Top games to play in Japanese

[kale]

I'm beginning to get into importing, even though my favorite types of games tend to be RPGs. At present, I'm mainly looking to build a Famicom/Super Famicom collection, though I'm planning on getting a Neo Geo AES as well. My Japanese, however, is much too limited.

Do any of you have some suggestions for awesome Japan-only games that a non-Japanese speaker could still play without difficulty?

Cheers!

[Arkhan]

My top suggestion due to its infinite perfection is Fray, either for MSX2 or PC Engine CD

game kicks ass.

[walrusmonger]

when you say "much too limited" does this mean you know some japanese? if you know some japanese, you could probably get through a lot of RPGS if you know the menu system- you can just use a story translation for the meat of it.

i see far too many people say "my japanese isn't good" when they actually dont know an ounce of the language.

[aclbandit]

If you get a Famicom Disk System, I *cannot* recommend enough the game　愛戦士ニコル (Ai Senshi Nicoru/Nicol [Love Fighter Nicol]). It's positively my favorite 3rd-party FDS game, and even edges out a number of the Nintendo 1st party games.

[Arkhan]

oh I must have missed where you said Mainly looking for FC....

hmm

I second aclbandit's suggestion in that case.

Ladystalker for SFC is pretty good
Brandish doesn't require much Japaneseing.
Hyper Iria was pretty fun. (I like the music)
Cacoma Knight is addicting, and obnoxious

^^All SFC titles

Also, the Sailor Moon games, if youre into Sailor Moon. The beat em up is pretty legit.

are we ruling out games that are also English released like Castlevania?

and excluding RPGs due to text heaviness, what are your next favorite kind of games.

[kale]

when you say "much too limited" does this mean you know some japanese? if you know some japanese, you could probably get through a lot of RPGS if you know the menu system- you can just use a story translation for the meat of it.

i see far too many people say "my japanese isn't good" when they actually dont know an ounce of the language.

Well, I took it my first two years in college, and this was during a time when both of my roommates were Japanese international students, Japanese is largely what was spoken in the house we shared. That, and then there was all the damn Japanese TV their friends from home sent them. :beaten:

However, after I moved out, I didn't keep up with it. I'm a burnt out third year in grad school now, so it's been about 5 years. So I'm going to say, yes, I know SOME and there's probably more hidden somewhere under all the junk that constitutes my graduate education, but not really. I've forgotten the majority of my hiragana and katakana (my kanji, on the other hand, always sucked) and right now off the top of my head, I can only string a few sentences together verbally.

[kale]

oh I must have missed where you said Mainly looking for FC....

hmm

I second aclbandit's suggestion in that case.

Ladystalker for SFC is pretty good

are we ruling out games that are also English released like Castlevania?

and excluding RPGs due to text heaviness, what are your next favorite kind of games.

I wouldn't rule out games also released in the US if there was an appreciable difference between the two or you could say that in your opinion the Japanese version was better.

Favorite game genres beyond RPGs? I love platformers, action/adventure, fighting games, simulations, etc. :)

[Arkhan]

try gaia saver too!

and I guess maybe Musya, but that games a bit weird.

[Ze_ro]

I suppose it all depends on your actual level of Japanese knowledge... but there are TONS of Famicom games that are fully playable even without knowing a word of Japanese (In fact, basically everything except RPG's, quiz games and mahjongg games should be easy enough). However, if you're going to get into any Japanese stuff, I'd recommend at the very least getting to know kana well. If you can learn hiragana and katakana, you will be able to get through 95% of the menus in games, as they're usually just transliterated english. Unfortunately, I'd say most RPG's are out of range until you get fairly fluent... as mentioned, you might be able to get through the menus and play the game, but without the storyline, it seems like a hollow experience to me. Luckily, space limitations mean you won't see a whole lot of kanji in Famicom games, though Super Famicom will be a different matter altogether.

