Unreleased in Japan: a list of NES exclusives

[dire51]

Does anyone know where to find one of these lists online? I've Googled several different variations on the thread title, hoping to find that someone had compiled such a list, but no luck so far. This is something I felt has never been touched on: there are always lists of Famicom exclusives popping up (usually under the heading of "the best NES games you've never played" or some variation on that), but I'd never seen a complete list of non-Japanese exclusives. Which reminds me, I'd like to include some PAL exclusives as well under a separate heading, but have exactly no idea where to start. I can only think of two off the top of my head: Noah's Ark, published by Konami, and The Smurfs, published by Infogrames.

I'm also attempting another list: a list of Famicom Disk System exclusives that were released in the U.S. as cartridges. That one's not going as well as it could.

In the meantime, until such a list turns up, I've started compiling one. It's a work in progress, and if you can think of any games to add or corrections to make, feel free. I've grouped them all by U.S. publisher.

***

Nintendo:

Donkey Kong Classics
Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt
Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet
Gumshoe
Slalom
Anticipation
To the Earth
Barker Bill's Trick Shooting
Snake Rattle 'n Roll
Short Order/Eggsplode!
Pinbot
R.C. Pro-Am
Cobra Triangle
Tetris (completely different from the Famicom and Tengen versions)
Punch-Out!! (non-Mike Tyson version, featuring Mr. Dream)
StarTropics
Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II
NES Play Action Football
Super Spike V'Ball/Nintendo World Cup
Nintendo World Championships 1990
Nintendo Campus Challenge 1991

Konami:

Contra Force
The Lone Ranger
Monster in my Pocket
Zen: Intergalactic Ninja
Batman Returns
Bill Elliott's Nascar Challenge
Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf
King's Quest V
Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?
Tiny Toon Adventures: Cartoon Workshop
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters

Ultra:

Snake's Revenge
Pirates!
Q*Bert
Defender of the Crown
Silent Service
Mission: Impossible
Nightshade
Skate or Die
Ski or Die
Kings of the Beach
Rollergames
Cyber Stadium Series: Base Wars
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary

Capcom:

Strider
Legendary Wings
Adventures in the Magic Kingdom
Darkwing Duck
TaleSpin
G.I. Joe: The Atlantis Factor
Yo! Noid (technically a localization of the Famicom game Kamen no Ninja Hanumaru, but the graphics and boss battles are completely redone)

Hudson:

Felix the Cat

SNK:

Mechanized Attack
Little League Baseball: Championship Series

FCI:

Break Time: The National Pool Tour
Ultima: Warriors of Destiny
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: DragonStrike

Bandai:

Monster Party
Dick Tracy
The Rocketeer
Toxic Crusaders
The Adventures of Gilligan's Island
Shooting Range
Frankenstein: The Monster Returns
Dynowarz: The Destruction of Spondylus
Legends of the Diamond: The Baseball Championship Game
Bandai Golf: Challenge Pebble Beach

Acclaim:

Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II
Wizards & Warriors III: Kuros: Visions of Power
Trog!
NARC
Arch Rivals: A Basket Brawl!
Destination Earthstar
Swords and Serpents
Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine
Bigfoot
Smash T.V.
Airwolf (completely different from the Famicom game)
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants
The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World
The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man
Total Recall
WWF WrestleMania
Krusty's Fun House
George Foreman's KO Boxing

Taito:

Qix
KickMaster
Target: Renegade
Kiwi Kraze/The New Zealand Story
The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak!
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Power Blade (technically a localization of the Famicom game Power Blazer, but the graphics and levels are completely redone)

Data East:

BreakThru
Rampage
Joe & Mac
Captain America and the Avengers
Battle Chess
Bo Jackson Baseball
Caveman Games
Dash Galaxy in the Alien Asylum

Sunsoft:

Freedom Force
Spy Hunter
Xenophobe
Fester's Quest
Platoon
Lemmings

Toho:

Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters
Circus Caper (technically a localization of the Famicom game Moeru Oniisan, but the graphics and levels are completely redone, and some of the mini games were removed)

Jaleco:

The Last Ninja
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
Cyberball
Rampart (NES version developed by Bitmasters and is different from the Tengen-developed Famicom game released by Konami)
Maniac Mansion (NES version developed by Realtime Associates and is different from the Jaleco-developed Famicom game)
Whomp 'Em (technically a localization of the Famicom game Saiyuuki World 2: Tenjoukai no Majin, but the graphics are completely redone)
Shatterhand (technically a localization of the Famicom game Tokkyuu Shirei Solbrain, but the graphics are completely redone)

