Video game history - researching how the games we love to play were made. Documentaries, game historian, writer, movies. Opinions are my own. LGBTQ ally. BLM. Portfolio!: linktr.ee/johnandersen
John Andersen
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Centipede and Red Baron arcade cabinets on the assembly line at ATARI (1981 or 1982). Via: Invasion of the Space Invaders by Martin Amis.
I hope to name more NANAO/IREM production staff in this '86 Beep Magazine photo. I was able to find Hiroya Kita (director of R-Type Delta). What many don't know is that the NANAO/EIZO office also made games for IREM and would go on to do so after the IREM Osaka closed in 1994.
Save us from this heat and humidity Pengo.
#セガ
1996: COMPILE staff in Japan. They worked on many PUYO PUYO and other COMPILE games from the early-to-late 1990's. Morita, Sawa, and Shimazaki worked on graphic design, Akiyama worked on programming. Sawa was also credited on Space Megaforce/Super Aleste. Some even provided character voices. #コンパイル
In the sixth and final SNK game patent I found we have Lasso (1982) which also has a title screen and pixel drawings of the characters. Keep the wolves and snakes away from the sheep and lasso 'em up! This SNK game apparently did not get picked up for distribution outside Japan.
In the fifth SNK game patent I found a title screen is finally seen: Fantasy (1981). In this hot air balloon adventure you must rescue your girl Cheri from pirates. The layouts for all ten level screens are here. Fantasy would be licensed to jukebox giant Rock-Ola for distribution in North America.
The fourth patent from SNK is for Vanguard, released in 1981, this game was developed by TOSE. It would be licensed to Centuri Inc. in North America. Atari would also release their own version for the Atari 2600. No production staff are listed in the patent, only SNK founder/CEO Eikichi Kawasaki.
This second SNK (Shin Nihon Kikau) patent is for Ozma, (AKA Ozma Wars) released in 1979. What's interesting in the description is that Space Battleship Yamato is specifically mentioned. I wonder if SNK wanted to initially license the Leiji Matsumoto directed anime but wasn't able to do so?
#宇宙戦艦ヤマト
SNK founder/CEO Eikichi Kawasaki began applying for patents for SNK arcade games beginning in 1979 and ending in 1982 for six games total. This first patent is for Safari Rally (1979). Each patent had a detailed description, a small bit of artwork and only Kawasaki's name. No other staff are listed.
The third SNK "TV Game Machine" patent is for "Zarzon" (also known as Satan of Saturn) released in 1981 for SNK's 6502 arcade board. This game was licensed to TAITO for distribution outside Japan. Apologies for the quality of the patent description, it's an obvious machine translation.
