Back in the 80s, 90s, 00s, and so on, gamers had to wait two, three or sometimes even more years before a game came over from Japan. Some games didn’t even come over at all. The gap between the Japanese and Western release dates is getting thinner and thinner thankfully.
Some games even release worldwide like Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village. Even games from the old era are coming out via straight ports or with remakes. It’s never too late to bring out an old game to a new audience and these long overdue selections from Japan prove that.
10 Front Mission (12 Years)
Front Mission began its series in 1995 on the SNES. The first game the West received was Front Mission 3 which probably confused many. Eventually this original would get remade for the DS and it then released in North America in 2007. It is a similar tactical RPG to Final Fantasy Tactics except take out the class system and replace it with a robust set of mechs to customize for battle.
9 Metal Wolf Chaos (15 Years)
Metal Wolf Chaos was an Xbox exclusive in 2004. This is odd considering the entire game was spoken in English, making it an easy import for those interested at the time.
It should also be noted that the this mech game was developed by FromSoftware though before they got their act together as many find Metal Wolf Chaos’ gameplay subpar. Metal Wolf Chaos XD was the name given to the 2019 remaster which launched on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
8 Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (16 Years)
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake was a 1990 MSX2 which was a platform North America didn’t even have. The funny thing about this sequel is that while the West did get Metal Gear in 1988, it didn’t get this official sequel. However, North America got its own exclusive sequel with Snake’s Revenge also in 1990. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence released in 2006 on PS2 and with it came both original Metal Gear games on a separate disc.
7 Final Fantasy III (16 Years)
Final Fantasy III released in 1990 on the NES. The original version of this game has still never been translated officially although there were decent fan patches made. North America would not get the game until it got remade for the DS in 2006. This was perhaps the smarter move on Square Enix’s part as going back to an NES game at that point would be a bit too archaic for the series.
6 Shin Megami Tensei (22 Years)
Shin Megami Tensei released in 1992 on the SNES in Japan. It still hasn’t come to consoles but it did release in the West via iOS in 2014. This was two years after the game launched on mobile phones in Japan so it almost didn’t happen. It is a faithful update to the original and is a great throwback but it also would be nice to see it jump somewhere else too as well as to get some other missing games in the series.
5 Trials Of Mana (24 Years)
Trials of Mana first released on the SNES in Japan in 1995 under the name of Seiken Densetsu 3. Seiken Densetsu is the name for the Mana series in Japan. In 2019 it was released in the Collection of Mana which also included Final Fantasy Adventure and Secret of Mana. This was two years after Japan got it so even this collection of action RPGs was delayed. It was a wait well worth it though because not only for the West finally get this game, but in 2020 the game got a remake worldwide.
4 Romancing SaGa 3 (24 Years)
Romancing SaGa 3 also released in 1995 for the SNES in Japan. In 2019 it finally got translated for a plethora of platforms including mobile devices, Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. It is a slightly enhanced version of the turn-based RPG original. The SaGa series has actually been getting a lot of love starting in 2019 that has continued year after year with 2021’s big blessing being SaGa Frontier getting a remaster.
3 Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows Of Valentia (25 Years)
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia released for the NES in 1992 in Japan under the name of Fire Emblem Gaiden.
Gaiden, in a title, is often used to differentiate itself as a side adventure in Japan. Fire Emblem Gaiden bucked the trend by adding towns with NPCs as well as dungeons to explore. It is one in very few games in the series to do this. After twenty-five years it received a 3DS remake in 2017 which is when the West got it.
2 EarthBound: Beginnings (26 Years)
EarthBound: Beginnings, or Mother as it was known in 1989 in Japan, released for the NES. This game almost came to the West much earlier than the Wii U Virtual Console port in 2015. The translation for the NES game was almost complete but for whatever reason Nintendo abandoned the project. Fans first learned of this when a prototype cartridge was discovered online with the rom being posted as well. Now if only Mother 3 would come over.
1 Famicom Detective Club (33 Years)
Famicom Detective Club beats any of these games out of the water with thirty-three years of wait time The first game, The Missing Heir, released in 1988 for the NES. The second game, The Girl Who Stands Behind, released in 1989. Both games were remade in 2021 for the Switch with tons of improvements beyond visual upgrades such as voice work. It can still feel a bit archaic for a modern adventure game, but it’s still nice to see the update.