Sammy USA Corporation
Sammy USA Corporation (SUSA), established in April 1988 under the corporate name of American Sammy Corporation in the state of California, is a subsidiary of Sammy Corporation of Tokyo, Japan. Sammy Corporation is one of the largest manufacturers of pachinko and pachinko slot machines. Together, the companies have pledged to provide solid entertainment products with priority given to game development and further growth of the company. On December 1, 1992 the corporation relocated to Elk Grove Village and was reincorporated in the State of Illinois on March 8, 1996. In March 2001 the company decided to expand its sales base by establishing a subsidiary in the United Kingdom, Sammy Europe Ltd., to concentrate on the vast European market.
Sammy USA Corporation at a Glance
Sammy USA Corporation operated as an American subsidiary of the Japanese pachinko giant Sammy Corporation from 1988 until around 2000. Founded in California before moving its operations to Illinois, the company focused heavily on video game development and publishing during its thirteen-year run. Their catalog on PlayPile contains ten titles, with nine released as a publisher and three developed in-house. The company's output was not massive, but it spanned multiple decades, starting with two games in the 1980s, releasing six titles during the peak of the 1990s, and issuing just one release in the 2000s. The studio showed a clear preference for action-oriented content, particularly shooters, which made up half of their library. They also produced four arcade-style games and three adventure titles. Their platform strategy was broad, targeting five different arcade cabinets alongside popular home systems like the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy. You will find their work on computers such as the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore C64, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad CPC, showing a willingness to support both mainstream and niche hardware of the era. Quality across their portfolio was generally average to mixed rather than consistently excellent. Out of five titles that have received ratings, three fall into the good range between 60 and 79 points, while two sit in the mixed category between 40 and 59. Their highest-rated games include Arkista's Ring from 1990 at 76.7, Rolan's Curse 2 from 1992 at 73, and Silk Worm from 1988 at 72.7. However, other releases like Amagon and the first Rolan's Curse scored significantly lower, indicating inconsistent results over time. By the turn of the millennium, their activity slowed considerably, with only Turkey Hunting USA appearing in March 2000 before they seemingly shifted focus or closed their US development efforts. While they did not achieve critical acclaim on a large scale, they maintained a steady presence in the shooter and arcade genres for over a decade, leaving behind a small but varied collection of games from the late eighties through the early two thousands.
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