History NoExportForYou / VideoGames

* ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyo'' has 7 mainline entries (the first two qualifying for PortOverdosed, and the rest receiving their fair share of releases), as well as more than a dozen spinoffs. So how much of the series has been released in North America and/or Europe? The first arcade game in a release so obscure that some thought it was a bootleg until it turned up in the ''Sega Ages'' series, ''two'' {{Dolled Up Installment}}s based on the first arcade game (one based on ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'', one on ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfSonicTheHedgehog''), the Neo Geo Pocket Color and ''untranslated'' SNES and Mega Drive ports of ''Puyo Puyo Tsu'' (the second arcade game), ''Puyo Pop'' for the Game Boy Advance (aka ''Minna de Puyo Puyo''), ''Puyo Pop Fever'' (the fifth mainline game), ''Puyo Puyo VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'' and its sequel, and ''Puyo Puyo Champions''. The Game Gear port of the first arcade game even has a full English translation that triggers whenever it is used in non-Japanese hardware, yet it still remains Japan-exclusive. But the N-Gage ''Puyo Pop'' released everywhere except Japan.

** The first six installments were released only in Japan, until MarthDebutedInSmashBros and proved there might be a market for the series overall after all. They still cancelled plans to localize the first Platform/GameBoyAdvance title, ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade Fuuin no Tsurugi]]'' (''Sword of Seals'', aka "The One With Roy"), which was still in development when ''Melee'' was released. This caused a bit of confusion with some of the [[ContinuityNod nods]] to ''Sword of Seals'' and ''Mystery of the Emblem'' present in ''Blazing Sword'' and ''Shadow Dragon'' respectively, plus the notorious newbie question [[MemeticMutation "Are Marth and Roy in this game?"]].[[note]]They're not even in the same 'verse due to the series making liberal use of [[NonLinearSequel Non-Linear Sequels]][[/note]]

* Subverted with the PC-98. NEC exported the PC-98 series, renaming it APC (Advanced Personal Computer). However, issues arose due to compatibility discrepancies with IBM [=PCs=]. Attempts to upgrade to MS-DOS 3.30 often resulted in reboot loops, as the PC-98 required a specialized version of MS-DOS. Certain software also encountered difficulties, ranging from spontaneous reboots to system freezes, especially with complex programs. While text mode software like [=WordStar=] and Lotus 1-2-3 had better success rates, games, particularly those accessing hardware directly, faced more challenges. NEC eventually shifted focus to PC-compatible platforms in Western markets. Despite this, the PC-98 left a mark internationally, as its [=640x400=] 8-color mode became a VESA standard and its keyboard power-on/off feature influenced Western [=PCs=].

* Subverted with the PC-98. NEC exported the PC-98 series, renaming it APC (Advanced Personal Computer). However, issues arose due to compatibility discrepancies with IBM PCs. Attempts to upgrade to MS-DOS 3.30 often resulted in reboot loops, as the PC-98 required a specialized version of MS-DOS. Certain software also encountered difficulties, ranging from spontaneous reboots to system freezes, especially with complex programs. While text mode software like WordStar and Lotus 1-2-3 had better success rates, games, particularly those accessing hardware directly, faced more challenges. NEC eventually shifted focus to PC-compatible platforms in Western markets. Despite this, the PC-98 left a mark internationally, as its [=640x400=] 8-color mode became a VESA standard and its keyboard power-on/off feature influenced Western [=PCs=].

* Slightly averted with the [=PC98=]. NEC initially exported it, changing the series name to [[MarketBasedTitle APC]] (''Advanced Personal Computer''). However, complications often arose due to the machines being PC-compatible-but-not-quite. It's version of MS-DOS will not boot on real IBM [=PCs=] and vice-versa. Cue complaints when people tried upgrading their machine to MS-DOS 3.30 only to end up with a machine that is stuck in a reboot loop- because they had used installation media meant for a IBM PC, and the [=PC98=] required a special version of MS-DOS. Additionally, certain software will not run, with symptoms ranging from spontaneously rebooting the PC or locking it up outright[[note]]the more complex the software is, the less likely your chances of running it on a [=PC98=]. Text mode software like [=WordStar=] and Lotus 1-2-3 have the highest success rate. Games, on the other hand, are less likely to run trouble free, especially those who accessed the hardware directly[[/note]]. NEC quickly abandoned the [=PC98=] platform for a PC Compatible platform in western markets soon after. That's not to say the platform was a failure outside Japan, however, as the anemic [=640x400=] 8 color mode was adopted as a VESA standard video mode and began seeing support in Western [=PCs=] with VESA-compliant [=GPUs=], and the PC's ability to power on and off from keyboard also originated from the [=PC98=] (actually being labelled as ''Keyboard 98'' in some [=BIOSes=]).

