Aicom
This entry is about the original Aicom. For the Aicom responsible for Pulstar, see Yumekobo.
Aicom Corporation (株式会社エイコム; allegedly short for "Akio Inoue COMputer," named after Aicom's president) was originally established in the 1980s. It was acquired by Sammy [1] in 1990 and became a subsidiary called Aicom Japan (株式会社日本エイコム). [2] Some executives and staff left as a result. [3]
Aicom and another Sammy subsidiary, Japan Soft Technology, were merged into Sammy [4] in February 1992. Half of Aicom's staff continued to work at Sammy. [5] Sammy eventually cancelled most ongoing projects and fired most of the remaining former Aicom staff. [6]
The name "EXA Planning" is seen on several early arcade games (Angel Kids, Megumi Rescue, and Pythagoras no Nazo). This was either a name used on games jointly developed by Aicom and Eleca (E = Eleca; A = Aicom), or it was another company run by Aicom's president. It is worth noting that Eleca's name turns up on these games, but not Aicom's.
Cyclone System and C.P. Brain were both started by former Aicom staff.
Research Methods: Actual mentions, code comparisons, interviews, online resources (see Links), shared staff
Arcade
- A.B. Cop (Sega)
- Angel Kids (Sega)
- Programming: Eleca
- Bombs Away (Jaleco)
- Hachoo! (Jaleco)
- The Lord of King / The Astyanax (Jaleco)
- Megumi Rescue (unreleased) (Sega)
- Programming: Eleca
- Pythagoras no Nazo (Sega)
- Programming: Eleca
- Racing Hero (Sega)
Famicom/NES
- Bomber King / RoboWarrior (co-developer) (JP Publisher: Hudson; US/EU Publisher: Jaleco) [7]
- Chuugoku Senseijutsu (JP Publisher: Jaleco)
- Flying Hero (JP Publisher: Epic)
- Golgo 13: Dai 2 Shou: Riddle of Icarus / Golgo 13: The Mafat Conspiracy (JP/US Publisher: Vic Tokai)
- Gun-Dec / Vice: Project Doom (JP/US Publisher: Sammy)
- The Lord of King / Astyanax (JP/US/EU Publisher: Jaleco)
- Magic John / Totally Rad (JP/US Publisher: Jaleco)
- Magical Kids Doropie / The Krion Conquest (sound) (JP/US Publisher: Vic Tokai)
- Moero!! Junior Basket: Two on Two / Hoops (JP/US Publisher: Jaleco)
- Takeshi no Sengoku Fuuunko (sound?) (JP Publisher: Taito)
- Totsuzen! Machoman / Amagon (JP Publisher: Vic Tokai; US Publisher: Sammy)
- Ultimate Basketball / Taito Basketball (US Publisher: Sammy; JP Publisher: Taito)
- Ultimate Soccer (unreleased) (game design) (Sammy)
- Programming, Graphics, Sound: Beyond
- Zenbei!! Pro Basket / All-Pro Basketball (JP/US Publisher: Vic Tokai)
Mark III/Master System
- Basketball Nightmare (EU Publisher: Sega)
Mega Drive/Genesis
- Dando / Vasum (unreleased) (Treco) [8]
- Fighting Masters (JP/US Publisher: Treco; KR Publisher: Samsung)
- Some System Design, Programming: ALU
- Super Real Basketball / Pat Riley Basketball (JP/US/EU Publisher: Sega)Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair / Monster Lair / Monster Lair: Wonder Boy III (JP/EU Publisher: Sega; KR Publisher: Samsung)
Neo Geo
- Dunk Shoot / Dunk Star (unreleased; co-developed with C-lab.) (Sammy) [9]
- Untitled action game (unreleased) [10]
- Viewpoint (SNK)
Three additional games never went beyond the planning stage. [11]
PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16
- Makyou Densetsu / The Legendary Axe (JP Publisher: Victor; US Publisher: NEC)
- Programming: Eleca?; Balance Adjustment, Debugging [12], Sound?: Hudson
- USA Pro Basketball / Takin' It to the Hoop (JP Publisher: Aicom; US Publisher: NEC)
- Some Programming: Eleca?
Super Famicom/Super NES
- Battle Blaze (co-developed with Eleca) (JP/US Publisher: Sammy)
- Sound Driver: C-lab.
Links
