| 1 | ---- |
| 2 | Franchises with their own pages: |
| 3 | [[index]] |
| 4 | * ''GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff/{{Pokemon}}'' |
| 5 | [[/index]] |
| 6 | |
| 7 | !!Real Life Examples: |
| 8 | |
| 9 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 10 | |
| 11 | [[folder:Gaming Hardware]] |
| 12 | * In Israel, the Platform/PlayStation3 sold better than its competitors despite it being ranked a distant third behind the Platform/{{Wii}} and Platform/{{Xbox 360}} in most other world markets. |
| 13 | * In North America, Japan, and most of Europe, most consoles routinely outsell PC games. In Sweden, however, PC gaming remains the largest platform. This is because [=PCs=] were tax deductible in Sweden from the late 1990s until 2007, making PC gaming attractive. File-sharing is also big in Sweden for this reason. |
| 14 | * In Poland, the same thing applies as Sweden, but for different reasons, to the point that CD-Projekt and Flying Wild Hog are known to develop on PC as the main priority platform, and their games are usually {{Tech Demo Game}}s with SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome that usually demands the best of PC, surpassing ''VideoGame/{{Crysis}}''. |
| 15 | ** Likewise, PC games are also more popular than console games in several countries such as Russia, South America, or South East Asia especially Indonesia and The Philippines during the seventh and eighth generation (where back then [=PS1=] and [=PS2=] dominates the respective eras, but [=PS3=] is expensive, [=PS4=] is expensive and uncrackable, and due to Moore's Law, PC becomes cheaper by the component). PC games retaining free online play is also a huge factor in countries where the average income are heavily concerned. |
| 16 | ** Even some countries that are not considered third-world such as China and South Korea prefer PC gaming over consoles because not only did UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983 result in the global console market being dominated by companies from Japan, a nation that invaded and annexed both countries in the early 20th century respectively, China is where many of the PC parts are produced due to it being a manufacturing powerhouse, not to mention for both countries, the abundance of games, mostly free to play games. China in particular [[BannedInChina banned consoles from 2000 until 2015]] because their MoralGuardians thought video games would have an "adverse effect" on children, forcing Chinese gamers to either hunt for a grey market console or stick with the PC. China's dark history with Japan also played a role in this ban, considering most consoles were made in Japan. |
| 17 | * The Platform/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 Platform/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]]). |
| 18 | ** 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 Platform/ZXSpectrum and Platform/AmstradCPC, so for them, developing games for the Master System felt a bit like developing for the Speccy and CPC. |
| 19 | ** Tectoy, the Brazilian distributor of Sega consoles deserves its own mention; not only do they keep releasing Sega-branded products and their own versions of the Master System and the Mega Drive to this day (although some of them aren't really the same consoles, or don't have cartridge inputs, [[PlugNPlayTechnology only having pre-installed games]]), but in the 80s and 90s they were a ''huge'' deal, especially since Nintendo took a while to officially come to Brazil (it wasn't until 1993). They localized and even translated a few games for the Brazilian market, they got a few games and made them {{Dolled Up Installment}}s by adding popular Brazilian franchises to them, most notably getting the ''VideoGame/WonderBoy'' games and turning them into ''ComicBook/MonicasGang'' video games, they made a port of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' to the Master System, and they even tried making their own games from scratch -- in another example of this trope, ''WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker'', who is a huge character in Brazil, [[VideoGame/FeriasFrustradasDoPicaPau got his first video game]] made by Tectoy after they wanted to make their own game and also make it based on a franchise Brazilian kids wanted; though it was considered a terrible game, it was ambitious at the time. |
| 20 | ** The Master System was also extremely successful in New Zealand, specifically the Master System 2. The Master System in New Zealand outsold the NES by a landslide, VideoGame/AlexKidd is considered an iconic retro gaming icon beloved to this day that was consistently a best seller on New Zealand's Wii Shop Channel, VideoGame/WonderBoy in its unedited form was successful and is fondly remembered, and the console remained successful and supported for years after the debut of the Mega Drive. To this day, Master System games remain some of the most commonly found cartridge-based games in second hand and pawn shops across the country, while NES and SNES games are scarce. The Mega Drive was similarly successful in New Zealand as well, with the classic Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog games also being very beloved. |
| 21 | ** The Platform/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. |
| 22 | *** The Mega Drive was also very popular in China and Hong Kong because it could play any cartridge inserted into the system, while the SNES/Super Famicom blocked all games not approved by Nintendo. |
| 23 | * The Platform/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. |
| 24 | * 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. In Japan, Thanks to the success of the Sega Saturn in Japan, 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), many developers and gamers felt like Sega had jumped the gun with the Dreamcast, and as a rseult isn't as well remembered as the Saturn. 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. |
| 25 | ** Sega Dreamcast was more popular than SNES and N64 in Russia during the early 2000s for the ability to pirate games and PC-like architecture. |
| 26 | * In the Philippines, Creator/{{Sony}} already had a much bigger fanbase there than Nintendo due to [=PS1=] and [=PS2=] games, which use [=CDs=] and [=DVDs=], respectively, being far easier to pirate than [=N64=] cartridges or [=GameCube=] mini-discs (never mind that Wii modding changed all that for [=GameCube=] games with its backwards compatibility), resulting in more affordable (yet pirated) copies which can easily be found and bought.[[note]]Bootlegs are very big in the Philippines because wages there are ''absurdly'' low compared to the cost of purchasing legitimate copies of games. Minimum wage has generally been around the 8-10 USD per ''day'' range, and when you compare that to the cost of not only the systems and their games but ''also'' the import markup, it's easy to see why console gaming is seen as a high-end luxury in the country.[[/note]] Many a 90s Filipino gamer would reminisce about "Players"-brand bootlegs of popular [=PlayStation=] titles being old at grey-market stalls in malls. The PSP was in a similar situation, except that getting bootlegs of games would involve a trip to the local gadget repair shop offering sideloaded ISO images for a fee rather than physical copies; granted, bootlegging DS games is just as cheap (just get yourself a flash cart and a [=microSD=] card, and even if you didn't have a DS during its time, most [=PCs=] of the time could emulate DS games much more easily than PSP games), but due to Sony gaining the upper hand during the fifth and sixth generations of consoles, the PSP ended up being far more popular than the DS in the Philippines, a reverse of what happened in most major markets. The [=PS3=] and [=PS4=] are also catching up there, too: you can buy affordable ''original'' copies for almost 1,500 Philippine pesos (Equivalent to US$35 depending on exchange rate) per copy there; pre-jailbroken [=PS3=] packages that came with external hard drives and free games became the norm in later years once the system was cracked in the early 2010s. |
| 27 | ** 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 Platform/{{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. |
| 28 | *** Also, until late 2010 there was virtually no support for Xbox Live in Poland. Oddly, Microsoft included Polish language support for something that couldn't be legally used in the country, since you needed a foreign e-mail account to do anything. |
| 29 | ** Funny enough in the [=PS3=] era, the [=PS3=] did less in the North America but is more supported in Europe and Asia. |
| 30 | ** 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 Platform/{{Dendy}} filling in where the NES couldn't during the late 80s to early 90s[[/note]] are also the cause of this. |
| 31 | ** Indonesia had a similar case with Philippines when it comes to preference to Sony. In fact, amongst Southeast Asian countries, the [=PS4=] actually had more sales than Switch. |
| 32 | * While the Platform/Nintendo64 and Platform/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]]. Very often, the [=PlayStation=] 1 and/or 2 version of a game got a Japanese release while the [=N64=]/Gamecube version stayed in North America. |
| 33 | ** 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. |
| 34 | ** The fact that it released at the time when America's moral panic surrounding violent video games was at its peak made the [=GameCube=] the console of choice for most conservative-minded MoralGuardians as "that one video game console without ''Videogame/GrandTheftAuto'' in it", forming a large PeripheryDemographic as well as a new generation of Nintendo fans in the States at the time. |
| 35 | ** Traditionally Nintendo consoles and handhelds always sold better in North America than in Japan, although that has more to do with the fact that North America accounts for a much larger population than Japan. The trend has so far only been averted with the 3DS and Wii U, which have sold more in Japan than in North America (Which is extremely noticeable with the Wii U, the system sold poorly in markets outside of Japan and France.), while the Switch still sold exceptionally well in Japan, this was averted when the system sold far more in North America. |
| 36 | * Wiiware also fits this trope. Wiiware was way more successful in North America and Europe than it was in Japan, where they preferred [=DSiware=] and the Virtual Console, the former for portability. |
| 37 | * When the Fujitsu FM Towns Marty was released in Japan, it was dismissed because of its high price tag and lack of Japanese games, since most of the games for the console were Western–developed, due to Western developers being more gifted with 32-bit machines. But it's exactly its huge amount of Western-developed games and the fact that the console was the very first 32-bit machine ever that made it one of the most reckoned Holy Grails in video game console collecting in the Western world. |
| 38 | * The Gamate, a Taiwanese game console, is virtually unknown despite being released in presumably every market except Japan... unless you're in Italy, where the console has found a niche. The fact that the people who marketed the Gamate in Italy were the same ones which published the NES there seems to be the reason, as all the others were less competent marketing-wise. |
| 39 | * Danes Love the Sony Platform/PlayStation. The first [=PlayStation=] well outsold the Platform/Nintendo64, while its successor (like it did internationally) outsold both the Platform/{{Xbox}} and the Platform/NintendoGamecube combined. Due to the Platform/PlayStation3 not being released around the same time as the Platform/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. |
| 40 | ** Due to the Platform/PlayStation4 being released in Europe along with almost every other country internationally, compared to the Platform/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. |
| 41 | ** Danish [=GameStop=] Loves the Xbox: To aid the Xbox One in sales, several Danish [=GameStop=] stores are importing the UK version of it. |
| 42 | * 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''. The Super Scope is also documented to have been modified for homebrew military infantry training applications. |
| 43 | * The Platform/PC98 has a small cult following in the West, mainly among ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' fans. The platform was never released outside of Japan. |
| 44 | * Xbox consoles have typically ranked 2nd or a distant 3rd place in most countries (a situation worsened by the early fumbles of the Platform/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. |
| 45 | ** 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 [[Platform/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. |
| 46 | * While NES Classic Mini was not popular in Eastern Europe (Russia and Central Asia included) due to different kind of nostalgia- kids of late '80s and early '90s in these areas grew up with unlicensed Famiclones. Besides, in these countries unlicensed Famiclones are still sold even to this day. But the SNES Classic Mini performed there much better to the point of being sold out thanks to pre-orders. This is because, while SNES in '90s sold poorly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia due to being too expensive for people struck in poverty, the kids, who witness SNES commercials in their childhood grew up and possibly got jobs to buy SNES Classic Mini to fulfil the holes in their childhood. |
| 47 | * 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 Platform/Nintendo3DS, Platform/PlayStationVita, and later the Platform/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 Platform/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. |
| 48 | * The trend continued with the Platform/PlayStation5, with it being heavily in demand due to brand loyalty, except for Japan, due to a lack of AAA titles specifically catering to Japanese market (and most of them are already available for PC or other, more affordable consoles). Sony also swapped the usage of the X and Circle buttons for the console's user interface in Japan, meaning X was now used to confirm settings while Circle was used to cancel, similar to the Western ones, which annoyed a lot of Japanese gamers who were used to the inverse. According to Famitsu Sales Charts, which tracks both gaming hardware and software sales in Japan, while the [=PS5=] still outsold the Xbox Series in Japan, it was still a distant second place behind the Nintendo Switch. |
| 49 | * Despite it being considered a failure regardless of region, the Platform/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. |
| 50 | [[/folder]] |
| 51 | |
| 52 | [[folder:Action-Adventure Games]] |
| 53 | * Apparently, due to its themes of UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} and UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}, the Chinese really love ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath''. Creator/StephenChow even outright copied one of the most iconic scenes in the game while directing ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest: Conquering of the Demons'', to the point of there being a massive plagiarism controversy surrounding it. |
| 54 | * ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' is beloved in the West, and the titular heroine got her place in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' thanks to her Western fans; where she ranked number one in Europe and in the Top 5 in the United States in an official poll organized by Nintendo itself. The same could be said about ''VideoGame/PunchOut''[='=]s Little Mac (and moreover his original game), to the point where the Wii installment was mostly made ''by'' Westerners (Canadian Creator/NextLevelGames) ''for'' Westerners. |
