Atlus

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Original Atlus logo

Atlus Co., Ltd. (株式会社アトラス) was a game company started on April 7, 1986, by a group of former Tehkan (later known as Tecmo) employees. It originally developed games for other publishers but later began publishing its own games, starting with 1989's Puzzle Boy (Kwirk overseas) for the Game Boy. [1]

Atlus was acquired by toy giant Takara in 2003, then by Index Holdings in 2006. The original corporate entity ceased to exist when Atlus was merged into Index in 2010 [2], but the brand name continued to be used. Following Index's bankruptcy in 2013, it was acquired by a Sega Sammy shell company called Sega Dream, which was then renamed Index Corporation. In April 2014, all of Index's non-game related business were spun off into what later became in 2016 iXIT Corporation and later sold to Sawada Holdings, while the games business was renamed back to Atlus. Today, it is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sega.

This entry focuses on Atlus's earlier titles published by other companies. During this time, Atlus had a tendency of subcontracting programming or all development. This will be noted below when details are known.

Research Methods: Interviews, online resources, shared staff

Famicom Disk System

  • Cosmic System (unreleased) (WaveJack) [3]
  • Ginga Denshou (JP Publisher: WaveJack)
At one point called "Uchuu Kaizoku no Takara" [4]
  • Seiken Psycho Calibur: Majuu no Mori Densetsu (JP Publisher: WaveJack) [5]
Programming: C-lab.

Famicom/NES

  • Arkanoid (JP/US Publisher: Taito) [6] [7]
  • Battle Fleet (JP Publisher: Namco)
  • Bikkuriman World: Gekitou Sei Senshi (JP Publisher: Hudson)
  • Bio Senshi Dan: Increaser to no Tatakai (JP Publisher: Jaleco)
An English release was at one point planned under the title Bashi Bazook: Morphoid Masher [8]
  • Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei (JP Publisher: Namco)
  • Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II (JP Publisher: Namco)
  • Dota-kun no Bouken Roman (unreleased) (WaveJack Jr.) [9]
Programming: ?
  • Erika to Satoru no Yume Bouken (JP Publisher: Namco)
  • Friday the 13th (US Publisher: LJN)
  • Gotcha! The Sport! (US Publisher: LJN)
  • Jaws (US Publisher: LJN)
Developer: Westone
  • Kame no Ongaeshi: Urashima Densetsu / Xexyz (JP/US Publisher: Hudson)
Planning: Sofix
Staff: Hiroyuki Sakai (planner) [10] [11] [12], Hiroyuki Arai (programmer) [13] [14], Minoru Esaki (character designer [JP package]) [15], Koji Tsuda (worked on NES version) [16], Hirohiko Takayama (sound designer) [17]
  • The Karate Kid (US Publisher: LJN)
  • King of Kings (JP Publisher: Namco)
  • Labyrinth: Maou no Meikyuu (JP Publisher: Tokuma Shoten)
  • Major League Baseball (US Publisher: LJN)
  • NFL (US Publisher: LJN)
  • T&C Surf Designs: Wood & Water Rage (US Publisher: LJN)

PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16

  • Ankoku Densetsu / Legendary Axe II (programming? sound?) (JP Publisher: Victor; US Publisher: NEC)
Developer: Red
  • Appare! Gateball (JP Publisher: Hudson)
Developer?: Westone
  • Dungeon Explorer (JP Publisher: Hudson; US Publisher: NEC)
  • Kyuukyoku Tiger (JP Publisher: Taito)
Developer: A.I
  • Maniac Pro-Wrestling: Ashita e no Tatakai (JP Publisher: Hudson)
Programming: A.I
  • Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball-bu: PC Bangai-hen (JP Publisher: Naxat)
Programming: A.I
  • PC Genjin / Bonk's Adventure (JP Publisher: Hudson; US Publisher: NEC)
Planning, Character Design: Red; Background Graphics [18], Some Programming?: A.I
  • Power Eleven (JP Publisher: Hudson)
Programming, Sound: Westone

PC Engine CD/TurboGrafx-CD

  • Jantei Monogatari (JP Publisher: Reno)
Programming: A.I

PC-88

  • Maze-kun (planning, map design?) (JP Publisher: Reno) [19]

PC-98

  • Maze-kun (planning, map design?) (JP Publisher: Reno)

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