Why are Japanese games cool? Why play them? The reality is that most people who play videogames today are playing mostly Japanese games that have been translated and localised into other languages, primarily English for Western audiences. The major videogame companies of today, including Nintendo and Sega are Japanese companies. For the past 30+ years, the most popular games we play continue to be made by the likes of Nintendo and Sega and Sony.

There are however, numerous Japanese games, consoles, and handhelds that were never released outside of Japan and OK! Japan Videogames focuses almost exclusively on this content. 

For example, in Japan, NEC released the PC Engine and subsequent consoles which included the first CD-ROM games in 1987 in Japan. The console’s life lasted all the way until the mid 1990s. It was changed and released in 1989 in America as the Turbo Grafx-16 and some quality games were released for it but Nintendo and Sega dominated the Western market and it failed within a few short years but continued in Japan. The NEC PC Engine was, at one time the #1 videogame console in Japan and had hundreds of amazing games released for it over its nearly decade lifespan. It was the primary rival of Nintendo and Sega at the time. The only way to play these amazing games is on the NEC PC Engine console as they were never released outside of Japan. Western audience are missing hundreds, perhaps thousands of Japanese amazing experiences. That is where OK! Japan Videogames comes in.