shmups.system11.org

So, you want a Japanese 360 to play the region locked and upcoming NTSC-J releases which are bound to be also region locked. And, of course, THE iDOLM@STER. Here's what you need to know.

- Can I modchip/hack/firmware change/modify my Xbox 360 so it can play NTSC-J games/copies?

No. Even if a method becomes available, I can't cover it in my guide as it's against the forum's rules.

- How can you tell the difference between console versions?

If you're ordering online (which you most likely will be), you can't. There's nothing wrong with owning a Jasper unit over a Falcon, nor is there anything wrong with owning a Falcon over a Jasper. Common sense and recent reports suggest that owning the latest model of the console holds the advantage. A notable advantage which the Jasper has is the on-board 256MB RAM to cover the NXE update which requires a memory card or HDD in Falcon or previous models. I have a JP Falcon which I purchased at the end of October of 2008 and as of yet (September 2009), it's fine. Differences between Falcon and Jasper units can be found here.

Apart from purchasing an Japanese 360 physically, there's no way to tell which unit you will be receiving. You could always try emailing Play-Asia but that will probably get you nowhere (as evident in the rest of the thread).

- What are the benefits of owning a Japanese 360?

Most shmups and other very Japanese-esque games are region locked, and this grants you access to all of them. A majority of NTSC-J games also end up receiving an Asian English release, but not all. Some of them even come out in English before the US, like Blue Dragon or Lost Odyssey.

- What are the disadvantages of owning a Japanese 360?

Some games like Culdcept Saga, Eternal Sonata, Earth Defense Force 2017 and Operation Darkness are region locked to US (NTSC/UC) only. They have Japanese releases, but of course they're all in Japanese. Some games have Asian English releases, like Eternal Sonata for example, but some don't. Eternal Sonata aside, all the others are Japanese. There's a possibility that worthwhile games in the future will be region locked to US only, and you won't be able to play them.

- Is x Xbox 360 game compatible with a Japanese 360?

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-00-3-xbox ... 49-en.html

- Is x Xbox game backwards compatible with a Japanese 360?

http://www.xbox.com/ja-JP/games/backwar ... eslist.htm

- Can I create a US account on a Japanese 360?

Yes. Just use a US address and a US specific passport account. I would recommend making an account of your own region, and a Japanese account. If you use a non-Japanese account and a game tries to access the JP store, it will give a "service is temporarily unavailable" error. There's details on how to create a JP account below.

- What shooters are available, and what shooters are coming to the Japanese 360?

Released:

Shikigami no Shiro III - Dec 12, 2007
Raiden Fighters Aces - Mar 25, 2008
Raiden IV - Sep 30, 2008
Otomedius Gorgeous - Nov 19, 2008
Dodonpachi Daioujou Black Label Extra - Feb 19, 2009
Shooting Love 200X - Feb 19, 2009
Death Smiles - Apr 24, 2009
Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta - Jun 25, 2009
Raiden Fighters Aces - Nov 19, 2009 (Games on Demand)
Mushihimesama Futari (region free) - Nov 26, 2009
Raiden IV - Jan 14, 2010 (Games on Demand)
Shooting Love 200X - Feb 14, 2010 (Games on Demand)
ESPGaluda II (region free) - Feb 25, 2010
Ketsui - Apr 22, 2010
Death Smiles II X - May 27, 2010
Mamoru-kun wa Norowarete Shimatta - Jun 29th, 2010 (Games on Demand)
Strike Witches Shirogane no Tsubasa - July 29, 2010

Aegis Wing - 2007 (US Marketplace only) (Xbox Live Arcade)
Ikaruga - 2008 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Triggerheart Excelica - 2008 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Omega Five - 2008 (Xbox Live Arcade)
R-Type Dimensions - 2009 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Raystorm HD - 2010 (Xbox Live Arcade)

Upcoming:

Guwange XBLA - September/October 2010
Radirgy Noah - October 28th, 2010
Otomedius Excellent - Winter 2010
Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu - November 25th, 2010
Muchi Muchi Pork & Pink Sweets - Spring 2011
Dangun Feveron - TBA

Green coloured games will work on any Xbox 360 console.

- Where can I purchase one from?

Basically, the cheapest place to get a brand new console from is Play-Asia. They vary in price, models, colors and bundles. Note that some sites like Yes-Asia deviously include their shipping cost inside their items price, but if you wish to shop elsewhere, do so at your own caution. Ideally, getting someone inside of Japan would be the cheapest route.

- What if it dies?

