Forums

Sega Master System / Mark III / Game Gear
SG-1000 / SC-3000 / SF-7000 / OMV
Home - Forums - Games - Scans - Maps - Cheats - Credits
Music - Videos - Development - Hacks - Translations - Homebrew

View topic - Whodunit: JSH

Reply to topic
Author Message
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Whodunit: JSH
Post Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 1:48 am
The following contains some assumption and speculation:

JSH (aka Japan System House) was established in 1989. In the mid-1990s, it became Biox. In addition to having developed video games, they also make beauty care products. You probably have seen the JSH name on Tails' Sky Patrol.

RROGRAM (C) SIMS&JSH 1995


What actually spurred this investigation was seeing the cover of Honkaku Shougi Shinan Wakamatsu Shougi Jyuku (SS) over at Segagaga Domain. Note the JSH logo.

Here's the credits from Tails' Sky Patrol:

Tails' Sky Patrol (GG)

Game Design            K3
                       LR
Graphic                Show
Sound                  Chikayo Fukuda (Chikayo)
                       Kazune Hiiragi (Kazunechan)
Programming            AT-AT
                       "Alice" Kagamino (Captain Alice)
                       Bryan
Thanks to              Monty
                       and You
                       Mt. Emerald
                       Sega
                       Ezachan
                       Mr. Rental
Character Design       Fine-Twig
                       SIMS All Staff
                       JSH All Staff


The staff here doesn't really line up with any Sanritsu/SIMS-developed games, so I'm assuming JSH is the true developer. Going on that logic, let's look at the following games that appear to share staff.

Ninja Gaiden (GG)

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER     PI
PRODUCER               BIRDIE
DIRECTOR               MONTY
EDITOR                 TENCHIN
CHIEF PROGRAMMER       ED-SRX
                       GBC00462
ASSISTANT PROGRAMMER   Q-PY
                       KUMAISAN
CHIEF DESIGNER         WOZL
ASSISTANT DESIGNER     AUAU
WRITER                 P
SCREENPLAY             PAISON
SUBTITLES              BOBBY
MUSIC COMPOSITION      YAMA
SOUND EFFECTS          AT-AT
PERFORMED BY           GAME GEAR
SPECIAL MAKEUP         AMPA
COSTUME DESIGN         NOVA
COMPUTER GRAPHICS      CROQUETTE
OPTICAL EFFECTS        LIAR
MATTE PAINTINGS        POTATO
CASTING                CARROT
TEST PLAY              YUTA
                       TOMOCYA
                       MOMONGA
                       MEGUCYA
SPECIAL THANKS         PENTAN
                       KABA
                       REVO

Pepen ga Pengo (MD)

PLANNER                ENO"P"
PROGRAMMER             WORK RAM "E"
                       AT-AT
GRAPHIC DESIGNER       ARIMA TARO
                       NAMIHEI
                       MONTY
                       USI
SOUND                  HYODORI TOME
                       CHIKAYO FUKUDA (CHIKAYO F.)
EXECTIVE PRODUCER      MAMORU SHIGETA (SHIGETA MAMORU)
PRODUCER               HIROSHI ASO (ASO HIROSHI)
DIRECTOR               TAKUMI YOSHINAGA (YOSHINAGA TAKUMI)
SPECIAL THANKS         HIDEKI KATAGIRI (KATAGIRI HIDEKI)
                       NOBUO MATSUSHIMA (MATSUSIMA NOBUO)

*Nobuo Matsushima and Hideki Katagiri are from SIMS

Ristar (GG)
 
Game Planner           Nencoo Gutoku
System Programmer      Alice Kagamino
Ristar Programmer      Mika Muraoka
Boss Programmer        Haruo Nakajima
Enemy Programmer       Ezachan
Effect Programmer      Masami Tezuka
Demo Programmer        Hanamogera. D
Character Designers    Francis. N
                       Pixy Monty
Planet Designers       Mauo. S
                       General Kusumi
Music Composers        Chikayo Fukuda (Lkj. Chikayo)
                       Tomoko Sasaki
Sound Programmer       Kazune Hiiragi
Project Director       Capt. Jinguji
Art Director           Nencoo Gutoku
Lead Tester            Matt Underwood
Assistant Lead Testers Carey Camacho
                       David Dodge
Special Thanks to      Nag
                       Bryan. M
                       Wadachi
                       Tarachan
                       Chikyuchan
                       Tanachan
                       Nana Kusunoki


Please note that Pengo and Ristar appear on an old version of SIMS' website (consult this page). But likely, SIMS just passed on development duties.

So, what do you think?
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:57 am
Streets of Rage II for the SMS and GG may be JSH games.

Streets of Rage II (GG)

Game design
Planning:
Monty, Show, Mud

Programming
Main programming:
Mud, Kozo

Music
Music composition:
Yuzo Koshiro

Sound Effects:
Yuzo Koshiro

Sound Driver:
Mikito Ichikawa

Design
Obj. design:
Python

BG design:
Show, Wozl

Special thanks to:
Ancient, Team S.O.R., B.T.R., C.O.M., Abadede Jr.


