Micronics (game developer)

This article is about the Japanese video game developer. For other companies with similar names, see Micronics.

Micronics Co., Ltd. was a Japanese video game developer based in Osaka. It is mostly known for developing games for the Nintendo Entertainment System and its Japanese equivalent, the Famicom. At the request of subcontractors such as Capcom, SNK, and Pony Canyon, Micronics largely worked as subcontractor game company that ported arcade or PC versions of games to home game consoles.^[1]

Micronics Co., Ltd.

Native name	マイクロニクス
Company type	Public
Industry	Video games
Founded	1985
Founder	Kazuo Yagi
Defunct	1996
Fate	Dissolved
Headquarters	Osaka , Japan
Key people	Kazuo Yagi and Masahiko Tsukada

• Video games portal

The company was founded around 1985 by Kazuo Yagi and Masahiko Tsukada, with their first port to the NES, Elevator Action, releasing in Japan that year. Owing to the secretive nature of the company, often working without credits attribution, little is known about the exact number of employees and capital throughout most of its existence.^[2][3]

Throughout its existence, Micronics developed about 30 NES titles under contract from various publishers. They also developed, to a lesser degree, ports on other platforms such as the Sega Mega Drive and MSX computer. While most of their projects consisted of ports, they did produce a handful of original titles as well. A lot of their releases, such as Super Pitfall, are known to exhibit severe technical problems such as glitches and sprite flickering, and have become known as some of the worst games released for the Famicom/NES.^[4][5] Together with Tose, Micronics became the most prolific sub-contractor of arcade and PC ports for the NES, especially for Capcom and SNK in the early days of the system, before those companies started producing their ports in-house. Thus, because of the brand recognition of some of the arcade titles, some Micronics releases have become best-sellers for the platform.^[6][7][8]

The company's activities winded down during the 1990s, when it developed some games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System under the name Khaos, before ending operations in 1996.

Games

Family Computer/Nintendo Entertainment System

• Elevator Action (1985)
• Geimos (1985)
• 1942 (1985)
• Exed Exes (1985)
• SonSon (1986)
• Ghosts 'n Goblins (1986)
• Super Pitfall (1986)
• Ikari Warriors (1986)
• Tiger-Heli (1986)
• Athena (1987)
• Jongbou (1987)
• Miracle Ropitt: 2100-Nen no Daibōken (1987)
• Zoids: Battle of the Central Continent (1987)
• Outlanders (1987)
• Stick Hunter (1987)
• Ikari Warriors II (1988)
• Ninja-kun: Ashura no Shō (1988)
• '89 Dennou Kyuusei Uranai (1988)
• Zoids 2: Zenbase Strikes Back (1989)
• Twin Cobra (1989)
• New Legend of the Eight Samurai (1989)
• Mottomo Abunai Deka (1990)
• Bloody Warriors: Shango no Gyakushū (1990)
• Kaiketsu Yanchamaru 3 (1993)
• Daiku no Gen-san 2: Akage no Dan no Gyakushō (1993)

Others

• Mr. Gold: Tooyama no Kin-san Space Chou (Famicom Disk System, 1988)
• Hiatari Ryoko! Hidamari Shou no Chuugen Tachi (MSX, 1988)
• Zoids: Chuuou Tairiku no Tatakai (MSX, 1988)
• Super Volleyball (Mega Drive, PC Engine, 1990)
• Atomic Robo-Kid (Mega Drive, 1990)
• Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh (Game Boy, 1991)
• F1 Circus MD (Mega Drive, 1991)
• Raiden Trad (Super Nintendo Entertainment System, 1991)
• God Panic: Shijō Saikyō Gundan (Turbografx-CD, 1992, secondary development role to Teichiku/Sting)
• Acrobat Mission (Super Famicom, 1992)
• The Mahjong Touhaiden (Super Famicon, 1993)
• Aero Fighters (Super Famicon, 1993, secondary development role to Video System)
• Spriggan Powered (Super Famicon, 1996)

External links

• Mobygames page

Notes