| 55 | * The successfully crowdfunded Kickstarter indie game ''VideoGame/BROKTheInvestiGator'' has been proven popular with people all around the world. Although it is niche compared to other indie games such as VideoGame/{{Undertale}} and VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys, the love for it just about matches on par. It's especially popular with Japanese players. If you look up the Japanese name on Google Images (BROK the [=InvestiGator=] 名探偵ブロクと秘密の依頼), you can find a decent number of Japanese fanart. It is also said to even be popular in Mainland China, as what the creator of the game mentioned on his Twitter post. |
| 56 | * Outside ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'', ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom Tears of the Kingdom]]'', ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' is squarely on the list of "Japanese games better known outside of Japan". ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' and especially ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'' had disappointing sales in their homeland, despite Famitsu giving the former a perfect 40. Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto and others at Nintendo have commented on this, saying the West has a bigger preference for these types of games than Japan does. |
| 57 | ** Conversely, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'' was very successful in Japan, but not so much could be said for ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]'', which was loaded with AnimeTropes in an attempt to cater to the established Japanese fan-base. |
| 58 | ** The series is also very popular in France, where a generous portion of the sales of each game comes from the country. Similarly, NOA president Reggie Fils-Aime has noted that [[https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/gaming/2018/06/15/e3-interview-nintendo-super-smashes-expectations-with-switch.html Canada]] is gaga for Zelda, to some extent even ''moreso'' than the US. |
| 59 | ** Games in the ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' series, including its myriad spin-offs, [[AmericansHateTingle are often harshly derided in the West]] for their repetitive and button-mashy nature, but the ''Zelda''-themed spin-off ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'' actually prove more popular in the West than its native Japan. |
| 60 | * The ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series wasn't very popular during the 8-bit days, although [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 the original]] had a cult following among [[Platform/{{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. |
| 61 | * The {{Metroidvania}} genre is hugely popular in the West, but only a niche genre in Japan. In addition to ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' and ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' themselves, games like ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster'' and ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' have also been subject to this trend. |
| 62 | ** ''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 Platform/PlayStation revival was attempted, even Japan got the American version of the story as opposed to the original ''Metafight'' one. |
| 63 | ** ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' is more popular in North America than in Japan, according to former producer Koji Igarashi, which explains his decision to release ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaTheDraculaXChronicles'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia'' in North America first. Konami actually tried using the name "Castlevania" in Japanese because it was more popular under that name (except it didn't take). This may have influenced the more Western flavor of the ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow'' games. |
| 64 | ** ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' has lukewarm reception in its home country, but has always been far more popular in North America to the point that [[VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus the first sequel]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glCZdc4yniQ was advertised in Japan]] as being a follow-up to "the outstandingly popular action game in America". The franchise as a whole would eventually find itself developed in the West as well; the American Creator/RetroStudios would create [[VideoGame/MetroidPrimeTrilogy a new 3D branch of the franchise]], while the 2D side would eventually find a home with Spanish studio Creator/MercurySteam. Many entries also released in North America before Japan to cater to this fanbase, and some of them have English voice-overs even in the Japanese releases. |
| 65 | *** 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 Franchise/{{Kirby}}, [[Franchise/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. |
| 66 | *** ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' was somewhat of an attempt to make the series more appealing to wider Japanese audiences. The fandom [[BrokenBase is thoroughly split]] over ''Other M'''s more linear gameplay, but the story (which received heavy focus with hours of FMV cutscenes) got unanimous derision by fans for being dull, poorly-written, and ruining what little characterization Samus has. The game still managed to sell about as well as any other ''Metroid'' game in Japan, but [[AmericansHateTingle it quickly became one of the worst-selling entries]] in the West, as a result of Yoshio Sakamoto's plan backfiring big time (but still refuses to let go of the game as ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'' still acknowledges it), the Metroid franchise (Not counting Samus being in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'') laid dormant for 6-7 years. |
| 67 | ** ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' is more popular in English- and Spanish-speaking countries than in Japan. Ironically, the game was developed by Platform/{{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. |
| 68 | * ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'', especially the second game, ''Heroes'', is inexplicably very popular in Indonesia of all the similar games of the genre, despite the game being in Japanese untranslated. |
| 69 | * ''VideoGame/TheWarriors'', is popular in Indonesia, because while ''Creator/RockstarGames'' games always have a huge fanbase worldwide, The Warriors, having CoOpMultiplayer support, is immensely enjoyed by people playing the games socially. |
| 70 | [[/folder]] |
| 71 | |
| 72 | [[folder:Adventure Games]] |
| 73 | * Point and Click adventure games. While they were popular in North America through the '90s, for the most part, they're mostly seen as experiments or as Indie games that rarely become as popular as they were in TheNineties, and it's rare to see much buzz about them. The same goes in Asia -- while not unknown (''VideoGame/ClockTower'', ''VideoGame/AnotherCode''), they're few and far in between, where the VisualNovel reigns. Meanwhile in Europe? The AdventureGame genre still lives and is going strong. (Especially in Germany.) |
| 74 | * [[https://genesistemple.com/the-big-italian-adventure-the-history-of-dynabyte-software This article]] details how this genre was (and is) quite popular in Italy, especially the titles produced by Creator/LucasArts; for a while Italian adventure games such as ''VideoGame/NipponSafesInc'' were the only genre beside sports simulations that managed to sell and be appreciated outside the country's borders. |
| 75 | * A lot of Creator/LucasArts adventure games are quite popular in Germany, especially of the ''VideoGame/ManiacMansion'' and ''VideoGame/DayOfTheTentacle'' variety. A more straightforward example would be ''VideoGame/ZakMcKrackenAndTheAlienMindbenders''. While not unknown in its home country, it was even ''more'' popular in Germany. |
| 76 | ** In fact, try looking up a LetsPlay for a [=LucasArts=] adventure game, and look how many results are German. |
| 77 | ** [=LucasArts=] veteran Tim Schafer name-checks Germany as the one viable market for adventure games in the present day in his famous Kickstarter pitch video for ''[[VideoGame/BrokenAge Double Fine Adventure]]''. |
| 78 | ** Point and click adventure fangames are quite popular in Germany as well. It's pretty hard to find a fangame based on a [=LucasArts=] or Sierra adventure game that doesn't have at least one member of the development team from Germany. |
| 79 | * ''VideoGame/TheNeverhood'' was a bit of a low-key cult hit in the West. The PC version got a Japanese Platform/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. |
| 80 | * The two of Pink Panther educational games - ''VideoGame/PinkPantherPassportToPeril'' and ''VideoGame/PinkPantherHokusPokusPink'', have a small cult following, but are usually dismissed by hardcore Adventure Games fans, being seen as a cheap educational games using popular cartoon character to boost its sales. In Poland however, the games are absolutely beloved, thanks to [[SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing its stellar localization]], which features many references to Polish pop-culture, witty dialogue with [[ParentalBonus parental bonuses]] and cast of some of the most beloved Polish voice actors like the popular (especially in the 90s) Cezary Pazura as the Pink Panther, who absolutely nailed him as [[NoFourthWall fourth-wall breaking]] DeadpanSnarker. The fact that Poles already like Pink Panther and Adventure Games on their own, doesn't hurt either. |
| 81 | * ''VideoGame/YumeNikki'': |
| 82 | ** A common interpretation of the game is that it's an allegory of Japan's social problems: not only is the main character a [[{{hikikomori}} shut-in]], [[HeroicMime she is unable to share dialogue with any of the characters in her dreams]], and most of her interactions with them vary from distant to outright violent. So how it became such a CultClassic in the West [[http://archive.uboachan.net/yn/res/855_abbr.xhtml#1420 is lost on Kikiyama.]] |
| 83 | ** In addition, the protagonist Madotsuki became very popular with Sweden, thanks to a Reddit AprilFools event where people could draw on a large canvas. Madotsuki was drawn on a part of the canvas claimed by r/Sweden, which in turn caused many Swedes to embrace her, even drawing Pippi Longstocking [[https://little-king-john.tumblr.com/post/159152493785/my-favorite-story-to-come-out-of-the-internet holding hands with her.]] |
| 84 | [[/folder]] |
| 85 | |
| 86 | [[folder:Fighting Games]] |
| 87 | * ''Franchise/BlazBlue'': Not that he lacks popularity in Japan, but Iron Tager has a surprisingly large American fanbase, aided by the ValuesDissonance of how manliness and toughness are more valued personality traits among American males (Tager and Bang Shishigami are the two most "manly" characters out of the main cast). Creator/JamiesonPrice's great voice work also helped out a lot, along with a few America-exclusive memes like "REAL SOVIET DAMAGE" and "GIGANTIC TAGER!" (one particular Story Mode scene uses this as a hilarious SoundEffectBleep; the Japanese version instead has Creator/KenjiNomura shouting out Ragna's "GAUNTLET HADES", and thus misses out on the joke). |
| 88 | * ''VideoGame/BodyBlows'': This series, made for Platform/{{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. |
| 89 | * ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'': Jon Talbain is considered rather minor by the Japanese compared to Morrigan, Demitri, Felicia, Lilith, and Anakaris, but has a very large following in America. Needless to say, they are very eager to see Talbain get featured in [[VideoGame/CapcomVs crossovers]], but the Japanese don't get it. |
| 90 | * When ''Videogame/DeadOrAlive'' introduced Spanish character Mila, she was quickly embraced by Spaniards for finally having a Spanish character in a Fighting Game who looks the part WITHOUT falling into any Spanish stereotypes, NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent notwithstanding (not that it matters, since in Spain the vast majority of fighting gamers play with the Japanese dub). |
| 91 | * This trope is the reason why Choi Bounge from ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', who is rather unpopular and reviled (not as much as Bao, but still reviled) everywhere, managed to get into ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos''. Why? Because Koreans consider him top-tier, and love him even more than in-universe Korean hero [[VideoGame/FatalFury Kim Kaphwan]] (who's also featured). So they added Choi to cater to the Korean fans. |
| 92 | * ''VideoGame/TheLastBlade 2'': Setsuna is an overlooked character in his home country, but overwhelmingly popular all around America. Up to the extent gamers have claimed to buy this game [[JustHereForGodzilla just to play with, or against him]]. |
| 93 | * 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. The Japanese side of the fandom tends to view ''[=MvC2=]'' (and the rest of the series in general) as a ''kusoge''--that is to say, a SoBadItsGood game that's too unbalanced and poorly designed to really work as a competitive experience--which proved a major moment of culture shock when a Japanese player of ''3'' won a tournament. |
| 94 | ** [[MemeticMutation The only fighting game played in New York is]] ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2''. |
| 95 | ** When Capcom released the 3rd one, it was released in North America 2 days before Japan got the game. |
| 96 | * The ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' series is synonymous with the fighting game genre in Russia. Many Russian people, who grew up in 90s, hum The Immortals' theme and enjoy watching the first ''Mortal Kombat'' movie, collecting various ''Mortal Kombat'' merchandise, and the port of ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'' for the Sega Genesis is their favourite game on the console. Moreover, in an average Russian city Scorpion and Sub-Zero are more recognizable than Mario (probably because of the much smaller Nintendo fandom in Russia). |
| 97 | ** Oddly enough ''Mortal Kombat X'' is popular in Germany. Despite the country's video game censorship, this game was released a half year later after the official international release and became hit for PS Store and Steam. |
| 98 | ** ''Mortal Kombat'' has also seen popularity in Spain. |
| 99 | * ''VideoGame/{{Skullgirls}}'' has a loyal following in their native North America and some Western countries, but has such a large fan following in Japan that the game is getting a special port for Japanese arcades (a first for a Western FightingGame since '''1994''', when the first ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' was released). WordOfGod mentioned that this might have had something to do with the fact that it's a series that plays like ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' minus the Marvel (which isn't very popular over there). |
| 100 | * 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 Platform/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. |
| 101 | ** The Platform/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. |
| 102 | * France loves the ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soulcalibur]]'' series, as does the United States. It tends to get [[StuckInTheirShadow stuck in the shadow]] of ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' back home. In fact, the character popularity poll used to determine the most popular character in the series was held exclusively in Western markets. |
| 103 | ** [[ElvisImpersonator Maxi]] is very popular among Chilean fighting game fans, specially those who played in arcades around TheNineties or the TurnOfTheMillennium. This is for Maxi's ''uncanny'' physical similarity to a SoBadItsGood local singer from these years, which brought ''many'' memes to the Chilean gaming community. |
| 104 | ** [[HighlyVisibleNinja Taki]] is most popular with western fandoms, where she's constantly cited as one of the most popular fighters in the series. While she has a large following in the East as well, gamers there tend to prefer Ivy over her. |
