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Companies & Studios

Tecmo

Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive

Tecmo developed challenging action games and the Dead or Alive fighting series before merging with Koei to form Koei Tecmo Holdings.

nintendo-entertainment-systemarcadesony-playstationxboxdeveloperpublisherjapanese1967–2010

Overview

Challenge as identity. Tecmo built a reputation on demanding games—NES Ninja Gaiden’s precision platforming, Rygar’s action-RPG combat, Dead or Alive’s technical fighting. Team Ninja became their premier development studio. The 2010 merger with Koei created a larger entity, but Tecmo’s action game legacy continued through Team Ninja’s output.

Fast facts

  • Founded: 1967.
  • Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan.
  • Merged: Koei Tecmo (2010).
  • Key studio: Team Ninja.

NES era

Title Year Genre
Ninja Gaiden 1988 Action platformer
Rygar 1987 Action RPG
Tecmo Bowl 1987 Sports

Team Ninja era

Title Year Platform
Dead or Alive 1996 Arcade
DOA2 1999 Dreamcast
Ninja Gaiden (Xbox) 2004 Xbox

Sports games

Title Innovation
Tecmo Bowl Simplified American football
Tecmo Super Bowl Player licenses
Monster Rancher Creature breeding

Koei merger

Factor Detail
Year 2010
Result Koei Tecmo Holdings
Continuation Brands preserved
Team Ninja Ongoing development

See also