Atlus
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese computer and video game developer
, publisher
, and distributor based in Tokyo
, Japan
, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei
. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System
video game published by Namco
based on a trilogy of novels, but after the second game, Atlus formed to publish the series. Its corporate mascot
is Jack Frost from Shin Megami Tensei. Atlus is headquartered in Shinjuku
, Tokyo
. In October 2003, Takara
acquired them. In November 2006, Index Holdings
enterprise acquired Atlus by buying a majority of its stock.
On 30 August 2010, Index Holding announced that Atlus would no longer be an independent company and would be under their direct control. Though this has caused concern among fans about the future of Atlus, the CEO of Atlus, Shinichi Suzuki has officially affirmed that Atlus will continue to provide the "finest quality game experiences possible" and the merger only "further strengthens the foundation of Atlus, both in Japan and here in the United States".
and Dokapon
.
titles from other Japanese developers. Atlus USA operates from Irvine, California
.
Many of the Megami Tensei games have not been released in North America. Jack Bros.
for the Virtual Boy, Revelations: Persona for the PlayStation, and Revelations: The Demon Slayer for the Game Boy Color
were the first three games in the series to have a North American release, both in the 1990s. The American release of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne in 2004 was the first main series video game to have an American release. Since then, every game from the series has had an American release in addition to the Japanese, including Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
, and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
.
Atlus USA also has published games under the loose moniker Marl Kingdom
, beginning with the relatively unheard of Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
, in 2000. One of Atlus USA's most known work in the United States is their localization of the cult classic
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
, which was created by Nippon Ichi Software.
Atlus USA has also published the tactical role-playing game
Tactics Ogre
and Game Boy Advance remakes of the Kunio-kun and Double Dragon games for Million (a company composed of former Technos Japan Corp. employees). Other notable titles include Snowboard Kids
and Snowboard Kids 2
for the Nintendo 64
and most recently, Odin Sphere
and the Trauma Center series.
Atlus USA published Growlanser, a real time strategy/RPG from the creators of the classic Langrisser
series, Career Soft. After the success of the first game, they acquired Career Soft, who developed the second through fifth installments in-house.
In 2004, in collaboration with Sting and Bandai
, Atlus U.S.A. released Riviera: The Promised Land
, an RPG for the Game Boy Advance
, which they had previously released for the Wonderswan Color. In the Fall of 2006, Atlus U.S.A., once again along with Sting, released Yggdra Union
, a strategy RPG for the Game Boy Advance
.
Atlus USA also recently opened an online division, Atlus Online, who is currently servicing Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent and Pandora Saga.
Jack Frost
is the mascot
of Atlus. He resembles a snowman
, but has teeth, a tail, no nose, and wears a joker hat and shoes. His catchphrase is "Hee-Ho". He has appeared in several Atlus games, including several entries in the Shin Megami Tensei
series and Jack Bros.
He is a hidden character in both the American
and Japan
ese versions of SBK: Snowboard Kids
, but has a larger role in the Japanese version. Jack Frost has derived a family in its universe and more relatives were created since Shin Megami Tensei II
. Such as King Frost, Frost 5 Senshi
, Ja-aku Frost (Black Frost), etc. Jack Frost also makes a cameo appearance as a button/brooch on the clothing of the gunner class in Etrian Odyssey II
, another game by Atlus.
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
, publisher
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
, and distributor based in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei
Megami Tensei
, commonly abbreviated as , is a Japanese console role-playing game metaseries which was originally based on the novel series Digital Devil Story by Aya Nishitani and has gone to become one of the major franchises of the genre in its native country...
. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
video game published by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
based on a trilogy of novels, but after the second game, Atlus formed to publish the series. Its corporate mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is Jack Frost from Shin Megami Tensei. Atlus is headquartered in Shinjuku
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. In October 2003, Takara
Takara
Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....
acquired them. In November 2006, Index Holdings
Index Holdings
is the holding company of the Japanese enterprise Index Group of Companies. It was founded on September 1, 1995, as a mobile content service provider and has expanded into one of Japan's most successful companies, with acquisitions into several communications and entertainment ventures, including...
enterprise acquired Atlus by buying a majority of its stock.
