The PlayStation 2 was an undeniably extremely successful gaming console, having a lifespan of thirteen years before . Although a large part of its success is attributed to theও quality of its hardware, it is also usually said that a console is only as good as its games, and the PS2 had a lot of games. However, because Sony consoles were first developed with the Japanese public in mind, there were games that never left the country for one reason or another, to the dismay of those in other countries.
In this list, we will takꦛe a look at some of the best games released for the PS2 that unfortunately never made it into the international market, and were destined to remain Japan exclusives.
10 Kamiwaza
It is a real shame that this game never got released outside of Japan, as it probably would have been considered a classic by everyone who enjoys stealth games. Kamiwaza was a game in which you control a thief that is the Japanese equivalent to Robin Hood. In the main story, you are also trying to save your sick sister, and depending on her health you can get one of three different endings, with one being a secret "true" en🍌ding.
It is a soꩵlid stealth game that allows you to find your own playstyle - you can either be sneaky🦄 and run away when detected, or you can use your bag of loot as a soccer ball and kick it at guards.
9 Tales Of Desꦺtiny: Director's Cut
When it comes to Japan-exclusive RPGs, Tales of Destiny: Director's Cut is one of those that has a large 🐻and vocal following, and with good reason. While it usually plays like a normal JRPG, where it gets more interesting is during battles. The fights are not turn-based and take place in a 2D plane, where every character fights at the same time, making brawls including magic and aerial combos a sight to behold.
We arඣe still hoping that there is a slim chance that this game will be officially localized outside of Japan because this is one JRPG that definitely deserves it.
8 Hungry Ghosts 𒉰
Hungry Ghosts is a very intricate and appealing adventure horror game designed by the same person behind the classic and notorious Ghosts 'n Goblins. In this first-pe🐓rson game, you play as a warrior who has died and is taken to a village filled with restless souls by Death. The game shines in its immersion,🧔 as most actions such as attacking with weapons or opening doors require you do them manually by emulating the motion on one of the analog sticks.
It's a shame that this game is exclusive to Japan, as it would be perfect for anyone who wanted to try a classic game that would feel like a mix between Demon's Souls and Amnesia: The Dark Descent.
7 💖 Initial D: Special Stage 𝄹
Due to the exponential growth in the popularity of anime in the world, as well as memes, there aren't many people today who have not been exposed to Initial D in one way or another. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Initial D: Special Stage is a racing game that follows the main story 🍃of the anime and includes everything that the fans loved: the cast, the cars, and the🅘 drifting.
This is one game we really wish we could have played as kids, because honestly, who wouldn't want to play a game whꦬere you drift with a car down a mountain while driving at breakneck speeds with Eurobeat music playing in the background?
6 ꦫ ꧃ DoDonPachi DaiOuJou
Although the name of this may seem like a mouthful, rest assured that it fits the game itself quite well in the sense that the entire thing takes quite a while to process. DoDonPach DaiOuJou is a bullet-hell shoot-em-up style game that managed to capture pretty much everything that makes those two genres great. Having both good music and art it is attractive enoug🎃h to try out, but it is the🉐 challenge that draws in those who love harder games.
Many think that games like these are a dime a dozen, but there is something that makes them special, and DoDonPachi is one of thos꧃e games that had a lot going for it.
5 ꦏ Shadow Tower Abyss 🦂
Another in the list of dark and gritty RPGs, Shadow Tower Abyss took an interesting approach with its presentation. In the game, the player gets trapped in a tower by a mysterious old man, and to escape you have to make it to the top. While a setting of a gritty tower filled with enemies, areas with varying themes, and NPCs that give exposition is nothing n𒁏ew, this played in first-person.
While this game isn't perfect or fast-paced, it did have some interesting mechanics such as specific dismemberment of enemies. Unfortunately, we didn't get to try this game and get a feel of what From Software was cooking up in their early daꦯys.
4 The Rumble Fish 🍌
Don't let the title throw you off like it probably has a lot of people before, because this is not a game related to fishing at all. The Rumble Fish is a 2D 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:arcade-style fighting game that is well polished all around - it has great audio, fluid animation, beau🍒tiful art, and solid gameplay. The fighting system has a lot of mechanics often compared to other well-known fighting games.
There is pretty much no good reason why this game hasn't been released outside of ꦉJapan yet, as it is clearly a very competent fighting game that would definitely gain success if coupled with good marketing.
3 Kuma Uta
Now heading into the more bizarre territory, we have Kuma Uta, an experimental game in which you assist a polar bear in writing songs. Yes, you read that correctly. The main "story" of this game is that a polar bear decides that it wants to become an en🐲ka sensation. In this game, you help it become famous by choosing topics for a song, after which the bear will come up✤ with one that is generated by your suggestions. The bear then proceeds to sing it, which is impressive because the songs are not pre-recorded but synthesized.
Despite it being aimed at a Japanese audience due to the language, it is bizarre enough that we would have loved to give it a try. It would have been cool to play the game ꦯthat predated Vocaloid technology before it blew up.
2 𓃲 Front Mission 5: Scar♉s Of The War
A classic among the mecha and strategy lover scenes, Front Mission 5: Scars Of The War is a tactical RPG with a rich story that is told through multiple forms of media, not just the games. The way the game is played can be compared to the modern Fire Emblem series if you replaced🌞 magic and swords with machine-gun armed mechas. The strategy and gameplay coupled with a deep story about the damage that war does to people make the entire experience bittersweet.
While 🦩the game has a lot of fans to this day, it is also the one that sums up the story of the series, as well as wrapping▨ up all previous side-stories, meaning that in order to get the most out of the game you'd have to play all previous games. That's not easy with them being Japan-exclusive.
1 Kinnikuman Muscle Grand Prix Max 2: Tokumori 💝
With a title like that, you can be sure that you're in f🍌or a treat that you won't forget. This game is a great example of two things: one - the PS2 🌳was like a treasure trove for wrestling game enthusiasts, and two - Japanese creativity can be extremely weird in a good way. This wrestling game is so bizarre that it is impossible not to love it - everything about it is completely over-the-top, from the fighters to their absolutely ridiculous wrestling moves.
It's a real shame that this game didn't leave Japan, as we are sure that ther𝔍e would have been countless people who would laugh their heads off while playing it, while also actually enjoying how solid it is.