In any case, here's some Famicom games I would recommend that don't require any real Japanese knowledge:
Joy Mech Fight
Yume Penguin Monogatari
B-Wings
Atlantis no Nazo
Binary Land
Pooyan
Devil World
Tower of Druaga
Mappy
Galaxian
Dig Dug
Pac-Land
Star Wars (Namco's version... completely different than the NES version)
Quarth
Gradius 2
Parodius
Kid Dracula
Yie Ar Kung Fu
Antarctic Adventure
Twin Bee
Goonies 1 (We got the sequel in North America, but not the original)
Ninja Jajamaru-kun
Chack'n Pop
Pirate Ship Higemaru
Arkanoid 2 (Preferably with the paddle controller)
And here's some Super Famicom games I'd recommend:
Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss
Parodius
Godzilla: Kaijuu Daikessen
(Yeah, I don't know as much about SFC stuff...)

--Zero

[Daria]

Here's a (short) list of SFC games I certainly wouldn't mind owning.

Mario & Wario (SFC) - Cute puzzle-platformer with mouse control.
Do-Re-Mi Fantasy (SFC) - Solid cute platformer available on Virtual Console.
Magical Pop'n (SFC) - You know... I may just have a thing for really cute platform games.
Violinist of Hameln (SFC) - Anothe... you get the idea.

[mobiusclimber]

I don't know an ounce of Japanese, yet I play RPGs almost exclusively and have fought my way through several RPGs (and a dating sim!) that were in Japanese. So I'd actually suggest you try playing a few good Japanese RPGs to see if you'd be able to enjoy them without understanding them. Some good ones:

Aretha 1 & 2 (SFC)
Elfaria 1 & 2 (SFC)
Getsufuu Maden (FC) - more like an action-adventure but still
Majin Eiyuuden Wataru Gaiden (FC)

All of these can be played without knowing Japanese. I'd also suggest Ladystalker for the SFC but you WILL need a walkthru at a few points. There's one puzzle, for instance, where you have to read the book titles in the correct order.

As for some non-RPGs, I'll second DoReMi Fantasy and Violinist of Hameln for the SFC. Splatterhouse and Dracula-kun are two favorites of mine for the FC.

[Arkhan]

Why would you want to play RPGs if you have no flipping idea what is going on and youre just stumbling around clicking until you progress.

seems kinda pointless.

[Daria]

Why would you want to play RPGs if you have no flipping idea what is going on and youre just stumbling around clicking until you progress.

seems kinda pointless.

Shush! You'll summon Aussie2B with that kind of talk.

But yeah, I agree. There's a crap ton of SFC RPGs I'd suggest if he was looking to buy a reproduction or was willing to use emulation. But it frustrates me if I don't know what's going on, and relying on a walkthrough for the whole game would just feel like I was having my hand held. Not fun.

[Natty Bumppo]

I am currently playing famciom wars - if you are familiar with the gba advance wars games the language is no problem at all.

Super Famicom Wars is equally manageable - but that one will be a bit pricey.

[Arkhan]

Shush! You'll summon Aussie2B with that kind of talk.

But yeah, I agree. There's a crap ton of SFC RPGs I'd suggest if he was looking to buy a reproduction or was willing to use emulation. But it frustrates me if I don't know what's going on, and relying on a walkthrough for the whole game would just feel like I was having my hand held. Not fun.

yeah, following the step by step walkthru faq is kind of like playing mahjong with the hint key pressed down the entire time....

[mobiusclimber]

Why would you want to play RPGs if you have no flipping idea what is going on and youre just stumbling around clicking until you progress.

seems kinda pointless.

I've gotten into arguments before over this in RS chat, some pretty heated. I'm not sure I even want to respond. I suggested some RPGs that are easy to play and FUN without knowing what the storyline is. Trust me, you can make it through them without knowing Japanese. They're also cheap, so OP can pick one up and try it. If it's not for him, he's only out $5 at most.

