From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Japanese video game publishing company
Nihon Falcom is a Japanese
video game
development and
publishing company founded in 1981. While the company has actively developed video games since their inception, their games were not consistently localized and published until the 2010s.
[1] The company originally focused on developing games for Japanese
personal computers . In the 2000s, the company moved into developing games for
Sony 's
PlayStation brand , particularly the
PlayStation Portable , while continuing development on PCs on
Windows , to reach a broader demographic.
[2]
[3] The move was internally seen as a success, and broadened their fanbase in Western territories, leading the company to put greater emphasis into English translations and releases of their games in the 2010s.
[3]
[4] Since the 2010s, the company generally releases one game per year.
[5] By the end of the decade, the company started seeing success in porting their games to the
Nintendo Switch platform, leading them to start internal development on the Switch moving into the 2020s, alongside an even greater push for multi-platform publishing.
[6]
Video games
List of games
Title
Year
System(s)
JP
NA
EU
Ref(s)
Galactic Wars
1982
PC-8801
Yes
[7]
Super Mahjong
1983
Sharp X1
Yes
[8]
Computer the Golf
PC-8801
Yes
[8]
Horror House
PC-8801
Yes
[9]
Private Stripper
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
FM-7
Yes
[8]
Panorama Toh
PC-8801
Yes
[10]
[11]
Horror House Part-II
PC-8801
Yes
[9]
Monster House
1984
Sharp MZ
Yes
[9]
Demon's Ring
PC-8801 ,
FM-7 ,
PC-9801
Yes
[12]
Asteka
PC-8801 ,
FM-7 ,
PC-9801
Yes
[9]
Escape from Twilight Zone
FM-7
Yes
[12]
Dragon Slayer
PC-8801 ,
FM-7 ,
Sharp X1 ,
MSX
Yes
[13]
Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu
1985
Sharp X1 ,
PC-8801 ,
FM-7 ,
PC-9800 ,
MSX ,
MSX 2
Yes
[14]
Xanadu Scenario II
1986
PC-8801 ,
FM-7 ,
PC-9801
Yes
[14]
Dragon Slayer Jr: Romancia
Sharp X1 ,
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
MSX ,
MSX 2
Yes
[15]
Tombs & Treasure
Sharp X1 ,
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
FM-7 ,
MSX 2
Yes
Yes
[8]
Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished
1987
PC-8801 ,
Sharp X1 ,
PC-9801 ,
FM-7 ,
MSX2 ,
Master System
Yes
Yes
Yes
[10]
Dragon Slayer IV - Drasle Family
MSX ,
MSX2 ,
Famicom
Yes
[16]
Legacy of the Wizard
1989
Nintendo Entertainment System
Yes
Yes
[17]
Sorcerian
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
Sharp X1 ,
MSX2 ,
MS-DOS
Yes
Yes
[18]
Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished - The Final Chapter
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
FM-7 ,
Sharp X1 ,
MSX2
Yes
[19]
Star Trader
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801
Yes
[20]
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
MSX2 ,
Sega Genesis ,
SNES
Yes
Yes
[21]
Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
FM TOWNS ,
TurboGrafx-CD
Yes
Yes
[16]
Dinosaur
1990
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
FM TOWNS
Yes
[22]
Lord Monarch
1991
PC-8801 ,
FM TOWNS
Yes
[23]
Brandish
PC-8801 ,
FM TOWNS ,
SNES
Yes
Yes
[24]
Popful Mail
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
Super Nintendo ,
Sega CD
Yes
Yes
[25]
Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes II
1992
PC-8801 ,
PC-9801 ,
MSX2
Yes
[26]
Brandish 2: The Planet Buster
1993
PC-9801
Yes
[27]
The Legend of Xanadu
1994
TurboGrafx-16
Yes
[28]
The Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch
PC-9801
Yes
[29]
Brandish 3: Spirit of Balcan
PC-9801
Yes
[30]
Revival Xanadu
PC-9801
Yes
[14]
The Legend of Xanadu II
1995
PC Engine CD
Yes
[31]
Revival Xanadu II Remix
PC-9801
Yes
[14]
Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand
Super Nintendo
Yes
[32]
The Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion
1996
Windows ,
PlayStation Portable
Yes
Yes
Yes
[33]
Brandish VT
PC-9801
Yes
[34]
Lord Monarch Original
Windows
Yes
[23]
Lord Monarch First
1997
Windows
Yes
[23]
Lord Monarch Pro
Windows
Yes
[23]
Sorcerian Forever
Windows
Yes
[18]
Vantage Master
Windows
Yes
[35]
Ys I Eternal
1998
Windows
Yes
[19]
Vantage Master V2
Windows
Yes
Yes
[35]
Monarch Monarch
Windows
Yes
[23]
Brandish 4
1999
Windows
Yes
[34]
The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean
Windows ,
PlayStation Portable
Yes
Yes
Yes
[36]
Ys II Eternal
2000
Windows
Yes
[19]
Sorcerian Original
Windows
Yes
[18]
Ys I & II Complete
2001
Windows ,
PlayStation Portable ,
