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http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Miki_%26_Fujiwara_Production/Opera_House

Satoru Miki and Hiroyuki Fujiwara were freelance programmers that worked together on games for the likes of Pony Canyon and ISCO. In 1989, they established Opera House in Naka-Meguro, Tokyo.

The fate of Opera House is unknown, but it appears that Miki went on to work for Gram Design and Fujiwara went on to work for N i n t e n d o.

Famicom/NES
Break Time: The National Pool Tour (US Publisher: FCI)

FM Towns
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)

Game Boy
Bubble Ghost (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon; US Publisher: FCI)

Game Gear
Side Pocket (under ISCO) (US Publisher: Data East)

Mark III/Master System
Cloud Master (US/EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
Double Hawk (under Sanritsu) (EU Publisher: Sega)

Mega CD/Sega CD
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon; US/EU Publisher: Sega)

Mega Drive/Genesis
Captain America and the Avengers (under ISCO) (US Publisher: Data East; EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy)
Master of Monsters (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Toshiba EMI; US Publisher: Renovation)
Midnight Resistance (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Data East; US Publisher: Sega)
Verytex (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Asmik)

MSX1
Alpharoid (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
Come On! Picot (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)

MSX2
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
American Soccer (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Nidecom)
Nekketsu Kudo (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
Ninja Kun: Ashura no Shou (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: HAL Laboratory)
Project A2 (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
R-Type (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Irem)
Super Runner (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
Ultima: Exodus (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)

PC-98
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)

PC Engine CD/TurboGrafx-CD
Shin Megami Tensei (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Atlus)

Super Famicom/Super NES
Classic Road (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Victor)
Classic Road II: Real Kouma Simulation (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Victor)
Jungle Wars 2: Kodai Mahou Atimos no Nazo (work cooperation with Marionette) (Developer: Atelier Double; Game Design: Powwow; JP Publisher: Pony Canyon)
Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Atlus)
Super Hockey '94 (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Party Room 21)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Wait! How did "Cloud Master" and "Double Hawk" show up here?

"Double Hawk" was suspected simply because of the names of the programmers - Mikisama and Fujichan. "Cloud Master" was suspected because if you hack "Double Hawk," you will find music from CM.

Recently, I found this string in the ROMs:

MSX-C ver 1.1 CRUN

This string also turns up in known Miki & Fujiwara-programmed MSX games such as "Ultima: Exodus" and "Nekketsu Kudo" as well as MSX games ISCO takes credit for, like "R-Type." That, more or less, cinches it for me.

Very interesting. Nice research, once again.

I'm a little confused as to why Hot-B's name is on Cloud Master, though. I guess Hot-B hired Miki and Fujiwara to make the game but Sega ended up publishing it?

NeoZeedeater wrote

I'm a little confused as to why Hot-B's name is on Cloud Master, though. I guess Hot-B hired Miki and Fujiwara to make the game but Sega ended up publishing it?

I don't know. Hot-B published the MSX2 version (below) the year before. The SMS version is obviously based on that.

BTW, the MSX2 version is pretty choppy. Screenshot courtesy Generation MSX.

http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Miki_%26_Fujiwara_Production/Opera_House

"Devilish" (GG), "Honoo no Toukyuuji: Dodge Danpei" (GG), and "Running Battle" (SMS) have been added to the list.

How did I get there?

My colleague Dran/Dimitri/DJ Squarewave (depending on where you talk to him) did some code comparisons.

First, he did a comparison of "Cloud Master" and "Double Hawk," both of whose developers have been established. The game that consistently came up was "Running Battle." "Devilish" also kept popping up. Popping up sometimes was "Dodge Danpei."

A second comparison was done between "Cloud Master" and "Running Battle." "Dodge Danpei" was coming up. "Devilish" and "Double Hawk" were coming up almost every time.

"Dodge Danpei" seemed odd to me because I was pretty sure that was by SIMS. Look at these credits:

Program Hiro
Graphic Kupu Kupu
Graphic Matsutokujou
Planner Matsutokujou
Sound Composer Nasubi
Sound Composer Fumi
Special Thanks Enjyoh
Special Thanks Sakkin
Special Thanks Super Punch

Most of these names turn up in other SIMS games and I've come to assume these are SIMS staffers. The odd duckling, though, is "Hiro." I've not seen that particular pseudonym used in another SIMS game before. There are two SIMS programmers with "Hiro" in their name, however. One is Hirohiko Yoneda, who usually goes by "Yone," so I eliminated him. The other is Yasuhiro Nomura, who worked on "From TV Animation Slam Dunk: Shouri heno Starting 5" (GG). A code comparison was done between "Slam Dunk" and "Dodge Danpei." Nothing of interest was coming up. So it would seem "Hiro" could be Opera House programmers Hiroyuki Fujiwara or Hirofumi Ino.

For the latest list, go to:
http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Miki_%26_Fujiwara_Production/Opera_House

I was just looking at The 7 Colors for the PC-98, which I suspected might involve Opera House. The programmer's Kimihiro Endou, who, going by text strings in the disk image, went by the pseudonym "kim." Also in the disk image was the string below, which I found in other PC-98 games on which Opera House worked:

OPERAHOUSE=4Yu

If this Kimihiro Endou indeed worked for Opera House and indeed went by the name "kim," this could be "KIM," a programmer on GG Side Pocket.