It entirely depends on your location. For me in New Zealand, my Japanese 360 died and I had it repaired. It was sent to Australia where it was repaired and sent back to me. Some parts of the world will not allow you to have your console repaired. Sometimes they will replace consoles with working ones, so make sure that if yours dies, that they've made a note not to replace your unit with another, as it's most likely going to be a unit of your own region. Microsoft have announced that they will cover dead 360s even if they don't have the RRoD, and no additional charge is given. It can take anywhere up to a month to successfully get through the repair process (depending on distance, and work load)

- What are the differences between the Japanese and US marketplaces?

Back when I first got a Japanese account in 2007, it seriously lacked content beyond having iDOLM@STER DLC and a few other things. Thankfully this has changed over the years, and now the Japanese store is actually quite worthwhile (to the point where my main account is Japanese) as it contains things like the Japanese Inside Xbox, interviews and other stuff. However, it still lacks a fair amount of stuff which the US store has, such as Netflix or Rock Band DLC.

- What about DLC? What can I do with it?

Most of the DLC available is region locked as well, so this means you won't be able to purchase DLC inside Japanese games when using an American account UNLESS the game and content is the same and is uploaded to the US marketplace's servers. Outside of games, you can purchase DLC at the marketplace by using points--providing you either have a credit card or points code. Late '07 they removed the ability to add foreign credit cards, and now foreign cards no longer work at all.

UPDATE2: The brief period when NXE was launched where you were able to use foreign credit cards has ended. It's once again impossible to use a foreign credit card on a Japanese account.

Points are also region locked, so American point cards won't work with Japanese accounts. Points can be bought from Play-Asia, who now digitally send Japanese 360 points as of the 3rd of September, 2010.

- Will required patches for Japanese 360 games work if I log in with an American account?

Patches automatically download when you load a game regardless of your region.

- What about voltages and power supplies?

360 consoles use external power, so you can use a power supply in your own region on a foreign console without any need for conversion.

- Ok, so how do I get a Japanese 360 account?

Updated 21/08/2009
After selecting to get an account, it will display 4 steps. Choose "Sign Me Up".
Afterwards, enter your email,
then enter your password. It will also ask for your date of birth, probably to filter stuff for people under 18.
After this you should be on "Verify information". Locale determines which marketplace you're going to sign up for, so choose Japan.
Accept the Terms of Service. If it's not in Japanese, go back and do it again.
After accepting the terms, it should prompt you with a menu displaying what Xbox Live offers. Click "Continue".
Choose "I don't want a gold membership", and it should say that you're eligible for 1 month of Gold (note, this can only be done three times per console). Continue.
It'll ask you if you wish to add payment info, choose "No, add it later."
Now it'll ask for your first/last name, phone number, and contact email (which should already be there).
Next it'll ask you if you wish to sign up for "exclusive insider information", and the bottom choice asks if you wish to share your information with parnters. I assume the top option just sends you email junk and the bottom option registers you on MyGamercard, I dunno, choose whatever and click Continue.
Select a gamerzone: Recreation, Pro, Family or Underground. (corresponds to nothing, it's just preference)
Past a few menus, it'll ask you to choose a gamertag. This is your online identity. Note: If the gamertag is available and you choose OK, it'll proceed to create it immediately. If it isn't available, it'll ask you to try another gamertag.
And you're done. Choose a Mii/Avatar thing and have fun.

--- If you're asked to put in a zip code, choose 530-0001 and it should automatically fill out everything.

- So now that I have one, what can I download?

Things to look for: 無料 (free), and ゲームのデモ (demos). There's a bunch of free gamer icons for Puyo Puyo Fever on the marketplace, plus a few others for Xbox Originals. There's a Raiden Fighters Aces demo as well. But really, not much unless you get yourself some points. There was a time where some demos were Japanese marketplace-exclusive, like Ninja Gaiden 2 and Eternal Sonata, but that's long gone. You can also freely download a bunch of trailers, for games like IDOLM@STER Live for You or Agarest Senki.

- Great, but what shmup related material is available exclusively to the Japanese marketplace?

Current titles:

Senko no Ronde (旋光の輪舞 Rev. X): Gamerpics, themes, outfits
Shikigami no Shiro III (式神の城III): Gamerpics
Raiden Fighters Aces (ライデンファイターズ エイシス): Gamerpics, themes, available on Games on Demand (IP-locked)
Raiden IV (雷電IV): Gamerpics, ships, themes (pre-NXE)
Otomedius G (オトメディウス ゴージャス!): Background music, premium theme, gamerpics, new characters, new stage (Moai stage)
Daioujou BLEX (怒首領蜂 大往生・ブラックレーベル EXTRA): X-Mode replay
Death Smiles (デススマイルズ): Trailer, gameplay trailer, gamerpics (characters), gamerpics (enemies), premium theme (bath scene), Mega Black Label, NEW: Mega Black Label 1.1, Deathsmiles Premium Theme #2
Mamorukun ha nowareshimatta! (まもるクンは呪われてしまった！): Trailer, gamerpics, two new characters
Shooting Love 200X (シューティングラブ２００X): Gamerpics, premium theme
Mushihimesama Futari (虫姫さまふたり): Theme, promotional video, Black Label
ESPGaluda II (エスプガルーダII): Video, premium theme, gamerpics
Deathsmiles II X (デススマイルズIIX): Gamerpics, videos, new premium theme
Senko no Ronde DUO (旋光の輪舞DUO): Gamerpics, other stuff I can't recall
Strike Witches (ストライクウィッチーズ白銀の翼): Multiple premium themes, gamerpics, videos

