Formerly | Gaijin Games Inc. (2007–2014) |
---|---|
Company type | Private |
Industry | Video games |
Founded | 2007; 16 years ago |
Headquarters | Santa Cruz, California |
Key people | Alex Neuse & Mike Roush |
Products | BIT.TRIP series Tharsis (video game) Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story Woah Dave! |
Website | choiceprovisions |
Choice Provisions Inc., formerly known as Gaijin Games Inc. prior to June 2014, is an American-origin independent video game development studio, best known for their Bit.Trip series of video games. The studio was founded in 2007 by Alex Neuse, Mike Roush, and Chris Osborn and is located in Santa Cruz, California.
Gaijin Games initially emerged in 2004. The founder, Alex Neuse, had been employed at LucasArts since 1997, but after the project he had been working on was cancelled, Neuse decided that he wanted greater creative freedom, which spurred him to create his own studio. However, the company was unable to acquire sufficient funds or support from a publisher, and all of its development endeavors were halted indefinitely when Neuse was offered the position of creative director at Santa Cruz Games.
At Santa Cruz Games, Mike Roush, Alex Neuse and Chris Osborn formed a friendship. Neuse, Roush and Osborn were involved in the development of several games tied into licensed properties, but they became dissatisfied with the restrictions on their creativity. Osborn, with his love for Chiptunes, Neuse with his affinity for Atari 2600 and Roush with his aesthetic and drive for unique experiences, shared the same philosophies of game design. Subsequently, the trio quit their jobs at Santa Cruz to start up Gaijin Games again. [1]
Neuse had a variety of game ideas that he had sketched out in a notebook, which he pitched to Roush and Osborn. Eventually, they settled on their favorite six concepts and formed the idea of a series called '8-Bit: A series of six new classics in the 8-bit style for humans who enjoy fun'. Gaijin signed a publishing deal with Aksys Games, then ditched the previous title in favor of BIT.TRIP and began development on the first title. Danny Johnson joined Gaijin during the fifth game in the series. Between the fifth and sixth games, Gaijin collaborated with Different Cloth to bring an iPhone/iPod Touch game, lilt line, to the WiiWare service. After all six games in the series were completed, Osborn left Gaijin Games to form another independent studio known as Tracer. After Osborn's departure, Roush and Neuse took on the monikers of Co-Founders and Co-Creators of all Gaijin projects and creative endeavors.
Following the climax of the BIT.TRIP series, Gaijin Games announced that they are very interested in developing games for the Nintendo 3DS and have since obtained development kits for the handheld device. Their first 3DS title was released in 2011 and was revealed to be a compilation of the six BIT.TRIP games called Bit.Trip Saga. [2] In February 2011, the studio also absorbed the small-time developer Robotube, founded by Jason Cirillo [3] - Roush explained this move as an effort to branch out into "more experimental, casual games." After the studio was rebranded as Choice Provisions in June 2014, the Robotube subsidiary was also rebranded as "Minivisions." The first game released under the Minivisions label was Woah Dave!, which initially released on October 30, 2014. [4]
After almost a 2-year development cycle, Gaijin Games completed the hit sequel to RUNNER, Runner2 on February 26, 2013. Runner2 sold over 1 million units within the first year. [5]
In June 2014, the company announced it would be changing its name to Choice Provisions. The studio decided to change their name due to the arguably negative connotations of the term "gaijin" ("foreigner" in Japanese). [6]
Game title | Release | Platform(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Bit.Trip Beat | March 16, 2009 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch | Switch version released on December 25, 2020 |
Bit.Trip Core | July 6, 2009 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | Switch version released on December 25, 2020 |
Bit.Trip Void | October 27, 2009 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | Switch version released on December 25, 2020 |
Bit.Trip Runner | May 14, 2010 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, Nintendo Switch | Switch version released on December 25, 2020 |
Bit.Trip Fate | October 25, 2010 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | Switch version released on December 25, 2020 |
Bit.Trip Flux | February 25, 2011 | Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | Switch version released on December 25, 2020 |
Bit.Trip Saga [7] | September 13, 2011 | Nintendo 3DS | Enhanced compilation of the six original Bit.Trip games |
Bit.Trip Complete [8] | September 13, 2011 | Wii | Enhanced compilation of the six original Bit.Trip games |
Runner2 [9] | February 26, 2013 [10] | Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, Wii U (eShop), Xbox 360 (XBLA), PlayStation 3 (PSN), PlayStation 4 (PSN), PlayStation Vita, iOS, Nintendo Switch | An HD sequel to Runner, Switch version released on February 29, 2024 |
The Bit.Trip [11] | December 5, 2015 | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita | Enhanced compilation of the six original Bit.Trip games |