Tecmo:

Tecmo Baseball
Tecmo NBA Basketball

Taxan:

Magician
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
Low G Man: The Low Gravity Man

Sony Imagesoft:

Bram Stoker's Dracula
Last Action Hero
Cliffhanger

Atlus:

Widget

Bulletproof Software:

Pipe Dream

Absolute Entertainment:

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Space Shuttle Project
Battle Tank
Race America

Namco:

Ms. Pac-Man

JVC:

Defenders of Dynatron City

LJN:

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Back to the Future
Back to the Future II & III
The Karate Kid
Jaws
Friday the 13th
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Beetlejuice
The Incredible Crash Dummies
Alien 3
Bill & Ted's Excellent Video Game Adventure
Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six
The Uncanny X-Men
Wolverine
The Punisher
Gotcha! The Sport!
WWF Wrestlemania: Steel Cage Challenge
WWF King of the Ring
Pictionary
T&C Surf Designs: Wood & Water Rage
T&C Surf Designs: Thrilla's Surfari
Major League Baseball

Arcadia Systems:

Silver Surfer

Milton Bradley:

California Games
World Games
Marble Madness
Captain Skyhawk
Time Lord
Digger T. Rock: The Legend of the Lost City
Cabal
Jordan vs Bird: One on One

Mattel:

Bad Street Brawler
Super Glove Ball

Matchbox:

Motor City Patrol

Activision:

The Three Stooges
The Adventures of Rad Gravity
Archon
Stealth ATF
Galaxy 5000: Racing in the 51st Century
Ghostbusters II

Tradewest:

Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship
R.C. Pro-Am II
Battletoads & Double Dragon
Taboo: The Sixth Sense
Danny Sullivan’s Indy Heat
Magic Johnson's Fast Break
John Elway's Quarterback
Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off Road
High Speed

American Sammy:

Silkworm
Thundercade
Arkista's Ring

Square:

Rad Racer II

Kemco:

Rocket Ranger
Snoopy's Silly Sports Spectacular (technically a localization of the Famicom game Donald Duck, but the graphics are completely redone)
Kid Klown in Night Mayor World (technically a localization of the Famicom game Mickey Mouse III: Yume Fuusen, but the graphics are completely redone)

GameTek:

Jeopardy!
Jeopardy! Junior Edition
Jeopardy! 25th Anniversary Edition
Super Jeopardy!
Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune: Junior Edition
Wheel of Fortune: Family Edition
Wheel of Fortune: Featuring Vanna White
Double Dare
Hollywood Squares
Classic Concentration
Family Feud
Harlem Globetrotters
American Gladiators
Fisher Price: I Can Remember
Fisher Price: Perfect Fit
Fisher Price: Firehouse Rescue
Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing

Romstar:

Baseball Stars 2

Electronic Arts:

The Immortal
Skate or Die 2: The Search for Double Trouble

MicroProse:

F-15 Strike Eagle
F-117A Stealth Fighter

INTV Corp.:

Monster Truck Rally

Electro Brain:

Stanley: The Search for Dr. Livingston
Ghoul School
Best of the Best: Championship Karate
Eliminator Boat Duel
Super Cars

HAL:

The Adventures of Lolo (Famicom Adventures of Lolo is a retitled Adventures of Lolo 2)

American Softworks:

Treasure Master
Power Punch II
The Mutant Virus: Crisis in a Computer World

Titus:

The Blues Brothers

Software Toolworks:

The Chessmaster
Mario Is Missing!
Mario's Time Machine

THQ:

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends
Fox's Peter Pan & the Pirates: The Revenge of Captain Hook
Where's Waldo?
The Great Waldo Search
Swamp Thing
The Ren & Stimpy Show: Buckaroo$!
Wayne Gretzky Hockey
Videomation
James Bond Jr.
Home Alone
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
Wayne's World

Sofel:

Casino Kid II
Klash Ball

Seta:

Formula One: Built to Win

Hi-Tech:

The Hunt for Red October
Jim Henson's Muppet Adventure: Chaos at the Carnival
Win, Lose or Draw
Remote Control
Fun House
Orb 3-D
Rollerblade Racer
Barbie
Sesame Street: ABC
Sesame Street: 123
Sesame Street: ABC/123
Sesame Street: Countdown
Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide & Speak
Mickey's Adventure in Numberland
Mickey's Safari in Letterland