Here's my thoughts on playing RPGs and not understanding what's going on:

1) I can usually suss out some sort of storyline, particularly for newer games (SFC and so on).
2) I can make up my own story as I play along.
3) I'm interested in the world that the game creator(s) made, whether I full understand it or not. Yeah, there are some that are just lazy visually, those can be boring. It all depends on the game.
4) I actually really like turn-based RPGs as something to just pick up and mess around with and play. They're platformers or shmups to other people. I like the gameplay. Maybe that makes me an anomaly, I don't care.
5) My favorite part about RPGs is the adventure. You want to see what's around the corner, over the hill, past the ocean. That's what really interested me.
6) It can make an easy game harder. :D


yeah, following the step by step walkthru faq is kind of like playing mahjong with the hint key pressed down the entire time....

Which is why I only suggested using it in certain places.

[Pk116]

I vote for Adventure Island IV and Super Mario Bros. 2 (J).

[tom]

MS Pac-Man

[Richter Belmount]

Rockman and forte( sfc) , cant go wrong with a old school mega man game? Personally like this version better than the gba version.
Super parodious(sfc) - any of them , great shooters
Clock Tower (sfc)- Its a horror survival game , the game is based on trial and error. Though you miss out on the story if you dont emulate it with a english translation however the story isn't necessary to enjoy this game.

[Seelen]

Hm...it's really hard to think of the top games to play "in japanese" rather than english...or do you just mean the best Japanese games for SFC that you can play without needing to understand the text? I guess it's a little confusing.

The best games to play in Japanese are the ones that are expensive in the states but cheap in Japan ^_-

Final Fantasy V is a must-have. There's not too much text, and there's actually a great translation of the ENTIRE script (in a very readable order), so you wouldn't have too many issues.

Sonic Wings is a fantastic vertical shmup. I've had a lot of fun with that one.

Mother 2 is an obvious choice. You can either pay $15 for a boxed Japanese one, or $100+ for a boxed US version.

[AB Positive]

Firstly... GAH - NOT WORKSAFE DARIA!

I'm glad I have a locked door to my office. Thanks. :P



Secondly, I would like to second/third/whatever the following FC titles:

Joy Mecha Fight
Wai Wai World (and WWW2)
Devil World
Binary Land
Kid Dracula
Parodius
Gradius
Gradius II
Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa (weird platformer where you're a baby - but awesome)


awesome games all.

[kale]

Hm...it's really hard to think of the top games to play "in japanese" rather than english...or do you just mean the best Japanese games for SFC that you can play without needing to understand the text? I guess it's a little confusing.

The best games to play in Japanese are the ones that are expensive in the states but cheap in Japan ^_-

Final Fantasy V is a must-have. There's not too much text, and there's actually a great translation of the ENTIRE script (in a very readable order), so you wouldn't have too many issues.

Sonic Wings is a fantastic vertical shmup. I've had a lot of fun with that one.

Mother 2 is an obvious choice. You can either pay $15 for a boxed Japanese one, or $100+ for a boxed US version.

Well, by "top games to play in Japanese", I MAINLY mean games that were never officially translated/released in English but wouldn't necessitate an English translation or real knowledge of Japanese to play anyway. Things like Star Fox for example, you don't need to really understand the text to know what to do (esp. with some trial and error), whereas it'd be a real task to play something like FFIII without knowing what people were telling you to do.

I just bought a complete SF Mother 2, but this is after I've owned Earthbound for like 15 years and beaten it more times than I can count. I'm not as brave as Mobiusclimber. ;)

[kale]

Shush! You'll summon Aussie2B with that kind of talk.

But yeah, I agree. There's a crap ton of SFC RPGs I'd suggest if he was looking to buy a reproduction or was willing to use emulation. But it frustrates me if I don't know what's going on, and relying on a walkthrough for the whole game would just feel like I was having my hand held. Not fun.

