In the earlier days of gaming, Japanese game publishers would frequently choose to exclude the North American market when they released a game. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen as much today since publishers can get a more accurate estimate of enthusiasm for a particular game.

The access to games is also slowly making the change from physical media to an all-digital download future; which lowers the cost to the publisher. Many of the games that weren’t released in North America would probably not have sold well here, but a few of them were eagerly anticipated by a significant number of gamers.

Before we get to the list, a guideline used for it should be mentioned. The games on this list were not available for the initial launch. Some of them were released in North America later via a virtual console, or as part of a compilation.

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10 The Firemen

The Firemen was developed by Human Entertainment and released in 1994 in Japan, Europe, and Australia for the Super Nintendo (Super Famicom). In The Firemen you play as fireman Pete Grey as you battle a rampaging fire in a chemical factory. To assist you is an A.I. controlled partner – who is actually well programmed.

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The graphics are brightly colored and the sprites are large and decently animated. The gameplay in The Firemen is surprisingly fast and addictive. The game was translated into English for its release in Europe; so it’s odd it wasn’t given even a limited release in North America. While not considered a truly classic game, The Firemen is still a blast to play.

9 Harmful Park

Harmful Park is the only “shoot ‘em up” to make the list – which is surprising considering how many were never released in North America. This game, released by Sky Think Systems in 1999, is a type of game typically referred to as a “cute ‘em up” because of its cartoonish style of graphics.

The level of detail in Harmful Park is incredible. The background is full of animated sequences that will frequently elicit a chuckle. The play control is just about perfect, and the difficulty is also very well balanced. The first playthrough of this game is an experience every gamer should have. What other game pits the player against a giant Frankenstein’s monster as it continuously gives the player the middle finger (which also shoots lasers)? This title was overlooked when it was released but now is considered to be a hidden gem in the PlayStation 1’s library.

8 Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood

The original Castlevania was for the NES was a very popular game in North America, so it is surprising that Konami chose not to release Rondo of Blood, for the PC Engine CD-ROM, in North America. This game was released in 1993, and by then the Turbografx-16, which was the PC Engine in North America, was not being supported outside of Japan by many publishers.

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This entry into the Castlevania series is considered by many to be the best 16-bit Castlevania game. Rondo of Blood is full of well-animated sprites and CD quality musical arrangements of popular music tracks from previous Castlevania games. The level design in Rondo of Blood is also very well done - with branching paths that lead to different bosses. This feature really increases the replay value. There were several remakes of this game, but none of them can compare with the original.

7 Sweet Home

Before there was Resident Evil or Silent Hill, there was Sweet Home for the NES. Sweet Home is a survival horror game that puts the player in control of a group of five characters. The player can switch between the characters in the group at any time, and each character has an item that will be needed at some point to escape the haunted mansion.

The game plays much like a standard menu-based role-playing game, but the level of detail in both the story and the gameplay was way beyond other games in the genre. For instance, if one of the characters falls into a pit they don’t instantly fall but will hang onto the side of the pit for a moment. It’s up to the player to get another character to them in time to pull them to safety. The subject matter in Sweet Home, the fact the game was based on a movie, and the extensive task of translating the game were the primary reasons this classic never made it to North America.

6 Dream Mix TV – World Fighters

Dream Mix TV – World Fighters is a shameless clone of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. series of games. What sets this game apart from the other imitators is the play control and the cast of characters available to play. This game has playable characters from many famous Konami and Hudson games, as well as characters from Takara’s toy line.

Some of these characters are Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series, Master Higgins from the Adventure Island series, and Optimus Prime from the Transformers franchise. That’s right, you can play as Optimus Prime (Megatron is unlockable). Dream Mix TV was a well-made crossover fighting game with great graphics and solid play control.

