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The Best Japanese Games of 2005

Posted by Zonk on from the far-side-of-the-world-hits dept.

Next Generation has an article breaking down the 10 best games released in Japan this year. From the article: "This game will debut next year in America as "Steambot Chronicles," which is kind of a cool name. It is an action-adventure about a girl, a young boy with amnesia, and his giant robot. Now, that sentence might describe a hundred thousand animes -- though please, stick around for a minute. There's more: your giant robot looks like a car with legs, the girl is the lead singer in a jazz-blues-rock band whose guitarist might be trying to kill her so he can raise the backup singer to the lead position, and the only possession found on the young boy with amnesia was a harmonica with his name engraved in it. Exciting, huh?"

35 comments

  1. Re:wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The best games are Sum Dum Fuk, Ching Chang Wang and of course some gay Pokemon porno!

  2. Oh, neat by EvilIdler · · Score: 1

    That just narrows it down to 10% of all Japanese RPGs ever released ;)

  3. Where's Nintendogs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Seriously where is Nintendogs on that list? (or more appropriately why isn't Nintendogs on that list) It sold a lot of titles and months after its release it is still apearing on the Top 30 Japaneese Console game charts; it got rave reviews and was the first real 'system seller' for the Nintendo DS (which is now the must have gaming device in Japan).

  4. The List by wheresdrew · · Score: 3, Informative
    Becuase 10 pages for 10 games is just stupid.

    10. Ikusagami - PlayStation 2
    9. Touch! Kirby - Nintendo DS
    8. Jump Super Stars - Nintendo DS
    7. Slime Morimori Dragon Quest II - Nintendo DS
    6. Senkou no Ronde - Arcades
    5. Ryu ga Gotoku - PlayStation 2
    4. Rogue Galaxy - PlayStation 2
    3. Wanda to Kyozou (aka Shadow of the Colossus) - PlayStation 2
    2. Otona no DS Training ["Brain Training for Nintendo DS"] - Nintendo DS
    1. Ponkotsu Roman Daikatsugeki Bumpy Trot ("Bumpy Trot, a Romantic Junkyard Action-Adventure") - PlayStation 2

    1. Re:The List by MBraynard · · Score: 1
      No wonder Japanese are so much better in school than Americans if they have games like this:

      Otona no DS Training ["Brain Training for Nintendo DS"] - Nintendo DS

      Anyone know what this game is about?

    2. Re:The List by Josilot · · Score: 1

      I'm no Brain Trainee, but I'd imagine that you could probably find out what it's about by RingTFA.

    3. Re:The List by Echnin · · Score: 1

      That translation excludes a bit / an exact translation is "DS Brain Training for adults", and the full Japanese title is "nou wo kitaeru otona no DS training". It's, uh... it has like small excercises and stuff? Not really sure. Maybe it's in the article.

      --
      Lalala
    4. Re:The List by gullevek · · Score: 2, Informative

      I guess its about those things you see on TV too:
      - answer questions about certein events in history
      - guess Kanji
      - build new Kanji out of other Kanji
      - solve match problems
      - solve other typical bran problems (fold paper, find differences in pictures).

      Sadly I know nobody who has an DS, so I can't even ask them if they know it more ...

      You can check out the japanese homepage: http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/andj/

      Okay, after looking at the webpage, its 100% what I imagined :)

      --
      "Freiheit ist immer auch die Freiheit des Andersdenkenden" - Rosa Luxemburg, 1871 - 1919
    5. Re:The List by MBraynard · · Score: 0, Troll

      Ok you snob - nice answer but how about telling me what Kanji is?

    6. Re:The List by triso · · Score: 1
      Ponkotsu Roman Daikatsugeki Bumpy Trot ("Bumpy Trot, a Romantic Junkyard Action-Adventure")
      "Bumpy Trot?" "Sounds like Engrish for "Four obese hookers with diarrhea, jammed into a Ford Festiva, on an unpaved country road." Fun for the whole family.
    7. Re:The List by HD+Webdev · · Score: 1

      Becuase 10 pages for 10 games is just stupid.

