Technosoft

Technosoft Co., Ltd. (株式会社テクノソフト), also known by the "Tecno Soft" brand, was a Sasebo, Nagasaki-based developer and publisher founded and headed by Tomio Ohzono (大園富美男). Naosuke Arai (新井直介), alias Yunker Matai, was the company's development director for much of its existence.

It was originally established in February 1980 as Sasebo Micom Center, a computer store which distributed original software under the Tecno Soft brand. It was incorporated and officially renamed to Tecno Soft in April 1982. In its early years, also produced programming tools and other software but would soon focus solely on games. Throughout the 1980s they exclusively supported home computer platforms, but in 1989 switched entirely to console and arcade development. They were the first third-party publisher to support the Sega Mega Drive, and would become closely associated with Sega hardware, though they also produced titles for Nintendo and Sony hardware as well.

The company declared bankruptcy in December 1999, just before the release of their final title Neorude: Kizamareta Monshou. Pachinko company Twenty-One acquired the company's assets, keeping its soundtracks in print, releasing back-catalog titles on digital distribution services, and offering the IP for license. The latter resulted in Sega producing Thunder Force VI in 2008, and Sega would eventually obtain the rights to the entire Technosoft catalog in 2016.

Arsys Software, CAProduction, and Ganbarion were all started by former staff. Other staff have also worked for studios including Compile, Eighting, Treasure, Gust, and Az Game. Arai is now the vice president of Interactive Laboratory. Ohzono passed away in 2014.

Arcade

• Hyper Duel (Technosoft)
• Inazuma Saber (unreleased) (Technosoft) [1]

Location tested in 1994, eventually ported to the Saturn and released as Blast Wind in 1997.

• Magical Error o Sagase! (Jaleco)
• Nekketsu Oyako (unreleased) (Technosoft)

Went on location test around 1993 [2] [3]

• Thunder Force AC (Sega)

FM-7

• 2001-nen Uchuu no Tabi (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• 2001-nen Uchuu no Tabi Part II (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Back Gammon (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Back Gammon Excellent (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Batten Tanuki no Daibouken (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Bolt On (unreleased) (Technosoft) [4]

Racing game for the FM77AV shown in a 1988 issue of Login Magazine

• Computer BUG-9000 (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island Kakuchou Course 1 (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island Kakuchou Course 2 (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island Kakuchou Course 3 (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island Kakuchou Course 4 (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island Special (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Graphic Tool Set [tool] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Ku Gyoku Den (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Manbaken / Derby (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Pattern Editor [tool] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Planet Wars (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Plazma Line (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Star Fleet (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• The Star World II (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force Construction (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Walk Wan (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• White Hole (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Yonin Mahjong (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

Mega CD/Sega CD

• Starblade (under subcontract with Telenet Japan) (JP/US Publisher: Namco; EU Publisher: Sega) [5]

Mega Drive/Genesis

• Devil Crash MD / Dragon's Fury (JP Publisher: Technosoft; US/EU Publisher: Tengen)
• Elemental Master (JP Publisher: Technosoft; US Publisher: Renovation)
• Herzog Zwei (JP Publisher: Technosoft; US/EU Publisher: Sega)
• Thunder Force II MD / Thunder Force II (JP Publisher: Technosoft; US/EU Publisher: Sega)
• Thunder Force III (JP/US Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force IV / Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (JP Publisher: Technosoft; US/EU Publisher: Sega)
• Thunder Force V (unreleased) (Technosoft)

Cancelled after only a small portion of development was completed. The released 32-bit versions were started over from scratch.

MSX

• Back Gammon (JP Publisher: Sony)
• Batten Tanuki no Daibouken (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Excite Yonin Mahjong (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Janyuu (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

MSX2

• D' (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Feedback (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Ku Gyoku Den (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Herzog (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Shin Ku Gyoku Den (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

MZ Series

• 2001-nen Uchuu no Tabi Part II [MZ-2000] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Back Gammon Excellent [MZ-1500] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Batten Tanuki no Daibouken [MZ-1500] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Donkey Gorilla [MZ-700] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Planet Wars [MZ-1200] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Plazma Line [MZ-2000/2200] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Snake & Snake [MZ-700] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Star Fleet [MZ-2000] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Tank Tank [MZ-700] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force [MZ-1500] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Walk Wan [MZ-80B] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Yonin Mahjong [MZ-700] (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

PC-6001

• 2001-nen Uchuu no Tabi (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• 2001-nen Uchuu no Tabi Part II (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Plazma Line (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Star Fleet (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Walk Wan (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Yonin Mahjong (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

PC-6601

• Back Gammon Excellent (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island Special (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Plazma Line (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

PC-8001

• 2001-nen Uchuu no Tabi (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• 2001-nen Uchuu no Tabi Part II (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Back Gammon (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Mad Fighter (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Missile Panic (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• The Princess Rescue (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Snake & Snake (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Space Flapper (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Star Fleet (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Walk Wan (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

PC-8801

• Back Gammon (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Back Gammon Excellent (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Batten Tanuki no Daibouken (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Comsight (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• D' (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island Kakuchou Course 1 (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Herzog (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Ku Gyoku Den (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Orrbit III (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Plazma Line (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Shin Ku Gyoku Den (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Star Fleet (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

PC-9801

• D' (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Orrbit III (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Shin Ku Gyoku Den (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Special Yonin Mahjong (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

PlayStation

• Getter Robo Daikessen! (JP Publisher: Bandai Visual)
• Kaze no Oka Kouen nite (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Koutetsu Reiiki Steeldom (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Kumitate Battle Kuttu Ketto (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Kyuutenkai (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• My Garden (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Nekketsu Oyako (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Neorude (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Neorude 2 (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Neorude: Kizamareta Monshou (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Omise de Tensyu (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Reverthion (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Silent Möbius: Genei no Datenshi (JP Publisher: Bandai Visual)
• Thunder Force V: Perfect System (JP Publisher: Technosoft; US Publisher: Working Designs)

Saturn

• Blast Wind (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Hyper Duel (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Hyper Reverthion (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Koutetsu Reiiki Steeldom (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Kumitate Battle Kuttu Ketto (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Kyuutenkai (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Nekketsu Oyako (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force Gold Pack 1 (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force Gold Pack 2 (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force V (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

Super Famicom/Super NES

• Thunder Spirits (JP Publisher: Toshiba EMI; US Publisher: Seika) [6]

X1

• 2001-nen Part X (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Back Gammon (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Back Gammon Excellent (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Batten Tanuki no Daibouken (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• D' (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Golf Island Special (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Herzog (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Ku Gyoku Den (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Orrbit III (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Plazma Line (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Shin Ku Gyoku Den (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Star Fleet (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Star World II (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Thunder Force (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Walk Wan (JP Publisher: Technosoft)
• Yonin Mahjong (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

X68000

• Thunder Force II (JP Publisher: Technosoft)

Links

• Official website (Internet Archive Wayback Machine) (Japanese)
• Wikipedia article (Japanese)