| 105 | * Similarly to what happened with SNK, ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' also became a huge hit in Latin American countries- of which Brazil appears to be the most notable. It may be explained by the consistent Brazilian representation ever since ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' and the immense popularity of the [[Anime/StreetFighterIIV 1995 anime]] in the country. Along with these factors mentioned there was the release of official Brazilian ''SF'' comics through the 90's. |
| 106 | * The ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series is popular across the globe among both casual and competitive players, but this trope applies to competitive ''Melee'' in particular. Ever since the release of ''For 3DS[=/=]Wii U'', the competitive ''Melee'' community in Japan, the series' country of origin, has started to shrink rapidly. As of 2016, only one major monthly tournament remains in Japan, and minor local tournaments have been becoming increasingly infrequent. Throughout the rest of the world, ''Melee''[='=]s tournament scene remains as big as it always has, being roughly equal with newer games at major tournaments. |
| 107 | ** As for competitive ''Brawl'', Norway is the only country where ''Brawl'' is still on equal standing with ''Melee'' and ''Ultimate'' (and formerly ''Smash 4''), and the only country where it still has power rankings after ''Smash 4'''s release. |
| 108 | * ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'''s ever increasingly multinational cast can be traced to its popularity in many different, particularly in Europe and Philippines. Lars Alexandersson (who is Swedish[[note]]albeit half-Japanese by way of being Heihachi's illegitimate son[[/note]]) and Josie Rizal are respective examples of Namco attempting to cater to these markets. |
| 109 | [[/folder]] |
| 110 | |
| 111 | [[folder:Hack and Slash]] |
| 112 | * ''VideoGame/HonkaiImpact3rd'' does decently well in it's native China, and struggles to different degrees in most other parts of the world due to the competitive space it inhabits. The exception to this are Southeast Asian regions such as Vietnam and Indonesia, where the game is near-''always'' in the list of top 50 grossing mobile games, and occasionally shoots all the way to the top after major updates. The biggest factor for this is simply that, after early success with an english-only release in the region, miHoYo doubled down and had the game fully localized into Viet, Thai and Bahasa Indonesia, with said localizations being kept on-pace with every other language, something few other games do. |
| 113 | * ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' flopped dismally in its native Japan, barely pushing 40,000 units lifetime, and sales for the sequel were just as bad. Among Western gamers, though -- particularly American ones, where it found an audience of "hardcore" gamers drawn in by promises of a violent M-rated game on the otherwise casual/family-targeted Wii -- the game fared considerably better, and it remains a CultClassic in those regions to this day. |
| 114 | [[/folder]] |
| 115 | |
| 116 | [[folder:Massively Multiplayer Online Games]] |
| 117 | * ''VideoGame/ClubPenguin'' was an MMOG made by Disney Canada Inc. Most of the fanart and fan videos, however, are made by people from Central and South America, especially from Mexico or Brazil. |
| 118 | * ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' is a big success in Japan, but also has a very large and dedicated group of non-Japanese gamers playing, so much so that it came as a surprise to Sega, which may have played some role in getting the game announced for localization (even though said localization would be [[LateExportForYou repeatedly delayed for several years]]). |
| 119 | * ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' has been massively popular in Finland, with both the original game and Old School RuneScape having a sizable Finnish playerbase. The main game even had Finnish servers as early as 2005. |
| 120 | * German MMORPG ''VideoGame/{{Tibia}}'' is basically legendary in Poland and Brazil. In both countries, it owes most of its popularity to word of mouth, it's free, will run on any PC and has very low bandwidth requirements. |
| 121 | ** To be more specific, according to 2009 poll 26,56% of players were from Brazil, 24,38% from much smaller Poland and 8,65 from Sweden. For reference Germans constituted about 1% of the playerbase. |
| 122 | [[/folder]] |
| 123 | |
| 124 | [[folder:Maze Games]] |
| 125 | * ''VideoGame/RallyX'' was relatively popular in South Korea, whose local bootlegging scene gave it the name ''Banggucha'' (방구차, [[SmokeOut "Fart Car"]]). |
| 126 | [[/folder]] |
| 127 | |
| 128 | [[folder:Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas]] |
| 129 | * ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients'', while fairly popular in the United States, is played by nearly everyone in Sweden and the Philippines. This was exemplified by the song written about it from ''Swedish'' producer Basshunter. |
| 130 | * ''VideoGame/HeroesOfNewerth'', despite being one of the earliest [=MOBAs=], is significantly less popular than ''VideoGame/Dota2'' and ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' overall, but manages to have a strong fanbase in Thailand. As a result, there are a good number of content that are Thai-related, and even its Grand Finals were held in Thailand. |
| 131 | * While the ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' scene outside of South Korea and USA is widely known to be huge and fiercely dedicated, this game has managed to win in other parts of the world for many different reasons: |
| 132 | ** Venezuela has a fierce ''League of Legends'' fandom, with a much larger proportion of people with internet access who play the game than in Mexico, and for good reason: in an extremely poor and isolationist country where a computer literally costs a small car, a 1 Mbps connection costs a British 100 Mbps fiber optic link, online purchases conducted in foreign currency are literally impossible, ''and'' you're expected to pay this with your one single dollar a day minimum wage, a game that is not an AllegedlyFreeGame and can run on low-end computers will invariably end up ruling the day. |
| 133 | ** ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', in addition to being hugely popular in some countries much more so than in others, also has champions whose popularity is tied to specific countries: |
| 134 | *** Per the AmericanKirbyIsHardcore rule, the Japanese fandom is ''very'' fond of cute champions such as Ahri, Annie, Lux, Sona, Fizz, Nami, and pretty much the entire yordle roster (Lulu, Teemo, Tristana, Kennen, Veigar...), as well as {{bishonen}} characters such as Ezreal and Varus. Meanwhile, in America, the most popular champions are manly badasses like Darius, Draven, Jarvan, Pantheon, or Tryndamere, and gritty {{action girl}}s like Katarina, Jinx [[note]]although Jinx does have a small fanbase in the Japanese League of Legends community[[/note]], Vi, and Shyvana. |
| 135 | *** Subverted with Mordekaiser, a champ with a huge mace and a hulking suit of armor. There is a huge thing about Brazilian players playing Mordekaiser because of the meme about him being a {{Troll}} associated with the "Huehuehuehuehue", to the point that a lot of people will call him "Mordhuekaiser" or "Huekaiser". But the truth is, normal Brazilian players that do not troll usually don't use Mordekaiser much so his usage in the region is actually just as low as the rest. It's more likely that this meme was just touching the phenomenon of 'Brazilian players so toxic' while just randomly picking Mordekaiser as the figure to deliver so, and then it went viral. |
| 136 | * ''VideoGame/MobileLegendsBangBang'' (often colloquially referred to by the initialism "ML") is wildly popular in the Philippines as it is far more readily available especially to those who either could not afford a PC or don't have the time or patience to be stuck on a computer. Such was the popularity of the game in the Philippines that developer Moontoon added national hero Lapu-Lapu as a playable character, and appointed boxer Creator/MannyPacquiao as their brand ambassador. To commemorate their partnership with Pacquiao, a character based on the boxer named Paquito was added in an update. |
| 137 | ** Generally, the game is very beloved and popular in Southeast Asia countries, not just Philippines. One of the heroes there is based on [[Literature/{{Mahabharata}} Gatotkaca]] as he appeared in the Indonesian version (not the original literature) and several other Indonesian figures. Most of the championship of the game is held in Southeast Asia regions, generating as much money as the likes of ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' everywhere else and PC. |
| 138 | [[/folder]] |
| 139 | |
| 140 | [[folder:Open-World Games]] |
| 141 | * ''VideoGame/GhostOfTsushima'' got good reviews from American critics but [[https://kotaku.com/ghost-of-tsushima-is-being-praised-by-japanese-critics-1844387298 even better ones]] from Japanese critics, who praised how the American studio Creator/SuckerPunch [[ShownTheirWork did their research]] on Japanese culture, history, and language instead of relying on [[InterchangeableAsianCultures orientalism]] and stereotypes of feudal Japan. ''Famitsu'' gave it only the third perfect score they'd ever given a Western game. |
| 142 | * ''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 Platform/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. |
| 143 | ** Most of the modding community of ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' is based on Brazil, Eastern Europe, and South East Asia, especially Indonesia. |
| 144 | ** In Indonesia, ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' is overwhelmingly popular as well to the point of the existence of [[https://www.facebook.com/groups/256085102294146 a huge online community discussing various topics of the game as well as fan created content, that draws interest to other games of the series as well.]] CJ is also sometimes given the metonymical nickname "Ucok" by some Indonesian players. |
| 145 | * 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 Platform/NintendoSwitch and other platforms, and negotiated with their direct competitor Creator/XboxGameStudios to add Steve to ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate''. |
| 146 | * ''VideoGame/{{Shenmue}}'' was modestly well received in Japan. It fared better in the West, however, largely because its setting, based on a real Japanese town, was exotic to gamers outside of Japan. |
| 147 | [[/folder]] |
| 148 | |
| 149 | [[folder:Platformers]] |
| 150 | * ''VideoGame/Action52'', a low-budget American game compilation, has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3hC3V_HDjc The Cheetahmen theme]], which has many remixes of it on the video site Website/NicoNicoDouga, a ''Japanese'' video site. |
| 151 | * ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' is surprisingly popular in Japan. One notable Japanese fan is [[WebAnimation/{{Hololive}} Inugami Korone]], who gets a kick out of Mumbo Jumbo's dialogue in her playthrough of the game. It got to the point where the reaction to Banjo and Kazooie's reveal in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'' as playable character was absolutely estatic among many players in the country. |
| 152 | * ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' is popular in China mainly because it was one of the most produced game for unlicensed Famiclones. Chinese developer, Tencent released ''Contra: Return'' for Android and iOS. There's also ''Contra Evolution'', which is basically the original Famicom/NES game turned into an arcade with prettier 3D graphics with 2D gameplay and multiple characters. This could be because Chinese people love the Hollywood action movies that influenced the game and ''Contra's'' Japanese name is spelt with kanji characters, which were derived from Chinese language. Further helped with Konami's exodus from console markets to also focus on mobile games, which might have [[AmericansHateTingle the effect of being utterly hated in the West]], but China is definitely more welcoming and in-line with the advancement of mobile platform. |
| 153 | * ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' was at one point the best selling western-developed franchise in Japan. His popularity there was so massive that changes were made to appease the game's Japanese fanbase, including dropping Crash's girlfriend Tawna from the series, leading to the creation of Crash's sister Coco. Elements from the game's Japanese marketing also managed to bleed their way into the games themselves, including Crash's [[HappyDance trademark dance]] and the character of [[OddballDoppelganger Fake Crash]]. The Japanese version of ''VideoGame/CrashTagTeamRacing'' even changes Crash's in-game design to that of his Japanese counterpart! |
| 154 | * The original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' became stupendously popular outside of Japan, especially in the United States, to the point where the status of "world record holder" is frequently traded amongst American players; not a single confirmed world record since 1982 has been performed by a player from Japan. There is even a documentary revolving around the competitive ''Donkey Kong'' scene in the US, ''Film/TheKingOfKong''. |
| 155 | ** Of course, it was designed to be marketed to the West in the first place. It actually did better in Japan than it was supposed to, so Nintendo licensed Falcon to temporarily sell ''Crazy Kong'' in Japan while they were sending their boards to North America to keep up demand. |
| 156 | ** In an inverted case, the western developed ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' games are just as popular in Japan as they were in western territories. So much so that Japan got exclusive merchandising promoting the games, and the ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry'' cartoon got a cast of surprisingly prolific voice actors involved for the Japanese dub. |
| 157 | ** Within the Donkey Kong franchise itself, the character Funky Kong is a ''huge'' EnsembleDarkhorse in Japan. He was a playable character in ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'', before more famous characters in the series like Dixie or Cranky, and has his own special gameplay mode in the Switch port of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze''. |
| 158 | * ''VideoGame/DrawnToLife'' is incredibly underrated outside of Australia, where it was actually one of the best selling games there until Christmas. It even has its own [[http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/16/australian-drawn-to-life-ds-case-is-awesome-unattainable/ DS case]] there! |
| 159 | * {{Elimination Platformer}}s caught on in a very big way in South Korea, which produced multiple bootleg Platform/{{MSX}} ports and the official Platform/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]]''. |
| 160 | * ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy'' is much more popular in Japan than its home continent of North America. On Website/YouTube, the most viewed video of that game has less than a million views, and the second most viewed has less than 500,000. On the Japanese site NicoVideo, however, there's tons of videos of it with 100,000s of views, including several that have over a million. What's more, multiple Japanese-developed fangames exist. |
| 161 | ** The fact that it was inspired by a Japanese web game (''Jinsei Owata no Daibouken'', aka ''The Life-Ending Adventure'') might have something to do with this. In fact, the final version of ''Owata'' included the first few screens of ''IWBTG'' as its final level in an extended ShoutOut! |
