Japan Art Media
Encyclopedia
Japan Art Media, or JAM, is a Japanese video game development studio founded in 1989. The studio began developing games for the Game Boy
, but soon branched out to develop games on many other platforms, mainly Super Nintendo
and PlayStation
. Japan Art Media also had a strong partnership with Yanoman, which published most of their games until the mid 90s.
JAM is primarily known for their series Aretha, which was very popular in Japan and spanned 3 Game Boy
and 3 Super Nintendo
games. However, after the release of Rejoice: Aretha Oukoku no Kanata
, the company never made another game in this series, instead developing games for popular franchises, most notably the Gundam
and Lunar games. To this day however there is still a large following of Aretha fans in Japan, with lots of fan-sites, fan-art and fan-fiction still being done.
JAM has experience in creating traditional RPGs
(Aretha, Songmaster, Lunar), action RPGs (Trinea, Haou Taikei Ryu Knight, Rejoice), and strategy war games (SD Gundam GNEXT, Yuugen Kaisha Chikyuu Boueitai: Earth Defenders Corporation). Recently, they have participated in the development of Super Smash Bros. Brawl
.
Game Gear
Super Nintendo
Sega Saturn
PlayStation
Game Boy Advance
Nintendo DS
Wii
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, but soon branched out to develop games on many other platforms, mainly Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
. Japan Art Media also had a strong partnership with Yanoman, which published most of their games until the mid 90s.
JAM is primarily known for their series Aretha, which was very popular in Japan and spanned 3 Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
and 3 Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
games. However, after the release of Rejoice: Aretha Oukoku no Kanata
Rejoice: Aretha Oukoku no Kanata
is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game that was released in 1995 to an exclusively Japanese market.-Summary:The game is a role-playing game about four thieves who live in a village together with some serious and some comedic content. They rob people and explore ancient ruins in search...
, the company never made another game in this series, instead developing games for popular franchises, most notably the Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
and Lunar games. To this day however there is still a large following of Aretha fans in Japan, with lots of fan-sites, fan-art and fan-fiction still being done.
JAM has experience in creating traditional RPGs
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
(Aretha, Songmaster, Lunar), action RPGs (Trinea, Haou Taikei Ryu Knight, Rejoice), and strategy war games (SD Gundam GNEXT, Yuugen Kaisha Chikyuu Boueitai: Earth Defenders Corporation). Recently, they have participated in the development of Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Super Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
.
Works
Game BoyGame Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
- ArethaAretha (video game)is a multiplatform role-playing game that was released in 1993 to an exclusively Japanese market.-Summary:This video game is about Ariel; the granddaughter of a wise old grandmother. She has turned ten years old and was given a simple task: to go through the forest to Nineveh, the nearby town, and...
(1990) - Aretha IIAretha II: Ariel no Fushigi na Tabiis a multiplatform role-playing video game that was released in 1994 to an exclusively Japanese market.-Summary:This video game continues on the story of Aretha from the original game....
(1991) - Aretha III (1992)
- Penta Dragon (1992)
Game Gear
- Eternal Legend (1991)
Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
- Song MasterSong Masteris a Super Famicom video game that was released in 1992 to an exclusively Japanese market.-Summary:The people of the planet Avalon were plagued by the evil god Ahhal who wanted nothing more than conquest. In order to fight this god, King Cain became the master of the Singing Guild; which is the...
(1992) - ArethaAretha (video game)is a multiplatform role-playing game that was released in 1993 to an exclusively Japanese market.-Summary:This video game is about Ariel; the granddaughter of a wise old grandmother. She has turned ten years old and was given a simple task: to go through the forest to Nineveh, the nearby town, and...
(1993) - Trinea (AKA Penta Dragon 2) (1993)
- Aretha IIAretha II: Ariel no Fushigi na Tabiis a multiplatform role-playing video game that was released in 1994 to an exclusively Japanese market.-Summary:This video game continues on the story of Aretha from the original game....
(1994) - Haou Taikei Ryū Knight (1994)
- Rejoice: Aretha Oukoku no KanataRejoice: Aretha Oukoku no Kanatais a Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game that was released in 1995 to an exclusively Japanese market.-Summary:The game is a role-playing game about four thieves who live in a village together with some serious and some comedic content. They rob people and explore ancient ruins in search...
(1995) - SD Gundam GNEXT (1995)
Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
- Lunar: Silver Star Story (1997)
- SD Gundam G-CENTURY (1998)
PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
- SD Gundam G-CENTURY (1997)
- Slayers Royale (1998)
- Yuugen Kaisha Chikyuu Boueitai: Earth Defenders Corporation (1999)
- Kurukuru Marumaru (2001)
- Super Tokusatsu Taisen 2001 (2001)
Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
- Lunar Legend (2001)
Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
- Lunar: Dragon SongLunar: Dragon SongLunar: Dragon Song, known in Japan and Europe as , is a role-playing video game developed by Japan Art Media for the Nintendo DS handheld console...
(2005) - RemindelightRemindelightRemindelight is a Nintendo DS game developed by Japan Art Media and published by Taito. It is an action RPG that requires the player to use the stylus to attack enemies in a 1st person view. When not fighting enemies the player walks around in a traditional top down view...
(2006)
Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
- Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
(2008)