Games We Never Got To Play

Sometimes games are banned in certain countries, or are never translated into our language or just come out on a console we can’t justify buying. Australian gamers were recently disappointed to find out that Saints Row IV had been refused classification in Australia. Given that many people will now be unable to enjoy the game, this week the Non-Fiction Gaming crew decided to lament over the many games we never got to play for one reason or another.

Senior Stiv

This week was a tough one to figure out. Living in the United States I never had to worry about a banned game. We certainly have plenty of controversy surrounding particular violent games, but we can still get a hold of them. The games I’ve missed are exclusive games for other systems. I feel like I’m going to completely miss out on Journey. Yes, I could simply buy a PS3 but with new systems on the way I don’t see the need to put money down on two new systems. The game looks too cool to pass up, but without the proper cash and poor timing I fear I’ll never get to venture through that beautiful wasteland.

Ion_Squared

With the release of Project X Zone coming soon my memory is cast back to seeing the trailer for something amazing.

Now I have to admit that I’m a bit of a sucker for a thumping J-Pop track (Oh, FullMetal Alchemist, you have forever ruined me) coupled with some sweet animation. Especially if the production house happens to be Production I.G.

So there it was, this amazing first trailer (seriously check out that link – KRS 2) showcasing some of Capcom and Namco’s finest basically tearing it up. My jaw dropped and all I could think is “What is this thing of beauty that has been put before me?” The answer was Namco X Capcom.

After some research I found it was a cross-over Strategy RPG between two of my favourite companies being released during the Playstation 2’s prime. The more in-game footage I saw the more my mouth watered and I could not wait to get my hands on this beast. Alas, it was not to be as the game was a Japanese exclusive. Now I was fully aware that through some modding, eBaying or flat-out piracy I could have gotten hold of the game but unfortunately I have no knowledge of Japanese and if you’re not playing a JRPG with story in mind I think the whole point tends to be missed. Had I the time or energy I probably would have gone out of my way to learn Japanese just to play this game but hey, I’m a busy man.

Fortunately with Project X Zone just around the corner for a western release I might just get my chance to experience what essentially looks like the same game, now with 33.3333333333% more Sega! Score! In the meantime I’m gonna pull that crazy awesome intro movie on Youtube. Seriously I highly recommend checking it out. It’s one of the better pieces of animation I’ve seen.

Sheriff Dan

So far I’m a bit upset that I’ve missed a few Playstation 3 exclusive titles that looked awesome.

The internet (Reddit) has exploded the last month with screenshots and comments regarding The Last of Us. What looks to be another gruff male leads a young girl around (Hello Bioshock Infinite) apparently has so much more to it (much like Bioshock). I’m a fan of the post-apocalyptic setting and an AI escort that doesn’t make you want to strangle the life from them.

The Playstation 3 has passed me by and it hasn’t even been replaced by the next generation yet. For me, this generation has been filled up with great 360, PC and 3DS games. That doesn’t leave much time for a Sony in my life. When it came to choosing which side I would take in the current gen, the semi-adult I was could only choose one and the 360 won out (although PC master race forever, just quietly).

I loved its older brother the PS2 which took me into its folds and didn’t mind that I had been raised by a Super Nintendo and N64. I was also a huge fan of Indigo Prophecy which made me want to try out Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls at some point. With the next generation looming and the threat of no backwards compatibility on all sides, I don’t think I’ll make it to some of the great PS3 titles of this generation. Ellie, Jodie and David will just have to go on without me.

KRS 2

I’ve been a big fan of Kingdom Hearts series ever since the days of the PlayStation 2 and have collected every game in so far with the exception of Kingdom Hearts 3D (because money). What some people may not know is that both Kingdom Hearts one and two got a re release in Japan with a ton more content under the name Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix (and Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix). Neither of these games was released in English at any point so I couldn’t even pirate it without learning Japanese.

Now Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix I didn’t mind missing out on too much as it was only a couple extra boss fights here or there, extra items and an awesome teaser trailer for Kingdom Hearts II that I could watch online.

However Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix added so much more content that I was really infuriated I missed out on it. These features included special challenge boss fights, new weapons, extra additions to the story mode, brand new secret boss fights, another kickass teaser for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and more. Oh and there was a special edition version that came with a copy of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories completely remade for the PlayStation 2 (it was initially a GameBoy Advance game). To top it all off, Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix included a boss fight against Roxas which I was waiting for the entire time I played Kingdom Heart II! And it hurts even more finding out the battle music for that fight is literally one of the best songs in the whole game! Any fans of Kingdom Hearts or Roxas will feel their heart breaking every time they hear this piece.

However there is hope as Kingdom Hearts HD is coming for the PS3 which includes Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and all the cutscenes from Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 days in one glorious HD package and fully translated for the west. I can only hope Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix (yes, they have a pattern of releasing better version of every game in the series) get similar treatment.

What games did you miss out on? Was it because of where you lived or the consoles in your reach? Let us know in the comments below.