Difference between revisions of "Sunsoft"

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{{Company
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{{CompanyBob
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| logo=Sunsoft logo.png
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| logo=Sunsoft logo.svg
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| width=200px
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| founded=1971-04-16
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| founded=April 16, 1971
 
 
| defunct=
 
| defunct=
 
| tseries=T-15
 
| tseries=T-15
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| mergedwith=
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| headquarters=Kounan, Aichi, Japan
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| mergedinto=
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| headquarters2=[[wikipedia:Mountain View, California|2550 Garcia Avenue, Mountain View, California 94043, United States]]{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20221227225209/https://www.pch.net/resources/NSFNET/regional-techs.94.02}}
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| headquarters=Kōnan, Aichi, Japan
 
 
}}
 
}}
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'''Sunsoft''' (サンソフト) is a Japanese video game development company founded on April 16, 1971 as a division of Sun Corporation, itself a division of Sun Electronics. They have been responsible for developing and publishing numerous games since 1978, including several [[Sega]]-licensed games. Interestingly they were also responsible for porting several Sega games to the Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan.
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'''Sun Denshi''' (サン電子株式会社) is a Japanese electronics company founded on April 16, 1971. In 1978 it began publishing video games under the '''Sunsoft''' (サンソフト) brand.
  
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For reasons unknown, all Japanese [[Sega Mega Drive]] games published by Sunsoft resemble their Famicom game covers — their covers printed backwards, the front being on the left of the spine, rather than the right, and cases around the size of the cartridge.
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Beginning its work in arcades, Sunsoft would move into [[Famicom]] game development in the mid-1980s. It would acquire the rights to develop and publish several [[Sega]] arcade ports for the system in Japan, and would publish games for Sega platforms, starting with the [[System 16]] arcade game ''[[Bay Route]]'' in 1989. In addition to original titles, Sunsoft would also obtain licenses to several film and televison properties, establishing a US operation in the early 1990s.
  
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==Softography==
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By the mid-90s, Sunsoft were effectively running two operations: the original Japanese arm continued to produce video games for the likes of the [[Super Famicom]], [[Sega Saturn]] and [[PlayStation]], but these efforts were not being picked up for distribution from their US arm, which was more interested in publishing games based on licensed properties like ''Looney Tunes''. The company is also notable for financing [[Cyan]]'s ''[[Myst]]'' (and ''[[Riven: The Sequel to Myst]]''), which would for a period be the best selling computer game of all time (although ironically, Sunsoft were only interested in the console versions, which were decidedly less popular).
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{{multicol|
 
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===[[System 16B]]===
 
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* ''[[Bay Route]]'' (1989)
 
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* ''[[Tough Turf]]'' (1989)
 
  
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===Nintendo Famicom===
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For reasons unknown, all Japanese [[Sega Mega Drive]] games published by Sunsoft resemble their Famicom game packaging; smaller boxes with the art printed right-to-left (save for ''[[Panorama Cotton]]''), and complete with non-standard cartridge designs.
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* ''[[Fantasy Zone]]'' (1987)
 
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* ''[[Fantasy Zone 2: The Teardrop of Opa-Opa]]'' (1988)
 
  
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===[[Mega Drive]]===
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==Softography==
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* ''[[Batman]]'' (1990)
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{{CompanyHistoryAll|Sunsoft}}
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* ''[[Tel-Tel Mahjong]]'' (1990)
 
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* ''[[Tel-Tel Stadium]]'' (1990)
 
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* ''[[Shi-Kin-Joh]]'' (1991)
 
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* ''[[Batman: Return of the Joker]]'' (1992)
 
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* ''[[Lemmings]]'' (1992)
 
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* ''[[Superman]]'' (1992)
 
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* ''[[Super Fantasy Zone]]'' (1993)
 
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* ''[[Aero the Acro-Bat]]'' (1993)
 
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* ''[[Disney's Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Quest]]'' (1993)
 