* NoExportForYou/{{Pokemon}}
* NoExportForYou/TalesSeries

** ''[[VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth Gyakuten Kenji 2]]'' did not get an official release outside of Japan, due primarily to timing issues. The development team was disbanded almost immediately after the game was completed, leaving no time for a localization to be put together. Additionally, it was released for the Nintendo DS the same year the 3DS was released, meaning there was little incentive to localize a sequel to a spinoff of a niche game for a dying console. Capcom has not officially shut the door on eventually releasing this game, but as it stands, the only way to play it in English is with the FanTranslation.
** ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney '' duology were Japan-exclusive for its initial Platform/Nintendo3DS release and later mobile ports. The only explanation Capcom has given as to why is that there were certain "circumstances" which made an international release unfeasible. One theory as to what these circumstances are is the game drawing more heavily from Japanese culture than other titles in the series, making it less understandable to outsiders. Another theory is that there would be legal issues due to certain ''Franchise/SherlockHolmes'' stories not being in the public domain in the United States until 2023 and these games including characters and plot elements from these stories. The games are finally being released worldwide in 2021, but the names of the Holmes-related elements have been changed.

* ''VideoGame/BattleCircuit'' is the one BeatEmUp by Creator/{{Capcom}} that was never released in the U.S.

* Creator/{{Bethesda}}'s earlier ''[[Franchise/TheElderScrolls Elder Scrolls]]'' installments ended up becoming this in Japan after the fact. After Microsoft released the Platform/{{Xbox}} in Japan, American gamers received the third installment, ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]''. Xbox sales tanked in East Asia, and the powers that be had a case of AndYouThoughtItWouldFail. However, without UsefulNotes/RegionCoding on the console, Japanese gamers could still play ''Morrowind'' in English via UsefulNotes/ImportGaming. Interest in the game spread by word-of-mouth, turning the game into a SleeperHit on both PC and the handful of Xbox consoles in Japan. Eventually, the fandom created sites with [[http://www.hmx-12.net/~virgil7/morrowind/ instructions, walkthroughs, explanations, resources, and plot overviews in Japanese]] all the way up to [[http://www.geocities.jp/meisaku_asobu/KanjiMorrowind.html complete fan translation patches]]. Bethesda eventually noticed the publicity, and made sure to create a Japanese localization of ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' and later ''VideoGame/Fallout3''. ''Oblivion'' also follows FirstInstallmentWins over in Japan, as it is the installment where most Japanese started playing. Westerners usually exercize this trope over ''Morrowind'' or ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIDaggerfall Daggerfall]]''. Because of this, ''Oblivion'' was sometimes [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks less well received]] in the West. Japan has managed to invert this when it comes to game mods. All ''Elder Scrolls'' games have a strong modding community, however many Japanese modders are notoriously xenophobic and like to flaunt their admittedly brilliant creations to the west then deny any access to them, to the great frustration of many.

** This got worse in TheNewTens when Konami started implementing always-on UsefulNotes/{{DRM}} and various in-game events carried out over eAMUSEMENT, Konami's arcade game network service. The former means you can't play the game unless you're in an arcade that's registered with Konami, and the latter, while beneficial for players within Konami's markets, means that fans who are left with no choice but to pirate the games will be left out of the loop with regards to new songs. A fan-run clone of the [=eAMUSEMENT=] network was launched in 2011 to provide services not available on offline cabs, as well as to allow online-requiring cabs to run ''at all'', but [[FanworkBan Konami dropped the hammer on it]] in 2015.

** However, starting with ''V'' onwards, the series has averted this trope thanks to LoopholeAbuse and a combination of both Sony and Nintendo opting not to have UsefulNotes/RegionCoding on their 8th Gen Consoles; while Bandai can't market to the English-speaking markets in America and Europe directly, they ''can'' license the games in Southeast Asia and include an English localization as an option, since there's nothing the rights holders can do if fans import games from the region. However, the Steam releases of ''V'' and ''X'' still play this trope straight, since the aforementioned loophole only works for physical sales, whereas Steam uses digital distribution. Then with the 30th anniversary game, ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars30'', the Steam release is actually officially available for North America and Europe.

* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'': Although the games are playable on any Windows PC with decent specs and have no form of [[UsefulNotes/RegionCoding region-lockout DRM]], ZUN has expressed no interest in bringing the games outside of Japan, physically or digitally. Should you try to import the games, expect to pay at least 30 USD for just one game. It's no wonder 99.9% of Western fans simply pirate the games. ZUN is fine with fans translating the games themselves and uploading the patches online, although the only thing he doesn't allow is unauthorized commercial distribution. As an exception to this, Playism announced bringing ''Double Dealing Character'' West, after some teasing by ZUN.

