As many games are only available in their home language of Japanese you may or may not have trouble getting through them without some sort of guidance. That's where the following programs will assist.
Programs marked with a * require usage of hook codes. Despite build-in text thread detection, some games make grabbing text from them more difficult than others due to the way they've been coded and that's where these mythical hook codes help programs get them right. You can find some of these in relevant pastebins, or just googling for something like "gamename agth ith h-code". The agthDB is dead now
Offline Translators
Download: https://mega.nz/#!6pJX0QzI!ZaE1lrK7VmDUuymC0iAKzas2iNFRTGH6BXDjOdAcj_o
This archive contains both Atlas and LEC. Follow directions for setting up your offline translators, link them with your translation environment, and never rely on Google or Bing again. Make sure to set your date back before 2009 to install the trial
/hgg/ Machine Translation Guide: https://pastebin.com/i6k9krCP
RPG maker MV games require you to patch with the MV patch in order to MTL
New wolfRPG games require an individual hook code to MTL
Chiitrans lite
Download: http://alexbft.github.io/chiitrans/ChiitransLite.msi
Patch for Google Translate: https://mega.nz/#!Qm4hBDiS!dIkD17EOpxgjNk0q-OiVnsWUVUCinuex3i-j_bp6G_0
Replace translators.js and translators.coffee in "{Install location}\Chiitrans Lite\www\js" with the files in the zip to enable google translate. Once installed, Open chiitrans lite and click "Options" Make sure "Capture text from Clipboard" is checked and then click on translation. Choose whether you want to see source only (Japanese), translations only (English)[recommended] or both at the same time. Click on additional translators and choose the ones you want to use (recommended Google and/or Atlas). Click OK, then OK again to save your settings. While the game is running, choose the process from the dropdown (usually game.exe), open the .exe file using the folder button or select the window with the window button and click connect. The game should now be translated in the translation window as you play.
If you are getting a blank box when hooking with chiitrans lite, then use ITH VNR as a workaround:
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/download/8zjhfxys78r0bfs/ITHVNR-3.5640.1-win32.zip
Mirror: https://mega.nz/#!UrRDxQjL!dkhAmM6MgMgDJ1V7QWAEnpoVKT27uc2ug9rro0A9sDk
Visual Novel Reader
Download: https://mega.nz/#!YJBzlZyS!77xahQf-LiUOX1ZAS4y9yAXBkHyyDSuTeYGunwWj9X4
This program is not suggested if you doubt your computers performance or are concerned about space
Development on VNR has ceased, No longer recommended since it's obsolete bloatware now.
Translation Aggregator*
Info: http://www.hongfire.com/forum/showthread.php/94395-Translation-Aggregator-v0-4-9
Download with a portable version of LEC pre-installed with the Edict file from 21/10/2017:
https://mega.nz/#!8mxhTKAB!lsK_a1a5euggBW9VhC5d72nyYMZUKY_SpN60_tvEYQc
Download for version with working Google Translator:
http://www.hongfire.com/forum/forum/hentai-lair/hentai-game-discussion/tools-and-tutorials/68499-translation-aggregator/page44#post6088463
Make sure to uncheck "Translate windows menus with Atlas" in "Additional Options" when hooking or else you will get an error.
Latest Jparser Edict File
Download: http://ftp.monash.edu/pub/nihongo/edict2.gz
Place edict2.gz in Translation Aggregator's dictionaries folder and delete any other edict files that were in there.
Interactive Text Hooker*
Wiki: https://code.google.com/p/interactive-text-hooker/w/list
Download: https://code.google.com/p/interactive-text-hooker/
Anime Games Text Hooker*
Manual: https://sites.google.com/site/agthook/manual
Download: https://sites.google.com/site/agthook/
Textractor/NextHooker
Info: https://github.com/Artikash/Textractor
Download: https://github.com/Artikash/Textractor/releases
