Culture Brain
Encyclopedia
, formally known as , is a small Japanese video game developer
and publisher
founded on October 5, 1980.
Culture Brain's first arcade video game was Monster Zero, released in . In North America
, Culture Brain is mostly known for its six video games for the Nintendo Entertainment System
and its three for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
. Two of those games, The Magic of Scheherazade and Flying Warriors
, were strongly redesigned by Culture Brain USA (the company's division in Redmond, WA) to better appeal North American consumers.
Culture Brain was distinct for its innovative gameplay and its mixture of RPG elements with either action or adventure. Two of its titles, The Magic of Scheherazade and Baseball Simulator 1.000
, were awarded prizes by the Electronic Gaming Monthly
magazine. The former in 1989 for "The best graphic of the year" and the latter in 1990 for "The best sport game of the year". However, like many other Japanese video game companies, Culture Brain ceased its operations in the United States
in the 1990s. Ever since the demise of Culture Brain USA, video games developed by the parent company have rarely made it in America
. An exception of the latter situation is the Nintendo 64
version of Flying Dragon
which was published by Natsume
.
Culture Brain is currently releasing games mainly for the Nintendo DS
, as well as being involved in other activities outside video gaming. Culture Brain is located in Tokyo
, Japan
.
titles included some form of "Super League" where pitchers and batters would have special abilities.
(with two recent DS
versions) about fashion and dressing up. The games feature a wide range of clothes, shoes, accessories and makeup to be used in different combinations. Currently there are 5 GBA games and 2 DS games.
's children's storybook series, Hamtaro
.
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...
and 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....
founded on October 5, 1980.
Culture Brain's first arcade video game was Monster Zero, released in . In North America
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...
, Culture Brain is mostly known for its six video games for the 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...
and its three for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. Two of those games, The Magic of Scheherazade and Flying Warriors
Flying Warriors
Flying Warriors is a action/fighting video game developed by Culture Brain and published by Culture Brain USA exclusively for the NES in North America in February 1991. It is a mixture of two Family Computer video games in the Hiryū no Ken franchise: Hiryu no Ken II: Dragon no Tsubasa and Hiryu no...
, were strongly redesigned by Culture Brain USA (the company's division in Redmond, WA) to better appeal North American consumers.
Culture Brain was distinct for its innovative gameplay and its mixture of RPG elements with either action or adventure. Two of its titles, The Magic of Scheherazade and Baseball Simulator 1.000
Baseball Simulator 1.000
Baseball Simulator 1.000 is a baseball game released on the NES. It was released in 1989 to Japanese and North American audiences.-Summary:...
, were awarded prizes by the Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
magazine. The former in 1989 for "The best graphic of the year" and the latter in 1990 for "The best sport game of the year". However, like many other Japanese video game companies, Culture Brain ceased its operations in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the 1990s. Ever since the demise of Culture Brain USA, video games developed by the parent company have rarely made it in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. An exception of the latter situation is 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...
version of Flying Dragon
Flying Dragon
Flying Dragon, known in Japan as , is a fighting game with RPG elements. Released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, it was developed and published in Japan by Culture Brain, while it was published in North America and Europe by Natsume. The game received relatively low scores on specialized reviews at...
which was published by Natsume
Natsume Co., Ltd
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan founded on October 20, 1987. Its American branch, Natsume Inc., is located in Burlingame, California...
.
Culture Brain is currently releasing games mainly for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, as well as being involved in other activities outside video gaming. Culture Brain is located 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...
.
Baseball Simulator series
These BaseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
titles included some form of "Super League" where pitchers and batters would have special abilities.
- Baseball Simulator 1.000Baseball Simulator 1.000Baseball Simulator 1.000 is a baseball game released on the NES. It was released in 1989 to Japanese and North American audiences.-Summary:...
(1989, NES), also known as Choujin Ultra Baseball - Super Baseball Simulator 1.000Super Baseball Simulator 1.000Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 is a 1991 Super NES baseball game by Culture Brain that is the sequel to the NES game Baseball Simulator 1.000. In the game, there are 3 leagues: Atlantic, Northern, and Ultra. Each league has 6 teams...
(1991, Super NES), also known as Super Ultra Baseball - Ultra Baseball JitsumeibanUltra Baseball JitsumeibanUltra Baseball Jitsumeiban is the third game in the Ultra Baseball series. It was released in 1992 for the Super NES by Culture Brain in Japan only. The game remains much the same as the previous 1991 Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 with some new additions...
(1992, SNES) NPB licensed. - Super Ultra Baseball 2Super Ultra Baseball 2Super Ultra Baseball 2 is the fourth game in the Ultra Baseball series.-Summary:This video game was released in 1994 for the Super Famicom by Culture Brain in Japan only...
