Recently Nintendo Wii gamers have had more reason to rejoice than they had anticipated. Several games have been announced or released that would likely fill the void of many gamers who feel as if there aren’t enough games of the types they like being released. However, many of those games at this point have not been committed for U.S. releases, and some may never even be released outside of Japan at all. Here are the top 5 Wii games that America may never receive.
Disaster: Day of Crisis –
Apparently according to Reginald Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America isn’t sure whether American gamers want this game. Since two years ago when we first heard about it, and from the little that we’ve seen of it we’ve been intrigued. However, considering that the game was developed in English, and there is still hesitation makes me suspect that perhaps this game is not a high quality specimen. We may never see it here. Perhaps some of our Japanese or European readers who’ve played it can give us some insight?
Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon –
Ever since we first started hearing about Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, we’ve been hearing about Fragile. In fact, many of us not only assumed that there was no question as to whether the game would be released in America, but that the game would be released some time in 2008 as well. However, this is not the case. Namco Bandai is still in the process of deciding whether or not to release this Action/Exploration/Puzzle solving/RPG outside of Japan.
Unspecified Wii Tales game –
At the Nintendo gaming conference it was revealed that yet another Tales game (A major one) will be heading to the Wii in the future some time after this year’s Tales of Symphonia. When asked whether or not the game would be released outside of Japan, Namco Bandai’s response again was that they have not yet decided. We know nothing about this game other than that it will be a Tales game that is important to the overall Tales legend, so it is hard to judge definitively whether other areas would buy it. Even so, it is safe to assume that sales of Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World will play a role in their decision making.
Tatsunoku vs. Capcom –
Capcom is hesitant to release this game outside of Japan due to the fact that many of the characters are completely alien to outside audiences. They haven’t ruled out the possibility though. From the gameplay that I’ve seen, the game plays a lot like a mix of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Capcom vs. SNK. Considering the fact that outside audiences ARE very familiar with the core Capcom characters in this game, loved, and still love those other two games, I doubt that relative lack of familiarity with Tatsunoko characters would hinder the popularity of this game at all.
Monster Hunter 3 –
The other Capcom game that may not ever be released outside of Japan is Monster Hunter 3. While the Monster Hunter franchise is absolutely huge and dedicated in Japan, the audience outside so far has been scattered and less enthusiastic. Personally I’ve never played a Monster Hunter game before, but ever since E3 07 when it was announced I’ve been intrigued by it, and planned to try it out. Even so, for me to buy this game, the online portion of it would have to be relatively hassle free. A major concept behind Monster Hunter is that of cooperation in your hunting. If Nintendo is to be too restrictive, or if a proper server isn’t put in place to ensure a smooth online experience the game likely won’t catch on as much as they’d like outside of Japan even though the graphics on this game are downright beautiful.
In the end, it is a wariness of potential lack of sales that keeps gamers uncertain of whether they will get to own these games. This of course isn't some sort of grudge being held against certain gamers. If Monster Hunter 3 is never released in America, it will likely be for the same reasons that games such as The Conduit may never be released in Japan. They doubt the game will sell enough to make it worthwhile.
The only things that we can do as gamers is to keep requesting them, and to speak with our wallets by buying the games already released that would speak to these companies as to the demand for these games. 2009 looks to be a great year for the Wii, but will it be as great as it could be for gamers outside of Japan?
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