Hot-B

Formerly the software planning section of advertising agency First Farmers, Hot-B Co., Ltd. (株式会社ホット・ビィ) was established as an independent company in 1983. [1] It is best remembered for its science fiction role-playing games and fishing games such as the Black Bass series. [2]

Hot-B began publishing titles in 1984, under the GAMU (GA夢) brand [3], a play on the word "game" and the kanji for "dream." [4] This branding was last used in 1988. [5]

On July 21, 1993, Hot-B went bankrupt. (Game Machine 1993/9/15, p. 30) The company's last game, the RPG Bazoo! Mahou Sekai for the Super Famicom, was released two days later. A new company called Starfish emerged from the ashes on September 20. [6]

Hot-B's American subsidiary [7], Hot-B USA, was incorporated on October 13, 1988, and continued to operate into the 2000s, outliving its former parent company. Sage's Creation was another US-based company set up by Hot-B to publish games on the Sega Genesis and Game Gear without raising the ire of Nintendo of America. [8]

Research Methods: Actual mentions, interviews, shared staff

Related Interviews: Kimihiro Endoh

Arcade

• Chuuka Taisen (Taito)
• Cuby Bop (unreleased) (Hot-B)
• Insector X (Taito)
• Koutetsu Teikoku 2 (unreleased) (Hot-B)
• Play Girls (Hot-B)
• Play Girls 2 (Hot-B)
• Schmeiser Robo (Hot-B)

Sound: Mint

• Super Shanghai: Dragon's Eye (Hot-B)

Famicom/NES

• Over Horizon (JP Publisher: Hot-B; EU Publisher: Takara)

Hot-B eventually took over development from Pixel. [9]

• President no Sentaku (JP Publisher: Hot-B)

Programming: Another

• Takeda Shingen 2 / Shingen the Ruler (JP/US Publisher: Hot-B)

FM Towns

• Super Shanghai: Dragon's Eye (JP Publisher: Hot-B)

(Some?) Sound: Cube

Mega CD/Sega CD

• Detonator Orgun (JP Publisher: Hot-B)

Mega Drive/Genesis

• Bad Omen / Devilish: The Next Possession (JP Publisher: Hot-B; US Publisher: Sage's Creation; KR Publisher: Samsung)

Programming?: Aisystem Tokyo

• Blue Almanac / Star Odyssey (JP Publisher: Kodansha; US Publisher: Super Fighter Team)

(Some?) Sound: Cube

• Crack Down (JP/EU/AU Publisher: Sega; US Publisher: Sage's Creation; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)

Music Arrangement: Mecano Associates; Sound Design: Cube?

• Insector X / Gonchung Gundan (JP Publisher: Hot-B; US Publisher: Sage's Creation; KR Publisher: HiCom; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)

Sound: Cube?

• Ka-Ge-Ki / Ka-Ge-Ki: Fists of Steel (JP Publisher: Hot-B; US Publisher: Sage's Creation)

(Original?) Music Composition, Music Arrangement: Mecano Associates; Sound Design: Cube?

• King Salmon (JP Publisher: Hot-B; US Publisher: Vic Tokai)

PC-98

• The 7 Colors (JP Publisher: Hot-B)
• Super Shanghai: Dragon's Eye (JP Publisher: Hot-B)

(Some?) Sound: Cube

Super Famicom/Super NES

• Bazoo! Mahou Sekai (JP Publisher: Hot-B)

Sound: Cube

• Super Black Bass (JP/US Publisher: Hot-B)

Sound: Cube

X68000

• Super Shanghai: Dragon's Eye (production, direction, some graphics) (JP Publisher: Takeru [Brother])

Some Programming, Some Graphics, Some Sound?: Aisystem Tokyo; Some Programming: Soft Machine?; (Some?) Sound: Cube