Compile's uncredited games(Compile History now added)

[NeoZeedeater]

I'm trying to figure out all the games developed by Compile where they aren't credited on the box or title screen.

This site - http://kelesis.free.fr/hp/index_eng.htm credits them with these games/ports:

N-Sub(SG-1000)
Borderline(SG-1000)
Devil's Heaven(MSX)
Exa Innova(MSX)
Star Blazer(MSX)
A.E.(MSX)
Gulkave(MSX/SG-1000)
R-Type(SMS)
Blazing Lazers(TG16)
Xevious Fardraut Saga(MSX2/PCE)

Besides the stuff listed there I have seen Parlour Games(SMS) listed as a Compile game. I also think Bomber Raid(SMS) is a Compile game given the similarities to the Aleste series but I can't confirm it.

Any other info?

[anagrama]

This recent SMS Power thread (http://www.smspower.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5889) lists a bunch of them.

[NeoZeedeater]

Thanks. I never would have guessed they did the Ghostbusters port.

[Gapporin]

Compile also did Pnickies and Puyo Puyo 2 for the arcade (trademarked to Capcom and Sega, respectively.)

They also did Gun.Nac on the NES, but I don't know if that's actually credited to them or not.

Man. Compile never gets any respect.

[NeoZeedeater]

I'm not sure if Compile actually developed Pnickies or just licensed the gameplay to Capcom.

Thanks to finding an archive of the old Compile site on that SMSPower thread link I have finally been able to put together a near complete history of Compile. There are a few names I couldn't figure out(mostly kanji stuff) so I have left those in Japanese if anyone knows them.

http://web.archive.org/web/20011202075421/www.compile.co.jp/game/index.html

This aforementioned Compile site is excellent(mostly for their shooters) - http://kelesis.free.fr/hp/index_eng.htm

This MSX database was helpful too - http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb

I have left out two types of games that comprise a lot of their history:
Puyo Puyo games(the excellent puzzle series available on nearly every game format from the 8-bit era to present) and the Disk/Disc Station games which are a series of small games that came with magazines in Japan. Disk Station spans several eras and the games cover every genre from shooters to maze games to platformers to strategy games. So if a console/computer isn't listed here or doesn't have much listed it likely has more quantity, just in Disk Station or Puyo Puyo games.
http://www.sokutsu.com/IMG/jpg/ds32.jpg


-MSX Games-


Bee & Flower(1983)
Shoot things at rival bugs.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/screenshots/game_resize/g59.gif

E.I.(1984)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/screenshots/game_resize/g98.gif

Aqua Polis SOS(1984)
Head to the ocean bottom to rescue dudes.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/4

Devil's Heaven(1984)
http://www4.airnet.ne.jp/makuta/tagoo/grp/50.png

Hustle Chumy(1984)
See SG-1000.

Megalopolis SOS(1984)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/78

A.E.(1985)
A port of the Broderbund game.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/105

C-SO!(1985)
Not a bad platformer. You have collect all the objects on the screen, flip the planks over and avoid enemies.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/screenshots/game_resize/g513.gif

Godzilla kun(1985)

Championship Lode Runner(1985)
Another Broderbund conversion.

Choplifter(1985)
And another Broderbund game.

Final Justice(1985)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/617

Lunar Ball(1985)

Lode Runner(1985)

Swing(1985)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/screenshots/game_resize/g686.gif

Guardic(1986)
http://kelesis.free.fr/hp/compile/guardic/guadead_end.jpg

Gulkave(1986)
See SG-1000 pic.

Zanac(1986)
http://outerspace.terra.com.br/retrospace/materias/consoles/imagens/MSX/zanac.gif

Thexder(1986)
I'm guessing that they just did this version and Game Arts did the original in-house on another computer.

Birdie Try(1986)
Golf, I assume.

Jagur(1987)
The Compile site lists the publisher as Pony Canyon but I believe that's an error and it's a Hudson game like seen here.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/945

Golvellius
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/1016


-SG-1000 Games-


N-Sub(1983)
A port of the Sega arcade game.
http://potato.emu-france.com/sms/images/N-Sub_(SG-1000).gif

Safari Hunting(1983)
A port of the Sega arcade game Tranquilizer Gun.

