Santos
From Sega Retro
- For the later identically-named game developer, see Santos (later).
This short article is in need of work. You can help Sega Retro by adding to it.
Santos Co., Ltd., formerly known as Whiteboard Co., Ltd., was a Japanese video game developer which specialized in mahjong games. Founded in 1985 and headed by Takeshi Tozu, Santos would later have much of its staff and business acquired in December 1991 by Sega (for the establishment of its new subsidiary Megasoft), with the company declaring bankruptcy that same month.
Takeshi Tozu would later establish another company by the same name, Santos.
Contents
Company
Founded in July 1985 as Whiteboard, the company primarily developed mahjong games for the arcades and home video game consoles, with the majority of their releases being manufactured or published by Sega. The company's name was officially changed to Santos in 1989, and it began producing various notable Sega Mega Drive games, like Battle Golfer Yui.
As Santos approached the end of the 1980s, the company found itself in dire financial straits, and its main publisher Sega decided to purchase much of the company in December 1991. Instead of fully acquiring Santos itself, Sega instead acquired the majority of the developer's staff and unfinished games, and used the resources to establish a separate company, Megasoft. Later that month, Santos filed for bankruptcy.
Company head Takeshi Tozu and much of the staff who did not transition to Megasoft soon founded a second company in 1992 by the same name, Santos. That same year, another group of former staff led by Tomohiro Ishigai would venture out and establish developer Gai Brain.
Softography
System 2
- Dakkochan House (1987) (as Whiteboard)
System 18
- Hammer Away (unreleased)
SG-1000
- Ninja Princess (1986) (as Whiteboard)
Master System
- Great Baseball (1987) (as Whiteboard)
- Great Golf (1987) (as Whiteboard)
- The Pro Yakyuu: Pennant Race (1987) (as Whiteboard)
- Fantasy Zone: The Maze (1987) (as Whiteboard)
- Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (1988) (as Whiteboard)
- Megumi Rescue (1988) (as Whiteboard)
- Nekkyuu Koushien (1988) (as Whiteboard)
- American Baseball (1989) (as Whiteboard)
- American Pro Football (1989) (as Whiteboard)
- Dynamite Dux (1990) (as Whiteboard)
- World Games (1990) (as Whiteboard)
- Danan: The Jungle Fighter (1991) (as Whiteboard)
Mega Drive
- Mahjong Cop Ryuu: Hakurou no Yabou (1989) (as Whiteboard)
- Toki: Going Ape Spit (1991)
- Battle Golfer Yui (1991)
Game Gear
- The Pro Yakyuu '91 (1991)