It's that time of the month again! Time to see what VC games Japan will be getting next month. Not much surprises this time really - Square Enix continues its support with a Japan-exclusive game, while Sega releases another game in their original mascot's franchise. Nothing really too stunning this time though! Two new games which could potentially be released elsewhere are on the list too.
The complete VC list for Japan in February is as follows:
Famicom:
- Formation Z (February 3rd)
- Double Dragon
Super Famicom:
- Tactics Ogre
Sega Master System:
Sega Mega Drive:
- Galaxy Force II (February 3rd)
- Dragon Slayer: Eiyuu Densetsu
PC Engine:
- L-Dis (CD, February 3rd)
- Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Supergrafx, February 3rd - This was delayed all the way from October last year!)
- Super Darius 2 (CD)
- Usagi no Kuni no Kangaroo Race Wallaby!!
- Winning Shot

1. Tony
30 Jan 2009, 10:52 GMT
Cool stuff on this list I just wish Sega would start putting some of their racing games on the VC.
Is Formation Z any relation to Capcom's Section Z? Inquiring minds want to know
2. slangman
30 Jan 2009, 11:00 GMT
Nothing amazing for me on this list although Galaxy Force looks quite cool. Will we ever see Super Darius 2 as a Hanabi Festival title?
3. KeeperBvK
30 Jan 2009, 11:13 GMT
"Usagi no Kuni no Kangaroo Race Wallaby!!"
WTF? The rabbit country Kangaroo Race Wallaby? Gotta love Japanese titles. xD
4. xesbeth
30 Jan 2009, 11:27 GMT
Another good month for japanese people. Maybe we'll get one of this games in the next 6 months (or next year), as usual.
5. ness
30 Jan 2009, 11:51 GMT
Does anybody knows how many VC games were released so far in Japan?
6. Betagam7
30 Jan 2009, 12:05 GMT
Only Tactics Ogre that vaquely interests me. Japan can keep the rest.
7. Clinker
30 Jan 2009, 12:10 GMT
Kirby's Dreamland 3 will be yankee-only for another month!
8. Sean Aaron
30 Jan 2009, 12:34 GMT
I have Super Darius on my Japanese Wii and it's every bit as punishing as the arcade -- basically Darius with the side screens cut-off; I think Super Darius 2 is basically a port of the arcade for home as well? It seems the major improvement over the 1st one is a continue feature, so I might shell out for it when it comes to the Japanese VC, but my most anticipated title is the Megadrive port of Snow Brothers Nick & Tom -- when oh when is this coming out?
9. marktheshark
30 Jan 2009, 13:08 GMT
Impressive month for Japan. I' am guessing that most of these games on the list don't have very high language barriers (except for Tactics Ogre of course). I' am hoping Tactics Ogre comes to the NA VC eventually.
10. Pj
30 Jan 2009, 13:44 GMT
@ ness
I'm not Sure any many games the Japanese VC has but I think it's on Wikipedia. I hope this Helps!!!
11. Jogurt the Yogurt
30 Jan 2009, 14:11 GMT
Tactics Ogre was great, but it was only released in North America on the PS1. I don't know whether they can haul a translation off that version and release it on the SNES version for us or not. Probably not.
12. 7th lutz
30 Jan 2009, 14:14 GMT
At least Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars shouldn't be as bad as Alex Kidd: High Tech World.
13. Angelic Lapras King
30 Jan 2009, 14:35 GMT
Dang, thats a whole lot of TG games we ll never see. T.T
14. Adamant
30 Jan 2009, 15:14 GMT
So, looking at foreign releases of these:
*Formation-Z is Japan-only
*Double Dragon is already on the VC everywhere else.
