Japanese and Asian Nintendo releases are beginning to follow the trend of Playstation and are including English language options in many new releases! We here at Playasia have always been huge advocates for these types of releases and even have an entire section dedicated to finding Asia releases with English! Japanese Switch games can be a mystery to many Western gamers, but once you have an opportunity to fully experience some of these games (in English!) you’ll see why Japan has been at the forefront of gaming since inception! So without further ado, here are 5 games you should keep an eye on from Japan this year:

ONIMUSHA: WARLORDS

Onimusha: Warlords was first released on PlayStation 2 in 2001, and is now its exhilarating sword-fighting action and intense battles against demons is preparing to capture a new generation of gamers this December on the PS4 & Nintendo Switch! That same masterpiece you know and love is making a return to modern consoles!

In 2019 Onimusha: Warlords will bring players back to the feelings of nostalgia when they first played the game. But this time, there will be quite a lot of improvements: HD graphics, a new soundtrack, analog stick support, and new widescreen display option! On top of all the improvements, Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro, who played the voice of main character Samanosuke in the original game, has also joined the project as a guest creator! The game’s Japanese voices have been newly recorded, and the brand new soundtrack promises to be even more spectacular than the original!

KAMEN RIDER CLIMAX SCRAMBLE

Bandai Namco Entertainment in Asia have been big supporters of Asia English titles for the PlayStation, and we’re happy to see that trend continue on the Nintendo Switch! The first ever Kamen Rider title released for the Switch will be arriving this November, so no delays when it comes to getting the full experience!

Kamen Rider Climax Scramble will feature 31 different riders, from the first Heisei rider “Kuuga” to the latest Kamen Rider in Japan. As a unique feature of the Nintendo Switch, players are able to share the Joy-Con with friends and family as a 2-player team or face off 1-on-1.

CAPCOM BELT ACTION COLLECTION

Relive the glory days of cooperative arcade games with the Capcom Belt Action Collection! This comprehensive collection includes seven classic games, each with various multiplayer options, online capabilities and detailed galleries – with the added option of being able to choose the Japanese or US version of a game! English is confirmed so far for the PS4 release, but we’re patiently waiting for an update on the Switch (which should come soon!) Do keep in mind the Asia version is the only version confirmed to have English at this time.

Adjust your difficulty settings or give yourself more lives to battle through each game in its entirety, in this new way to experience classic games! Grab some friends, stare down the bad guys and BEAT ‘EM UP!

Games included: Final Fight, Captain Commando, The King of Dragons, Knights of the Round and Warriors of Fate, as well as two games that were previously unavailable on consoles: Armored Warriors and Battle Circuit!

PSIKYO COLLECTION VOL. 1 & 2

Two game bundles are available from Zerodiv & Arcsystem Works (special thanks to H2 Interactive for making the Asia English release possible!) that feature multiple classic arcade styled games on one cart! The first, recently released, Switch collection is Volume 1 that includes Strikers 1945, SOL Divide, Samurai Aces, and Gunbird – all of which are classic, arcade-style scrolling shooters. All titles were originally released in the 90’s so being able to get a physical release for these classics is a dream come true!

The second collection for Switch, Volume 2, will be releasing in November with another four titles: Strikers 1945II, TENGAI, Gunbird 2, and Dragon Blaze – another set of classic arcade-style shooters! These two collections are the only way to get these games in physical & English format – so don’t miss out before production eventually stops!

NIGHTSHADE (HYAKKA HYAKUROU: SENGOKU NINPOUJOU)

Nightshade is an otome game from D3 Publisher that has been recently confirmed for the Nintendo Switch – with the added option of English language support (and traditional Chinese)! Similar otome titles in the past have also received digital releases with English, but this is notable due to the physical accompaniment.

“In Nightshade, players follow a young woman who is a daughter of a notable ninja. She is attempting to learn the trade as well. But this is not a peaceful time period, and the young woman will have to do her best to become a ninja while also surviving and perhaps finding love with Hattori Hanzo and Ishikawa Goemon.”