There was a time when the number ofgames that were trapped exclusively in Japanwas far higher than it is today. As localization processes have improved though, so too has the ease with which Japanese developers have been able to translate their games for English language audiences. Region-free consoles have also helped a lot too in this regard.
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Despite these changes though, there remain plenty ofgames that never made their way to western shoresand the Switch is home to more than its fair share, including the latest entry in the hugely popular Yo-Kai Watch series. Some of these titles may eventually receive official western releases, but, for the time being, at least, most remain in limbo and out of reach for the majority of players in the west.
Updated on July 18, 2025 by Tom Bowen:Though region-exclusive games are a lot less common than they used to be, there are still occasions when developers and publishers decide not to localize their titles. There can be a variety of reasons for this, but it usually comes down to whether or not a publisher believes that a game has the potential to sell well enough to justify the costs associated with localization; both in terms of time and money. When it came to Yo-Kai Watch 4 and these other nine titles, it appears that the decision-makers decided that they don’t.
10Yo-Kai Watch 4++
Although many of theYo-Kai Watchgames have been released outside of Japan over the years, there’s still no word on whether the series' fourth mainline entry will ever follow suit. Thecreature collecting RPGwas first released in Japan back in mid-2019 and remainsa Japanese exclusiveto this day; much to the dismay of many series fans. So much so, in fact, that some of them have decided to take matters into their own hands.
Since late 2020, a team of talented translators and programmers have been working on localizing the game for western audiences.The modis still very much a work in progress, but seems to be shaping up nicely so far, with all of the game’s text now translated. The team is currently working on replacing images and improving stability, but the game can already be played through to completion for those willing to put up with the odd technical hiccough.
9Dragon Quest X
Together with theFinal Fantasyseries,Dragon Questhas helped to shape the JRPG genre, providing inspiration to numerous other developers and countless hours of enjoyment to those who have played the games. Unfortunately, however, those living in the west were never given the opportunity to check out the series' tenth mainline entry, with the MMORPG never being released outside of Asia. Almost a decade on from its original release though, that could all be about to change. Well. Kind of.
As part of the franchise’s 35th anniversary celebrations, Square Enix announced that it was developingan offline version of the gamefor release in Japan at some point in 2022. As of the time of writing, there are still no concrete plans to bring the offline version to the west, but, given the huge success ofDragon Quest XIand the ever-increasing size of the series' North American fanbase, it wouldn’t be too surprising to seeXlocalized for non-Japanese speaking players at some point in the future.
8Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
The Nintendo Switch has a lot going for it, but when it comes to power, it struggles to keep up with the PS4 and Xbox One, let alone their next-gen counterparts. As a result, most multi-platform titles never make it to the console and many of those that do end up receivingsubstandard ports with missing featuresand noticeably inferior performance and visuals. In Japan, however, Nintendo found an interesting way to get around the system’s hardware limitations.
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Together with a Taiwanese company called Ubitus, the Japanese giant worked on technology that allowed players to stream AAA titles directly to the Switch.Resident Evil 7was the first cloud-based game available to Japanese players, releasing in early 2018. This was later followed byAssassin’s Creed Odyssey, which was released simultaneously with the PS4 and Xbox One versions. By all accounts, both games worked incredibly well and so this technology may well be something that Nintendo revisits in the years to come.
7Kunio-Kun: The World Classics Collection
Despite its huge popularity in the east, theKunio-kunseries was never brought to the west. With this in mind, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Arc System Works opted to releaseKunio-Kun: The World Classics Collectionexclusively in Japan back in 2018.
As well as ports of 11 classic Japan-only games, the collection also features re-releases of a number of other 2D games; includingRiver City Ransomand the originalDouble Dragontrilogy. For fans ofretro games from the late eighties and early nineties, there really aren’t too many better collections out there as a result.
6eBaseball Powerful Pro Baseball 2020
SerieslikeMaddenandFIFAaren’t too popular out east, despite the latter starting to make a little headroom in recent years. One sports franchise that does move decent numbers though isPowerful Pro Baseball. First released in 1994, the series has received annual updates every year since; the last few of which have been released on Switch.
Unlikeother baseball series likeMLB The ShowandR.B.I. Baseballthat strive for realism,Powerful Pro Baseballinstead opts for a more gameplay-centric approach and it works surprisingly well. Sales are typically solid too, as are the games' review scores from Japanese publications.
5Winning Post 9 2021
There can be no doubting that baseball is Japan’s most popular sport, but horse racing is perhaps a close second. Japanese arcades often contain entire sections dedicated entirely to the pursuit and there are also plenty of horseracing-related video games available in the country as well.
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Winning Postis without a doubt the biggest of these and is considered by many to be the most realistic horse racing sim game on the market. Each numbered version typically receives five or six different releases over the course of as many years, withWinning Post 9having 2019, 2020, and 2021 editions available on Switch.
4Doraemon Learning Collection
Many people assume that just because series likeDragon BallandPokemonwere created in Japan that they must be incredibly popular in the country. While it’s certainly true that there are sizable Japanese fanbases for both franchises though, they pale into insignificance when compared to that ofDoraemon.
Having started life as a simple manga character, the blue robotic cat has gone on to become insanely popular amongst the children of Japan. Some of the many games including the character have even made their way west, including the 2019 titleDoraemon Story of Seasons. The educational gameDoraemon Learning Collection, however, remains exclusive to Japan for the time being.
3Super Robot Wars T
TheSuper Robot Warsfranchisecombines elements and characters from several different anime, manga, and video game franchises, making it something of a licensing nightmare. It’s perhaps for this reason that so few of its entries have received English language releases, although the fact that many of the characters it includes are unknown to the vast majority of western gamers likely also plays a part.
Released in 2019,Super Robot Wars Tis the series' latest entry and is available for both the PS4 and the Switch. It includes elements from long-runningmech series likeGun SwordandMobile Fighter G Gundamas well as characters from popular anime includingCowboy Bebop.
2Beyblade: Burst Battle Zero
Having once been fairly popular in the west, the appeal ofBeybladehas diminished somewhat in recent years. In Japan, however, the series remains popular and can still be found in toyshops and on televisions all across the county. There’s also a series ofBeybladevideo games available too, withBeyblade: Burst Battle Zerobeing the latest to release on the Switch.
Many fans of the series consider it to be the bestBeybladegame ever made and, just for good measure, the game’s special edition version even comes with a free Beyblade inside. Gameplay typically takes the form of a standard one on one duel and each player has access to several special moves that can be used throughout the battle. It’snot the most visually impressive gameout there, but it does offer a fairly solid multiplayer experience.
1Jake Hunter Detective Story: Prism of Eyes
Unlike previousJake Huntergames,Jake Hunter Detective Story: Prism of Eyesallows players to control two additional protagonists as well as the series' titular character. There are three distinct mysteries for players to unravel through and they must do so usinga visual novel style approachthat is not too dissimilar to the one found in theAce Attorneyseries.
As well as the main stories, the game also includes ten scenarios selected from the mobile version of the game; with each oneremastered into HD quality. Without at least a basic grasp of Japanese, it’s almost an impossible game to play, but, for those who can actually understand what’s going on, it offers an incredibly thought-provoking experience and hours of entertainment.