Runner3 | May 22, 2018 | Microsoft Windows, OS X, Nintendo Switch | |
Bit.Trip Rerunner | September 19, 2023 | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S | Remake of Runner with a level editor, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions released on May 22, 2024 and May 28, 2024 respectively |
Game title | Release | Platform | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Lilt Line | December 13, 2010 | WiiWare | Published WiiWare version, developed by Different Cloth |
Bloktonik | June 15, 2011 | iPad | Published iOS version, developed by Robotube Games |
Woah Dave! | October 30, 2014 | Microsoft Windows, iOS, Mac, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Linux, Android | Developed under the MiniVisions label |
Destructamundo | December 10, 2014 | iOS, Android, Windows | Developed under the MiniVisions label |
Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria | April 9, 2015 | Microsoft Windows, Mac, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Linux | Published Steam, Wii U & 3DS versions, developed by Muteki |
Shutshimi | August 25, 2015 | Microsoft Windows, Mac, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Linux | Developed by Neon Deity Games |
Laserlife | September 22, 2015 | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | |
Tharsis | January 12, 2016 | Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 | |
Drive!Drive!Drive! | December 13, 2016 | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita | Developed by Different Cloth |
Space Dave! | January 25, 2018 | Nintendo Switch | Developed under the MiniVisions label |
Bubsy: Paws on Fire! | May 16, 2019 | PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 | |
Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story | November 16, 2021 | PC, Nintendo Switch |
The Game Boy Advance (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2001, and in mainland China as iQue Game Boy Advance on June 8, 2004.
Cave Story is a 2004 Metroidvania platform-adventure video game for Microsoft Windows. It was developed over five years by Japanese independent developer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya in his free time. Cave Story features 2D platform mechanics and is reminiscent of the games Amaya played in his youth, such as Metroid and Castlevania. After its initial self-published release, the game slowly gained popularity on the internet. It received widespread critical acclaim for many polished aspects of its design, such as its compelling characters, setting, story, and gameplay. Cave Story is considered by many as the quintessential indie game because of its one-person development team and influence on the video gaming world.
The Nintendo World Championships (NWC) is a nationwide video game competition series, organized by Nintendo of America at no particular interval.
Vanpool, Inc. was an independent Japanese video game, music software, computer software and toy developer. Its employees included Taro Kudou and Kazuyuki Kurashima, both of whom worked for the independent game developer Love-de-Lic. The company was primarily known for its work on the Dillon's Rolling Western and Kirby series. Vanpool shut down on May 31, 2023.
The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.
Bit.Trip, stylized BIT.TRIP, is a series of nine video games developed by Choice Provisions and published by Aksys Games for the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Microsoft Windows, macOS, PS Vita, PS4, and PS5. It was published by Arc System Works for WiiWare and Nintendo eShop in Japan, and by Namco Networks America Inc for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Each game revolves around the adventures of a character named "Commander Video", and features "a crazy mix of 80s aesthetics and modern game design". The styles of the games range from pong-like, to platforming, and shooting. Each game in the series features a chiptune-inspired soundtrack, but a different style of rhythm-based gameplay in each. Most games in the series have few levels; Beat, Core, Void and Flux have only three levels each while Fate has six and Runner has 36. Most of the games feature levels lasting between 10 and 25 minutes to make up for having such few levels. The games also consists of 8 modes; Nether, Hyper, Mega, Super, Ultra, Extra, Giga, and Meta; which changes based on how well the player does. Each successive game adds a new mode, the highest being Mega in Beat, and Meta in Flux.
Bit.Trip Beat, marketed as BIT.TRIP BEAT, is an arcade-style music video game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for the Wii's WiiWare download service. It was released in 2009 in North America, and released in Japan and PAL regions in the same year. It was later released for the Windows and Mac OS X through the download service Steam in 2010, while Namco Bandai published it for iOS on iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad in both Bit.Trip Beat and Bit.Trip Beat HD versions. Android and Linux versions debuted in the Humble Android Bundle 3.
Bit.Trip Core, marketed as BIT.TRIP CORE, is a 2009 arcade-style rhythm game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for the Wii's WiiWare download service. It is the second game in the Bit.Trip series, directly succeeding Bit.Trip Beat and preceding Bit.Trip Void, Bit.Trip Runner, Bit.Trip Fate and Bit.Trip Flux.
