HAL Laboratory

Last updated

HAL Laboratory, Inc.
Native name
株式会社ハル研究所
Romanized name
Kabushiki gaisha Haru Kenkyūjo
Company type Private
Industry Video games
Genre
Founded21 February 1980;44 years ago (1980-02-21) in Kanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
FounderMitsuhiro Ikeda
HeadquartersKanda Square, 2-2-1 Kandanishiki-cho, ,
Japan
Number of locations
2 studios [a]  (2019)
Key people
Products
Number of employees
242 (2024)
Subsidiaries Warpstar, Inc. (50%; with Nintendo)
Website www.hallab.co.jp
Footnotes /references
[1] [2] [3]

HAL Laboratory, Inc., [b] formerly shortened as HALKEN, is a Japanese video game developer founded on February 21, 1980, in Chiyoda, Tokyo by Mitsuhiro Ikeda. The company started out developing games for home computers of the era, but has since established a strong relationship with Nintendo, and is often referred to as a second-party developer. [4] In 1991, a second office in Kai, Yamanashi was established. [5] The company is best known for its work on the Kirby and Mother series, and the first two Super Smash Bros. games.

Contents

Its logo, Inutamago, [c] which depicts a dog incubating eggs, is meant to represent "an unexpected bond [...] one that brings the birth of something new."

History

HAL Laboratory was founded on February 21, 1980, and originally developed games for home computers, such as the MSX and VIC-20. [6] There have been conflicting claims on the origin of the company's name. During a GDC 2005 keynote, Satoru Iwata stated that HAL was named after the computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey . [7] However, in a 2012 Iwata Asks interview, he said the company was named HAL because "each letter put [them] one step ahead of IBM." [8]

In 1984, the company began its business relationship with Nintendo. HAL assisted in the development of first-party Famicom games such as Pinball and Golf , while also creating original titles such as F1 Race . [7] In the west, some titles were published under HAL America Inc. (HAI), a North American subsidiary of the company led by Yash Terakura and based in Beaverton, Oregon, USA. [9]

In 1992, following the protracted development of Metal Slader Glory , the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Nintendo offered to rescue HAL on the condition that Satoru Iwata were to be appointed its president, a role he took from 1993 to 2000. [10] [11]

The company's current logo, Inutamago, was created in 1998 by Shigesato Itoi. The imagery is meant to represent "an unexpected bond [...] one that brings the birth of something new". Reception was reportedly lukewarm at first. [12] [13]

In August 2001, HAL Laboratory and Nintendo jointly established Warpstar, Inc., a company created to oversee Kirby merchandising and outside media, such as the Kirby: Right Back at Ya! anime series. [5] [14]

In 2017, HAL Laboratory announced that the company would start developing games for mobile devices under the brand name HAL Egg, in order to clearly differentiate them from the company's usual output. [15] The first title released under the brand name was Part Time UFO . [16] The company released miniature versions of the MZ-80C and PC-8001 computers in October 2017 and October 2019, respectively. [17] [18]