Borderline(1983)
Another arcade port made for Sega.
http://potato.emu-france.com/sms/images/Borderline_(SG-1000).gif

Hustle Chumy(1984)
http://www.classicgaming.com.br/images/sg-1000/Hustle_Chumy_Foto3.jpg

Championship Lode Runner(1985)

Choplifter(1985)

C-SO!(1986)

Gulkave(1986)
An impressive sidescrolling shooter. It even has multiple layers of parallax scrolling.
http://potato.emu-france.com/sms/images/Gulkave_(SG-1000)_%5B!%5D.gif

Champion Billiards(1986)


-NES Games-


Lunar Pool(1985)
The domestic name for the previously mentioned Lunar Ball.
http://www.juegomania.org/emuladores/nes/0/510.jpg

Zanac(1986)

Touch Mystery of Triangle(1987)
http://www.geocities.jp/f_tamakoku/famicon/database/1987_picture/1987_03/touch.gif

Romancia(1987)
http://www.geocities.jp/f_tamakoku/famicon/database/1987_picture/1987_15/romansia.gif

The Guardian Legend(1988)
Known as Guardic Gaiden in Japan. This was a very cool mix of an overhead action/adventure game and a vertical shooter.
http://tuxnes.sourceforge.net/snaps/guardian-snap-0002.gif

Taiyou no Shinden(1988)
http://www.geocities.jp/f_tamakoku/famicon/database/1988_picture/1988_10/88_taiyounoshinden.gif

Godzilla(1988)
http://www.monkeysvsrobots.com/mvsrpm/images/videogames/godzillareview2.gif

Tailor Made(1990)
I'm told this cartridge is not technically a game but a bike catalogue.
http://homepage3.nifty.com/tarenosuke/gazou-tailor.html

Gun*Nac(1990)
I love this game. I think it's a big improvement over Zanac.
http://www.emumax.com/pic/videopic/2004825235552.gif

Gorby no Pipeline(1991)
A neat puzzle game.
http://www.geocities.jp/f_tamakoku/famicon/database/1991_picture/1991_05/gorubinopipe.gif


-Master System Games-


Ghostbusters(1987)
A remake of David Crane's computer game.
http://dorando.emuverse.com/images/ghostbusters_02.png

Parlour Games(1987)
http://bto8.smspower.org/segapower/1342/11.gif

R-Type(1988)
This was an amazing port of Irem's arcade game. Compile left their touch with a hidden level exclusive to this version called Super Stage.

Power Strike(1988)
AKA Aleste.

Casino Games(1988)
http://www.briansemu.com/sms/games/Casino%20Games/Casino%20Games.html

Golvellius(1988)
http://bto8.smspower.org/segapower/1363/72.gif

Power Strike II(1993)
One of, if not the, best 8-bit shooters.
http://kelesis.free.fr/hp/compile/powerst2/index_eng.htm

And although it wasn't listed on their site I still think Bomber Raid has some sort of Compile connection given the similarities to Aleste.


-MSX2 Games-


Zanac(1986)

Makaijima - Higemaru(1987)
A port of the Capcom arcade game.

Aleste(1988)
The first in a long line of amazing shooters.
http://www.yspu.yar.ru/MSX/original/best/aleste.gif

Girly Block(1988)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/screenshots/game_resize/g1131.gif

Xevious Faudraut(1988)
I'm not sure what's different between this and the original Namco arcade game.

Golvellius(1988)
I believe this version has extra stuff not in the others which is why it is sometimes incorrectly labeled as a sequel.
http://www.rpgclassics.com/shrines/sms/golvellius/golvellius/msx/side3.gif

Aleste 2(1988)
http://www.chez.com/msxfr/aleste6.jpg

Family Stadium Professional Baseball(1989)
A port of the Namco Famicom game.

Nyanbu(1990)
I'm not sure I transliterated the name right.
http://game.goo.ne.jp/contents/retro/RGMEGGECOM1010/ECOM1010_2.jpg

Randar no Daibouken III(1990)
Compile mascot Randar gets his own game. I think the first two were Disk Station games.
http://www.uvlist.com/img.asp?!arandar3_msx2.png

Rune Master 2(1990)

魔導師ラルバ総集編(1990)
http://game.goo.ne.jp/contents/retro/RGMEGGECOM1001/

Madou Monogatari 1-2-3(1990)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/screenshots/game_resize/g1447.gif

Dragon Quiz(1991)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/screenshots/game_resize/g1690.gif

Columns(1991)
A port of the Sega game.

