Matsumoto Toru no Kabushiki Hisshougaku

About

Matsumoto Toru no Kabushiki Hisshougaku is a stock market simulation game from 1988 that tasks players with building a 100 million yen fortune in a single year. Developed by Imagineer for the Family Computer, it revolves around buying, selling, and holding stocks while tracking market trends and interpreting advice about company performance. Players must balance risk and timing, with outcomes shaped by economic shifts and strategic choices. The game serves as a stylized guide to investing, using a fictionalized version of Japanese financial expert Matsumoto Tooru as its public face. Despite its niche subject matter, the game sold well enough in Japan to warrant a sequel the following year. It includes a licensed version of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" as part of its soundtrack, an unexpected touch for a finance-focused title. The game’s complexity and educational edge set it apart from typical 80s arcade fare, though its regional release and untranslated text keep it a curiosity for Western audiences.