I can't say I can pinpoint a definition for "charm" in gaming, but if it's the antonym of all the adjectives you listed off in the first paragraph, the smaller, downloadable (XBLA/PSN/WiiWare) titles and the indie scene are mostly where it's at here in the west.  And I wouldn't have it any other way, to be honest.  I like my massive, gritty, AAA American games, but I love what this generation's smaller and "charming" fare has offered as well.  I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love video games.

@Bryan Specific examples of American games with charm? And LittleBigPlanet and Rare's games do not count: Those are British. 

Way Forward's A Boy and His Blob has a "hug" button.

Nice article, nothing against American games, which I like, but sometimes despite whatever massive budget and development teams, the games can feel a little sterile to me. Perhaps it's a bit of nostalgia talking, but I honestly think American developers were better at the 'charm' thing back in the day. Paperboy, NBA Jam, Tecmo Superbowl.. there were even sports games with charm-factor back then. Oh, the original Fallout titles had a lot of charm that I found lacking in the 3rd (I know, sacrilege). One of my friends was obsessed with Oblivion and I used to watch him play sometimes, but I found some Japanese RPGs with miniscule budgets by comparison to have more of that certain intangible charm.

Wow, for a while couldn't figure out what it is that causes me to gravitate towards Japanese games, but I think you just articulated it perfectly—it's charm! The whimsy of Okami, the engaging oddity of Phoenix Wright and addicting cuteness of Patapon are a couple of other charm factors from Japanese games. American games, though? I was going to say Neko Entertainment's DodoGo! for DSiWare, but turns out that's from France. Frontier Games (Lost Winds, Wii) is a British company.

Hm... I'll have to get back to you on this one! ^^

While it's not completely a charm-fest like many Japanese games, the Ratchet and Clank series has at least one foot planted firmly in the charming and light-hearted side of things, with the other in the gritty side of american games. It doesn't surprise me that it is one of the more successful US made games in Japan.

I can't pinpoint any really charming American developed games off the top of my head (and I disagree with Bryan that there's much charm to be found in American indie games, which tend to be cynical and pretentious), but I think you have to give the people who have worked so hard to improve the localization of Japanese games some of the credit here. I've heard that charm has always been one of Dragon Quest's strong points, but how long did it take for that charm to start coming through in localizations? It's the same thing I thought while playing Persona 4. It's one of my absolute favorite games, and incredibly charming, but it could have been made unbearable by a localization that tried to Americanize it and turn it into an overwrought teen drama. 

So the charm might still originate with the Japanese development teams, but thankfully there are some Americans who understand how to carry that charm over in a localization.

I would say DeathSpank has an element of charm about it, but Hothead Games is a Canada Based developer so I do not believe it would count towards that. Its hard to give an exact definition of charm when it comes to gaming. I will agree with you that Dragon Quest has bucket loads of charm in its humour, but then I would also say that there is an element of charm and wit in the dialogue in Uncharted 2, especially in some of the final scenes. If charm is something that makes you smile to yourself, or chuckle, or just be pleased with the writing that was put into the characters in a game, then I would say that Uncharted 2 has an element of charm, if not the same charm that Dragon Quest has.

You brought up the point of how Japanese developers seem to be locked in one view point, and unable to innovate at times, while the western developers, though it is often a common misconception, are able to innovate, or at least, innovate to please their audience. And perhaps audience is exactly it. Japanese developers seem to aim their product at their domestic users. Japanese gamers may still be enamored with the charm and never-changing mechanics of some of their games (Excluding the Final Fantasy series, since that has changed recently). Western developers might not be able to give that same charm, but perhaps that's not what most consumers in the American and European category look for. From what I've seen in games, and in reviews on some of the major gaming sites, you see Western games innovating, and they get higher review scores than Japanese games. For example, Mass Effect 2 innovated with great story-telling, and the expansive capability to put yourself in your character, and make your character who you want he or she to be. It has an IGN review of 9.6. Dragon Quest stayed to the original formula of the Dragon Quest Series, did not innovate quite as much, but exudes charm. It received an IGN review of 8.0 (From a JRPG fanatic). Two RPGs, Two Different Review Scores, Two Different Cultures of Developers. Perhaps audience is exactly what sets Japanese and Western Developers apart.

@Jason. Isn't the divide more between East and West than Japan/USA? The broad strokes of British, Canadian, USA...sian, Scandinavian, etc. games are similar. Mirror's Edge, Split/Second, Geometry Wars, etc. could easily have been made in the US. Fable and LBP too, if not for the accents.

And where was Limbo made? I'm finding that game charming in the way it tricks me into killing myself.

Part of the reason I like Japanese games is because I like to explore other cultures and Japanese games are inherently alien to me.