On 30 August 2010, Index Holding announced that Atlus would no longer be an independent company and would be under their direct control. Though this has caused concern among fans about the future of Atlus, the CEO of Atlus, Shinichi Suzuki has officially affirmed that Atlus will continue to provide the "finest quality game experiences possible" and the merger only "further strengthens the foundation of Atlus, both in Japan and here in the United States".
Atlus
In March 2009, Atlus and Sting Entertainment announced in Japan a publishing partnership that will see Atlus as the only publisher of Sting-developed games. Prior to this, Atlus had already published Sting games, including Yggdra UnionYggdra Union
Yggdra Union: We'll Never Fight Alone is a tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation Portable, developed by Sting Entertainment as the second episode of the Dept. Heaven saga of games. Atlus USA localized and published both versions of the game in North America...
and Dokapon
Dokapon
Dokapon: Monster Hunter, known in Japan as and known in Europe as is a role-playing video game developed and published by Asmik Ace Entertainment for the Game Boy Advance in Japan on August 3, 2001...
.
Atlus USA
Atlus USA, established in 1991, is the American subsidiary of Japanese video game publisher Atlus. Atlus USA publishes games created by Atlus Co., Ltd. as well as by other developers. Atlus USA is strictly a publisher, ofttimes localizing obscure or nicheNiche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact...
titles from other Japanese developers. Atlus USA operates from Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
.
Many of the Megami Tensei games have not been released in North America. Jack Bros.
Jack Bros.
Jack Bros., known in Japan as , is the only video game developed and published by Atlus for the Virtual Boy console in 1995; its pre-production name was Devil Busters, which was soon changed....
for the Virtual Boy, Revelations: Persona for the PlayStation, and Revelations: The Demon Slayer for the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
were the first three games in the series to have a North American release, both in the 1990s. The American release of Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne in 2004 was the first main series video game to have an American release. Since then, every game from the series has had an American release in addition to the Japanese, including Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
is an action role-playing game in the Megami Tensei franchise published by Atlus for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. It differs from the two previous Devil Summoner titles in having real-time battles and a named protagonist and is first in the entire franchise to be set in the past – specifically the...
, and Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
is a role-playing video game developed by Atlus and Lancarse for the Nintendo DS. It is a title within the Megami Tensei series of video games, and was released in Japan on October 8, 2009 and in North America on March 23, 2010...
.
Atlus USA also has published games under the loose moniker Marl Kingdom
Marl Kingdom
is a series of RPGs developed by Nippon Ichi Software. The three main games in the series are Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, Little Princess: Marl Ōkoku no Ningyō Hime 2, and Tenshi no Present - Marl Ōkoku Monogatari....
, beginning with the relatively unheard of Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, released in Japan as is a console role-playing game for the PlayStation from Atlus USA and Nippon Ichi Software, the creators of Disgaea, and is part of the Marl Kingdom series....
, in 2000. One of Atlus USA's most known work in the United States is their localization of the cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
is a tactical role-playing video game developed by Nippon Ichi Software and published by Nippon Ichi Software in Japan, Atlus USA, Inc. in North America, and Koei in Europe for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
, which was created by Nippon Ichi Software.
Atlus USA has also published the tactical role-playing game
Tactical role-playing game
A tactical role-playing game is a type of video game which incorporates elements of traditional role-playing video games and strategy games. In Japan these games are known as , a designation which might seem peculiar to native English speakers...
Tactics Ogre
Tactics Ogre
is a Japanese tactical role-playing game created by Quest. The game was originally released in 1995 on the Super Famicom in Japan and then re-released on the Sega Saturn in 1996 and the PlayStation in 1997...
and Game Boy Advance remakes of the Kunio-kun and Double Dragon games for Million (a company composed of former Technos Japan Corp. employees). Other notable titles include Snowboard Kids
Snowboard Kids
Snowboard Kids, originally released in Japan as , is a snowboarding video game for the Nintendo 64. It was developed by Racdym and published by Atlus. The game features 10-year-old children who snowboard down various courses, not necessarily involving snow. Many reviewers compared its style to...
and Snowboard Kids 2
Snowboard Kids 2
Snowboard Kids 2, released in Japan as , is a snowboarding video game developed by Racdym and published by Atlus. But unlike the first game, It was not released in Europe. Even though, it wasn't released there, a PAL version still exists and that was released in Australia.-Plot:The game is set in...
for the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
and most recently, Odin Sphere
Odin Sphere
is a 2D fantasy action RPG video game. Developed by Vanillaware and localized and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 2 in 2007, it tells the interlocking stories of five different protagonists. Odin Sphere is considered a spiritual successor to an Atlus game titled Princess Crown and takes some...
and the Trauma Center series.
