Ultra Games
| Company type | Shell subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Defunct | 1992 |
| Fate | Integrated into parent company |
| Successor | Konami (America) Inc. |
| Headquarters | Buffalo Grove, IL, USA |
| Parent | Konami (America) Inc. |
| Company type | Shell subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Defunct | 1994 |
| Fate | Absorbed by parent company |
| Successor | Konami (UK) Ltd. |
| Headquarters | Middlesex, England |
| Parent | Konami (UK) Ltd. |
Ultra Software Corporation operated as a shell corporation and publishing imprint established in 1988 under the ownership of Konami of America. Its creation aimed to circumvent Nintendo's stringent licensing restrictions in North America, which limited third-party NES titles to five releases per year. Since Konami was producing more than ten games annually in Japan, the Ultra Games label was introduced to effectively double its output in the US market.
History
The initial NES release under Ultra was Metal Gear. While the company initially concentrated on localizing Konami's Japanese titles, it subsequently expanded to publishing third-party software. Notable releases through Ultra include Operation C, Snake's Revenge, and early editions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series for both NES and Game Boy platforms. Versions of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Metal Gear for IBM PC and Commodore 64 were also distributed under the Ultra brand.
Following the debut of the Super NES in North America in 1991, Nintendo relaxed its third-party publishing constraints, diminishing the need for Ultra's existence. Consequently, Konami phased out the Ultra label by 1992; its last titles were Ultra Golf and World Circuit Series, released in March of that year.
In Europe, Konami launched Palcom Software Limited in 1990 to address similar licensing challenges. Palcom’s portfolio overlapped with Ultra’s but also featured exclusive games such as Road Fighter, Parodius, and Crackout. Additionally, Palcom published Super NES titles that Konami released directly in North America. Some games published by Ultra in the US—like Metal Gear and Snake's Revenge—were issued under the Konami name in Europe. Palcom remained active until early 1994 before merging back into Konami UK.
NES
- Metal Gear (June 1988)
- Skate or Die! (December 1988)
- Gyruss (February 1989)
- Q*bert (February 1989)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (June 1989)
- Defender of the Crown (July 1989; developed by Beam Software)
- Silent Service (December 1989; developed by Rare)
- Kings of the Beach (January 1990)
- Snake's Revenge (April 1990)
- Mission: Impossible (September 1990)
- RollerGames (September 1990)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (December 1990)
- Ski or Die (February 1991)
- Base Wars (June 1991)
- Pirates! (October 1991; developed by Rare)
- Nightshade (January 1992; developed by Beam Software)
- Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (February 1992; developed by Interplay)
Game Boy
- Motocross Maniacs (January 1990 release)
- Nemesis (April 1990)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan (August 1990)
- Quarth (December 1990)
- Operation C (February 1991)
- Blades of Steel (August 1991)
- Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (February 1992; created by Visual Concepts)
- Ultra Golf (March 1992)
- World Circuit Series (March 1992)
IBM PC (DOS)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989; developed by Unlimited Software)
- Metal Gear (August 1990; produced by Banana Development)
Commodore 64
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990; developed by Unlimited Software)
- Metal Gear (1990; created by Unlimited Software)
NES
- Skate or Die! (August 1990)
- Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles (August 1990)
- Crackout (1991)
- Defender of the Crown (July 1991; developed by Beam Software)
- Pirates! (October 1991; produced by Rare)
- Ski or Die (October 1991)
- Mission: Impossible (November 1991)
- Monster in My Pocket (1992)
- Parodius (1992)
- Road Fighter (1992)
- Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (December 1992)
- Formula 1 Sensation (1993)
- Rackets & Rivals (1993)
- Bucky O'Hare (December 1993)
Game Boy
- Blades of Steel (1991)
- Skate or Die: Bad 'N Rad (1991)
- Probotector (May 1992)
- Parodius (1992)
- Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (1992; developed by Visual Concepts)
- Zen: Intergalactic Ninja (1993)
Super NES
- Cybernator (1993; developed by NCS Corporation)
- Pop'n TwinBee (1993)
- Sunset Riders (December 1993)
See also
Bibliography
External links
- Ultra Games profile at MobyGames
- Palcom profile at MobyGames