Gone But Not Forgotten Video Game Developers/Publishers Lost 2000-2017 - Technosoft

Gone But Not Forgotten Video Game Developers/Publishers Lost 2000-2017

Technosoft also known as Tecno Soft, Techno Soft and also known by their stock market name Technosoft Co., Ltd, were a Japanese video game developer who were active in the industry from 1980 up until their incorporation in 2001.

Technosoft were founded in 1982 in Sasebo City, Nagasaki, Japan. The company originally was not a video game developer, with the company originally working on consumer products, one such product was a typing tutor. The company would soon enter the video games industry however with their first releases coming in 1982.

The first of these was Snake and Snake for the PC-8000, Sharp MZ-80K/700/800/1500 and Sharp MZ-80B/2000/2500 platforms. The game was a top down single screen action game set in a maze where the player controlled a snake and hunted down and kill other snakes for food, the snakes that you hunted must be the same size as your snake or smaller.

 Snake and Snake released on the Sharp MX was Technosoft's first game when released in 1982

While hunting for other snakes in the maze the player had to be aware for larger snakes which like you were on the hunt and your snake first nicely on their menu. The snakes size could be increased by eating a frog that appeared in the centre of the screen.

Players also had other offensive capabilities with their serpentine hunter, spitting poison caused other snakes to shrink in size, other snakes also had this ability. In addition to the other larger snakes that were hunting the player a UFO appears which can move free through the maze walls as it hunts down and tries to kill the players snake.

From 1983 to 1988 Technosoft would develop their three most well known titles, Starting in 1983 with Thunder Force, a game that would see three follow up games over the next decade,. as well a 5^th entry in the series late in the companies life. The original Thunder Force was a top down free scrolling shooter.

 Thunder Force was one of Technosoft's best known IP's spawning four sequels above are screens from the original with the screens from the PC-88 version

The game revolved around the player controlling a lone fighter ship, destroying enemies, weapons and bases of an evil alien race known as the Orn Empire. The gameplay involved both air and ground combat with many enemies of both types for the player to destroy. The game is broken down into stages with the player destroying enemy shield bases to gain access to the area base and destroy the core.

The game was created by Katsunori Yoshimura possibly more commonly know by Kotori Yoshimura who was also one of the founding members of Technosoft she along with Osamu Nagano who also worked for Technosoft left the company in 1985 to found Arsys Software. A company that would also close its doors the same year as Technosoft.

Kotori Yoshimura was one the founding members of Technosoft as was with the company up until 1985

Yoshimura would also create another of Technosoft’s best known IP’s in 1983s first person space racing game Plazma Line. The game put the player in the role of an outer space pilot racing through space while trying to avoid 3d polygonal obstacles.

Plazma Line is notable for being the first game computer game and the first home video game to make use of 3D Polygonal Graphics. In addition the game also features an Automap radar that kept track of the players position. the game was the last Yoshimura worked on before she left the company, some sources state that the development time for the game was just 3 months.

 Plazma Line is noted for being the first video game to use 3D polygonal graphics

Herzog was another of Technosoft’s notable titles, a game that would also spawn a sequel, the original while notable is still a pretty obscure title. The game is a top down real time tactics and tactical shooter with strategy elements.

The game was designed as well as co programmed by Yuichi Toyama, he would also Design and program Technosoft’s 1988 release Feedback on the MSX. He would then go on to have roles in the development of M.U.S.H.A, Spriggan Mark 2, Dimahoo, Tekken Advance and Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate.

 Herzog was a top down tactical strategy shooter

Unlike later and similar games like Dune 2 and Command and Conquer the game does not have the player building a base in order to create more units to take into battle. Instead the game already has bases in place at either end of the map, with the player given a hovering battlemech.

In order to get more units, funds must be used to buy them, these funds are aquired during the course of the game, these units that can be purchased range from single foot soldiers all the way up to AA Batteries and Tanks.

The player is able to pick single units, these are made up of a total of 5 soldiers, once picked up the player can advance them towards the enemy base. While trying to reach the enemy base you will have to defend your own from encroaching enemy forces, including the enemies own battlemech.

