Thanks to the Internet, most games will be able to be played till the end of time. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to go online, find an emulator, an emulated ROM, and then start playing the game on a computer. Most gaming fans aren’t savvy enough to set these things up or don’t want to because of the gray legality, even if they physically own a copy of an old game.
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So, when it comes to the following JRPGs, there are ways to obtain them. Because they are hard to find physically nowadays or are incredibly expressive, they may as well not exist at all. In other instances, some of these games are literally impossible to play because of server issues. Either way, sit back for a little history lesson on some rare and obscure JRPGs.
.hack//Infection
A Forgotten Quadrilogy
.hack//Infection
- Released
- June 20, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- CyberConnect2
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
.hack//Infection is the first game in what would become a quadrilogy, with all four episodes releasing between 2003 and 2004 in North America. The other games include .hack//Mutation, .hack//Outbreak, and .hack//Quarantine, all of which were PS2 titles. Save data carried over between each game, and the story continued along with where players left off on their levels.
The games themselves were structured around a fake MMO called The World, wherein players could go into dungeons and fight monsters in real time, all in the service of solving a mystery between data corruption and comas taking place in the real world. While physical copies can be found, getting all four together and getting a PS2 up and running seems like an impossibly difficult task, so hopefully, one day CyberConnect2 will re-release the quadrilogy.
Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine
Going Offline
- Developers: Cave and GungHo Online Entertainment
- Publisher: Aeria Games (NA)
- Released: 12/31/08 (NA)
- Platform: PC
Most of the Shin Megami Tensei series remain lost to time because there are so many spinoff titles released for weird and old systems that it’s hard to keep track. Also, many of these games were only released in Japan, meaning Western players have no idea they even exist. Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine is one of the offer titles that came to North America in 2008, but that doesn’t mean it was widely known.
It was a PC-only MMO, and there were familiar mechanics like befriending demons to join the battle party. It was well-loved by a niche crowd for a time, but the North American servers shut down in 2014, followed by Japan’s in 2016, making it officially impossible to play without fan servers set up.
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7
The Turks JRPG
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
- Released
- September 24, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Platform(s)
- Mobile
For its tenth anniversary, Square Enix set up a project to expand the Final Fantasy 7 universe with titles leading up to the big day in 2007. Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7 was a prequel that followed the exploits of The Turks, the secret organization within Shinra that got the dirty work done. It was a turn-based RPG like the original, with the focus shifting on different members of The Turks.
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It was released on a Japanese phone service in 2004 called FOMA followed by SoftBank and EZweb in 2007. Since this was based on a phone service in Japan ages ago, the only real way to play it now would be to track down old phones, which some preservationists are trying to do with a lot of phone games. Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, a newer mobile game, is currently remaking scenes from all of the Final Fantasy 7 games, including Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7. It won’t be quite the same as playing the entire original game from back to front, but it’s a start.
Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django
Cartridges Needed
Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django
- Released
- July 22, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django is a sequel continuing the exploits of a young vampire hunter named Django. The sequel had a lot more JRPG elements, like leveling up gear. It was an action JRPG with some stealth elements too, which made sense since it was produced by Hideo Kojima, the master of stealth.
The big gimmick with all three Boktai games on the GBA involved a solar panel attached to the back of the cartridge. To power up their weapons with solar energy, players needed to physically go outside and absorb sunlight. While possible to do today, it’s not convenient, and playing through emulated sunlight doesn’t have the same raw effect as going outside and touching grass.
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
Nintendo Powered Down
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
- Released
- September 1, 1999
- Developer(s)
- Intelligent Systems
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 was the last Fire Emblem game to be released on the SNES in Japan, or to be more accurate, the Super Famicom. In Japan, there was a service called Nintendo Power set up in 1997, and it was not associated with the magazine of the same name.
Instead, Nintendo Power units were placed in stores and allowed players to bring in flash cartridges to download and buy games, with Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 being one example that was released in 1999. There was a more official copy released for the Super Famicom in 2000, along with digital versions released for the Wii and Wii U services. Tracking down an original flash cartridge with this tactical JRPG on it in Japan seems highly unlikely.
Kingdom Hearts X
This Keyhole Is Locked
Kingdom Hearts X[Chi]
- Released
- July 18, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
Kingdom Hearts X started as a browser-based game in Japan in 2013 via services like Yahoo! Japan. This version used card-based gameplay to strike enemies, but when it was re-released on mobile devices as Kingdom Hearts Unchained X in 2015 and 2016 in North America, the cards were changed to medals.
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In 2017, it was rebranded again as Kingdom Hearts Union X, and one final time in 2020 as Kingdom Hearts Union X Dark Road. In 2021, there was an effort to make the game an offline experience before it was fully removed from digital storefronts in 2024. It was a big blow for Kingdom Hearts fans who put their life into this prequel experience as a decade-long effort.
Xenosaga: Pied Piper
An Unknown Interquel
- Developers: Monolith Soft, Namco, and Tom Create
- Publisher: Namco
- Released: 7/14/04
- Platform: Mobile (Vodafone Service, Japan)
Xenosaga: Pied Piper was another phone-based turn-based JRPG that most Xeno fans probably didn’t know existed. It was originally released in Japan in 2004 for the Vodafone service, then in 2006 for the i-mode service. It was a prequel to the original game, Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht, which starred Ziggy as a human agent before he went full cyborg.
For diehards, it did shed some light on the story, which was a bit convoluted on consoles. Surprisingly, preservationists found a copy on a Japanese phone in 2025 and are currently trying to translate it and get it running. For now, in an official capacity, Xenosaga: Pied Piper is still lost to most.
Crimson Shroud
Tabletop Goes 3D
Crimson Shroud
- Released
- November 28, 2012
- ESRB
- Teen // Suggestive Themes, Violence, Blood
- Developer(s)
- Level-5, NEX Entertainment Co., Ltd.
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Crimson Shroud was part of a project that Level-5 orchestrated to get big developers to work on smaller experiences for the 3DS. This game was released in 2012 digitally on the 3DS eShop and was co-developed by Level-5 and Nex Entertainment. It was a tabletop-like experience wherein players controlled three characters who explored a dungeon as figures, and monsters also appeared as little statues.
Attacks were conveyed through dice, and it was all visually unique. Since the 3DS eShop went offline for new customers in 2023, Crimson Shroud became lost to North Americans. Technically, it is still playable in Japan as a physical copy was released on the 3DS in a collection called Guild01, but it’s still not the easiest game to track down.
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