Opera House
THE FACTS: Satoru Miki and Hiroyuki Fujiwara were freelance programmers that worked together on games primarily for Pony Canyon and ISCO. In 1989 [1], they established Opera House in Naka-Meguro, Tokyo.
SPECULATION: The fate of Opera House is unknown, but it appears that Miki went on to work for Gram Design [2] and Fujiwara went on to work for Nintendo. [3]
MORE SPECULATION: Two TGL-developed games, Advanced Variable Geo (PCE) and Farland Story (SFC), credit a programmer named Hiroyuki Fujiwara. The kanji for this Fujiwara is different from the kanji for Opera House's Fujiwara (as seen in Block Wars [PS]), so it could be a completely different person. But how many game programmers named Hiroyuki Fujiwara could there be?
EVEN MORE SPECULATION: We believe the company went under around 1998 or 1999. 1) The earliest Nintendo game Fujiwara is credited with (assuming it is Opera House's Fujiwara and not TGL's Fujiwara) was originally released in Japan in 1999 (Pocket Monsters Stadium 2 / Pokémon Stadium [N64]). 2) Though it was not released until 2001, Block Wars (PS) features a copyright notice which reads, "©1999 DYNAMIC PLANNING." We think the game was probably worked on in 1998/1999. 3) Hiroshi Akagi, who did graphics for many Opera House games over the years (so we are assuming he was an Opera House employee), seems to have already been working for Office Dynamite by 2001. He turns up on Devilman: Akuma Uchi for Windows [4], for which Dynamite planned, developed, and did graphics, according to its website. [5]
3DO
- F1GP (programming) (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
- Planning, Game Design, Direction: Office Dynamite; Design, Digital Video: Access Ten
- Actual mention
Famicom/NES
- Break Time: The National Pool Tour (planning, programming, graphics) (US Publisher: FCI)
FM Towns
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (programming) (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
Game Boy
- Bubble Ghost (programming) (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon; US Publisher: FCI)
Game Gear
- Devilish (under contract with Hot-B?) (JP Publisher: Genki; US Publisher: Sage's Creation; EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
- Honoo no Toukyuuji: Dodge Danpei (programming; under subcontract with SIMS?) (JP Publisher: Sega)
- Planning, Graphics, Sound: SIMS
- [Code comparison]
- Side Pocket (programming, graphics; under subcontract with ISCO) (US Publisher: Data East)
Mark III/Master System
- Cloud Master (under contract with Hot-B?) (US/EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
- Double Hawk (design, programming; under subcontract with Sanritsu?) (EU Publisher: Sega)
- Planning, Direction: Sanritsu
- [Shared credits] [ROM text] [Code comparison]
- Running Battle (EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
Mega CD/Sega CD
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon; US/EU Publisher: Sega)
Mega Drive/Genesis
- Captain America and the Avengers (programming; under subcontract with ISCO) (US Publisher: Data East; EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
- Master of Monsters (under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Toshiba EMI; US Publisher: Renovation)
- Midnight Resistance (under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Data East; US Publisher: Sega)
- Rastan Saga II (JP/US Publisher: Taito)
- Two Crude Dudes / Crude Buster (under subcontract with ISCO) (US/JP Publisher: Data East; EU Publisher: Sega)
- Verytex (under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Asmik)
MSX1
- Alpharoid (JP Publisher: Pony)
- Come On! Picot (JP Publisher: Pony)
MSX2
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
- American Soccer (under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Nidecom)
- Nekketsu Juudou (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
- Ninja Kun: Ashura no Shou (under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: HAL Laboratory)
- Project A2: Shijou Saidai no Hyouteki (JP Publisher: Pony)
- R-Type (under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Irem)
- Super Runner (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
- Ultima: Exodus (programming) (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
PC-98
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
PC Engine CD/TurboGrafx-CD
- Shin Megami Tensei (programming, graphics; under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Atlus)
PlayStation
- Block Wars (programming, graphics) (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
Super Famicom/Super NES
- Classic Road (game design, programming, graphics; under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Victor)
- Classic Road II: Real Kouma Simulation (under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Victor)
- Jungle Wars 2: Kodai Mahou Atimos no Nazo (production cooperation with Marionette) (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
- Programming, Sound: Atelier Double; Game Design: Powwow
- [Shared credits]
- Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei (under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Atlus)
- Super Hockey '94 (planning, programming, graphics) (under subcontract with ISCO) (JP Publisher: Party Room 21)
CRV's Theory of Opera House Development
"My theory is simple: If game music guru Hitoshi Sakimoto worked on it and it was published by Pony Canyon or subcontracted by ISCO, then it was probably programmed by Opera House. It has held up pretty well thus far.
The following are the most likely candidates. However, credits are not available, so I cannot confirm these at this time."
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Dragons of Flame (PC-9801)
- Death Knight of Krynn (PC-9801)
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Champions of Krynn (PC-9801)
- Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder (PC-9801)
- My Best Friends: St. Andrew Jogakuin Hen (Saturn)
- Virtual Gallop Kishudou (PlayStation)
Links
- SIT Developer Table entry - We do not know why all those PS2 games are there
- ISCO official website - Contractor of work