| 162 | * ''VideoGame/JackieChanStuntmaster'' for the Playstation is clearly more popular in South America, to the point [[EsVideojuego/JackieChanStuntmaster its Spanish page was created first!]] |
| 163 | * Franchise/{{Kirby}} became very popular in Italy beginning in May 2014 when, to promote the recent release in stores of ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'', the TV channel K2 decided to air ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'' (a show whose only TV airing in the country before then was [[ScrewedByTheNetwork aired at 6 AM during the summer, basically in a timeframe when nobody could watch it]]) in the timeslot right after ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries''. As a result, it actually became as popular as ''Pokémon'', the aforementioned ''Kirby Triple Deluxe'' sold a lot of copies, they managed to dub the second half of the show 10 years after the first one (because for some reason the Italian dub originally stopped at episode 51), and [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros the Kirby amiibo]] is the hardest one to find in Italian stores. |
| 164 | * 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 Platform/AtariST, Platform/{{Amiga}} and Platform/AmstradCPC. |
| 165 | * ''VideoGame/{{Rayman}}'' is considered one of the most popular French video game franchise in other countries, mostly in America, Italy & Germany. |
| 166 | * While [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] is ''the'' poster boy for video games everywhere, his VideoGame3DLeap wasn't as popular in Japan (for one, the Platform/SegaSaturn kept outselling the Platform/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. |
| 167 | ** Similarily, [[VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG the]] [[VideoGame/PaperMario Mario]] [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi RPGs]] have done much better in the Western markets, selling around a million copies in North America alone, while they barely break 400,000 in Japan. This may be why the character Fawful, who became something of an EnsembleDarkhorse in America due to his IntentionalEngrishForFunny translation, was made the main villain of ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory''. |
| 168 | ** Wario's solo outings are consistently more popular internationally than in Japan, to the point ''VideoGame/WarioLandII'' 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. |
| 169 | ** Waluigi, unlike his brethren Mario, Luigi, and Wario, has never starred in his own game; but he enjoys significant [[MemeticMutation memetic]] popularity among Westerners ([[BeamMeUpScotty "too bad, Waluigi time!"]]) due to his comically-evil squeaky voice, and because he's the biggest underdog of the four (since he's an EvilCounterpart of Mario's sidekick). In fact, Americans were so upset about Waluigi not being playable in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' that Nintendo of America's president, Reggie Fils-Aime, [[http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/06/sakurai_is_well_aware_that_you_want_waluigi_in_smash_bros_ultimate_says_reggie directly addressed]] the backlash. |
| 170 | ** ''Mario'' is easily THE biggest name of video games in Mexico alongside with SNK's fighting games, and the Xbox consoles. His games are well regarded in the country, and merchandising (both official and unofficial) is very huge, when Mexican store chain Liverpool had their first Bolo Fest Desfile Navideño in 2015 in Mexico City (Which is similar to Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade in the United States) Mario became the first of two video game series to get a balloon for that parade (similar to how Sonic The Hedgehog got his own balloon by Macy’s back in 1993.), and until the Japanese release overtook it, the Mexican release of ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' became one of, now the second highest grossing international release for any Illumination film (surpassing their previous releases like ''Minions'') and for any video game film adaptation and became the highest-grossing film ''of all time'' in Mexico. (Even surpassing the two ''[[Film/{{Sonic the Hedgehog|2020}} Sonic]]'' [[Film/{{Sonic the Hedgehog 2|2022}} movies]], two [[Film/SpiderManNoWayHome Marvel]] [[Film/AvengersEndgame movies]], and two [[WesternAnimation/{{Coco}} Pixar]] [[WesternAnimation/ToyStory4 films]] in Mexican box office performance.) |
| 171 | * ''Franchise/MegaMan'': Both ''Rockman 2'' and ''Rockman 3'' got rather average reviews on the mainstream Japanese gaming magazine ''Famitsu'' (''Rockman 2'' was awarded with a 28/40 and ''Rockman 3'' was awarded with a 23/40), but Nintendo Power gave both games (which are known in the West as ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'') a lot of positive coverage and considered them to be some of the best games in the NES era. |
| 172 | * ''VideoGame/TheNewZealandStory'' was particularly popular in the UK, where the Platform/{{Amiga}} version became part of the "Batman Pack" bundle. It was one of the few Japanese-made games whose Platform/NintendoEntertainmentSystem port was developed by a British company and never released in Japan. Two competing teams of British developers were working on Platform/{{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''. |
| 173 | * ''VideoGame/{{Ponpoko}}'' made little impression in its native Japan, but in South Korea it is regarded a classic and has been remade numerous times. |
| 174 | * ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'' was a cult hit in Japan before ever having an official translation there, so much so Wayforward got the Japanese company Inticreates to collaborate with them on the third game (''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse''). Now that her games have been officially released in Japan, Shantae even has [[NoExportForYou cool exclusive Japanese merch]], bringing the no-exportitude full circle. |
| 175 | * The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series has a modest Japanese following that only really started to develop ''after'' Creator/{{Sega}} became a third-party developer, due to the Genesis/Mega Drive and Dreamcast being unpopular consoles in the region and the Saturn not having a ''Sonic'' title of its own. Meanwhile, Sonic quickly became a cultural icon in America and Europe, where the Sega's 16-bit console competed for first place with Nintendo's SNES, and the Blue Blur retains much of that popularity to this day. The brand is especially loved to pieces in the United Kingdom, where Ride/AltonTowers even has a Sonic-themed hotel room and used to have a Sonic-themed roller coaster, and London, England is the hosting place for the "Summer of Sonic" (the first official fan convention for a video game character). That being said, the series has always been particularly Western-oriented, as most major releases have come out in America and Europe before Japan ever since the first game and Sonic was intentionally created to appeal to Western audiences in mind. Several major ''Sonic'' titles (such as ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure2'' and ''VideoGame/SonicMania'') were even developed in the West as opposed to Japan. |
| 176 | ** Shadow's popularity particularly leans West, and it was because of this that ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' was created. Unfortunately, it may have taken its dive into America too far, as the use of guns and swearing (because what's more American than including those...especially in a RatedMForManly Hollywood Action flick?) turned off most critics and a good number of fans, turning Shadow into a BaseBreakingCharacter. |
| 177 | ** Sonic, particularly the ''Adventure'' era, also has a sizable fanbase in Russia. This is due to infamous unlicensed translation for ''Sonic Adventure DX'' for PC, which was parodied by Creator/{{Sienduk}}. |
| 178 | * Americans regarded ''VideoGame/{{Spelunker}}'' as decent in its arcade and Platform/{{Commodore 64}} forms. However, its Platform/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. |
| 179 | [[/folder]] |
| 180 | |
| 181 | [[folder:Puzzle Games]] |
| 182 | * ''VideoGame/{{Helltaker}}'' was made by a Polish guy but, thanks to its vaguely animesque art style, became the subjects of tons and tons of fanarts and mods in Japan and South Korea. It got to the point that Japan released a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nendoroid nendoroid]] of Lucifer a little more than a year after the game's debut, a feat usually reserved to major Western properties like Batman. |
| 183 | * ''VideoGame/{{Lumines}}'' is much more popular in North America (it sold 300,000 units there) than in Japan (70,000 units), so much so that the sequel featured mainstream American music. |
| 184 | * Thanks to some clever marketing in the region that presented the series as fun puzzle compilations that casual players who may have otherwise been turned off by the AdventureGame elements could enjoy, ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' became ''huge'' in Europe. This is to the point where Nintendo of Europe frequently treated ''Professor Layton'' as one of their core franchises on the Nintendo DS, often displacing ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' in terms of importance within their marketing materials for the system. |
| 185 | * ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'', a Russian product, is beloved all over the world and is synonymous with the FallingBlocks genre. In Japan in particular, Sega and later Arika produced ''Tetris'' games designed for advanced players, including the famous ''VideoGame/TetrisTheGrandMaster'' series. |
| 186 | [[/folder]] |
| 187 | |
| 188 | [[folder:Racing Games]] |
| 189 | * ''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]]. It's probably for this reason that ''VideoGame/FZero99'', the first game in the series after a decades-long SequelGap, was developed by Nintendo Software Technology (Nintendo of America's dedicated development studio). |
| 190 | * ''VideoGame/ForzaMotorsport'' is popular back home in America, but it's a KillerApp for the Platform/{{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''. |
| 191 | * ''VideoGame/GranTurismo'' is a Japanese-made game, and is hugely popular all over the world, but over half of the sales of each game come from Europe. |
| 192 | * ''VideoGame/RadRacer'' was a shameless imitation of ''VideoGame/OutRun'' and one of a number of unremarkable games released by Creator/{{Square|Enix}} before ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI''. Yet it became one of Creator/{{Nintendo}} of America's bestsellers, which explains why it received a US-exclusive sequel. |
| 193 | * ''Top Gear'' (the British-made racing game [[MorePopularSpinOff derived]] from the Amiga ''Lotus Turbo Challenge'' series, not [[Series/TopGear the TV show]]) is very popular among Brazilians, due in no small part to the soundtrack penned by Barry Leitch (there are even people who have the BGM for the first game's first track as a ringtone!) - [[https://www.gamevicio.com/noticias/2020/01/por-que-top-gear-nao-e-famoso-fora-do-brasil/ an article]] also it was helped by piracy (at times being in cartridges with many SNES [=ROMs=]) and hindered overseas by not being as promoted by Kemco. So much so that it has a SpiritualSuccessor, ''VideoGame/HorizonChase'', developed by a Brazilian studio, and to top it off, they brought in Leitch himself to score the game! |
| 194 | ** Music/TommyTallarico reportedly had a puzzled reaction to the many fan requests for songs from ''Top Gear'' when Video Games Live toured Brazil, as the series was never that much popular overseas. He eventually [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mZm4u-lfpg made up for it]], [[https://youtu.be/UK7BkFSBeT4?t=607 including a fully orchestrated version]] when Leitch was a guest. |
| 195 | ** ''Top Gear'' was eventually announced to be remastered, bearing the ''Top Racer'' name, and includes a newly-made {{Retraux}} version starring cars from ''Horizon Chase''. |
| 196 | * ''VideoGame/WanganMidnightMaximumTune'' enjoys arcade hit status in a variety of countries in Asia (not just Japan), most notably Malaysia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. |
| 197 | * ''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. |
| 198 | * ''VideoGame/DaytonaUSA'' is meant to be an example of this trope for Americans, by utilizing stock car racing as opposed to Formula 1 which made ''VideoGame/VirtuaRacing'' more popular in Europe and Japan than the US. |
| 199 | [[/folder]] |
| 200 | |
| 201 | [[folder:Real-Time Strategy]] |
| 202 | * ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' is mostly forgotten within the Western competitive gaming scene, where other RealTimeStrategy games such as ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' are favored instead. [[note]]Random maps in ''Age of Empires II'', while having set map patterns, are often completely random, and some resource placements have placed players at either a significant advantage/disadvantage. Compare this to many ''Starcraft'' maps, where resource placement and starting positions are more fixed, and thus seen as more balanced.[[/note]] Many who play ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'' often play the game for the scenario editors for [[http://aok.heavengames.com/ Age of King Heaven]] or custom-made AI. In mainland China, however, ''Age of Empires II'' is one of the most popular PC games, with its competitive gaming scene being larger than in the West. This, apparently, is one of the main reasons why the Tibetans may never be featured in ''Age of Empires II'', despite the [[WhatCouldHaveBeen original game developers' plans to include them]]. |
| 203 | ** Also notable is that the game has been extremely popular in Vietnam especially in the competitive gaming scene. In fact the inclusion of the Vietnamese in the recently released "Rise of the Rajas" DLC was a show of appreciation to Vietnamese players. |
| 204 | * ''VideoGame/BattleRealms'' was outcompeted into obscurity by ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} III'', yet it enjoys enough popularity in the Philippines that it is still played in computer rental shops to this day. |
| 205 | * Despite the [[{{Bowdlerise}} heavy editing]] it goes through in order to be legal for sale there, the ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' series enjoys extreme popularity in Germany (and in Europe as a whole as well), so much so that [=EA's=] official webcast is given air on cable television. Coincidentally, guess which actor has a cameo in ''Red Alert 3''. C'mon, guess. [[spoiler:It's Hasselhoff.]] |
| 206 | * French love the ''VideoGame/{{Cossacks}}'' games, from UsefulNotes/{{Ukraine}}. Between one third and forty per cent of the global sales of ''VideoGame/CossacksEuropeanWars'' were made in France alone in the 2000s. It's not really surprising if the sequel focused on UsefulNotes/TheNapoleonicWars. |
| 207 | * ''[[VideoGame/Earth2150 Earth 2140]]'' is virtually unknown in its native Poland. It did, however, get some good sales in Turkey, due to it being one of the few games with a Turkish language option. |
| 208 | * ''VideoGame/TheNewOrderLastDaysofEurope'' (a GameMod for ''VideoGame/HeartsOfIronIV'') has a very large Russian fanbase and a sizable Chinese one as well. |
| 209 | ** The Russian fanbase is easy to understand, as some of the most well-written characters and factions in the game are Russian and [[ShownTheirWork the dev team had help from Russians when writing them]]. Russia is also where the game gets to engage in the most traditionally "grand strategy" gameplay of large-scale battles and wars, only now with UsefulNotes/ColdWar-era weaponry, while the content for the other major powers is largely a political and economic simulator where the threat of MutuallyAssuredDestruction prevents those sort of large-scale campaigns outside of {{Proxy War}}s. |
