Atlus

Founded in April 1986, the company's earliest industry contributions involved programming and development support for major publishers. During this formative period, staff members contributed to early sports titles such as Baseball (1983) and its subsequent revisions, including the Baseball [5 Screw] (1985) cartridge variant, as well as the 1985 and 1986 releases of Baseball.

The developer quickly expanded its portfolio into licensed adventure games. In 1987, the studio developed Labyrinth, a movie tie-in game based on the Jim Henson fantasy film, which also saw a Labyrinth [English Translation] release. This era established the technical foundation that allowed the studio to transition from anonymous contract work to publishing its own intellectual properties. Over the following decades, the company expanded its global reach by establishing North American operations, securing its position as a major influence in the localization and distribution of Japanese gaming culture worldwide.