Book edited by Kurt Kalata

"Video role-playing games, adapted for computers from their pen-and-paper forebears, have been around since the earliest days of digital gaming. Despite initial similarities to Western games, Japan's output began diverging in dramatic ways, inspired by its own culture and art, producing a style of game that's often wildly different from its western counterpart. This tome explores the expansive history of Japanese role-playing games, beginning on 8-bit microcomputers, and following them all the way up to the heavy hitters of the modern era."

Buy the book here.

Games listed in book order (by era and major publisher, then by subgenre).

Games not found on Backloggd:

- Kaleidoscope (Hot-B/Home Computers/1984)
- Suiryuushi (Shambhala/Home Computers/1989)
- Suiryuushi 2 (Shambhala/Home Computers/1990)
- Suiryuushi Bangaihen: Mediflora no Izumi (Shambhala/Home Computers/1991)
- Suiryuushi Gaiden: Tukiryuno Yama (Shambhala/Home Computers/1992)
- Oranda Tsuma wa Denki Unagi no Yume o Miru ka? (Koei/Home Computers/1984)
- Lost Power (Winkysoft/Home Computers/1986)
- Valusa no Fukushuu (Zainsoft/Home Computres/1990)
- Marchen Veil II (System Sacom/Home Computers/1986)
- Tokyo (Starcraft/Home Computers/1985)
- Shanghai (Starcraft/Home Computers/1985)
- Kowloon Island (Starcraft/Home Computers/1985)
- Monster Maker (SOFEL/Game Boy/1990)
- Monster Maker 2: Uru no Hiken (SOFEL/Game Boy/1993)
- Xerd no Densetsu (Vic Tokai/Game Boy/1991)
- Farland Story: Kyoshin no Miyako (Technical Group Laboratory/Windows/1996)
- Wizardry Gaiden: Prisoners of the Battles (IRI/PlayStation 2/2006)
- Wizardry Gaiden: Five Ordeals (IRI/Windows/2006)
- Wizardry: The Prisoners of the Lost City (Zerodiv/PlayStation 3/2011)
- Wizardry: Pledge of Life (Suzak/Nintendo DS/2009)
- Fantasian (XtalSoft/Home Computers/1985)

(massive special thanks to BL user @bitterbatterdog for checking and noticing that a ton of formerly absent titles had been newly added since the creation of the list)