King Records

A Japanese music and entertainment company that published video games in the 1990s and 2000s, including the Shaman King series.

Action



Website

Founded

1931

HQ

Tokyo, Japan

Known for

Action / Platform / Adventure

21

Games

1990–2003

Years

7

Platforms

$17.41

Ø CIB

-40.5%

24M change

About

King Records is a prominent Japanese publisher that expanded into the video game market, releasing titles such as Koro Dice, Akagawa Jirou no Yurei Ressha, and Rubble Saver. The company published the Astral Bout mixed martial arts trilogy, including Sougou Kakutougi: Astral Bout 2 and Sougou Kakutougi Rings: Astral Bout 3. Additionally, King Records published multiple video game adaptations for the Shaman King franchise.

During the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, the publisher targeted Nintendo platforms to build its software library. The adventure game Akagawa Jirou no Yurei Ressha (1991) brought literary mystery to the Famicom, while the action-oriented Rubble Saver (1991) and the puzzle-based Koro Dice (1990) expanded its presence on the Game Boy. On the Super Famicom, the publisher diversified into sports and simulation titles, releasing the angling simulation Larry Nixon's Super Bass Fishing (1994) and the horse-race prediction tool Katsuba Yosou Keiba Kizoku EX '94 (1994).

These early releases laid the groundwork for the publisher's extensive integration with the Shaman King franchise. The combat mechanics developed in the mixed martial arts trilogy, consisting of Astral Bout (1992), Sougou Kakutougi: Astral Bout 2 (1994), and Sougou Kakutougi Rings: Astral Bout 3 (1995), directly influenced the tactical design of subsequent anime-based fighting games. By bridging licensed sports properties with character-driven action, these titles established the technical and thematic foundations that defined the publisher's contributions to the Shaman King gaming universe.