Herzog received a follow up game the 1989 released Herzog Zwei, which was an exclusive release on the Sega Genesis. The game combined an arcade style of play similar to Technosoft’s own series Thunder Force and combining it with and easy to grasp real time strategy element.

 Herzog Zwei the follow up to Herzog and is credited with being the pre cursor to the MOBA genre.

The game is credited with being the pre cursor of the MOBA genre as well as being regarded as the first true Real Time Strategy game, it is also cited as being an influencer on other games in the genre such as Warcraft, Starcraft, and Command & Conquer.

This could have been down to its worldwide release unlike the first game in the series, with Herzog releasing exclusively in Japan on the MSX, PC-8801, Sharp X1. Even with its worldwide release in 1990, the game was not a commercial success, several factors influenced this.

The genre, with the game not being an Arcade game, with the Genesis at the time considered an Arcade Console, marketing, the game received little to no marketing and the release date with the game releasing very early in the Genesis’s life cycle. Europe did receive the game much better, a third entry in the series was planned for the Sega 32X platform, but that was shelved after the failure of the console, no further attempt has been made to revive the series since.

The early 90s arrived with Technosoft continuing their support of the Genesis after the release of Thunder Force II and Herzog Zwei, with the Genesis receiving a third and fourth entry in the Thunder Force series before the end of 1992, with the following year seeing Elemental Master and Hyper Duel releasing.

Elemental Master was another of the companies major releases, this top down shooter set in a fantasy world like other games developed by Technosoft the game is an upwards scrolling game, which features weapons based combat and elemental based magic combat. The game has a total of 7 levels, with the player able to choose which order the first four are completed in.

 Elemental Master was a well received top down scrolling fantasy shooter

The game was well received by critics, Illusion ware gave the game an A/92% calling the game a perfect balance between graphics, music and gameplay, as well as being a excellent piece of gaming history. Benjamin Galway a writer for Sega-16, gave the game a 9 out of 10, calling the game terrific and another feather in Technosoft’s cap.

The year was now 1994 and a new console had arrived in the PlayStation from Sony, with Technosoft set to release a launch title for the system. The game was Nekketsu Oyako, a beat-‘em-up the title loosely translates to Burning Blood Parent & Children. The game would get a Sega Saturn port In 1995, even though the game was a launch title for the PlayStation it would not release outside of Japan.

As the Sega Saturn and Playstation era of the later 90s continued, sadly Technosoft games began to show a lack of polish that had earned the company its good name. Technosoft released their final game inn 1999, a Japanese exclusive RPG titled Neorude Kizamareta Monshō.

The company would continue to exist until 2001 when all of the companies assets were sold to pachinko company Twenty One, with Technosoft ceasing to exist from after 15 years in the games industry. The Technosoft branding was left dormant until 2008 where the name was revived by Twenty One, however not as a video game developer, but as a licensing brand for the music from the various Technosoft developed games.

In 2008 a Technosoft IP would be resurrected with Sega licensing the rights to make the 6^th entry in the Thunder Force series with Thunder Force VI released on the Playstation 2 to a pretty average response by critics, the game would only release in Japan.

The Thunder Force series was briefly resurrected in 2008 where Sega developed Thunder Force VI for the PS2

The library of IPs that belonged to Technosoft were not held by Twenty-One Company, there were instead held by Kazue Matsuoka. These rights would eventually be sold in 2016, when Sega revealed that Thunder Force III would be appearing as part of the Sega 3D Classic Collection.

At more or less the same time Sega confirmed that they had acquired all of the intellectual property and development rights to all the games developed and published by Technosoft. In September 2016, Sega Holdings made 21 registrations of revised copyright of Technosoft intellectual properties from Kazue Matsuoka to Sega Games Co, Ltd and completing their acquisition of all Technosoft properties

Sega acquired the rights to all Technosoft IP's in 2016, Thunder Force III also appeared as part of the Sega 3D Classic Collection

Digital soundtrack rights for the Thunder Force series will still be handled by Twenty-One Company through the Twenty-One Technosoft division. In other recent Technosoft news Sega announced that they would be looking into re-releasing Thunder Force IV, Thunder Force V and Herzog Zwei.

Written By

P J Gibbon