Game Freak

Game Freak Inc.
Private
Industry Video game
Founded April 26, 1989 (1989-04-26)
Founders Satoshi Tajiri
Ken Sugimori
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Key people
Products Pokémon series
Number of employees
108 (As of April 2016)[1]
Website www.gamefreak.co.jp
The covers of several issues of Game Freak magazine

Game Freak Inc. (Japanese: 株式会社ゲームフリーク Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Gēmu Furīku, stylized as GAME FREAK inc.) is a Japanese video game developer, best known as the primary developer of Nintendo's Pokémon series of role-playing video games.

History

An animated history of how Satoshi Tajiri came to conceive Pokémon

Predating the video game company, Game Freak was a self-published video game magazine created by Satoshi Tajiri and Ken Sugimori in the 1980s. Tajiri wrote and edited the text and Sugimori illustrated. Tajiri also used "Game Freak" as his pen name when he wrote as a freelance writer to publications such as Family Computer Magazine and Famicom Tsūshin.[2][3]

On April 26, 1989, Tajiri and Sugimori started a video game development company with the same name.[4][5][6][7] One of Game Freak's first games was the Nintendo Entertainment System action and puzzle game Quinty, which was released in North America as Mendel Palace. Its most popular series, Pokémon—the romanized contraction of the Japanese brand Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター Poketto Monsutā)[8]—is published and distributed by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo worldwide.

In October 2015, Game Freak bought Koa Games, a mobile development company.[9]

Gameography

List of video games developed by Game Freak
YearTitlePublisherPlatform
1989Mendel Palace‹See Tfd› NES
1991Smart BallSonySNES
1991YoshiNintendoNES
Game Boy
1992Magical Tarurūto-kunSegaMega Drive
1993Mario & WarioNintendoSNES
1994Nontan to Issho: Kuru-Kuru PuzzleVictor InteractiveGame Boy
1994PulsemanSegaMega Drive
1994Smart Ball 2SonySNES
1994Nontan to Issho: Kuru Kuru PuzzleVictor InteractiveSuper Famicom
1996Pocket Monsters: Red & GreenNintendoGame Boy
1996Pocket Monsters: BlueNintendoGame Boy
1996Pokémon Red and BlueNintendoGame Boy
1996Bazaar de Gosāru no Game de GosāruNECPC Engine
1997Bushi Seiryūden: Futari no YūshaT&E SoftSuper Famicom
1998Game Boy CameraNintendoGame Boy
1998Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu EditionNintendoGame Boy
1999Pokémon Gold and SilverNintendoGame Boy Color
1999Click MedicSonyPlayStation
2000Pokémon CrystalNintendoGame Boy Color
2002Pokémon Ruby and SapphireNintendoGame Boy Advance
2004Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen NintendoGame Boy Advance
2005Pokémon EmeraldNintendoGame Boy Advance
2005Drill DozerNintendoGame Boy Advance
2007Pokémon Diamond and PearlNintendoNintendo DS
2009Pokémon PlatinumNintendoNintendo DS
2010Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilverNintendoNintendo DS
2011Pokémon Black and WhiteNintendoNintendo DS
2012Pokémon Black 2 and White 2NintendoNintendo DS
2012HarmoKnightNintendoNintendo 3DS
2013Pocket Card Jockey‹See Tfd›
  • JP: Game Freak
  • WW: Nintendo[10]
Nintendo 3DS
iOS
Android
2013Pokémon X and Y NintendoNintendo 3DS
2014Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire NintendoNintendo 3DS
2015Tembo the Badass ElephantSegaXbox One
PlayStation 4
Windows
2016Pokémon Sun and MoonNintendoNintendo 3DS
TBDGiga WreckerGame FreakWindows

References

  1. 会社概要 (in Japanese). Game Freak Inc. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  2. Satoshi Tajiri (1989-01-06). ぼくたちゲーセン野郎. Family Computer Magazine (in Japanese): 114–115. Retrieved 2015-11-29.
  3. Satoshi Tajiri (1986-08-01). ビデヲゲーム通信. Biweekly Famicom Journal (in Japanese). Retrieved 2015-11-29.
  4. Kohler, Chris (2010-04-19). "Pokémon Creators' Fanzine Fetches High Price". Wired.
  5. "COLUMN: 'Game Mag Weaseling': Just Checking In". GameSetWatch.
  6. Previous post Next post (2010-04-19). "Pokémon Creators' Fanzine Fetches High Price | GameLife". Wired.com. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  7. Gifford, Kevin (2008-04-07). "COLUMN: 'Game Mag Weaseling': Just Checking In". GameSetWatch. Retrieved 2010-11-16.
  8. Swider, Matt. "The Pokemon Series Pokedex". Gaming Target. Gaming Target. Retrieved February 28, 2007.
  9. "Pokémon Developer Game Freak Has Purchased a Mobile Game Development Company".
  10. "Pocket Card Jockey for Nintendo 3DS". Nintendo of America, Inc. Retrieved 7 May 2016.

External links

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