Top 10 (or so) Japanese Nintendo 64 Games

[Darren870]

Looking to expand my Japanese N64 Collection.. Anyone have any recommendations? Looking for games that aren't Japanese heavy :).

I found this list but am looking for some other suggestions too.

http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/top10/71.html

List your top 10!

[Kid Fenris]

1. Sin and Punishment, though you can get it much more easily on the Wii's Virtual Console.

Honorable Mention: Wonder Project J2 was pretty good until I noticed that the game's robot-girl heroine flashed her underwear every time she ran someplace.

That's about it.

[Aussie2B]

That's actually a really good list, especially by GameFAQs Top 10 standards considering they're usually awful. I remember emailing the writer after it first went up to compliment his work, and it turned out that a couple of the imports he had played were a result of my coverage on them. :P

Did you happen to make a similar topic on the N64 forum on GameFAQs today? I answered a very similar question just earlier, so I'll copy and paste my recommendations:

Bomberman 64 (2D Bomberman with lots of different game modes. Expect to pay big bucks for this, though, as it was the last N64 game released in Japan. One sold on eBay recently for $100, but they've gone for a few hundred in the past.)

Custom Robo and Custom Robo V2 (Good mecha action games; you know what to expect if you've played any of the US releases.)

Fuurai no Shiren 2 (Excellent roguelike dungeon crawler. It's the sequel to the game that recently came out on DS in the US called Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer.)

Getter Love!! (Really crazy dating sim board game. You can play against friends or A.I. opponents.)

Nushi Tsuri 64 (Fishing RPG. If you've played and liked the River King games, this is another good entry in the series. There's a second one on N64 too, but it's more of a normal fishing game since it's light on the RPG elements.)

Robot Ponkottsu 64 (Pokemon-esque robot monster battling RPG. Try the Robopon games on GBC and GBA, which came out in English, to see if you'd like this.)

Sin and Punishment (Every N64 importer knows about S&P, so I won't bother explaining. :P )

Super Robot Taisen 64 (One of the best entries in a good strategy RPG series. If you like mecha anime, that helps. Try Atlus's releases of the Original Generation games to see if you like the gameplay of the series.)

Wonder Project J2 (One of my very favorite games. You raise a robot girl to be human. Very charming, endearing cast and a touching plot. Use a guide if you need to as it's worth playing regardless of if you know Japanese.)

[Spartacus]

Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh

[fahlim003]

Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh

I was thinking while checking that list, how did this get omitted, especially when it's not entirely the same as the Dreamcast version. Good reminder for a terrific game.

I suspect this Top 10 was a submission a long time ago as it looks strangely familiar with Fushigi at 1.

[Darren870]

Bomberman 64 (2D Bomberman with lots of different game modes. Expect to pay big bucks for this, though, as it was the last N64 game released in Japan. One sold on eBay recently for $100, but they've gone for a few hundred in the past.)

Fuurai no Shiren 2 (Excellent roguelike dungeon crawler. It's the sequel to the game that recently came out on DS in the US called Mysterious Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer.)

Wonder Project J2 (One of my very favorite games. You raise a robot girl to be human. Very charming, endearing cast and a touching plot. Use a guide if you need to as it's worth playing regardless of if you know Japanese.)

Thanks for the list!

Are these Japanese heavy? No that wasn't me who posted that on GF btw.

[c0ldb33r]

I downloaded Sin and Punishment on the wii. I found it to be a confusing mess.

[Spartacus]

I downloaded Sin and Punishment on the wii. I found it to be a confusing mess.

I bought Sin & Punishment because I'd heard raves about it. It confused me too. Now I don't feel so bad. LOL

[Aussie2B]

Thanks for the list!

Are these Japanese heavy? No that wasn't me who posted that on GF btw.

Basically all you do in Wonder Project J2 is point and click to direct the heroine and have her interact with items and other characters, so it's heavy on the Japanese. But like I said, it's worth experiencing even if you have to use a guide to hold your hand the whole way through. This site was a huge help to me:

http://membres.lycos.fr/wonderproject/

Fuurai no Shiren 2 is moderately heavy on Japanese. You'd miss out on the little bits of story here and there, and you'd have to wander your way through towns, but for most of the game you're just wandering through randomly generated dungeons beating the tar out of monsters. :) Probably the hardest part is figuring out what the items you find do.

