Thinking Rabbit

Thinking Rabbit Inc. (有限会社シンキングラビット) was a publisher and developer located in Takarazuka, Hyogo, started by Sokoban creator Hiroyuki Imabayashi (今林宏行) in 1982. In addition to the Sokoban puzzle games, the company is also remembered for its mystery adventure games, some of which featured the work of illustrator Akira Komeda.

Thinking Rabbit was involved in several partnerships over the years: Trinity, with Humming Bird Soft and Xtalsoft; Disk Original Group (DOG), a coalition led by Square that produced Famicom Disk System games; and Scap Trust, a joint venture company with seven other computer game makers. [1]

Programmer Masaharu Ohno started Dragnet in 1990, and programmer Hiroto Nakamura started Giraffe Soft (有限会社ジラフソフト) in December that same year. [2] Both companies were also based in Hyogo Prefecture and continued to do work for Thinking Rabbit. Masami Watanabe started Flight-Plan in 1989. Other ex-staff made their way to Kan's, another company based in Takarazuka, after Thinking Rabbit seemingly shut down development in the late 1990s. Programmer Masahiro Kataoka later worked for Square, then started Studio R.E.E.L in 2012. Imabayashi runs a company called Pictria.

Falcon now owns (co-owns?) the Thinking Rabbit properties. [3]

Research Methods: Actual mentions, interviews, online resources, shared staff

3DO

Toki o Koeta Tegami (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

Sound: Bluemoon

B16/FX

Sokoban 2 (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

Famicom/NES

8 Eyes (JP Publisher: Seta; US Publisher: Taxan)
Fighting Road (JP Publisher: Toei Animation)
Kyonshiizu 2 (JP Publisher: Taito)
UWC (unreleased) (under subcontract with Minamimachi Bugyousyo) (Seta)

Famicom Disk System

Jikai Shounen Met Mag (JP Publisher: DOG)
Namida no Sokoban Special (JP Publisher: ASCII)

FM-7

Casablanca ni Ai o: Satsujin-sha wa Jikuu o Koete (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Kagiana Satsujin Jiken (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban 2 (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
T.N.T. Bomb Bomb (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Ultima III: Exodus (JP Publisher: StarCraft)

FM Towns

Sokoban Perfect (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban Revenge (unreleased) (Thinking Rabbit) [4]

Game Boy

Hiden Inyou Kikouhou: Ca Da (JP Publisher: Party Room 21)

Planning, Production: Outback; Programming?: Giraffe Soft?

Rockman World 2 / Mega Man II (JP/US/CN Publisher: Capcom; EU Publisher: Nintendo)

Programming?: Giraffe Soft?

Trump Boy (under subcontract with Minamimachi Bugyousyo) (JP Publisher: Pack-In-Video)
Trump Boy II (under subcontract with Minamimachi Bugyousyo) (JP Publisher: Pack-In-Video)

JX

Sokoban 2 (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

J-3100

Sokoban Perfect (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban Revenge (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

Mega Drive/Genesis

Chiki Chiki Boys (JP/US/EU/AU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy; KR Publisher: Samsung)

Sound Driver: Dragnet?

Superman / Superman: The Man of Steel (co-developer) (US Publisher: Sunsoft; EU/AU Publisher: Virgin) [5]

Some Programming: Dragnet?

MSX

Sokoban (ver 1.0) (JP Publisher: ASCII)

Ver 1.1: Seiji Nishikawa

MSX2

Casablanca ni Ai o: Satsujin-sha wa Jikuu o Koete (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
The Man I Love (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

MZ-2000

Sokoban (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16

Double Dungeons (JP Publisher: Masaya; US Publisher: NEC)

PC-6001 MK2

Sokoban (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban 2 (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

PC-8001mkII

Kagiana Satsujin Jiken (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban 2 (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

PC-88

Casablanca ni Ai o: Satsujin-sha wa Jikuu o Koete (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Jack/Las Vegas Renzoku Satsujin (JP Publisher: Takeru [Brother])
Kagiana Satsujin Jiken (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Madeleine: Naki Oujo no Tame no Pavane (JP Publisher: Takeru [Brother])
Sokoban (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban 2 (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban Perfect (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban Revenge (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
T.N.T. Bomb Bomb (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Ultima III: Exodus (JP Publisher: StarCraft)
What's Michael? (graphics) (JP Publisher: Micro Cabin)

