Kogado Studio Inc.

A Japanese video game developer known for tactical RPGs, sci-fi simulation games, and PC Engine titles.

Adventure



Website

Founded

1916

Tokyo, Japan

Known for

Strategy / Simulation / Visual Novel

Games

1985–2023

Years

Platforms

$25.41

Ø CIB

-40.8%

24M change

About

Kogado Studio Inc. is a long-running Japanese developer that created notable tactical and simulation games during the 1980s and 1990s. The studio developed titles such as Super Schwarzschild and Mega Schwarzschild, as well as the PC Engine release of Mad Stalker (1995) and the tactical RPG Record of Lodoss War (1994). Their portfolio also includes releases like NGA, Bakuden: Unbalance Zone, and Solid Force.

Established in the early era of Japanese personal computing, the developer carved out a niche by translating complex tactical systems to home consoles and computers. Within the Record of Lodoss War franchise, the studio's 1994 release leveraged CD-ROM capabilities to deliver animated cutscenes and a rich soundtrack, adapting the high-fantasy light novel series into a grid-based strategy format.

For the Mad Stalker franchise, the developer's 1995 PC Engine port of Mad Stalker refined the original computer release's side-scrolling mecha combat, adjusting the gameplay balance and utilizing the system's hardware to handle large, detailed sprites.

This technical adaptability also defined their work on NGA (1985), an early title that helped lay the groundwork for their simulation design. The studio's strategic lineage peaked with the space-opera mechanics of Super Schwarzschild (1991) and Mega Schwarzschild (1993), which emphasized resource management and fleet positioning. This tactical expertise carried over into the sci-fi settings of Bakuden: Unbalance Zone (1994) and the isometric strategy of Solid Force (1995), cementing their role as a key contributor to Japan's 1990s strategy gaming landscape.