It may seem like your local videogame shop is replete with Japanese games, but we actually only get a fraction of Nippon’s annual output—and it would be far worse if it wasn’t for the kind folks at Atlus.

The game publisher focuses on localizing Japanese games for a small but seriously hardcore following here in the West, who otherwise would be forced to rely on overpriced imports and the ability to read kanji. Since this is an inherently risky endeavour—as opposed to, say, pumping out sequels and licensed titles—Atlus tends to do small print runs, which means that if you don’t pick up one their titles soon after release, you may be reduced to scoring a copy on eBay.

Their classic DS surgery sim Trauma Center: Under the Knife was more talked about than played (at least until they gave in to demand and issued a reprint as well as revamping it for the Wii late last year as Trauma Center: Second Opinion) because copies simply didn’t show up in EB’s used bins.

Atlus’s quirky niche games have earned it a rep that seems more like a record label than a game publisher, where certain people will buy a game based on the Atlus logo alone. While they are beloved for localizing the likes of the "Shin Megami Tensei" series—the most recent spinoff will be next month’s Persona 3—their track record is by no means unblemished. Last year’s controversial creepy schoolgirl horror game Rule of Rose failed to impress many reviewers and their recent dungeon-crawler Izuna: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja is impossibly hard, despite its happy-go-lucky title.

But they scored with last year’s eccentric DS title Contact—a postmodern RPG with a witty English script where you, the player, are contacted a la Last Starfighter to stop evil aliens—as well the sweet-natured, cell-shaded and anime-flavoured Steambot Chronicles.

Their latest success is Odin Sphere, a side-scrolling RPG on the PS2 (yes, yes, another PS2 post, but seriously, folks, this console simply won’t die). Though most available 2D games are retro classics, its nice to see a new game give the old format a makeover. I’m serious, this is one drop-dead beautiful game with lushly hand-drawn animation that looks like a Walt Disney oil painting and will make you forget all about the third dimension. Rooted in Norse mythology and set amidst impending Armageddon, Odin tells its story from several simultaneous intersecting Rashoman-style perspectives. Also, there’s a lot of cooking involved.

So if you’re getting a bit bored with the usual rote blockbusters, seek out some cultish Atlus titles for a little Eastern edge.