Fan-Translation Recommendations?

[poloplayr]

Seeing how modern games less and less appeal to me, I've decided to plow back through the back catalogue of RPGs. After finishing off most of the ones that have been localised (and caught my interest), I wanted to seriously go through some fan translated gems.

So, what games can people recommend? Also, if you have completed these games it would be helpful to know this...hate the idea of playing something through to 90% completion only for the game to crash or be unfinished :)

[Vlcice]

One game that a lot of people overlook is Monster World IV (http://www.romhacking.net/trans/77/) on the Genesis. It's an adorable and great action/RPG, which is also really nice-looking. I've beaten it several times and it's one of my favourite Genesis games. Apparently there's a patch for the patch (http://www.romhacking.net/trans/1276/) now, which I haven't tried.

[poloplayr]

One game that a lot of people overlook is Monster World IV (http://www.romhacking.net/trans/77/) on the Genesis. It's an adorable and great action/RPG, which is also really nice-looking. I've beaten it several times and it's one of my favourite Genesis games. Apparently there's a patch for the patch (http://www.romhacking.net/trans/1276/) now, which I haven't tried.

Thanks. Will definitely check it out.

[AB Positive]

If you have the magical dark arts available to you, the strategy RPG Namco x Capcom is being english translated. It's playable as we speak, and I've gone about eight missions in with great fun. The story, even translated to english, is fractured and all over the place. Still, fun with a neat style of strat-RPG battling.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I'd recommend my own crap, but that would be stupid.

So I suggest a dose of Cave Story with a side of Star Fox 2.

[BetaWolf47]

Mother 1 is good if you feel like getting a dump of the proto or a hack.

Bio-Senshi Dan (Bio-Warrior Dan in English) is also worth checking out. It's got that mix of Metroid and swordfighting, and does it pretty well.

[poloplayr]

I'd recommend my own crap, but that would be stupid.

So I suggest a dose of Cave Story with a side of Star Fox 2.

I am curious...what have you worked on? Don't be shy! :)

[Red Baron]

I'll second the notion for Cave Story, it's a wonderful 8-bit-esque gem, and pretty much what I think of when I think of great independently-made games. (Literally independent in this case, as it was made solely by one person.) It's a sidescroller along the lines of a Metroidvania, but has a plot given via dialog and short cutscenes that is surprisingly decent. It's also nicely challenging.

As for other games.. If you're in the mood for strat RPGs and familiar mecha, Super Robot Wars 3 for the SNES is fully translated, and if you have PSX capabilities, Alpha Gaiden is as well. (Although apparently the latter has some minor graphical bugs here and there, but the full story and dialog translation is there.)

I was hoping that Lord of the Elemental, which is the first SRW game based on original content, would have been done by now, but I guess it's still at 50%.. Maybe the remake coming out will light a fire under people to get going on that again.

Anyway, people tend to clamour about Seiken Densetsu 3, which is more of an action RPG, being pretty good, although I haven't played it yet myself. But a game better than Secret of Mana is bound to be quite nice.

Edit: Ditto the Mother 1 mention, can't believe I forgot that. Early morning for me.

[InsaneDavid]

Policenauts.

[Mathius]

The worlds first survival horror game was arguably Sweet Home for the Famicom. It's a great little RPG that was based off of a Japanese movie by the same name. it was fan translated and you can pick up a copy of it at www.nesreproductions.com for $25 plus a donor cart.

[badinsults]

A while back, I played Holy Umbrella (http://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=holyumbrella) for the Super Famicom. A great, humorous platform game that doesn't take a whole lot of time to beat.

[Scissors]

If you've played and enjoyed Persona or Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, I'd recommend Persona 2: Innocent Sin.

[mobiusclimber]

Mother aka Earthbound 0 is great; in fact, I like it a lot more than Earthbound on the SNES. Sweet Home is also very cool. You have to split up your party members and they all have useful skills. Also if anyone dies, they're dead.

Seiken Densetsu 3 I didn't care for. It plays like a cross between Secret of Mana and SaGa Frontier. Ugh. But here's the thing: If you've played and liked any other Mana game, you'll probably like it. If you're like me and only like Secret of Mana, you probably won't like it.

Star Ocean is fun, and getting to see the original graphics beats the PSP remake, imo. It's a technical marvel. My only problem w/ it is that the storyline feels very disjointed and unfocused. And trite. It's worth playing tho, and I've been told that I missed a lot of story sequences in the game, so maybe if you're more OCD about it (or you use a walkthru) you'll get more out of it.

I just started playing Esper Dream on the FDS and it has a fairly interesting battle engine and unique look to it. I'm enjoying it anyway.

I'd also recommend playing the translation of Ys for the Famicom, but I haven't played it all the way thru yet. It's a lot different from the Master System or Turbo CD versions, and seems like a really good port.