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* ''[[Disney's Beauty and the Beast: Roar of the Beast]]'' (1993)
 
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* ''[[Flashback: The Quest for Identity]]'' (1993)
 
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* ''[[Aero the Acro-Bat 2]]'' (1994)
 
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* ''[[Bubble and Squeak]]'' (1994)
 
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* ''[[Daze Before Christmas]]'' (1994)
 
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* ''[[The Death and Return of Superman]]'' (1994)
 
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* ''[[Panorama Cotton]]'' (1994)
 
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* ''[[Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel]]'' (1994)
 
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* ''[[Justice League Task Force]]'' (1995)
 
  
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===[[Game Gear]]===
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==Accessories produced==
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* ''[[Shanghai II]]'' (1990)
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{{CompanyHistoryAll|Sunsoft|type=accessories}}
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* ''[[Shikinjoh]]'' (1991)
 
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===[[Saturn]]===
 
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* ''[[Myst]]'' (1995)
 
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* ''[[Jewels of the Oracle]]'' (1995)
 
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* ''[[Ou-chan no Oekaki Logic]]'' (1995)
 
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* ''[[Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors]]'' (1996)
 
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* ''[[Albert Odyssey: Legend of Eldean]]'' (1997)
 
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* ''[[Waku Waku 7]]'' (1997)
 
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* ''[[Astra Superstars]]'' (1998)
 
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* ''[[Riven: The Sequel to Myst]]'' (1998)
 
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===[[Sega Titan Video]]===
 
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* ''[[Shanghai: The Great Wall]]'' (1995)
 
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* ''[[Karaoke Quiz Intro Don Don!]]'' (1996)
 
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* ''[[Astra Super Stars]]'' (1998)
 
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}}
 
  
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==External Links==
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==External links==
 
*[http://www.sun-denshi.co.jp/soft/ Japanese website]
 
*[http://www.sun-denshi.co.jp/soft/ Japanese website]
 
*[http://www.sunsoftgames.com/ North American website]
 
*[http://www.sunsoftgames.com/ North American website]
  
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[[Category:Third-Party Development Companies]]
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==References==
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{{NECRetro}}
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<references />

Latest revision as of 16:54, 1 August 2024

Sun Denshi (サン電子株式会社) is a Japanese electronics company founded on April 16, 1971. In 1978 it began publishing video games under the Sunsoft (サンソフト) brand.

Beginning its work in arcades, Sunsoft would move into Famicom game development in the mid-1980s. It would acquire the rights to develop and publish several Sega arcade ports for the system in Japan, and would publish games for Sega platforms, starting with the System 16 arcade game Bay Route in 1989. In addition to original titles, Sunsoft would also obtain licenses to several film and televison properties, establishing a US operation in the early 1990s.

By the mid-90s, Sunsoft were effectively running two operations: the original Japanese arm continued to produce video games for the likes of the Super Famicom, Sega Saturn and PlayStation, but these efforts were not being picked up for distribution from their US arm, which was more interested in publishing games based on licensed properties like Looney Tunes. The company is also notable for financing Cyan's Myst (and Riven: The Sequel to Myst), which would for a period be the best selling computer game of all time (although ironically, Sunsoft were only interested in the console versions, which were decidedly less popular).

For reasons unknown, all Japanese Sega Mega Drive games published by Sunsoft resemble their Famicom game packaging; smaller boxes with the art printed right-to-left (save for Panorama Cotton), and complete with non-standard cartridge designs.

Softography

Sega Titan Video

NAOMI GD-ROM

Mega Drive

Game Gear

Mega-CD

Mega LD

Saturn

PlayStation 2

PlayStation Portable

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch Online

Accessories produced

Saturn

External links

References

Necretro-round.svg
NEC Retro has more information related to Sunsoft
  1. ↑ https://www.pch.net/resources/NSFNET/regional-techs.94.02 (Wayback Machine: 2022-12-27 22:52)
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