Atlus USA published Growlanser, a real time strategy/RPG from the creators of the classic Langrisser
Langrisser
is a five-part video game series created by Masaya, the software division of Nippon Computer Systems created in the early 1990s. The development team working under Masaya is CareerSoft....
series, Career Soft. After the success of the first game, they acquired Career Soft, who developed the second through fifth installments in-house.
In 2004, in collaboration with Sting and Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
, Atlus U.S.A. released Riviera: The Promised Land
Riviera: The Promised Land
is a console role-playing game originally produced in 2002 by Sting Entertainment for WonderSwan Color as the first episode of the Dept. Heaven series of games. The game was later introduced to Nintendo's Game Boy Advance in 2004, which Atlus USA released in North America in 2005...
, an RPG for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, which they had previously released for the Wonderswan Color. In the Fall of 2006, Atlus U.S.A., once again along with Sting, released Yggdra Union
Yggdra Union
Yggdra Union: We'll Never Fight Alone is a tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation Portable, developed by Sting Entertainment as the second episode of the Dept. Heaven saga of games. Atlus USA localized and published both versions of the game in North America...
, a strategy RPG for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
.
Atlus USA also recently opened an online division, Atlus Online, who is currently servicing Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent and Pandora Saga.
Jack Frost
Jack Frost
Jack Frost is a sprite-like character with roots in Viking lore. There, he is known as Jokul Frosti . In Britain and United States, Jack is a variant of Old Man Winter and is held responsible for frosty weather, for nipping the nose and toes in such weather, coloring the foliage in autumn, and...
is the mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of Atlus. He resembles a snowman
Snowman
A snowman is an anthropomorphic snow sculpture. They are customarily built by children as part of a family project in celebration of winter. In some cases, participants in winter festivals will build large numbers of snowmen...
, but has teeth, a tail, no nose, and wears a joker hat and shoes. His catchphrase is "Hee-Ho". He has appeared in several Atlus games, including several entries in the Shin Megami Tensei
Shin Megami Tensei
is a console role-playing video game from Atlus that was originally released on October 30, 1992 and later on several platforms, although no installment was released outside of Japan. It was originally released on the Super Famicom and was later ported to the PC Engine Super CD-Rom and Mega-CD...
series and Jack Bros.
Jack Bros.
Jack Bros., known in Japan as , is the only video game developed and published by Atlus for the Virtual Boy console in 1995; its pre-production name was Devil Busters, which was soon changed....
He is a hidden character in both the American
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese versions of SBK: Snowboard Kids
SBK: Snowboard Kids
SBK: Snowboard Kids, released in Japan as , is a snowboarding video game for the Nintendo DS released on November 22, 2005 in North America and two days later in Japan. It was also released in Europe on April 28, 2006. It is the fourth in the Snowboard Kids series following three previous games...
, but has a larger role in the Japanese version. Jack Frost has derived a family in its universe and more relatives were created since Shin Megami Tensei II
Shin Megami Tensei II
is a video game and direct sequel to Shin Megami Tensei for the Super Famicom released on March 18, 1994 in Japan. It was later remade for PlayStation in 2002, and then for Game Boy Advance in 2003. It is a console role-playing game and part of the Megami Tensei series...
. Such as King Frost, Frost 5 Senshi
Senshi
"Senshi" is Japanese for "soldier", "warrior", or "fighter". It may also refer to:* Brandon Silvestry, a professional wrestler better known by his ring names Low Ki, Kaval and Senshi...
, Ja-aku Frost (Black Frost), etc. Jack Frost also makes a cameo appearance as a button/brooch on the clothing of the gunner class in Etrian Odyssey II
Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard
Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard, released in Japan as is a role-playing video game by Atlus for the Nintendo DS. Heroes of Lagaard is the sequel to Etrian Odyssey.-Story:...
, another game by Atlus.
Games developed and published by Atlus
External links
- Official website
- Atlus U.S.A. web site
- The Atlus (USA) Blog, a fan blog site