Right now, we have unprecedented access to video games. Platforms like Steam offer tremendous access to AAA and indie titles alike, while services like Nintendo Switch Online are bringing plenty of classic titles to modern hardware.
But a ton of games are still unavailable for gamers all over the world. Plenty of popular, influential, and acclaimed titles never got English localizations. Translation issues, timing, and censorship all prevented these five games from officially reaching Western audiences, though that may not have stopped fan translators.
1
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
Atlus’ Megami Tensei franchise, from which Shin Megami Tensei, Devil Summoner, and Persona all spun off, is one of the most pivotal franchises in JRPG history. But its very first release never officially reached Western audiences. Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei, a role-playing dungeon crawler for the Famicom, follows high school student Akemi Nakajima, who uses a computer program to summon demons. As expected, this does not go well, and Nakajima and his girlfriend have to bring down the forces of Lucifer.
Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei had slim chances of getting an English translation. To maintain a family-friendly image, Nintendo of America had a strict (though not always consistently applied) policy of censoring religious references in games, including symbols related to Satan. A game where you fight the Biblical devil never really stood a chance.
2
Policenauts
Set in the mid-21st century. Policenauts follows Jonathan Ingram, an LAPD “policenaut” sent to protect humanity’s first space colony. A malfunction causes Ingram to fall into a 25-year cryosleep. He is found, revived, and becomes a private eye, investigating the murder of his ex-wife’s husband. Policenauts. With heavy inspiration from movies and television, a hard sci-fi premise, and an interest in social commentary, it should come as no surprise that Policenauts is the work of Death Stranding and Metal Gear auteur Hideo Kojima. Specifically, it’s an early Kojima game, so characters have normal names like “Jonathan Ingram” and “Lorraine Hojo,” rather than cool names like “Die-Hardman” and “Hot Coldman.”
A localization for Policenauts was planned, but scrapped. Kojima fans ended up putting together a fan translation, which took 7 years to pull off.
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