PlayStation 2 ,
Nintendo DS ,
iOS ,
Android
Yes
Yes
Yes
[19]
Zwei: The Arges Adventure
Windows ,
PlayStation Portable ,
PlayStation 2
Yes
Yes
Yes
[37]
VM Japan
2002
Windows
Yes
[38]
[39]
Dinosaur Resurrection
Windows
Yes
[22]
Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim
2003
Windows ,
PlayStation Portable ,
PlayStation 2 ,
iOS ,
Android
Yes
Yes
Yes
[40]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
2004
Windows ,
PlayStation Portable ,
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 3
Yes
Yes
Yes
[41]
Gurumin
Windows ,
PlayStation Portable ,
Nintendo 3DS
Yes
Yes
Yes
[42]
Rinne
2005
Windows
Yes
[43]
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
PlayStation Portable ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
Yes
Yes
[44]
Xanadu Next
Windows ,
N-Gage
Yes
Yes
Yes
[45]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
2006
PlayStation Portable ,
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 3 ,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[46]
Ys Origin
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 4 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch ,
Xbox One
Yes
Yes
Yes
[47]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd
2007
PlayStation Portable ,
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 3 ,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[48]
Vantage Master Portable
2009
PlayStation Portable
Yes
Yes
Yes
[49]
Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[50]
Brandish: The Dark Revenant
PlayStation Portable
Yes
Yes
Yes
[51]
Ys I & II Chronicles
PlayStation Portable ,
Windows ,
iOS ,
Android
Yes
Yes
Yes
[52]
Ys Seven
PlayStation Portable ,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[53]
Ys vs. Trails in the Sky
2010
PlayStation Portable
Yes
[54]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
PlayStation Portable ,
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 4 ,
Nintendo Switch ,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[55]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
2011
PlayStation Portable ,
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 4 ,
Nintendo Switch ,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[56]
The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
2012
PlayStation Portable ,
PlayStation 4 ,
Nintendo Switch ,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[57]
Ys: Memories of Celceta
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 4 ,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[58]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
2013
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 3 ,
PlayStation 4 ,
Nintendo Switch ,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[59]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
2014
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 3 ,
PlayStation 4 ,
Nintendo Switch ,
Windows
Yes
Yes
Yes
[59]
Tokyo Xanadu
2015
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 4 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
Yes
Yes
[60]
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
2016
PlayStation Vita ,
PlayStation 4 ,
PlayStation 5 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
Yes
Yes
[61]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III
2017
PlayStation 4 ,
PlayStation 5 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
Yes
Yes
[62]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV
2018
PlayStation 4 ,
PlayStation 5 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
Yes
Yes
[63]
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
2019
PlayStation 4 ,
PlayStation 5 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
Yes
Yes
[64]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie
2020
PlayStation 4 ,
PlayStation 5 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
Yes
Yes
[65]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak
2021
PlayStation 4 ,
PlayStation 5 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
Scheduled
Scheduled
[66]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak II
2022
PlayStation 4 ,
PlayStation 5 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
[67]
Ys X: Nordics
2023
PlayStation 4 ,
PlayStation 5 ,
Windows ,
Nintendo Switch
Yes
Scheduled
Scheduled
[68]
The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki -Farewell, O Zemuria-
2024
TBA
Scheduled
[69]
Tokyo Xanadu New Project
TBA
TBA
Scheduled
[70]
See also
References
^ Fenlon, Wes (30 November 2017).
