Websites Applicable
Retroarch Official Site

Retroarch is a emulation setup program that allows you to play backup ROMs from a number of different systems on a variety of devices. You must acquire your own backups to play. However, all you really need to do is install Retroarch onto your computer or smart phone… or even some TVs, and download the core for whatever console you want to emulate and you are playing Sega Genesis on your computer. Cool huh.

I have recently discovered a new feature added to Retroarch; the ability to translate game live while playing them from Japanese to English. The game will even read it to you with a voice synth, with, mixed results. I don’t suggest using that feature but the other definitely opens up a library of games that is brilliant.

I know most people are thinking SNES RPGs Woo! when you hear about that feature. However, there is a series of systems that might not come to mind immediately when hearing this. NEC’s line is one that perks my interest specifically. However there is an even more illusive system… the Fajitsu FM Towns Marty. Specifically games made by a company called Fairytale.

Most people know about Falcom due to their recent influence with the Ys and Dragon Slayer series getting mainstream popularity. However, one company during that golden era of Japanese RPGs did not survive. That was Fairytale and fittingly they made some awesome horror games. Not sure why they decided to be known as Fairytale. In the same vein as games like Snatcher they made point and click adventure RPGs.

One of the more known titles is the Dead of the Brain series. A zombie Lovecraftian horror which clearly took some heavy influences from Re-Animator. Another game is Necronomicon a retelling of the Dunwich horror. I have wanted to get my hands on a translation of these games as my Japanese poor if your being very generous.

Another series is the Sorcarian series by above mentioned Falcom which hardly showed the western world any love at all. Not to mention the later entries of the Brandish series. Master of Monster is another title that only saw two releases in the states but have many others.

Also let’s not forget microsofts first console. The MSX and MSX 2 + Varients, those two have some pretty heavy libraries. The games are a bit dated but we are readers here the stories are what matters to us right?

As I said most know about the NEC PC Engine (TurboGrafix in the west.) but do you know about the PC-88 and PC-98 or perhaps the PCFX. All great systems with their own iconic libraries of wonderful titles.

Basically what I am saying is this technology is very exciting for someone like me who enjoys retro RPGs. It really opens an entire world of games that really needed a proper reach in the west. Sadly we won’t see great games like these made anymore because of our changing culture and economic abilities. However, we have what was already made and kept from us due to language barriers. So I am taking some time to really tittle around with some of these titles. Let me know some of the titles you are going to play.