You don't really need any Japanese knowledge for Bomberman 64. It's main mode is just classic Bomberman, which is completely action-based, and two of the other modes are puzzle games (Panic Bomber and a Sega Swirl rip-off). The fourth mode is the only one that has much in terms of text, since it's an adventure mode in an amusement park. It just serves as a hub for a whole slew of mini-games, though, so all you gotta do is randomly talk to characters until you come across the ones that run the games.

[Soviet Conscript]

I bought Sin & Punishment because I'd heard raves about it. It confused me too. Now I don't feel so bad. LOL

i like the game but i to find it confuseing and hard to get used to. i never have gotten to that navy stage everyone raves about so much.

[Aussie2B]

I find the only thing that makes Sin & Punishment a little unwieldy is that Treasure insists on often using bizarre, unintuitive control schemes in their games, probably just for the sake of being "different". It's the same problem I have with Mischief Makers.

[A Black Falcon]

Sin & Punishment is one of the best rail shooters ever, matched only by Star Fox 64 and the Panzer Dragoon series. I'd say that it deserves every bit of praise it gets and maybe more... it's a spectacular game and should be #1 on the list of any N64 import list, or any Virtual Console purchase list. It may be short, but it's fun, challenging, great looking, has a weird anime-style storyline, etc... just great stuff.

Other than that though, a lot of the big ones have been mentioned... and yeah, for a GameFAQs Top 10, that was quite good, though Bangaioh should have been on it somewhere. Oh well...

Other stuff to maybe look into... hmm. Evangelion 64 is competent, if average, and isn't hard to play without knowing the language. Dezaemon 64 might be worth looking into... not sure about others though. I'm sure there are some more good import titles, even if there aren't very many compared to many other Japanese systems, considering how much better the N64 did here than in Japan.

[Kid Fenris]

I bought Sin & Punishment because I'd heard raves about it. It confused me too. Now I don't feel so bad. LOL

The problem with Sin and Punishment's control system is that it was made for a Nintendo 64 pad and feels strange when it's played with anything else. Even the dual-analog classic controller doesn't fit it quite right.

Also, there's a translation patch (http://www.seiyuu.info/wpj2/) for Wonder Project J2, in case you prefer your android-panty-shot adventure games emulated.

[Icarus Moonsight]

The problem with Sin and Punishment's control system is that it was made for a Nintendo 64 pad and feels strange when it's played with anything else. Even the dual-analog classic controller doesn't fit it quite right.

Also, there's a translation patch (http://www.seiyuu.info/wpj2/) for Wonder Project J2, in case you prefer your android-panty-shot adventure games emulated.

Hey guys, tweak your control set-up in the options menu. I managed a more intuitive control with my Wavebird that way. I had issues initially, after customizing it got much smoother. And I was able to enjoy the game rather than fight with goofy controls.

[Aussie2B]

No, the problem with S&P's controls isn't the fact that it was designed for N64 because the game still feels weird with that controller too. I don't even know what it feels like with a GameCube or Wii controller, but I imagine it must be worse. I've messed with the controls extensively in the options, but nothing feels quite right. Of course, it's still worth putting up with some awkwardness to play. It definitely is a great game.



Also, there's a translation patch (http://www.seiyuu.info/wpj2/) for Wonder Project J2, in case you prefer your android-panty-shot adventure games emulated.

