The 80s and 90s are extremely memorable for pop culture. Many hit movies came out in theaters, TV shows and music were all the rage, and video games were picking up in popularity. Video game icons like Mario, Link, Lara Croft, and a handful of others impacted the world outside of their media.
At first, Japan would get newly released games first if the development team and publisher are based in Japan, but there were rare instances when North America would get games first. Today, nearly every game has a worldwide release date so that gamers around the world can get their hands on a new journey. So what kind of games made it North America before Japan?
10 Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Hideo Kojima is a legend in the gaming world for bringing creative and brilliant franchises to life. Metal Gear Solid remains one of Konami’s most popular franchises and it was sad that Kojima left Konami. Sons of Liberty is still considered by many to be one of the greatest video games ever, and America got to experience it before Japan.
Despite its predecessors being released in Japan first a handful of times, America got to experience first the next missions Snake would take on and encounter many moments that are still memorable to this day, as many themes present are relevant in today’s world.
9 Donkey Kong 64
Not only did Japan not get Donkey Kong 64 first, but with Nintendo teaming up with British development team Rare, one of the Donkey Kong games was first released in the United Kingdom. Most of the Nintendo games made by Rare mostly came out in North America first.
Straying from the Donkey Kong Country series, Rare and Nintendo took inspiration from Banjo-Kazooie and created Donkey Kong 64, which shared critical and commercial success. The DK Rap is still a banger to this day, alongside the Super Smash Bros. rendition.
8 DanceDanceRevolution SuperNOVA
Dance Dance Revolution has paved the way for music games internationally. It has been a part of physical education for schools, and while not as big as it was in the late 90s and early 00s, is still considered one of the most original titles in rhythm games.
There are many Japanese exclusive titles that never saw the day of light in the west, but DDR Supernova started the trend of North America getting the PS2 titles first. Supernova got a huge upgrade in the graphics department and there are many Konami Originals that are considered classics today that came from this game.
7 Resident Evil 2
The first Resident Evil was instantly loved upon its release in 1996, and the memes and moments from the hilarious English localization remain quotable, even for those that aren’t the biggest fans of the Capcom series.
What came as a shock when a sequel was coming is that North America got to witness Resident Evil 2 and the popular Leon Kennedy first. Resident Evil 2 performed better than its predecessor and the remake went on to gain unanimous critical acclaim and successful sales.
6 No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
No More Heroes offers addicting gameplay that is both hysterical and genius thanks to being a Nintendo exclusive series. America got to experience the sequel four months before Japan, which is a considerably long time for releases from North America to Japan.
It is a fun successor and improves the humor and gameplay, but has left many fans anxiously waiting years for a sign of hope for a new game in the series. However, with a third game coming, that won’t be an issue.
5 Sonic The Hedgehog
Originally planned to rival Mario and Nintendo, Sega created the blue hedgehog who is still famous to this day. Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis came to American shelves a month before Japan got their hands on the soon-to-be popular franchise.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is another title that came out in America before Japan, and it shows how fast Sonic was gaining popularity with the rise of Mario vs. Sonic fans rioting in the 90s.
4 Castlevania 64
Konami is known for their classic side scrollers, so the change from 2D to 3D had to be something that would make Castlevania fans remain loyal and invested in the change. Luckily, Castlevania 64 (and to an extent, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness) managed to do that.
The gameplay, music, and graphics were unbelievable at the time. It does have its criticism of shaky controls and an awkward camera, but the pros outweigh the cons for this 1999 game.
3 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm is basically the best way to enjoy the series if you are not a manga reader or anime watcher. It gives life to the story and characters by letting you play as Naruto (and other characters for specific story battles) in the story mode, though it won’t have everything as the game goes up to episode 135.
It isn’t mindboggling by any means, but Ultimate Ninja Storm offers fun in a fighting game where you can do unexpected character matches such as Hinata vs. Itachi. With more characters added in future installments, it satisfies the ultimate Naruto fan’s dream to play as one of their favorite characters.
2 The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
For the Wii at first, America got lucky to see where Link’s fate will take him versus his previous incarnations in the Legend of Zelda series. Japan got the Wii and GameCube versions on the same day, but North America still got access to the 13th installment first. Twilight Princess features a grimmer story, arguably darker than Majora’s Mask.
The characters, gameplay, music, and sound were all outstanding, and this Zelda title still remains extremely popular. Nintendo definitely knew what they were doing to market Twilight Princess again with Amiibos, HD remaster, and other forms of media like manga.
1 Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball
The Dead or Alive franchise is known for having strong and memorable female characters due to their attractive appeal and the originally-Xbox-exclusive Dead or Alive Xtreme series. Its sequel also came out first in America, providing fanservice for guys and girls who want to see Koei Tecmo girls having fun outside at the exotic beaches.
Despite being fully fanservice-y, it’s a relaxing game and can offer funny situations with over-the-top physics, and is a great volleyball simulator in general.