* Fans of {{Wrestling Game}}s have long lamented the lack of such games that make the transition from Japan to the U.S., which leaves Wrestling/{{WWE}}'s licensed games as very nearly the genre's sole representatives in North America. In particular, Spike Entertainment's ''VideoGame/FireProWrestling'' and ''King of Colosseum'' franchises have garnered very vocal cults of [[UsefulNotes/ImportGaming Import Gamers]], but the former has only seen very limited North American release of only the later games, and the latter has yet to cross the pond at all. To be fair, with those two series in particular, there are a few licensing issues; ''King of Colosseum'' is a MassiveMultiplayerCrossover of several prominent Japanese wrestling federations, while ''Fire Pro Wrestling'' is... the same, with international promotions thrown in too, only [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed with the]] SerialNumbersFiledOff. The problem is the vast bulk of the roster is Japanese wrestlers with only a handful of American wrestlers. Since Japanese wrestling has a very small audience in the west, most companies feel it's not worth the effort. Heck, Agetec only managed to port Fire Pro Returns by waiting two years after the game's Japanese release and releasing it in the US and Europe as a budget title. It also should be noted the {{Platform/GBA}} games sported a larger number of western wrestlers than usual, and the US version of Final Fire Pro added even more (at the expense of the Manager Mode).

* The ''[=JoySound=]'' [[KaraokeBox karaoke games]] are this trope played straight if you live outside Japan. The developers even went as far as to [[UsefulNotes/RegionCoding region lock]] ''[=JoySound=] Dive'' so tightly that not only it won't run on a non-Japanese [=PS3=], but even Japanese [=PS3s=] signed onto a Japanese [=PSN=] account will not be able to run the game if they're not on a Japanese ISP. However, the later [=PS3=] and [=PS4=] re-release had no region coding.

** ''Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW!'' is available to America, Europe, and Australia this time around but not Japan, but Japanese ''Adventure Time'' fans can [[UsefulNotes/ImportGaming import the [=PS3=] version of the game]]. Not surprising, as Creator/WayForwardTechnologies hardly ever exports its games there - ''VideoGame/Contra4'' being practically the only exception, and even then likely because it's a game in a franchise owned by [[Creator/{{Konami}} a Japanese company]].

* There is a Franchise/CarmenSandiego game for the Nintendo DS, named ''[[http://www.gamefaqs.com/ds/958481-where-in-the-world-is-carmen-sandiego-mystery-at Mais où se cache Carmen Sandiego? Mystère au bout du monde]]'',[[labelnote:translation]]Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Mystery at the End of the World.[[/labelnote]] released only in Europe and Australia. Less than favorable reviews, like [[http://www.cnet.com.au/where-in-the-world-is-carmen-sandiego-339300647.htm this one]], most likely killed any chance of an American release even with the [[UsefulNotes/MediaClassifications ESRB]] [[http://nukoda.com/news/carmen-sandiego-coming-to-ds/ accidentally leaking news about the game's existence]].

* ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'': An edge case in regards to one localization. The Japanese [[UsefulNotes/Playstation3 Playstation 3]] port of ''Diablo III'' was outsourced in its entirety to [[Creator/SquareEnix above-noted perpetual offender Square-Enix]], who localized the text and included Japanese voice acting, including many well-known industry talents. However, these localizations are not (and will likely never be) available in the PC client for III because Square-Enix likely owns the IP rights to both and for whatever reason are and have not been willing to license it back to Blizzard. This likely led to the Japanese localization/voice direction of ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' and ''VideoGame/DiabloIV'', if not all future games made by Blizzard, being handled entirely by Blizzard in-house, leaving SE to just handle the ports instead (see the ''Overwatch'' example below).

** The fifth game in the series, ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies Dual Destinies]]'', will be available exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS eShop and won't see a cartridge release in NTSC/UC countries. Bad enough that the 3DS has UsefulNotes/RegionCoding, but how about countries '''that don't have access to the eShop and are getting NTSC/UC 3DS consoles?''' [[note]]Yes, you could cheat by setting your console country to one that has an eShop and buy gift cards online, but you'll end up paying more than the game itself as most gift card retailers tend to charge a ''service fee'' on top of the card cost. And if you have no reliable and fast internet access, you're still boned.[[/note]]. And those who want the game 100% legally had to wait 10 months ''and'' buy an iDevice to play it (as well as forego being able to play the game in stereoscopic 3D). But it's still this trope for the 3DS version of the game.

* The ''UsefulNotes/RPGMaker'' series is an interesting story. The original ''RPG Maker 2000'' was not translated to English for the longest time because the developers weren't convinced it would be successful outside of Japan, and so English-speaking users instead had to download pirated copies if they wanted to use it, with the most popular of those being Don Miguel's fan-slation. The sheer number of illegal downloads proved that the creative engine could have a massive market outside Japan, but also infuriated the developers so much that they outright '''refused''' to translate ''RPG Maker 2003'', purely out of spite. They at first refused to translate ''RPG Maker XP'' as well, saying that the English-speaking market "[[InsaneTrollLogic will just pirate it anyway]]", accepting no blame whatsoever for people pirating their previous two engines. They eventually reversed their position on ''XP'' after a fan petition begged them to reconsider, and every ''RPG Maker'' since has had a full English translation and western release. This was subverted in its entirety as of 2015, as ''2000'' and ''2003'' have gotten international releases on Steam, along with the rest of the ''RPG Maker'' series (at least the ones for PC).

