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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 1d

Left: Video System Company founder Koji Furukawa (1988)
Right: Yoshihiro Maeda of Video System publicity lets you know you're not getting into the development department. In fact, I don't think we ever got to see the development department. Was there ever a Video System corporate brochure?

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Reposted by John Andersen

Retronauts @retronauts.bsky.social · 1d

according to Taito, today marks 39 years since Darius was first unveiled at the Amusement Machine Show in 1986.

タイトー公式 @taito.co.jp · 2d

最近どう？

あ、本日は
#ダライアスお披露目の日

初代『ダライアス』が
1986年10月7日・8日に開催された
第24回AMショーにて
初めてお披露目された日

水棲生物をモチーフとした
ボスキャラたちのデザインが
登場から人気でした🐳

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Reposted by John Andersen

VGDensetsu @vgdensetsu.bsky.social · 2d

I wrote a long article about Rieko Kodama, her career at Sega, the evolution of her company, the games she worked on (including some canceled games and/or games for which she is not credited), the status of women and working conditions in the video game industry, etc.
vgdensetsu.net/riekokodama/

Illustration: a portrait of Rieko Kodama with some of the games she has worked on. The dominant colors are yellow, purple and red. Counterclockwise from top left: Rieko Kodama, Alis and Lutz from Phantasy Star, Sonic in a maze, Alex Kidd and his motorbike next to Flicky on a waterfront pier, Joe Musashi and his dog near the Statue of Liberty facing a skyline, the three playable characters from Golden Axe seen from behind on the edge of a cliff, and one of the flying ships from Skies of Arcadia.

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 2d

Today the company primarily works with Nintendo Cube (NDCube) and parent company Nintendo. It maintain a branch studio in Fukuoka. One of its earliest titles for the SEGA Saturn (Bulk Slash) is highly regarded by many and needs a re-release in my personal opinion.
Website: www.caproduction.co.jp

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 2d

This CAProduction office in Nagasaki dates back to 1998, and may go back to 1994 when the company worked with Hudson Soft. They outgrew this space in the 2000's, opening a second office, going from 27 employees in 2001 to 52 in 2013. It outgrew this space, and built a three-story office in 2013.

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 2d

The director of CAProduction is Tecno Soft veteran Osamu Tsujikawa, joining him from Tecno Soft were programmers Izumi Fukuda and Takashi Iwanaga (all still with CAProduction presently). They all worked together going back as far as 1988 on the Herzog series, as well as Thunder Force II & III.

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 2d

The current office of CAProduction in Nagasaki, Japan. <A small thread>. Established in July 1993 by a few former Tecno Soft employees from Nagasaki, they've developed everything from Hagane (SNES), Bulk Slash (Saturn), DECA Sports (Wii) to assisting with Clubhouse Sports and the Mario Party series.

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Reposted by John Andersen

Retronauts @retronauts.bsky.social · 5d

In an episode exclusively for our $5 patrons: @jparish.bsky.social @hg101.bsky.social @johnandersen.bsky.social & Jimmy Cooney deliver the buzz on Hudson
Sign up & listen here: www.patreon.com/posts/140271...

cover image by Amanda Neipris: the Hudson bee flies in front of the TurboGrafx-16 box artwork

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Reposted by John Andersen

Rebecca Heineman @burgerbecky.bsky.social · 4d

I’ve started a GoFundMe to help with my cancer battle gofund.me/6850175a3

Donate to Help Rebecca Ann Heineman Fight Aggressive Cancer, organized by Rebecca Heineman

I’m Rebecca Ann Heineman. The very first video game champion, creat… Rebecca Heineman needs your support for Help Rebecca Ann Heineman Fight Aggressive Cancer

gofund.me

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 4d

Join Jeremy, Kurt and I as we rank the NES launch line-up! With some controversial choices from me that made the audience cringe. I'll say it again: DK Jr. Math got me an NES, the same NES I've kept to this day. The NES "Education Series" deserved more.