Mario Kart 7 is a 2011 kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD in cooperation with Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. As with the previous games in the Mario Kart series, players participate in racing on various Mario-themed tracks, playing as one of seventeen different Mario characters. While racing, the players make use of power-up items that either assist their character or hinder opposing characters. New additions to the game include hang-gliding attachments for karts, the ability to drive underwater, the ability to drive in first person, and the ability to fully customize the vehicles' builds. The game supports both local and online multiplayer for up to eight players. The game was a critical and commercial success, with it going on to be the best-selling game on the Nintendo 3DS, with over 18.98 million copies sold worldwide.
Bit.Trip Void, marketed as BIT.TRIP VOID, is an arcade-style bullet hell rhythm game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for the Wii's WiiWare download service. It was first released in Japan in 2009, and later in North America and PAL regions in 2009 and 2010, respectively. It was designed by Alex Neuse and Chris Osborn, while the visuals were designed by Mike Roush. While initially having what they now describe as "noisy" audio and visuals, they changed them to be more minimalistic to alleviate this, a decision which worked well with their minimalistic design for the HUD. Neuse designed it so that it could be open to interpretation by players, though stating that they intended it to delve into starring character Commander Video's psyche, and "what it means to have emotions and personal space."
Bit.Trip Runner is an arcade-style rhythm game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for the Wii's WiiWare download service. It is the fourth game to be released in the Bit.Trip series of games, serving as the successor to Bit.Trip Beat, Bit.Trip Core and Bit.Trip Void, and as the predecessor to Bit.Trip Fate and Bit.Trip Flux. A remake called Bit.Trip ReRunner was released on September 19, 2023 for Windows, developed by Choice Provisions and Gamecraft Studios.
Bit.Trip Flux, marketed as BIT.TRIP FLUX, is an arcade-style rhythm game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games and QubicGames as the sixth and final game of the main Bit.Trip series. It was released for the Wii's WiiWare download service on February 25, 2011, which was later ported to Microsoft Windows and OS X. It was released on the Steam platform on June 5, 2014, and was ported to the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo 3DS as part of a collection later on. A standalone version was released on Nintendo Switch on December 25, 2020.
Bit.Trip Saga is a music video game developed by Gaijin Games and published by Aksys Games for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released on September 13, 2011 in North America and in the PAL region by Rising Star Games on March 16, 2012. It is a compilation of the six downloadable video games released for the Nintendo Wii's WiiWare service, including Bit.Trip Beat (2009), Bit.Trip Core (2009), Bit.Trip Void (2009), Bit.Trip Runner (2010), Bit.Trip Fate (2010), and Bit.Trip Flux (2011).
StreetPass Mii Plaza is an application which comes pre-loaded on all Nintendo 3DS systems. In the game, players can meet other players' Miis over StreetPass and online through Nintendo Network and interact with them.
Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is a 2013 side-scrolling platformer developed by Gaijin Games. The game is the sequel to Bit.Trip Runner (2010) and was released as a downloadable title on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, and iOS. Versions for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch were later released in 2016 and 2024 respectively. The PC, Mac, Linux, and Wii U versions were self-published by Gaijin Games, and the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions were published by Aksys Games.
D-Pad Hero is a 2009 video game demake of the Guitar Hero series developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System. An unofficial release, the game is a ROM which must be dumped onto a cartridge or played via emulator. A sequel, D-Pad Hero 2 was released in 2010.
Bit.Trip Complete is a compilation of six games in the Bit.Trip series, including Bit.Trip Beat (2009), Bit.Trip Core (2009), Bit.Trip Void (2009), Bit.Trip Runner (2010), Bit.Trip Fate (2010), and Bit.Trip Flux (2011).
Woah Dave! is a platform video game developed and published by MiniVisions for iOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. The game was released on iOS, Windows, and Nintendo 3DS on October 30, 2014. It was released for the PlayStation Vita on January 6, 2015. A PlayStation 4 version was released on March 31, 2015. Said PS4 version of Woah Dave! was released with two new levels, six new characters, boss battles, new enemy types, UFOs players can hitch a ride on, other hidden Easter eggs and the ability to play the original version of the game. The added features were patched onto Woah Dave! on all of the platforms it was released on.
Runner3 is a rhythm platform game developed by Choice Provisions. A sequel to Bit.Trip Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, Runner3 is part of the Bit.Trip series, starring the character CommanderVideo. The game was released on May 22, 2018 on Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Nintendo Switch, and was released on the PlayStation 4 on November 13, 2018.
Bubsy: Paws on Fire! is a platform video game developed by Choice Provisions and published by UFO Interactive Games under the Accolade brand. The game was released for PlayStation 4 and Windows on May 16, 2019. The Nintendo Switch port was released on August 29, 2019. The game is the sixth entry in the Bubsy series.