Absolute Entertainment

Absolute Entertainment, Inc. (incorporated on August 19, 1986) was a New Jersey-based publisher and developer founded by Garry Kitchen, Dan Kitchen, Alex DeMeo, and John Van Ryzin, all previously from Activision's East Coast Design Center. (David Crane, who was based in California, was not a founding member. He was hired later. [1])

Absolute had a sister company called Imagineering Inc. (incorporated on February 26, 1986) that developed games for Absolute and other publishers. [2] [3] It was merged into Absolute on July 1, 1992.

In 1993, Absolute acquired assets of Extreme Entertainment Group, Inc. [4] (formerly and later Bignet U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Micronet [5]) including games in development. [6]

The Absolute Electronics division was launched in 1995 [7], which made the Video One Touch, a remote for use with RCA's Digital Satellite System (DSS). [8] In November of that year, Absolute Entertainment ceased operation, terminated all employees, and proceeded to be liquidated under Chapter 7 bankruptcy. [9] That same month, Garry Kitchen and David Crane co-founded Skyworks Technologies (now Skyworks Interactive), maker of "advergames." [10]

Research Methods: Actual mentions, online resources, shared staff

2600

• Commando (US Publisher: Activision)
• Crossbow (US Publisher: Atari)
• Double Dragon (US Publisher: Activision)
• Kung-Fu Master (US/EU Publisher: Activision)
• My Golf (AU Publisher: HES; EU Publisher: Salu)
• Pete Rose Baseball (US Publisher: Absolute)
• RealSports Boxing (US/EU Publisher: Atari)
• River Raid II (US Publisher: Activision)
• Sentinel (US Publisher: Atari)
• Skate Boardin' (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Title Match Pro Wrestling (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Tomcat: The F-14 Fighter Simulator, Dan Kitchen's (US Publisher: Absolute)

7800

• Crossbow (US/EU Publisher: Atari)
• Double Dragon (US/EU Publisher: Activision)
• F-18 Hornet (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Fight Night (US/EU Publisher: Atari)
• Ikari Warriors (US/EU Publisher: Atari)
• Kung-Fu Master (US Publisher: Absolute) [Bob Curtiss] [11]
• Pete Rose Baseball (US Publisher: Absolute) [Bob Curtiss] [12]
• Sentinel (EU Publisher: Atari)
• Super Skateboardin' (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Title Match Pro Wrestling, Alex DeMeo's (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Touchdown Football (US Publisher: Atari)
• Tomcat: The F-14 Fighter Simulator, Dan Kitchen's (US Publisher: Absolute)

Apple II

• Crossbow (US Publisher: Absolute)

Commodore 64

• 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (US Publisher: Microstar Graphics)
• Crossbow (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Destroyer Escort (US Publisher: MicroPlay Software)
• F-18 Hornet (US Publisher: Absolute)
• X-15 Alpha Mission (US Publisher: Absolute)

DOS

• Crossbow (US Publisher: Absolute)

Famicom/NES

• Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (US/EU Publisher: THQ)
• Barbie (US/EU Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions)
• Battletank, Garry Kitchen's (US Publisher: Absolute)
• A Boy and His Blob, David Crane's: Trouble on Blobolonia / Fushigina Bloby: Blobania no Kiki (US Publisher: Absolute; JP Publisher: Jaleco; EU Publisher: Nintendo)
• Destination Earthstar (US Publisher: Acclaim)
• Fisher-Price Firehouse Rescue (US Publisher: GameTek)
• Flight of the Intruder / Phantom Air Mission (US Publisher: Mindscape; EU Publisher: Activision)
• Ghostbusters II (US/EU Publisher: Activision)
• Ghoul School (US Publisher: Electro Brain)
• Heavy Shreddin' (US Publisher: Parker Brothers)
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (US/EU Publisher: THQ)
• New Kids on the Block (unreleased) (Parker Brothers)

"Never got past paper design" [13]

• Race America, Alex DeMeo's / Corvette ZR-1 Challenge (US Publisher: Absolute; EU Publisher: Milton Bradley)
• The Ren & Stimpy Show: Buckeroo$! (US Publisher: THQ)
• The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants (US/EU Publisher: Acclaim)
• The Simpsons: Bart vs. The World (US/EU Publisher: Acclaim)
• The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man (US/EU Publisher: Acclaim)
• Space Shuttle Project (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Stealth ATF (US Publisher: Activision; EU Publisher: Nintendo)
• Swamp Thing (US/EU Publisher: THQ)