Games developed

List of video games developed by HAL Laboratory
YearTitlePlatform(s)
1984 Pinball Nintendo Entertainment System
Golf
F1 Race
1985 Mach Rider
Balloon Fight
Lot Lot Famicom
1986 Othello Famicom Disk System, Nintendo Entertainment System
Gall Force: Eternal Story Famicom Disk System
1987 Eggerland
Family Computer Golf: Japan Course
Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course
Joust Nintendo Entertainment System
Defender II
Air Fortress
Millipede
Tokoro-san no Mamoru mo Semeru moFamicom
1988Satsui no Kaisou: Power Soft Renzoku Satsujin Jiken
Fire Bam Famicom Disk System
Jumbo Ozaki no Hole in One ProfessionalFamicom
Vegas Dream Nintendo Entertainment System
Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally Famicom Disk System
Eggerland: Meikyū no Fukkatsu Famicom
Eggerland: Sōzō e no Tabidachi Famicom Disk System
Rollerball Nintendo Entertainment System
1989 Adventures of Lolo (NES)
Revenge of the 'Gator Game Boy
Shanghai
Ghostbusters II
1990 Adventures of Lolo (Famicom)Famicom
Adventures of Lolo 2 (NES)Nintendo Entertainment System
Uchūkeibitai SDFFamicom
Adventures of Lolo 3 Nintendo Entertainment System
Adventures of Lolo 2 (Famicom)Famicom
New Ghostbusters II Nintendo Entertainment System
1991 Trax Game Boy
HAL's Hole in One Golf Super NES
Metal Slader Glory Famicom
HyperZone Super NES
NES Open Tournament Golf Nintendo Entertainment System
1992 Arcana Super NES
Kirby's Dream Land Game Boy
1993 Vegas Stakes Super NES, Game Boy
Kirby's Adventure Nintendo Entertainment System
Kirby's Pinball Land Game Boy
Alcahest Super Famicom
1994Adventures of LoloGame Boy
EarthBound [d] Super NES
Kirby's Dream Course
1995 Kirby's Dream Land 2 Game Boy
SimCity 2000 Super NES
1996 Kirby Super Star
1997 Kirby's Star Stacker Game Boy, Super Famicom
Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 Super Famicom
Kirby's Dream Land 3 Super NES
1999 Super Smash Bros. Nintendo 64
Pokémon Snap
Pokémon Pinball Game Boy Color
2000 SimCity 64 Nintendo 64DD
Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 Ketteihan! Nintendo 64
Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut Super Famicom
2001 Super Smash Bros. Melee GameCube
2002 Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land Game Boy Advance
2003 Kirby Air Ride GameCube
2004 Kirby & the Amazing Mirror [e] Game Boy Advance
2005 Kirby Canvas Curse Nintendo DS
2006 Pokémon Ranger [f]
Mother 3 [g] Game Boy Advance
Common Sense Training Nintendo DS
Kirby: Squeak Squad [e]
2008 TV no Tomo Channel Wii
Kirby Super Star Ultra Nintendo DS
2009 Picross 3D
2011 Face Raiders Nintendo 3DS
Kirby Mass Attack Nintendo DS
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Wii
2012 Kirby's Dream Collection
2014 Kirby: Triple Deluxe Nintendo 3DS
Kirby Fighters Deluxe
Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe
2015 BoxBoy!
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse Wii U
Picross 3D: Round 2 Nintendo 3DS
2016 BoxBoxBoy!
Kirby: Planet Robobot
2017 Bye-Bye BoxBoy!
Team Kirby Clash Deluxe
Kirby's Blowout Blast
Part Time UFO iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
Kirby Battle Royale Nintendo 3DS
2018 Kirby Star Allies Nintendo Switch
2019 BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!
Super Kirby Clash [h]
Housuu de Shoubu! Kame SanpoiOS, Android
2020 Kirby Fighters 2 [h] Nintendo Switch
2022 Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Kirby's Dream Buffet
2023 Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe [h]

Cancelled games

Other systems

VIC-20

MAX Machine/Commodore 64

Source: [21]

MSX

  • Balance
  • Butamaru Pants
  • Cue Star
  • Dunk Shot
  • Eggerland Mystery
  • Eggerland 2
  • Fruit Search
  • Gall Force
  • Heavy Boxing
  • Hole in One
  • Hole in One Professional
  • Inside the Karamaru
  • Inspecteur Z
  • Mobile Planet Stillus/The Roving Planet Stillus
  • Mr. Chin
  • Pachipro Densetsu
  • Picture Puzzle
  • Rollerball
  • Space Maze Attack
  • Space Trouble
  • Step Up
  • Super Billiards
  • Super Snake
  • Swimming Tango
  • Tetsuman

MSX2

  • Dragon Attack
  • Hole in One Special
  • Zukkoke Yajikita Onmitsudoutyuu
  • Mr. Ninja – Ashura's Chapter