You're really making way more of a fuss about that than it warrants. I've probably played through WPJ2 at least half a dozen times, and while I vaguely remember a panty shot, I can't really place it in my head nor did I ever give it a second thought. I'm guessing it's probably when Josette is screeching to a halt after running? I looked through the guide book, which has loads of her animation frames pictured, and I couldn't even find it. Considering she probably has over 100 frames of animation, it's just one tiny thing you won't see that often, and it was probably just thrown in to be cute and funny. It's certainly not gratuitous like, say, the Final Fantasy anime. If they really cared about panty shots, they had many more opportunities to add them, like when she's jumping in the air, dancing, attacking, etc., yet her dress stays low in all of those. In fact, one of the things I love about Josette is that she isn't overtly sexualized. Although I guess if it really bothers you, you could play the first Wonder Project J, which stars a boy android, but J2 is the better game. I feel bad for you if you can't enjoy an excellent game because a silly little panty shot bothers you so deeply.

[TurboGenesis]

*shrug*
I had no problem and I prefer to play Sin & Punishment on N64 because of its control with the N64 controller. Of note, I hold the controller different than conventional means. My right hand grips the center with my finger on the z button and my thumb on the analog stick. My left hand holds the far left grip and my thumb is on the d-pad and my finger is on the L trigger button. -- Sin & Punishment does look better and more crisp on the Wii however…

and for topic,
Bangai-O is also another game I enjoy on the Japanese N64 - I also hold the controller the same fashion for this game as in Sin & Punishment.

[Kid Fenris]

Yeah, Sin and Punishment's controls are hard to grasp at first, but there's a point where they completely click. For me, it's only happened on the N64 controller, though I didn't use a Wavebird.


You're really making way more of a fuss about that than it warrants. I've probably played through WPJ2 at least half a dozen times, and while I vaguely remember a panty shot, I can't really place it in my head nor did I ever give it a second thought. I'm guessing it's probably when Josette is screeching to a halt after running? I looked through the guide book, which has loads of her animation frames pictured, and I couldn't even find it. Considering she probably has over 100 frames of animation, it's just one tiny thing you won't see that often, and it was probably just thrown in to be cute and funny.

We're talking about something that's shown nearly every time she runs AND every time she jumps and twirls around in celebration of some event or accomplishment, which happens frequently during the game. It's right there, eight seconds into a commercial for the game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtKZXIC0MYA), and it's a little hard to ignore. It's a perfect example of Japanese developers' tendencies to sully otherwise charming games by sticking in creepy, unsubtle details aimed at the worst kind of anime nerd.

[Rob2600]

I had the Japanese version of Wonder Project J2 and didn't get too far because of all the foreign text. I'll have to try it again with that English patch.

WPJ2 is one of the best-looking 2D games I've ever played though. The animation and artwork are top-notch...and everything resides on a "tiny" 8 MB cartridge.

Sin and Punishment confused me at first, too. I kind of figured out what to do, but it just wasn't clicking with me. Then, I read some guides online and figured out the controls (if I remember correctly, using the sword to repel enemy fire) and that's when it clicked. The game became much better!

[Aussie2B]

We're talking about something that's shown nearly every time she runs AND every time she jumps and twirls around in celebration of some event or accomplishment, which happens frequently during the game. It's right there, eight seconds into a commercial for the game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtKZXIC0MYA), and it's a little hard to ignore. It's a perfect example of Japanese developers' tendencies to sully otherwise charming games by sticking in creepy, unsubtle details aimed at the worst kind of anime nerd.

I forgot about it in the victory jump, but that split second when she's screeching to a halt is barely worth mentioning it's so hard to notice. Even in the jump, it's no big deal. If anything, I think those frames help the animations because she's wearing a billowy dress, and all her movement looks that much more fluid to see the dress react to the motions accordingly. Like I said, they had loads more opportunities where they could've done panty shots if that was important to them, but they only used them where they actually make sense in the animations. Again, I think you're reading WAY too much into it. It's a cute, innocent game starring a cute, innocent girl. I disagree with you entirely on the idea that it's blatant. I'd say it's very subtle and easy to ignore or not even take notice of, and never once did it come off as creepy to me. I don't think they're aiming to appeal to some kind of lecherous otaku at all. I mean, as a woman, you'd think I'd be more tuned into and bothered by that kind of stuff than guys, but even I can tell it's just supposed to be cute and funny. I think it's probably saying more about you than the developers of the game that such an insignificant thing is blown to such huge proportions in your mind and instantly read in such a way.