| 210 | ** As for the Chinese fanbase, while the game's lore involves Japan winning the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar and subjugating China, China's story involves rebuilding the nation in preparation for a rematch with Japan. Another element is the game's depiction of Albert Speer, whose leadership of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany (reforming the system, undoing UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler's worst excesses, and focusing on economic development [[spoiler:without truly liberalizing the nation beyond a superficial level) has been compared by many fans to the real-life UsefulNotes/DengXiaoping, considered to be "the Architect of Modern China" for how he pulled the People's Republic out of the chaotic 1960s and '70s and set it on the road to becoming an economic superpower. As such, while Western fans mostly see Speer as one of the game's most dangerous and effective ''villains'', Chinese fans' opinions on him can range from neutral to positive due to his similarities to one of their own nations' greatest modern leaders.]] |
| 211 | * ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' is the poster child of this trope for video games. In fact, a good alternative title would be "Koreans love ''VideoGame/StarCraft''." It unexpectedly became intensely popular in South Korea: In the first decade of its release, it was estimated that 9.5 million copies of the title were sold worldwide, with about 4.5 million sales being in the Republic, meaning almost half of all the copies of ''Starcraft'' sold ''in the world'' were in South Korea ''alone''. It got to the point of being played in national competitions with team sponsorships with major companies and professional tournaments soon followed, with TV channels dedicated to replays of those tournaments. ''Starcraft'' players are professional athletes with groupies, training camps, and rivalries. Tournaments cater to packed stadiums filled with ''hundreds of thousands'' of people ''just to watch''. [[http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/0/1/30901.jpg?v=1 Don't believe it?]] ''Starcraft'' in South Korea is like football is to Americans. When ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' came out, it was pandemonium. Blizzard went to South Korea and held basically a Korean [=BlizzCon=] dedicated solely to ''Starcraft'' in the Seoul Olympic stadium. |
| 212 | ** It should be noted that Westerners are known to exaggerate Koreans' love for ''Starcraft''. While ''Starcraft'' and e-sports in general have a larger fanbase in Korea than the West, it still doesn't hold a candle compared to baseball and football (soccer) within Korea. |
| 213 | * With ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' having finished, and its popularity starting to wane, the character D.Va from ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' (another Blizzard game) serves as a love letter to ''[=StarCraft=]''[='=]s stupendously big Korean professional scene. |
| 214 | [[/folder]] |
| 215 | |
| 216 | [[folder:Rhythm Games]] |
| 217 | * ''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. Also being a mobile game, it is also pretty successful in Southeast Asia, to the point where in English-speaking Arcaea communities, you'll mostly meet players from SEA and the occasional player from the Americas or Europe. |
| 218 | * ''VideoGame/{{crossbeats}} REV.'', an arcade spinoff of the smartphone RhythmGame ''CROSS×BEATS'', ended up being a flop in its native country of Japan, with its release date being close to fellow rhythm game ''Chunithm'' being cited as a cause for its failure. However, when it was exported to North American arcades[[note]]somewhat; the game was not localized for the international market and is only available in North America in Round 1 locations[[/note]] about three months later, it became a success with American players -- not to the scale of ''VideoGame/GuitarHero'' or ''VideoGame/JustDance'', but at least popular enough that there are often people lining up to play it during the arcades' busier days. |
| 219 | * ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'', itself, isn't one of the more popular BEMANI series games in Japan, but has a much greater following in Korea and '''especially''' in North America and Europe; in fact, some of the best players in the world are Americans, some of which hold ''world records'' on the [=eAMUSEMENT=] service for ''[=DanceDanceRevolution=] A''. DDR's popularity in the West can largely be owed to the fact that it's the only BEMANI game that saw widespread release outside of Asia. The competitive scene is helped by the fact that while Japan put up with no new ''DDR'' arcade games [[SequelGap for four years]], Americans took to making their own take of 4-panel stepping games, ''VideoGame/InTheGroove'', featuring charts that put ''DDR''[='=]s older "boss" charts to shame, allowing them to be prepared for when Konami got back into making arcade ''DDR'' games with [[SequelDifficultySpike much harder charts]]. |
| 220 | * ''VideoGame/{{DJMAX}}'' started off as a Korea-only series, but the success of ''DJMAX Portable'' in foreign markets (PSP physical copies are region-free) led to an "International" UpdatedRerelease that features English and Japanese as additional language options; while this version was still Korea-only, at least it was released with the intent of being an import title overseas. Pentavision would continue to release new ''DJMAX'' games this way (most likely, getting the game to foreign regions wasn't an option for them at the time), eventually starting to bring the games officially worldwide starting with ''DJMAX Technika''. |
| 221 | * ''VideoGame/GeometryDash'', a rhythm-platformer with a Swedish creator, is significantly popular in Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries by virtue of the most prominent players being from said countries, and thus the majority of the game's playerbase is Spanish or Spanish-speaking. |
| 222 | * ''VideoGame/JustDance'' is popular everywhere, but it's specially well-loved in Brazil. The company has aknowledged this via including songs like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PADvaJW26Mk Tico Tico no Fuba]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HUT9sfz5Fw Te dominar]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTDX5ZXPE_Q Carnaval Boom]] in ''2017''. |
| 223 | * ''VideoGame/OsuTatakaeOuendan'' allegedly sees more sales in US imports than it did domestically in Japan. |
| 224 | ** And inversely, ''VideoGame/EliteBeatAgents'' did crazy well in Japan, to the point where it was sold in normal stores rather than as an import. The cross-cultural weirdness factor is quite possibly why the games do better in opposite regions. |
| 225 | * ''VideoGame/PopNMusic'' was nowadays popular in the West after the aforementioned ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' game hype faded away in 2009. |
| 226 | * ''VideoGame/PumpItUp'' has been historically big in Central and South America, even moreso than [[DuelingGames competing]] panel-based dance game ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution''. Many of the best players at the annual World Pump Festival come from either of those regions. It's perhaps because of this that the Korean-based developer and publisher Andamiro continues to make international releases, despite the decline of arcades outside of East Asia [[NoExportForYou discouraging East Asian developers from exporting their games]]. |
| 227 | * ''VideoGame/SoundVoltex'' is considered as just another ordinary rhythm game in Japan, but for some reason, in Indonesia, it's basically a new religion. Matter of fact, the Indonesian fandom outsize the Japanese and American fandom ''combined.'' To this day nobody understands why. |
| 228 | [[/folder]] |
| 229 | |
| 230 | [[folder:Role-Playing Games]] |
| 231 | * ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'', while already a critical darling and a successful seller for a indie game in the West following its release in late 2019, received a Simplified Chinese translation in early 2020. Very soon thereafter, [[https://www.pcgamer.com/disco-elysium-is-an-unexpected-hit-in-china-thanks-to-a-new-translation/ the game became a noted surprise hit in China]]. |
| 232 | * ''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 Platform/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 Platform/SegaSaturn game that never left Japan. |
| 233 | * ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': |
| 234 | ** The series has obviously been a major critical and financial success Europe and North America, but it is also one of the very few [[WesternRolePlayingGame WRPG]] series to experience great success in Japan, where traditional [=WRPGs=] struggle. ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' seemed to start the trend, even though it was never even officially ''released'' in Japan. (One of the game's more popular {{GameMod}}s is an unofficial Japanese translation.) This trend continued through ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' (though [[NoDubForYou without dub]] and published by Creator/SpikeChunsoft) to ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' (which published in-house by Bethesda's Japanese branch, featuring Japanese dubbing), which holds the honor of being the first Western game to ever receive a perfect score in ''Famitsu''. The modding community thrives there as well, though fragmented following the release of ''Special Edition'' due to perceived difficulty of porting mods and mod makers tend to not updating functional mods. |
| 235 | ** If the huge number of translated {{Game Mod}}s is any indication, ''Skyrim'' also has a sizable Czech fanbase. |
| 236 | ** 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. |
| 237 | ** Similar to the above, Korea has many exclusive mods hosted outside of Nexus and mods translated into Korean. |
| 238 | * ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' is also quite popular in Japan especially after ''VideoGame/Fallout3'', ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', and ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' received Japanese localization including dub. |
| 239 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'': |
| 240 | ** English speakers can't get enough of Kefka from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' because he's pretty much the poster boy for {{Woolseyism}}, being turned into an {{Expy}} of ComicBook/TheJoker, if The Joker had god-like magical powers and was secretly a CreepyAwesome [[NietzscheWannabe nihilistic misanthrope]] whose only joy in life is spreading pain, grief, and chaos everywhere [[ForTheEvulz just because he can]]. For the Japanese, it's not so much that he isn't pretty, but that his original lines were so [[TheScrappy obnoxious and moronic]] that he gets little love in Japan (though he has gotten a little more popularity thanks to ''Dissidia''). |
| 241 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': While Aerith tends to come out at the top 5 or top 3 of character polls(both official and fanmade) in Japan for both character polls on [=FFVII=] characters or franchise-wide characters, Tifa tends to score higher popularity in both official and fan-made character polls for the international audience. |
| 242 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Jecht's appearance in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' propelled him to the status of a MemeticBadass... in America. In Japan, while he's not ''un''popular by any means, he's... just another character. |
| 243 | ** Who's the favourite AntiVillain from the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' games? The East prefers Cid Raines from the first game, while Caius Ballad of [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2 the sequel]] gets the pick from Western players. The fact that Caius' English voice sounds badass and baritone while Cid's English voice actor [[WebVideo/{{Dartigan}} sounds like he's on antidepressants and is reading his lines while thinking about how small his paycheck is]] probably has a lot to do with it. |
| 244 | ** 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 attractive) than the "[[BlueBishounenGhetto generic anime pretty boy]]" protagonists. |
| 245 | * The unofficial ''Elona+'' offshoot of ''VideoGame/{{Elona}}'' is controversial in its native Japan, but not so much in the west, where it is the most popular ''Elona'' variant by far, [[FanTranslation despite most of the translation having to be done by the fans]]. |
| 246 | * Despite ''VideoGame/FugaMelodiesOfSteel'' being a ''very'' obscure game from [[VideoGame/LittleTailBronx an equally unknown series]], it has a rather impressive cult following in Russia thanks to streamer [[https://www.twitch.tv/degrastream Degrastream]]. Likewise, Creator/CyberConnect2 stated that most of ''Fuga'''s sales have come from the United States as opposed to the developer's native Japan. |
| 247 | * ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact:'' Scaramouche/Wanderer has been an extremely controversial character in China, with many people hating his character quest and calling him a war criminal who got off scot-free. The few Scaramouche fans face constant harassment online and have been given a derogatory nickname[[note]]"Sanjie"[[/note]], while Scaramouche's CN VA has been harassed online. [[https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FvroJrHaUAAbTBe?format=jpg&name=large On a poll of which characters were most disliked on the CN server,]] Scaramouche featured on a whopping ''76%'' of people's lists. On the JP and EN sides, Scaramouche is not nearly as controversial and is fairly well-liked. |
| 248 | * The ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' series, although that's more because of a dedicated fanbase. Case in point: The news for what became ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'' first released in Nintendo's E3 2009 Conference. And as told by the E3 Report in Camelot Software Planning's Website, CEO Hiroyuki Takahashi [[LampshadeHanging commented a bit on how well the previous games did overseas]] and his wish for the game to be as successful with the Japanese before his surprise with the in-conference and web-coverage reactions. |
| 249 | * ''VideoGame/{{Neptunia}}'': |
| 250 | ** In ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaMk2'', Creator/{{Cave}} is one of the most popular characters in the game despite being a DLC character thanks to her cool demeanor, a GameBreaker ''as soon as she joins'', and the hilarious [[BulletHell fighting style]] she employs. Contrast that to Japan where she's not even part of the top ten. This has more to do with the [[NintendoHard infamy seen by Westerners]] of [[VideoGame/DonPachi its main series]] and the fact BulletHell is ''still'' a niche there. |
| 251 | ** For being a secondary main character who appears in most games in the series (even if not always [[DemotedToExtra as a playable character]]), Compa certainly receives the least amount of fanart in Japan compared with the rest of the main cast, being met with a collective "meh" and being seen as just a generic CuteClumsyGirl. Western players, on the other hand, really like Compa for her bubbly personality, hilarious lines in the localization, the occasional hints that she's actually ObfuscatingStupidity, and her occasional CuteAndPsycho tendencies. It helps she's voiced by Creator/CristinaVee and drops the desu catchphrase in English. English-speaking players will be quick to displease if Compa doesn't have a presence in some of the spinoffs. |
