Atlus

Atlus Co., Ltd. (株式会社アトラス) was a game company started on April 7, 1986, by a group of one-time Tehkan (later known as Tecmo) employees. It originally developed games for other publishers but later began publishing its own games, starting with 1989's Puzzle Boy (Kwirk overseas) for the Game Boy. [1]

Toy giant Takara acquired Atlus in 2003, followed by Index Holdings in 2006. Atlus was merged into Index in 2010 [2], but the brand name is still in use.

This entry focuses on Atlus's earlier titles published by other companies. During this time, Atlus had a tendency of subcontracting programming or all development. This will be noted below when details are known.

Research Methods: Interviews, online resources (see Links), shared staff

Famicom Disk System

• Cosmic System (unreleased) (WaveJack) [3]
• Ginga Denshou (JP Publisher: WaveJack)

At one point called "Uchuu Kaizoku no Takara" [4]

• Seiken Psycho Calibur: Majuu no Mori Densetsu (JP Publisher: WaveJack)

Programming: C-lab.

Famicom/NES

• Arkanoid (JP/US Publisher: Taito)
• Battle Fleet (JP Publisher: Namco)
• Bikkuriman World: Gekitou Sei Senshi (JP Publisher: Hudson)
• Bio Senshi Dan: Increaser to no Tatakai (JP Publisher: Jaleco)
• Dota-kun no Bouken Roman (unreleased) (WaveJack Jr.)

Programming: ???

• Erika to Satoru no Yume Bouken (JP Publisher: Namco)
• Friday the 13th (US Publisher: LJN)
• Gotcha! The Sport! (US Publisher: LJN)
• Jaws (US Publisher: LJN)

Developer: Westone

• Kame no Ongaeshi: Urashima Densetsu / Xexyz (JP/US Publisher: Hudson)
• The Karate Kid (US Publisher: LJN)
• King of Kings (JP Publisher: Namco)
• Labyrinth: Maou no Meikyuu (JP Publisher: Tokuma Shoten)
• Major League Baseball (US Publisher: LJN)
• Megami Tensei II: Digital Devil Story (JP Publisher: Namco)
• Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Story (JP Publisher: Namco)
• NFL (US Publisher: LJN)
• T&C Surf Design: Wood & Water Rage (US Publisher: LJN)

PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16

• Ankoku Densetsu / Legendary Axe II (programming? sound?) (JP Publisher: Victor; US Publisher: NEC)
• Dungeon Explorer (JP Publisher: Hudson; US Publisher: NEC)
• Kyuukyoku Tiger (JP Publisher: Taito)

Developer: A.I

• Maniac Pro-Wres: Ashita e no Tatakai (JP Publisher: Hudson)

Programming: A.I

• Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball-bu: PC Bangai-hen (JP Publisher: Naxat)

Programming: A.I

• PC Genjin / Bonk's Adventure (JP Publisher: Hudson; US Publisher: NEC)

???: A.I

• Power Eleven (JP Publisher: Hudson)

Programming, Sound?: Westone

PC Engine CD/TurboGrafx-CD

• Jantei Monogatari (JP Publisher: Reno)

Programming: A.I

Links

• Official Index website (Japanese)
• Official AtlusNet website (Japanese)
• Official US website
• GDRI's LJN/Atlus exposé posts 1 2
• Business Computer News article about Atlus from October 15, 1990 (mentions Hudson, Jaleco, LJN, and Namco) (Japanese)
• Developer Table entry (Japanese)