(1994, SNES) - Ultra Baseball Jitsumeiban 2 (1994, SNES) NPB licensed.
- Ultra Baseball Jitsumeiban 3 (1995, SNES) NPB licensed.
- Pro Yakyū StarPro Yakyū Staris a 1997 Japan-exclusive baseball video game for the Super Famicom.In this game there is a mode where the player can create its own character and grow as a baseball player; similar to the modern be-a-pro mode of most EA Sports video games.-See also:...
(1997, SNES) NPB licensed.
Hiryū no Ken series
- Shanghai KidShanghai KidShanghai Kid, sometimes titled The Shanghai Kid, and known in Japan as , is a arcade fighting game developed by Nihon Game and published by Taiyo System...
(known in Japan as Hokuha Syourin Hiryu no Ken (Arcade) - Hiryu no Ken Special: Fighting Wars (NES - Japan only)
- Flying Dragon:The Secret Scroll (NES)
- Flying WarriorsFlying WarriorsFlying Warriors is a action/fighting video game developed by Culture Brain and published by Culture Brain USA exclusively for the NES in North America in February 1991. It is a mixture of two Family Computer video games in the Hiryū no Ken franchise: Hiryu no Ken II: Dragon no Tsubasa and Hiryu no...
(NES) - Fighting Simulator 2-in-1: Flying Warriors
- Ultimate Fighter (Super NES)
- SD Hiryu no Ken Gaiden (Game Boy)
- Flying DragonFlying DragonFlying Dragon, known in Japan as , is a fighting game with RPG elements. Released for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, it was developed and published in Japan by Culture Brain, while it was published in North America and Europe by Natsume. The game received relatively low scores on specialized reviews at...
(Nintendo 64) - Hiryu no Ken Retsuden GB (Game Boy Color)
- Virtual Hiryu No KenVirtual Hiryu No KenVirtual Hiryu No Ken is a fighting video game released for the Sony Playstation platform, which was designed by Culture Brain and published by Natsume...
(Sony Playstation)
Super Chinese series
In this list are series which were originally released as "Chinese Hero", but became better known as Super Chinese, but with the exception of "Kung-Fu Heroes", these titles were released in North America as the "Ninja Brothers" series.- Chinese HeroChinese Hero (arcade)is an arcade action game developed by Nihon Game and published by Taiyo System in October 1984. Chinese Hero is the first game in the Super Chinese series by Culture Brain. It was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System as Kung Fu Heroes in 1986.-Gameplay:The player controls the main character...
(Arcade) - Kung Fu HeroesKung Fu Heroesthumb|left|Kung Fu Heroes title screenKung Fu Heroes, known in Japan as , is a 1986 video game developed in Japan by the company Nihon Game, and released in North America in 1988. It features an overhead view and up to two players may play simultaneously...
(NES) - Little Ninja BrothersLittle Ninja BrothersLittle Ninja Brothers, known in Japan as , is a video game software developed and published by Culture Brain for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989 in Japan, 1990 in the United States and 1991 in Europe. It is the second game in the Super Chinese series...
(NES) - Ninja BoyNinja BoyNinja Boy, known in Japan as , is a 1990 action video game that was developed and published by Culture Brain for the Game Boy. It is the first game in the handheld series of Culture Brain's Super Chinese series. The game's hero is Jack, a ninja who wants to save a princess.-Gameplay:Ninja Boy uses...
(Game Boy) - Super Chinese 3Super Chinese 3Super Chinese 3 is an action RPG video game released in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the last of the NES Super Chinese games and was not released outside of Japan.-Gameplay:...
(NES) - Super Ninja BoySuper Ninja BoySuper Ninja Boy is an action role-playing game released for the Super NES. It features random encounters with side-scrolling battles, although some boss battles are fought with a traditional menu-based system. There are also a few platforming sections.In single player mode, the main character is...
(Super NES) - Ninja Boy 2 (Game Boy)
- Super Chinese World 2Super Chinese World 2is a Japanese-only action RPG developed by Culture Brain. It is the second SNES Super Chinese game, being a sequel to Super Ninja Boy, which was released in Europe....
(Super NES) - Super Chinese FighterSuper Chinese Fighteris a 1995 fighting game developed and published by Culture Brain for the Super Famicom exclusively in Japan. It is part of the Super Chinese series, but is not in the main series of the games. Fighter allows players to fight in fighting game battles using characters from the Super Chinese games,...
(Super NES) - Super Chinese Land 3Super Chinese Land 3is a Japanese-only action RPG released in 1995 by Culture Brain. This game is part of the Super Chinese series and is the third game in the series to appear on the Game Boy.-External links:*...