A Google search came up with the website for "mongoose," something programmed by someone named Kimihiro Endou, who also goes by "kim" (again, all lowercase). I think this might be the same guy who programmed The 7 Colors. But there's only one way to find out for sure.

So, I need someone who can write an e-mail in Japanese.

Objectives:
- Mention you are writing on behalf of Game Developer Research Institute and SMS Power
- Ask if he worked for Satoru Miki & Hiroyuki Fujiwara/Opera House
- Ask what games he worked on
- Mention The 7 Colors PC-98 and Side Pocket GG
- Ask if his response can be posted on GDRI

Endou's e-mail address can be found via the link at the bottom of the front page of the "mongoose" website.

Thank you very much in advance.

Please don't volunteer all at once. I took the liberty of e-mailing Endou myself and fortunately, he can write in English.

I will have his responses up on GDRI soon.

Kimihiro Endou Q&A now up:

http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Kimihiro_Endou_(In_Their_Words)

Wow, cool stuff. This kind of archaeology is really good to have.

It's interesting that several games through this developer had Hitoshi Sakimoto as sound composer:

7 Colors
Devilish
Bubble Ghost
Master of Monsters
Midnight Resistance
Verytex
...

ccovell wrote

It's interesting that several games through this developer had Hitoshi Sakimoto as sound composer:

Sakimoto had a contract with Opera House.

Opera House now has a website. As to the relevance to Sega 8-bit, the site lists Side Pocket (GG), Dodge Danpei (GG), and the "SegaM5" version of Chuuka Taisen (which I assume is the SMS version of Cloud Master).

CRV wrote

"SegaM5" version of Chuuka Taisen (which I assume is the SMS version of Cloud Master).

Wasn't Mark V the codename for Megadrive, with Mk. IV being Master System?

idrougge wrote

Wasn't Mark V the codename for Megadrive, with Mk. IV being Master System?

That crossed my mind, but I'm still assuming they mean the "SegaM'S'" version.

The list on the Opera House website was updated with Devilish, Running Battle, and Double Hawk.

Author	Message
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Whodunit: Miki & Fujiwara Production/Opera House Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2007 10:16 am Last edited by CRV on Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:27 am; edited 1 time in total
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Miki_%26_Fujiwara_Production/Opera_House Satoru Miki and Hiroyuki Fujiwara were freelance programmers that worked together on games for the likes of Pony Canyon and ISCO. In 1989, they established Opera House in Naka-Meguro, Tokyo. The fate of Opera House is unknown, but it appears that Miki went on to work for Gram Design and Fujiwara went on to work for N i n t e n d o. Famicom/NES Break Time: The National Pool Tour (US Publisher: FCI) FM Towns Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) Game Boy Bubble Ghost (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon; US Publisher: FCI) *Game Gear* Side Pocket (under ISCO) (US Publisher: Data East) *Mark III/Master System* Cloud Master (US/EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy) Double Hawk (under Sanritsu) (EU Publisher: Sega) Mega CD/Sega CD Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon; US/EU Publisher: Sega) Mega Drive/Genesis Captain America and the Avengers (under ISCO) (US Publisher: Data East; EU Publisher: Sega; BR Publisher: Tec Toy) Master of Monsters (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Toshiba EMI; US Publisher: Renovation) Midnight Resistance (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Data East; US Publisher: Sega) Verytex (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Asmik) MSX1 Alpharoid (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) Come On! Picot (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) MSX2 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) American Soccer (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Nidecom) Nekketsu Kudo (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) Ninja Kun: Ashura no Shou (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: HAL Laboratory) Project A2 (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) R-Type (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Irem) Super Runner (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) Ultima: Exodus (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) PC-98 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance (JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) PC Engine CD/TurboGrafx-CD Shin Megami Tensei (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Atlus) Super Famicom/Super NES Classic Road (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Victor) Classic Road II: Real Kouma Simulation (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Victor) Jungle Wars 2: Kodai Mahou Atimos no Nazo (work cooperation with Marionette) (Developer: Atelier Double; Game Design: Powwow; JP Publisher: Pony Canyon) Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Atlus) Super Hockey '94 (under ISCO) (JP Publisher: Party Room 21) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Wait! How did "Cloud Master" and "Double Hawk" show up here? "Double Hawk" was suspected simply because of the names of the programmers - Mikisama and Fujichan. "Cloud Master" was suspected because if you hack "Double Hawk," you will find music from CM. Recently, I found this string in the ROMs: MSX-C ver 1.1 CRUN This string also turns up in known Miki & Fujiwara-programmed MSX games such as "Ultima: Exodus" and "Nekketsu Kudo" as well as MSX games ISCO takes credit for, like "R-Type." That, more or less, cinches it for me.

NeoZeedeater Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 31 Location: Vancouver, Canada	Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 1:44 am
	Very interesting. Nice research, once again. I'm a little confused as to why Hot-B's name is on Cloud Master, though. I guess Hot-B hired Miki and Fujiwara to make the game but Sega ended up publishing it?

