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This NES horror JRPG spent 32 years as lost media, but once it was preserved it only took 33 days to get a complete fan translation
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Dustin Bailey
2025-12-03
Back in November, we reported on the unexpected discovery and unofficial release of Splatterworld, a JRPG spin-off of the horror-themed beat-'em-up series Splatterhouse. Originally scheduled for release on the Japanese Famicom in 1993, it seems unlikely that this game ever would've been officially localized for NES even if it hadn't been canceled before launch, but don't tell that to the romhackers who've already given us a complete fan translation patch of a game that would've been considered lost media just one month ago. "Just shy of five weeks after the initial ROM dump became available (33 days, to be precise) we now have a complete translation patch for the game," fan translation group Aeon Genesis says in its announcement of Splatterworld's translation patch. It's impressively short work, especially given how little was known about Splatterworld up until the ROM's unofficial release this past Halloween. Its name wasn't even documented online until 2024, when a promotional tape featuring a bit of info about the game was archived by a Japanese Famicom researcher. When we covered the ROM's release, I speculated that it would probably be quite some time before we got a fan translation, but in this instance I'm very happy to be wrong. After 32 years, an NES horror JRPG thought to be lost media has suddenly leaked in fully playable form After 5 years of work, Sony's cult classic PS1 JRPG trilogy is now fully playable in English as the roguelike spin-off finally gets its fan translation patch A canceled NES multiplayer game and SNES RTS have been saved "and preserved" from the unflinching incinerator of gaming history, and a new "cart release" might be on the horizon We did a thing! My first RPG translation is 1: Of an unreleased game, 2: in one of my favorite franchises, and 3: with a rom hacker that partially inspired me getting into translation in the first place. Super proud to have helped bring this out in *checks notes* just over a month!— @rahanakero.bsky.social (@rahanakero.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-03T21:45:17.189Z We did a thing! My first RPG translation is 1: Of an unreleased game, 2: in one of my favorite franchises, and 3: with a rom hacker that partially inspired me getting into translation in the first place. Super proud to have helped bring this out in *checks notes* just over a month! Splatterworld is an example of, perhaps, the rarest gift that game preservation can provide – a damn-near complete, fully playable version of a game that never actually made it to market in its time. The fact that it's something as interesting as a JRPG spin-off of a beloved-but-oft-forgotten beat-'em-up series filled with tributes to classic horror media is just icing on the cake. These are the best NES games of all time.
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vibeMachine
Feb 03, 02:31 PM
Great replay value. Maybe worth it. This is clear. idk man
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grimPineapple
Jan 09, 12:01 PM
🐸 this is exactly what i wanted. does it matter? A game for kids.
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yeetMaster
Dec 21, 11:31 AM
cold lol Not bad for a free game. ;)
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existentialToast
Dec 09, 03:09 PM
cap ?My 2 cents.
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trashWizard
Dec 04, 09:09 AM
I painted it. Exceeded my expectations. imho... top-notch 😡
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