(Game Boy) - Super Chinese World 3Super Chinese World 3is a Japanese-only action RPG developed by Culture Brain. It is the third SNES Super Chinese game, being a sequel to Super Chinese World 2....
(Super NES) - Super Chinese Land 1-2-3 Dash (Game Boy)
- Super Chinese Fighter GBSuper Chinese Fighter GBSuper Chinese Fighter GB is a fighting game for the Game Boy released by Culture Brain in 1996. It is part of the Super Chinese series....
(Game Boy) - Super Chinese I+II AdvanceSuper Chinese I+II AdvanceSuper Chinese I+II Advance is a compilation of remakes of Super Chinese and Super Chinese 2 released in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. Super Chinese Labyrinth, a puzzle game, is also included.-Super Chinese:...
(Game Boy Advance) - Super Chinese Labyrinth (Game Boy Advance)
Oshare Princess series
A Japan-only series of games for the GBAGame 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...
(with two recent DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
versions) about fashion and dressing up. The games feature a wide range of clothes, shoes, accessories and makeup to be used in different combinations. Currently there are 5 GBA games and 2 DS games.
Ferret/Hamster Monogatari series
A Japan-only series of games formally about care-taking ferrets, and later about care-taking hamsters. The illustrations of the Hamster Monogatari ones were heavily inspired by Ritsuko KawaiRitsuko Kawai
Ritsuko Kawai is the creator of the anime television show Hamtaro. Kawai originally created Hamtaro as storybooks for children first published in 1997 and then the anime came to Japan in July 2000.Hamtaro is about a little hamster and his friends...
's children's storybook series, Hamtaro
Hamtaro
is a Japanese anime series. The main character is a hamster named Hamtaro who has a variety of adventures with other hamsters, called "Ham-Hams" . The show is based on a manga series by Ritsuko Kawai, Hamtaro Gets Lost and Other Stories, and Jealous Hamtaro and Other Stories...
.
- Ferret Monogatari: Watashi no Okini IriFerret Monogatari: Watashi no Okini IriFerret Monogatari: Watashi no Okini Iri is a Japan-only video game for Game Boy Color created by Culture Brain. Ferret Monogatari is a simulation style game in which you take care of a ferret....
(Game Boy Color) - Hamster Monogatari (Sony Playstation)
- Hamster Monogatari 64Hamster Monogatari 64is a life simulation game for the Nintendo 64 where the player must raise and look after hamsters. It was released only in Japan in 2001....
(Nintendo 64) - Hamster Monogatari 2 GBA (Game Boy Advance)
- Hamster Monogatari GB + Magi Ham Mahou no Shoujo (Game Boy Color)
- Hamster Monogatari 3 GBA (Game Boy Advance)
- Hamster Monogatari Collection (Game Boy Advance)
- Hamster Monogatari 3EX, 4, Special (Game Boy Advance)
Konchuu Monster series
A Japan-only series of games about catching, training and battling insects. First released with Super Chinese Labyrinth both in Volume 3 of Culture Brain's Twin Series, a series of two-in-one Game Boy Advance games.- Konchuu Monster (Game Boy Advance)
- Konchuu Monster: Battle Master (Game Boy Advance)
- Konchuu Monster: Battle Stadium (Game Boy Advance)
- Konchuu no Mori no Daibouken (Game Boy Advance)
Other
- Monster Zero (ArcadeArcade gameAn arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
) - The Magic of Scheherazade (NES)
- Parasol StarsParasol Starsis a video game by Taito released in 1991. It is a sequel to Rainbow Islands . It is technically the third game in the Bubble Bobble series.-Straight to home systems:...
(Sega Genesis) - Tetsuwan Atom (Sega Genesis)
- First QueenFirst Queenis a real-time strategy-action RPG video game developed by Kure Software Koubou. It was first released on the Sharp X68000 and NEC PC-9801 computer platforms in Japan in 1988, and then subsequently released on the Super Famicom as First Queen: Ornic Senki in 1994 and Microsoft Windows as First...
(Super NES) - Osu!! Karate BuOsu!! Karate Buis a manga series by Koji Takahashi. The long running manga was published in Weekly Young Jump from 1985–1996 and centers on the misadventures of the various thugs and delinquent students that make up Kangokou High School's infamous Karate Club.-Background:...
(Super NES) - Computer Nouryoku Kaiseki: Ultra BakenComputer Nouryoku Kaiseki: Ultra Bakenis a horse racing simulation video game for the Super Famicom where players can manipulate the lives of horses.-Gameplay:The object is to become the wealthiest horse farmer in the world. Training and preparations are essential to producing a winning horse. When finances are low, horses can be sold...
(Super NES) - Sweet Cookie Pie (Game Boy Advance)