Always looking for new reproduction carts of RPGs! Emulation not so much. I try to avoid playing games on my computer as much as possible. And just for the record, I'm a she. :)

[Aussie2B]

Shush! You'll summon Aussie2B with that kind of talk.

It's true. :)

Arkhan, saying to someone that's already immensely enjoying an activity that what he/she is doing is pointless or doesn't make sense is a quick way to get on somebody's bad side.

I'm sure we've all encountered people who would tell us that playing video games in general is pointless and a waste of time, and most of us would get at least a little annoyed by that. So before you knock on somebody else's entertainment and shoot down their recommendations, why don't you consider my analogy and realize maybe the people who have had actual experience with the activity would be the more qualified people to reflect on it rather than someone who says they don't like something without even trying it?

Also, it may come as shock and awe to you, but not all people play video games for the same reasons. And not all games are developed with the same focus in mind. So, in turn, not all RPG fans play the games for the stories, and not all RPGs have the story as the focal point.

Anyway, this topic is WAY too broad. There are countless great imports worth getting, and when you say "play without difficulty", well, even all of the RPGs I've played in Japanese I've gotten through without much difficulty at all. If you learn the katakana characters, which is extremely easy to do, then you can decipher just about everything in most RPGs besides the dialogue seeing as all those proper nouns and commands are usually in English to begin with. I don't know any Japanese beyond that (unless you count a few words here and there), and I get by just fine. While I heavily relied on FAQs for the first couple text-heavy games I played when I was still learning katakana, I quickly switched to using either very little outside help or none at all. In fact, many of the text-heavy games I own have no FAQs available for them at all, and it's no worry to me. I'm fully confident in my ability to get through them. I've even written FAQs on some of them myself, without knowing Japanese, and my readers are none the wiser to my lack of fluency.

But, honestly, even using a walkthrough to hold your hand through a game the whole way is worth it for some games. A great game will still be great no matter how much outside help you use. I can't imagine missing out on some of the magnificent games I've experienced just because they're in Japanese. Wonder Project J2 and Marvelous are two games I used FAQs a lot for, and it didn't lessen the experiences whatsoever. While those who insist on playing in English can find patches for both Wonder Project J games, Marvelous is still only playable in Japanese, and I sincerely say that anyone not playing it is immensely missing out. Even if you still feel you'd get a nerfed experience by using a guide, isn't a compromised experience better than no experience at all?

[Arkhan]

It's true. :)

Arkhan, saying to someone that's already immensely enjoying an activity that what he/she is doing is pointless or doesn't make sense is a quick way to get on somebody's bad side.

Mobius is my homeboy. We're str8 hood together and whatnot.




I'm sure we've all encountered people who would tell us that playing video games in general is pointless and a waste of time, and most of us would get at least a little annoyed by that. So before you knock on somebody else's entertainment and shoot down their recommendations, why don't you consider my analogy and realize maybe the people who have had actual experience with the activity would be the more qualified people to reflect on it rather than someone who says they don't like something without even trying it?

You're assuming things here and taking the high and mighty road again. I HAVE tried it. It was unfulfilling to wander around without knowing what's going on. So, I am qualified to reflect on the practice of playing a game without knowing whats going on.

It's what prompted me to learn how to read Japanese. That and translating PC Engine documentation.

All you're doing is saying my POV on playing games you cant read is invalid because it doesn't agree with the POV you have which you're implying is "better" or "more qualified". :shameful:

Also, I didn't outright say its stupid. I just questioned WHY you would want to. To which valid reasons why were given. Case closed. No reason for an argument.



Also, it may come as shock and awe to you, but not all people play video games for the same reasons. And not all games are developed with the same focus in mind. So, in turn, not all RPG fans play the games for the stories, and not all RPGs have the story as the focal point.

If all you want out of the RPG is the gameplay style, OK. Fair enough. It was said already.