@Alex I picked the U.S. specifically because the British can make such whimsical games such as LittleBigPlanet, Viva Pinata, and Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. Many U.S. developers don't make such high-profile games in the U.S. 

@Alex Limbo was made in Denmark 

Great point, Jason. With games made in the U.S., I'm sure a lot of us think about the games marketed to us, specifically a hell of a lot of shooters. And if any of those games included anything remotely cute or charming, it wouldn't be seen as manly or serious. I would say Red Dead Redemption has some unintentional charm in all its glitches, and somewhat intentional charm with its scurrying armadillos. Also: the Sly Cooper series.

Oh, Psychonauts! Double Fine aren't Canadian, are they? (Sorry, Canada, but I usually can't tell your accents apart from the States'.)

That we're naming things then finding out they're not from the US is telling, isn't it? Wherever the talent is, we're thinking of one group of games as "Western" and one as "Japanese". I bet Koreans hate that.

I don't think it means we all think of the USA when we hear "the west" -- I think it just means there's not much of a difference between American and European games. Apart from the British sense of humour and Viking references in Remedy games, maybe.

I was going to write an article about this, but I may have just said everything I need to...

I totally agree with Stephen: DeathSpank has charm out the wazoo. Even more than DQ9!

I think this is could be rooted at one of two things: a matter of individual preference in visual style for each customer, and the general tendencies of Japanese entertainment media.

It is true that for the most part, mainstream American gaming tends to go for realism as much as possible - often to the point of falling into the uncanny valley. Japanese games on the other hand rarely try to be realistic, instead simply playing to an art style. Even Japanese games that look fairly realistic like Resident Evil or Metal Gear Solid will still try to incorporate a unique art style - taking one or two steps back from the uncanny valley. I think this is a reflection of Japanese entertainment in general, which often cares more about being entertaining or engaging than being realistic.

Also, I'm starting to think that a sizeable portion of people who grew up with console gaming by default grew up with Japanese gaming and have thus developed a preference for the kind of visual style that usually comes out of Japan. A lot of Western games try to have charm and be whimsical as well (Deathspank, Oddworld, most oldschool point n' click adventure games), just a different kind of charm that maybe people who are accustomed to Japanese art don't take to. I myself am often guilty of this. On the flipside, I know a lot of people who constantly refer to charming Western games but generally don't like Japanese games.

I find the import-only Touhou games appealing not only because of its excellent Bullet-Hell gameplay and its eargasmic music. The characters, story and setting(The art is the creator's Achilles Heel, though) is so good, that the fandom over an indie series like this is unbelievably large. 

As for an American game, Aquaria has loads of it. It also helps that the game won an award from IGF for its lush 2D visuals. I'd love to see a game like this on Wii or even 3DS.

Thank you for this article. It perfectly encapsulates what I believe is causing the current 'stagnation' of the JRPG: Americans and their self-importance. The western gaming industry should really learn to STFU and respect the culture and ideals that comes from being a Japanese developer.

I have to agree. The "charm" for lack of a better term (can anyone else think of a definition of "not taking itself seriously all the time") is what's makes the games fun. Look at American games. When was the last time you laughed in one because of a joke that doesn't scream "I'm a MAN!" Then you compare it to games like Lunar, Disgaea or Ar Tonelico, where the characters have more emotions than "must kill the enemy, RAWR!"

It's funny, American games push for the realistic visuals, yet under the pixels, are nothing more than animated mannequins. The Japanese and European games on the other hand, don't push for it nearly as much, but their characters exibit and invoke a much wider array of emotions, which I find to be far more realistic than HD skin textures any day.

I agree with you, Jason, but a fair amount of charming American games do exist.

Sam and Max, Monkey Island, Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, Sly Cooper, Bit.Trip, Plants vs. Zombies, Portal, Team Fortress 2, Peggle, Boom Blox, Braid, Torchlight, The Sims 3, World of Warcraft, World of Goo, Aquaria, Spelunky, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, Super Meat Boy...those are just off the top of my head.

If we went back further, I'd include titles like Grim Fandango, The Neverhood, Myst, Fallout, Afterlife, SimCity, Duke Nukem 3D, Clay Fighter, Earthworm Jim, MDK, The Lost Vikings.... (Apologies if any of these aren't American.)

I actually generally find Eastern European games to be the most antiseptic. Titles like S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Metro 2033, Cryostasis, and the DoTA mod are totally lost on me.

Awesome read, and Team Fortress 2 has more charm than all the shooters ever made rolled up into one game and mixed with Stephen Fry.

Everyone mentioned Schafer/Gilbert games but no one mentioned Maniac Mansion - the game with so much charm that they made a TV show out of it!

Thanks, everyone, for listing American games that have charm!