Gamertell

The Wii’s Virtual Console offers the opportunity for interesting and engaging series which normally don’t make outside of Japan to reach North American fans. Some rare import titles can be import friendly, when text isn’t important. However you then have to buy a console from Japan or mod your own to read the different cartridges or discs. Also, in the case of RPGs, importing often isn’t an option as the in-game text is necessary to proceed through the game.

While there are many different games that are available as possible ports, Mr. Universal from Popzara and I have put together a list of ten interesting titles which deserve a wider audience. Nearly all have some sort of translation, be it fan-made or official, available so it shouldn’t be too difficult to bring them to the Virtual Console.

FEDA: The Emblem of Justice (SNES)
FEDA: The Emblem of Justice is a strategic RPG which was originally released on the SNES in Japan in 1994. It is a solid game similar to the Shining Force titles. A fan translation is available of the game online, but an official translation would be amazing for fans. The only failing is that the storyline is a bit cliche with two leading soldier characters fighting against a corrupt government. This is redeemed by the fact your characters can choose to be lawful or chaotic, and certain characters will or won’t join you based on the choices made.

Terranigma (SNES)
Terranigma is a much beloved action RPG originally released on the SNES in Japan in 1995 and in Australia and Europe in 1996. It is surprising that it never received a North American release, considering it was already completely translated. It featured gorgeous sprites reminiscent of Chono Trigger, a wonderful soundtrack and a fairly interesting storyline of a boy who must save his town, and later the world, after he accidentally brought misfortune to it.

Seiken Densetsu 3 (SNES)
Seiken Densetsu 3 is a Square action RPG, the third in the Mana series, that originally appeared on the SNES in 1995. Despite being a Japan only release, many fans fell in love with it and so an English fan translation was made available online. It similar to Secret of Mana, only with more characters, classes and options to choose from. The variety in terms of characters and classes made for loads of replay value. Square Enix hasn’t made many games available on Virtual Console yet, but this should be among them.

Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story (SNES)
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story is quite possibly the best video game based on an anime/manga. It is a classic SNES RPG which was originally released in Japan in 1995. It followed the characters from Sailor Moon in an original storyline created exclusively for the game, had different endings and challenging gameplay. With the success of manga and anime recently, it would be a great Virtual Console release.

Mother (NES)
Mother may sound unfamiliar to some gamers, but is actually from the same series as Earthbound, which was released in North America. Mother is a classic NES RPG that came out in Japan in 1989. It had originally received a translation from Nintendo, but was never released in North America. The information from the preliminary carts created were sold on eBay and fans uploaded it to the internet. The translated version is affectionately referred to as Earthbound Zero. It is fairly similar to Earthbound, once again starring a young boy with three friends working to save Earth from aliens by using psychic powers.

Sonic CD (Sega Mega-CD)
Long before Sega sought to destroy the credibility of their beloved Sonic franchise, many hopes were pinned on his first CD release in being the Sega/Mega-CD savior.  As history would have it, not much could’ve helped that platform in the long-run, but beyond all prejudice Sonic CD was a fantastic game by any note that if for no other reason, features the introduction of cheesy cinematic cut-scenes to the series.  Seeing as how the game was in fact released outside of Japan, you might be wondering just why the Blue Bomber is making this list at all?  Simple - we’d kill for a complete Sonic CD with its original and glorious Japanese soundtrack, and not the bizarrely butchered US release.  Make it right, Sega!

Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic (Famicom)
Now here’s a game that just about everyone on this planet has seen, touched, and probably at one point loved to death.  Of course for them it didn’t go by its original Japanese title, but the more world-friendly Super Mario Bros. 2!  Perhaps the single-most famous example of the videogame world’s process of homogenization, the original Doki Doki Panic featured a cool Arabian Nights motif, as well as the spiritual ancestors for Shy Guy, Bob-Omb and dozens of other surprises.  But it wasn’t until Doki Doki producer Miyamoto added a certain Italian plumber that the game took on a life of its own and will still get ample playtime for all eternity.  Still, it’d be a great education for all Mario fans to see the original in all its non-Mushroom Kingdom influence, warts and all.

TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventure (Super Famicon)
Most of the world outside of Japan probably isn’t as familiar with the fantastic TwinBee franchise as they ought to be, but chalk that error up to a frigid import market that wasn’t famous for its proclivity at taking chances.  Although most entries in the TwinBee legacy have been fantastic 2D side-scrolling shooters, TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventure for the Super Famicon took the series into the platforming world, with absolutely fantastic results.  One of the better-looking examples of sprite-goodness, with so much color the cones in your eyeballs just might explode from visual overload - TwinBee knew how to bring the splendor, and thanks to some seriously Super Mario World-inspired gameplay, the replay value was well worth the investment.  Although the game saw a proper European release, why this one never hit US shores is a mystery that can only be solved with a proper Virtual Console release.

Akumajo Dracula X Chi no Rondo (PC-Engine Super CD)
American TurboGraphx-16 fans never had much reason to celebrate their console-of-choice here in the States, and that goes double if they had a working knowledge of the utter gaming nirvana that their lucky Japanese counterparts were gorging themselves on routinely.  With Nintendo enjoying a virtual stranglehold over the competition in terms of licensing at the time, seldom were certain franchises allowed to play outside of their ‘Seal of Quality’ domains.  Not so in Japan, and one of the very best examples of such a digital crime is not allowing this Castlevania masterpiece to have been fully enjoyed outside its home country.  One of the last traditional members of the franchise and the inspiration to the seminal Symphony of the Night (PlayStation), Akumajo Dracula X Chi no Rondo (Dracula X) introduced the world to Richter Belmont in the 10th official entry in the series.  Eventually Konami saw fit to rip the game apart and release broken, inferior versions for competing consoles that never really healed the wounds.  A complete 3D-remake last year for the Sony PSP (with the original game as a hidden bonus), but wouldn’t it be grand to play this classic on a full-size display the way it was intended?  Classic whipping at its best!

Radiant Silvergun (Sega Saturn)
I’m actually cheating with this one, as of this time Nintendo hasn’t announced Virtual Console support for the Sega Saturn just yet… but how could I possibly leave off the vertical-scrolling, shooting extravaganza that is Radiant Silvergun?  From the masters of intensity itself, the creators of the godly Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Heady hit the Saturn hardware with guns blazing, ready to exploit the 2D capabilities of the new technology for all that it was worth after having melted Sega Genesis/Mega Drive consoles the world over.  The result is one of the most intense 2D shooters ever created, and also one of the most difficult… so difficult in fact, that it may have been largely the reason why the game never saw release outside of Japan.  Its spiritual successor, the similarly-difficult Ikaruga (Dreamcast, GameCube) was met with frothy-fanboy lust upon its proper US release, and I have no doubt in my mind that making this one available to them could only yield similarly positive results.  Hey, it worked for Sin and Punishment!

I’d like to thank Mr. Universal for his amazing contributions and insight into helping put together this list. Mash-ups are always fun, and this time it was kind of educational too! Only it was fun/slightly nerdy educational, but that’s the best kind. Popzara also has some great video game, movie and cultural articles up on the site, so be sure to pop on by and see what’s there. Also, this article also appears on Popzara, only slightly different. You have to stop by both sites to see both sides of the story.

Read [Popzara]

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