Konami History

Mission: Impossible (September, 1990)

Based on the short-lived 1988 revival of the original 1960s television series, Konami’s Mission: Impossible is a top-down action adventure game similar to their Metal Gear series.

Players can swap between three members of the Impossible Missions Force.

Konami “Get A Grip!” Ad (January, 1992)

An advertisement for Konami’s series of handheld electronic games. They also had ones based on their own properties including Gradius, Contra, and Blades of Steel.

The ad was featured in Marvel comics with a January 1992 cover date.

Jackal (NES / Famicom Disk System, 1988)

A home conversion of the arcade game released as Top Gunner in North America, Jackal is a two-player action game where players control heavily-armed jeeps.

In Japan the home version was only available on Famicom Disk System as Final Command: Red Fortress

Mikie (Arcade, 1984)

An maze-action game where the player controls a high school boy causing trouble in school, often by knocking over classmates and faculty.

The soundtrack includes officially licensed versions of “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles.

Konami Wai Wai World (Famicom, 1988)

A crossover platformer starring occasional Konami mascot Konami Man, new character Konami Girl, and others from the popular Konami games.

Characters can be swapped in as rescued from their own game worlds, and two players can play at once.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater Review (EGM Holiday Issue, 2004)

Top Gun (NES/Famicom, 1987)

Konami’s Top Gun was a combat flight simulation based on the hit 1986 film. The game was also a hit on the NES, selling millions of copies.

Top Gun is probably best known for its aircraft carrier landing sequences, that many found too difficult.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (SNES, December 1993)

One of three TMNT 1-on-1 fighting games published by Konami in 1993/1994.

The SNES version was also included in the 2022 TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection, made the boss characters Rat King & Karai playable for the first time.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (October, 2010)

A reboot of the Castlevania series from developer MercurySteam (Clive Barker’s Jericho), and co-produced by Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima.

Lords of Shadow plays closer to Sony’s God Of War series, than to a traditional Castlevania game.

X-Men (Arcade, 1992)

A beat-em-up based on the 1989 animated pilot X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men, that didn’t get picked up for a full series.

The game is notable for some versions of the arcade cabinet allowing for six players at the same time, with a double-length display.

Crisis Force (Famicom, August 1991)

A vertical shooter for the Famicom that didn’t get converted to the NES.

It’s two-player co-op, with each controlling one of two sisters who are handed down fighter jets to repel ancients Atlantean monsters who have returned from exile.

Silent Hill Review (Next Generation, April 1999)

Metal Gear (Famicom, 1987 / NES, 1988)

A scaled-down conversion of Hideo Kojima’s groundbreaking military stealth action game originally available for the MSX2 computer.

The game follows the soldier Solid Snake, as he infiltrates the terrorist state Outer Heaven to destroy the WMD Metal Gear.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back from the Sewers (Nintendo Game Boy, December 1991)

Konami’s follow up to their first TMNT game for the Game Boy, Fall of the Foot Clan.

Advertisements were found in Marvel comics with a cover date of February 1992.

Chibi Maruko-chan: Mezase! Minami no Island!! (Super Famicom, December 1995)

A mini-game collection based on the long-running Chibi Maruko-chan manga series created by Momoko Sakura.

In this game, the troublemaking Maruko and her classmates compete to win a tropical vacation.

G.I. Joe (Arcade, April 1992)

A four-player game where players select from G.I. Joe members Duke, Snake Eyes, Scarlet, or Roadblock.

It plays somewhat similar to Konami’s 1988 game Devastators, with joysticks and not a light gun, allowing players to move and dodge.

Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon Review (Ultra Game Players Magazine, March 1998)

Gradius (NES/Famicom, 1986)

A home conversion of Konami’s 1985 arcade game shooter, that sold a million copies worldwide, and was the first game that Konami published for the NES.

The Vic Viper ship and the Moai Head enemies appeared frequently in sequels, spin-offs, and cameos.

Konami Krazy Racers (Gameboy Advance, June 2001)

This kart racer, starring characters from various Konami games, was a launch title for the Gameboy Advance.

Konami Krazy Racers was also known as Konami Wai Wai Racing Advance in Japan as part of the Wai Wai series of crossover games.

Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster’s Hidden Treasure (Sega Genesis, 1993)

The first of two Konami games for the Sega Genesis based on the Tiny Toon Adventures cartoon.

Double page advertisements were found in Marvel comics with an April 1993 cover date.

Pooyan (Arcade, November 1982)

A single screen shooter from Konami where Mama Pig uses arrows to protect her babies from a pack of wolves on balloons.

Pooyan was the first game by Tokuro Fujiwara, who soon after went to Capcom to direct classics like Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Bionic Commando.

A review of Suikoden for the Playstation in the December 1996 issue of Gamefan magazine.

King Kong 2: Yomigaeru Densetsu (MSX2, 1986) and King Kong 2: Ikari no Megaton Punch (Famicom, 1986)

Konami released two separate games based on the 1986 film King Kong Lives.

The MSX2 version was a slower-paced adventure, while the Famicom one was an over-the-top action game.

Rumble Roses XX (Xbox 360, 2006)

An all-women pro wrestling game featuring all-original characters, and is the sequel to the PS2 game Rumble Roses.

While published by Konami, Rumble Roses XX was developed Yuke’s, the same company that made the WWE SmackDown! series.

Konami “Play Your Heart Out” Comic Book Ad

This double-page spread was included in Marvel comics that had a January 1988 cover date.

It promoted Konami’s first eight games for the NES, with the most recent having been November 1987’s Top Gun.

Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa (Arcade, November 1992)

A four-player arcade game based on the short-lived Saturday Morning animated series and toyline.

Unlike Konami’s other arcade games based on cartoons, Moo Mesa played more like their 1991 cowboy-themed shooter Sunset Riders.

Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (Worlds of Power, 1987)

A novel based on Castlevania II, aimed at younger readers, teaming Simon Belmont up with a kid named Timothy Bradley.

Other Worlds of Power books were based on Konami’s Metal Gear, and other video games like Ninja Gaiden and Blaster Master.

Ganbare Goemon (Super Famicom, 1991 - 1995)

Konami’s long-running Goemon series had four mainline entries on the Super Famicom in Japan.

Only the first of these, Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyūshutsu Emaki, came to North America, as The Legend of the Mystical Ninja for Super Nintendo.

Poy Poy (PlayStation, 1997)

A party game for up to four players using the PlayStation MultiTap, where players pick up and throw objects at each other.

Its similar to Hudson Soft’s Bomberman series, which didn’t come to the PlayStation until the following year.