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 5:15 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	NeoZeedeater wrote I'm a little confused as to why Hot-B's name is on Cloud Master, though. I guess Hot-B hired Miki and Fujiwara to make the game but Sega ended up publishing it? I don't know. Hot-B published the MSX2 version (below) the year before. The SMS version is obviously based on that. BTW, the MSX2 version is pretty choppy. Screenshot courtesy Generation MSX.

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 11:52 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Miki_%26_Fujiwara_Production/Opera_House "Devilish" (GG), "Honoo no Toukyuuji: Dodge Danpei" (GG), and "Running Battle" (SMS) have been added to the list. How did I get there? My colleague Dran/Dimitri/DJ Squarewave (depending on where you talk to him) did some code comparisons. First, he did a comparison of "Cloud Master" and "Double Hawk," both of whose developers have been established. The game that consistently came up was "Running Battle." "Devilish" also kept popping up. Popping up sometimes was "Dodge Danpei." A second comparison was done between "Cloud Master" and "Running Battle." "Dodge Danpei" was coming up. "Devilish" and "Double Hawk" were coming up almost every time. "Dodge Danpei" seemed odd to me because I was pretty sure that was by SIMS. Look at these credits: Program Hiro Graphic Kupu Kupu Graphic Matsutokujou Planner Matsutokujou Sound Composer Nasubi Sound Composer Fumi Special Thanks Enjyoh Special Thanks Sakkin Special Thanks Super Punch Most of these names turn up in other SIMS games and I've come to assume these are SIMS staffers. The odd duckling, though, is "Hiro." I've not seen that particular pseudonym used in another SIMS game before. There are two SIMS programmers with "Hiro" in their name, however. One is Hirohiko Yoneda, who usually goes by "Yone," so I eliminated him. The other is Yasuhiro Nomura, who worked on "From TV Animation Slam Dunk: Shouri heno Starting 5" (GG). A code comparison was done between "Slam Dunk" and "Dodge Danpei." Nothing of interest was coming up. So it would seem "Hiro" could be Opera House programmers Hiroyuki Fujiwara or Hirofumi Ino. For the latest list, go to: http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Miki_%26_Fujiwara_Production/Opera_House

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 9:07 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	I was just looking at The 7 Colors for the PC-98, which I suspected might involve Opera House. The programmer's Kimihiro Endou, who, going by text strings in the disk image, went by the pseudonym "kim." Also in the disk image was the string below, which I found in other PC-98 games on which Opera House worked: OPERAHOUSE=4Yu If this Kimihiro Endou indeed worked for Opera House and indeed went by the name "kim," this could be "KIM," a programmer on GG Side Pocket. A Google search came up with the website for "mongoose," something programmed by someone named Kimihiro Endou, who also goes by "kim" (again, all lowercase). I think this might be the same guy who programmed The 7 Colors. But there's only one way to find out for sure. So, I need someone who can write an e-mail in Japanese. Objectives: - Mention you are writing on behalf of Game Developer Research Institute and SMS Power - Ask if he worked for Satoru Miki & Hiroyuki Fujiwara/Opera House - Ask what games he worked on - Mention The 7 Colors PC-98 and Side Pocket GG - Ask if his response can be posted on GDRI Endou's e-mail address can be found via the link at the bottom of the front page of the "mongoose" website. Thank you very much in advance.

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:50 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Please don't volunteer all at once. I took the liberty of e-mailing Endou myself and fortunately, he can write in English. I will have his responses up on GDRI soon.

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:31 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Kimihiro Endou Q&A now up: http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Kimihiro_Endou_(In_Their_Words)

Maxim Site Admin Joined: 19 Oct 1999 Posts: 14798 Location: London	Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:55 am
	Wow, cool stuff. This kind of archaeology is really good to have.

ccovell Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 374 Location: Japan	Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 3:27 pm
ccovell Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 374 Location: Japan	It's interesting that several games through this developer had Hitoshi Sakimoto as sound composer: 7 Colors Devilish Bubble Ghost Master of Monsters Midnight Resistance Verytex ...

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:34 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	ccovell wrote It's interesting that several games through this developer had Hitoshi Sakimoto as sound composer: Sakimoto had a contract with Opera House.

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:59 pm
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Opera House now has a website. As to the relevance to Sega 8-bit, the site lists Side Pocket (GG), Dodge Danpei (GG), and the "SegaM5" version of Chuuka Taisen (which I assume is the SMS version of Cloud Master).

idrougge Joined: 01 Jan 2005 Posts: 360 Location: Stockholm, Sweden	Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 6:04 pm
	CRV wrote "SegaM5" version of Chuuka Taisen (which I assume is the SMS version of Cloud Master). Wasn't Mark V the codename for Megadrive, with Mk. IV being Master System?

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 8:00 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	idrougge wrote Wasn't Mark V the codename for Megadrive, with Mk. IV being Master System? That crossed my mind, but I'm still assuming they mean the "SegaM'S'" version.

CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 10:53 am
CRV Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 668	The list on the Opera House website was updated with Devilish, Running Battle, and Double Hawk.

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