Santos
Santos (株式会社サントス) was a company headed by Takeshi Tozu (戸津猛), who previously ran Orca (Game Machine 1983/8/15, pg. 6), Sesame Japan, and Crux. [1] It was established in July 1985 as Whiteboard (株式会社ホワイトボード) [2] [3]
In December 1991, Santos allegedly became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sega called Mega Soft [4], but it also allegedly went bankrupt [5]; the circumstances surrounding this are unclear. For more information, see the Mega Soft entry.
Tozu apparently proceeded to start a new company [6], also called Santos.
Gai Brain was started by former Santos staff.
Research Methods: Actual mentions, code comparisons, hidden data, interviews, online resources, shared staff
As Whiteboard
Arcade
- Airwolf (Kyugo) [7]
- Dakko-chan House (Sega)
- Flashgal (Sega)
- Legend (Sega)
- Photo Jansou (unreleased?) (Whiteboard) [8]
- S.R.D. Mission (Taito)
- Sukeban Janshi Ryuuko (Sega)
Famicom/NES
- Airwolf (sound?) (JP Publisher: Kyugo)
- Programming: C-lab.?
- Space Harrier (JP Publisher: Takara)
- Started out as a game based on Licca-chan, Takara's popular fashion doll
Mark III/Master System
- Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (JP/US/EU/AU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
- Danan: The Jungle Fighter (EU/AU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
- Dynamite Dux (EU/AU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
- Masters Golf / Great Golf (JP/US/EU/AU Publisher: Sega)
- Megumi Rescue (JP Publisher: Sega)
- Nekkyuu Koushien (JP Publisher: Sega)
- Opa Opa / Fantasy Zone: The Maze (JP/US/EU/AU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
- Reggie Jackson Baseball / American Baseball (US/CA/EU/AU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
Artist Ano Shimizu said he worked on Dynamite Dux and Nekkyuu Koushien at Whiteboard. [9] A code comparison between the two revealed shared code in the rest of the games on the list above except Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars and Great Golf.
Alex Kidd, Fantasy Zone: The Maze, Great Golf, Megumi Rescue, and Nekkyuu Koushien have the same initials, "YM," in the header. [10] Additionally, the standings screen in Great Golf has the name "KEI M," likely a reference to Whiteboard programmer Kei Maruyama (though some of the other names appear to be Sega staff). [11]
Danan: The Jungle Fighter, Nekkyuu Koushien, and Reggie Jackson Baseball share a font. The other games use a variation of a font seen in Sega-developed titles like Black Belt with a less angular "A."
Whiteboard is named as a third party owed royalties for Danan: The Jungle Fighter on a list of Sega games that could be licensed to Atari Corp. as part of a settlement between the two companies over alleged patent infringement by Sega (referred to herein as "the Atari list"). [12]
Possible games (and reasons for inclusion on this list):
- Great Baseball (overseas)
- Similar graphics
- The Pro Yakyuu Pennant Race
- Similar fonts/graphics
- Walter Payton Football / American Pro Football
- Uses fonts similar to ones used in Flashgal
- Wonder Boy
- Displays same Mark III logo at startup on Japanese systems as Masters Golf / Great Golf and Opa Opa / Fantasy Zone: The Maze
- World Games
- Similar fonts/graphics
Mega Drive/Genesis
- Mahjong Cop Ryuu: Hakurou no Yabou (JP Publisher: Sega)
SG-1000
- Wonder Boy (JP Publisher: Sega)
- Names of several staff members are found throughout the ROM: Kamei, Maruyama, Nakayama, Tanaka
Possible games (and reasons for inclusion on this list):
- Ninja Princess
- Has the same Sega logo animation at startup as Wonder Boy
As Santos
Arcade
- Hammer Away (unreleased) (Sega)
- Went on location test but was cancelled
- Mahjong Quest (Taito)
- Sound: Pinch-Punch
Game Gear
Possible games (and reasons for inclusion on this list):
- The Pro Yakyuu '91
- Based on The Pro Yakyuu Pennant Race (Master System)
- Wonder Boy / Revenge of Drancon
- Based on Wonder Boy (Master System)
Mega Drive/Genesis
- Battle Golfer Yui (JP Publisher: Sega)
- Toki: Going Ape Spit / JuJu Densetsu (US/EU/JP Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy; KR Publisher: Samsung)
Neo Geo
- Janshin Densetsu [MVS] (Yubis)
- The game's director Kanayama originally intended Mahjong Quest to be a trilogy; this would have been Mahjong Quest II. [13] However, Taito held the Mahjong Quest trademark, so that name could not be used. [14] Instead, Sammy [15] planned to release the game as Sei Janshi Densetsu: Chiyuuren no Majo (聖雀士伝説 チユウレ一ンの魔女). Sei Janshi Densetsu was displayed at the AOU Show in 1992 and was featured in Gamest's coverage of the event (Issue No. 71, May 1992), but it was not released, at least under that name, nor was it released by Sammy.
- According to Kanayama, Santos went bankrupt in the middle of development; Kanayama was then transferred to a Sega subsidiary (presumably Mega Soft). [16] The staff of Takeshi Tozu's new company (presumably the revived Santos) finished developing the game. [17] Janshin Densetsu, as it was now called, was released by Yubis (via Aicom) in 1994.
