Nova Games Ltd.

A Japanese video game developer active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, known for console ports and original titles.

Action

Driving

Racing

Founded

1982

United States

Known for

Platform

Games

1989–1994

Years

Platforms

$61.13

Ø CIB

+70.7%

24M change

About

Nova Games Ltd. developed and co-developed several titles for classic platforms, including the PC Engine hybrid RPG/racing game Final Lap Twin and the Sega Genesis port of Namco's Burning Force. They also worked on handheld titles for the Game Boy, including SD Lupin Sansei: Kinko Yaburi Daisakusen, Zoids Densetsu, Ultraman, and the Game Boy conversion of Battle City.

Active during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Japanese studio specialized in adapting established arcade, anime, and toy franchises for home systems. In designing Final Lap Twin (1989), the team expanded Namco's arcade racing formula by introducing a unique quest mode with role-playing elements, a significant departure from traditional racing games of the era. For the 16-bit adaptation of Burning Force (1990), the developer managed the translation of Namco's scaling-grid arcade shooter to the Sega Genesis, adapting the pseudo-3D visual style to fit the console's hardware limitations.

The studio's handheld projects heavily leveraged major Japanese intellectual properties. SD Lupin Sansei: Kinko Yaburi Daisakusen (1990) adapted Monkey Punch's famous manga series into a platforming puzzle game. Zoids Densetsu (1990) brought Tomy's popular mecha toyline to the monochrome screen as a side-scrolling shooter. Ultraman (1991) translated Tsuburaya Productions' iconic tokusatsu hero into a portable fighting game, while Battle City (1991) adapted Namco's classic multi-directional tank combat gameplay for on-the-go play. These projects established the company as a reliable technical partner for major publishers like Namco, Bandai, and Tomy during the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.