Off the Beaten Path: 10 Underrated Games That a Japanese Game Store Would Put Front and Center

Here's a scenario you might recognize. You've finished the latest big-budget release, you've seen everything on the new arrivals shelf at your local shop (if you're lucky enough to still have one), and you're scrolling through storefronts feeling like there's nothing left to discover. Meanwhile, in a well-stocked game rental store in Asahikawa, a staff member is taping a handwritten recommendation card to a game that would completely change your week — if only you knew it existed.

That's the gap we're trying to close. At Video World Asahikawa, discovery is kind of our whole deal. So we put together a list of ten games that don't get nearly enough attention in the US market — across different genres, platforms, and eras — along with what makes each one worth your time and where you can actually find them.

Why Does the US Miss So Many Great Games?

Before we get into the list, it's worth understanding why so many genuinely excellent games fly under the radar in America. A big part of it is marketing budget. The US gaming market is dominated by massive publisher franchises, and smaller titles — especially those from Japanese developers with limited localization budgets — simply don't get the promotional muscle to compete for shelf space or algorithm real estate.

There's also a genre bias at play. Japanese developers have historically excelled in RPGs, visual novels, tactical games, and simulation titles — genres that have traditionally had smaller but deeply passionate US audiences. That's changing, but slowly. In the meantime, a ton of genuinely special games are sitting there waiting to be found.

Consider this your staff picks board.

1. Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories (PS4/PC)

Genre: Adventure/Survival

This one had a rough road to the West — it was originally canceled after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake made its disaster-themed content feel too sensitive. But when it finally arrived, it brought something genuinely unique: a survival adventure set in the immediate aftermath of a massive earthquake, built around moral choices and human connection rather than combat. It's weird, emotionally heavy, and completely unlike anything else in the genre. Find it on Steam or hunt for a physical PS4 copy.

2. Yakuza: Like a Dragon — But Specifically the Earlier Yakuza Games (PS4/Xbox/PC)

Genre: Action RPG

Okay, Like a Dragon has gotten some mainstream love. But the earlier entries in the Yakuza series — particularly Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami — still don't get the everyday conversation they deserve outside enthusiast circles. They're sprawling character studies wrapped in brawler mechanics, stuffed with minigames, karaoke, and genuine emotional storytelling. Start at zero. Seriously.

3. Omori (PC/Switch/PS4/Xbox)

Genre: Psychological RPG

This indie RPG spent years in development and arrived to quiet critical acclaim but surprisingly limited mainstream reach. It's a psychological horror game wrapped in a pastel art style, dealing with grief, guilt, and memory in ways that are genuinely affecting. Fair warning: it goes places. But for players willing to commit, it's one of the most memorable RPG experiences of the last decade.

4. Kenzan! / Way of the Samurai Series (PS3/PSP)

Genre: Action Adventure

The Way of the Samurai games are criminally overlooked. Each entry drops you into a historical Japanese setting and gives you a short window of in-game time to navigate a web of factions, moral choices, and sword fights — with wildly different outcomes depending on your decisions. The rough-around-the-edges production quality actually adds to the charm. These are exactly the kind of games a specialty rental store would have in a dedicated "cult classics" section.

5. Nier: Automata — But Have You Played Nier Replicant? (PS4/Xbox/PC)

Genre: Action RPG

Automata broke through to mainstream US audiences, which is fantastic. But its predecessor, Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139..., remains widely underplayed. It's slower, stranger, and more emotionally brutal — and its multiple-playthrough structure, where the story fundamentally changes each time you replay it, is one of the most ambitious narrative designs in gaming. Don't sleep on it just because it came second.

6. Tengoku Struggle: Strayside (Switch/PS4 — Import)

Genre: Visual Novel

This one requires some effort to find in the US, but it's worth the import hunt. A romantic visual novel set in the afterlife with gorgeous art and a cast of characters drawn from Japanese mythology and folklore. If you've been curious about the visual novel genre and want an entry point that's genuinely accessible, this is a strong pick. Check import-friendly retailers or digital storefronts.

7. Deadly Premonition (Switch/PS3/Xbox 360)

Genre: Open-World Mystery

Few games polarize people quite like Deadly Premonition. Technically janky, narratively bonkers, and utterly committed to its own strange vision of a Pacific Northwest murder mystery, it's become a legitimate cult classic. It's Twin Peaks filtered through a lo-fi Japanese developer's imagination, and there's genuinely nothing else like it. The Switch port is your easiest entry point.

8. Disco Elysium (PC/PS4/Xbox)

Genre: CRPG / Narrative

Wait — this one did get some attention. But it still hasn't reached the audience it deserves among console players in the US, and its political depth, writing quality, and sheer creative ambition put it in a category by itself. If you're the kind of person who loves when games take big swings with their storytelling, this is non-negotiable.

9. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PS4/PS5/Xbox/Switch/PC)

Genre: JRPG

The spiritual successor to the beloved Suikoden series arrived in 2024 and immediately earned passionate praise from JRPG fans — but largely failed to break through to casual US audiences. It's a throwback to classic JRPG design with a massive cast, gorgeous pixel art, and a recruitment system that rewards exploration. If you miss the golden era of the genre, this one fills that hole almost perfectly.

10. Pentiment (PC/Xbox)

Genre: Narrative Adventure

Obsidian Entertainment made a medieval illuminated manuscript come to life and almost nobody talked about it outside of enthusiast circles. Pentiment is a slow-burn mystery set in 16th-century Bavaria, told entirely in a hand-illustrated style that looks like a living book. It's patient, literary, and completely unlike anything else on the market. One of the best games of 2022 that most people have never heard of.

Where to Find These Games

For US players, options include Steam, the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Game Pass for digital versions. For physical copies — especially import titles — check out specialty retailers like Play-Asia, Limited Run Games, and eBay for secondhand finds. And if you're ever in Asahikawa, you already know where to look.

The best games don't always come with the biggest marketing campaigns. Sometimes they come with a handwritten card on a shelf — and those are the ones worth remembering.