Gorby no Pipeline(1991)

Rune Master 3(1991)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/1609

Warau Salesman(1991)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/msxdb/softwareinfo/screenshots/game_resize/g1631.gif


-PC98 Games-


Warau Salesman(1991)

Madou Monogatari 1-2-3(1991)

Madou Monogatari A.R.S.(1993)

幻世喜譚(1995)


-TurboGrafx-16/CD Games-


Alien Crush(1988)
I'm a huge fan of the pinball games Compile did for Naxat. I was surprised to see all of them listed on the Compile site as I had always credited them to the publisher before.
http://images.webmagic.com/klov.com/screens/A/yAlien_Crush.png

Blazing Lazers(1989)
An excellent shooter. In Japan it was based on the Gunhed license although in gameplay it's pretty much an Aleste game.
http://media.gamespy.com/columns/image/February04_blazers_01_1080168362.jpg

Xevious Faudraut(1990)

Devil's Crush(1990)
This was also ported to Genesis by Tecnosoft.
http://www.armchairempire.com/images/classics/devils-crush/devils-crush-1.gif

Cyber Knight(1990)
http://pcenginebible.roarvgm.com/HTML_Games/Cyber_Knight.htm

Spriggan(1991, CD)
Another awesome Aleste like shooter.
http://www.sokutsu.com/IMG/gif/sprig.gif

Spriggan Mark II(1992, CD)
I haven't played this one but I hear it's worse than the first.
http://www.pcengine.com.br/SprigganII/Cd_ee55.jpg

Sylphia(1993, CD)
I really want to try this but it's so expensive.
http://www.pcengine.com.br/sylphia/Cd_2211.gif


-Genesis/CD Games-


Ghostbusters(1990)
This one wasn't a port but an original platformer.
http://www.ecto-web.biz.be/games/gb1/genesis/gengb1mmm.gif

M.U.S.H.A.(1990)
Metallic Unframe Super Hybrid Armor was the domestic name for Musha Aleste. This is one of the Genesis' best shooters.
http://www.genesiscollective.com/Genesis/Screenshots/MUSHA%20(GS).png

Robo Aleste(1992, CD)
http://www.skjoldhammer.dk/md-mcd-32x/mcd_robo_aleste_main.jpg

Warau Salesman(1993, CD)

Shadowrun(1996, CD)
http://www.sega-16.com/Feature-%20Left%20in%20Japan%20RPGs%202.htm

Madou Monogatari I(1996)


-Game Gear Games-


GG Aleste(1991)

Power Strike II(1993)
Known as GG Aleste II in Japan. It's a different game than the MSx2 and SMS games. I think it's the best portable shooter although given the GG's blurry screen playing it through emulation's a better idea.
http://kelesis.free.fr/hp/compile/ggaleste2/gg_aleste2shot.png

Madou Monogatari I(1993)
Madou Monogatari II(1994)
Madou Monogatari III(1994)
Madou Monogatari A(1995)


-Super Nintendo Games-


Naxat Super Pinball: Jaki Crush(1992)
This is my least favourite of the "Crush" series but I still like it.
http://www.cherryroms.com/screenshots/Jaki_Crush_(J)(6317).png

Space Megaforce(1992)
Known as Super Aleste in Japan. The SNES was always considered the weaker shooter system compared to the TG16 and Genesis but I consider this the best one of the era. It excelled in every area: gameplay, graphics, and sound.
http://emultest.free.fr/screenshot/sninspacemegaforce.gif

Madou Monogatari(1996)


-Windows PC Games-


After Devil Force(1998)
http://shop.knet.ne.jp/software/Image/cple024i.gif

Geoconflict 4(2000)
http://softplaza.biglobe.ne.jp/shop/aiky/origin/geo4/img/mission1.jpg

Wander Wonder(2000)
http://kelesis.free.fr/hp/pc-games/wander_wonder/wander02.jpg


-Others-


Lunar Ball(PC88, 1985)
Birdie Try(X1, 1986)
Godzilla kun(GB, 1990)
Columns(FM Towns, 1991)
Gorby no Pipeline(FM Towns, 1991)
Madou Monogatari(SS, 1998)

Zanac x Zanac(PS1, 2001)
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20010413/cmpl01.jpg

Your thoughts on Compile? Please make any corrections or additions.
http://shell0.elnet.com/~gm-quinn/sms/pstrik2/randar.gif

[Gapporin]

Whoa. Most excellent work. Thanks!