Ubisoft:

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (completely different than the Taito NES game)

Virgin Interactive:

Color a Dinosaur
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
M.C. Kids
Greg Norman's Golf Power
Prince of Persia
Overlord
Disney's The Jungle Book
Caesars Palace

Ocean:

Jurassic Park
RoboCop 3
Lethal Weapon
The Addams Family
The Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt
Darkman
Cool World

Parker Bros.:

Heavy Shreddin'/Snowboard Challenge

Mindscape:

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Gauntlet II
720°
RoadBlasters
Paperboy 2
The Terminator
Alfred Chicken
Days of Thunder
Captain Planet and the Planeteers
Infiltrator
The Last Starfighter
Mad Max
M.U.L.E.
Loopz
Dirty Harry
The Miracle Piano Teaching System
Conan
Flight of the Intruder
Roundball 2-on-2 Challenge
Battleship
Championship Pool

Tengen:

Tetris
Gauntlet
Shinobi
Pac-Mania
Toobin'
Skull & Crossbones
Vindicators
Road Runner
Fantasy Zone (completely different than the Sunsoft Famicom game)
Ms. Pac-Man (completely different than the Namco NES game)

American Game Cartridges, Inc.:

Chiller

Camerica:

The Ultimate Stuntman
Micro Machines
Quattro Adventure
Quattro Sports
Firehawk
Linus Spacehead's Cosmic Crusade
Big Nose the Caveman
Quattro Arcade
Bee 52
MiG 29: Soviet Fighter
Big Nose Freaks Out
Stunt Kids
Dizzy the Adventurer (w/ Aladdin Deck Enhancer)
The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy

Color Dreams:

Robodemons
Baby Boomer
Master Chu and the Drunkard Hu
The Adventures of Captain Comic
Raid 2020
Crystal Mines
Miss Peach World
Silent Assault
Challenge of the Dragon
Menace Beach
King Neptune's Adventure
Pesterminator: The Western Exterminator
P'radikus Conflict
Secret Scout in the Temple of Demise
Operation: Secret Storm

Wisdom Tree:

Exodus: Journey to the Promised Land
Bible Adventures
The King of Kings: The Early Years
Joshua & the Battle of Jericho
Spiritual Warfare
Bible Buffet

American Video Entertainment

Dudes With Attitude
F-15 City War
Puzzle
Tiles of Fate
Double Strike
Krazy Kreatures
Deathbots
Rad Racket: Deluxe Tennis II
Mermaids of Atlantis: The Riddle of the Magic Bubble
Venice Beach Volleyball
Impossible Mission II
Wally Bear and the NO! Gang
Blackjack
Ultimate League Soccer
Pyramid
Solitaire
Maxi 15
Trolls on Treasure Island

Bunch Games:

Tagin' Dragon
Moon Ranger
Mission Cobra
Galactic Crusader
Castle of Deceit

Active Enterprises:

Action 52
Cheetahmen II

Panesian:

Peek A Boo Poker
Bubble Bath Babes

[TheChosen]

Ooo, I'm liking this one.

It might be worth pointing out games that were going to have a Japanese release, but for whatever reasons were scrapped. Few games I can remember are Strider, Monster Party and Contra Force.

[Joseph Joestar]

I'll have to do some thinking, but another for Bandai is the Frankenstein NES game.

Toho:

Circus Caper - technically it's a localization of another game (Moeru Oniisan), but the graphics and levels are completely redone, and some of the mini games were removed.

Godzilla 2: War of the Monsters

[Discoalucard]

You MIGHT want to consider Power Blade, since it's such a drastically reworked version of Power Blazer that it's basically its own game.

[strizzuth]

Monster Party WASN'T released in Japan? The world has ceased to make sense.

[Joseph Joestar]

Here's a couple more:

Acclaim:
Bigfoot

Activision:
Archon

Hi-Tech Expressions:
The Hunt for Red October

Triffix:
Castelian (Reworked into the Kyoro-Chan Famicom game)

[kingmike]

You forgot King's Quest V by Konami.

A list I made on another forum, a list of all games released in PAL and not NTSC NES.

