History GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff / VideoGames

** While it was still a distant second to the Playstation, America was the Nintendo 64's best market, with almost two thirds of the Nintendo 64's lifetime sales came from America. Nintendo profited from both the novelty of 3D graphics in video games and the goodwill they built up from their previous consoles. Creator/{{Rare}} games like ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' and ''VideoGame/GoldenEye1997'', and [[VideoGame/PokemonStadium 3D]] [[VideoGame/PokemonSnap installments]] in the then-brand new ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' franchise were also a much bigger asset in America than they were in Japan or Europe.

* ''VideoGame/JackieChanStuntmaster'' for the Playstation is clearly more popular in South America, to the point [[EsVideojuego/JackieChanStuntmaster its Spanish page was created first!]]

* ''Downhill Domination'', a pretty good but rather obscure mountain bike racing game for the Playstation 2, is well liked in Indonesia and still played many years after its release due to being one of the few bike racing games that were actually good at the time.

* ''Videogame/{{Black}}'' is one of the most beloved FPS games where the Playstation reigned and thus not as many knew ''Videogame/{{GoldenEye|1997}}'' or ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', such as Southeast Asia and Brazil.

** Soccer games are also tremendously popular in Indonesia. The chance is, you will see a pack of kids playing PES/FIFA/Winning Eleven in PlayStation rentals across Indonesia. Granted that Indonesia is one of dominant soccer forces in Southeast Asia and the sport being heavily popular among the populations.

** Ryuji Sakamoto has far more fans in the West than the East, where he is usually at the bottom of the thieves' on official popularity polls conducted in Japan or Southeast Asia. Western fans tend to sympathize with his ostracization and leg injury, enjoy his HeterosexualLifePartners dynamic with Joker, and find his IdiotHero moments either hilarious or not bad enough to detract from his better qualities. He also aligns with Western cultural perceptions of rebels against society. Because of this, Ryuji's ButtMonkey status in comedy scenes is [[ValuesDissonance far more contentious with Western fans]], and it's common to see them express outright ''disgust'' for [[WithFriendsLikeThese his treatment]] [[spoiler: after Shido's Palace]]. That particular scene isn't as disliked in the Japanese fanbase, with many viewing it as the [[AngerBornOfWorry Phantom Thieves caring about him.]]

** Ryuji Sakamoto has far more fans in the West than the East, where he is usually at the bottom of the thieves' on official popularity polls conducted in Japan or Southeast Asia. Western fans tend to sympathize with his ostracization and leg injury, enjoy his HeterosexualLifePartners dynamic with Joker, and find his IdiotHero moments either hilarious or not bad enough to detract from his better qualities. He also aligns with Western cultural perceptions of rebels against society. Because of this, Ryuji's ButtMonkey status in comedy scenes is [[ValuesDissonance far more contentious with Western fans]], and it's common to see them express outright ''disgust'' for [[WithFriendsLikeThese his treatment]] [[spoiler: after Shido's Palace]]. That particular scene isn't as disliked in the Japanese fanbase, with many viewing it as the [[AngerBornOfWorry Phatom Thieves caring about him.]]

** Ryuji Sakamoto has far more fans in the West than the East, where he is usually at the bottom of the thieves' on official popularity polls conducted in Japan or Southeast Asia. Western fans tend to sympathize with his ostracization and leg injury, enjoy his PlatonicLifePartners dynamic with Joker, and find his IdiotHero moments either hilarious or not enough to detract from his better qualities. He also aligns with western cultural perceptions of rebels against society. Because of this, Ryuji's ButtMonkey treatment in comedy scenes is far more contentious with Global fans, and it's common to see them express outright [[DudeNotFunny disgust]] for his [[DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale treatment]] after [[spoiler: Shido's Palace]]. These scenes aren't as disliked within the Japanese fanbase, with him generally being considered a KarmicButtMonkey.

* Filipinos, aside from their following of ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', are also fond of ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''. In fact, the popularity of ''Tekken'' resulted in ''Tekken 7'' introducing Josie Rizal, a Filipina fighter.

* The Platform/SegaDreamcast was particularly beloved in North America, where it shipped 3.9 million copies, the highest out of all the regions it sold in. Thanks to the success of the Sega Saturn in Japan, many not feeling ready to move on from that system, as well as the half-baked launch, having only four games that weren't particuarly noteworthy (the only one was ''Virtua Fighter 3tb'', and even that was a ObviousBeta). By contrast, the North American launch of the Dreamcast waited about a year after the Japanese launch, and thus was able to build up its lanuch catalogue to 19 games, among those being ''VideoGames/SonicAdventure''. Combine that with Sega of America going all out on their marketing for the system, pushing that September 9th, 1999 launch date, and you have a system that's fondly remembered by gamers in North America.

* The biggest market for the Platform/SegaDreamcast was North America, where it shipped 3.9 million copies. In Japan, it only sold 2.25 million copies. This was largely due to the Dreamcast's predecessor, the Platform/SegaSaturn, falling under the [[AmericansHateTingle opposite trope]] outside of Japan (a situation engineered by Sega's Japanese home office, who were incensed how the Mega Drive had been relatively unsuccessful in Japan but was incredibly popular overseas). Since the Saturn was still going strong in Japan when the Dreamcast released, both gamers and developers there saw its launch as premature and gave it a less enthusiastic reception. The Saturn had utterly flopped elsewhere, however, making those countries much more receptive to a new Sega console.

* ''VideoGame/FZero'' gets more attention overseas than it does in its home country of Japan. Shigeru Miyamoto has notably said that [[http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/11/miyamoto_puzzled_as_to_why_anyone_would_want_a_new_f_zero he was puzzled by this fact]].

* One Brazilian gaming Youtuber did two videos on this, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3oQqraoizE five games only popular in Brazil]] (along with ''VideoGame/TopGear'', ''VideoGame/{{Black}}'', ''VideoGame/JackieChanStuntmaster'' and ''VideoGame/GarenaFreeFire'', there was ''VideoGame/DefJamFightForNY'', which became popular mostly for its gameplay as few of the rappers are household names in the country), and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBoUU6DzT5I 5 bad games only Brazil likes]] (''Free Fire'' again, and along with the above mentioned ''VideoGame/TheOrder1886'', ''Videogame/DevilMayCry2'' and ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadSurvivalInstinct'', who the author claims to have seen a fair share of defenders, and ''Music/FiftyCent Bulletproof'', which given only [[Videogame/FiftyCentBloodOnTheSand its sequel]] has a page here, is deemed as a simple bad licensed game everywhere else).

* ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'' is a [[ObviousBeta currently-still-in-alpha]] stealth game about a [[ShrinkingViolet shy]] [[{{Yandere}} crazy]] girl who must [[MurderTheHypotenuse do away with rivals to her crush's love]]. The developer is American and all text/dialogue is in English, so naturally, most Website/YouTube videos showing off the game are in... Spanish and Portuguese. In fact, ''the'' most-viewed [=YanSim=] video is in Spanish. Evidently, the game is extremely popular amongst Mexican and Brazilian [[LetsPlay Let's Players]].

** It's also hugely famous in China, owing to the number of translated game mods and exclusive number of mods hosted outside Nexus mods and in Chinese.

* ''VideoGame/{{Arcaea}}'', which was developed by a primarily-Western team, is a niche title in the West due to Western gamers' general apathy towards rhythm games other than band simulation games like ''VideoGame/RockBand'' and motion-detection dance simulation games like ''VideoGame/JustDance'', as well as any sort of rhythm game that doesn't have recognizable Western licenses. In Japan, however, it was one of the most-downloaded free-to-download apps on its respective iTunes App Store the week it was released, as the game is designed with Japanese rhythm game elements in mind. It's rather telling that the [[https://twitter.com/arcaea_jp official Japanese-language Twitter account]] has over five times more followers than [[https://twitter.com/arcaea_en the English-language one]]. Furthermore, all of ''Arcaea''[='=]s cross-game collaborations have been with games of Taiwanese or Japanese origin; it has yet to have a crossover event with a rhythm game of Western origin.

*** Samus herself fits this trope. In North America, Nintendo fans consider her to be one of Nintendo's "Big Four" characters, trailing only [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]], [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pikachu]], and [[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Link]] in popularity. In Japan, she is behind VideoGame/{{Kirby}}, [[VideoGame/AnimalCrossing Isabelle]], [[Franchise/{{Splatoon}} the Inklings]], and any given ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' protagonist. This has ultimately led to a long-standing joke that the main character Samus, being blonde and blue-eyed, is ''obviously'' an American character.

* The UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem wasn't really much of a success in its homeland of Japan, the United States, Mexico, and Germany due to Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s dominance in those four countries (which is even truer in Mexico during the 8-Bit and 16-Bit eras where SEGA of America didn't enter into the Mexican market until the mid-90s since they were focusing on the US market, but it was too late for SEGA, as Nintendo reign supreme in Mexico, and in Germany, where SEGA's German distributor for the Master System, Ariolasoft, vowed never to work with SEGA again, as SEGA were unable to ship enough Master Systems until ''the day after Christmas'' in Germany during 1987.[[note]]This shortage wasn't exclusive to Germany, but it caused a bigger problem there than in other European countries.[[/note]] SEGA was unable to surpass in Nintendo in the German market.) It held its own against the NES in United Kingdom and Italy (primarily thanks to Nintendo's scattershot distribution of the NES in Europe), and did the same against Famiclones and Hyundai's licensed release of the NES in South Korea. But it was overwhelmingly successful in Brazil to point where it not only controlled 80% of the gaming market, but it is still supported today. Many of Creator/{{Sega}}'s games for the technically identical UsefulNotes/GameGear were ported to the system in the 1990s for European and/or Brazilian release after it had been discontinued in North America and Japan. In fact, the enduring popularity of the SMS in Europe would lead Japanese developers to release Europe-exclusive games, in an [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of NoExportForYou (and if they did get Japanese releases, [[ShortRunInPeru they would not be until subsequent generations of consoles]], usually as part of [[CompilationRerelease compilations]]).

** The UsefulNotes/MegaDrive (known in American languages as the Genesis) also had great success in these areas (indeed, it was ''far'' more successful in North America than Japan), and like the Master System, it was manufactured in these areas long after it was discontinued in North America and Japan in favor of the Saturn. Licensed variations on the hardware are still sold in games stores to this day.

** In Russia, the [=PSP=] is more popular than the [=DS=] for the same reason that Sega Genesis was more popular than SNES: It's insanely easy to pirate games for without any additional peripherals. The fact that mainstream genres (like shooting, driving and sports games) are much more prevalent there than any "casual" games or unique projects (though the indie scene is slowly changing the situation) and the lack of popularity of Nintendo in Russia[[note]]Stemming from the UsefulNotes/{{Dendy}} filling in where the NES couldn't during the late 80s to early 90s[[/note]] are also the cause of this.

* The UsefulNotes/PC98 has a small cult following in the West, mainly among ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' fans. The platform was never released outside of Japan.
* Xbox consoles have typically ranked 2nd or a distant 3rd place in most countries (a situation worsened by the early fumbles of the UsefulNotes/XboxOne), but Xbox has consistently the #1 video game brand in Mexico since its inception. Microsoft was the first major console manufacturer to take the market seriously by providing consistent Spanish localisations of games and manufacturing the original system locally, thus making it more affordable than its competitors. Starting with the X360, Microsoft also made the then-unprecedented move (for video games) of producing Latin American Spanish dubs for its first party games. As an acknowledgement of the popularity of Xbox in the country, the 2018 edition of the Xbox fanfest was held in Mexico City.

* The Platform/PlayStation4 was quite popular around the world, selling nearly 115 million units worldwide by the time its successor released, but it was not particularly popular in its home country of Japan, where it sold fewer than 10 million units. A lot of this has to do with the Japanese game market's increasing shift towards handhelds like the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita, and later the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, increasing acceptance of PC gaming, (helped by the below-mentioned [[BattleRoyaleGame battle royale shooter genres]]), as well as the perceived lack of Japanese-focused games on the [=PS4=] compared to Western ones. Sony's introduction of policies requiring many Fanservice-heavy Japanese games to be {{Bowdlerized}} on [=PS4=] also didn't do Sony any favors, and drew unfavorable comparisons to Nintendo, who in spite of their "kiddie" reputation and past as a {{Moral Guardian|s}}, had become quite lenient with the type of content allowed in UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch games. The disproportionate international popularity of the [=PS4=] likely played a large role in Creator/SonyInteractiveEntertainment relocating their headquarters to North America during the [=PS4's=] life cycle.

