Mega Soft
Santos 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 Megasoft [4], but the circumstances surrounding this transaction are unclear. For more information on Megasoft, see the section below.
Tozu did not join Megasoft, however; he apparently started a new company [5], also called Santos. You can find more on that in the section below.
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) [6]
- Dakko-chan House (Sega)
- Flashgal (Sega)
- Legend (Sega)
- Photo Mahjong: Gekisha (Whiteboard)
- 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 has said he worked on Dynamite Dux and Nekkyuu Koushien at Whiteboard. [7] A code comparison between the two revealed shared code in the rest of the games on this list except Alex Kidd and Great Golf.
Alex Kidd, Fantasy Zone, Great Golf, Megumi Rescue, and Nekkyuu Koushien have the same initials, "YM," in the header. [8] 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). [9]
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"). [10]
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)
Game Gear
Possible games (and reasons for inclusion on this list):
- The Pro Yakyuu '91
- Based on The Pro Yakyuu Pennant Race (Master System)
- Space Harrier
- Appears on the Atari list, but there's no other evidence of Santos' involvement
- 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)
- According to the game's director, Santos went bankrupt in the middle of development, and they (the director) were sent to a Sega subsidiary (presumably Megasoft). [11] They go on to say the staff of Tozu's new company (presumably the revived Santos) finished developing the game. [12]
Megasoft
Megasoft (株式会社メガソフト) was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sega, allegedly the company formerly known as Santos. [13] However, there is conflicting information about the underlying details of this acquisition.
A former Santos staffer said Santos went bankrupt. [14] Also, the book Japanese Corporate Groups (日本の企業グループ) has December 1991 ("平3.12") listed as when the company was established [15], which would suggest this was a new company. Of course, neither of these things would preclude Sega from buying Santos or its assets.
Tokinori Kaneyasu [兼安時紀], formerly of Data East, appears to have been the president of Megasoft. [16] The company was located in the same building as Treasure (東京都台東区上野 7 - 9 - 15 根本ビル 4F). [17] [18]
Game Gear [19]
- Aa Harimanada (JP Publisher: Sega)
- Doraemon: Nora no Suke no Yabou (JP Publisher: Sega)
Mega Drive/Genesis
- Aa Harimanada (JP Publisher: Sega)
- The Super Shinobi II / Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (JP/US/EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy; KR Publisher: Samsung)