5 Gimmick!

Gimmick! was a great action platform game for the NES (Famicom) that was only released in Japan and Scandinavia - where it was called Mr. Gimmick. Unfortunately, this game was released in 1992. This was late in the NES’s life and publishers were not releasing too many games for the aging system. The Super Nintendo had already hit the market and the 8-bit systems were starting to be phased out. Gimmick! is one of the most impressive 8-bit games ever made.

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The game can be insanely difficult at times due to the level design and slippery controls. The music in Gimmick! is excellent, but that was common with most SunSoft games from the time. Had this game been released only a few years earlier, the Gimmick! franchise would almost certainly have achieved wider acknowledgment and possibly a 16-bit follow-up.

4 Terranigma

Terranigma is the spiritual sequel to Illusion of Gaia for the Super Nintendo. Illusion of Gaia sold well in North America; in fact it sold better in North America than Japan and Europe. Enix, the game's publisher, usually included North America when launching a new game; especially games like Terranigma. So, when Terranigma was not released in North America it was quite disappointing. Terranigma was released in Europe, so there was an English translation of the game ready for the North American market.

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The game has the same look and play-style as Illusion of Gaia; meaning it is an action-adventure role-playing game with a complex plot. Terranigma is universally praised for its ease of play, colorful graphics, intricate and engaging story, and its fantastic soundtrack. The reason given for the game not being released in North America is that Enix had closed its U.S. subsidiaries shortly before the game’s launch.

3 Alien Soldier

Alien Soldier was playable in North America, but only on the Sega Channel. The Sega Channel was an online game service that worked with the Genesis console. Games could be downloaded into the console’s memory but were lost when the system was powered off. So while Alien Soldier could be played in North America that way, the game was never given a physical release in North America. Alien Soldier is an action side-scrolling game made by Treasure and released for the Genesis/Mega-Drive in 1995.

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Treasure has a reputation for making some of the best side-scrolling games of the 16-bit and 32-bit generation, so it's no surprise this made the list. The character sprites in Alien Soldier are huge compared to most 16-bit games. Every aspect of this game is well done, and the game really pushes the hardware limits of the Genesis/Mega Drive. If you’re a fan of the side-scrolling action genre definitely give this game a try.

2 Metal Wolf Chaos

Out of all the games on this list, Metal Wolf Chaos is the one game that should have been released in North America. In this game you play as the president of the United States, wearing a mech suit, as he tries to prevent a coup by the vice-president – who has convinced the country that you are the true enemy. Perhaps the developers thought the subject matter and plot would be found insulting by some in the U.S.

Instead, the game was only given a limited release in Japan on the Xbox, which wasn’t a popular console in Japan anyway. The gameplay in Metal Wolf Chaos is frantic and addictive. The graphics are good, with crisp textures applied to well-designed polygon models. Where this game shines is the comedically bad voice acting and a story that knows it is not to be taken seriously. The good news is this cult classic is being re-released on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in mid-2019.

1 Mother 3

Mother 3 is, obviously, the third installment of the Mother series. Only part 2, called Earthbound in North America, was given an initial release outside of Japan. Earthbound may have a cult following today, but the game sold poorly when it first released. The marketing campaign for Earthbound is often given the blame for the poor sales; with some ads even declaring “this game stinks” along-side a foul-smelling scratch-and-sniff sticker. When Mother 3 was announced for the Gameboy Advanced, fans of the series were hopeful the game would be given a North American release, but their hopes were dashed when Nintendo revealed it would be a Japanese exclusive.

The Mother series are traditional role-playing games, but instead of a fantasy or sci-fi world the game takes place in a modern, real world, setting. The graphics in Mother 3 are beautifully uncluttered and colorful, with entertaining and eye-catching sprite animations. The storyline of Mother 3 has some surprisingly adult themes, will get its hooks into you early, and keep you playing for hours. The music is pleasant, and the sound effects do not get tiresome – which can be a problem with role-playing games. Fans of the Mother series are a loyal lot; so it’s not surprising that there is a very good fan-made English translation of the game.

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