| 252 | ** While she's still a controversial character in both sides of the pacific, Plutia is a lot more loved in the West compared to Japan, due to her being cute and friendly with her hint of sadism, while Iris Heart is considered an amusingly sadistic character who, despite her dominating personality, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold has an occasional soft spot]]. |
| 253 | * While the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' elements of ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' were played up to sell it overseas to traditional RPG fans, the project sprang up as a game starring WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse and was always intended to use the Creator/{{Disney}} elements to appeal to the massive Japanese fanbase that includes adults. |
| 254 | ** The character Xigbar is more popular in the West than in the East, which is again likely a consequence of the Western preference for menacing badasses over [[{{Bishonen}} idealistic pretty boys]]. His appearance in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' as his other, Braig, helped, as does his amusing Californian accent in the English version. [[spoiler:''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' then reveals him to be the ''true'' BigBad of the franchise who had been playing Master Xehanort for saps to regain his Keyblade]]. |
| 255 | * Despite the fact that ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' has always had a rough time finding its footing in Western Markets, ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'' actually sold much better in the West than it did in Japan, where it sold pretty well but still fell short of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV''. It still inevitably drew the comparisons to Persona from newcomers to the series though, especially from game journalists with IGN in particular being endlessly mocked for being unable to go 30 seconds without mentioning Persona 5 in their review. |
| 256 | * ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'': |
| 257 | ** [[TheLancer Junpei Iori]] from ''VideoGame/Persona3'' is well-loved on both sides of the world, but his likable personality, his hilarious moments alongside some fantastic CharacterDevelopment, ''and'' the fact that he's one of the most useful party members in a game where party AI is [[AIRoulette really screwy]] all made him an instant hit in the West. After all, we can't expect anything less from [[Memes/{{Persona}} da man.]] His popularity only skyrocketed with the release of ''[[UpdatedRerelease Persona 3 Portable]]'', which not only let you play as a Female Protagonist, but also allowed you to have a Social Link with him in that route. Sure, he wasn't romanceable, but the additional insight on his already-great character only further endeared himself in the west. |
| 258 | ** Furthermore, Shinjiro is also popular on all sides of the world, but is ''especially'' popular in the West for being a tough badass with a [[BruiserWithASoftCenter hidden soft spot for cooking and animals]], alongside [[spoiler:[[DyingMomentOfAwesome dying like a total badass.]]]] Similar to Junpei, his Social Link in the Female Route of Persona 3 Portable only endeared him further to Western fans, alongside having a surprisingly dorky personality if romanced. |
| 259 | ** Judging by popularity polls, ''[[VideoGame/Persona4 Persona 4's]]'' Kanji Tatsumi is a lot more popular in the west than in Japan and the rest of Asia, for, like Shinjiro above, being a BruiserWithASoftCenter with a well-received character arc involving coming to terms with his "unmanly" interests. An excellent performance from Creator/TroyBaker helps too. |
| 260 | ** Rise Kujikawa is also a lot more liked outside of Japan, unusual for an IdolSinger. This might be due to voice acting: her Japanese voice is criticized for being extremely shrill, but in English she's voiced by Creator/LauraBailey, who gives her a much more mature, nuanced portrayal, emphasizing her role as TheHeart while still nailing her comedic moments. |
| 261 | ** 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. |
| 262 | * ''VideoGame/{{OFF}}'': The game is practically unheard of in French circles. However, the English community absolutely ''loves'' the game. As a result, many English fans has spawned dozens of fanart and fangames. Ditto for Japan and Korea, with a very large volume of fanart and fangames. |
| 263 | * To this day Creator/WorkingDesigns and the many changes made during their localizations remain divisive in the states. Some people still hold grudges over them. Their releases of the [[VideoGame/{{Lunar}} Lunar remakes]] were much adored by Japanese Lunar fans, mainly due to the deluxe packaging, {{Feelies}}, and interface changes. They were the subject of reverse importation. Many game stores sold the English version of Lunar alongside the Japanese version, and the English version of Wind's Nocturne [[MemeticMutation became a meme]]. |
| 264 | * ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'': |
| 265 | ** ''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 Platform/GameBoyAdvance, just a few years after the release of the Platform/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 dark, tragic story. It's very common to see it on many Western lists of the best (and certainly most emotional) games [[SacredCow of all time]]. |
| 266 | ** The series in general is more popular in the West, probably because of ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' There are tons of people who joined the fanbase who weren't even alive when ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' was originally released in North America, which helped it become a best-seller on the Nintendo eShop when it was finally released on the Virtual Console. The series' Japanese fanbase nowadays is more comparable to that of the ''VideoGame/SoulBlazer'' trilogy, although it's not quite the same due to the [[Creator/ShigesatoItoi celebrity]] behind the series. Most significantly, ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' is included in the American and European versions of the SNES Classic, but not the Japanese Super Famicom Mini. |
| 267 | * 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 [[Platform/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 Platform/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. |
| 268 | * The early WesternRPG series ''Phantasie'' caught on in Japan, to the point where ''Phantasie IV'' was a Japan-exclusive release. |
| 269 | * {{Roguelike}}s (specifically, the traditional DungeonCrawler 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. |
| 270 | * ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'' is considered a cult classic in France, and is ranked high in a lot of lists of people's top [=RPGs=], SNES games, and even all-time video games. There are several reasons for this: |
| 271 | ** This is one of the rare fully French-translated SNES games, which helped a lot of younger players to be invested in the story; the translation is still fondly regarded by fans for his [[ComicalTranslation wackiness]] (''"Liévro se fait rosser"''). |
| 272 | ** The game received a large publicity campaign from Nintendo, and the game was bundled with a full strategy guide. |
| 273 | ** 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 Platform/VirtualConsole re-releases, but most of the time still not translated). |
| 274 | * ''VideoGame/SweetHome1989'' is an obscure Japanese RPG based on [[Film/SweetHome1989 the movie of the same name]] and was almost forgotten. In North America, interest surged after it was discovered to be a huge inspiration for ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil''. |
| 275 | * ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'': |
| 276 | ** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' did so well overseas that the sequel's localization was announced about a week later ''VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria'' became the first game in the series to get a worldwide release. |
| 277 | ** In its native Japan, ''VideoGame/TalesOfZestiria'' suffered from major HypeBacklash. In the West, it sold [[http://steamspy.com/app/351970 a ton of copies by JRPG standards]] on Steam alone (though to be fair, it was helped by the free preorder copies of ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' and the pretty good marketing push for ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' standards), and has an overall rating of Very Positive when it comes to Steam user reviews. The character Rose has a lot more love in the West as she is more of a BaseBreakingCharacter there than in Japan where she is very much hated. |
| 278 | ** ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' was received well in its native Japan, but ''exploded'' in the West and basically defined the entire ''Tales'' fandom. It remains a beloved CultClassic. Hell, one of the reasons ''Zestiria'' was so damn popular in the West was because ''Symphonia'' was included free-of-charge; and this is for a game that was over a dozen years old at the time. |
| 279 | * ''VideoGame/{{Terranigma}}'' was way more loved in Germany than back in its native homeland in Japan, to the point where many Germans still view it as the greatest SNES RPG ever made. The German Club Nintendo published a 32-page comic about it.\ |
| 280 | One of the main reasons for its popularity in Germany may have to do with the fact that Germans in general are way more tolerant towards Japanese [=RPGs=] than any other Western country back then. Most mainstream [=JRPGs=] do not sell well at first glance, but very often get both VindicatedByHistory and obtain a long-lasting appeal. ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX'' for instance, whilst not seen as that great in Japan, was very well-liked in Germany, and kids will still bring this game up and tell you it's one of their favorite video games ever. |
| 281 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' games became very popular in Japan, and ended up influencing ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'', forming the foundation for the EasternRPG subgenre. {{Polished port}}s were released [[NoExportForYou exclusive to Japan]]. There have been ''Ultima'' [[http://wiki.ultimacodex.com/wiki/Ultima_Manga manga]] loosely based on the Famicom versions. |
| 282 | * Although well-received at home in America, the dungeon-crawler RPG series ''VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}'' was ''huge'' in Japan, with over 20 Japanese-made ports with dramatically enhanced graphics and original games made, as well as an anime series. Although the Western branch of the series has died off after the poor performance of ''Wizardry 8'' in 2001, the Japanese branch is still going strong, with releases in both the series proper and the de facto {{spinoff}} ''VideoGame/ClassOfHeroes'' coming out as recently as 2011 -- 2012 for ''Class of Heroes''. |
| 283 | * ''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 Platform/PlayStation4 and Platform/PlayStationVita and later Platform/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. |
| 284 | ** In terms of individual characters, [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Mettaton]] consistently ranks among Japanese fans' [[EnsembleDarkHorse top characters]], due to a combination of his AntiVillain nature, being the Underground's designated {{idol|singer}}, and his very [[InTouchWithHisFeminineSide effeminate personality]]. |
| 285 | * The ''Xeno'' metaseries: that is, ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', the ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' games, and the ''Xenoblade'' series. While most of these games are critically well-received, even the poor-selling ones gain far more attention in the West than they do in Japan. ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' in particular managed to sell more in the United States than in Europe and Japan combined, despite Nintendo of America assuming it would be dead-on-arrival and making it a [=GameStop=] exclusive. |
| 286 | * ''VideoGame/{{Gothic}}'' was quite well received, but never reached a level of praise and following comparable to the likes of Elder Scrolls. Except in Poland, where it is still considered a huge cult classic, in no small part due to the memorable Polish dubbing. |
| 287 | * ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' and its sequel sold surprisingly well in Poland (much to Bioware's surprise), mostly thanks to excellent dubbing starring several well-recognized actors. Piotr Fronczewski as the narrator [[MemeticMutation became so memetic]] that the fans demanded his return for the third installment announced in 2020. |
| 288 | [[/folder]] |
| 289 | |
| 290 | [[folder:Shooters -- First and Third Person]] |
| 291 | * ''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 [[Platform/{{Dendy}} famiclone]] got this game on a bundle multicart. The vast majority of hacks of this game come straight from there. |
| 292 | * ''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. |
| 293 | * ''VideoGame/CounterStrike'' has an enduring popularity in Brazil. It was briefly [[BannedInChina banned there]] (along with ''VideoGame/EverQuest'') in 2008, but [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes life, as they say, finds a way]], and the ban was lifted the following year. Much of the controversy was due to a mod set in a local slum, "cs_rio", which quickly skyrocketed in Brazilian servers. |
| 294 | ** It's also popular in Russia, to the point that CS:GO spawned the [[ForeignCussWord "Cyka Blyat"]] [[MemeticMutation meme]]. |
| 295 | * The ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series is also very popular in Russia, and many {{game mod}}s come from there. This probably has something to do with ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' and its episodes seeming to take place in an Eastern European country that was modeled on Soviet totalitarian atmosphere and its aesthetic. There was even a bootleg [[https://youtu.be/iA7A5bv72rI Russian bubblegum pack]] based on the ''leaked early build of Half-Life 2, before it was officially released''! |
| 296 | * Despite the Xbox and Xbox 360 selling poorly in Japan, the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' series is quite popular over there. While not insanely popular as it is in the West, it is popular for an Xbox game there. In fact, the Japanese niche gamers who play it have been recognized as some of the most skilled out there. When the team at Creator/{{Bungie}} Studios had a fan challenge versus a group of dedicated ''Halo'' players in Japan, they had to come up with a new word to describe just how badly they ''lost'': [[CurbStompBattle Japwned]]. The popularity of the franchise has since waned, due to the abysmal (even compared to the Xbox and Xbox 360) sales of the Xbox One and the PC version of the Master Chief Collection being overlooked once they're released even with reduced price, with ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' on the [=PlayStation=] 4 having since become the shooter of choice amongst Japanese, before ''Apex Legends'' in 2019 onwards. |
| 297 | * ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorRisingSun'' had a tepid critical reception in the West, which led EA to cancel two planned sequels to it. However, the game sold well and had good reviews in [[http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/gizmos/2004/02/player_attack_thyself.html Japan, of all places]], most peculiar for a FPS about avenging Pearl Harbor. |
| 298 | * The ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}'' series was originally made by Ukrainian developers for Ukrainian and Russian audiences (and is very well-regarded by them), but it became ''[[SleeperHit enormously]]'' popular internationally. |
| 299 | * ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' is quite popular in Japan, which is generally credited to its team-based gameplay, arcade style gameplay structure, and linear story progression. In fact, Valve teamed up with Taito to release an arcade version of ''[=L4D2=]'' that had online multiplayer support up to July 2017. |
