It was only January 2021 when I wrote a list of the top games I wanted localized. Now, one year and eight months later, the list is already ridiculously out of date.
Two entries from the list have been wholly removed, as Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and the Trails Crossbell arc are both on their way! Meanwhile, two others that remain on the list have to be updated to account for the games that were localized.
So let’s take a look through and update the list, once again organized by series.
5. Surge Concerto DX
Gust is releasing Atelier games at an alarming rate, but they do make non-Atelier games as well.
Once upon a time, they developed a life sim game called Surge Concerto: Ciel Nosurge, which was never released outside of Japan. It was followed by a JRPG sequel, Surge Concerto: Ar Nosurge, which did get localized.
Both are part of the larger EXA_PICO series, which began with the Ar Tonelico trilogy.
(Yeah, I just wanted to type all those titles.)
Last year, both Surge Concerto games received remasters, Ciel Nosurge DX and Ar Nosurge DX. I’d love to see the remastered titles be brought west, including the first game for the first time.
4. Sakura Wars
I still need to play 2019’s Sakura Wars entry, and I’d love to see a port or remaster of Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love. But did you know that there are four earlier Sakura Wars games?
The game released in the west as Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love was actually Sakura Wars 5. Four main series entries came out before it, and none of them have been localized. While I’m not as anxious to see these come west as I am for some of the games on this list, a translated remaster of the earlier games would certainly be welcome news.
3. Tales of Destiny 2, Rebirth, Innocence R
The only entry that remains wholly unchanged from the original list is the one from Tales, because the numerous unlocalized Tales games are still unlocalized with no news in sight.
So once again, I would love to see the true Tales of Destiny 2 remastered and released in the west. Maybe they could bundle it together with the Tales of Destiny remake, which was also only ever released in Japan.
Tales of Rebirth is possibly the unlocalized Tales game I’d like to see the most, and then there’s also the nearly-forgotten Tales of Innocence R.
I don’t have high hopes for Bandai Namco returning to these older titles, but I still have a lot of Tales games left to play. Maybe by the time I finish them, some new localizations will be on the horizon.
2. Ace Attorney Investigations 2
Just think, last January it was still a dream I clung to that The Great Ace Attorney and The Great Ace Attorney 2 would be localized. Now they’re out and dominate my thoughts constantly.
But the same can’t be said for Gyakuten Kenji 2, aka Ace Attorney Investigations 2, which remains unlocalized!
The localization of the Great Ace Attorney games renewed my hopes, and now I continue to wish that Capcom will revive its other spin-off duology and bring Investigations and Investigations 2 to modern platforms – with a translation for Investigations 2, of course.
There’s no sign of it happening yet, and I keep thinking about the fan translation, but I want to believe that there’s still a chance.
1. Yakuza Kenzan, Black Panther, Black Panther 2
And it was just last week that Ryu ga Gotoku Ishin got to leave the list, with its remake announced and confirmed for a worldwide release next February!
That still leaves the other historical spin-off, Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan. When we last spoke about it, RGG Studio had said Kenzan’s best chance of localization would be if it got remade. A recent interview, with the details translated by a fan on Reddit, addressed the matter of Kenzan again in the wake of Ishin’s announcement. A Kenzan remake would require a lot of work, and they would want to change some aspects of the story, especially around the ending.
Personally, I think if Like a Dragon Ishin sells well, that will increase the chances of Kenzan getting the same treatment. What once seemed impossible now feels like it’s on the table again.
Then there is Kurohyo: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinsho and its sequel, popularly referred to as Yakuza: Black Panther and Yakuza: Black Panther 2. These PSP games don’t even come up in interviews, but RGG has been on fire lately, so who knows?
I still have three Yakuza games and three spin-offs to play before I run out, and that’s not counting the new games they just announced, so here’s hoping for more news by the time I’m finished.
Conclusion
I’m floored by the fact that in just over a year and a half, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, The Great Ace Attorney, The Great Ace Attorney 2, Trails from Zero, Trails to Azure, and Like a Dragon Ishin all were either localized or have upcoming localizations announced. And titles that might have made the list in their absence, like Chaos;Head, are on the way as well!
Let’s see if in a couple years’ time, we can say the same about the Tales games, Investigations 2, and the remaining Yakuza spin-offs, plus the other new entries for this list.
What as-yet-untranslated games would you most like to see in English?
Tales of Symphonia Remastered is due out for the Switch, PS4, and Xbox One on February 17, and lately fans have been talking about the potential for other remasters.
