awakening of a Hero, was released in Japan in February 2009 with Europe and Australia's release months later. It even had a sequel called One Piece: Unlimited World Red.
1 Chaos Break Is Another Mutant Shooter Game That The U.S. Never Got
Chaos Break is yet another third-person shooter that didn't have a North American release. The game is a sequel to the arcade game Chaos Heat. It was released in Japan for the Sony PlayStation in January 2000 and in December 2000 for European gamers. It has a similar storyline to Deep Fear in how players are in a research facility and have to defeat the various mutants that they encounter. Players also have to search for CD discs in order to move on to the next floor. The game was notable for pushing the PS1 hardware and being a great graphical showpiece for the then-aging hardware.