Konami

Konami Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of computer and video games, along with other products such as toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu and slot machines. The company was founded in 1969 as a jukebox rental and repair business in Osaka, Japan by Kagemasa Kozuki, the still-current chairman and CEO. The name "Konami" is a conjunction of the names Kagemasa Kozuki, Yoshinobu Nakama, Hiro Matsuda, and Shokichi Ishihara, who were partners acquired by Kozuki and the original founders of Konami Industry Co., Ltd in 1973. Konami also means "small waves".

Konami first achieved success with hit arcade games such as 1981's Frogger, Scramble, and Super Cobra, and went on to produce software for home PCs, the MSX and Nintendo's Family Computer (Famicom or NES) game consoles

Notable Games

Over the years, some of the biggest and most memorable video games have been created by Konami. These include:

• Castlevania series (vampire-hunting)
• Silent Hill series (survival horror)
• Contra series (action/shooter)
• Ganbare Goemon series (platform/adventure)
• Metal Gear series (espionage action)
• Suikoden series (console role-playing)
• Bemani series (music-oriented)
  • Dance Dance Revolution
  • Beatmania
  • Guitar Freaks
  • Drummania
• Tokimeki Memorial series (dating simulation)
• Arcade shoot-em-up games
  
  • Gradius
  • Life Force
  • Time Pilot
  • Gyruss
  • Parodius
  • Axelay
  • TwinBee
• Cartoon licenses
  • Batman: The Animated Series
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Tiny Toon Adventures
  • The Simpsons
  • Bucky O Hare
  • G.I. Joe
  • The Goonies