Your favorite imported System?

[Nico87]

So, I'm just curious. What is your opinion on which system is the best to import? I'm thinking about range of games available, most games without Japanese reading skills required, cheapest, etc. Everything!

Personally, I love the Saturn and the PC Engine. Loads of great games to be imported, and vast numbers of great shooters and 2D platformers on both consoles. Just wish I knew how to read Japanese for the great number of RPG's I'm missing out on.

[Cobra Commander]

The Famicom Disk System. That's really no contest for me.
When we were in grade school wayyy back in the 80's, the FDS was the stuff of legends. We had heard rumors of a game that looked like Mario 2 and played like Mario 2, but wasn't Mario 2. We always wondered why Pols Voice hated loud noises.

Yeah. That's what I'm going with.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Sega Saturn, no doubt.

[fahlim003]

Sega Saturn here too. Really large and varied import library to be found there with an abundance of great arcade ports and even some exclusive IPs. Personally, it was the shooting games that drew me in. I got Radiant Silvergun, my first Saturn import, and from there it hasn't looked back. Mind you I pretty much stick to games that don't require intimate understanding of Japanese (no RPGS, etc..) and despite this I think the variety in my collection is pretty good.

In a close 2nd place would be PS2 with PS1 not far behind. PS2 has lots of quality and in high quantity while PS1 is a bit shorter in numbers with that consideration.

[todesengel]

Gonna have to go with the Saturn also, the library of games was just amazingly varied for it and there are tons of games that don't require any Japanese.

[tom]

Atari 5200.
Was never available in EU, read about it way back in 83 in TeleMatch gaming magazine. Wanted one so badly, finally, years later, thanks to Russ Perry, I managed to get a boxed 2-porter. Man Russ, I love you forever.
Greatest import console for me for sure.

[dr101z]

Saturn and Dreamcast! They were the best systems for import games.

[kupomogli]

PSP.

I got a mint green PSP Slim. Only available in Japan. Best colored PSP in my opinion(I also have an original Phat and a Darth Vader Slim.)

[gameofyou]

Definately the Saturn for me, too.

[Ed Oscuro]

FC, SFC, MD, PCE, or X68000 are the systems I seem to pay the most attention to, followed at some distance by other systems. Really all of those were contemporaries aside from the ol' FC.

I don't list the FDS because most of my favorite games came out on cartridge, and only a few of those also had a FDS release. The rest of the FDS games tend to be somewhat obscure. I actually can't think of a single FDS game that I would consider a "must-have" that is limited to that format and region.

[PapaStu]

**moved to Import Mania**

[Nico87]

Bless you, Father, for I have sinned :(

[mobiusclimber]

I actually can't think of a single FDS game that I would consider a "must-have" that is limited to that format and region.

Ever played Nazo no Murasame-Jou? Granted it's available as a Famicom Mini release, but this is the only console version of it. It also has superior versions of games that ended up getting cart releases. Someone else can chime in with other great FDS games (Ai Senshi Nicole, maybe?), I have so far spent most of my time looking for good RPGs for the system (but it's slow going b/c I'm determined to finish the decent ones when I start them so I'm stuck playing Esper Dream which is good but not even close to great).

Anyway, my favorite import system is the PC Engine CD, but the system that meets all of the requirements is, as others have said, the Saturn. It's cheap (I can get them for $45 shipped Seamail all damn day if I want, and that's CIB), has an extensive library of games that weren't released in the US including many that weren't released on other consoles, and many of the good games for it are cheap as well.

[edit: I'd also say the Super Famicom is fairly inexpensive (and the system itself isn't even needed to play the games), has a varied library of titles not found on other consoles, many of them perfectly playable without Japanese knowledge, and lots of its games are cheap.]

[Ed Oscuro]

Ever played Nazo no Murasame-Jou? Granted it's available as a Famicom Mini release, but this is the only console version of it. It also has superior versions of games that ended up getting cart releases. Someone else can chime in with other great FDS games (Ai Senshi Nicole, maybe?), I have so far spent most of my time looking for good RPGs for the system (but it's slow going b/c I'm determined to finish the decent ones when I start them so I'm stuck playing Esper Dream which is good but not even close to great).
I have Nazo no Musasamejoh, but it would feel wrong to open a FDS game after all these years... :? I'll have to emulate it some time. Seems like another take on the Zelda formula, actually.

I have the flyer for Ai Senshi Nicol, hmm. What I'd like to get on the FDS is the Indiana Jones takeoff (also by Konami), though it seems that it has some issues.

[Breetai]

Saturn, PC Engine, Super Famicom & Famicom; in that order.

PS2, PS1 and Dreamcast also have some quality Japanese-only games, but to a lesser extent than those other systems, IMO.

[Tron 2.0]

Currently pce>famicom

That's the most i buy for import games as of late.Now i use to buy alot for the saturn years ago,but then i burned out from buying so much for it.

[WoodyXP]

Saturn followed closely by PCE. These systems have a crapload of games that we didn't have in the States so they stay interesting.

[Damaramu]

Sega Saturn, followed by Dreamcast. PS2 takes 3rd.

[The 1 2 P]

My PS1 has over 100 Japanese import games so it's definitely my fave to import for. The majority of my Saturn games are imports and now my 3DO collection is atleast half Japanese imports as well.

