group=lower-alpha was a Japanese video game developer based in Tokyo. It was best known for its catalogue of scrolling shooters and other arcade video games. The company was founded in 1979 but its gaming division was established in 1984 by former Orca and Crux employees, who wanted to make games, after both companies declared bankruptcy. Their first shoot 'em up game, Tiger-Heli (1985) on arcades, was a success and helped establish Toaplan as a leading producer of shooting games throughout the 1980s and 1990s that would continue to characterize their output.
Though initially exclusive to arcades, they expanded with the Sega Genesis in 1990. The company ceased development of shoot 'em up projects before declaring bankruptcy in 1994. Several offshoot developers such as Eighting, Tamsoft, CAVE, Gazelle, and Takumi Corporation were formed prior to and after the closure, while former members later joined to other studios such as Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Square Enix and Taito. Toaplan has since earned recognition from critics, being called one of the greatest and most influential Japanese shoot 'em up developers and "master" of the scrolling shooter genre.
In 1992, Yoshiyuki Kiyomoto stepped down from his position as CEO at Toaplan, with Taizo Hayashi now serving as the company's president. Toaplan provided consultance and advising to Eighting (now Eighting) during the development of Sorcer Striker, as well as licensing their arcade board to the company, since the president of the latter company previously served as an employee of the former. served as one of the final projects to be developed by Toaplan, as the company ceased development of shoot 'em up games before their closure.
The company declared bankruptcy on March 31, 1994. Its closure led to the formation of several offshoot companies. Prior to Toaplan's closure in 1994, several former employees formed or were involved with multiple companies, many of which were dedicated to arcade shooters: Eighting, Tamsoft, CAVE, Gazelle, and Takumi (who continued development of Twin Cobra II after Toaplan's closure).
The rights to nearly every Toaplan IP are currently owned by Tatsujin, a Japanese company formed by Yuge. In 2020, Japanese company M2 released every game by Toaplan (excluding Mahjong Sisters and Enma Daiō) for consoles in Japan. In August 2022, Tatsujin was acquired by Embracer Group for a retro gaming focused operative group. In 2023, Tatsujin announced several new projects, such as Truxton Extreme, Snow Bros. Wonderland (both games being sequels to their respective series) and Amusement Arcade TOAPLAN, a compilation of 25 arcade games for smartphones. One of the titles from Tatsujin, Snow Bros. Wonderland, was released in 2024.
Tiger-Heli | Arcade, Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation | Taito, Romstar | Micronics (NES), Gazelle (PS1) |
Jongkyō | Arcade | Data East | |
Slap Fight | Arcade, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Thomson MO5, Thomson TO8, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, Sega Mega Drive | Taito | Probe Software (CPC/ZXS), Imagine Software (C64), France Image Logiciel (MO5/TO8), Abersoft Limited (ST), M.N.M Software (SMD) |
Mahjong Sisters | Arcade | Toaplan | |
Wardner | Arcade, Famicom Disk System, Sega Genesis | Taito | Daiei Seisakusho (FDS), Dragnet (SG) |
Twin Cobra | Arcade, PC Engine, NES, Sega Genesis, X68000, FM Towns, PlayStation | Taito, Romstar | A.I Company (PCE), Micronics (NES), Graphic Research (SG), Inter State (X68K), Ving (FMT), Gazelle (PS1) |
Truxton | Arcade, Sega Genesis, PC Engine | Taito, Midway Games | Sting Entertainment (PCE) |
Twin Hawk | Arcade, Sega Mega Drive, PC Engine, PC Engine CD-ROM² | Taito | Center Tech (PCE), NEC Avenue (PCE CD-ROM²) |
Demon's World | Arcade, PC Engine Super CD-ROM² | Taito, Catalina Games | NEC Avenue (PCE SCD-ROM²) |
Zero Wing | Arcade, Sega Mega Drive, PC Engine CD-ROM² | Namco, WMS Industries | |
Fire Shark | Arcade, Sega Genesis | Toaplan, Romstar, Dooyong | |
Out Zone | Arcade | Tecmo, Romstar, Toaplan | |
Vimana | Arcade | Tecmo, Toaplan | |
Ghox | Arcade | Taito | |
Truxton II | Arcade, FM Towns | Toaplan | Ving (FMT) |
FixEight | Arcade | Toaplan | |
Dogyuun | Arcade | Toaplan | |
Knuckle Bash | Arcade | Toaplan, Atari Games | |
Enma Daiō | Arcade | Taito | |
Batsugun | Arcade, Sega Saturn | Toaplan, Taito, Unite Trading | Gazelle (SS) |
Batsugun sequel | Shoot 'em up | Toaplan | 1 May 2001 | |
Untitled Sega System 1 game | Action | Sega | 1 June 2009 | |
Dynamic Trial 7 | Racing, vehicular combat | Toaplan | 1 June 2009 | |
Teki Paki 2 | Puzzle | 1 June 2009 | ||
Genkai Chōsen Distopia | Action, hack and slash, platform | 1 June 2009 | ||
Tank da Don!! | Platform, run and gun | 27 October 2011 |
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