banpresto

Banpresto Co., Ltd. (formerly Coreland Technology Inc.) was a Japanese video game developer and publisher headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. It had a branch in Hong Kong named Banpresto H.K., which was headquartered in the New Territories. Banpresto was a partly-owned subsidiary of toymaker Bandai from 1989 to 2006, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings from 2006 to 2008. In addition to video games, Banpresto produced toys, keyrings, apparel, and plastic models.
Banpresto was founded by Japanese businessman Yasushi Matsuda as Hoei International in April 1977. Its poor reputation led to its name being changed to Coreland Technology in 1982, becoming a contractual developer for companies such as Sega. Coreland was majority-acquired by Bandai in 1989 following severe financial difficulties and renamed Banpresto, becoming Bandai's arcade game division. Banpresto focused primarily on producing games with licensed characters, such as Ultraman and Gundam. Its sharing of Bandai's library of popular characters allowed the company to become one of Japan's largest game publishers in the 1990s.
The company's first hit was the Family Computer role-playing game (RPG) SD Battle Ōzumō: Heisei Hero Basho in 1990. The tactical RPG Super Robot Wars became one of Banpresto's biggest hits, spawning an extensive franchise with several sequels, spin-offs, and other forms of media. Banpresto was negatively impacted by the Japanese recession during the late 1990s, as well as a failed merger between Bandai and Sega in 1997, as it began enduring several financial losses. In 2006, Banpresto became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the entertainment conglomerate Bandai Namco Holdings. It continued producing games until 2008 when it was absorbed by Namco Bandai Games, and its toy and arcade divisions were spun-off into an unrelated company that carried the same name.
Banpresto produced several successful video game franchises, including Super Robot Wars, Compati Hero, Sailor Moon, Summon Night, and Another Century's Episode. It also operated amusement facilities across Japan, including Hanayashiki, as well as producing model kits, stuffed toys, and UFO catcher prizes. Banpresto has been credited for contributing to the rise in popularity of crossover video games and licensed characters for arcades, though the quality of its creative output has been criticized.

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