Imagineer logo

Imagineer

Japan Founded 1986 Website

Imagineer Co., Ltd. was established on January 27, 1986 (registered on June 1, 1977) in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, with the goal of developing, manufacturing and selling game software. They acquired the rights to release overseas games in Japan, such as SimCity which they published for PC. They have also worked with companies like Sanrio Co., Ltd. on games featuring popular characters such as Hello Kitty. Imagineer developed the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version of Populous, having acquired the rights from Les Edgar. At the time, the company was working with Nintendo. Imagineer also publishes the Medabots game series. In 2016, Imagineer fully absorbed their video game subsidiary company, Rocket Company, merging into one company.

Imagineer at a Glance

Imagineer is a Japanese publisher and developer that has been active since the late 1970s, though it was officially established as a software company in 1986. Based in Tokyo, the firm operates with a broad history that spans over four decades. Their catalog on PlayPile includes 122 titles, with the majority of these roles falling under publishing rather than development. The company has released games across many eras, showing a massive output spike during the 1990s when they published 66 titles. Output dropped significantly in the 2010s to just five games, before rising again slightly in the 2020s with twelve releases. Genre focus varies widely for this publisher. Role-playing games make up the largest segment with 40 entries, followed by Adventure and Sport genres. They also handle a substantial number of simulator and strategy titles. Their platform reach is heavily tied to Nintendo hardware, with Game Boy Color leading the list at 28 games. Super Famicom and original Game Boy versions also appear frequently in their library. More recent work includes releases on the Nintendo Switch and iOS devices. Quality ratings for Imagineer titles show a mix of performance. Out of the 16 rated titles available, four are considered great with scores above 80, while seven fall into the good range between 60 and 79. Five titles receive mixed reviews. The highest rated games include Doom II: Hell on Earth from 1994 and King's Quest VIII: The Mask of Eternity from 1998, both scoring above 84. Might and Magic VIII also achieved an 80.6 rating. More recently, Fitness Boxing 3 received an 80 score in 2024. The company has a history of licensing international games for the Japanese market, such as SimCity. They have also worked closely with Sanrio on character-based games like Hello Kitty titles. In recent years, their schedule includes releases like Medabots Survivors and various Sanrio puzzle games scheduled through 2025. Imagineer absorbed their subsidiary Rocket Company in 2016, consolidating their operations into a single entity. While they have produced some high-scoring classics, their overall rating average sits at 66.8 out of 100 across the rated pool.

122
Total Games
66.8
Avg Rating
1979
First Release
2025
Latest Release

Genre Breakdown

Role-playing (RPG)
26%
Adventure
17%
Sport
15%
Simulator
11%
Strategy
9%

Platform Spread

Game Boy Color
28
Super Famicom
20
Game Boy
13
Nintendo Switch
11
Nintendo 64
9

Release Timeline

1970s
1
1980s
5
1990s
66
2000s
28
2010s
5
2020s
12

Rating Distribution

4
80-100
7
60-79
5
40-59
0
0-39
Hello Kitty no Beads Koubou game cover

Hello Kitty no Beads Koubou

1999·GBC
Zoor: Majuu Tsukai Densetsu game cover

Zoor: Majuu Tsukai Densetsu

1999·N64
Hello Kitty no Magical Museum game cover

Hello Kitty no Magical Museum

1999·GBC
Medarot: Perfect Edition - Kabuto Version game cover

Medarot: Perfect Edition - Kabuto Version

1999·WonderSwan
Medarot: Perfect Edition - Kuwagata Version game cover

Medarot: Perfect Edition - Kuwagata Version

1999·WonderSwan
Chou Kuukan Nighter: King of Pro Baseball 2 game cover

Chou Kuukan Nighter: King of Pro Baseball 2

1999·N64
Game Software wo Tsukurou game cover

Game Software wo Tsukurou

1999·PS1
Sanrio TimeNet: Kako-hen game cover

Sanrio TimeNet: Kako-hen

1998·GBC
King's Quest VIII: The Mask of Eternity game cover
Rating 8.5

King's Quest VIII: The Mask of Eternity

1998·PC
Fairy Kitty no Kaiun Jiten: Yousei no Kuni no Uranai Shugyou game cover

Fairy Kitty no Kaiun Jiten: Yousei no Kuni no Uranai Shugyou

1998·GBC
Kitty the Kool! game cover

Kitty the Kool!