* The one English-language version of ''Sorcerian'' was an IBM PC port that seems to have been largely ignored when Creator/{{Sierra}} released it way back in 1990. Since then the game has been repeatedly remade for a host of platforms in Japan. The remake for UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}} was erroneously listed on iTunes as having English text.

* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingPocketCamp'' is this to a number of countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle east. This despite calling the launch a ''"Global"'' one. Even more egregiously, a country may not get it, but its neighbors might (as in the case with Malaysia, the game is available to Thailand and Singapore, Malaysia's neighbors, but not Malaysia itself). Nintendo's reaction when asked why the game wasn't launched in a region also garnered a lot of backlash- when asked, they whined about rampant [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil game piracy]] and "unauthorized modding" in the regions where the game is not launched. Despite modding and piracy ''also'' existing in the regions where the game ''is'' launched (and in fact originate from those regions). Fans of the franchise are really livid and calling Nintendo out on this.

** ''VideoGame/Mother3'' is one of the most infamous examples of this, at least within Nintendo's library, to the point where the game is specifically well-known for being the sequel to the CultClassic ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound|1994}}'' that never left Japan, despite its protagonist having been a fighter in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series since 2008. The game wasn't localized around its original 2006 release due to it coming out far too late in the Game Boy Advance's lifespan, with the financial failure of ''[=EarthBound=]'' a decade prior also serving as a deterrent. Fans would end up [[http://mother3.fobby.net doing it themselves]] and produced what's considered one of the best {{Fan Translation}}s ever made, but still continue to push for Nintendo to do an official Western release. For their part, ''everyone'' at Nintendo is very much aware of the vocal fanbase's demands for an official Western release, even [[https://youtu.be/4FgzkZC0reE?t=47 joking about it during their E3 2014 press conference]]. While there have been persistent rumors that the continued hesitancy is due to concerns about the game's content ([[https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-02-13-controversial-elements-scuppered-mother-3-western-release-report specifically, the Magypies]]), Nintendo of America has repeatedly claimed that the only reason is financial, as they can't justify translating a lengthy EasternRPG for the GBA years after the fact with no guarantee that it would sell well. They did briefly consider the idea of at least putting the original Japanese version of the game onto the North American and European Wii U Platform/VirtualConsole, but [[https://www.eurogamer.net/dont-hold-your-breath-for-more-earthbound-reggie-fils-aime-says such plans were scrapped entirely]] when the console flopped.

** Now a full-blown subversion, as more and more of the series has made its way to Steam. As of June 6th, 2020, every game from Mountain of Faith onwards with the exception of Scarlet Weather Rhapsody and Hisoutensoku are now available on the platform.

* One day, some store in Mexico decided to sell ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros64'' before its release date. Nintendo responded by [[MisplacedRetribution imposing a complete embargo on the country]]. Even to this day, you have to import stuff if you live in Mexico and are a Nintendo fan.

* Adult game creators Illusion invoked this for many years; [[http://www.illusion.jp/contact/japanese_only.html a page on their website]] used to formally state that they wouldn't sell any game to anybody outside Japan[[labelnote:To elaborate]]This statement may have been due to the company getting involved in an international incident in the early 2000's; one of their more hardcore games, which had not been officially licensed outside Japan but could still be bought through Amazon, managed to earn the wrath of American groups who started protesting the company.[[/labelnote]] While there had been ambiguously legal imports available during the 2000's, ''you could be charged with a felony in certain countries'' for possessing one of their games. Despite this, some of their games managed to have ''huge'' modding communities outside of Japan. In the late 2010's, the company relaxed their stance, and the above page now shows that three of their games are available to English-speaking audiences in some form. Notably, while they mainly use adult stores for publishing, their game ''Koikatsu Party'' has a [[BleachedUnderpants censored]] release on Steam complete with an English translation instead.

* Want to play the [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft most-subscribed MMORPG in the world]] or the [[VideoGame/{{Starcraft}} official sport of South Korea]]? If you live in Japan, too bad. Because [[Creator/BlizzardEntertainment Blizzard]] virtually never exports its games to Japan. However, Blizzard has as of late removed all region locks from its servers and even allows anyone from anywhere in the world to buy any version of the game they preferred- meaning it's fine with Blizzard if you're in Asia and you buy the US version of the game instead. The only minor annoyance comes from the fact that the Japanese has no servers of their own and have to "borrow" a different region's server, and suffer a lag penalty (which varies by region- connecting to an Asian or American server isn't too bad for the Japanese [[note]]in fact, the presence of a "日本語" (Japanese) language option on the American site seems to imply that Blizzard's recommendation is for Japan to use the US servers[[/note]], but connecting to an European server results in bad lags) as a result. That, and those who can't speak English will also need to have a guide book by their side since the game won't be available in Japanese.

