Nichibutsu

Nichibutsu at a Glance

Nichibutsu operated as a Japanese developer and publisher from 1979 until its final release in 2010. Based in Osaka, the company also had a history of manufacturing yachts before focusing entirely on video games under the Nichibutsu brand. The firm closed down in December 2015 after selling its library to Hamster Corporation in March 2014 due to the retirement of founder Sueharu Torii. They maintained an active presence for three decades, though their output was heavily concentrated in the 1980s and 1990s. The company released 31 games in the 1980s and 38 in the 1990s. By contrast, they only produced three titles in the 2000s and single releases in the 1970s and 2010s. Their catalog contains 74 games on PlayPile, with the majority appearing as arcade titles or for home consoles like the Super Famicom and PlayStation. Arcade machines accounted for 33 of their entries, followed by 21 games for the Super Famicom and 13 for the original PlayStation. They also released titles for older systems such as the Commodore C64 and ZX Spectrum. Genre-wise, their work focused heavily on arcade shooters and racing games, with 24 titles in each category. They also made 17 racing games and 13 sports games. Some of their output included card and board game adaptations, simulators, and quiz games. Quality ratings for the company show a mixed picture. Their average IGDB rating sits at 64.6 based on only four rated titles. The best-received entry is Moon Cresta from 1980 with a score of 80.5. MagMax from 1986 followed with a good score of 77. Two other titles, Terra Cresta and Crazy Climber, received mixed reviews in the 40 to 59 range. Many of their later releases appear to be reboots or sequels to earlier hits like Crazy Climber and Virtual Kyoutei. The company also operated a separate adult game brand called Sphinx for strip mahjong arcade games. Their official logo featured a horned owl, which appeared on many of their cabinet marquees and box art during their active years.

Release Timeline

Rating Distribution