XBLA:

R-Type Dimensions (アールタイプ ディメンジョン): Game (1200 points), premium theme, gamerpics
Ikaruga (斑鳩): Game (800 points) non-premium theme, gamerpics
Triggerheart Exelica (トリガーハート　エグゼリカ): Game (800 points)

XNA:

Crescendo Symphony: Demo, full game (240 points)
Ultimate Sacrifice: Demo, full game
X-Over: Demo, full game

All of the above will cost points (remember, points are region locked) if you wish to purchase them. As it stands, the current shmups available on the Xbox Live marketplace aren't exclusive. Aegis Wing is free, but only available on the US marketplace. The rest - Ikaruga, Omega 5, Triggerheart and so on, can be purchased worldwide.

- Can I use a Japanese account for online gaming?

Only if you add points and get yourself Gold status, which costs money. But it'll work the same as any other account. Japanese points can be bought from Play-Asia. Xbox Gold memberships are region free, but points are region locked. Note that if you add your credit card to any Xbox Live account, you can't remove it unless you phone Microsoft's horrible, horrible customer support and have them manually confirm it.

- What are some currently region locked Japanese exclusives for the 360?

All Japanese exclusives are region locked with the exception of Mushihimesama Futari. Non-exclusive region locked titles exist like Senko no Ronde (released worldwide), CLANNAD (multi-platform), and Shikigami no Shiro III (multi-platform).

- What about the dashboard? Can that be changed?

The dashboard can be changed into any language, but having and using a Japanese account will mean that marketplace related items will be in Japanese, while the rest is in English. Bringing up the guide button while having an English interface, and moving to the far left tab will allow you to navigate the marketplace in English. This won't change the marketplace's language, but at least you can easily get to sections of the marketplace via this tab.

- Is it worth waiting for x game to be localized instead of buying a Japanese 360 for it?

Only if you're happy knowing that there's other people out there playing a game that you want to play, simply because you don't want to import it.

- Can I exchange x accessory from x region to another region Xbox 360?

Yes, no console accessories such as memory units, headsets, HDDs, etc, have region locking so there's no need to worry about that.

- I have a currently in-use HDD. Can I use it with a Japanese 360?

Yes, but you would need to use the Xbox 360 license migration tool otherwise you won't be able to play your arcade games on anything but the account in which they were originally purchased from.

- What if I download a game from the Japanese marketplace? Won't it be in Japanese?

This depends entirely on your language settings, only rarely on the game itself. So downloading Triggerheart Exelica and using an English setting means that it'll still be in English. Though some games will default to Japanese automatically, ie. Marvel vs. Capcom 2, if your console is Japanese. Capcom XBLA titles do this in particular. Update: Also Konami's stuff seems to do this too.

- How do I change the location in my profile?

You can change your location via Locale under System Settings. This changes the locale displayed in the Motto part of your profile, and briefly appears behind mottos when selecting a person's profile. Generally people just have their locale as their real location, but it can be set to anything without consequences.

- Can I purchase Japanese-only games via the Games on Demand service using a JP account?

No. The games are IP locked, so you can't download them even if you have a JP console, JP account with points attached, and/or JP credit card attached as well. I've tried. It simply will not work. If you attempt to purchase via points, it will say "This content is not available in your current location.", and if you attempt to purchase with a credit card it'll just tell you the exact same thing.



Credits:

http://www.play-asia.com for general region locking stuff
http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/10/insi ... al-consol/ for images
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/09/03 ... t_sept_09/ for Jasper information (via bcass)
http://www.xbox.com
Cuilan, bcass (members)

Nice one, chap! Can anybody confirm the region-locking status of any of the other key shmups? Not having to buy a new console for Ketsui would be smashing.

(Apologies if that's been covered elsewhere.)

You can swap HDDs.

The PSU from an old-model PAL 360 can be used on any model of JPN 360 (I don't know about the situation in the US).

I don't think either of those are mentioned yet, but I'm having trouble with the tiny text.



That's not the case any more, not with the new dash. Now, the vast majority of items on the dash are in Japanese if you're signed into Japanese account. Changing language through system settings doesn't change this. I had one hell of a job finding the 'redeem points' option last night, as a result.