* "VideoGame/DiabloIII": An edge case in regards to one localization. The Japanese [[UsefulNotes/Playstation3 Playstation 3]] port of ''Diablo III'' was outsourced in its entirety to [[Creator/SquareEnix above-noted perpetual offender Square-Enix]], who localized the text and included Japanese voice acting, including many well-known industry talents. However, these localizations are not (and will likely never be) available in the PC client for III because Square-Enix likely owns the IP rights to both and for whatever reason are and have not been willing to license it back to Blizzard. This likely led to the Japanese localization/voice direction of ''VideoGame/DiabloII'' and ''VideoGame/DiabloIV'', if not all future games made by Blizzard, being handled entirely by Blizzard in-house, leaving SE to just handle the ports instead (see the ''Overwatch'' example below).

** ''VideoGame/KirbysStarStacker'' had a remake for the Super Famicom called ''Kirby no Kirakira Kizzu'' or translated as "Kirby Super Star Stacker". It was slated for release in North America and Europe but Nintendo then ended the life of the SNES in both territories. It would eventually be released internationally on the Nintendo Switch Online service, albeit untranslated.

** ''VideoGame/KirbysStarStacker'' had a remake for the Super Famicom called ''Kirby no Kirakira Kizzu'' or translated as "Kirby Super Star Stacker". It was slated for release in North America and Europe but Nintendo then ended the life of the SNES in both territories.

* PAL territories never got ''VideoGame/MonsterRancher'', but ''Monster Rancher 2'' was renamed ''Monster Rancher'' over there.

** Since ''VideoGame/{{Boktai}} 3'' was never localized, a lot of crossover material in ''Battle Network 6'' was removed for the international version.

* Europe got screwed out of anything Square put out on the SNES, until those games received ports years later. The SNES version of ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' wasn't released, nor the [=PS1=] PortingDisaster, but the DS version UpdatedRerelease was, after 14 years. Which would've been great if it wasn't for a small detail: This version has a new, depressing ending that acts as a SequelHook to ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'', which wasn't available in Europe at the time, as Europe wouldn't get ''Chrono Cross'' until 2022.

* Few of the Creator/AliceSoft games have historically made it in the US due to their [[ValuesDissonance controversial nature]]. [=AliceSoft=] even blocked off their website to any and all foreigners. ''Beat Blades Haruka'' was later set to receive an official localization, and their flagship ''Rance'' series has been picked up by Manga Gamer for official English localization (all titles from ''5D'' up to ''Rance X'' are planned for English release). The ''Evenicle'' series is also being brought to the US, with the first game released in 2018 and the second will be released sometime in 2020/2021.

* The Japan-only versions of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' are subtitled "International + Final Mission" and "International Zodiac Job System", respectively. The intent is to give Japanese players the features of the American and European versions (with some ''additional'' changes), hence the name. In an unusual case of Europe getting things that North America doesn't, many of the features of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX International'', such as the [[{{Superboss}} Dark Aeons]], appeared in the European release of the game. The ''Final Fantasy X[=/=]X-2 HD Remaster'' remakes the ''International'' versions of both titles.
*** The ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'', and the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' HD remake, ''Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age'', will include the International version content.

* The ''Itadaki Street'' video game series published by Square Enix is also in this same boat. While the latest title has the excuse of being a cell phone title, the others are on systems perfectly accessible to Creator/SquareEnix fans outside Japan. Square Enix finally started breaking this with the Command Board in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'', which is essentially ''Itadaki Street'' with the game's characters, and they're finally localizing a full standalone game for the Wii in the form of ''Fortune Street''.
** The series returns to this trope in the 2017 [[MilestoneCelebration 30th Anniversary installment]], which has only been localized into Chinese as of 2020.
%% * ''Kingdom Hearts Mobile'' was not exported.
* ''Kingdom Hearts Coded'' is Japan-only, though the remake on the DS, ''Kingdom Hearts Re:coded'', received a Western release.
* Still on the topic of ''Kingdom Hearts'' for mobile devices, it has also transpired that ''Unchained'' version of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsX'' will only be available in the Americas, Europe and again, only Japan in Asia. The big heartbreaker here is that Square actually teases out-of-region Android users that search for it by having it show up in the Google Play store search... then politely tell users to go screw themselves (using the "not available in your country" error message) when they open the game's store page. iOS users are spared the tease as it doesn't show on the App Store outright. This continued through the sequel, ''Kingdom Hearts Union X''. For some reason, Square Enix hates Asians who aren't in Japan.

** ''Adventures of Mana'': The [=iOS=]/Android version is available worldwide. The Vita localization was quietly released digitally.

* For over half a decade, the ''VideoGame/AtelierSeries'' was completely unable to leave Japan, despite the first two games handily breaking six-figure sales volume and becoming a cult hit in Japan that inspired nearly every JPRG that followed to have some form of ItemCrafting. Reportedly, despite its success in Japan Sony has never had any faith that the series will appeal to American gamers, despite titles such as ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon'' doing well here. Only when the series made some changes to be more like a standard JPRG with ''Atelier Iris'' did it finally manage to cross the Pacific courtesy of Creator/NipponIchi Software of America - in 2005, '''eight years''' after the series debut in Japan. America has gotten (almost) all ''Atelier'' releases since, but even with a [=PS2=] re-issue of the first two games, none of the first five, ItemCrafting-based ''Atelier'' games have ever crossed the Pacific.

* Three ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' titles were released in North America but not in Japan. TheStinger? Said games are ''Contra Force'', [[InNameOnly a game which had no reason to have]] ''Contra'' in its title to begin with (and was even planned as an unrelated game titled ''Arc Hound''), and the two Appaloosa-developed games, ''Contra: Legacy of War'' and ''C: The Contra Adventure'', which were considered bad to begin with.

* The first ''VideoGame/{{Genocide}}'' for the UsefulNotes/SharpX68000 had ports on the FM Towns (along with its sequel) and the PC Engine CD, none of which got released elsewhere. ''Genocide 2: Master of the Dark Communion'', also developed for the Sharp X68000, had a port for the Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem which ended up being released in Japan only despite being developed by a British studio. There was also a MS-DOS port exclusive to South Korea.

* ''VideoGame/TheIdolMaster'', despite having something a cult following among North American gamers, is unlikely to be released outside Japan in any form ([[MarthDebutedInSmashBros occasional cameos]] excluded), since the foreign fanbase for {{Raising Sim}}s and J-pop {{Idol Singer}}s is just not massive enough to justify the insane cost of localizing (with or without translating the songs) and publishing it. There's actually an [[http://forum.project-imas.com/index.php?topic=1523.msg33348#msg33348 extensive forum post]] on why the series is never coming to America.

* Creator/{{Infogrames}}' series of ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' video games for the 8-bit and 16-bit game systems (such as ''VideoGame/TheSmurfs1994'' and ''The Smurfs Travel the World'') hardly saw a release outside Europe, with only a few exceptions.
* The original ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'' trilogy, despite having been released as a whole in the Northern American [=PlayStation=] Store ''within a single month'' (that is, one game per week), have yet to be released on the European one. The situation with the ''[=PSOne=] Classics'' in Europe is so bad, the high request actually caused Ross [=McGrath=] of the European PS Blog to write a post entirely devoted to the Classics alone and how ''long'' it takes before one of them is released on the European store, mostly blaming it on technical issues and legal reasons. He also once commented that, on that regard, "there has been some progress [with the Spyro games] but it's not that notable". We could assume that the "legal reasons" have something to do with the music composed by [[Music/ThePolice Stewart Copeland]], but even then, the fact the (thankfully) entirely re-released ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' trilogy still includes the [[EasterEgg Spyro demos]] - with music and all - instantly [[{{Jossed}} josses]] that option entirely.

*** Similarly, ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsW'' had all of its licenses sorted out, especially since the game included ''Anime/GoLion'', an anime with a practically non-existent Japanese fanbase, specifically so it can be translated as ''Anime/{{Voltron}}''. However, bad timing on Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s part with their optioning of ''WesternAnimation/VoltronForce'' meant their approval was required for the ''Voltron'' license. The legal drama that followed ensured the American release's cancellation.

* The ''VideoGame/AdventureTime'' game ''Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!'' was only released in North America. Too bad 3DS is region blocked, so the only way for other people to play it is using the Nintendo DS edition. Either that, or pay through the nose for '''both''' an American 3DS '''and''' the game. Averted when it was finally released in Europe as an eShop exclusive.

* On April 2, 2013, Nexon announced that they are officially shutting down Neople's ''VideoGame/DungeonFighterOnline'' in the west, making it a Korea-only MMO.
** Averted as of April 15, 2014. [[NetworkToTheRescue The game was revived overseas by Neople itself]], as ''Dungeon Fighter Online Global''.

* Despite footage of the Japanese version existing, ''[[UsefulNotes/GameAndWatch Game & Watch Gallery 4]]'' never got a Japanese release, in a rare inversion of the trope. It took ''fourteen'' years to finally avert it via Wii U's Virtual Console, as ''[[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/titles/20010000016807 Game Boy Gallery 4]]'' (it originally had the working title of ''Game Boy Gallery [[SuperTitle64Advance Advance]]'').

