Summary
Releasing games worldwide is easier than it ever has been thanks to things like online storefronts and the wonders of the internet, but it wasn’t always like that in the gaming industry. Especially throughout the 1990s, it wasn’t uncommon for some titles to be releasedexclusively in certain regionsfor a number of different reasons.
This was often due to there being a lack of interest in the game in other parts of the world, or maybe a worldwide release just wasn’t on the radar. Nintendo is one of the companies that has had many critically-acclaimed games that launched worldwide. That said, there were many games for Nintendo consoles that ended up becoming “hidden-gems” after only being released in Japan.
This list features games releasedexclusivelyfor Nintendo consoles in Japan and does not include remakes or re-releases.
Umihara Kawasewas a lesser-known, yet interesting 2D platformer with puzzle elements, and it was the first in the Japan-exclusiveUmihara Kawaseseries of games. Controlling the titular character, Kawase Umihara, the game contains a total of 49 levels referred to as “fields” that the players have to work through one-by-one.
It followed the same concepts that were common inthe 2D platforming genre, but it added a unique mechanic to spice-up its gameplay. Kawase Umihara could use their fishing line as a grappling hook to avoid obstacles, which added another layer of depth to the usually simple platforming movement. Though it gained a cult-following, the original Super Famicom release never became a widely-known title and would unfortunately remain exclusive to Japan at the time.
Torneko’s Great AdventurewasDragon Quest’s first ever spin-off title, also being the first entry in theMystery Dungeonseries of games. It focused more on dungeon-crawling and real-time combat rather than the turn-based formula that is common forthe rest of theDragon Questseries.
The plot revolves around Torneko fromDragon Quest 4, a merchant pursuing his dream of one day owning the best shop of all time. To do so, he embarks on his titular “Great Adventure,” exploring the Mystery Dungeon in search of various items for his new dream storefront, making for a charming story as usual. Also featuring a new style of gameplay for the series, it drew in quite a fan base in Japan upon its release.Torneko’s Great Adventuredid have a North American version in development later on, but it unfortunately remained unreleased, and the game has remained exclusive to Japan ever since.
Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heartfor the GBA was the third installment in the popularDragon Questsub-series, strangely being the first in theMonsterslineup of spin-offs to never be released outside of Japan. The story surrounds the main character, Kiefer fromDragon Quest 7, who is pulled into the realm of Torland where he saves a caravan leader named Luin.
Players join with the caravan on a quest to find the Orbs of Loto, along the way fighting andtaming the series’ familiar monstersin turn-based combat.Caravan Heartwill be a familiar experience to anyDQfan, just focusing much more on the titular Caravan element than the main-line games. Despite being a huge success, the game unfortunately never saw an official release or localization outside of Japan.
Treasure of the Rudrasis an interesting JRPG from Square, being one of the last games the company would ever develop for the Super Famicom before moving over to Sony’s PlayStation in the 1990s. The story isbroken up into three scenarios, each following a different main character as they all embark on a quest to thwart evil gods and save humanity.
It shares the same high-quality, tried and true JRPG formula that Square has always been known for, but it also features a unique mechanic of its own. The magic system inTreasure of the Rudrasallows players to actually create their own spells by entering up to six katakana characters, instead of being stuck to a list of pre-made spells. Though a very cool idea, this mechanic was part of why the game was never officially localized outside of Japan. Not only would the many spell names require lots of translation work, but their presence would also demand that many modifications be made to the game’s code itself.
Bahamut Lagoonis yetanother fantastic hidden-gem JRPG from Square. Much likeTreasure of the Rudras, it was also one of the company’s final games for the Super Famicom. Taking place across the floating lands of Orelus, players control a soldier of the Dragon Squad named Byuu, fighting to repel an invasion from the Granbelos Empire.
The gameplay blends both grid-based tactics with a traditional turn-based combat system for its various battles. With some of its team having previous experience working on theFinal Fantasyseries, it shares the same high-quality design. Despite not reaching the same level of popularity as other games in the genre,Bahamut Lagoonis still considered a bit of a hidden gem that was sadly never released to other regions.
MOTHER 3was the final 2006 installment in the belovedMOTHERtrilogy of JRPGs, keeping the series' well-known and brilliant otherworldly themes and dialogue, courtesy of writer, Shigesato Itoi. Surrounding the main character Lucas in his homeland of the Nowhere Islands,MOTHER 3takes players on a wild ride as Lucas tries to fight back against the invading Pigmask Army and find his missing twin brother Claus.
It shares the same turn-based combat system as the previous games, but it comes with a new cast of party members, each with their own special PSI abilities. The previous title, released asEarthboundin North America, suffered from poor launch sales and reception due to marketing. This is thought to be the primary reason behindMOTHER 3remaining a Japanese exclusive to this day, despitethe series gaining a cult-following worldwide.