[Kid Fenris]

I forgot about it in the victory jump, but that split second when she's screeching to a halt is barely worth mentioning it's so hard to notice. Even in the jump, it's no big deal. If anything, I think those frames help the animations because she's wearing a billowy dress, and all her movement looks that much more fluid to see the dress react to the motions accordingly. Like I said, they had loads more opportunities where they could've done panty shots if that was important to them, but they only used them where they actually make sense in the animations. Again, I think you're reading WAY too much into it. It's a cute, innocent game starring a cute, innocent girl. I disagree with you entirely on the idea that it's blatant. I'd say it's very subtle and easy to ignore or not even take notice of, and never once did it come off as creepy to me. I don't think they're aiming to appeal to some kind of lecherous otaku at all. I mean, as a woman, you'd think I'd be more tuned into and bothered by that kind of stuff than guys, but even I can tell it's just supposed to be cute and funny. I think it's probably saying more about you than the developers of the game that such an insignificant thing is blown to such huge proportions in your mind and instantly read in such a way.

Yes, it's clearly my fault for noticing when game developers flash a female character's panties every time she's overjoyed about accomplishing something. Never mind that anime and game designers have been doing the same thing for prurient reasons over the last thirty years. Wonder Project J2 is clearly the only harmless and pure case of it, a lone snowflake floating on a sea of oil.

If you didn't notice it, I'd guess that was because you were unaware of just how creepy Japan's panty-fetish-cartoon subculture can be. Or perhaps you were too much in love with the game to allow any unwholesome subtext or critical thinking to enter your perception of it.

I realize you want to think of Wonder Project J2 as cute and innocent, but the fact remains that the developers made the obvious and deliberate design choice to show the robot girl's underwear frequently and for no excusable reason. What's more, the whole concept of games where you "raise" female characters is rooted in suggestive titles like Princess Maker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Maker) and Graduation. It's entirely logical for Enix and Givro to court the same audience, albeit not as blatantly. And it's irresponsible to laud the game without pointing out its uncomfortable elements.

[bones11]

Dude, don't get your panties all bunched up.

[Aussie2B]

Yes, it's clearly my fault for noticing when game developers flash a female character's panties every time she's overjoyed about accomplishing something. Never mind that anime and game designers have been doing the same thing for prurient reasons over the last thirty years. Wonder Project J2 is clearly the only harmless and pure case of it, a lone snowflake floating on a sea of oil.

If you didn't notice it, I'd guess that was because you were unaware of just how creepy Japan's panty-fetish-cartoon subculture can be. Or perhaps you were too much in love with the game to allow any unwholesome subtext or critical thinking to enter your perception of it.

I realize you want to think of Wonder Project J2 as cute and innocent, but the fact remains that the developers made the obvious and deliberate design choice to show the robot girl's underwear frequently and for no excusable reason. What's more, the whole concept of games where you "raise" female characters is rooted in suggestive titles like Princess Maker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Maker) and Graduation. It's entirely logical for Enix and Givro to court the same audience, albeit not as blatantly. And it's irresponsible to laud the game without pointing out its uncomfortable elements.

Except I've never once heard of anyone finding anything remotely uncomfortable about the game before. Anyone reading this topic would be getting the completely wrong idea about the game. I'm well aware of creepy otaku kids and their subculture. It's kind of hard to not be when I'm a woman into Japanese games, surrounded by a sea of guys, a lot of whom have no idea what a real relationship with a woman is. I know what kind of games are targeted at said audience, and I've even played hentai games myself. To try to suggest that Wonder Project J2 is in that group is just all wrong. Just because some creepy kids might pop a tent at the sight of Josette's panties, it doesn't mean it's some game where you play with some sex doll android. Same goes for Princess Maker and Graduation. Have you ever played a game that's genuinely sexual in nature to get some perspective on this? I can't speak for the whole series, but I've played Princess Maker and it's a perfectly innocent game too. Graduation is a bit like a dating sim in structure, but it's harmless also. Do you propose the entire raising sim genre be eliminated? Or is it only okay if the games star male characters?

