Japanese Consoles That Are Still Getting New Games Today

When we talk about "retro" we usually mean games and hardware that stopped getting new releases decades ago. In Japan, though, a handful of classic platforms never fully went quiet. The doujin (indie / self-published) scene keeps them alive: small teams and solo developers still release new titles for machines that many in the West have never heard of. If you're into Japanese games and want to see where the past is still present, here’s a quick tour of the platforms that still see real, ongoing development—and which one might be the best rabbit hole for SNES and Japanese-game fans.

MSX / MSX2 — The Most Active Retro Platform in Japan

MSX (and its successor MSX2) is probably the most active "retro" platform in Japan today. The community never really died there. New games still appear at Comiket and other doujin events regularly. The MSX Association is still active in Japan, and dedicated developers keep pushing the hardware.

If you had to pick one system with the most genuine, ongoing Japanese developer activity today, MSX/MSX2 wins easily—the community is remarkably dedicated and consistent. It’s the one to watch if you want to see classic 8-bit (and beyond) development happening in real time.

Sharp X68000 — The Developer’s Machine

The Sharp X68000 was basically the "developer’s machine" of the late ’80s and early ’90s in Japan. It’s a cult classic there, and the homebrew and doujin scene around it is surprisingly alive. New releases still appear from dedicated fans and small studios.

For anyone with a SNES and Japanese game focus, the X68000 scene might be the most fascinating rabbit hole: that machine was deeply intertwined with arcade ports and classic JRPG development history. A lot of what you love about 16-bit Japanese games has roots or parallels on the X68K.

PC-98 (NEC PC-9801) — Visual Novels and RPGs

NEC’s PC-98 (PC-9801) still gets occasional doujin releases in Japan, mostly from nostalgic developers who grew up with the platform. It’s especially tied to the early visual novel and RPG scene—many foundational titles in those genres first appeared there. If you care about the history of Japanese PC gaming and narrative games, the PC-98 is still worth paying attention to.

Neo Geo — Physical Cartridges and Indie Devs

SNK’s Neo Geo still sees limited physical cartridge releases, some officially sanctioned. Indie studios like NG:Dev.Team (European but well-known in the space) and Japanese developers have released new titles. It’s expensive, but it’s real: new games on real carts for a system that turned 35 in 2025.

PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) — Boutique and Collectors

The PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16 in the West) has a small but active scene. New physical releases still happen through boutique publishers targeting collectors. It’s not as busy as MSX, but the machine has a devoted following and you can still buy new, boxed games for it.

Why It Matters for Collectors

For SNES and Japanese-game collectors, these scenes are a reminder that "retro" isn’t just about the past—it’s about communities that never stopped. The doujin space keeps hardware and design traditions alive in a way that’s rare in the West. If you want to go deeper, start with MSX for the most activity, or X68000 for the strongest link to the 16-bit and arcade history that shaped the games we collect today.