Treasure

Treasure is a Japanese video game developer, founded by former employees of Konami on June 19, 1992.^[1] Treasure is best known for classic-style action games that employ innovative gameplay systems. Their greatest commercial successes have been games like Wario World and Mischief Makers, but they are better known for their critical successes, such as Gunstar Heroes, Dynamite Headdy, Alien Soldier, Guardian Heroes, Radiant Silvergun, Bangai-O, Sin and Punishment, and Ikaruga.

Treasure is a small, privately held company, consisting of around 30-40 members, though this number is somewhat misleading as they also employ independent contractors to assist development and sometimes partner with other companies like Nintendo, G.rev, and Sega to increase the size of their teams.

Because Treasure is a small, independent company, they generally depend on outside partnerships to finance development. As a result, they have worked on many titles based on licenses, including Astro Boy, McDonald's, Bleach and Tiny Toons, as well as partnering with companies like Sega, Enix and Nintendo to produce original properties. They have produced a handful of independently produced games, most notably their arcade shooters, Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun.

Internal structure

Treasure does not have a rigid hierarchy. There are not designated "directors" from project to project; all directors also work as programmers, artists, or composers, and may work on other projects that they are not directing. There are, however, a handful of individuals who have frequently taken a greater leadership role with various teams more often than others. All of the individuals listed below were also founding members of the company.

Masato Maegawa is the company's president, founder, and acts as executive producer for all games. Early on, he also directed a games and worked as a programmer. The last game for which he performed a role other than executive producer was Mischief Makers.

Hideyuki Suganami, usually credited as NAMI, led the development of several Treasure games, including Mischief Makers and Alien Soldier, and Sin and Punishment. He left the company sometime after Sin and Punishment, but remains on good terms with the company, heading development of Gunstar Super Heroes on a contractual basis.

Hiroshi Iuchi is a graphic designer specializing in background art. He left the company in the mid-'90s, but returned when he was offered the opportunity to assume a greater leadership role. He was the primary creative force behind Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga, and Gradius V. He also composes music, which he did for Ikaruga.

Yoshiyuki Matsumoto or Yaiman is a programmer and key creative force behind many Treasure games, and has a particular interest in scrolling action games. He was the primary creative force behind Bangai-O and its sequel, and is frequently credited as Assistant Director on most games he works on because of his strong creative role.

Tetsuhiko Kikuchi (credited as HAN in design roles) is an artist and character designer who had directed several Treasure games, including writing, directing, and creating much of the art for Guardian Heroes and its sequel. He also directed Yu Yu Hakusho: Makyo Toitsusen, Rakugaki Showtime, and the unreleased Tiny Toon Adventures: Defenders of the Universe. He seems to have left the company sometime in 2007.

Games developed by Treasure

Items marked with a "*" were not released in North America/Europe/Australia.^[2]

• Gunstar Heroes (1993, Sega, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis; 1995, Sega, Sega Game Gear; 2006, Sega, Virtual Console; Game Gear port developed by M2)
• McDonald's Treasureland Adventure (1993, Sega, Mega Drive/Genesis)
• Dynamite Headdy (1994, Sega, Mega Drive/Genesis; 1994, Sega, Game Gear; 1994, Sega, Master System*; 2007, Sega, Virtual Console; Game Gear port developed by Minato Giken)
• YuYu Hakusho Makyoutoissen (幽☆遊☆白書 魔強統一戦) (1994, Sega, Mega Drive*)
• Alien Soldier (1995, Sega, Mega Drive; 2007, Sega, Virtual Console)
• Light Crusader (1995, Sega, Mega Drive/Genesis; 2007, Sega, Virtual Console)
• Guardian Heroes (1996, Sega, Sega Saturn)
• Mischief Makers (ゆけゆけ！トラブルメーカーズ yuke-yuke! Trouble Makers) (1997, Enix (JP)/Nintendo (US/EU), Nintendo 64)
• Silhouette Mirage (1997, ESP, Saturn*; 1998, ESP (JP)/Working Designs (US), PlayStation)
• Radiant Silvergun (1998, self-published, Arcade*; 1998, ESP, Saturn*)
• Rakugaki Showtime (1999, Enix, PlayStation*)
• Bangai-O/Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh (爆裂無敵バンガイオー) (1999, ESP, N64*; 1999 (JP)/2000 (EU)/2001 (US), ESP (JP)/Swing! Games (EU)/Conspiracy Entertainment (US), Dreamcast)
• GunBeat (cancelled, unknown publisher, arcade)
• Silpheed: The Lost Planet (2000 (JP)/2001 (US/EU), Capcom (JP)/Swing! Games and Conspiracy Entertainment (EU)/Working Designs (US), PlayStation 2 developed in collaboration with Game Arts, Sega)
• Sin and Punishment: Successor to the Earth (罪と罰～地球（ほし）の継承者～) (2000, Nintendo, Nintendo 64*; 2007, Nintendo, Virtual Console)
• Stretch Panic (ひっぱリンダ hippa linda) (Freak Out) (2001, Conspiracy Entertainment (US)/Swing! Games (EU)/Kadokawa Shoten (JP), PlayStation 2)
• Ikaruga (斑鳩) (2001, self-published, Arcade*; 2002, ESP, Dreamcast*; 2003, Atari, Nintendo GameCube; 2008, Xbox Live Arcade; developed in collaboration with G.Rev)
• Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Bad Dream AKA: Scary Dreams (2002, Swing! Games (EU)/Conspiracy Games (US), Nintendo Game Boy Advance)
• Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting (Game Boy Advance)
• Tiny Toon Adventures: Defenders of the Universe (cancelled, Swing! Games (EU)/Conspiracy Games (US), PlayStation 2, GameCube)
• Wario World (2003, Nintendo, GameCube)
• Dragon Drive D-Masters Shot (2003, Bandai, GameCube*)
• Astro Boy: Omega Factor (2004, Sega, Game Boy Advance; developed in collaboration with the Sega team Hitmaker)
• Gradius V (2004, Konami, PlayStation 2; developed in collaboration with G.Rev)
• Advance Guardian Heroes (2004, Ubisoft, Game Boy Advance)
• Gunstar Super Heroes (Gunstar Future Heroes) (2005, Sega, Game Boy Advance)
• Bleach: The Blade of Fate (2006, Sega, Nintendo DS)
• Bleach: Dark Souls (2007, Sega, Nintendo DS)
• Gunstar Heroes Treasure Box (also contains Dynamite Headdy and Alien Soldier) (February 23, 2006, Sega, PlayStation 2*; developed by M2)
• Bangai-O Spirits (March 19, 2008, ESP, Nintendo DS)
• Untitled Xbox 360 Shooter (TBA, Unknown publisher, Xbox 360)
• Bleach: Versus Crusade (2008, Sega, Wii)
• Sin and Punishment 2 (2009, Nintendo, Wii)

References

External links

• Treasure HomePage (Japanese)
• Treasure Co. Ltd profile on MobyGames
• SF Kosmo - comprehensive fan site
• Treasure Entry at gaming wiki Encyclopedia Gamia
• An illustrated history of Treasure
• Seven Force, unofficial spanish resource