* ''VisualNovel/{{Policenauts}}'', Creator/HideoKojima's SpiritualSuccessor to ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'', was announced for the Platform/SegaSaturn in America in 1996, but was ultimately canceled. In one interview, Kojima reveals that his team were working on the American localization, but they were unable to lip-synch the English dialogue with the [[FullMotionVideo FMV cut-scenes]] and gave up on the project ([[http://policenauts.net/nttimages.html you can read the interview here in Japanese]]). Since then, Kojima has teased western players by including footage of the game in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', as well as [[{{expy}} expies]] of the game's cast in the form of Meryl Silverburgh in the first ''Metal Gear Solid'', as well as Jonathan and Ed in ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots Guns of the Patriots]]''. A FanTranslation of ''Policenauts'' was completed in 2009.

* The Platform/TurboGrafx16 was never released in the PAL regions, save for a small initial production run that was unceremoniously dumped off on mail order outlets. This is mainly due to the poor sales the console was having in the US as well as the fact that Sega was a leading branch in those areas. NEC feared that it would only lead to more losses as the Sega Genesis had some notoriously great advertising and lots of western third-party support.

* Japan, while also adopting Western computers like the IBM PC(-compatibles), Platform/AppleMacintosh, and to a much lesser extent the [[Platform/{{Amiga}} Commodore Amiga]] and Platform/AtariST in the 1980s and early 1990s, also developed their own computer platfoms like the Platform/{{MSX}}, NEC Platform/{{PC98}}, UsefulNotes/{{Sharp X68000}} and Fujitsu Platform/FMTowns[[note]]Which is, for all intents and purposes, a proprietary extension of the PC platform[[/note]] that never saw international releases. [[note]]While PC-compatibles and Macs did make it to Japan, their market was mostly the Japanese branch of western multinational companies, although Japanese households eventually started warming up to the Mac's stylish design. PC-compatibles in particular had it bad because earlier systems could not natively support Japanese text and input, requiring a third party solution like [=DOS/V=], often in tandem with a proprietary graphics card. However, the abundance of homegrown PC platforms with no cross-platform specification, plus the importing of Apple and IBM [=PCs=] from the west, ultimately led to the complete ''obliteration'' of the Japanese PC market- as of 2021, the Japanese no longer have any homegrown PC platforms and the only surviving platforms are the Macintosh and PC. The multiple incompatible platforms are also why some Japanese developers don’t want to develop for [=PCs=], claiming the multiple incompatible platforms with no standardization too costly to deal with.[[/note]]
** Slightly averted with the [=PC98=]- NEC initially exported it, changing the series name to [[MarketBasedTitle APC]] (''Advanced Personal Computer''). However, complications often arose due to the machines being PC-compatible-but-not-quite. It's version of MS-DOS will not boot on real IBM [=PCs=] and vice-versa. Cue complaints when people tried upgrading their machine to MS-DOS 3.30 only to end up with a machine that is stuck in a reboot loop- because they had used installation media meant for a IBM PC, and the [=PC98=] required a special version of MS-DOS. Additionally, certain software will not run, with symptoms ranging from spontaneously rebooting the PC or locking it up outright[[note]]the more complex the software is, the less likely your chances of running it on a [=PC98=]. Text mode software like [=WordStar=] and Lotus 1-2-3 have the highest success rate. Games, on the other hand, are less likely to run trouble free, especially those who accessed the hardware directly[[/note]]. NEC quickly abandoned the [=PC98=] platform for a PC Compatible platform in western markets soon after. That's not to say the platform was a failure outside Japan, however, as the anemic [=640x400=] 8 color mode was adopted as a VESA standard video mode and began seeing support in Western [=PCs=] with VESA-compliant [=GPUs=], and the PC's ability to power on and off from keyboard also originated from the [=PC98=] (actually being labelled as ''Keyboard 98'' in some [=BIOSes=]).

* The Famicom Data Recorder was only released in Japan, which is why ''VideoGame/{{Excite}}bike'', ''VideoGame/LodeRunner'', ''Mach Rider'' and ''VideoGame/WreckingCrew'' for the Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem have nonfunctional "Save" and "Load" features. Manuals hinted that "potential product developments" might enable these features, but they never happened. They were ultimately added into the Virtual Console releases of those games though.[[note]]On the flipside, one can argue that the Data Recorder is basically a trojan horse like The R.O.B, as it is otherwise a bog standard off-the-shelf mono tape recorder with Nintendo branding slapped on, and the real encoding/decoding circuitry is in the Famicom Keyboard[[/note]]
** One reason for the non-export of the Famicom Data Recorder was that it needed the Famicom Keyboard to be present to operate (the recorder plugs into two mono headphone-type jacks on the back of the keyboard). The keyboard itself is a pack-in with the Famicom Basic cartridge, and thus both are another NEFY.