"After 24 years, this classic Nihon Falcom JRPG is playable in English on PC" . PC Gamer. Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Nihon Falcom May Be Bringing Retro Titles to Nintendo Switch | RPGFan" . www.rpgfan.com . May 19, 2022.
^
a
b
"A 30 Year Fantasy: The Story of Falcom's Resurgence" . Game Developer . January 6, 2012.
^ Tom Massey (14 February 2016).
"Falcom vs the fans" . Eurogamer.net . Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^
"Falcom considering turning Tokyo Xanadu into a franchise" . Gematsu . June 18, 2018.
^
"Japanese RPG Heavyweight Nihon Falcom Is Bringing Switch Development In-House" . Nintendo Life . November 12, 2021.
^ Allen, Robert (April 9, 2015).
"A Q&A with Nihon Falcom/Mastiff Games" .
^
a
b
c
d
"Falcoming Home - The X Button" . Anime News Network. 2015-01-28. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^
a
b
c
d Kalata, Kurt (2008-11-07).
"Asteka – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^
a
b Wallace, Kimberley (2021-09-06).
"Nihon Falcom's 40 Years of RPG Glory" . Game Informer. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^
"Hardcore Gaming 101 - Blog: Dark Age of JRPGs (7): Panorama Toh ぱのらま島 - PC-88 (1983)" . Blog.hardcoregaming101.net. 2013-06-02. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^
a
b shmuplations (2022-01-03).
"Ys – Developer Interview Collection (1987-1998)" . shmuplations.com. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^ Kalata, Kurt (2017-08-08).
"Dragon Slayer – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^
a
b
c
d Kalata, Kurt (2014-05-25).
"Xanadu – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^ Kalata, Kurt (2017-08-16).
"Romancia – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^
a
b
"Gamasutra - Features - Game Design Essentials: 20 RPGs" . Archived from
the original on 2011-10-12. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^ Rasa, Chris (2017-07-25).
"Legacy of the Wizard – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^
a
b
c Al LaPrade on July 13, 2009 (2009-07-13).
"Sorcerian – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01 . {{
cite web }}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link )
^
a
b
c
d Kalata, Kurt (2017-08-15).
"Ys Book I & II – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^ Kalata, Kurt (2017-05-04).
"Star Trader – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^ Kalata, Kurt (2017-08-15).
"Ys III: Wanderers from Ys – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-12-01 .
^
a
b
"Dinosaur – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
a
b
c
d
e
"Lord Monarch – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Brandish – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Popful Mail – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes II | RPGFan" . www.rpgfan.com .
^
"Brandish 2: The Planet Buster – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Legend of Xanadu, The – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Evil West Review - Undead Redemption - GameSpot" . www.gamespot.com .
^
"Brandish 3: Spirit of Balcan – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Legend of Xanadu II, The – Hardcore Gaming 101" .
^
"Ys V: Ushinawareta Suna no Miyako Kefin – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion Review - GameSpot" . www.gamespot.com .
^
a
b
"Brandish VT – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
a
b
"Vantage Master – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^ Haynes, Jeff (January 23, 2007).