Game Boy

• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (US Publisher: THQ)
• Barbie Game Girl (US/UK Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions)
• Bart Simpson's Escape From Camp Deadly / Bart no Survival Camp (US/EU/JP Publisher: Acclaim)
• Home Alone (US/EU/AU Publisher: THQ; JP Publisher: Altron)
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (US/UK Publisher: THQ)
• InfoGenius Productivity Pak: Berlitz French Translator (US/UK Publisher: GameTek)
• InfoGenius Productivity Pak: Berlitz German Translator (unreleased) (GameTek)
• InfoGenius Productivity Pak: Berlitz Japanese Translator (unreleased) (GameTek)
• InfoGenius Productivity Pak: Berlitz Spanish Translator (US Publisher: GameTek)
• InfoGenius Productivity Pak: Personal Organizer and Phone Book (US Publisher: GameTek)
• InfoGenius Productivity Pak: Spell Checker and Calculator (US Publisher: GameTek)
• Jordan vs. Bird: One on One / Michael Jordan: One on One (US/UK Publisher: Electronic Arts; JP Publisher: Electronic Arts Victor)
• Mouse Trap Hotel (US Publisher: Electro Brain)
• "Pirate Game" (unreleased) [14]
• The Ren & Stimpy Show: Space Cadet Adventures (US Publisher: THQ)
• The Rescue of Princess Blobette, David Crane's / Fushigi na Blobby: Princess Blob o Tsukue! (US Publisher: Absolute; UK Publisher: Nintendo; JP Publisher: Jaleco)
• The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Juggernauts (US/UK Publisher: Acclaim)
• Star Trek Generations: Beyond the Nexus (US Publisher: Absolute; EU Publisher: GameTek)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (US/EU Publisher: Absolute)
• Super Battletank (US Publisher: Absolute; EU Publisher: GameTek)
• Super Scrabble (US Publisher: Milton Bradley)
• Turn and Burn: The F-14 Dogfight Simulator / Phantom Air Mission (US Publisher: Absolute; EU Publisher: Activision)

Game Gear

• R.C. Grand Prix (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Star Trek: Generations: Beyond the Nexus (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Advanced Holodeck Tutorial (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Super Battletank (US Publisher: Majesco)

Mark III/Master System

• R.C. Grand Prix (EU/AU Publisher: Sega; US Publisher: Seismic; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)

Mega CD/Sega CD

• BattleTech: Grey Death Legion (unreleased) (Absolute)
• ESPN Sunday Night NFL (co-developed with Ringler Studios) (US Publisher: Sony Imagesoft)
• Jeopardy! (US Publisher: Sony Imagesoft)
• Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors (unreleased) (Absolute)
• RDF: Global Conflict (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Wheel of Fortune (US Publisher: Sony Imagesoft)

Mega Drive/Genesis

• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (US Publisher: Absolute)
• ESPN Sunday Night NFL (co-developed with Ringler Studios) (US Publisher: Sony Imagesoft)
• Goofy's Hysterical History Tour (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Super Battletank, Garry Kitchen's: War in the Gulf (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Toys (US Publisher: Absolute)

Super Famicom/Super NES

• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (US Publisher: THQ)
• Amazing Tennis, David Crane's (US Publisher: Absolute; JP Publisher: Pack-In-Video)
• Casper (US/EU Publisher: Natsume)
• ESPN Sunday Night NFL (co-developed with Ringler Studios) (US Publisher: Sony Imagesoft)
• Family Dog (US Publisher: Malibu Games)
• Family Feud (US Publisher: GameTek)
• Home Alone (US Publisher: THQ/JP Publisher: Altron)
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (US/EU Publisher: THQ)
• Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit! (US Publisher: Absolute)
• Jeopardy! (US Publisher: GameTek)
• Race Drivin' (US/EU Publisher: THQ)
• The Ren & Stimpy Show: Buckeroo$! (US Publisher: THQ)
• Super Battletank 2 (US Publisher: Absolute; JP Publisher: Pack-In-Video; EU Publisher: Sony Imagesoft)
• Super Battletank, Garry Kitchen's: War in the Gulf / Super Battletank (US Publisher: Absolute; JP Publisher: Pack-In-Video)
• Toys (US/EU Publisher: Absolute)
• Turn and Burn: No-Fly Zone / Super Dogfight: F-14 Tomcat Air Combat Game (US Publisher: Absolute; JP Publisher: Pack-In-Video; EU Publisher: Sony Imagesoft)

Links

• Atarian magazine interview with Garry Kitchen