* The Platform/SegaSaturn port of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' was never released outside of Japan. Enhance improvements and many new features were added in the Saturn version. Unfortunetely, the Saturn version suffered from PortingDisaster since the system couldn't be properly coded which results include long loading times along with other problems which may be why this wasn't exported. Another reason was that the Saturn was nearing its end in Western territories during this time. A few of the exclusive elements introduced in this port[[labelnote:*]]Maria's boss fight, Maria as a playable character (albeit significantly revamped)[[/labelnote]] would later make their way into the Platform/PlayStationPortable version of the game included in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaTheDraculaXChronicles'' along with a couple others[[labelnote:*]]Pixie familiar who can sing, Nose Demon familiar, and a voiceover for the OpeningScroll[[/labelnote]] that had previously been exclusive to the Japanese releases of the game, but the rest[[labelnote:*]] the Cursed Prison/Soul Prison and Underground Garden/Hell Garden areas (which Koji Igarashi [[DisownedAdaptation deemed terrible and not up to the game's standard]], the new music for those areas and Maria's boss fight, the God Speed Shoes relic that lets Alucard dash, Richter's redone boss sprites[[/labelnote]] were left out of the new version.

* The Platform/SegaSaturn port of ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' was never released outside of Japan. Enhance improvements and many new features were added in the Saturn version. Unfortunetely, the Saturn version suffered from PortingDisaster since the system couldn't be properly coded which results include long loading times along with other problems which may be why this wasn't exported. Another reason was that the Saturn was nearing its end in Western territories during this time.

** ''Yo-kai Watch 4'' is the most prominent example, being the only main entry in the series with no English translation. It was released in 2019 in Japan for Nintendo Switch and PS4, and was released in China in 2023 on the former platform. In 2019, a Western localization of the game was announced, but Level-5 have announced nothing since. The studio shut down their operations in North America in 2020, but appear to be returning to global releases as of 2023, with other games by the studio, including ''Professor Layton and the New World of Steam'', scheduled for global release in 2024. This leaves the status of ''Yo-kai Watch 4'' in the West unknown.

* The ''Pocket Station'' was a hand-held console produced by Sony which never seen the light of day outside of Japan and was planned to be released overseas. Upon playing it, you can transfer data from the memory card slot to a designated game and receive useful items, features, and [[HundredPercentCompletion 100% completion]]. One notable game with the [=PocketStation=] function is ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' which has ''Chocobo World''. It was referenced in the localized versions, but was effectively considered DummiedOut, as even though it is accessible you will need to import a [=PocketStation=] from Japan. Fortunately, the PC version included the program. Another example was the ''Pocket-Ray'' game hidden in ''[[VideoGame/RaySeries RayCrisis]]''.

* The Datach Joint Rom System was a Japan-only card reader accessory for the Famicom used in games like ''Dragon Ball Z: Gekitō Tenkaichi Budōkai'' and ''SD Gundam World Gachapon Senshi: Scramble Wars''.
* The Sharp C1 TV came with ''Donkey Kong Jr. + Jr. Math Lesson'', a mix of half of each game, and a built-in Famicom. However it was only sold in Japan. To it's credit tho, Sharp did release a North American equivalent, but only in several test markets on the west coast, but it was discontinued just as soon as it was launched because it was very expensive and did not sell well in the test markets. Its successor, the Sharp Super Famicom Naizou TV SF1, never left Japan either.

* Until the South Korean government lifted its ban on Japanese video game imports in 2000--which in turn allowed Sega Publishing Korea to officially start operating in 2003, with Nintendo of Korea following in 2005--no Nintendo or Sega system or game was officially released in South Korea. One technical way around the ban, apart from importing them illegally or producing bootleg knockoffs of the hardware (e.g. "Famiclones"), would be for a Korean company to license something from its ''American'' counterpart (as it's now an ''American'' import, not Japanese); for instance, Hyundai would license Nintendo's consoles from Nintendo of America and market them locally under the Comboy brand, while Samsung licensed Sega's consoles and marketed them as the Aladdin Boy. But because of the ban, an entire generation of Koreans generally lack the [[NostalgiaFilter nostalgia]] that Japanese, American, and European players have for Nintendo and Sega.
* Most second generation consoles, like the Platform/Atari5200 and the Platform/ColecoVision, were never released in Japan. It's true to say that Japanese had their own second generation consoles, but all of the second generation consoles there (Epoch Cassette Vision and Gakken TV boy for instance) weren't as attractive as their US and EU counterparts.

* The successor to Sega's failed ''Pico'' edutainment console, ''Advanced Pico Beena'', is only available in Japan. Why would anyone care given that it's a Kiddie Console and its predecessor failed to sell well in the US and Europe, you ask? Well, the Beena received licensed titles from tonnes of anime and manga franchises, which is obviously of interest to fans of the anime/manga franchise that has titles that appeared on the platform, if just for the sake of collecting. And the Pico also got a host of Anime tie-ins that were released after its demise outside Japan and thus were never exported.