* The ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series wasn't very popular during the 8-bit days, although [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 the original]] had a cult following among [[UsefulNotes/{{MSX}} MSX2]] users in Europe, but when ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' came out, not only did it become popular in Japan, but even moreso in America, likely for reasons similar to ''Silent Hill'' (namely, the two games are known for their [[InvertedTrope inverse]] CreatorProvincialism, made by a Japanese company, taking place in largely Western settings). The original game sold so much better in America that most subsequent games have actually been released there first. It is more likely that it was because of these overwhelming love towards these two series and [[Creator/HideoKojima the creator]] of ''Metal Gear'' (who was once announced to almost helm a ''Silent Hill'' project) that Americans practically ''hated'' everything Konami did to these franchises later on (compounded with other factors on Konami's fault) and kept their hatred to the company undying, while the Japanese didn't prolong their own hatred because aside of their general respect on Kojima and popularity, they weren't that immensely worshipped in the first place[[note]]The aforementioned inverse CreatorProvincialism naturally didn't work as effectively for those not living in the Western region of the world[[/note]] and generally Konami's latter actions seems to be more geared to their Japanese-exclusive properties, so the Japanese has an easier time to let time heal their own frustration.

** ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' is more popular in English- and Spanish-speaking countries than in Japan. Ironically, the game was developed by UsefulNotes/{{MSX}} enthusiasts with the intention of paying tribute to the old technology, which was ''the'' gaming home computer of [[TheEighties the '80s]] in Japan, as well as in parts of Europe and South America.

* ''VideoGame/BodyBlows'': This series, made for UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} brand computers that were produced by the U.S. based Commodore corporation and developed by U.K. based developers Creator/Team17, had quite a following in several European countries and presently retains a cult following in that region. The fact that the Amiga series of computers themselves were also a favorite choice for [=PCs=] at the time on the continent plays a part in that.

* Creator/{{SNK}} fighting games in general were (and probably still are) huge in large portions of Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, mostly because the UsefulNotes/NeoGeo MVS cabinets could hold multiple games at a time, and the games could be replaced by simply buying a new game and inserting it, rather than buying a whole new cabinet, making them more economically feasible for arcades. The "kid who spends his pocket money on the ''King of Fighters'' game in the arcade down the street" archetype is actually the reason why the ''KOF'' competitive scene is so strong in Mexico. In these areas, it's not uncommon for characters like Terry Bogard to be more recognizable than the likes of Mario. SNK has not failed to notice this, and has added more Mexican (Angel, Ramon, Tizoc) and Chinese (Lin, Duo Lon, Shun'ei) characters to its roster in later installments. An example of this would be the announcement of ''VideoGame/FatalFury'' 's Terry Bogard as a playable character in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', where Terry was a celebrated addition in Central and South America whereas other nations, including Terry's home country Japan, weren't really aware of his existence.
** The UsefulNotes/NeoGeo fighting game version of ''VideoGame/DoubleDragon'' was a cult success in the Latin American market, especially in Mexico, which is why Evoga produced ''Rage of the Dragons'' as a SpiritualAdaptation of the series.

* Swedish-made ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', while very successful in its home country, is pretty much loved by the entire world. Japan gets a special mention for introducing the Creeparka (a Creeper themed hoodie). Japan's love of Minecraft is so great that a number of [[FollowTheLeader Minecraft-like games]] that didn't do well in the West for being "ripoffs" saw enormous success in Japan, and ''VideoGame/DragonQuest,'' one of the most famous and beloved game franchises in the country, had a [[VideoGame/DragonQuestBuilders Minecraft-like spinoff.]] ''Minecraft''[='=]s popularity in Japan is large enough that even Creator/{{Nintendo}} took notice and began releasing skin packs of Nintendo characters for the game, allowed cross-play between ''Minecraft'' players on UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and other platforms, and negotiated with their direct competitor Creator/XboxGameStudios to add Steve to ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''.

* {{Elimination Platformer}}s caught on in a very big way in South Korea, which produced multiple bootleg UsefulNotes/{{MSX}} ports and the official UsefulNotes/GameGear port of ''VideoGame/BubbleBobble'' (whose ThemeTune was also used as a {{jingle}} for Samyang Ramyun), numerous arcade games based on hardware cloned from (and sometimes code copied from) ''VideoGame/SnowBros'' or ''VideoGame/TumblePop'', and original games in the genre like ''[[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/korea/part1/company-topia.htm#legendlyknight Legendly Knight]]'' and ''[[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ultraballoon/ultraballoon.htm Ultra Balloon]]''.

* Although ''VideoGame/LodeRunner'' was a success internationally, it was nowhere near as successful than in Japan, where the game has tons of different versions not released elsewhere. The game also seems to have been quite popular in France, to the point where one of the first games published by Infogrames, ''Androides'', was a blatant knockoff of it, and another French company developed official ports for the UsefulNotes/AtariST, UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} and UsefulNotes/AmstradCPC.

* ''VideoGame/DungeonMaster'', first released in 1987, was very successful and enjoyed several ports and translations. Japan, however, seems to have adopted the series while the West gradually forgot it. A remixed, lighter version called ''Theron's Quest'' was released for the UsefulNotes/PCEngine; the official sequel was released in Japan first, and only much later in the West; and the last official episode of the series, ''Dungeon Master Nexus'', is a UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn game that never left Japan.

** SNES [=RPGs=] in general were almost never localized in France, even without a translation! Some of the most highly regarded SNES games of all times like ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'', ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', or ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' were '''''never''''' released in Europe at all (until some eventual ports, remakes, or UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole re-releases, but most of the time still not translated).

* ''VideoGame/BattleCity'' became extremely popular in many ex-USSR and Asian countries where it was never officially released, mainly due to the fact that every second [[UsefulNotes/{{Dendy}} famiclone]] got this game on a bundle multicart. The vast majority of hacks of this game come straight from there.

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' remains rather popular in the West. Not only in the ROM hacking scene (most tools for hacking UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance ''Fire Emblem'' games are specifically for the Elibe games instead of ''The Sacred Stones'') but because for many, it was their first ''Fire Emblem'' game, and one of the things that had contributed to ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon]]'' being poorly received, as Westerners were spoiled due to Elibe and Tellius. ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', meanwhile, crashed the [=eShop=] when it released in America, and it's pretty hard to find physical copies due to demand for the game.

* The OtomeGame ''VisualNovel/CodeRealize'' sold twice as many copies in the states than it did in its native Japan. Especially impressive since it was UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita exclusive, since the platform [[AmericansHateTingle was a flop outside of Japan]].

* In Israel, the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 sold better than its competitors despite it being ranked a distant third behind the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}} in most other world markets.

** Part of the UK's popularity is the choice of the processor, the Zilog Z80, as the British game developers were already familiar with the Z80 assembly thanks to the homegrown UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum and UsefulNotes/AmstradCPC, so for them, developing games for the Master System felt a bit like developing for the Speccy and CPC.

* The UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem's Zapper gun was more popular in America than in Japan, where ''VideoGame/WildGunman'', ''VideoGame/DuckHunt'', and ''VideoGame/HogansAlley'' performed so poorly that no more {{Light Gun Game}}s were released for the Famicom. A large reason for this is that the Zapper and Duck Hunt came bundled with the most popular configurations of the NES in America, such as the Action Set.
* The biggest market for the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast was North America, where it shipped 3.9 million copies. In Japan, it only sold 2.25 million copies. This was largely due to the Dreamcast's predecessor, the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn, falling under the [[AmericansHateTingle opposite trope]] outside of Japan (a situation engineered by Sega's Japanese home office, who were incensed how the Mega Drive had been relatively unsuccessful in Japan but was incredidbly popular overseas). Since the Saturn was still going strong in Japan when the Dreamcast released, both gamers and developers there saw its launch as premature and gave it a less enthusiastic reception. The Saturn had utterly flopped elsewhere, however, making those countries much more receptive to a new Sega console.

** Same in Poland. No one there owns a DS, you see kids with [=PSPs=] everywhere. Same in case of the [=PS3=]: More people own them than UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}}s. Ironically, it is easier to pirate for the 360 than the [=PS3=]. So why is the [=PS3=] popular? A. Its games are region-free to begin with and B. Microsoft '''will''' unleash the banhammer on your 360 for piracy. And you've gotta have good luck to find a Wii owner, despite it being by far the easiest (and safest) 7th-gen console to pirate for.

* While the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 and UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube were beat by their [=PlayStation=] rivals worldwide, the N64 and GC did even worse in their native Japan, while they actually did pretty decent in North America to the point that most of the first-party games become [[CultClassic cult classics]]. It was very often when the [=PlayStation=] 1 and/or 2 version of a game got a Japanese release while the [=N64=]/Gamecube version stayed in North America.

* Danes Love the Sony UsefulNotes/PlayStation. The first [=PlayStation=] well outsold the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64, while its successor (like it did internationally) outsold both the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} and the UsefulNotes/NintendoGamecube combined. Due to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 not being released around the same time as the UsefulNotes/XBox360, the 360 have become this, dualing this position with [=PS3=] when it was released. The [=PS3=] is still a slightly bigger console in Denmark, but the Xbox 360 is still a favored console in gaming stores like [=GameStop=], selling a lot more 360 games than [=PS3=] games.
** Due to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 being released in Europe along with almost every other country internationally, compared to the UsefulNotes/XboxOne's delay in most of Europe, its sales have been large in Europe, aiding the [=PS4=] in earning 7 million sales (as of March 2014), 3 million more than the Xbox One. The region is also the region where the [=PS4=] reliably outsells the Nintendo Switch which frequently outsells it in North America and near constantly doing so in Europe as of 2018 and 2019.

* The Super Scope failed tidily in Japan but lingered on in North America, leading industry legend Gunpei Yokoi's team to create the English-only ''VideoGame/MetalCombatFalconsRevenge''. Super Scope is then documented to be modified for homebrew military infantry training application.

** To a lesser extent, in Brazil, the Xbox 360 remains the dominant console, due to the ''very'' high price of newer consoles, despite the 360 mostly ending support worldwide. Also, the Xbox One sold considerably better than the [=PlayStation=] 4, due to Brazil being one of the few countries (along with Mexico) where the Xbox One was sold at half the price of a [=PlayStation=] 4. [[note]]Microsoft had factories within Brazil where Xbox One's could be produced, and would not be affected by import taxes, whereas [=PlayStation=] 4 had subjected to high tariffs. As a result, while both consoles were pricey, the Xbox One was sold around a still high $1,000, while [=PlayStation=] 4 came in at ''$2,000'' [[/note]] This trend continued with the [[UsefulNotes/XboxSeriesXAndS Xbox Series S]], who by virtue of being the cheapest ninth-gen console became a clear winner in lower-income countries. Xbox Game Pass also helps in this regard, especially since physical copies of games in Latin America tend to carry a premium due to the cost of importing them.

* The UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 was quite popular around the world, selling nearly 115 million units worldwide by the time its successor released, but it was not particularly popular in its home country of Japan, where it sold fewer than 10 million units. A lot of this has to do with the Japanese game market's increasing shift towards handhelds like the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita, and later the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, increasing acceptance of PC gaming, (helped by the below-mentioned [[BattleRoyaleGame battle royale shooter genres]]), as well as the perceived lack of Japanese-focused games on the [=PS4=] compared to Western ones. Sony's introduction of policies requiring many Fanservice-heavy Japanese games to be {{Bowdlerized}} on [=PS4=] also didn't do Sony any favors, and drew unfavorable comparisons to Nintendo, who in spite of their "kiddie" reputation and past as a {{Moral Guardian|s}}, had become quite lenient with the type of content allowed in UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch games. The disproportionate international popularity of the [=PS4=] likely played a large role in Creator/SonyInteractiveEntertainment relocating their headquarters to North America during the [=PS4's=] life cycle.
* The trend seems to be continuing with the UsefulNotes/PlayStation5, with it being heavily in demand due to brand loyalty, except for Japan, due to lack of AAA titles specifically catering to Japanese market (and most of them are already available in PC or the other, more affordable consoles). Sony has swapped the usage of the X and Circle buttons for the console's user interface in Japan, meaning X is now used to confirm settings, while Circle is used to cancel, similar to the Western ones, which has annoyed a lot of Japanese gamers, who are used to opposite, but according to Famitsu Sales Charts, which tracks both gaming hardware and software sales in Japan, that still doesn’t stop the [=PS5=] from selling more than the Xbox Series consoles in Japan regardless due to the Xbox brand’s negative stigma in the country, while the UsefulNotes/PlayStation brand is still huge in it’s native Japanese market, the [=PS5=] just doesn’t sell as much as the Nintendo Switch.
* Despite it being considered a failure regardless of region, the UsefulNotes/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer saw moderate success in Asian regions, especially Japan. Alongside some exclusive peripherals, such as an add-on that could play Video CD discs, nearly half the system's library was exclusive to Japan and South Korea, mostly thanks to the 3DO Company's relaxed licensing policies and the relative power of the hardware for the time (which also led to a number of rather experimental games being released on the platform). It was even successful enough that it got some small support from bigger names like Konami and Capcom and a few models of 3DO were made exclusively for the region, such as the Sanyo TRY.

** ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster''[='=]s Japanese incarnation, ''Metafight'', was a commercial failure and has laid dormant, barring a sequel released nearly twelve years. ''Blaster Master'', however, remains a beloved CultClassic among Western gamers who cut their teeth in the NES era, due to its {{Metroidvania}}-style gameplay and [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic amazing soundtrack]]. So much so, that the direct sequel was produced in the UK (never sold in Japan), and by the time a UsefulNotes/PlayStation revival was attempted, even Japan got the American version of the story as opposed to the original ''Metafight'' one.

* ''VideoGame/TheNeverhood'' was a bit of a low-key cult hit in the West. The PC version got a Japanese UsefulNotes/PlayStation port called ''Klaymen Klaymen''... and Japanese gamers absolutely ''adored'' it. In addition to getting some cool pieces of promotional merchandise, the Japanese company that localized it (and its sequel, ''VideoGame/{{Skullmonkeys}}'') made a spinoff called ''Klaymen Gun-Hockey'', which is about as weird as it sounds. The game is also very popular in Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' is ''overwhelmingly popular'' in Brazil due to the characters and setting's familiarity to real-life Brazilian suburbs (particularly with those in Usefulnotes/SaoPaulo and Usefulnotes/RioDeJaneiro) even though the game takes place in a fictionalized version of America, as well as the immense freedom and customization it provides the player. While CJ is considered a very divisive protagonist, he is more loved there than Tommy Vercetti and Claude (the latter of whom is virtually unknown in Brazil, as the rise of the popularity of sixth-gen gaming -- mainly the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 -- in Brazil coincided with the releases of ''Vice City'' and ''San Andreas''). To this day, Brazilian modders have produced highly extensive versions of the game that include Brazilian music and local sports teams' jerseys. It [[HilariousInHindsight came full circle]] when Rockstar Games made a ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' [[VideoGame/MaxPayne3 game set in Brazil]] years later. Afterwards, the Brazilians are making their own GTA game set in their home country.

* While [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] is ''the'' poster boy for video games everywhere, his VideoGame3DLeap wasn't as popular in Japan (for one, the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn kept outselling the UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 for a long time there), with his 2D installments being far more popular in the region. For instance, ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' outsold ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' within just 3 days of its Japan release. ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' was even released in North America first due to how popular Mario’s 3D installments are in the West.

* ''VideoGame/TheNewZealandStory'' was particularly popular in the UK, where the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} version became part of the "Batman Pack" bundle. It was one of the few Japanese-made games whose UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem port was developed by a British company and never released in Japan. Two competing teams of British developers were working on UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}} ports; the team whose version didn't make it took its engine and converted it into the original game ''CJ's Elephant Antics''.

* Americans regarded ''VideoGame/{{Spelunker}}'' as decent in its arcade and UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}} forms. However, its UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem port, produced in Japan by Creator/{{Irem}}, inexplicably sold extremely well, and now the game is looked back on fondly due to its [[NarmCharm charming badness]] and, most of all, the [[OneHitPointWonder endearing]] [[EverythingTryingToKillYou weakness]] of the main character. In fact, the Spelunker might very well beat out [[Franchise/{{Halo}} Master Chief]], [[VideoGame/HalfLife Gordon Freeman]], and the like as the best-known American video game character in Japan simply by virtue of being "the weakest video game character" -- he's a cultural icon, to the extent that ''supe taishitsu'', "having the constitution of a spelunker," is a common idiom in Japan (meaning, of course, being easily injured) used in professional sports commentary.

* ''VideoGame/ForzaMotorsport'' is popular back home in America, but it's a KillerApp for the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} platform in Europe (a title that mainly goes to ''VideoGame/{{Halo}}'' and ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' in North America). It also has a devoted following in Australia, which has also helped Turn 10 manage to get the overall license for the cars participating in the V8 Supercars for ''Forza Motorsport 6'' and the country later appearing as the setting of Creator/PlaygroundGames' ''Forza Horizon 3''.

** ''VideoGame/Mother3'' is nowhere near as popular in its home country as it is in Western countries (which it was infamously and ironically [[NoExportForYou never released in]]), due to [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks its drastic departure from the previous games in style and tone]]. Of course, it was also released in 2006 on the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance, just a few years after the release of the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. While many Japanese fans were put off by the vast disparity between ''Mother 3'' and its predecessors, Western countries fell in love with its memorable characters and [[TearJerker dark, tragic story]]. It's very common to see it on many Western lists of the best (and certainly [[TearJerker/{{Mother}} saddest]]) games [[SacredCow of all time]].

* While its sales numbers do not diverge widely between countries (due to the "children's [[EasternRPG JRPG]] stigma", you could say), Western players and critics are much more enamored with ''[[VideoGame/NiNoKuni Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch]]'' than Japan. There are two reasons for that: first, {{Eastern RPG}}s are becoming steadily more scarce in the West, especially on home consoles, so a big-budgeted one for the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 PS3]] like ''Ni no Kuni'' draws attention. Secondly, and more importantly, Japan was "burned" by ''Ni no Kuni: The Jet-Black Mage'' back when it was released on the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS. Creator/Level5 promised that the two games would be widely different and also complementary to one another, but they only had very minimal differences in terms of plot and gameplay (putting it another way, they were promised ''VideoGame/Persona2'', but got ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokémon Crystal]])''. Those who bought the DS version (and they were many, it sold ''really'' well) didn't want to buy the same game twice, and critics couldn't quite "forgive" it. However, since that version was never released in the West, the [=PS3=] version became much more unique and could be judged (and sold) as its own, standalone title. It seems to have paid off. The sales and reception of the [=PS3=] version of ''Ni No Kuni'' did so well in the West that similar to ''Project X Zone 2'', the sequel for the [=PS4=] was announced for localization immediately.

* {{Roguelike}}s (specifically, the traditional DungeonCrawl type) were a niche genre in their home in America, and receive reviews ranging from "poor" to "scathing" when sites or magazines who review them, mostly factoring on the difficulty, but are well-loved by Japan, with multiple long-running commercial series such as ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeon'', ''VideoGame/ChocobosDungeon'', ''VideoGame/ShirenTheWanderer'', and ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey'' having been made in Japan. While western attitude towards difficult games changed over time and the Roguelike genre made a successful return in the west, only a small handful of new western titles use the traditional dungeon crawler formula, and its most popular titles like ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'', ''VideoGame/SlayTheSpire'', and ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}'' all put on a spin on the genre and are sometimes referred to as "Roguelites" for that reason. Japan continues to regularly produce dungeon crawler [=RPGs=] in the modern era.

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' was a well-received game internationally, but it has especially huge followings in South Korea and Japan, gaining a large amount of support from those in the latter country's gaming industry. This led to an official Japanese translation and a Korean fan translation, as well as ports for UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 and UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita and later UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch further boosting the game's popularity there. It also received detailed entries in the ''Website/{{Pixiv}}'' dictionary. And [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZdDAJbHfc a full orchestral concert]] in Tokyo.

** The game itself is far more successful in North America, whereas back in native Japan, the game likely flopped, due to [[{{Bowdlerize}} being cut]] [[BloodlessCarnage beyond all recognition]] and made exclusive to the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox 360}}, which was [[AmericansHateTingle often overlooked in Japan]]. For this very reason, the [[VideoGame/DeadRising2 two]] [[VideoGame/DeadRising3 direct sequels]] were developed by one of Capcom's North American studios[[note]]Capcom Vancouver, formerly Blue Castle Games[[/note]] instead of Japan.

* VisualNovels are finally finding their audience in the West in TheNewTens, where before they've had a small but devoted following among OccidentalOtaku relying on {{Fan Translation}}s. ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo'', although a Western-developed game, has been credited with sparking interest in the genre outside of Japan, but the official English release of ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'' was the top-selling new release on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}, outselling hugely popular games like ''VideoGame/Fallout4''. It helps that ''CLANNAD'' already had a popular anime adaptation and thus a ready-made Western audience. There have been more official English ports of major [=VNs=] such of ''VisualNovel/SteinsGate'' and ''VisualNovel/TheFruitOfGrisaia'', as well as other [=VNs=] mentioned below.

* "''VideoGame/SoundVoltex" is considered as just another ordinary rhythm game in Japan, but for some reason, in Indonesia, it's basically treated like a religion. Matter of fact, the Indonesian fandom outsize the Japanese and American fandom ''combined.''

* ''[[VideoGame/DonPachi DoDonPachi]] Dai Ou Jou Black Label'', which is an UpdatedRerelease of the original ''[=DoDonPachi=] Dai Ou Jou'' with balancing tweaks to make the game a bit easier or more fair, is more widely-played in the West than it is in Japan, where the original [[FanNickname "White Label"]] edition is more frequently played. This is because the ''Black Label'' arcade board was a limited-print release unlike the White Label edition, and as such is not as easy to find in Japanese arcades, and until the ''Re:incarnation'' port in 2023, the only way to legally play ''Black Label'' was via an [[PortingDisaster ill-received port]] on Xbox 360 whereas the White Label version has a [[PolishedPort highly-acclaimed port]] on [=PlayStation=] 2, so most people who played ''Black Label'' until then did so via UsefulNotes/{{MAME}}, an arcade game emulator. Western shmup players are often surprised to find out that emulation is more criminalized in Japan than in most Western countries, which explains why Japanese shmup players don't simply emulate ''Black Label'' and just make do with White Label.

* ''[[VideoGame/DonPachi DoDonPachi]] Dai Ou Jou Black Label'', which is an UpdatedRerelease of the original ''[=DoDonpachi=] Dai Ou Jou'' with balancing tweaks to make the game a bit easier or more fair, is more widely-played in the West than it is in Japan, where the original [[FanNickname "White Label"]] edition is more frequently played. This is because the ''Black Label'' arcade board was a limited-print release unlike the White Label edition, and as such is not as easy to find in Japanese arcades, and until the ''Re:incarnation'' port in 2023, the only way to legally play ''Black Label'' was via an [[PortingDisaster ill-received port]] on Xbox 360 whereas the White Label version has a [[PolishedPort highly-acclaimed port]] on [=PlayStation=] 2, so most people who played ''Black Label'' until then did so via UsefulNotes/{{MAME}}, an arcade game emulator. Western shmup players are often surprised to find out that emulation is more criminalized in Japan than in most Western countries, which explains why Japanese shmup players don't simply emulate ''Black Label'' and just make do with White Label.

* ''[[VideoGame/DonPachi DoDonPachi]] Dai Ou Jou BLack Label'', which is an UpdatedRerelease of the original ''[=DoDonpachi=] Dai Ou Jou'' with balancing tweaks to make the game a bit easier or more fair, is more widely-played in the West than it is in Japan, where the original [[FanNickname "White Label"]] edition is more frequently played. This is because the ''Black Label'' arcade board was a limited-print release unlike the White Label edition, and as such is not as easy to find in Japanese arcades, and until the ''Re:incarnation'' port in 2023, the only way to legally play ''Black Label'' was via an [[PortingDisaster ill-received port]] on Xbox 360 whereas the White Label version has a [[PolishedPort highly-acclaimed port]] on [=PlayStation=] 2, so most people who played ''Black Label'' until then did so via UsefulNotes/{{MAME}}, an arcade game emulator. Western shmup players are often surprised to find out that emulation is more criminalized in Japan than in most Western countries, which explains why Japanese shmup players don't simply emulate ''Black Label'' and just make do with White Label.

* The ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' games have never been popular in Japan (considered the Mecca of [[FightingGame fighting games]]) but have a large, rabid following in the United States, especially in the East Coast. ''[=MvC2=]'' is considered one of the greatest fighting games of all time in North America. This is largely attributed to the Marvel half of the game not being as recognized in Japan, as well as the games being considered less technical than other fighting games.