| 300 | ** The series is '''MASSIVELY HUGE''' in the Latin America, where are many memes came from there as well as when you scroll down of several [=YouTube=] videos (including official Midnight Riders songs uploaded to the site) and even Steam Workshop addons have the section filled with Spanish comments! |
| 301 | * ''VideoGame/TheOrder1886'' got a following in Brazil, owing to how the price cuts following the commercial underperformance led it to being very affordable. |
| 302 | * While shooting games were still niche back in the day, the ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' series is the definitive FirstPersonShooter of the seventh generation of video games in Japan, owing to the linearity and cinematic experience. It's so popular that it received a dub starting from ''Modern Warfare 2'', and in response to the backlash, in Japan, the game was sold separately in English voice and Japanese voice starting from ''Black Ops'' and until ''Ghosts'', when the eighth generation of video games allowed for larger storage for voice files. |
| 303 | * {{Battle Royale Game}}s, particularly shooters, are very popular in Japan, reversing the stereotype that "shooters didn't sell well in Japan" as well as [[PopularityPolynomial bringing back PC gaming from decades of irrelevance to being one of the more-popular gaming platforms there]]. In fact, expect at least a Japanese VirtualYouTuber playing at least one such game. |
| 304 | ** Special mention goes to ''VideoGame/{{Fortnite}}'' where the top Battle Royale players are usually Japanese, with Koreans as the second best players. |
| 305 | ** And ''VideoGame/ApexLegends'', which is the front and center for EA Japan's game of choice to be marketed in Japan. |
| 306 | * ''Videogame/GarenaFreeFire'', a Battle Royale game made in Vietnam and published by the Singapore-based Garena, has enjoyed massive success in Latin and South America as well as South East Asia, especially Indonesia, usually owing to the low system requirements, although it encountered a massive case of FandomRivalry with other games. |
| 307 | * The ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' series is very popular in Mexico, to the point that at least half the people angrily swearing at you online will be doing so in Spanish. Most official esports events are held in Mexico, and ''Gears 5'', which allows you to purchase your country's flag as a banner to display behind your character, conspicuously lacks the real-life Mexican flag[[note]]This is likely thanks to Mexico's unusually protective laws regarding the use of the flag's image, with a special permit being required for any piece of media which wishes to display it[[/note]] and instead has about 4 or 5 different "Mexico" options, all with ''Gears''-inspired designs. So yeah, it's safe to say that Mexicans ''really'' like this series. |
| 308 | [[/folder]] |
| 309 | |
| 310 | [[folder:Shooters -- Scrolling]] |
| 311 | * The arcade shmup ''Silkworm'' wasn't particularly popular in Japan and is completely unknown in America, but its home computer ports did well in Europe, enough to inspire an entire European-developed series of SpiritualSuccessor under the name ''SWIV''. |
| 312 | * Some ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' characters are subject to this: |
| 313 | ** Clownpiece, the Stars-And-Stripes-wearing fairy is popular in America as EagleLand personified (despite not being this at all in the game- her boss made her wear the US flag to remind the Lunarians of that one time humans went to the Moon, which pisses them off to no end). |
| 314 | ** Marisa Kirisame is a very popular character among American players, often due to her westerly and witchy outfit. She often gets first place poll after poll. Compare that to Reimu Hakurei, who is Japan's most popular character. Reimu was still well-received by western players, but they don't view her as a "perfect" character. |
| 315 | ** China has this too with Kaguya Houraisan. She even made her way into the top 20 for most popular characters in China. |
| 316 | * Creator/{{Psikyo}}'s shmup library, especially ''VideoGame/Strikers1945'', seems notably popular in South Korea. Multiple mobile games based on Psikyo's shmups have been released by different Korean companies, the ''Psikyo Collection Vol.1'' was announced for release in Korea first, and ''Strikers 1945'' in particular would spawn three arcade [[FollowTheLeader clones]] developed by different Korean developers around the turn of the millenium. |
| 317 | * Despite being [[NoExportForYou unreleased outside Japan]], ''Super VideoGame/{{Darius}} 2'' is considered a great version of the game by western fans of the series, with praise going for its rocking CD soundtrack, [[ReformulatedGame substantial amount of new content]] and more forgiving gameplay. It thus often becomes a surprise for said fans to learn the games is widely hated in Japan and considered one of the nadir of the series due to complaints such as the ScreenCrunch, T's Music arrangements not fitting the spirit of the original compositions, and the new bosses being considered goofy-looking and poorly drawn. |
| 318 | * The ''VideoGame/BulletHellMonday'' series, particularly the original mobile versions, are quite popular in developing Southeast Asian countries (such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia) relative to other shmups, due to having a much more affordable barrier to entry; the first game and ''Finale''[='=]s Chapter modes can be completed without having to spend any money on the game and the Steam version of ''Finale'' is outright freeware, and most gamers there can't really afford games that are not "free-to-play" smartphone games. |
| 319 | * ''[[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 ''[=DoDonPachi=] Dai Ou Jou 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. |
| 320 | [[/folder]] |
| 321 | |
| 322 | [[folder:Survival Horror Games]] |
| 323 | * Korean gamers love ''VideoGame/AoOni'' if the number of Korean fangames is of any indication. |
| 324 | * Capcom believes that Americans love Frank West of ''VideoGame/DeadRising'', so they're [[http://www.destructoid.com/capcom-loves-frank-west-wants-him-in-everything-172114.phtml putting him in as many games as possible]]. They're kind of on the money with Frank's [[MemeticMutation internet popularity]]. |
| 325 | ** 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 Platform/{{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. |
| 326 | * Japanese players have a liking to ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' in general. Mind you, shooters in general are a niche in Japan, but ''Dead Space'' is the one that sticks out amongst the shooters because it was [[NoExportForYou never released in Japan]] and never had an official translation. Despite this, there are fanwikis dedicated to translating the ''entire'' game series and has a widely popular MemeticMutation in the form of [[HeroicMime Isaac's helmet for his speech]]. |
| 327 | * The ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' series is building up a modest following in Japan, with Let's Plays becoming more frequent on Website/NicoNicoDouga. And much like the following ''WebAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'' has, artists on places like Website/{{Pixiv}} tend to draw humanized versions of the animatronics. |
| 328 | ** Not even fan games are immune. ''VideoGame/OneNightAtFlumptys'' also has a small dedicated following, with crossover art with FNAF being common. |
| 329 | * ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'', due to the character-based story, became one of the best selling modern Western games in Japan at the time. |
| 330 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'': |
| 331 | ** Good old Barry Burton from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil''. In Japan he's all but forgotten, while in America he's easily one of the most (if not ''the'' most) popular characters. His [[BadBadActing hammy acting]], [[LargeHam cheesy lines]], [[{{BFG}} love of guns]], and strong family man values remind Western audiences of lovably cheesy '80s action movie stars. It seems the developers are aware of this, if his [[https://matteomazzali.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/ludus_mercenaries_-0000.jpg over-the-top alternate costume]] from ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheMercenaries3D The Mercenaries 3D]]'' is anything to go by. There is also a ''fantastic'' GameMod of the original ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' called [[https://www.moddb.com/mods/resident-evil-barrys-mod Barry's Mod]] that lets you play as the man himself, complete with full voice acting made by taking clips from his lines in the original game along with remixed puzzles, different item placements, and modified enemy skins and layouts: the West loves him ''that'' much. |
| 332 | ** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7'' had much lower sales compared to previous titles in the franchise in Japan, in contrast overseas, where sales were the best since ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'''s release. Disapointing sales domestically might have be due to stricter standards being placed with Japanese ratings, combined with the BloodierAndGorier levels that even have the Z-rated version (a second M-tier rating by CERO usually reserved for "extreme" violence, extreme as CERO allowed to be though) toned down the more extreme levels of {{Gorn}}. |
| 333 | ** The series in general has a noticeable Brazilian fanbase, which may be related to the presence of Carlos Oliveira (stated to be Brazilian by WordOfGod). Also, there is ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'', who appears to be the most famous installment of the series in the country perhaps due to the prominent use of Spanish resonating closely to Brazilian players- despite being from a Portuguese-speaking country. At any rate, there is quite a number of fan content to be found in Brazil's community, such as news channels, wikis and even stuff such as [[GagDub Gag Dubs]] and serious, competent fan dubs and subs. |
| 334 | ** Also the series is one of a few Japanese video game franchises to receive localizations on Eastern European languages, like Polish and Russian. ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' was the first installment of the series to receive a decent PC (personal computers in the former Communist states are more popular than consoles) port and voice acting on the respective languages. Poles were disappointed after finding out that the eighth installment of the series would lack the Polish localization. |
| 335 | * The ''Franchise/SilentHill'' series is more loved overseas than in Japan, so much so that the last four titles have been developed by Western studios and had belated releases in Japan. Understandable, in that the series specifically targeted a Western audience to begin with as well as taking a lot of cues from supernatural horror literature and TV series of the twentieth century. |
| 336 | ** Similarly to the example above, Silent Hill is also popular in the Eastern Europe. This is due to more sophisticated approach to scare the players. A few modern Silent Hill games were developed by a Czech studio and the upcoming remake of the sequel is developed by a Polish studio |
| 337 | [[/folder]] |
| 338 | |
| 339 | [[folder:Turn-Based Strategy]] |
| 340 | * The ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars'' series has a considerably larger fanbase in North America and Europe than in its native Japan. Ironically, all previous entries in the wider ''Nintendo Wars'' series were [[NoExportForYou Japan-exclusive]] because, hilariously enough, Nintendo thought their fans across the pond [[ViewersAreMorons wouldn't "get" the complicated nature of turn-based strategy]]. Kentaro Nishimura, the series creator, even admitted in an interview how wrong they were and credited the success of the ''Advance Wars'' series as the reason Nintendo saw fit to release ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' in North America as well. In contrast, ''Advance Wars'' onward doesn't have the best history in the region. ''Game Boy Wars Advance'' had its release cancelled in favor of the Game Boy Color title ''Game Boy Wars 3''. It did come out as a dual-pack with its sequel three years later, but both the GBA games and the first Nintendo DS game sold poorly enough that the second DS game (''Days of Ruin''/''Dark Conflict'') was released ''five years'' after the North American and Europe versions as a ''Club Nintendo exclusive reward''. Going forward, Nintendo would give the ''Wars'' series to Western developers, with ''Advance Wars: Days of Ruin'' only getting a North American and European release at first, as well as handing the rights of remaking ''Advance Wars'' and ''Advance Wars: Black Hole Rising'' to the California-based Creator/WayforwardTechnologies who made ''Advance Wars 1+2: Reboot Camp''... which launched to ''incredible'' 8 and 9's out of 10 across the board in the USA even in spite of its delays. |
| 341 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea|HourOfDarkness}}'', '''Captain Gordon, DEFENDER OF EARTH!!''' has more of a fanbase in America than in Japan (he has considerably ''less'' fanart than Laharl, Etna, Flonne, Mid Boss, etc.). This might be because Americans relate to the AffectionateParody better, which also makes him a case of MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales. Sapphire from ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 3|AbsenceOfJustice}}'' is also more popular in America. See AmericansHateTingle for characters that are less popular in America than in Japan. |
| 342 | * ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'': |
| 343 | ** 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]] 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). |
| 344 | ** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' remains rather popular in the West. Not only in the ROM hacking scene (most tools for hacking Platform/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. |
| 345 | ** Despite selling very poorly overall, ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn Radiant Dawn]]'' remain very popular cult classics in the West. Many people cite the games for having the best story, characters and worldbuilding out of all of the internationally-released games in the series. Not to mention that [[TheHero Ike]] is ''insanely'' popular, ranking on the Legends Popularity Poll as ''the'' most popular Fire Emblem male, and that's not factoring in other EnsembleDarkhorse characters, such as [[GenkiGirl Mia]], [[CountryMouse Nephenee]], [[FriendlyRival Boyd]], and numerous others. |
| 346 | ** Marth and Roy themselves are an example of this regarding game fandoms rather than countries. Marth's games are considered old hat 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. |
| 347 | * Russia seems to be very fond of classic turn-based strategy games, further reinforcing the stereotype of Russians being good at chess. Among the favorites are ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'', ''VideoGame/{{XCOM}}'', and ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance'', but most importantly, ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'', specifically the third part (widely believed to be the best in the series by many, Russian or not). Go ahead, just ''try'' to find a gamer that won't play a multiplayer match or two of [[FanNickname "Troika"]] with you. |
| 348 | ** Also, that's a reason that the Moscow-based Nival Interactive's been trusted with making ''[=HoMM V=]''. Russian fans wouldn't have forgiven them for doing badly, and, for the most part, it paid off. |
