This solution is more intended for anyone wanting to pick up the Japanese version for an extra stack. It can very much be played without any knowledge of Japanese, provided you follow this exceptional guide from EgHeadFool over at GameFAQs:
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps3/971481-3d-dot-game-heroes/...The main differences between the guide and the Japanese version are as follows:
ControlsLike most Japanese titles, O and X are swapped. All actions that use these buttons are reversed throughout the entire game,
except for when you Save or Load a game. This uses your native Playstation interface, so for non-Japanese gamers, the controls will be reversed whenever you see the Save/Load dialog window.
ChoicesMost choices in the game are a simple "yes" or "no", with "yes" selected by default. In Japanese, "yes" is only two characters long - はい where "no" is three - いいえ. The only exception to this is when you continue your game, you're asked if you wish to change your character - the default selection here is "no".
For the most part, you want to say "yes" to everything. If you follow the choices in the guide and select the appropriate answer, you will have no trouble.
MenusThe Japanese version only has 4 main menu choices - New Game, Continue Game, Editor, Photo Mode.
There is no New Game+ or Install options. Ever. The title logo does change to blue though when the game is beat for the first time, the same as the USA/EU version.
Wind WingsWhen you use a Wind Wing, you are given a choice of towns to warp to as a list, you are not given the full map to choose from like the USA version has. You can only choose from Raejack Village, Wardna House, Ortego, Colneria Village, Jim's Shack, Finn's Inn, Hotel Nialliv, in that order (after you first visit them).
BestiaryOnyx needs the full 300 hits in order to book him, thankfully the glitch where you can stand under his feet is still in effect. Stand under there and smack away with the book for a good 10 minutes.
New Game+There is no New Game+. You cannot carry over your Bestiary, Small Blocks, Weapon Upgrades or King Block bought weapons like you can in the USA version. There is no "Clear" save, there is no option to select a save when you start a new game.
You need to keep this in mind as you plan your plays as you cannot finish off the Bestiary in the next playthrough, also you will need to grind out all 88 Small Blocks in one game, you cannot carry them or King Block bought weapons over.
There is however, a glitch that doesn't appear in the English versions.
Weapon Transfer Glitch- Start a New Game.
- Play through until you have your first Sword and Shield, Save Game in a new slot.
- Quit to the Main Menu (do not skip this step).
- Continue Game, choose your old (existing) save.
- Press Start, choose Load Game and select your New Game.
- Game will load with all swords from the previous save file.
- Make sure you save the game again to store the swords permanently.
All this glitch does is transfer your swords and upgrades. Gol, Small Blocks, Keys, Single-use Items, Bombs/Arrows are not transferred.
While you'll have your Ancient Sword in your inventory, you still need to collect it before you can enter the Grass Temple. Don't worry, you don't lose your upgrades for it.
FROM ModeFROM Mode is different to the English versions. The game is simply that enemies deal double damage and the Spelunker event appears in the North-West. There is no extra enemies, Blue Dragons and Crystal Slimes do NOT appear any more frequently. This means there is no easy way to grind money or Small Blocks for the upgrades. It does however mean the difficulty is substantially easier.
Spelunker ModeNaming your character "SPELUNKER" or "Spelunker" to gain access to this mode does NOT work. You need to spell it "スペランカー", but to do so isn't straight-forward for anyone not familiar with writing Japanese. Alternatively, unlock it in FROM mode by completing his event with the Flame Wand as normal.
Mini-GamesThe time-limits on the Dash games are the unpatched versions mentioned in the guide.
The Block Defense Plus stages are paid DLC. Admittedly not expensive, but can be tricky to get without a Japanese PSN account and credit. Combined with the easier FROM mode, this makes Small Block grinding extremely time consuming.
Moon SwordAs mentioned in the guide, the requirements are greater, but if you follow the guide you will complete all events and get all key items, all thats left is to perfect the mini-games, which you need to do for all swords anyway.
All Swords Obtained!The biggest trophy getting in the way of the Platinum is obtaining all swords. I strongly recommend reading my guide under that trophy.