Kaga Tech
Kaga Tech Co., Ltd. (加賀テック株式会社) is a subsidiary of Kaga Electronics based in Tokyo that makes and sells electronic components. It was established on June 22, 1988 [1], as Naxat Co., Ltd. (株式会社ナグザット; "Naxat Soft" and later "Naxat" brand). It became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kaga Electronics in April 1990. The name was changed to Kaga Tech in May 1998, but games continued to be published under the Naxat brand. [2]
As Naxat, the company published and developed video games. Initially, it did no in-house development [3]; games were developed by outside companies such as Compile, Flight-Plan, KLON, Sting, and Tose. Eventually the team that developed W-Ring (PC Engine) at Flight-Plan joined Naxat, followed by the team that developed Eternal City (PC Engine) (company of origin unknown). [4] During the PC Engine era, both teams worked in the same development room, mostly on different projects. [5] Contractors from Spiel and Radical Plan worked in the same building. [6]
Naxat's development staff was expanded in 1995 with the addition of IMP (Interactive Multimedia Products [or "Interactive MaltiMedia Products") in Osaka. Some of the IMP development staff came from GAPS, a company in Osaka with which Naxat had collaborated on several Super Famicom games ("N&G Project"), and Magical. The Tokyo staff would resign from the company, allegedly following disparaging comments made by an IMP sales representative about the Tokyo team and boasting about future sales of Planet Joker (Saturn). [7]
The exact details of what happened with IMP and the Osaka team are not known, but it appears the team stayed on with Kaga Tech into the 2000s. Kaga Tech and Kanto Automation, another Kaga Electronics subsidiary that sold electronic components, merged in 2005. As part of the merger, Kaga Tech's "Entrust Business for Game Software Development" was to be transferred to Digital Media Lab. [8] This may be referring to the Osaka team because it appears some staff ended up there. [9] [10] Also as part of this merger, Kaga Tech's amusement machine development business was to be transferred to the "Specific Industry Sales Headquarters" of Kaga Electronics [11] and Kaga Tech's game software business was transferred to Digital Gain. [12] (Kaga's English press release says "Game Software Development Business," but Digital Gain's press release only says "game software business" (ゲームソフト事業). There is reason to believe this was only referring to Kaga Tech's game publishing business. [Digital Gain took over publishing of games from Alchemist.])
Research Methods: Actual mentions, shared staff
Naxat Tokyo R&D (ナグザット東京開発)
PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16
- 1943 Kai (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Coryoon (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- PC Denjin: Punkic Cyborgs / Air Zonk (JP/US Publisher: Hudson)
- Game Design, etc.: Red
- Toshi Tensou Keikaku: Eternal City (JP Publisher: Naxat)
PC Engine CD/TurboGrafx-CD
- Alzadick (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Kaze Kiri (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Mahjong Sword: Princess Quest Gaiden (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Super Real Mahjong PII・III Custom (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Programming, PII Graphics: Spiel?
- Super Real Mahjong PIV Custom (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Some Graphics: Winds
- Super Real Mahjong PV Custom (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Programming, Original Graphics: Spiel; Graphics: Winds; Music, Sound Effects; Opus
- Wizardry I・II (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Programming, Some Graphics: Access; Sound: Cube
- Wizardry III・IV (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Programming, Some Graphics: Access; Some Sound: Cube
- Yami no Ketsuzoku: Harukanaru Kioku (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Scenario, Music: System Sacom; Programming, Graphics: Spiel; Some Graphics: Winds
PlayStation
- Fighting Network Rings (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Apparently the last game developed in Tokyo, according to a message hidden in the game.
Saturn
- Honkaku Pro Mahjong Tetsuman Special (planning, graphics) (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Programming, Sound Support: Chatnoir; Sound: Opus
- Kyuukyoku Tiger II Plus (co-developed with Takumi) (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Programming: ?; Original Sound: Sound Media
Super NES/Super Famicom
- Chou Makai Taisen! Dorabocchan / The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang (JP Publisher: Naxat; US Publisher: BPS)
- Some Production, Character Design?: Red
- Spriggan Powered (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Programming: Khaos
- Super Naxat Open: Golf de Shoubu da! Dorabocchan (JP Publisher: Naxat Soft) [13]
- Character Design: Red; Programming: Kuusoukagaku; Some Graphics?: KID
IMP/Naxat Osaka R&D (ナグザット大阪開発)
Game Boy Advance
- Bouken-Ou Beet: Busters Road (JP Publisher: Bandai)
- Tales of the World: Summoner's Lineage (JP Publisher: Namco)
- Sound: Yoshidayama-Workshop
Game Boy Color
- Pocket King (JP Publisher: Namco) [14]
- Pocket Lure Boy (JP Publisher: King Records)
- Programming: Khaos?; Sound: Yoshidayama-Workshop
Saturn
- Planet Joker (JP Publisher: Naxat)
- Graphics: Studio Owl?; Visual Graphics: Giraffe Soft; Animation: Yoyogi Animation Gakuin; Sound: Eurhythm
- Was Studio Owl Daiya Yoshida's company?
Super Famicom/Super NES
- Zootto Mahjong! (JP Publisher: Nintendo)
- Some Programming: Khaos?; Sound: Yoshidayama-Workshop
WonderSwan Color
- Mr. Driller (JP Publisher: Namco)
- Programming: Dragnet?; Sound: Yoshidayama-Workshop
