C-Lab

A Japanese video game developer active in the early 1990s, known for developing titles for the Super Famicom and NES.

Action

Educational

Role-playing (RPG)

Founded

1990

HQ

Tokyo, Japan

Known for

Action / Platformer

24

Games

1990–1998

Years

8

Platforms

$16.94

Ø CIB

-19.3%

24M change

About

C-Lab developed several sports and simulation titles during the 16-bit era, including Pro Soccer, World League Soccer, and Super Street Basketball. They were also responsible for the Super Famicom port of the arcade game Rampart, as well as Japanese-exclusive releases like Action Pachio and Bakushou Jinsei Gekijou 2.

Operating primarily as a contract developer during the Famicom and Super Famicom era, the studio collaborated with various prominent Japanese publishers, including Taito, Imagineer, and Pack-In-Video. Their early output on the 8-bit Famicom focused on niche simulation and board games. Isaki Shuugorou no Keiba Hisshou Gaku (1990) offered horse-race wagering simulation based on the expertise of the titular Japanese sports journalist, while Bakushou Jinsei Gekijou 2 (1991) expanded Taito's popular virtual board game series with humorous life-path mechanics.

As hardware transitioned to 16-bit, the developer diversified into sports and action genres. Their soccer titles, Pro Soccer (1991) and World League Soccer (1992), utilized Mode 7 scrolling techniques to simulate 3D pitches on the Super Famicom. For Super Street Basketball (1992), they delivered fast-paced, arcade-style hoop physics. The studio also adapted licensed properties, translating the mahjong manga of Masahiko Kikuni into Kikuni Masahiko no Jantoushi Dora Ou (1993). Their platforming effort, Action Pachio (1993), transformed a pachinko mascot into a side-scrolling hero, while their technical versatility was demonstrated in the console translation of Atari's strategy-action hybrid Rampart (1993).