Nintendo are one the most recognizable names in gaming, and are responsible for creating some of the most iconic franchises in the industry. However, as a Japanese-based company, not every game Nintendo has released has been released in the west. While more recently, the vast majority of Nintendo titles are released worldwide, throughout the '80s, '90s, and even the early 2000s, there were many games that never saw a release outside of Japan.

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However, with the recently announced re-release of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light for Nintendo Switch, the path could be paved for many other games to follow suit!

10 Famicom Wars

famicom wars screenshot

The Wars series is one that has garnered a cult following, notably enjoying success with Advance Wars for the Gameboy Advance. The Wars series is one of Nintendo's primary tactics series outside of the more largely popular Fire Emblem franchise. While many of the latter entries in the series were released outside of Japan due to the success of Advance Wars, the first six entries of the series were never localized. Most notably, this means that the game that started the series, Famicom Wars has never been properly available for a larger audience to enjoy.

9 Fire Emblem: Mystery Of The Emblem

new mystery of the emblem box

For over ten years, the Fire Emblem series was exclusive to Japan, and it wasn't until Marth and Roy were included in Super Smash Bros. Melee that the series became as widely known.

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While the first entry in the series may have been remade and localized, the game's sequel, Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem has still yet to make it's way outside of Japan. Mystery of the Emblem was even remade in 2010, but was the first Fire Emblem Game to have not been localized since 2002.

8 Captain Rainbow

captain rainbow

Released for the Wii in 2008, Captain Rainbow is an odd game that focuses on a strange superhero named Captain Rainbow. Despite being a lesser-known title, Captain Rainbow is a crossover of sorts, featuring a great deal of lesser known Nintendo characters from the company's history. Due to the game's uniquely comedic tone and crossover nature, it's quite a shame that non-Japanese audience weren't able to experience Captain Rainbow.

7 Fire Emblem: Genealogy Of The Holy War

Genealogy_of_the_Holy_War box art

The fourth entry of the Fire Emblem series, Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War is a game distinctly characterized by the massive scope of its maps. Introducing numerous mechanics to the series that have since become staples, such as the ability to pair up two characters, causing them to fall in love, Genealogy of the Holy War is often referred to as one of the strongest entries in the series by some of the most dedicated fans of the series.

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Despite this, Genealogy remains one of the least accessible entries in the series, having only been released in Japan.

6 Joy Mech Fight

joy-mech-fight screenshot

Aside from the Super Smash Bros. franchise, Nintendo is not a company particularly known for their fighting games. One of their earliest fighting game releases, Joy Mech Fight for the Famicom, was made in an attempt to cash in on the fighting game craze of the early '90s. Despite a distinct approach that utilized characters comprised of floating segmented parts (much like Rayman), the game was never released outside of Japan. While the game's protagonist and mascot, Sukapon has yet to be made playable in Smash, he was included as an assist trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

5 Fire Emblem: Thracia 776

thracia 776 box art

Directly connected to Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 is frequently regarded as not just one of the hardest Fire Emblem games, but one of the hardest first party Nintendo Games of all time. Released in 1999, though Thracia was ported to both the Wii and Wii U via the virtual console, this notoriously difficult game has yet to be localized.

4 Custom Robo

custom robo box art n64

Like the previously mentioned Wars series, Custom Robo is a franchise with a cult following that had its origins a a japan-exclusive series. While western audiences were treated to a game simply titled Custom Robo in 2004, this was actually the fourth game in the series. The first two entries in the series were released exclusively in Japan for the Nintendo 64, while the third entry was released for the Gameboy Advance. While the second title in the series was ported to the Wii's virtual console in 2007, it was only made available to Japanese audiences.

3 Doki Doki Panic

doki doki panic art

It's no secret that the western version of Super Mario Bros 2 was actually a re-skin of a game called Doki Doki Panic, explaining the vast amount of gameplay differences between the first Super Mario Bros. and its sequel. While western audiences have indeed experienced Doki Doki Panic's gameplay, they have never been able to do so in its original form. As the game is such a noteworthy piece of the Mario franchise's history, it's quite shocking that the game has never been made playable in the west.

2 Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade

binding blade box art fire emblem

While Fire Emblem's Roy is a fan favorite character of Super Smash Bros. players, the game of Roy's origin, Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade has never been officially translated and localized.

Released for the Gameboy Advance, while the following two GBA Fire Emblem games, were each released outside of Japan, The Binding Blade was never as lucky. This is quite surprising, as a re-release of The Blinding Blade in the manner of Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, could capitalize one Roy's pre-existing popularity, whilst simultaneously introducing the game to new audiences.

1 Mother 3

mother 3 screenshot

Mother 3 is by and large, the most notorious case of a lack of localization on this list. Released for the Gameboy Advance in 2006, Mother 3 is a beloved cult classic and the final installment of the Mother Franchise. While the previous two entries in the series have each been made available to the rest of the world, (with Earthbound being initially localized in 1995, and Mother Beginning being made available in the west in 2015), Mother 3 has yet to be released outside of Japan.

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