Import Friendly Japanese Games

[beach1]

Sometimes you can get the basic gist of what's happening in the story from the cutscenes or graphics in rpgs even if you can't understand what they're saying... Plus, yeah, a lot of times there are faqs that explain some of the story and how to play them. But yeah, despite a lot of import rpgs being playable with a faq, they're not the most import-friendly genre..

[Jet16]

Ryu Ga Gotoku Kenzan has a good guide on Gamefaqs and the cut scenes are subbed on Youtube.

[dalucifer0]

You can get by in JRPGs if you know the Chinese characters well enough. Helps me when I don't understand some of the words.

Except that for those of use who didn't grow up with Chinese characters that's the hardest part of the whole language...

I didn't grow up with them either, so that's not an excuse.

[Marshmallow]

Namco X Capcom for PS2 is relatively playable but not horrifically fun. Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! and Ouendan 2 for DS are awesome rhythm games and while they have text, there's also pictures so they're easy to understand. Apparently there was a PS2 remake of NiGHTS that I wanted to get when I was in Japan but I couldn't track it down anywhere. Then there's versions of games that came out here but got extra editions in Japanese, such as most of the PS2 Final Fantasy games, of which the international versions have English voice acting but Japanese menus.

Tales games, in my opinion, can still be relatively fun in Japanese because the combat is so fun, so that gives Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Destiny 2, Tales of Destiny Remake, Tales of Phantasia X and PS3 Tales of Vesperia and probably more as possible purchases, but you'll need a story guide to understand them.
 

[FlamingR1ft]

Tales games, in my opinion, can still be relatively fun in Japanese because the combat is so fun, so that gives Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Destiny 2, Tales of Destiny Remake, Tales of Phantasia X and PS3 Tales of Vesperia and probably more as possible purchases, but you'll need a story guide to understand them.

As someone who frequently imports JP Tales games I was highly advise against it for someone who doesn't know any of the language. I agree the combat is fun but would you really want to wade through hours and hours of text you can't understand for it? I don't think so. Playing them with a guide would help, but it's not really an ideal experience if you have to sit with the guide the entire time you play.

[Dice]

Puyo puyo titles

[ShadowLaguna]

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

[supersonic]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Lucca]

Tales games, in my opinion, can still be relatively fun in Japanese because the combat is so fun, so that gives Tales of Rebirth, Tales of Destiny 2, Tales of Destiny Remake, Tales of Phantasia X and PS3 Tales of Vesperia and probably more as possible purchases, but you'll need a story guide to understand them.

As someone who frequently imports JP Tales games I was highly advise against it for someone who doesn't know any of the language. I agree the combat is fun but would you really want to wade through hours and hours of text you can't understand for it? I don't think so. Playing them with a guide would help, but it's not really an ideal experience if you have to sit with the guide the entire time you play.

I'd mostly agree with you, but some people are patient enough to look through a guide. I've played through a few Japanese RPGs (Vay, Grandia, Lunar Walking School) and I've only really used a faq a couple of times. Then again, I have some Japanese experience and can at least read Katakana, which helps a lot with menus.

 I'm going to attempt this again with Tales of Graces F. One thing that helps this time around (though I might be spoiled) is there's a lot of walkthroughs, and even a translation of 1/3rd of the game via youtube. God I love youtube.

[insertnamehere]

RPGs, I can only think of a few obvious ones (from Squeenix) like SO international although we got that one, FF international, and KH final mix.

...or racers and fighters. =/

[supersonic]

So in the end I didn't pick up anything in Japan. I thought about getting Soma Bringer, 7th Dragon and Tales of Phantasia PSP but figured I would be better of spending my money on games that I can actually understand....My visit to Akihabara definitely made me realize just how much stuff never makes its way to the West. Of course I knew that before, but seeing all those games was kinda painful actually.

One thing I found interesting was how heavily certain Western games are being promoted there, most notably Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood, and also, to a lesser extent, Mass Effect and Gears of War.

[Dice]

So in the end I didn't pick up anything in Japan. I thought about getting Soma Bringer, 7th Dragon and Tales of Phantasia PSP but figured I would be better of spending my money on games that I can actually understand....My visit to Akihabara definitely made me realize just how much stuff never makes its way to the West. Of course I knew that before, but seeing all those games was kinda painful actually.

One thing I found interesting was how heavily certain Western games are being promoted there, most notably Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood, and also, to a lesser extent, Mass Effect and Gears of War.

RPGs in general are a bad idea for imports. *Maybe* I would have done ToP, but its only because I've played ToP like 8 times prior to a JPN one.
There is an english version of Soma Bringer...somewhere... out there.  Thanks to non-profit efforts.  Cool game, but simple.  A sort of level-up of Secret of Mana but with a far worse magic system.  I don't know how to describe it anymore beyond that.

[Fadedsun]

I thought about getting Soma Bringer, 7th Dragon

Poor 7th Dragon :( You'll never come to the US now. It's a damn shame.

[Eusis]

I thought about getting Soma Bringer, 7th Dragon

Poor 7th Dragon :( You'll never come to the US now. It's a damn shame.

It'd require the most amazing turn around of luck now. :/

[lavarock]

As someone who frequently imports JP Tales games I was highly advise against it for someone who doesn't know any of the language. I agree the combat is fun but would you really want to wade through hours and hours of text you can't understand for it? I don't think so. Playing them with a guide would help, but it's not really an ideal experience if you have to sit with the guide the entire time you play.

For tales game, it should be evaluated on a case by case basis.  For example, Tales of Destiny DC remake on ps2 is definitely playable (I have done it) with a plot translation guide online (English).  Tales of Vesperia ps3 version is playable if you follow xbox walkthroughs.    Other tales games that not localized in English?  Maybe not so much.