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Developers
Santos
Developer
Also publisher

Santos

A Japanese video game developer active in the 1990s, known for console ports of arcade titles.
Founded
1985
Acquired
1991
HQ
Nakano, Japan
Parent
Sega
Known for
Mahjong / Puzzle / Strategy
9
Games
1991–1996
Years
5
Platforms
$74.99
Ø CIB
+31.9%
24M change

About

Santos was a Japanese game development studio that specialized in porting popular arcade titles to home consoles during the 1990s. They developed the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis ports of Toki: Going Ape Spit (JuJu Densetsu), Fatal Fury, and Garou Densetsu 2. They also developed the original adventure/golf game Battle Golfer Yui, the Game Gear version of Bust-a-Move, and the PlayStation shooter Stahlfeder: Tekkou Hikuudan.
Adapting SNK's high-performance Neo Geo arcade hardware to the Sega Mega Drive required significant technical optimization. For Fatal Fury and Garou Densetsu 2, the developer scaled down large character sprites and simplified the multi-plane playing fields to fit the memory constraints of Sega's 16-bit cartridge format. Despite these graphical compromises, these releases maintained the core fighting mechanics of the Fatal Fury franchise and introduced exclusive features, such as dedicated versus modes, to appeal to home console players.
In handling Toki: Going Ape Spit (released in Japan as JuJu Densetsu), the studio did not merely replicate the TAD Corporation arcade original; they redesigned several levels and incorporated entirely new stages, creating a distinct experience for Sega players. The production of Battle Golfer Yui demonstrated a departure from standard sports titles by integrating a narrative-driven adventure game structure with golf mechanics. For the handheld adaptation of Bust a Move, the team redesigned the visual interface to ensure the color-matching puzzle gameplay remained legible on the small, low-resolution Game Gear screen. The studio's final major project, Stahlfeder: Tekkou Hikuudan, marked their transition into 3D polygon rendering on the PlayStation, utilizing pre-rendered backgrounds and vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up mechanics.

Key People

Takeshi Tozu
Founder
Tokinori Kaneyasu
Key Person

Company History

Former names
Whiteboard Co, Ltd.

Connections

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