Streets of Rage II (SMS)

Game Design
Planning               Abadede, Jr.
                       Python
Programing
Main Programing        Nag
Demo Programming       Mumu
Music
Music Composition      Yuzo Koshiro
Sound Effect           Yuzo Koshiro
Sound Driver           Michito Ichikawa
Design
Obj Design             Python
                       Tunan
BG Design              Tunan
                       Honey
Special Thanks to      Team Streets of Rage
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 12:16 pm
My GDRI colleague Dran/Dimitri/DJ Squarewave did a code comparison (read the Sanritsu/SIMS thread for more info on code comparisons) of Tails' Sky Patrol (GG) and Ristar (GG). The one game that stood out was Ninkuu 2: Tenkuuryuu heno Michi (GG). I looked at the ROM and found credits. One of the programmers is "Alice Kagamino," who worked on Ristar and Tails. The other is "Ezach," who is credited as "Ezachan" on Ristar and Tails.

I am comfortable with confirming JSH as developer of the following games:

Ninkuu 2: Tenkuuryuu heno Michi (GG)
Ristar (GG)
Tails' Sky Patrol (GG)


I am not ready to confirm all other games mentioned in this thread at this time.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 11:54 am
Another code comparison was performed, this time with "Ninja Gaiden" (GG) and "Phantasy Star Adventure," or was it "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima?" Anyway, the following Game Gear games seemed to share a lot of code:

Ninja Gaiden
Phantasy Star Adventure
Hyokkori Hyoutanjima
Streets of Rage
Streets of Rage II
Streets of Rage II (SMS)
Ristar
Ninku 2
Factory Panic
Kinetic Connection

Apparently, Tails' Sky Patrol did not come up. But anyway, we're basically going ahead and saying these are by JSH. However, I am cautious. There's some weird staff crossover between Home Data and JSH. Programmer Alice Kagamino and graphics people "Show" and "Wozl" all seem to have worked for Home Data.

This particular comparison was brought upon by game music composer Kenji Yamazaki's website. He worked on "Ninja Gaiden," "Phantasy Star Adventure," and "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima." In the description for "Kaiketsu Yanchamaru 3" for the Famicom, he talks about how JSH didn't pay much or something.

ATTENTION BOCK OR ANYONE ELSE WHO CAN WRITE IN JAPANESE: Could you please e-mail Yamazaki-san and ask if he remembers which games were for JSH? No offense to idrougge, who I would typically ask directly about doing something like this, but I hate to keep pestering him.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 03 Apr 2001
  • Posts: 601
  • Location: Asturias
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 4:44 pm
That might start explaining why Ninku 2 has the same SEGA jingle than Ristar... I guess.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 01 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 360
  • Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:31 am
I mailed Yamazaki yesterday, let's see if he replies.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:55 am
idrougge wrote
I mailed Yamazaki yesterday, let's see if he replies.


Thanks.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 28 Sep 1999
  • Posts: 1197
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 3:50 am
Sorry for bumping an old thread. :)

There was a Japanese website where Kenji Yamazaki had descriptions of the history behind his game music, in English. I'm fairly sure it was his personal homepage and not a "business" page where he was advertising himself.

In particular I remember his comments about Super Drift Out, he disliked the music but the director asked him to use that style and was pleased with the results. He also commented on the ambient music used in The Shinri Game 2.

Anyway I can't find it anymore and was wondering if anyone else knows the URL or if a backup exists. It made for very interesting reading. For that matter there may be information on other games that is useful for the SMS. See, I am sort of on-topic. :D
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 7:29 am
Charles MacDonald wrote
Anyway I can't find it anymore and was wondering if anyone else knows the URL or if a backup exists. It made for very interesting reading. For that matter there may be information on other games that is useful for the SMS. See, I am sort of on-topic. :D


There's a link a few posts back.

I've actually e-mailed him a few times, and he's replied. Nothing particularly earth-shattering.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 2:43 am
Programmer "Alice Kagamino" has tweeted about some of the games (he?) worked on. Most recently, (he?) talked about GG Ristar (see here). From what little I can make out, the GG and MD versions were being developed at the same time, and Sega of America wanted the GG version out at the same time as the Genesis version?
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Site Admin
  • Joined: 08 Jul 2001
  • Posts: 8644
  • Location: Paris, France
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 2:51 am
What makes you think Alice is a "he?" when the name both in english and japanese are feminine?
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 2:56 am
Bock wrote
What makes you think Alice is a "he?" when the name both in english and japanese are feminine?