<edit> Oh, and I think i'm right in saying that *all* Japan-exclusive titles are region locked. It might be easier to whack that in there than try and provide a comprehensive list.

Can you defeat the region lock by installing the game on a Japanese HD (say Raiden IV) and then swaping the HD with a PAL or US model ?

Even if you've installed the game the system makes you put the disc in to play it, so it'll still reject it if it's the wrong region.

What a neat list. I'm sure this will really help people. With my recent RROD- I've been considering a newer Japan Region Xbox.

I do have a quick question-



So- let's say I take my American account, run it on a Japan Region Xbox and pop in Raiden Fighters Aces. Does this mean the patches will not download at all? I know that particular game is patch heavy. Your guide almost makes it sound as if I'd need to create a Japan account, download the patches, then play on my American account to get the games to show up.

And again- thanks for taking the time to do the guide- I'm sure this thread will get alot of hits with DOJ, Ketsui, and Deathsmiles all hitting the system.

no because the disc still has to be in the tray to play it

No, no, it's still true. All contents of the Japanese marketplace is slowly being transferred into complete Japanese, ie. Video Marketplace and Game Marketplace panels, which can't be changed but is part of the Japanese marketplace itself. If you have the language in Japanese, the Friend tab will be in Japanese, the entirety of the guide button will be in Japanese, and so will your profile. It's only the Japanese marketplace related items which can't be altered via the language setting.



Sure.

You will download the updates/patches. These will download regardless of your software/hardware region.

Thank you for making this! I was going to try and make one but you actually have one and seem to know a lot about it. I thought up some more questions but I forgot them haha. Thanks again!

Thanks for this guide, I'll be getting a Japanese 360 myself soon.

I can confirm that you can get the update for Raiden Fighters by using a US account.

I put in Raiden IV and Otomedius G and so far there are no updates.

Okay, just to clear up this downloads issue: *all* automatic game updates/patches will download automatically regardless of which account you're logged into. Put the game into the drive and, if you're logged into Live on any region account at the time, if there's an update available it'll download and install.

You need to be logged into a Japanese Live account if you want to download extra content. That's the difference. Extra content is a manual download. Patches are automatic.

For the benefit of Europeans, it might be worth noting that it would be better for them to purchase an Asian 360 instead of a Japanese model. Asian 360s are compatible with 99.9% of Japanese software, and they run on 240 volts. If you live in Europe and you buy a Japanese 360 you will need to buy an expensive stepdown converter.

could anyone also update this and include in the above guide questions/answers relating to region for PAL U.K./European users?

thanks a lot

http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/showthread.ph ... 32&t=73466

It seems to make more sense for us UK folk to grab an Asian X360 as opposed to a Japanese one. I think, anyway...
[/url]

Great guide, thanks. Sticky this

Also i checked Yes and PA. I am guessing PA has better prices even if the ship is included in YA. Im assuming the one they are selling is an arcade model for 499.00. It could be a 60 Gig but they have no description of contents.

The only thing that scares me is the RROD. If it goes you are screwed. Read the reviews on PA and you will see what i mean. Not very encouraging.

The more recent models and the latest one are a lot more reliable than the older models. They run at much cooler temperatures which is what the main problem was with the older ones.

Not if you've got the PSU from a 360 of your own region..

Sure, but they aren't easy to get hold of and they aren't cheap. Also, there are several different versions, all with different wattages.

Can someone please notify a guy before moving his thread. I had no idea where this went.

Also, updated with a few of the above issues.

This isn't so straight-forward. As I said in my previous post, there are several different power supplies and you can't just use any with any model. There are at least 3 different types I know of: 203watt, 175watt and 150watt. The situation is complicated further still as some have different connectors. For eample, I have a friend who has launch machine which has a 203watt PSU, and I have a launch day Elite that was released years later which is also 203watt and the connectors are different (the connector that plugs into the console).

I don't know anything about that, sorry. My launch power supply worked on both my 2006 JP and 2008 JP consoles. Should I just add what you know to the FAQ? Because seriously, I don't have any idea.

I'd just mention that there are in fact different power supplies and they are not all interoperable between consoles due to wattage differences.

I suspect that the different PSUs each have different connectors to prevent the wrong one being used (as that could potentially damage the console) but this needs to be confirmed,

The connectors on my original PAL console and first revision NTSC-J one are the same. I don't know about the most recent model.

This ought to be a sticky.

Can some explain to me why the flag icon on my japanese profile changed to my (real) contry for my japanese account ? This hasn't happened recently, but quite some time ago. It does not affect the account. I have still full access to the japanese marketplace, I'm just wondering why this has happened and if it will happen again if I re-change it to Japan (if possible).

probably set to your ISP location.

What flag icon?

Taken from my question in the Shumps Chat area: