Poporogue English Fan Translation Brings Classic Popolocrois Story Sequel to Global Audiences

Poporogue, the second entry in Yohsuke Tamori’s beloved Popolocrois Story RPG series, has finally become accessible to English-speaking audiences thanks to a new fan translation led by LostOkina and Aquagon.

Originally launched exclusively in Japan for the PlayStation in 1998 by Sony Computer Entertainment, Poporogue continued the adventures of Prince Pietro two years after the events of the first Popolocrois Story.

With its compelling narrative, distinctive rogue-like mechanics, and tactical turn-based combat, Poporogue has long been considered a “missing” chapter for Western fans of classic Japanese role-playing games. The Popolocrois series, based on Tamori’s original manga, is renowned for its unique blending of traditional RPG storytelling with innovative gameplay systems.

In Poporogue, players navigate a shadowy dream realm to restore Pietro’s homeland and rescue its citizens, many of whom have mysteriously vanished.

The game introduced procedurally-generated dungeons and allowed players to recruit mercenaries beyond key story characters—features that set it apart from its predecessor and other PlayStation RPGs. Despite the Popolocrois franchise’s cult status in Japan, Poporogue did not receive an official English localization at the time of its release.

Western players first encountered the series through the 2005 PSP adaptation of Popolocrois Story, which marked the brand’s debut in North America and Europe.

For years, non-Japanese fans had no direct means of experiencing Poporogue, making it a legendary “lost” title within the global RPG community. The arrival of this English translation patch, which can be downloaded via prominent Popolocrois community forums, is the culmination of years of dedicated work.

Popolocrois community member @keke_094 celebrated the release online, remarking that "what was once believed impossible has now been achieved." The translation team also added bonus features by allowing players to obtain rare in-game souvenirs—previously restricted to demo discs or PocketStation minigames—simply by speaking with certain non-player characters, further enhancing the experience for new and returning fans alike. This latest fan translation follows the 2022 English patch for the original Popolocrois Story and a 2024 update for Popolocrois Story 2, meaning that the entire original PlayStation trilogy is now fully playable in English.

With only the PlayStation 2 entries, Popolocrois: Hajimari no Bouken and Popolocrois: Tsuki no Okite no Bouken, left without unofficial translations, the Popolocrois community has made significant progress in preserving and sharing this classic RPG series with a broader, international audience. As digital preservation and fan localization continue to play a crucial role in game history, Poporogue’s new English patch stands as a testament to the enduring passion of classic RPG fans and their commitment to making seminal titles accessible to all.

PlayStation English Poporogue Popolocrois Story LostOkina Aquagon Sony Computer Entertainment Yohsuke Tamori PSP Popolocrois community