"The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean Review" . IGN .
^ Vitale, Adam.
"Zwei: The Arges Adventure Review | RPG Site" . www.rpgsite.net .
^
"VM Japan Original Soundtrack Music Review | RPGFan" . www.rpgfan.com . April 21, 2005.
^ I. G. N. Staff (February 7, 2005).
"Now Playing in Japan" . IGN .
^
"Ys: The Ark of Napishtim Review" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^ Bailey, Kat (October 15, 2015).
"The Extra 10 Percent: XSEED Succeeds in the Age of Digital Distribution" .
^ Vitale, Adam.
"Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure Review | RPG Site" . www.rpgsite.net .
^
"Rinne – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^ Dyer, Mitch (November 2, 2010).
"Ys: The Oath in Felghana review" . gamesradar .
^
"Xanadu Next Review" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC is on the wrong side of the JRPG revival" . 19 November 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"SwitchArcade Round-Up: 'Ys Origin' Review, Mini-Views Featuring 'Let's Sing Queen' and More, Plus Today's New Releases and Sales – TouchArcade" . 5 October 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Trails in the Sky: The 3rd Is Actually Coming West" . Kotaku . March 11, 2016.
^
"Vantage Master Portable – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^ Parish, Jeremy (January 21, 2015).
"Brandish: The Dark Revenant PSP/Vita Review: Niche, But Nice" .
^ Thomas, Lucas M. (February 23, 2011).
"Ys I & II Chronicles Review" . IGN .
^ Kim, Matt (July 15, 2017).
"XSEED Announced a Brand New PC Port of Ys Seven" .
^
"Falcom Presents This Ys Vs. Sora No Kiseki Trailer" . June 30, 2010.
^
"The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero coming west in fall 2022 for PS4, Switch, and PC" . Gematsu . June 25, 2021.
^
"The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure launches March 14, 2023 in North America, March 17 in Europe" . Gematsu . 17 October 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails coming west in 2023 for PS4, Switch, and PC" . Gematsu . June 25, 2021.
^
"Ys: Memories of Celceta review" . Eurogamer.net . February 20, 2014.
^
a
b
"The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel I and II for Switch launch July 8 and August 5 in Japan and Asia" . Gematsu . 15 April 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^ Vitale, Bryan.
"Tokyo Xanadu eX+ for PlayStation 4 releases on December 8 in North America and Europe | RPG Site" . www.rpgsite.net .
^
"Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA coming to smartphones worldwide" . Gematsu . 17 April 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III is finally coming to North America" . January 17, 2019.
^ Wallace, Kimberley.
"Release Date Revealed For The Legend Of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV On PS4" . Game Informer .
^ Oxford, Nadia (February 10, 2021).
"Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Review" . IGN .
^
"The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie launches in summer 2023 in the west for PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC" . Gematsu . 21 October 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak coming west in summer 2024 for PS5, PS4, Switch, and PC" . Gematsu . 2023-09-21. Retrieved 2023-09-21 .
^
"The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki II -CRIMSON SiN- launches September 29 in Japan" . Gematsu . 8 June 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Ys X: Nordics announced for PS5, PS4, and Switch" . Gematsu . 15 December 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022 .
^ Romano, Sal (15 December 2023).
"The Legend of Heroes: Kai no Kiseki – Farewell, O Zemuria announced" . Gematsu . Retrieved 1 January 2024 .
^
"Falcom Teases 'Tokyo Xanadu New Project' " . RPGFan . 20 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024 .
^
"Faxanadu – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Ys IV: Dawn of Ys / Mask of the Sun – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
^
"Ys Strategy – Hardcore Gaming 101" . Retrieved 1 December 2022 .
Main series Spin-offs Related
Dragon Slayer Gagharv
Trails in the Sky Crossbell Trails of Cold Steel Trails Through Daybreak Spin-offs
Related
Main series
Spin-offs Anime Developers