*Tactics Ogre was released in America on the PSX
*Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars was released worldwide
*Galaxy Force II was released worldwide
*Dragon Slayer: Eiyuu Densetsu was released worldwide on Turbografx as "Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes"
*L-Dis is Japan-only
*Dai Makaimura is on the VC worldwide as the Mega Drive "Ghouls'n Ghosts", Japan included
*Winning Shot is Japan-only
*Super Darius 2 was released on Mega Drive in America and Master System in Europe as "Sagaia", as well as getting a Saturn release in Europe as "Darius 2")
*Wallaby!! Usagi no Kuni no Kangaroo Race is Japan-only
Super Darius 2, L-Dis, Formation-Z and possibly Winning Shot (never played it) are import-friendly. Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes is announced for a worldwide release as it's Turbografx iteration. Alex Kidd and Galaxy Force II are probably getting releases all over the world. The others probably won't come, unless Square Enix has an easy way of slapping the PSX script translation of Tactics Ogre onto the SFC game.
@7th lutz: Alex Kidd in Hi-tech World isn't a real Alex Kidd game, but the anime-license game "Anmitsu-hime" with a new slap of paint for it's release outside Japan. It won't be on the Japanese VC.
15. Rapadash6
30 Jan 2009, 15:28 GMT
Wow, not a terribly exciting month for Japan and most of those are region exclusive too. It's nice to see another Square-Enix title, even if it's one we'll never see ourselves but it bodes well for those of us waiting for the likes of Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia.
16. Ricardo91
30 Jan 2009, 16:09 GMT
Looks like a pretty ho-hum month for Japan for the most part.
17. Bass X0
30 Jan 2009, 16:16 GMT
11 games is still better than our four or five.
18. Wii is MYcrack
30 Jan 2009, 17:08 GMT
Amen Bass
19. Shadx
30 Jan 2009, 17:42 GMT
Not very interesting for me.
20. King Elemento
30 Jan 2009, 18:33 GMT
I guess that means a few catch up weeks in store for NA and PAL over February then...
21. Shiryu
30 Jan 2009, 19:21 GMT
Super Darius 2? Gimme gimme!
I hope Tactics Ogre comes to the west, I love that game!
22. Objection_Blaster
30 Jan 2009, 20:52 GMT
Hope these titles make it over.
23. timp29
30 Jan 2009, 21:45 GMT
I hope ghouls and ghosts makes it across to europe. Thats the version i'm hanging out for.
24. That Guy from Faxanadu
30 Jan 2009, 21:53 GMT
@Tony "Is Formation Z any relation to Capcom's Section Z? Inquiring minds want to know
"
No. Formation Z is an awfull run ´n gun whare you transform into a fightercraft when you have to go over water. It has absolutely terrible controls and is also very repetitious. The fightercraft constantly loses fuel too, it adds to the frustration. I sincerely hope it never reaches the west, and pity the japaneese.
25. RadioShadow
30 Jan 2009, 23:07 GMT
Nothing too great but you have to question:
Japan gets 10 VC games per month now.
USA/Europe get 4 VC games per month now.
SOMEONE AT NINTENDO CAN'T COUNT!
But January (for the US) did have 4 decent VC games so maybe 4 more decent VC games will be released.
cough Tetris Attack cough
26. Adamant
30 Jan 2009, 23:51 GMT
cough Pokemon Puzzle League cough
27. Jolted85
31 Jan 2009, 00:23 GMT
I doubt we'll ever see most of those PC Engine titles released over here, we havn't had a TurboGrafx game since October!
28. chunky_droid
31 Jan 2009, 01:59 GMT
I'm hoping we get to see the Ghouls 'n Ghosts game over here, I really want to play that version
29. Stuffgamer1
31 Jan 2009, 03:01 GMT
Further Squenix support of any kind is good to see, though I'd REALLY like to see more Quintet stuff...
I also REALLY, REALLY want to know why the crap Japan gets so many games and we get one a week. I wouldn't mind one good game a week here if I didn't know that THEY were making off like bandits over there...
30. Virus
31 Jan 2009, 06:52 GMT
Hmmm, I'm still hoping we're getting SSB soon.
31. Mario maniac
31 Jan 2009, 07:07 GMT
Oh em gee.
I freaking loved playing The Lost Stars when I had a Master System. Hopefully it'll come our way soon.
32. Ragnor
31 Jan 2009, 08:59 GMT
I dont think I ever got to play Lost Stars.
