Region Locked

Book excerpt: Not all games are released equal. The barriers of language and culture can leave our world divided, and this includes the video games that we get the chance to play. Matt Barnes, Dazz Brown and Greg Seago-Curl of DidYouKnowGaming? created the YouTube series Region Locked to offer an insight into the weird and wonderful titles that never left their home countries, and now they bring their expertise to you, the gaming reader. Encounter masterpieces you never knew existed from your favourite series and developers, as well as some utterly bizarre creations that seem so outlandish you might wonder how on earth they were released in the first place, from the trippy, meandering dreamscapes of 1998’s LSD: Dream Emulator to The Mysterious Murasame Castle, released in 1986 by Nintendo, and the intergalactic adventures of Crime Crackers (1994). The authors explore what it’s like to play these games, and investigate the fascinating characters and maverick designers behind them to discover why such remarkable creations never enjoyed international exposure. For the casual gamer, keen developer, intrigued reader and hardcore fan alike, Region Locked is the key to a surreal and adventurous journey through the lost world of video games.