Hudson Soft games: actual developers

[spenoza]

Hudson Soft released a LOT of games for the PC Engine. They also contracted out development quite often. Dungeon Explorer to Atlus and Jacki Chan's Action Kung Fu to Now Productions, for example. Has anyone here or elsewhere bothered to compile a list of known contract developers for Hudson-published titles, or investigated and documented suspected contract developers?

[CrackTiger]

Even when dev teams have a name, they are often staffed by random people who often are known for working on major dev teams.

Companies like RED seemed to be more responsible for the creative side of things, but may very well have also been big into game design, but not the under the hood coding. Many of Hudson's PCE games were worked on by multiple companies teams, but even when its unknown which aspects they each handled, secret subcontracting was the norm back then.

For what it's worth, Gate of Thunder is supposed to have been "made" by members of the dev team that worked on Thunder Force III.

[spenoza]

Even when dev teams have a name, they are often staffed by random people who often are known for working on major dev teams.

Companies like RED seemed to be more responsible for the creative side of things, but may very well have also been big into game design, but not the under the hood coding. Many of Hudson's PCE games were worked on by multiple companies teams, but even when its unknown which aspects they each handled, secret subcontracting was the norm back then.

Yeah, but it would still be useful to know. Some companies do sort of have certain production habits, and it's fun looking for connective tissue.

For what it's worth, Gate of Thunder is supposed to have been "made" by members of the dev team that worked on Thunder Force III.

This does not computer. Gate of Thunder is a much better shooter.

[gilbert]

Just list Alfa System. They're responsible for a large number of CD titles.
I think it's mentioned in Iwasaki's blog, that these Alfa people sat in Hudson's office and worked together with the Hudson staff.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Even when dev teams have a name, they are often staffed by random people who often are known for working on major dev teams.

Companies like RED seemed to be more responsible for the creative side of things, but may very well have also been big into game design, but not the under the hood coding. Many of Hudson's PCE games were worked on by multiple companies teams, but even when its unknown which aspects they each handled, secret subcontracting was the norm back then.

For what it's worth, Gate of Thunder is supposed to have been "made" by members of the dev team that worked on Thunder Force III.

I thought it was done by some members of the team responsible for Aeroblasters/Air Buster?  That was in one of the Turbo Play's IIRC.

[Winniez]

Aoi Blink might be a good candidate for a game not developed by Hudson. Doesn't even have a volume number but was published by Hudson.

[turboswimbz]

Aoi Blink might be a good candidate for a game not developed by Hudson. Doesn't even have a volume number but was published by Hudson.

This is correct, It was developed by Westone

[xcrement5x]

Aoi Blink might be a good candidate for a game not developed by Hudson. Doesn't even have a volume number but was published by Hudson.

Lots of folks have said Aoi Blink is the unofficial "Vol 26" from Hudson too.

[CrackTiger]

Even when dev teams have a name, they are often staffed by random people who often are known for working on major dev teams.

Companies like RED seemed to be more responsible for the creative side of things, but may very well have also been big into game design, but not the under the hood coding. Many of Hudson's PCE games were worked on by multiple companies teams, but even when its unknown which aspects they each handled, secret subcontracting was the norm back then.

For what it's worth, Gate of Thunder is supposed to have been "made" by members of the dev team that worked on Thunder Force III.

I thought it was done by some members of the team responsible for Aeroblasters/Air Buster?  That was in one of the Turbo Play's IIRC.

That's the thing about trying to match companies instead of individual people to game development. They may very well have worked on shooters "developed" or publushed by a dozen different companies that generation.

[ParanoiaDragon]

Even when dev teams have a name, they are often staffed by random people who often are known for working on major dev teams.

Companies like RED seemed to be more responsible for the creative side of things, but may very well have also been big into game design, but not the under the hood coding. Many of Hudson's PCE games were worked on by multiple companies teams, but even when its unknown which aspects they each handled, secret subcontracting was the norm back then.

For what it's worth, Gate of Thunder is supposed to have been "made" by members of the dev team that worked on Thunder Force III.

I thought it was done by some members of the team responsible for Aeroblasters/Air Buster?  That was in one of the Turbo Play's IIRC.

That's the thing about trying to match companies instead of individual people to game development. They may very well have worked on shooters "developed" or publushed by a dozen different companies that generation.

That's true, makes it confusing that way unfortunately.

[spenoza]

MobyGames has a lot of that kind of information, but if you don't know much about a particular individual it can be unhelpful. I think we need more interviews and such with PCE developers before they're all dead.

[GaijinD]

It doesn't have anything as convenient as a list of Hudson games with the contract developers that worked on them, but this seems like the sort of thing the GDRI researches. You'd probably have to search their database for individual games, but they may have the information you want.