I guess it's presumptuous of me to assume a programmer (especially from those days) is a man, but it's not unheard of for Japanese game developers to use feminine pseudonyms. (Actually, the only example I can think of off-hand is Shouichi Yoshikawa, who went by "Angela.")
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 27 Apr 2014
  • Posts: 281
  • Location: Texas
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 3:18 am
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Cooper

Stop the argument before it starts.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Site Admin
  • Joined: 08 Jul 2001
  • Posts: 8644
  • Location: Paris, France
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2015 1:38 pm
Regardless of game programmers being more often male (true and unfortunate) since we have a Japanese name here 鏡乃亜梨子 that is clearly feminine the assumption is that she is a she unless proven otherwise.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2015 3:29 am
Last edited by CRV on Sun Jul 24, 2016 3:28 pm; edited 1 time in total
Alice talks about "Tails' Sky Patrol" and the similar, unreleased "Boon Boon Kabun" for Game Boy Color

Also:
GG Ristar
Hermetica (the basis for Yoshi's Cookie)
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 3:19 pm
Ninku 2
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 03 Apr 2001
  • Posts: 601
  • Location: Asturias
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2016 8:48 pm
Hate to say it, but Twitter's translation function is not of much help when trying to understand what's going on in those links...
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 3:51 am
All I can do is copy and paste into another online translator. Here's what I can pick out for Tails' Sky Patrol:

- It was made three times, but only the GG version came out.
- It was originally a game for an unreleased console (referred to as "X").
- "X" had a monochrome LCD display, Z80 CPU, background layer + sprite, 2 sound channels + PCM, and was aimed at kids/education.
- The X version was supposed to be a launch title.
- Alice was in charge of the overall program.
- The X version was completed.
- The Game Boy Color version, Boon Boon Kabun, was completed. Alice was hospitalized during development.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 14 Oct 2008
  • Posts: 508
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 3:02 pm
It's OT but I'd be interested in the Hermetica stuff. Since I don't think anything besides the title was revealed of the game pre-conversion.
(It's looking like Ni****do only bought the source code to the NES version, since even now it looks like they have licensing issues involving re-releases.)
  View user's profile Send private message
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2016 11:25 pm
This is only a fraction of what is written. Hermetica:

- General timeline: Arcade game developed > Poor location test > Seek out other sellers > BPS is interested > Story reaches Big N > Yoshi's Cookie released
- Graphics, sound, and direction were different, and there was an additional element.
- Alice was project leader, planner, game designer, and programmer. There was one graphic designer, one sound designer, and one tool programmer.
- There was an X68000 prototype.
- Location tests were performed at Kandai-mae and a game center in Tarumi.
- Alice bought Yoshi's Cookie, but "this was not my game anymore."
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 3:25 am
Ristar:

- Alice did the player and map system, part of the GG hardware driver programming, and was in charge of direction of the entire project.
- The GG version came about when Ristar was still called Feel and the MD version was only a third complete.
- Sega of America wanted to release both versions at the same time.
- The MD version was taking too long, I take it, so half the GG version is original.

Level 1 = MD Level 1
Level 2 = Original
Level 3 = MD Level 4
Level 4 = Original
Level 5 = MD Level 6
Level 6 = MD Level 7 + MD Level 3 Boss

- MD source code was not made available.
- The rainbow/clouds stage of one level was cut. Sega of America apparently felt that American children wouldn't understand walking over a cloud/rainbow.
- In another part of the game, some members of the audience in the background look like the number "666." This also had to be changed.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2016 3:28 pm
Here's the aforementioned audience part. Doesn't look like they changed it:
r.png (182.55 KB)
r.png

  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 4:44 pm
Dimitri on GDRI has translated all the tweets here. Very informative.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2023 3:02 am
I should point out these Ninku 2 documents Alice Kagamino posted on Twitter in 2016. There are four pages of move lists, followed by a page with every stage password, plus a password to turn on debug mode and two secret options that can be unlocked by playing certain things in the sound test. (Note also the JSH logo at the bottom of the pages.)

When you enter the debug mode password, the message "DEBUG MODE ON" will flash on the screen. As far as I can tell, the only thing this allows you to do is skip a stage by pausing the game and holding down both buttons, then up.

The "special" option is unlocked when you play "BGM 12" and "SE 24" in the sound test. This turns on the "third zoom level" that Sega told them to cut. When both characters are close together, they're nearly as big as the screen.

Playing "BGM 24" and "SE 30" opens up "character check," where you can view all the different character sprites and animations.
  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
  • Joined: 02 Jan 2005
  • Posts: 667
Reply with quote
Post Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2023 12:20 am
At the time of this post, there is a group lot of production art from GG Streets of Rage 2 that will be coming up for bids on Heritage Auctions. Of particular interest (to me, at least) is the last document, sketches of two enemy characters. Note the name Japan System House (日本システムハウス株式会社, though the "日" seems to be cut off by a hole punch) in the upper left-hand corner of the page.
ggsor2_01.jpg (599.49 KB)
ggsor2_01.jpg
ggsor2_02.jpg (559.45 KB)
ggsor2_02.jpg
ggsor2_03.jpg (717.08 KB)
ggsor2_03.jpg
ggsor2_04.jpg (882.56 KB)
ggsor2_04.jpg

  View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Reply to topic



Back to the top of this page

Back to SMS Power!