So, I assume that Compile is still around? Is Zanac x Zanac their latest game?

[NeoZeedeater]

I believe their last game was the arcade/PS2 puzzle game Pochi to Nya which I forgot to mention. I'm confused about the demise of Compile. It seems the company disappeared a couple years ago and the rights to their games went to a company called Aiky. I think Aiky might have some ex-Compile people but I'm not sure.

[TheRedEye]

I don't see Aleste II for Game Gear on that list. I have it, I think it's kind of rare.

[NeoZeedeater]

I listed it. Yeah, it is pretty rare.

[jslithy]

Fans of Compile shooters should check out Raizing games, becuase that's where most of their shooter talent went after 1992.

[Graham Mitchell]

Much appreciated!! This answered a few questions fo me. I had no idea the Crush games were developed by Compile; I find that fascinating. They've made so many really great games that have been highly acclaimed in the U.S., yet Compile never got very much attention outside of hardcore fan-circles. With a roster of accomplishments like this, it's pretty clear what a shame that is.

[Kid Fenris]

Excellent work, Neo. So there's no such thing as Golvellius 2?

Have you heard anything about a canceled sequel to The Guardian Legend/Guardic Gaiden? Rumor has it that Compile planned one for the SNES but never went through with it.



Fans of Compile shooters should check out Raizing games, becuase that's where most of their shooter talent went after 1992.

Some of them also went to Psikyo, or so I've heard.

[anagrama]

Wow, excellent work! :) It's always good to see developers geting their due credit, even some time after the fact.

Interestingly, Madou Monogatari I was the last Japanese Mega Drive game, released in March '96 - almost 4 months after the next closest (Pengo).

Hope ya don't mind me pinching your detective work to add to the SMS & Mega Drive sections of the database? If you PM me your name I'll add you to the contributors list.

[CRV]

Hope ya don't mind me pinching your detective work to add to the SMS & Mega Drive sections of the database? If you PM me your name I'll add you to the contributors list.

Yeah, thanks for translating all of that. I submitted a lot of this to Video Game Rebirth. I hope you don't mind that, either.

[ArnoldRimmer83]

Damn. I had no idea how many games Compile ended up making. That's a very extensive list. Thanks for the info.

[NeoZeedeater]

Thanks guys, and yes of course please use any info for your sites. I want to see Compile(or any developer) get the credit they deserve.

[idrougge]

I'm sorry to resurrect a really old thread, but it seems like a shame to begin a new one.

A lot of Compile talent has been scattered over the years. The 8ing/Raizing trail has already been mentioned. Of interest is that one of Tecnosoft's foremost designers (he who made Herzog) also went there, after a brief sejour at Compile. That's a lot of shmup talent in one house.

Pac Fujishima, one of the original programmers, has his own company, Fupac. Fupac's resumé makes you feel very sorry for a man who was once a programming hero. It only consists of dating sims, pachinko screens and Kids Station titles.

Takeshi Santô (usually credited as TAKE-SHANT or just SHANT), who did a lot of classic music together with Masatomo Miyamoto, went on to found Sting in the early nineties. He has fared a lot better than Pac.

The events leading up to Compile's demise at the beginning of this decade are interesting. Two factors are to be blamed.
Compile was originally a company doing business or logistics software. In their second business year, they started making games, but never gave up on its more serious (and lesser known) side. The business software never did well in the market, and was always a liability for the company.
Then came the Puyo boom. The company grew extremely fast, hiring not only a lot of staff, but also starting a nation-wide chain selling Puyo-shaped pastry and dolls. This gave them the "bakery" nickname amongst gamers.
What was originally a small company couldn't handle the rapid growth, so the funds were depleted in the second half of the nineties. Compile went to court in order to get permission to restructure the company, which the court granted, but its stakeholders had to be pleased. The court ordered Compile to relinquish the Puyo franchise to Sega. Without Puyo, there was not much for the leaner, poorer Compile to live on. In early 2003, the company was dissolved.

Compile founder Masamitsu "Moo" Niitani had founded a new company called Aiky. Remaining Compile properties were transferred to Aiky. Most of the new company's products can be classified as Compile products without all the shmups. A lot of it is the kind of material that was published on Diskstation. Pochi-Nya and Guru Logic are probably the two biggest properties. And they also get some income from licencing old Compile titles for mobile phones and so on. Niitani sometimes makes apperances at MSX events in Japan.