Retronauts @retronauts.bsky.social · 7d

Up on the free feed: @jparish.bsky.social @hg101.bsky.social & @johnandersen.bsky.social harness the power of live Connecticutians to rank the NES launch lineup
retronauts.com/article/2435...

a close up of a machine that says ' nintendo ' on the side

Alt: an early advertisement for the NES featuring ROB, the Zapper, and black box games

media.tenor.com

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 7d

That music…. Just bobbing my head to the rhythm.

Retro-Bit Gaming @retrobitgaming.bsky.social · 7d

Experience the River City Ball & Brawl Bundle like never before! For the first time outside Japan, River City Basketball and River City Fighting Legend are on physical cartridges. Get a close look at everything included in this digital unboxing!

retro-bit.com/river-city/

River City Ball & Brawl Bundle - Digital Unboxing

YouTube video by Retro-Bit

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by John Andersen

Henrique Olifiers @olifiers.bsky.social · 8d

The owner of this Commodore Amiga store in Tokyo, whose door still features GVP and Video Toaster stickers, used to sell Amigas in Japan back when.

I've just walked into him closing the store to head to a filming, he's a video maker now.

What serendipity!

#retrocomputing

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 8d

Yes, that's the one! Their buyback price for Donkey Kong Jr. Math when I was a kid was something I could not resist (and I regret it!). Donkey Kong Jr. Math FTW!

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Reposted by John Andersen

VGDensetsu @vgdensetsu.bsky.social · 9d

Henk Rogers mentions in his autobio that Sega had produced 300k cartridges of the Mega Drive version of Tetris. That seems like a lot to me for a console that had been released 6 months earlier and was only available in Japan at the time. He adds that Tengen had produced the same number for the NES.

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Reposted by John Andersen

Sonic The Wereblog @sonichedgeblog.bsky.social · 9d

Photos from the front of the Niigata Joypolis, which opened in 1995.

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Reposted by John Andersen

Joe Driller Killer @shakewell.cryptoanarchy.network · 9d

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 9d

I heard things went goofy at Tokyo Game Show. This happened right in front of Makuhari Meese. What game is this?

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 9d

Masanobu Endo playing Virtua Fighter 2 on his gaming setup in 1996. On the shelf of board games he apparently has an autograph of Yu Suzuki with advice that reads "Fight standing up". Via: 64DREAM, 1996-06

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 9d

Speaking of Shigesato Itoi, here he is wearing a Pulp Fiction shirt in 1996.
Via: Nintendo Dream #075

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 10d

Would anyone have this March 1998 issue of 64Dream?
There is a feature that goes into details of the developers on each floor of Nintendo Kanda.
I'd like to take a look and share it here.
Table of contents:
Creatures Inc. - 6th and 7th floor.
Tokyo Development - 5th floor.
HAL Labs - 3rd floor.

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 10d

It's unknown what will become of this site, the Nintendo Kanji signs are gone. Nintendo appears to still own the property, and demolition is expected to finish by May 2026(?). For reference, this building was eight floors, with a basement and penthouse. It underwent a renovation in 2003.

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 10d

Most importantly, game development happened here at Nintendo Kanda. Shigesato Itoi's company Ape Inc. (later Creatures Inc.) started here, HAL Labs Tokyo Development office was here. Itoi and Satoru Iwata recalled stories of having to sleep here (in the president's empty office) when it got late.

Via: Nintendo Dream #089 May 21 2003 05 21

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 10d

Nintendo Kanda also became the home of Nintendo's own product service center. People could literally visit this building, drop off their Nintendo product for repair and pick it up once the repair was completed. I wonder if that door on the right was for service center visitors?

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 10d

The Nintendo Kanda address is: 千代田区神田須田町1-22.
I do not have an exact date on when Nintendo Kanda was built, but it at least goes back to 1970. This was once Nintendo's Tokyo office, a short walk from Akihabara. The main office of Nintendo's arcade division (Nintendo Leisure Systems) was based here.

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John Andersen @johnandersen.bsky.social · 10d

News: Nintendo's Kanda Building in Tokyo is currently being demolished. (A history thread). This building was a big part of Nintendo's legacy. Mother 2 (Earthbound), Pokemon Snap and more were made here. For anyone in Tokyo wishing to take photos, this is your last chance (please be respectful).

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