Even if you still feel you'd get a nerfed experience by using a guide, isn't a compromised experience better than no experience at all?
Is DIY an acceptable substitute for intercourse? not really.

[Aussie2B]

Mobius is my homeboy. We're str8 hood together and whatnot.

Yeah, and he already said that he didn't know if he should even respond because he could foresee the potential for a heated argument, so clearly you said something that he didn't like.


You're assuming things here and taking the high and mighty road again. I HAVE tried it. It was unfulfilling to wander around without knowing what's going on. So, I am qualified to reflect on the practice of playing a game without knowing whats going on.

It's what prompted me to learn how to read Japanese. That and translating PC Engine documentation.

All you're doing is saying my POV on playing games you cant read is invalid because it doesn't agree with the POV you have which you're implying is "better" or "more qualified". :shameful:

"Again"? It was my first post in this topic. If you're coming into this discussion with some past grudge against me, then this conversation is already tainted.

But, yes, the person with the most experience with any particular activity is virtually always the most qualified to reflect upon it. Just to pull a random example out of a hat, I like the Colecovision and would happily share my opinions on some games I like and don't like, but I'm still a relative newbie to the system. If someone was asking if the system was worth owning, I'd definitely say that someone who has owned it much longer, with a much larger assortment of games for it, and much more experience playing said games would be far more qualified to talk about its merits. And I sure as heck wouldn't act like I know more about it than said guy, yet you're acting like you know as much about playing text-heavy games in Japanese as people who do it regularly.

Unless you're a complete masochist, I can assume that you haven't played through many, if any, text-heavy Japanese games beginning to end. So just what is the extent of your experience? Screwing around 30 minutes in some random game until you grew bored? That doesn't count. Even if you have played one beginning to end, it could've been a crappy game to begin with or one not well-suited for play by those who don't speak Japanese (one that has dull gameplay and focuses entirely on plot, although I'd argue that games like those are crappy too, whether I'm playing in English or Japanese). If you pick a game that's got great gameplay, one that you'd love if you had played it in English, play the game from beginning to end, and then tell me it was still a completely unfulfilling experience, great, then that backs up your argument. Otherwise you're just posting initial impressions, which can't be used as the final assessment of a game nor of an experience in general.


Also, I didn't outright say its stupid. I just questioned WHY you would want to. To which valid reasons why were given. Case closed. No reason for an argument.

Huh? Who said anything about anything being stupid?

But seriously, if someone said "I don't like video games, and I don't know WHY you would want to play them" wouldn't that come off as rude to you? And I was just giving my reasons too, quite casually, so where was argument? The majority of my post was directed at the topic creator.


Is DIY an acceptable substitute for intercourse? not really.

That's a silly, inappropriate (both in subject matter and in the context of this discussion) analogy. But if you really want to go there, there's a reason why guys masturbate, and that's because it's better than doing nothing at all. So if anything, it goes along with what I was saying in that way.

[mobiusclimber]

Wow, opened a can of worms. Hmmm... I said I was hesitant to discuss why I enjoy playing Japanese RPGs without being able to read Japanese because I felt like it would probably spark a debate. And it has. Kinda glad I dodged the bullet and the debate isn't centered around me BUT STILL there's no need for a debate. This topic is about helping out the TC find some good Japanese FC and SFC games. She has stated she doesn't want to try text-heavy RPGs. Fine. Let's move along and think of other games she should pick up.

Ghost Sweeper Mikami is an excellent beat-em-up game. A bit pricey tho. (I know where I can get cart only for $20, but I only collect boxed or CIB, darn it.)

[Daria]

Always looking for new reproduction carts of RPGs! Emulation not so much. I try to avoid playing games on my computer as much as possible. And just for the record, I'm a she. :)

Well in that case...

Awesome Famicom RPGs (with available translations):
Sweet Home - Horror themed Menu-based RPG that requires you to navigate two groups of adventurers through a haunted mansion. Environmental puzzles abound which force you to switch back and forth between teams to advance.

