Sometimes I do not understand game companies here in the United States. Yes I know all they care about is making a profit, yet sometimes they leave the hardcore gamers behind.

While Japan is busy enjoying amazing sequels to titles they, and us as well, have come to know and love, we are left with either inferior US sequels, licensed junk, or games that are unworthy of branding the series name (Contra Force, anyone?)
This trend goes back all the way to the NES days.

After finishing the original Metal Gear, I read in Nintendo Power that a sequel would be coming out soon, but it was just listed as Metal Gear II. Well, a Metal Gear II did come out, but in Japan only for the MSX computer system. What did we get in return? Snake's Revenge, a dumbed down, action based mission which committed a MGS taboo with side-scrolling stages. Eventually I would find out that Hideo Kojima himself was not involved with the game, and to this day it is not considered canon to the MGS storyline.

The trend continued on when I upgraded to a Sega Saturn. Near the end of the system's lifespan, several killer 2D titles were making their way to the market. Well in Japan, at least.

The Saturn had an arcade perfect conversion of X-Men vs. Street Fighter that took advantage of Capcom's 4MB RAM cart. As a result, there was virtually no load times, and the game featured the tag team gameplay found in the arcade, compared to the inferior PS1's one-on-one combat.

Was there a US release? Noooooooooo.

Then there was Thunder Force V. When it was released in Japan for the Saturn, this shooter set new ground for 2.5D based shooters. Was there a US release? Not for the Saturn; only for the PS1.

And lastly there was Silhouette Mirage, another great side scroller from the gods at Treasure (of Gunstar Heroes, Guardian Heroes, Radiant Silvergun, and Gradius V fame.) Again, there was no release for the Saturn, but it did come out for the PS1.

So for someone like me who had a Saturn, I had to spend upwards of $100 for each title, all because Sega wouldn't have the guts to release them here. And back then I could only point the finger at one person, Bernie Stolar. Ever find it ironic that he originally worked for Sony? Perhaps he worked as a double agent to insure PlayStation's success.

As I got more and more into the emulation scene, I came across a lot of great sequels and remakes that never saw the light of day here in the US. A lot of them came from a very popular Japanese computer called the X68000. It was capable of providing the most arcade perfect titles I had ever come across at that time, and two games that really impressed me was a remake of the original Castlevania, and an unknown Gradius title called Nemesis '90. Eventually the X68000 version of Castlevania did emerge in the US as the PS1's Castlevania Chronicles, but outside of emulation, no Nemesis '90.

Lastly, I only heard about what many consider to be the greatest Gradius title of all, Gradius Gaiden on the Japanese PS1. I never saw Gaiden personally, but with choosing between four different fighters, and taking advantage of the PS1's 3D capabilities, it must have gave a new look to the legendary series.

Thankfully titles like Chronicles are given a US release, due to its hardcore fanbase, and only recently did I find out that Gradius Gaiden was released here, in the form of Gradius Collection for the PSP. Curiously, I picked it up and all the stories are right! It rivals the godlike Gradius V as the best game in the series.

It's great to see games like Gaiden come out to the states, but does it have to take 10 years?
Now if all of Treasure's games can be released in a compilation disc for the US market"

Currently Playing: Gradius Collection (PSP), Prey (Xbox 360), NCAA 07 (XBOX 360)

Waiting for: Madden 07 (Xbox 360), Gears of War (Xbox 360)