1998·PS1
Kiratto Kaiketsu! 64 Tanteidan game cover

Kiratto Kaiketsu! 64 Tanteidan

1998·N64
99 Nendohan: Eitango Center 1500 game cover

99 Nendohan: Eitango Center 1500

1998·Game Boy
Medarot Parts Collection 2 game cover

Medarot Parts Collection 2

1998·Game Boy
Meltylancer Re-inforce: Special Edition game cover

Meltylancer Re-inforce: Special Edition

1998·Saturn
Meltylancer Re-inforce game cover

Meltylancer Re-inforce

1998·Saturn
GT 64: Championship Edition game cover

GT 64: Championship Edition

1998·N64
Medarot Parts Collection game cover

Medarot Parts Collection

1998·Game Boy
Die by the Sword game cover
Rating 6.4

Die by the Sword

1998·PC
G.O.D Pure: Growth or Devolution game cover

G.O.D Pure: Growth or Devolution

1998·PS1
Sanrio Uranai Party game cover

Sanrio Uranai Party

1997·Game Boy
Meltylancer Re-inforce game cover

Meltylancer Re-inforce

1997·PS1
Medarot Kabuto Version game cover

Medarot Kabuto Version

1997·Game Boy
Medarot Kuwagata Version game cover

Medarot Kuwagata Version

1997·Game Boy
J.League Dynamite Soccer 64 game cover

J.League Dynamite Soccer 64

1997·N64
Mahjong Hourouki Classic game cover

Mahjong Hourouki Classic

1997·N64
MRC: Multi-Racing Championship game cover

MRC: Multi-Racing Championship

1997·N64
Ryuuteki Gosennen: Dragons of China game cover

Ryuuteki Gosennen: Dragons of China

1997·Saturn
Chou Kuukan Nighter: King of Pro Baseball game cover

Chou Kuukan Nighter: King of Pro Baseball

1997·N64
G.O.D: Mezame yo to Yobu Koe ga Kikoe game cover

G.O.D: Mezame yo to Yobu Koe ga Kikoe

1996·SFAM
Fist game cover

Fist

1996·Saturn
Hankou Shashin: Shibarareta Shoujo-tachi no Mita Mono ha? game cover

Hankou Shashin: Shibarareta Shoujo-tachi no Mita Mono ha?

1996·Saturn
GT Racing game cover

GT Racing

1996·SFAM
Meltylancer: Ginga Shoujo Keisatsu 2086 game cover

Meltylancer: Ginga Shoujo Keisatsu 2086

1996·PS1, Saturn
Anubis of the Moon's Surface game cover

Anubis of the Moon's Surface

1995·SFAM
Zakuro no Aji game cover

Zakuro no Aji

1995·SFAM
Shuushoku Game game cover

Shuushoku Game

1995·SFAM
Meltylancer: The Melting Pot Police game cover

Meltylancer: The Melting Pot Police

1995·PC-9800 Series
Jissen Kyoutei game cover

Jissen Kyoutei

1995·SFAM
Kindai Mahjong Special game cover

Kindai Mahjong Special

1995·SFAM
Kousoku Shikou Shogi-ou game cover

Kousoku Shikou Shogi-ou

1995·SFAM
Houkago in Beppin Jogakuin game cover

Houkago in Beppin Jogakuin

1995·SFAM
Quarantine game cover
Rating 6.4

Quarantine

1994·PS1, DOS, Saturn +1
Sun Sport Fishing: Keiryuu-ou game cover

Sun Sport Fishing: Keiryuu-ou

1994·SFAM
Super Wrestle Angels game cover

Super Wrestle Angels

1994·SFAM
Battle Cross game cover

Battle Cross

1994·SFAM
Seifuku Densetsu Pretty Fighter game cover

Seifuku Densetsu Pretty Fighter

1994·SFAM
Doom II: Hell on Earth game cover
Rating 10.0

Doom II: Hell on Earth

1994·PC, Mac, PC-9800 Series +2