Just Breed - Full blown tactical RPG. This game is very much like Shining Force.

Chronicles of Radia War - Think Star Ocean, on the NES.

Post more later...

[mobiusclimber]

Firstly... GAH - NOT WORKSAFE DARIA!

I'm glad I have a locked door to my office. Thanks. :P


Yes I've been glad to have a locked door every time I see that avatar. Oh yeah.

[Arkhan]

Yeah, Daria's avatar is not work safe, but its still kickass. And now I see what I was warned about. Live and learn.


Yeah, and he already said that he didn't know if he should even respond because he could foresee the potential for a heated argument, so clearly you said something that he didn't like.

I was present when mobius had this discussion previously. I know where he stands, he said it again here, its legit, the end, whoopee. :onfire: It's not saying something he doesn't like. It's him knowing theres a difference of opinions and not wanting to get into it again.




"Again"? It was my first post in this topic. If you're coming into this discussion with some past grudge against me, then this conversation is already tainted.

No grudge. Grudges are dumb. Just playing off your usual way of approaching anything you don't agree with.



And I sure as heck wouldn't act like I know more about it than said guy, yet you're acting like you know as much about playing text-heavy games in Japanese as people who do it regularly.

I play text heavy Japanese games every day. The difference is unlike many non-Japanese people, I get the added bonus of knowing what is going on in said game. Were you reading my last post? The part where I said the thing about learning Japanese? About translating PCE docs?....Assuming hasn't been working out for you. Might want to quit it. Same goes for making direct judgements of character. e-armchair psychologist alart!



Unless you're a complete masochist, I can assume that you haven't played through many, if any, text-heavy Japanese games beginning to end. So just what is the extent of your experience? Screwing around 30 minutes in some random game until you grew bored? That doesn't count. Even if you have played one beginning to end, it could've been a crappy game to begin with or one not well-suited for play by those who don't speak Japanese (one that has dull gameplay and focuses entirely on plot, although I'd argue that games like those are crappy too, whether I'm playing in English or Japanese). If you pick a game that's got great gameplay, one that you'd love if you had played it in English, play the game from beginning to end, and then tell me it was still a completely unfulfilling experience, great, then that backs up your argument. Otherwise you're just posting initial impressions, which can't be used as the final assessment of a game nor of an experience in general.

More assuming. Just like the other paragraph! Crickey! I find it funny that you require a complete resume of my "experience" to make "final assessments" on experiences. When did you become the overseer of that?

Since you are though!, Before I lernd2Japan, I went through Sorcerian, DS6, efera and jiliora, emerald dragon on two different systems, Xak 1 2 and 3, Fray, Albert Odyssey, a few shin megami tensei games, all 3 Yuna games, necromancer, more digital comics, some dating sims (which are utterly useless to play if you can't read anything. Find the tit pictures online). both xanadu's, seiken densetsu 3, and god knows wtf else. Safe to say it was ALOT OF FRIGGING GAMES. START TO FINISH.

So I think my opinion on the whole experience of a game you can't read is pretty valid. It may differ from yours. Deal with it. Enough with the Ph.D analysis crap.

It wasn't until I went back and played them being able to read the text that I truly enjoyed the games. until you or anyone else has experienced both sides of the experience, Id say you can't truly comment.



Huh? Who said anything about anything being stupid?

noone. but it was implied that I said something along those lines. I basically did. Wastes of time ARE stupid.



But seriously, if someone said "I don't like video games, and I don't know WHY you would want to play them" wouldn't that come off as rude to you? And I was just giving my reasons too, quite casually, so where was argument? The majority of my post was directed at the topic creator.

Your quote is not a proper comparison to my quote. Thats an entirely different situation. I was questioning WHY someone would want to play a game they can't read. I got answers, they were pretty sensible. I think the entire discussion is moot at this point. I think it was before you chimed in. Half of your post was directed at me, by name I might add. The other half, while directed at the OP, was in the context of what I brought up.....