I really need to play Holy Umbrella. I've wanted to play that game for a long time. That trans must be new b/c when I was hunting down translated roms I didn't come across it, and I'd have been all over it if I had.

[buzz_n64]

I'd like to play Akira for Famicom, but it's unplayable because of the Japanese text, is it even any good, and are there any translations for it?

[j_factor]

Ys IV for PC Engine CD (do not bother with the SFC version). It returns to the style of Book I & II and is grand.

The original Shin Megami Tensei is excellent.

Also, almost everything Squaresoft did has a fan translation. I recommend Seiken Densetsu 3 (Secret of Mana 2). I also really enjoyed what I played of Romancing Saga 3, but I think the translation might be incomplete.

[Zebbe]

I recommend MIJET's translation of King Colossus for the Mega Drive. A really atmospheric and fun action-RPG.

[crux]

Live-A-Live is another oft recommended Squaresoft translation. The Shining Force 3 translations are getting ever closer and closer to completion. Scenario 2 is fully playable and Scenario 3 is pretty close (no final chapter and a freeze in the first chapter), as well as the proper translation of Scenario 1 (which was improperly translated to give it a closed ending in the U.S. version).

[ClassicGameTrader]

One title that almost never gets mentioned is Front Mission: Gun Hazard. It is a side scrolling Action/RPG developed by Square in the good old days. I found it to be extremely enjoyable and played it from start to finish. Great graphics, gameplay and music! Check it out.

[Clownzilla]

Sweet home for NES is a fun and well made game. It's a survival horror RPG made by Capcom that should of been released in the USA but wasn't.

[tomaitheous]

Gekisha Boy was translated IIRC. A very unique game ;)

[bartre]

Clock Tower.
it's a little weird playing a point and click game on snes/emulator, but it works after about 1 minute. good story, multiple endings, and pretty scary, esp. for an snes game.

Assault Suits Valken/Cybernator
this DID technically come out in the us, but the US version was missing a lot, try the translation. one thing though, i've never been able to beat the 2nd level without cheating :grumble:

Ranma 1/2: Treasure of the Red Cat Gang
if you like anime and RPGs, this will be good. if not, you'll want to kill yourself.
simple as that, it's a competent RPG, but the humor will just pass you by unless it's your style.

Cocoron
pretty much a mega man clone, but you can design your character, up to 6 different ones on a playthrough.
one thing though, the level designers were on acid when they wrote the game.

[kupomogli]

One title that almost never gets mentioned is Front Mission: Gun Hazard. It is a side scrolling Action/RPG developed by Square in the good old days. I found it to be extremely enjoyable and played it from start to finish. Great graphics, gameplay and music! Check it out.

I second Front Mission Gun Hazard. The game plays exactly like Cybernator but better in my opinion. Also the first Front Mission, though if you own a DS I'd recommend that version as you also get a second story to play because it's based off the PSX version of Front Mission 1st.

Romancing SaGa 3, Dragon Quest 3, Terranigma(patch to make PAL version 60fps,) Mother 3, Shin Megami Tensei 2, Brandish 2, and the Fire Emblem series.

[Daria]

Oooh Oooh. This is sooo totally my territory. :P

First lets get the awesome non-rpg's that you'll love out of the way.

Wonder Project J - A pinochio story. You're you, teaching a robot boy how to interact with the world. Basically a point and click.

Radical Dreamers - Text Adventure, extremely well written. This is the story that the crap-tacular Chrono Cross was based on.

Clock Tower -

Famicom Detective Club Part 2

CRAP! Gotta go to work.

[poloplayr]

Oooh Oooh. This is sooo totally my territory. :P

First lets get the awesome non-rpg's that you'll love out of the way.

Wonder Project J - A pinochio story. You're you, teaching a robot boy how to interact with the world. Basically a point and click.

Radical Dreamers - Text Adventure, extremely well written. This is the story that the crap-tacular Chrono Cross was based on.

Clock Tower -

Famicom Detective Club Part 2

CRAP! Gotta go to work.

Funny, at some point in time I have considered starting playing each of these games, but never got around to. Wonder Project J used to look amazing back in the day and the idea of playing this in English is fantastic. I also feel I need to get more familiar with the Detective Club series, seeing how immensely popular they were/are in Japan.

[AB Positive]

Another great Genesis Gem - Twinkle Tale. It's a shooter in the "Shock Troopers" sense with a great fantasy/anime visual style. I love that game for a quick 5 minute game break... obviously never beat it - hah.

[poloplayr]

Another great Genesis Gem - Twinkle Tale. It's a shooter in the "Shock Troopers" sense with a great fantasy/anime visual style. I love that game for a quick 5 minute game break... obviously never beat it - hah.

Great recommendation; looks very interesting!

http://www.romhacking.net/trans/1103/

[CastlevaniaDude]

How has nobody mentioned Mother 3?

[Black_Tiger]

Startling Odyssey II
Xak III
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy III
Shining Force Final Conflict