Operation Rainfall: How a Dedicated Fan Campaign Brought Three Massive JRPGs to the West

It never seems to fail. A video game releases in Japan, with no plans for a US release, and developers are dumbfounded every single time American audiences are ravenously requesting a localization. You would think by now, everyone would be keenly aware of just how big an audience there is in the US for obscure Japanese games. That's especially true if those games are JRPGs.

Fan campaigns have existed forever, and they will always pop up when enough people get together. But there may not be a more notable, impressive fan campaign than Operation Rainfall, which concerned itself with not just one, but three Wii JRPGs that were exclusive to Japan. Xenoblade Chronicles, Pandora's Tower and The Last Story were the focus of Operation Rainfall, and their mission to bring them all to the West was a straightforward task that had a lot of hurdles.

Along the way, Operation Rainfall went from relative obscurity on message boards and internet forums, to being recognized by Xenogears writer Soraya Saga and all the way to then Nintendo president Reggie Fills-Aime. It was a strong, concerted effort that was instrumental in changing the fortunes of games looking for a bigger audience, as well as showcasing the raw power of fans on a mission.

If you weren't around when Operation Rainfall was at its peak, it may not seem like much. It was truly marvelous to watch unfold, however, as it brought everyone together due to the unwavering, dedicated passion that was on display.

Strange Bedfellows

The three games at the heart of Operation Rainfall were Xenoblade Chronicles, Pandora's Tower and The Last Story. On the surface, they may not seem that similar aside from all three being JRPGs. Each one comes from a different developer, and all three games are radically different when it comes to their design philosophies. What unified the games of Operation Rainfall, however, was precisely how different they were.

Nintendo's next home console, the Wii U, was on its way. These three Wii games were all aiming to release in Japan relatively close to the launch of the Wii U in 2012, and each one was facing its own set of unique challenges. Pandora's Tower was excellent, but had a small, niche audience, while Xenoblade and The Last Story were games with remarkable pedigree from industry veterans, but also facing down the barrel of obscurity.

Operation Rainfall targeted these games specifically for those reasons, as these were games that already had cult-like followings, which made them a bit more attractive for US localizations. They gave themselves a deadline of eighteen months, which fell right on the date of the Wii U's North American launch, which meant it was now or never.

The next console generation was coming, and Nintendo's upcoming console cycle was poised to swallow up every bit of hype possible. If the campaign failed, the possibilities of anyone even considering revisiting these games fell from slim to less than zero.

I'm Really Feeling It

If you've ever spent any amount of time online, you have most likely seen fan campaigns for this kind of thing. Most of the time, these campaigns are either ignored or given a bit of lip service before they're never spoken of again. Operation Rainfall was less of a fan campaign and more like an unwavering, relentless blitz.

It reached a point where Nintendo and the other parties involved had little to no choice. Ignoring Operation Rainfall became a worse business decision every single day, and while fan campaigns had reached the desks of people who weighed these decisions before, this one was far different. Numerous fan campaigns in the past had been acknowledged, given a bit of positive praise and then shut down when we were told there were no plans to release the game outside Japan.

The first shot across the bow was Xenoblade Chronicles, which Nintendo confirmed as having a North American launch in December 2011. It was a huge victory, but Operation Rainfall was not done. Not by a long shot. They reloaded and focused on The Last Story and Pandora's Tower, which both got the nod for US releases in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

It felt impossible, but the reality was that it was done. The objective had been declared, and then confidently met. In just a span of three years, Operation Rainfall had decisively shattered each and every goal set in front of them. To this day, I am still utterly dumbfounded at how successful the whole thing truly was.

The Aftermath of Success

In the years since Operation Rainfall, they haven't stopped just because the campaign was successful. After it was completed, Operation Rainfall transitioned into a site covering niche JRPGs. You can still visit them today and learn about even more fascinating games, a true testament to their never-ending crusade. The games themselves had a much more complicated track record.

Xenoblade Chronicles would become one of the most popular JRPG franchises in the world. It helped put the series on the map, and while Pandora's Tower and The Last Story never got any sequels, both are games that are a hallmark of any Wii collection. It's fair to say that neither of them found the same level of mainstream recognition as Xenoblade Chronicles, but they still maintain their rabid following to this day.

Operation Rainfall had a very simple mission, and within less than five years, they absolutely smashed the roadblocks in their way. Nintendo may not be ready to give them the credit they deserve for getting these games the attention that was owed to them, but I think it's past time to give them their due. It's truly amazing what gamers can accomplish with a little bit of passion and a few letters.