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Technōs Japan

From Alfawiki
Technōs Japan Corp.
Company typePrivate
IndustryVideo games
Founded1981
FounderThree ex-employees of Data East
Defunct1996
FateBankruptcy; intellectual properties acquired by Arc System Works in 2015
Headquarters
Tokyo
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Keiichi Iwamoto (former president of U.S. subsidiary)
ProductsVideo games, including Double Dragon, Kunio-kun series, The Combatribes, Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer

was a Tokyo-based Japanese video game developer, recognized for creating the Double Dragon and Kunio-kun franchises—this includes titles such as Renegade, Super Dodge Ball, and River City Ransom—alongside The Combatribes and Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer. Since June 2015, the intellectual properties originally owned by this company have been under the ownership of Arc System Works.

History

Established in 1981 by three ex-employees of Data East, Technōs originated in a modest single-room apartment. Their debut game, Minky Monkey (1982), was soon followed by a legal dispute initiated by Data East, accusing Technōs of replicating data from their arcade title Pro Tennis. The matter was resolved in 1983 with an agreement, after which Technōs developed Tag Team Wrestling, which Data East published. Due to limited distribution capabilities, early Technōs releases were often published by other companies.

Technōs' major breakthrough arrived with the 1986 release of Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, a beat 'em up featuring a high school protagonist combating gang members. Internationally launched as Renegade with modified visuals, this title marked Technōs' debut on home consoles through an NES adaptation. Following this, their 1987 arcade success, Double Dragon, achieved global acclaim, leading to NES ports and licensed versions across various platforms.

The popularity of the Kunio-kun series generated more than twenty sequels and spin-offs on systems including the Family Computer, Game Boy, and Super Famicom. Many of these were innovative sports-themed games. Certain titles such as Super Dodge Ball, River City Ransom, and Nintendo World Cup were localized for North American audiences, though they remained unconnected. Technōs attempted to consolidate these under the Crash 'n the Boys brand, releasing only one game: Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge. A planned sequel titled Ice Challenge never reached release.

Technōs developed two arcade sequels to Double Dragon: Double Dragon II: The Revenge (1988) and Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone (1990), the latter created externally by East Technology. Alongside these, NES versions and the original SNES game Super Double Dragon (1992) expanded the franchise. The series also inspired an American animated television show and a live-action movie adaptation.

In addition to its main franchises, Technōs launched various arcade and home games including U.S. Championship V'Ball, The Combatribes, and two WWF arcade titles: WWF Superstars and WWF Wrestlefest. However, none matched the commercial success of their flagship series. Their final releases targeted Neo Geo platforms, featuring a fighting game based on the Double Dragon film, the fighting title Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer, and a Neo Geo sequel to Super Dodge Ball. Facing financial struggles, Technōs filed for bankruptcy in 1996. Some developers from their Neo Geo projects briefly transitioned to Face, a company linked with SNK.

Post-bankruptcy

Following Technōs Japan's dissolution, Million Co., Ltd was founded to manage its intellectual property portfolio. Million developed new games such as Super Dodge Ball Advance, Double Dragon Advance, and River City Ransom EX for the Game Boy Advance, along with Super Dodgeball Brawlers for the Nintendo DS. They also re-released classic titles via platforms like the Virtual Console. In June 2015, all intellectual properties originally belonging to Technōs Japan were acquired by Arc System Works from Million Co., Ltd.

U.S. subsidiary

Technōs Japan maintained a U.S.-based branch called American Technōs Inc., which was originally located in Beaverton, Oregon until February 1991 before moving to Cupertino, California. Established in 1987 following the arcade debut of Double Dragon, American Technōs handled the North American publishing of most Technōs Japan arcade titles, beginning with Double Dragon II: The Revenge. Although console publishing rights were predominantly licensed to firms such as Tradewest, Acclaim Entertainment, CSG Imagesoft, and Nintendo, American Technōs took charge of publishing certain console games directly. These included River City Ransom and Crash 'n the Boys: Street Challenge for NES, Super Double Dragon (co-published alongside Tradewest) and The Combatribes for Super NES, as well as Geom Cube for PlayStation. The company also released games like Super Bowling, Super Pinball: Behind the Mask, and the PlayStation helicopter title Strike Point. American Technōs continued operations into the late 1990s, with Keiichi Iwamoto serving as its former president.

List of games by platforms

Games are organized by their original Japanese titles along with their release dates. Titles for the Neo Geo are listed separately from other arcade offerings. This compilation excludes licensed adaptations published by third parties, such as the Master System version of Double Dragon or PC Engine Kunio games released by Naxat Soft. Additionally, it omits titles produced by Million, who later acquired rights to Technōs Japan's properties.

Arcade

Family Computer/Nintendo Entertainment System

  • Renegade (Japanese: Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun) (4/17/1987)
  • Double Dragon (4/8/1988)
  • Super Dodge Ball (Japanese: Nekketsu KōKō Dodgeball Bu) (7/26/1988)
  • River City Ransom (Japanese: Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari; PAL release titled: Street Gangs) (4/25/1989)
  • Super Spike V'Ball (Japanese: same as U.S. title) (11/10/1989)
  • Double Dragon II: The Revenge (12/22/1989)
  • Nintendo World Cup(Japanese: "Nekketsu KōKō Dodgeball Bu Soccer Hen") (5/18/1990)
  •  "Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku Soreyuku Daiundōkai" (10/12/1990)
  •  "Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones" (Japanese title "Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone") (2/22/1991)
  •  "Sugoro Quest" (6/28/1991)
  •  "Downtown Special: Kunio-kun no Jidaigeki dayo Zen'in Shūgō" (7/26/1991)

Unreleased projects include:

    • "Ike Ike! Nekketsu Hockey Bu: Subette Koronde Dairantō" (U.S. was planned as "Crash 'n the Boys: Ice Challenge")
    • "Block Out"
    • "Nekketsu Kunio-Kun Zukan"
    • "Nekketsu Yakyuu Kozou"
    • "Xain'd Sleena"
    • "China Gate"
    • "Double Dragon IV: Renegade"

Additional releases:

Game Boy

Super NES/Super Famicom

Game Gear

PlayStation

Neo Geo

  • Double Dragon: released February 1995
  • Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer (Japanese name: Chōjin Gakuen Gowcaizer): launched September 1995
  • Super Dodge Ball (Japanese title: Kunio no Nekketsu Dodgeball Densetsu): issued in 1996
  • High Voltage 12+1 (project cancelled, unreleased)
  • Death Match (unpublished)
  • DarkSeed / Dragon's Heaven (co-developed with Face; never officially launched)
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