Amount of Japanese text in games...how do you know?

[Drexel923]

When you buy an import game, how do you know if you'll be able to understand enough to actually navigate and play the game? Do you just roll the dice, or is there a place with information regarding this, so you don't get stuck with a game that is completely useless to a non-Japanese speaker. Or...is this usually only a problem with heavy text games (rpgs and such).

[tuxedojoe]

The language barrier is rarely a problem in anything other than RPGs and dating simulations. Shooters, platformers, adventures, racers, fighters, etc. should all be fine for the average English-speaker. Then again, it wouldn’t hurt to learn some basic Japanese. It shouldn't take to much effort. I could read simple manga after one summer vacation that I mostly devoted to studying (I did have to look up some kanji, however). I have not been keeping up with it, because I am currently studying Chinese, which is much harder and requires much more effort than Japanese. Plus, I get graded in Chinese, I did Japanese for fun.

I'm sure I could pick it up again relatively easily.

Also, if must have that Japanese RPG that didn’t get release in the US/Europe, check the ‘net for a walkthrough or translation. Oft times, many devoted fans will put ‘em up.

EDIT: Here is a link to a game you can download that will help teach you Katakana, Hiragana, and over 1000 Kanji. It is an RPG and is relatively fun.

http://lrnj.com/

Then after you have a basic understanding, you can use this site to perfect your japanese l33t-ness:

http://www.chipchat.com/NihonGo/

[Funk Buddy]

In the past I never even cared, but now I tend to stay away from RPGs and dating sims only. Everything else can be figured out with a little testing, but I don't spend $60 on a game for the most part. I tend to buy my modern system games used, unless it's something I really want.

[Aussie2B]

There are very few games that are completely useless to someone who doesn't know Japanese. It's not even something I worry about.

One thing about importing without being fluent in Japanese is that you gotta be okay with getting outside help. There are a lot of stubborn gamers out there who refuse to use FAQs, but I find that FAQs have only helped me enjoy my imports more. They're there for me when I get stuck, they help me understand the story, and they let me know about secrets and things that I would miss without knowing Japanese well (and even knowing a language doesn't always help with discovering secrets in games these days, as we all know :P ).

Of course, a lot of my imports have no English FAQs or people I can ask for help, but I don't worry about those games either. I tend to avoid heavy strategy games, but I'm not really interested into them to begin with. RPGs are simpler than most people think. They tend to all have the same kind of progression to them, and puzzles and battles follow the same old standards of RPGs too. If you've played a bunch of RPGs in English like I have, it's not problem at all playing them in Japanese. I've also played dating and raising sims without too many problems either.