Square Enix and Level-5, two well known JRPG developers. The games of these studios are household names to almost any gamer and collector, but what about NIS or Atlus? Here at RF Generation those who focus their collecting habits on RPGs or are more open to different genres are likely to be familiar with the more obscure side of Role Playing games - the niche RPG.

Niche games are made with a specific target audience in mind. Whether its rogue-like dungeon crawlers, stories of cute alchemists, or the adventures of high school kids with supernatural abilities these RPGs are not destined to be million dollar blockbuster games. On one level this is likely because Role Playing games are much more popular in Japan than they are stateside. North American gamers should consider themselves lucky to reap the rewards of the successful Operation Rainfall campaign.

The primary demographic of niche RPGs are the otaku - anime enthusiasts. These people are more likely to pick up on the unique style of Japanese humour that would be lost on the typical  North American gamer. While not a Role Playing game, the Katamari series is a perfect example. The Disgaea games published by NIS use the anime art style and feature many gameplay elements that naturally appeal to fans of Japanese animation. Fan service is another aspect of the niche RPG with the otaku in mind. Often sharing similarities to these games, though not always, are the rogue-like RPGs.


In a word a rogue-like games can be described as unrelenting. All items and progress are lost should the player fail to clear the dungeon safely. This is hugely frustrating of course, but if successful the reward is sweet. To add to the complexity and difficulty these game occasionally feature randomly generated levels. Shiren the Wanderer (Wii) is a modern dungeon crawler.

Crafting, weapon customization, and alchemy are also common elements of niche RPGs. The Atelier game rely heavily on these game mechanics. Sorting through submenus to find the optimal combination of items may not be for everyone, certainly not for someone who just wants to embark upon a journey of grand proportions.


Because these niche games seem so unusual according to North American expectations they are often never released in the west. These really are games that are not specifically made for North American audiences though some of the more accessible titles have been translated and redone for English-speaking gamers. Knowing that only a select number of people who make up the intended market demographic will purchase these games publishers typically have lower retail forecasts and thus these games will see smaller print runs. Though the other side of the RPG scene is weird, difficult, and complex it is still worthwhile to experiment with these games. And as a collector why not add some quirky titles to your shelves?

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