Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
With gameplay akin to Elite Beat Agents and Ouendan (for all my Japanese readers-- domo arigato for reading, friends!), Theatrhythm Final Fantasy is like a "best of" the series with all thirteen mainline games being represented with characters, bosses, and of course, songs. There are over fifty themes to be had to begin with, and Square Enix is selling downloadable content in the form of new songs on a semi-weekly basis in Japan. I am a pushover for Final Fantasy music, so if and when this game comes to the West, I will definitely be putting my money and my poor sense of rhythm where my mouth is and picking up a copy.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy is an RPG for the Nintendo 3DS. Seeing as the system is presently starving for games in that genre, this can only be a good thing. Flying Fairy features incredible visuals that remind me of Square Enix's own Final Fantasy: Four Heroes of Light which appeared on the Nintendo DS, though it is a different developer working on the game. We might know that augmented reality plays a part of the game, but we know nothing about the combat system, nor do we know whether or not the game will arrive in the West. It seems like a shoo in for localization, but Japan can keep the bizarre name.
Monster Hunter Tri G
My first foray into the Monster Hunter series was probably the game that most newbies to the franchise were first introduced to savage beast slaying, Monster Hunter Tri on Wii. The game sold extraordinarily beyond expectations for Nintendo and Capcom, selling better than any previous console Monster Hunter, so a localization seems like destiny. Would the game get added online, something that is crucial for a lot of games these days to succeed? A single player Monster Hunter I do not figure would appeal much to most gamers. Most want to play with their friends, so if the title does sweep our shores, hopefully it will have some marvelous multiplayer.
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Already confirmed to be coming to Europe, Fire Emblem: Awakening sports gorgeous in-game graphics as well as stylistic cutscenes to advance the story of war and attrition. Awakening will be the first Nintendo-developed title to contain DLC. It is also the first game in the series outside of Japan to allow players to create their own character to saunter onto the battlefield and take down enemies with. No release date or plans for localization have been mentioned by Nintendo of America, but it is likely that we will find out about the title's future in North America come E3.
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle
A launch title for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan, Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle is the fifth installment of this popular puzzle franchise. You can be rest assured that there will be plenty of brain teasers placed within the game card and a mysterious adventure to follow. Instead of hand-drawn characters, Professor Layton, Luke, and the gang are now fully functioning 3D polygonal models. Now, Mask of Miracle released in Japan before the West even got The Last Specter, so it seems apparent that the game will be coming to our side of the world soon. At last year's E3 the game was in playable form and was in English. If that isn't a good sign, I don't know what is.
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These are but a small sampling of the titles left in Japan or out of North America. Which non-localized games would you like to see hit your homeland? They do not have to be 3DS exclusive either. Let me know in the comments section.