[Arasoi]

My Sharp Famicom Twin gets the most love, followed by my Duo-R. I prefer a lot of the FDS originals over their NES cart counterparts, and there are a lot of great "must have" titles just for it as well (Arumana no Kiseki, 3D Hot Rally, Ai Senshi Nicol, Falsion, Kinetic Connection, Otoky, etc).

The Duo is just a great system overall, and there's a metric ton of import CDROM games for it that are like NES/Genesis games on steroids presentation wise.

[Koa Zo]

PSX, PS2, PCE, Saturn, and Dreamcast are all on equal standing in my very experience opinion. 8-)

PC-Engine really blew my mind when I began collecting for it in 2004. I had no idea there were so many top quality titles for the system, nor did I expect to be so mightily entertained by old "8-bit" games.

For the longest time I swore by the Saturn import scene. Then I actually started looking into what is available for PSX, and realized how much of a Sega fanboy I was being.

[Fuyukaze]

Best system depends on a few factors....
1.personal interets
2.affordability
3.availability

Personaly, I gotta side with the Saturn fans and the PCE crowds. Other systems like the super famicom, PSP, and DS are great but if you can afford some of the more high end titles for those first two you wont be disapointed.

[RetroYoungen]

As for a system I "actually" own (as in the real thing, not a clone) my Wonderswan. Anything goes, my FamiCom. Just because I love my handhelds and my originals (grew up on the NES).

Now I just need more WS games, only have about 12 or so. :(

[The 1 2 P]

For the longest time I swore by the Saturn import scene. Then I actually started looking into what is available for PSX, and realized how much of a Sega fanboy I was being.

I think both of those systems have awesome import games. But because the PS1 has more games period, it usually gets the lions share of praise. I even prefer the import selection of PS1 over Saturn but I'd never just write off the Saturn over that because it's got more than enough import gaming goodness too.

[Baloo]

Saturn and PCE are pretty much THE systems to import for, followed by probably DS at the moment.

Lot of great Japanese titles for those systems.

[Quagmire]

My favorite Import systems for good cheap games are PCEngine & MSX:-D

[Nico87]

FC, SFC, MD, PCE, or X68000 are the systems I seem to pay the most attention to, followed at some distance by other systems. Really all of those were contemporaries aside from the ol' FC.

I don't list the FDS because most of my favorite games came out on cartridge, and only a few of those also had a FDS release. The rest of the FDS games tend to be somewhat obscure. I actually can't think of a single FDS game that I would consider a "must-have" that is limited to that format and region.

Zelda and Metroid? :oops:

[JapanesePeso]

For me it's gotta be the Bandai Playdia. While other systems boasted "Graphics" and "Gameplay" this system knew what people wanted: FMV games and porn.

[andsuchisdeath]

Saturn

[Shirokuma]

my Sony Desr-5700! (PSX)

<3

[Nico87]

/envy

[SuperFamicom83]

Saturn and PS2....both are great for the 2D fighter and Shooter fan!!!

[Shirokuma]

agree! mmm...Sengoku Basara X...drool...

[Ed Oscuro]

Zelda and Metroid? :oops:
Nope, that was not a brain fart. Zelda is on cartridge, but for the record I don't really like either of those. I have both those games, sure - Zelda on both formats - they're still rather primitive and terribly thin games.

[NeoTechni]

Previously I only had an imported PocketStation, but now I have a WonderSwan Color

[hamburglar]

Have to say PC Engine. Lots of great shooters.

Famicom second, probably just nostalgia, since I grew up with the NES.

Super Famicom: there's not much that was great import only wise- most of the good games came out in the US. It does have superior art work on the carts/boxes- and their physical appearance put the SNES to shame.

[Gercman_]

i love the wonderswan, the only thing is that i can't play ff cause i don't understand nothing :)

[NeoTechni]

i love the wonderswan, the only thing is that i can't play ff cause i don't understand nothing :)

Read a walkthrough, there is a translation guide on gamefaqs too

[Tron 2.0]

My favorite Import systems for good cheap games are PCEngine:-D
Now i wouldn't go that far yeah there are pce games wich can be bought cheap.Then there,are the titles that are $100.00+ wich can put a dent in your wallet.I know i've had my share all ready ugg....

[Yukima]

I personally like the Super Famicom, basically because of the number of games that were never released in the US or Europe (RPGs and some anime games) and how much nicer it looks compared to the SNES.

Amazingly enough, I was so uninterested in video games when I was little that I never really knew about the SNES - none of my friends or family ever bought one (they had either an NES or N64). I actually knew about the Super Famicom long before I even knew about the SNES, and actually played games on a Super Famicom without realizing it was Japan's SNES (we went on a trip to California once to visit relatives and one of my cousins had a SFC system). So when I finally noticed SNES systems selling in the stores, I was shocked by how they looked! ROFL

[nectarsis]

PCE easily, tied for 2nd would be PS1/PS2/psp.

[PC-ENGINE HELL]

Supergrafx/Super Cd-Rom2 combo.

[XYXZYZ]

I've got to give yet another vote to the Saturn and PC Engine. The Japanese library for those are a treasure trove of great video games. I need to get back on the PC Engine scene with a Duo R, I can't fix my old Duo.