      Click the "print" links on pages like that. It's right above the games listed in this case.

      --
      This is not a dream, not a dream...we are transmitting from the year 1-9-9-9.
    8. Re:The List by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hear this is a great resource for stuff like that.

    9. Re:The List by MBraynard · · Score: 1

      No, it isn't nearly as good as asking the person who used in a certain context to explain it. Search engines are not the answer to everything.

    10. Re:The List by Minna+Kirai · · Score: 2, Funny

      Search engines are not the answer to everything.

      Ok, so explain to me what a search "engine" is? I need to know what you meant in that context!

    11. Re:The List by confu2000 · · Score: 1

      Brain training consists of short exercises designed to keep your brain active.
      Among the more mundane is 20 quick math problems. Subtraction, multiplication, addition. You write the answer on the touch screen.

      A challenging one is where it shows 20 or so words for 2 minutes. You have to memorize them and then write down as many as you can in 2 minutes.

      Among the more interesting is one where it will show you a word for a color but color it differently. You have to say the color the word is in. The microphone on the DS picks it up and does speech recognition. For example, if the word is "blue" but it is printed in red, you need to say red.

      Another good one is where it shows a field of numbers, some moving, spinning. It then asks you to count the number that match a certain criteria. How many of the numbers are spinning, how many are the number 7, or how many are red for examples.

      One of the cooler aspects of this software is that it calculates a "mental age" based on how well you do for the tests. It tracks your progress over days. And it has a little mascot which is the disembodied head of the professor that was the main designer of the exercises. He'll give comments and suggestions based on how you've done.

      The game's really designed to be used on a daily basis for maybe 10-15 minutes each day. In keeping with this, it'll also periodically ask you questions like what did you have for dinner. Then a week later, it'll ask you what you had a week ago and show you what you had written so you can test your long term recall.

      Lastly, it has slots for 4 users. Among other things, it will show you how you compare against the other users on the cart.

      I eventually stopped playing this regularly because of the language aspect (not being fluent in Japanese makes some of the exercises pointless). I fully believe if they adapted this game for the US (and released it for $20), it would sell every bit as well as it has in Japan.

    12. Re:The List by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, you did fall for a 'Free PSP' scam, so I guess looking up 'Kanji' on Wikipedia or Google is a little beyond you.

    13. Re:The List by PhotoBoy · · Score: 1

      I was very interested in this game when I first heard about it, now you've described what sort of challenges it has I definitely want it, it's a pity about the language barrier otherwise I'd import it like a shot.

      I agree that this could be a great game to bring to the US, I think it's got a broad appeal like Tetris on the old GB had. Trouble is Nintendo US seems to be very nervous about releasing the more unusual DS titles in the US e.g. Electroplankton is only available via their website IIRC.

    14. Re:The List by MBraynard · · Score: 0, Offtopic
      Not being an anti-social, unconversant nerd (an AC to boot), I expect a more fuller and contextual answer. Perhaps the gentleman who brought it up might share some personal experience about it or provide some particular insight.

      There is no 'scam.' Perhaps you should find the proper definition of the term on the net. I have a free Xbox and Ipod from them, and since anyone who helps me get the PSP gets an immediate payoff (I'm not telling them to also 'signup for a free PSP'), there is no scam. But that's probably beyond you. Don't you have a 'no war for oil' protest to go to?

    15. Re:The List by gullevek · · Score: 1

      Kanji are the chinese Characters that the japanese use to write words.

      because you don't know how to type in "kanji" and "example" into google, here is a link with some simple Kanji: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2046.html

      lots of greets, your snob :)

      --
      "Freiheit ist immer auch die Freiheit des Andersdenkenden" - Rosa Luxemburg, 1871 - 1919
    16. Re:The List by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      Using Google's define:$keyword feature usually nets a good answer and if that's not satisfying you can still ask. I don't see what better answer than "Chinese characters used in Japanese" the poster could give.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    17. Re:The List by KDR_11k · · Score: 1

      So far everything suggests that they're planning to port it, they've shown localized demos at various tradeshows.