| 349 | * ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' is loved in Poland as well, to the point that it can be difficult to find a video guide on Youtube that isn't narrated by someone with a Polish accent. It's the reason why Civ V and VI included a Poland civilization. Interesting, for their part, many Poles who rate favorite Civs do disqualify listing Poland as their favorite civ to play, to avoid bias (Poland tends to see reliable use as it's a good Jack of all Stats and can reliably build to any victory condition). |
| 350 | [[/folder]] |
| 351 | |
| 352 | [[folder:Visual Novels]] |
| 353 | * 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 Platform/{{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. |
| 354 | * ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' is originally Japanese, and the characters have Japanese names as such. However, it got very popular in the English-speaking community due to its {{Woolseyism}}-filled translation, as the character names are usually PunnyNames that are very carefully retained in the English version. Along with this went a shift from it taking place in Japan to California, which led to some [[MemeticMutation memes]] that only made it so that more people discovered the game. |
| 355 | * Kent from ''VisualNovel/AmnesiaMemories'' is one of the game's least popular love interests in its home country of Japan and got the [[DemotedToExtra least amount of focus]] in the anime adaptation, but he's the most popular one in the Western fandom with a lot of its fans finding his [[NoSocialSkills social awkwardness]] [[{{Adorkable}} endearing]] and viewing him as the love interest who treats the protagonist the most decently. Multiple [[https://breadmasterlee.com/2012/01/02/otome-game-review-amnesia/ Western otome]] [[http://otomeobsessed.com/post/132163133246/as-someone-who-has-playedwatched-amnesia-that review blogs]] have even gone so far as to call him the saving grace of the game for them! Toma, meanwhile, suffers from the [[AmericansHateTingle reverse fate]]. |
| 356 | * ''VisualNovel/BloomingPanic'' has a large Filipino fanbase to the point that the official server (not to be confused with the one in-game) has a thread dedicated to them. It helps that xyx, one of the love interests, is Filipino-Australian. |
| 357 | * The OtomeGame ''VisualNovel/CodeRealize'' sold twice as many copies in the states than it did in its native Japan. Especially impressive since it was Platform/PlayStationVita exclusive, since the platform [[AmericansHateTingle was a flop outside of Japan]]. |
| 358 | * ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'': |
| 359 | ** While they're not hated, BigGuy[=/=]GentleGiant characters (like Sakura, Nekomaru and Gonta) tends to be ranked poorly in Japanese popularity pools, but are all well beloved by the western fanbase. |
| 360 | ** ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'': The difference between the [[https://www.reddit.com/r/danganronpa/comments/769987/spoilers_allowed_the_new_new_danganronpa_v3/ Reddit Western]] and [[https://www.reddit.com/r/danganronpa/comments/5xw14h/ndrv3_popularity_japanese_poll/ official eastern]] popularity pools will show that there was a very different reception to certain characters. |
| 361 | *** Kaito is by far the biggest one, scoring a measly 11th place in Japan among the students, he sky rocketed to fourth place in the west due to his AwesomeEgo and playing as the team's [[TheHeart emotional center]]. This may be partially due to how the localization also removed some of his more politically incorrect comments that he made in the Japanese version. |
| 362 | *** Ryoma isn't very popular with the Japanese fandom, scoring 15th place, losing even to [[KnightTemplarBigBrother Korekiyo]] and [[PreacherMan Angie]]. In the west, he gotten a better reception for being a character with a NonStandardCharacterDesign that is not a pervert unlike [[TheScrappy Teruteru and Hifumi]] and not entirely written OutOfFocus in comparison to [[Anime/Danganronpa3TheEndOfHopesPeakHighSchool Daisaku Bandai]]. Fans also like him for tear-jerking story arc and his surprising badassery. |
| 363 | * ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters'': Kurugaya, the game's resident ActionGirl CoolBigSis, tends to be extremely popular among Western and Latin American audiences, especially female fans, compared to Japan where she's more of a fringe favourite for fans of older women over {{Moe}}. Also, while [[ManChild Kyousuke]]/[[WideEyedIdealist Komari]] is one of the most popular non-canon pairings in Japan, it's almost unheard of among English speakers who tend to prefer them in yaoi/yuri relationships with [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Riki]] and [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Rin]] respectively, while among Western audiences [[MasculineGirlFeminineBoy Kurugaya/Riki]] seems to be much more popular than in Japan. |
| 364 | * ''VisualNovel/TrueLoveJunaiMonogatari'' was one of the less popular offerings of the undistinguished HGame publisher Software House Parsley in its home country of Japan. It's better known in its English translation, since it was one of the first {{Dating Sim}}s to receive one. |
| 365 | * Kinzo Ushiromiya of ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'' isn't all that popular in Japan (according to the character polls), but, thanks to massive MemeticMutation (helped along by "OH DESIRE") in America, he's become pretty popular in the States. |
| 366 | * The ''VisualNovel/ZeroEscape'' series sold far better in the West than in its homeland. This delayed the [[VisualNovel/ZeroTimeDilemma third game's]] development, as Creator/SpikeChunsoft felt that the Japanese sales were not good enough to justify funding it. |
| 367 | [[/folder]] |
| 368 | |
| 369 | [[folder:Other]] |
| 370 | * In Mexico, ''VideoGame/AngryBirds'' was so popular that they actually collaborated with their equivalent of pogs (Vuela Tazos) in 2012. |
| 371 | * According to ''VideoGame/{{Beecarbonize}}'''s [[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/2486750/view/3869219612667482003?l=english 2023 year-end report]], the game had significantly more downloads from China and the US than its home country, Czech Republic. |
| 372 | * The ''[[VideoGame/{{Buzz}} 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. |
| 373 | * ''VideoGame/CookingMama'' is one of the most iconic games of the DS/Wii generation around the world... except its home country of Japan. Japanese people were confused at its massive overseas popularity. |
| 374 | * 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 HouseholdNames 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). |
| 375 | * 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. |
| 376 | * 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. |
| 377 | * For a downplayed example, ''VideoGame/FortuneStreet Wii'' was loathed by many Japanese players that were fans of other games in the series. But when it was localized to America as ''Fortune Street'' (''Boom Street'' in Europe and Australia), it was better received, mostly since it was the first in the series to get released outside of Japan. |
| 378 | * While ''VideoGame/FruitNinja'' was developed in Australia, it became one of the most popular [=iOS=] games in China and the United States. |
| 379 | * ''VideoGame/GravityDefied'', 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. |
| 380 | * The farming sim ''VideoGame/HayDay'' 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. |
| 381 | * 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]]. |
| 382 | ** 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. |
| 383 | ** [[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). |
| 384 | * ''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. |
| 385 | ** 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. |
| 386 | * ''VideoGame/KatamariDamacy'' was a sleeper hit in the United States, but it was moderately popular in its native Japan. |
| 387 | * 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''. |
| 388 | * Games created by Creator/Level5 are huge in Europe. The ''VideoGame/ProfessorLayton'' series, for example, can often be found in the top-10 selling games on websites like Amazon whenever a new game is released, and ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven'' was one of ''Creator/DisneyXD'''s highest-rated shows outside of their originals [[ScrewedByTheNetwork despite its treatment]] and was also a major seller in the United States. On top of that, ''VideoGame/YoKaiWatch'' also sold well in Europe, making the #1 game in the charts for France for several weeks, in contrast to [[AmericansHateTingle its North American sales]]. |
| 389 | * While Japan and North America certainly like it plenty, Latin America absolutely loves the ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' series. Just look up any video about the game, be it levels, bosses or the soundtrack, you will find at least half the comments are in Spanish. |
| 390 | * ''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. |
| 391 | * 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''. |
| 392 | * ''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. |
| 393 | * 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 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). |
| 394 | * ''VideoGame/SlayTheSpire'' initially had a weak start when it was first released in Early Access, and it wasn't until it received attention in China when the game started to pick up in popularity. As a matter of fact, as of March 2019, of the 1.5 million copies sold, [[https://www.pcgamesn.com/slay-the-spire/slay-the-spire-sales 43% of those sales were from China, with 59% of all sales being from non-English countries]]. |
| 395 | * ''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. |
| 396 | * ''VideoGame/SuperMonkeyBall'' is far more successful in the West than its native Japan. The original game only sold 72k in Japan and its sequels would do truly miserable numbers in the country, while it was one of Sega's best-selling Gamecube title in America. Series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi would note the discrepancy in an interview. |
| 397 | -->"Because it was for Nintendo hardware, I focused on an all-ages idea rather than a genre title… I gave it 100% but if flopped in Japan, so when it blew up overseas I didn't know why; the president said 'you were aiming at overseas all along!' & I was like 'uh, sure'." |
| 398 | * 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. |
| 399 | ** 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. |
| 400 | * ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'' is a 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]]. |
| 401 | ** 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). |
| 402 | [[/folder]] |
| 403 | |
| 404 | !!InUniverse Examples |
| 405 | * ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': |
| 406 | ** Usually, Luigi is living in the shadow of his extremely famous brother Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom, but in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor,'' it is shown that in Rogueport it seems to be the other way around. Due to a very high-selling book about Luigi, he is far more well-known than his brother. |
| 407 | ** ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' suggests that Brocks[[note]] (whom we only find out in VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam to be called that PunnyName when more of their species appear)[[/note]] love Bowser. Broque Monsieur dislikes the Mario Bros. for their block-smashing ways, but accepts help from, aids and routinely deals with Bowser at his shop. Madame is friendly with but dismissive of the brothers, but her vivid description of the perfect romantic interest describes some of Bowser's earlier actions, and he winds up giving her many massages. With help. However, ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'' reveals this is a subversion, as only Broque Monsieur hates them for their block-smashing ways[[note]]With his friendliness towards them being a facade, as you can discover via an optional cutscene in a ContinuityNod[[/note]] - the other Brocks, Broque Madame included, hold the same opinion towards the Mario Brothers and Bowser as any other race and have neutral feelings towards them at worse. |
| 408 | * In one episode of Telltale's ''VideoGame/SamAndMaxFreelancePolice'' series of episodic games our heroes are cast as the stars of a TV show called Midtown Cowboys, which in a later episode proves to be insanely popular in ''Germany'' despite being cancelled right after the first episode in North America. |
| 409 | * In ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'', it turns out that the [[ShowWithinAShow Steel Samurai]] is incredibly popular in Allebahst while the [[ShowWithinAShow Jammin' Ninja]] is very popular in Babahl. Fitting, since the two TV shows have a FandomRivalry and are in direct competition with each other, while the two countries are bitter enemies. It's possible that whichever country picked their favourite show second simply picked the opposite show out of spite. |
| 410 | * Any downloadable content in ''VideoGame/RockBand'' becomes this in Solo Career mode, due to all the [=DLC=] being played in the Japanese venue. Humorous when you download a lot of songs by a particular band. |
| 411 | * In ''Franchise/MortalKombat'', one of Johnny Cage's earlier movies flopped in America. However, that same movie was very popular in France to the point of becoming a CultClassic. Its name? ''Ninja Mime''. |
| 412 | * ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' has Nuka Cherry. Apparently, Cherry Nuka-Cola proved to be a hit in the Commonwealth before and after the Great War, even though the product itself was a major marketing failure everywhere else in America. This is in reference to the real life marketing disaster of New Coke whose new formula alienated the Coca-Cola fanbase and demanded that the company switch back to its original recipe, to which the company eventually did. |
| 413 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'', the German Reinhardt is, of course, a big fan of Hasselhoff's music. He often gets into arguments with walking (er, skating) ''VideoGame/JetSetRadio'' reference Lúcio, as both dislike the other's taste in music. |
| 414 | ** Although as revealed in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'', Lúcio actually ''does'' like Hasselhoff's music, [[GuiltyPleasures he just doesn't want to admit it in front of Reinhardt]]. |
| 415 | ** The character of D.va (Hana Song) is a reference to Starcraft's popularity in South Korea. |
| 416 | * ''VideoGame/ShadowrunReturns'': In ''Dragonfall'' it is stated that your somewhat aged shaman Dietrich was the front man and singer of a Berlin-based punk band called '''MESSERKAMPF!''' twenty years earlier. In ''Hong Kong'' it turns out that '''MESSERKAMPF!''' is ''huge'' in the Japanese Imperial State, to the point of being mainstream, in spite of not having existed for twenty years. |
| 417 | * ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'': Xingqiu once authored a martial arts novel called "A Legend of Sword" based on his own experiences. While it flopped in Liyue, it became incredibly popular in Inazuma and Fontaine, to the point where local Inazuma writers even tried to [[FollowTheLeader copy off its success]]. Albedo's story entry gives an explanation: while he is already a good artist, he saw illustrations from Inazuma and thought they have such "narrative power", so he collaborated with Xingqiu to be the latter's novel's illustrator. Liyue lambasted the novel as "a dictionary with divine illustrations” but given that Inazuma's style of drawing inspired Albedo, it is no surprise that the novel attracted an Inazuman merchant, allowing it to become popular in that country. |
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