* While ''VideoGame/PacMan'' was quite popular in its home of Japan, in the West it became a cultural phenomenon and the video game icon we know today. Pac-Man's universe expanded thanks to its US distributor Midway's semi-official sequels to the original game, like ''Ms. Pac-Man''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Pepsiman}}'' was based on a Japan-only advertising campaign, so it was only available as an import in its day and is mostly overlooked in its home country, but it became astonishingly popular with international players for several reasons. First of all, it's a QuirkyWork about a Pepsi-themed superhero and ImplacableMan who runs across unassuming landscapes full of [[EverythingTryingToKillYou death traps]] to quench people's thirst. Second of all, all of the text and dialogue except the subtitles in the cutscenes is in English, meaning you don't need to know Japanese to play.
* While ''VideoGame/FruitNinja'' was developed in Australia, it became one of the most popular [=iOS=] games in China and the United States.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji|2016}}'' is developed by a Chinese studio but maintains a steady Japanese fanbase, enough to spawn ''two'' [[TheMusical musical adaptations]] there, a radio show and even a ''themed cafe service'' in a Tokyo cafe. It may be chalked up to the fact the game is ''about'' Japan and stars an AllStarCast of big-name anime voice actors.

* ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'' is a [[ObviousBeta currently-still-in-alpha]] stealth game about a [[ShrinkingViolet shy]] [[{{Yandere}} crazy]] girl who must [[MurderTheHypotenuse do away with rivals to her crush's love]]. The developer is American and all text/dialogue is in English, so naturally, most Website/YouTube videos showing off the game are in... Spanish and Portuguese. In fact, ''the'' most-viewed [=YanSim=] video is in Spanish. Evidently, the game is extremely popular amongst Mexican and Brazilian [[LetsPlay Let's Players]].
** In September 2015, [=YandereDev=] released Analytic information for his own blog that showed Americans making up by far the largest share of traffic, but also a lot of activity from Brazil (#2), Mexico (#3), and France (#4).
* It's rare to have a Brazilian character in fiction, much less in video games, but when it happens, Brazilian gamers usually share their love with it. Examples are ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' capoeira fighters (Katarina from ''Tekken 7'' hasn't reached the same level of popularity, despite being Brazilian), and Carlos Oliveira from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'', who WordOfGod says is Brazilian.
** Blanka, from ''Franchise/StreetFighter''. Went from EthnicScrappy in the earliest days to [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales very loved as some sort of]] CrazyIsCool character. To the point of people wanting him for [[http://bocadeurna.tumblr.com/post/898558198/vote-blanka-presidente President]] of the country.
* Filipinos, aside from their following of ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', are also fond of ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' and ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''. In fact, the popularity of ''Tekken'' resulted in ''Tekken 7'' introducing Josie Rizal, a Filipina fighter.
* ''VideoGame/KanColle'', a game largely about anthropomorphised Imperial Japanese Navy ships, were surprisingly popular in China and Southeast Asia, regions that were historically conquered by Imperial Japan and are therefore the last places any student of history would expect such a thing to be welcomed in. Though to be fair, the popularity can be chalked up in part to the fact that a lot of the ships featured in the game have sunk in and around the waters of the western Pacific.
** As for the ships themselves, USS Iowa, the first Allied ship and the first American ship to be added to the series, is unsurprisingly popular among American fans; this is partly because she is appearance-wise [[{{Eagleland}} the Quintessential American stereotype]], and partly because she is one of the very few ships afloat to this day.
* In Mexico, ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'' was so popular that they actually collaborated with their equivalent of pogs (Vuela Tazos) in 2012.

* Considering how girl groups ([[VideoGame/TheIdolmasterSideM and boy bands]]) are SeriousBusiness in the country, it's no surprise ''Franchise/TheIdolMaster'' has a huge South Korean following. Several games in the series received official Korean localizations when the series is normally NoExportForYou for most territories (other than a well done English FanTranslation for a PSP game for the franchise), the Korean version of ''VideoGame/TheIdolmasterCinderellaGirls'' had exclusive idols for the Korean market and there was even [[Series/TheIdolmasterKR a live action television Korean drama adaptation]].
** The franchise is also big in China and Hong Kong, as it is so popular that there are sometimes concerts held where two different ''IDOLM@STER'' groups will perform in the same show.
** [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed in other Asian territories]] such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and even, the Philippines (especially with the Television Adaptations, though a PSP Game Trilogy is getting attention in these Nations), considering the fact that the IdolSinger thing isn't that much of a SeriousBusiness in these Nations compared to South Korea and by extension, China and Hong Kong ([[PromotedFanboy Emman, of all Filipino people]], confirms that he has plans to do some Cross-promotions featuring the series with his ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' based ideas, in which the Japanese Idol scene would be one of the fitting elements for an Urban-set game that has the GrowingWithTheAudience thing and in addition, [[CreatorsFavorite he likes to listen a lot of songs performed and watch performances via videos done by Chihaya Kisaragi]] and as well as gonna do his best making the Collaborations get the best results, complete with [[ActorSharedBackground Janice Kawaye]] as her in the English Dub releases).
* While the first VideoGame/{{Pixeline}} game was popular enough in Denmark to create an [[EdutainmentGame Edutainment Game]] boom there, Norwegians loved the game even more so, to the point where Norwegian developer Pinjata created a [[FollowTheLeader Follow the Leader]] franchise of sorts, ''Josefine'', to capitalize on it (and which later appropriated later ''Pixeline'' games as Josefine ones after they began having the same owner).

* ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons'' is known in its native Japan but also has a large following in both America and Indonesia. ''VideoGame/HarvestMoonBackToNature'' was especially popular in Indonesia.
* While Creator/HideoKojima games has a lot of fanbase worldwide, they are exceptionally popular in Russia, possibly owing to the GrayAndGrayMorality ubiquitous in his games as well as deep plot unlike most other action themed games where Russia is often the villain as well as shallow plot. Kojima's Instagram is flooded with Russian comments (usually uttering some variation of [[MemeticMutation "Kojima is a genius"]]. Him visiting Russian game expo Igromir in 2019 made a huge fuss in the Russian media, to the point where Kojima appeared on the tremendously popular late night talk show ''Evening Urgant''.
* While football (soccer) video games are more popular in regions where the sport is more fervently followed (Europe, Latin America, Middle East) and the ''VideoGame/{{FIFA|Soccer}}'' x ''PES'' rivalry runs deep in those regions, there is one game from the '90s which is very fondly remembered in South America: ''PES'''s spiritual predecessor ''International Superstar Soccer'', especially its ''Deluxe'' update, released for the SNES in late 1995[[note]]The game later got versions for the Sega Genesis and [=PlayStation=], without the same success.[[/note]]. They have mod communities dedicated to the game, and a series of game hacks made in Peru around that time (yes, written into cartridges and everything) was a hit alongside the real thing. Brazilians even fondly remember one of the strikers of their national team, Allejo, as one of the greatest Brazilian athletes that never existed in real life.
* The farming sim ''Hay Day'' seems to be very popular in Brazil, judging by the number of players' farms that have "Fazenda" (a Brazilian farm or plantation) in their name.
* The ''Buzz!'' quiz games for [=PlayStation=] 2 and 3, originally made in the United Kingdom, were a big phenomenon in Norway, with households buying [=PlayStation=] 2 just to play Buzz! (and the karaoke franchise ''Singstar''), and saw many adults play console games for the first time in their lives. Key reasons were that the controls were very easy to understand, to the point they didn't even have a pause button, and how the characters were considered comical and relatable in the first few installments.
* ''Gravity Defied'', an otherwise obscure motorcycle trial game for J2ME-supported dumbphones, was a massive phenomenon in Russia and other ex-USSR countries during the 2000s, with [[https://apps.apple.com/ru/app/gravity-defied-classic/id1121395217 multiple]] [[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.freegift.gd&hl=ru&gl=US unofficial]] [[http://gdtr.net/ fan-ports]], elaborate [[https://thebatya.com/batyapedia/development-gravity-defied/ journalist write-ups]]. as well as still existing [[https://gdmod.ru/ modding community]]. Aside of being a surprisingly compelling title for its time and technology, the game ran well on any mobile phone, required only 66kb of memory (in a time where having 2-4MB of internal phone storage was the norm), and could be easily modded without special tools - all of which allowed it to spread through word of mouth and become a cult classic among bored students of Eastern Europe.
* One Brazilian gaming Youtuber did two videos on this, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3oQqraoizE 5 games only popular in Brazil]] (along with the above mentioned ''Top Gear'', ''Black'', ''Jackie Chan Stuntmaster'' and ''Garena Free Fire'', there was ''VideoGame/DefJamFightForNY'', which became popular mostly for its gameplay as few of the rappers are household names in the country), and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBoUU6DzT5I 5 bad games only Brazil likes]] (''Free Fire'' again, and along with the above mentioned ''Videogame/TheOrder1886'', ''Videogame/DevilMayCry2'' and ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadSurvivalInstinct'', who the author claims to have seen a fair share of defenders, and ''Music/FiftyCent Bulletproof'', which given only [[Videogame/FiftyCentBloodOnTheSand its sequel]] has a page here, is deemed as a simple bad licensed game everywhere else).

** Wario's solo outings are consistently more popular internationally than in Japan, to the point ''VideoGame/WarioLand2'' and ''VideoGame/WarioWorld'' were released in North America and Europe first. Some ''Wario'' games were even produced exclusively for the international market due to his popularity there: the SNES version of the PuzzleGame ''VideoGame/WariosWoods'' didn't get a physical release in Japan, while ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}} GB'' added Wario as a playable character for its US and European releases, and gave him top billing in the newly retitled ''Wario Blast''. This doesn't apply to the ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' series, which is as well-known in Japan as it is elsewhere.

* The UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem wasn't really much of a success in its homeland of Japan, the United States, Mexico, and Germany due to Creator/{{Nintendo}}'s dominance in those four countries (which is even truer in Mexico during the 8-Bit and 16-Bit eras where SEGA of America didn't enter into the Mexican market until the mid-90s since they were focusing on the US market, but it was too late for SEGA, as Nintendo reign supreme in Mexico, and in Germany, where SEGA's German distributor for the Master System, Ariolasoft, vowed never to work with SEGA again, as SEGA were unable to ship enough Master Systems until ''the day after Christmas'' in Germany during 1987.[[note]]This shortage wasn't exclusive to Germany, but it caused a bigger problem there than in other European countries.[[/note]] SEGA was unable to surpass in Nintendo in the German market.) It held its own against the NES in United Kingdom and Italy (primarily thanks to Nintendo's scattershot distribution of the NES in Europe), and did the same against Famiclones in South Korea. But it was overwhelmingly successful in Brazil to point where it not only controlled 80% of the gaming market, but it is still supported today. Many of Creator/{{Sega}}'s games for the technically identical UsefulNotes/GameGear were ported to the system in the 1990s for European and/or Brazilian release after it had been discontinued in North America and Japan. In fact, the enduring popularity of the SMS in Europe would lead Japanese developers to release Europe-exclusive games, in an [[InvertedTrope inversion]] of NoExportForYou (and if they did get Japanese releases, [[ShortRunInPeru they would not be until subsequent generations of consoles]], usually as part of [[CompilationRerelease compilations]]).

** While most Japanese fans find him off-putting and creepy or ignore him in favor of the protagonists, Ardyn Izunia from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' was a huge hit among Western fans thanks to him basically being "[[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Jack Sparrow]] [[ObfuscatingStupidity if he was an evil wizard]] [[MagnificentBastard with designs on becoming Emperor]]". Ardyn's [[AffablyEvil charm]], charisma, and sheer flamboyant ''style'' sent him rapidly shooting up many American fans' lists of best villains in the series. He's almost something of a successor to Kefka in that particular regard. Many, if not ''most'', Western fans consider him [[EvilIsCool more compelling]] (not to mention [[EvilIsSexy attractive]]) than the "[[BlueBishounenGhetto generic anime pretty boy]]" protagonists.

** In the Western fanbase, ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776 Thracia 776]]'' are regularly cited as the best and most beloved of the series, despite the fact that [[NoExportForYou neither of them was ever officially released outside Japan]]. Compare to Japan, where not only do they cite Marth's games (''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem Mystery of the Emblem]]'') as the best ([[AmericansHateTingle which just confuses]] [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny Western players]] who started later in the series, with ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'' being the first to see a Western release), but ''Genealogy'' even got the lowest Famitsu review score of the entire series (though it still sold well and appeared on their best list).

** Marth and Roy themselves are an example of this regarding game fandoms rather than countries. Marth's games are considered SeinfeldIsUnfunny in the West, and Roy is by far [[TheScrappy one of the most hated Lords in the series]] among ''Fire Emblem'' fans, but both are very popular with ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' fans due to being [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros the first representatives of the series there]], to the point where Roy was brought back as a DLC character in the fourth ''Smash Bros.'' due to fan demand.

* While ''VideoGame/PacMan'' was quite popular in its home, Japan, in the West it became a cultural phenomenon and the video game icon we know today. Pac-Man's Universe expanded thanks to Midway's unauthorised clones of original video games, like ''Ms. Pac-Man''.