Art: Studio Ship; Cooperation: Clearway

PC-98

Casablanca ni Ai o: Satsujin-sha wa Jikuu o Koete (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Doukeshi Satsujin Jiken (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
J no Higeki: Las Vegas Renzoku Satsujin Jiken (JP Publisher: Kao)
The Man I Love (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban 2 (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban Perfect (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

Some Programming: Falcon; Some Music: Micro Cabin

Sokoban Perfect Note (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban Revenge: User no Gyakushuu-hen (JP Publisher: Sharp)
Sokoban Select 30 (JP Publisher: Kao)
Ultima III: Exodus (JP Publisher: StarCraft)

PlayStation

'98 Koushien (environment graphics) (JP Publisher: Magical)

CG Movies: DML (Digital Media Lab?), PD

Kyuukyoku no Sokoban (JP Publisher: Itochu)

(Some?) Programming: Dragnet; Movie Music: Tomo Music; Sound Design: Bluemoon

Minakata Hakudou Toujou (JP Publisher: Atlus)

Direction: Fame Imagination; (Some?) Programming: Falcon

Minton Keibu no Sousa File: Doukeshi Satsujin Jiken (JP Publisher: Riverhillsoft)

(Some?) Programming: Falcon; 3D Graphics: O-Two; Music: Time Base

Sokoban Basic 2 (support) (JP Publisher: Unbalance)

Developer: SoftOffice

S1

Sokoban 2 (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
T.N.T. Bomb Bomb (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)

Saturn

Minakata Hakudou Toujou (JP Publisher: Atlus)
Minton Keibu no Sousa File: Doukeshi Satsujin Jiken (JP Publisher: Riverhillsoft)

(Some?) Programming: Falcon; 3D Graphics: O-Two; Music: Time Base

Ryuuteki Gosennen: Dragons of China (JP Publisher: Imagineer)

Direction: Office I; Programming: Falcon; Map Design: Lighthouse; Music: True Project; Sound Effects: Bluemoon

Super Famicom/Super NES

Cyber Knight II: Chikyuu Teikoku no Yabou (JP Publisher: Tonkin House)

Game Design, Scenario: Group SNE; Sound Composition: Bluemoon; Sound Programming: Atelier Double

Illvanian no Shiro (JP Publisher: Clary)

Some Programming?: Dragnet, Giraffe Soft; Sound Driver: Atelier Double; ?: O-Two

Lodoss Tou Senki (JP Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten)

Game Design: Group SNE; Some Programming: Giraffe Soft?; Face Graphics: Unit, Gonzo; Sound Composition: Bluemoon

Maten Densetsu: Senritsu no Ooparts (JP Publisher: Takara)

Some Production?: Office I; Some Programming: Giraffe Soft?; Sound: Bluemoon

Super Sokoban (JP Publisher: Pack-In-Video)

Programming: Dragnet?; ?: Giraffe Soft?

X1

Casablanca ni Ai o: Satsujin-sha wa Jikuu o Koete (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Jack/Las Vegas Renzoku Satsujin (JP Publisher: Takeru [Brother])
Madeleine: Naki Oujo no Tame no Pavane (JP Publisher: Takeru [Brother])
The Man I Love (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban 2 (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban Perfect (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit) [6]

X68000

Casablanca ni Ai o: Satsujin-sha wa Jikuu o Koete (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Doukeshi Satsujin Jiken (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Hydlide 3 S.V. (JP Publisher: Takeru [Brother])
The Man I Love (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Shikinjoh (JP Publisher: Scap Trust)
Sokoban Perfect (JP Publisher: Thinking Rabbit)
Sokoban Revenge SX-68K: User no Gyakushuu-hen (JP Publisher: Sharp)

?

Eiga Kyou Satsujin Jiken (unreleased)
What a Scene (?) (unreleased)

Links

Official website (Japanese)