Did you ever consider that maybe girls like these games too? The Harvest Moon series puts a large focus on wooing women in a dating sim style system; does that make them creepy? Does it surprise you that Harvest Moon games are probably even more popular among women than men? Even in the ones that don't give the option to choose a female character? What about the Angelique games? Are they creepy? The whole point of them is to basically give a female player a bunch of pretty boys to look at and court. In a raising sim like Wonder Project J2, you may not be able to court a whole cast of characters (although one required goal in the game is to help Josette understand that her feeling for Arnold is love), but the basic idea of building up a character and interacting with others to improve their relationships is the same. Women generally like these kinds of games, and you'd be surprised how many play raising sims.

Do you think all these women are offended at the very sight of a pair of panties? Do you think they care? A large percentage of games with female characters have them wearing clothes so skimpy that what they wear on the bottom that you see at all times may as well be a pair of panties because a bikini bottom or whatever is essentially the same. With Josette, she's isn't curvy, she never behaves in a sexual way, she doesn't show any cleavage, and her dress goes to her knees. That alone makes her less sexualized than the vast majority of female video game characters. Yeah, the panties are likely fan service, but does a little fan service instantly ruin a game? If you refuse to play a game unless the female characters have absolutely nothing about them that isn't designed to be attractive, then you'll hardly find anything to play. And I guess you can't play games that have pretty boys or macho guys that are attractive to women. If someone playing Wonder Project J2 finds Josette attractive and enjoys the extremely brief, sporadic panty shots, it's no sweat off my back. Everyone else is just going to laugh because it's funny. Josette isn't purposely pulling her skirt up. When she's excited and twirling in the air, she doesn't even realize her panties could be seen, and when she screeches to a halt, she gets embarrassed and pulls her dress down really quick. It's cute. It's got zero in common with perverts in Japan buying used panties and using camera phones to get up-skirt shots.

And as for Givro trying to court a questionable audience, why would they make the first Wonder Project J star a little boy? Why would Nanatsu Kaze no Shima Monogatari star a fat, ugly dragon? Why aren't there more panty shots in the other myriad of animations that could've had them? And why isn't Josette sexualized in any other way? I have a couple of issues of Famimaga that happen to cover Wonder Project J2 and show several design sketches, and not one of them portrays her in a sexual way. In fact, the final design actually has a dress longer than the most similar prototype design.

[Zebbe]

This thread is pretty hilarious. ^^

[Kid Fenris]

Did you ever consider that maybe girls like these games too? The Harvest Moon series puts a large focus on wooing women in a dating sim style system; does that make them creepy? Does it surprise you that Harvest Moon games are probably even more popular among women than men? Even in the ones that don't give the option to choose a female character? What about the Angelique games? Are they creepy?

Do they make a point of showing a female character's underwear every five minutes? No? Well, then.


And as for Givro trying to court a questionable audience, why would they make the first Wonder Project J star a little boy?

To quote an old review in Gamefan: "The robot was a boy and, needless to say, Wonder Project J didn't exactly fly off the shelves. Enix isn't about to make the same mistake twice...instead of snotty little Pino, this game's robot is a young girl by the name of Josette. She's cute! She's charming! She's bubbly!"


I can't speak for the whole series, but I've played Princess Maker and it's a perfectly innocent game too.

Ahahahahahahahahahaha

http://mtvgames.typepad.com/mtv_video_games_blog/images/pm2marry1.gif

Oh wait, that's Princess Maker 2. Completely different.


Yeah, the panties are likely fan service, but does a little fan service instantly ruin a game?

It sure as hell doesn't help an otherwise cute and innocent game.

Anyway, I am off to watch the anime series Agent Aika.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQCvrDwM5qY

What's that? Panty shots? Well, I don't know what you mean. It's all just a little fan service, and besides I'm sure that somewhere out there a woman is enjoying this show. And it's not offensive if a woman, any woman, might enjoy it somewhere! And hey, maybe YOU'RE the pervert for noticing those underwear shots!