That's a silly, inappropriate (both in subject matter and in the context of this discussion) analogy. But if you really want to go there, there's a reason why guys masturbate, and that's because it's better than doing nothing at all. So if anything, it goes along with what I was saying in that way.
Depends how you look at it.
Would you rather have the fake, run of the mill, "guided" way towards the end, or would you rather have the exciting, adventure filled, surprising trip towards the end?

Yknow, playing an RPG you can't read is just a buncha squiggles, little cartoon men running around killing stuff, some music and artwork, and then end credits full of more stuff you can't read. Just sayin'



SO ANYWAY


Mr. OP man, have you grabbed any of the games suggested yet or tried em via emulator to see what you like???

Im curious to see if some of us recommended games that you think are junk. :-D That happens to me alot. Especially when I suggest Hydlide

[Ze_ro]

I'm planning on getting a Neo Geo AES as well. My Japanese, however, is much too limited.
I don't think anyone ever commented on this part, but you're in luck with Neo Geo games... they will automatically detect the region of your system and display the appropriate language (as well as changing blood to "sweat" and anything else SNK made region specific). Naturally, that means you'll probably want to get a North American AES if you want the games to display in english... but another option is to install the Universe BIOS (http://unibios.free.fr/), which then gives you the option of changing regions whenever you want. In fact, I'd recommend getting a Universe BIOS even with an American AES... but it's up to you of course... most Neo Geo games are fighters anyways, with very little text.

If you're comfortable with importing games, you might also want to check out the PC-Engine. There is a HUGE library of Japanese games out there that never made it to the TurboGrafx-16, and like the NES, many of them are entirely in English, or use so little text that you'll have no problem getting through them anyways. You can't play Japanese HuCards on a North American system without a converter, but the CD's will work fine in any region.

--Zero

[Ed Oscuro]

I just wanted to say that the Ninja Gaiden games are a bit different on the Famicom (3 comes to mind, that one's easier) and I also fully support Daria's avatar. With both hands ROFL

[Arkhan]

I just wanted to say that the Ninja Gaiden games are a bit different on the Famicom (3 comes to mind, that one's easier) and I also fully support Daria's avatar. With both hands ROFL

lol. Both hands.

that makes me think of an x-rated conan the barbarian.

GONAD THE BOOBARIAN!

[Zoltor]

I wouldn't rule out games also released in the US if there was an appreciable difference between the two or you could say that in your opinion the Japanese version was better.

Favorite game genres beyond RPGs? I love platformers, action/adventure, fighting games, simulations, etc. :)



Omg, then by all means get the FC Dragon Quest 4(they were pretty pissed that the US got the better version of DQ 3, so they gave us the subpar version of DQ 4 as revenge.

In the JP version of DQ 4, you can choose to manually control each char in chapter 5(not just the Hero, like in the US version), which will allow you to effectively treasure hunt(not to mention use strategy to kill bosses).

Since there is a US version of DQ4, as long as you have played it in the past, you shouldn't have a problem using the menues.

[kupomogli]

If you don't know Japanese it wouldn't matter one bit with any of these games although you wouldn't be able to read the great storyline Front Mission Gun Hazard also carries.

Magical Pop'n
Great Battle 4
Great Battle 5
King of Demons
Do-Re-Mi Fantasy Milon's Quest
Front Mission Gun Hazard

[RP2A03]

If you want to put that extra sound hardware in the FDS to good use I'd recommend Otocky. It is a musical side-scrolling shooter in which you fly around shooting enemies and collecting notes. Shooting in each of eight directions generates a different note quantized in time to the beat. Along the way you can change out your instrument if you need a better weapon or just want a different sound.

You should also consider Gyruss for the FDS. It is an excellent space shooter that had an American release, but the sound on the FDS version is far superior.