Everything looks better when you can't have it yourself. Take, for example, licensed anime and manga games. Back in the day, the average Japanophile doted on subpar fare like the Nintendo 64's Neon Genesis Evangelion just because it never came out Westside (some still do). We like to think we know better now, though.

But even given the popularity of anime and manga in Europe and America today, a few quality titles still never see the light of day on Western shores, mostly because of licensing issues. Read on and be jealous... or start learning Japanese.


5)Super Robot Wars

The history of Banpresto's Super Robot Wars stretches all the way back to the Game Boy and Famicom, encompassing dozens of titles on pretty much every platform since then. The games are essentially high-octane fan service, feeding the Japanese public's insatiable need for giant robots with a pleasing smorgasbord of mecha including Gundam, Eureka Seven, Mazinger Z, Macross, and Voltron. Yeah, Voltron.

With multiple franchises spanning the past few decades, though, it's no surprise that licensing issues have kept most of these games out of our hands. Still, two titles did manage to slip through the cracks. See, Super Robot Wars is so popular in Japan that a franchise about fan service somehow spawned its own fan service in the form of the Game Boy Advance's Original Generation games; titles that featured only Banpresto's own battling robots, which meant no potential licensing snags. The resulting paradox momentarily tore a hole in space-time, and Super Robot Wars was finally able to come to our side thanks to Atlus.

But, sadly, as good as the Original Generation games and their Japan-only PS2 remakes are, it's just not the same without Gundam's Amuro Ray and the gang.

4) Shaman King: Soul Fight

Wanna induce an involuntary shudder in most anime aficionados? Mention '4Kids Entertainment'. Famous for sanitising the Western dubs of popular shows like One Piece, 4Kids also blocked arguably the best Shaman King game from ever reaching the West by refusing to license the series to more than one publisher.

While most of the Konami-published Shaman King games were only released in North America and Europe, the Bandai-helmed releases were restricted to Japan and Soul Fight was one such title. Billed as a strategy/fighting game, Soul Fight features 14 characters, some of the best cel-shading of the previous generation, and a rock-paper-scissors battle system that rewards success with character-specific cinematic attack scenes.

But, unfortunately, for dedicated Shaman King fans, unless you're willing to shell out at least £50 for an (admittedly rare) GameCube title, you probably won't be playing this one anytime soon. Thanks, 4Kids.

3) Another Century's Episode 2

We can all complain that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima ought to be getting started on the third chapter in his other series, Zone of the Enders right now (or five years ago), but you might not be aware that there's a Japan-only mecha action series that's a serviceable alternative.

Developed by From Software, the guys behind Armored Core, Another Century's Episode plays pretty similarly to Z.O.E., but it also features a liberal helping of popular Japanese mecha series such as Macross and Eureka Seven. Good news for anyone who took one look at Z.O.E.'s Orbital Frame mechs and immediately thought: 'Gundam.'

And while there's also an A.C.E 3, it feels rushed and incomplete compared to its predecessor, with many of the available mechs relegated to the game's shop and not figuring into the storyline at all. So if you choose one to import, pick A.C.E 2. That's the one with the Gundam Deathscythe.

2) Fullmetal Alchemist: Dream Carnival

When Fullmetal Alchemist struck it big on Cartoon Network's 'Adult Swim' a few years back, fans from the West flocked to the only game they could find that chronicled the adventures of beloved Alchemist brothers Ed and Alfonse Elric: a mediocre PS2 beat-em-up. Tears were shed, teeth were gnashed, and laws of equivalent exchange were brutally violated by GAME.

It's a shame, then, that the West never saw the PS2's Dream Carnival, which mixes the show's trademark combat with a heavy dose of Power Stone. And we all need more Power Stone in our lives, especially as it pertains to Fullmetal Alchemist favorites Greed, Lust, and Roy Mustang. Players can relive the Fullmetal Alchemist story through the 2-on-2 battle format, transfigure items on the battlefield, and wonder exactly how Dual Sympathy made it to America and Dream Carnival didn't.

1) Jump Ultimate Stars

Weekly manga magazine Shonen Jump has been a Japanese institution since the '60s and the publication actually got its first licensed game back in the late '80s with a dreadful Famicom Dragon Quest rip-off. Thankfully, the Jump crossover efforts on the Nintendo DS nearly two decades later have seen more success.

Jump Ultimate Stars hosts recognizable franchises like Bleach, Naruto, One Piece, Rurouni Kenshin, and Death Note for an entertaining take on the platform-brawling genre popularized by Super Smash Bros. For fans, the real fun here comes from collecting various in-game comic strips and putting them together like puzzle pieces to create decks featuring characters from some of the magazine's most popular series. But should you decide to take your deck online with the DS' Wi-Fi functionality, be prepared; the Jump games boast some of the most competitive online battling communities you'll find.