      --
      Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
    18. Re:The List by pnice · · Score: 1

      I've played it but I am unable to read any Japanese at all. The only part of the game I could play was the math part. It will ask simple addition/subtraction/multiplication questions and you write out the answer as fast as you can. From what I could tell there are daily exercises to complete and it has much more than just math problems...I just couldn't read what was going on. It also feels pretty cool holding and viewing the ds sideways. I makes the DS seem like some electronic training book and not a game system at all. I wish they would get a US version out.

      --
      My Xbox Live Gamer Card
    19. Re:The List by Rycross · · Score: 1

      Any idea if some of the features, like the word/kanji problems could be good for practicing Japanese language/writing?

  5. Amnesia? by PoderOmega · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I can only think of one off the top of my head, Flashback, but why I do have the idea tons of games start with the main character suffering amnesia? I guess it is a good way to learn about the main character's past without having to sit through something like Episode 1.

    1. Re:Amnesia? by Repton · · Score: 1

      FF7 kinda fits the bill...

      --
      Repton.
      They say that only an experienced wizard can do the tengu shuffle.
    2. Re:Amnesia? by Jarlsberg · · Score: 1

      King's Quest 3. Well, it's not amnesia, but it's the same premise. You start off the game not knowing who you are, and during the adventure you eventually find out what happened to you. It's the most memorable of the series, IMO. Amnesia is a deus ex machina, so authors are wary of using it. Except in soap operas, of course.

    3. Re:Amnesia? by mazarin5 · · Score: 1
      I think it's because of the ideas that (1) the player is supposed to fill the role of the main character and (2) the player should be able to start playing a game without having to read a novella first.

      So, amnesia is a fairly effective way of emotionally involving the player, because he starts off not knowing what's going on, and then learns about the situation, along with the main character. That way he always has the proper perspective.

      At least, that's my guess.

      --
      Fnord.
    4. Re:Amnesia? by JWhiton · · Score: 1

      A couple more examples:

      - System Shock 2 (although it used it well, I'd say)
      - Cyberia 2
      - Final Fantasy 3 (aka FF6 in Japan)

      Dang, that's all I can think of right now where it's amnesia. There are a lot more games that give you a very ambiguous background (like Morrowind or a lot of other RPGs) so that you have a more-or-less blank slate when you're developing that character.

  6. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  7. Another worthy mention by IntergalacticWalrus · · Score: 1

    The story in Planescape Torment revolved around the amnesia of the main character.

  8. I RTFA'd, and the comment I have is : by da5idnetlimit.com · · Score: 1

    I gotta ditch the Xbox, get a DS, and borrow a friends PS2...
    Ah yes, learn japanese, too 8p

    Damn, I knew it was too simple 8)

    --
    It takes 40+ muscles to frown, but only four to extend your arm and bitchslap the motherfucker
  9. Ooo by ComputerSherpa · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    "...Exciting, huh?"

     ( Read More... | 11 of 16 comments )

    Yeah, I'm impressed!

    --
    Information wants to be anthropomorphized!
  10. Slashbot Chronicles by jjustus · · Score: 1

    What about a non-action-adventure called "Slashbot Chronicles"? It would feature a young man with mild OCD and his giant online ego. No girls though.

  11. Bumpy Trot? Really? by discoalucardx · · Score: 1

    I bought this game at Play Asia awhile back since it was dirt cheap. I only spent an hour with it, but it was pretty unimpressive. Mostly because the controls were awful. You need to control your mech with both analog stucks (a la Katamari), and trying to maneuever and shoot is awfully clunky. The first boss battle was terrible too. Maybe it gets better though, and I'm glad it got picked up for American release, just to see more obscure stuff here. The atmosphere is interesting, at least - reminds me of a Miyazaki movie.