Aladdin
Asterix (I thought this was announced for NA, but maybe it was the also PAL-only SNES game I was thinking of. But no NTSC ROM regardless.)
Aussie Rules Footy
Banana Prince (DE/JP)
Beauty & the Beast (announced for NA, but never released)
Championship Rally (AU, Exciting Rally in JP)
Crackout (FDS port)
Devil World (SCN/JP)
Dropzone
Elite
F-1 Sensation (EU/JP)
Hammerin' Harry (Daiku no Gensan JP)
International Cricket
Kick Off
Konami Hyper Soccer
Legend of Prince Valient
Les Chevaliers du Zodiaque (FR Saint Seiya: Ougon Densetsu)
Lion King
Mario Bros. (Classic Serie)
Mr. Gimmick (SCN/JP)
New Ghostbusters II (Many know this is different than Activision's Ghostbusters II. I think EU got both games. EU/JP, NA prototype ROM exists.)
Noah's Ark
Over Horizon (EU/JP)
Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III
Parodius (EU/JP)
Rackets & Rivals
Rainbow Islands (Ocean's PAL version is different that Taito's NTSC versions)
Road Fighter (SLIGHTLY better graphics than JP version, still not sure what Konami was thinking releasing such a simple game seven years after the Famicom version)
Rodland (ES/IT/JP only?)
Smurfs
Super Mario Bros./Nintendo World Cup/Tetris
Super Turrican
Tecmo World Cup Soccer (not the same game as Tecmo Cup Soccer Game aka Captain Tsubasa)
Trolls in Crazyland (EU and JP. Announced and canceled both without and with the Trolls license for NA. Can't remember if a proto ROM of either version ever got released.)
Ufouria (Hebereke)

[Allie]

MicroProse :

F-15 Strike Eagle

[kingmike]

Jan 14, 2014 12:52:02 GMT -5 strizzuth said:

Monster Party WASN'T released in Japan? The world has ceased to make sense.

Nope. A proto exists but it's being horded by the Japanese prototype yakuza.

[moran]

How about games released as NA and PAL exclusives or just on or the other?

ACCLAIM:
Airwolf

BRODERBUND:
Raid on Bungeling Bay


INTERPLAY:
Swords & Serpents

RARE:
Snake, Rattle, & Roll
Time Lord

OCEAN:
Jurssic Park
Hudson Hawk

VIRGIN:
Spot! the Video Game

[Joseph Joestar]

Jan 14, 2014 16:56:23 GMT -5 moran said:

How about games released as NA and PAL exclusives or just on or the other?

BRODERBUND:
Raid on Bungeling Bay

OCEAN:
Hudson Hawk

These were released on Famicom (I gots em is the only reason I know).

[moran]

Jan 14, 2014 16:59:42 GMT -5 Joseph Joestar said:

Jan 14, 2014 16:56:23 GMT -5 moran said:

How about games released as NA and PAL exclusives or just on or the other?

BRODERBUND:
Raid on Bungeling Bay

OCEAN:
Hudson Hawk

These were released on Famicom (I gots em is the only reason I know).

Hmmm. My list may be compromised. That's what I get for doing piss poor research.

[Joseph Joestar]

Jan 14, 2014 19:13:29 GMT -5 moran said:

Jan 14, 2014 16:59:42 GMT -5 Joseph Joestar said:

These were released on Famicom (I gots em is the only reason I know).

Hmmm. My list may be compromised. That's what I get for doing piss poor research.

Eh, it's just two games, I wouldn't sweat it .  Hope I didn't come off as being nitpicky.

[kingmike]

Many of the games from unlicensed companies (aside from Tengen and Camerica/Codemasters) came from unlicensed Asian companies so they probably did get Famicom releases.
Probably any game by Sachen/Joy Van/Thin Chen. I think it includes Master Chu, Puzzle, Pyramid, Double Strike (called "Twin Eagle" in other regions, not related to the licensed NES game of the same name).
Metal Fighter did get released on Famicom (and it sounds like it's actually quite a collector's item). Miss Peach World is the Famicom version of Menace Beach.
Mermaids of Atlantis is the censored version of Bubble Bath Babes which was Soap Panic on Famicom.
Ultimate League Soccer is a censored version of a Famicom porn ("AV") game.

[moran]

Jan 14, 2014 20:54:06 GMT -5 Joseph Joestar said:

Jan 14, 2014 19:13:29 GMT -5 moran said:

Hmmm. My list may be compromised. That's what I get for doing piss poor research.

Eh, it's just two games, I wouldn't sweat it .  Hope I didn't come off as being nitpicky.

Not at all. I can take it.