I played three of the Master System ones, but the only ones I know I had were Miracle World and Shinobi World
33. chunky_droid
31 Jan 2009, 12:35 GMT
Drake: "It's that time of the month again!"
I hate that term, reminds me of my marriage, lol.
34. ness
31 Jan 2009, 21:12 GMT
@ Pj (#10):
Thank you.
Wow, Japan has over 400 VC games!
35. Viral
31 Jan 2009, 21:22 GMT
lol
36. Tony
31 Jan 2009, 21:41 GMT
@That Guy from Faxanadu
Thanks for the info
If its that bad I guess Capcom would not be associated with it. Most of their NES games were good/great
37. Cheezy
01 Feb 2009, 01:42 GMT
Galaxy Force is great DOWNLOAD IT!
38. Mickeymac
01 Feb 2009, 01:46 GMT
Galaxy Force and Darius are all that interest me here. Seriously, why haven't we gotten any of the Darius games yet?
39. Kultist
01 Feb 2009, 15:28 GMT
Great news for Tactics Ogre, if it means we could get both Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre sometimes. The rest is of no interest to me... BTW, is it me or even Japan VC seemed lackluster for a couple of months? VC really has been going down the drain for some time now
40. Terranigma
01 Feb 2009, 19:58 GMT
Interesting to see a new Alex Kidd game. I may look into the Galaxy Force II as that seems quite good, Not interested in anything else, although more SE games are always good. Maybe the other SE Ogre games will get released as well.
With the releases, Nintendo need to reach out to Publishers and try appealing to them in different ways to put their games on the VC or put more of their own AAA Titles to keep sales strong. But how though?
Giving them more money on sales wouldn't work as profit increase would be tiny, so what else could be done?
41. SupermarketZombies
01 Feb 2009, 21:23 GMT
Tactics Ogre!!!!!! I needs it. =(
42. marktheshark
02 Feb 2009, 00:40 GMT
@40, Terranigma
Perhaps tell them when their game is coming to the VC if they haven't done so already.
43. WolfLink22
02 Feb 2009, 01:19 GMT
Seems like a Cool list and all but i want to know what USA is getting for it's 4 VC Games tho.
with NOA's VC Suprises they have made me hate Suprises now.
Where is our SSB, Tetris Attack, Nintendo World Cup, ClayFighter, Earthworm Jim 2, and EarthBound at Nintendo Mad Face not seen!!!!!!
44. timp29
02 Feb 2009, 06:59 GMT
If only rare would come on board. I never realised just how many games I loved contained some kind of rare involvement :/
45. chunky_droid
02 Feb 2009, 13:09 GMT
@WolfLink22: You'll have to deal with another Sega game this week. Sonic Chaos, not a bad game actually
46. tatemon555
02 Feb 2009, 21:04 GMT
More Alex Kidd? GUHHHHH!!! I wish that I was Japanese.
47. Mickeymac
03 Feb 2009, 05:06 GMT
@ chunky_droid
You can say that again.
@tatemon555
That's what I say whenever another Darius game gets released over there (well, replacing the words "Alex Kidd" with "Darius", of course.
).
48. Objection_Blaster
03 Feb 2009, 12:42 GMT
I haven't heard of all these but that just raises my curiousity, as opposed to recent VC releases here, where I just glance at them and then pretend they didn't happen.
49. Super Flip
04 Feb 2009, 12:50 GMT
Why release the super graffix version of ghouls n ghosts, When the VC already has the SNES and Genesis versions... That makes no sense, But the Jap line up looks good.
50. Shinnok
04 Feb 2009, 23:14 GMT
I prefer the Sega Genesis version of Double Dragon. The music was superior to the others, and the graphics were nigh identical to the arcade edition. And even though the frame rate was lower, there was no slowdown (or at least, a considerable amount less). Having said that, I found every rendition of Double Dragon to be extremely boring. Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team was quite fun, however (again, the Sega Genesis version was my favorite).
51. Cally
07 Feb 2009, 07:32 GMT
I got Section Z on Capcom Classics. Kind of interesting.
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