Windows

Games published

List of video games published by HAL Laboratory
YearTitlePlatform(s)
1990HAL Wrestling [i] Game Boy
1991 Kabuki: Quantum Fighter [i] Nintendo Entertainment System
1992 Day Dreamin' Davey [j]
NCAA Basketball [j] [k] Super NES

Computer animation

Notes

  1. Tokyo R&D Center and Yamanashi R&D Center
  2. Japanese: 株式会社ハル研究所, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Haru Kenkyūjo
  3. Japanese: 犬たまご, "Dog Eggs"
  4. Co-developed with Ape
  5. 1 2 Co-developed with Flagship
  6. Co-developed with Creatures
  7. Co-developed with Brownie Brown
  8. 1 2 3 Co-developed with Vanpool
  9. 1 2 Developed by Human Entertainment
  10. 1 2 Developed by Sculptured Software
  11. Japanese publishing only

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<i>Kirbys Adventure</i> 1993 video game

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<i>Kirby Super Star</i> 1996 video game

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<i>F1 Race</i> 1984 video game

F1 Race is a racing video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Famicom in 1984. A version was released in 1990 for the Game Boy in Japan and in 1991 in Europe and North America, including the Four Player Adapter for four-player gameplay.

<i>Kirbys Block Ball</i> 1995 video game

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<i>Golf</i> (1984 video game) 1984 video game

Golf is a golf video game developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released for the Famicom in Japan in 1984, with a port to the Nintendo VS. System as VS. Golf or Stroke and Match Golf, released in arcades internationally, followed by another arcade version called VS. Ladies Golf. The original was re-released for the NES in North America in 1985, and for the Famicom Disk System in 1986 in Japan.

<i>Alcahest</i> (video game) 1993 video game

Alcahest is a 1993 action video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Square for the Super Famicom. The plot takes place in a world where an emperor leads his army towards conquest of the kingdom of Panakeia in the midst of the revival of the demon god Alcahest, who was previously defeated by a swordsman aided with the power of guardians. The player acts as the swordsman Alen, exploring and searching for items and power-ups, while fighting enemies and bosses. Throughout the journey, the player encounters guardians who help Alen with their power and allies who join his party to stop Alcahest.

<i>Metal Slader Glory</i> 1991 video game

Metal Slader Glory is an adventure game developed and published by HAL Laboratory for the Family Computer in 1991. The game is set in 2062 after humans have colonized the Moon and established several space stations. Earth-based mechanic Tadashi and his girlfriend discover a mech from a war eight years past with an ominous message stored in its memory suggesting Earth is in danger. Tadashi decides to venture to nearby space colonies along with Elina and his younger sister Azusa to investigate the origins of the mech. As Tadashi, the player speaks with other characters and picks dialogue and action commands to advance the narrative.

<i>Kirby Super Star Ultra</i> 2008 video game remake

Kirby Super Star Ultra is a 2008 anthology action-platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The game is an enhanced remake of Kirby Super Star, originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1996, to commemorate the Kirby series' 15th anniversary. The remake retains all game modes found in the original, and adds four major new ones, along with adding updated visuals and full-motion video cutscenes.

Cabbage was a canceled breeding simulator video game that was planned for release in the late 1990s on the 64DD, an expansion peripheral for the Nintendo 64 console. The prototype was developed by a team of Nintendo's "biggest talents", led by Shigesato Itoi, Tsunekazu Ishihara, Shigeru Miyamoto, and eventually Satoru Iwata. Miyamoto spoke eagerly about the innovative development of Cabbage across the years until early 2000. Years later, he reflected that it had drifted silently into cancellation but that it deeply influenced other Nintendo games such as Animal Crossing and Nintendogs.

Jun Ishikawa is a Japanese composer who was formerly employed at game company HAL Laboratory. He is best known for composing for the Kirby series along with Hirokazu Ando. As of 2024, he left HAL Laboratory, although he does intend on continuing to work for Kirby games as a freelancer.

References

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