Aicom
Aicom Corporation (株式会社エイコム) was a game developer and publisher headed by Akio Inoue (井上昭男). (The name is allegedly short for "Akio Inoue COMputer.") The company 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. Approximately 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 arcade games (Angel Kids, Megumi Rescue, and Pythagoras no Nazo). This was either an earlier name for Aicom or a different company also run by Inoue. (See the Exa Planning entry for more details.)
Cyclone System and CP.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)
- Bombs Away (Jaleco)
- Hachoo! (Jaleco)
- The Lord of King / The Astyanax (Jaleco)
- 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 (production? some sound?) (JP/US/EU Publisher: Jaleco)
- Developer: C-lab.?
- Magic John / Totally Rad (production? sound?) (JP/US Publisher: Jaleco)
- Developer: C-lab.?
- 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)
- Great Basketball / Great Basket (JP/US/EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
- Psycho Fox / Sapo Xulé Vs Os Invasores do Brejo (sound) (US/EU Publisher: Sega; KR Publisher: Samsung; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
Mega Drive/Genesis
- Dando / Vasum (unreleased) (Treco) [8]
- Fighting Masters (JP/US Publisher: Treco; KR Publisher: Samsung)
- Some System Design, Programming: ALU
- Magical Hat no Buttobi Turbo! Daibouken (sound?) (JP Publisher: Sega)
- Super Real Basketball / Pat Riley Basketball (JP/US/EU Publisher: Sega)
- Whip Rush: Wakusei Voltegas no Nazo / Whip Rush (sound?) (JP Publisher: Sega; US Publisher: Renovation)
- Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair / Monster Lair / Monster Lair: Wonder Boy III (JP/EU Publisher: Sega; KR Publisher: Samsung) [9]
Neo Geo
- Dunk Shoot / Dunk Star (unreleased; co-developed with C-lab.) (Sammy) [10]
- Untitled action game (unreleased) [11]
- Viewpoint (SNK)
Three additional games never went beyond the planning stage. [12]
PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16
- Makyou Densetsu / The Legendary Axe (JP Publisher: Victor; US Publisher: NEC)
- Programming: Eleca?; Balance Adjustment, Debugging [13], 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.
Aicom (2)
Aicom Co., Ltd. (株式会社エイコム) was a new company run by Akio Inoue. (Did it become AI Electronics?) Staff joined Yumekobo.
Neo Geo
- Karate Ninja Shou (unreleased) [14]
- Pulstar (Aicom)
- Sound Design?: First Circle
PlayStation
- Dynamite King (unreleased) [15]
- Fuuun Gokuu Ninden (JP Publisher: Aicom)
- Was originally supposed to be published by Santos as Super Ninja Goku [16]
- Sound Effects: First Circle
- The King of Fighters '95 (JP Publisher: SNK; US Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment) [17]
- Some Programming: Eleca, Santos; Sound: First Circle