Fan Translation Completes Japan-Only 3DS Epic 'Time Travelers'
A dedicated team has finally brought Level-5's cinematic sci-fi adventure to English speakers after a decade.
A major Japan-exclusive Nintendo 3DS game has just been unlocked for a global audience. A fan translation team has released a complete English patch for Time Travelers, the cinematic sci-fi adventure from Level-5 that never saw an official Western release.
The project was announced as complete on GBATemp, where the team shared the patch and installation details. You can find the original release thread and download links right here. For over a decade, the game's dense, branching narrative was a barrier for non-Japanese speakers. Not anymore.
🎮 Game Details- Original Release: Nintendo 3DS, 2012 (Japan)- Developer: Level-5 (Professor Layton, Ni no Kuni)- Genre: Cinematic, multi-path adventure
Originally released in 2012, Time Travelers is a unique beast. It's less a traditional game and more an interactive anime with branching decision points. The story kicks off with a cataclysmic explosion in Tokyo, sending the protagonist and others spiralling through different time periods to prevent disaster. It's packed with the high production values Level-5 is known for-full voice acting and slick animated cutscenes.
The translation patch is comprehensive. It covers all the game's story text, menus, and, crucially, the subtitles for its lengthy cinematic sequences. This makes the complex, time-hopping plot fully accessible. It's a significant piece of work, given the game's text-heavy nature and reliance on its narrative.
This project is part of a wider, ongoing effort by dedicated fan translators to localise games that publishers left behind. It's similar in spirit to the long-running project to translate Sega's quirky Segagaga for the Dreamcast, which we covered when it entered its final phase. Both are passion projects aimed at preserving and opening up unique pieces of gaming history.
For 3DS enthusiasts with homebrew-enabled systems, this patch dramatically expands the library of playable titles. The console's digital shop may be closed, but its physical and fan-supported library continues to grow in interesting ways. Installing the patch requires a modded 3DS or an emulator, with full instructions provided by the team on GBATemp.
It's a great time to rediscover the 3DS, and projects like this are a big reason why. A whole cinematic adventure, once locked away, is now ready to play.
Want more retro gaming news? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly updates.
