SETA Corporation

Not to be confused with Sega.

SETA Corporation

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Founded	October 1, 1985
Defunct	February 9, 2009
Fate	Liquidated, due to be dissolved
Headquarters	Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan
Products	Video games Arcade hardware Pachinko
Parent	Aruze
Website	www.seta.co.jp/

SETA Corporation^[a] was a Japanese computer gaming company, founded on October 1, 1985, and dissolved on February 9, 2009.^[1] SETA was headquartered in Kōtō, Tokyo,^[2] with a branch in Las Vegas, Nevada.^[3]

SETA developed and published games for consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It produced games primarily in Japan, but also in North America, focusing on golf and puzzles. SETA is commonly recognized for developing a variety of custom hardware to enhance games for Nintendo consoles, including enhancement chips, a modem, and a bio sensor. It created development tools for Nintendo's consoles.^[4] SETA also developed the Aleck 64 arcade system, based on the Nintendo 64 console.^[5] Additionally, SETA assisted in the production of the SSV arcade system, collaborating with Sammy and Visco.

In 1999, Aruze became the parent company.^[6] SETA withdrew from the game business in 2004 after releasing Legend of Golfer on the GameCube. The company announced its closure in December 2008 due to Japan's declining economic conditions.^[1] SETA officially closed on January 23, 2009, with Aruze absorbing the company's assets. It was subsequently liquidated at the Tokyo District Court on May 25, 2009.

Subsidiaries

Former subsidiaries

• UD Technology Inc (ユーディテック・ジャパン株式会社): On December 20, 2003, UD Technology Inc announced its merger with SETA Corporation, effective April 1, 2004.^[7] The merged entity became the headquarters for SETA Corporation's Unified Communication business.^[8]

• IKUSABUNE Co., Ltd. (株式会社企画デザイン工房戦船): Merged into SETA Corporation and became the headquarters for SETA Corporation's Image Contents business on April 1, 2004.^[9]

Video games

Arcade

• U.S. Classic (1987;^[10] distributed by Taito in North America, one of America's top eight best-selling arcade games of 1989^[11])
• Arbalester (1989)
• Super Real Mahjong PV (1994; Japan's seventh highest-grossing arcade printed circuit board (PCB) software of 1995^[12])

Nintendo Entertainment System

• J.B. Harold Murder Club
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• Castle of Dragon (developed by Athena)
• Formula One: Built to Win
• Honshogi: Naitou Kudan Shogi Hiden
• 8 Eyes
• Morita Shogi
• Magic Darts
• Silva Saga
• Bio Force Ape^[13] (Unreleased; ^[14] a prototype version of the unreleased game was recovered and made available online)^[15]
• UWC (Unreleased game based on WCW; a review copy was uncovered in 2019)^[16]

Game Boy

• Ayakashi no Shiro
• Battle Bull
• QBillion
• Torpedo Range

Super NES/Super Famicom

• A.S.P.: Air Strike Patrol
• Cacoma Knight in Bizyland (English version only - Original Japanese version by Datam Polystar)
• F1 ROC: Race Of Champions
• F1 ROC II: Race of Champions
• GD Leen
• Hayazashi Nidan Morita Shogi
• Hayazashi Nidan Morita Shogi 2
• Kendo Rage (Makeruna Makendo) (English version only - Original Japanese version by Datam Polystar)
• Musya: The Classic Japanese Tale of Horror (English version only - Original Japanese version by Datam Polystar)
• Super Stadium
• Nosferatu
• The Wizard of Oz
• Shodan Morita Shogi
• Silva Saga II: The Legend of Light and Darkness
• Super Real Mahjong P4
• Super Real Mahjong P5 Paradise

TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine

• Super Real Mahjong P5 Custom^[17]

Nintendo 64

• Chopper Attack
• Eikō no Saint Andrews
• Saikyō Habu Shōgi
• Morita Shogi 64
• Pachinko 365
• Tetris 64
• Ultimate War (cancelled)^[18]

PlayStation

• Kanazawa Shogi '95

Saturn

• Shougi Matsuri
• Super Real Mahjong P5
• Super Real Mahjong P6
• Super Real Mahjong P7
• Super Real Mahjong Graffiti
• Kanazawa Shougi
• Real Mahjong Adventure "Umi-He": Summer Waltz

GameCube

• Legend of Golfer

Xbox 360

• Project Sylpheed

M65C02

• Cal.50 - Licensed to Taito

Macintosh

• Super Real Mahjong P4

3DO

• Super Real Mahjong P4

Aleck 64

The Aleck 64 is an arcade system board based on the Nintendo 64, designed by SETA in cooperation with Nintendo, and sold exclusively in Japan from 1998 to 2003.^[19] It essentially consists of a Nintendo 64 board retrofitted with sound capabilities that were standard for arcade games of the time.^[20] Nintendo and SETA began working on their agreement for the board in 1996, aiming to replicate the business model that Namco and Sony Computer Entertainment had established with the Namco System 11, facilitating conversions of arcade games.^[21]

• Eleven Beat (developed with Hudson Soft)
• Hanabi de Doon! - Don-chan Puzzle (developed with Aruze)
• Hi Pai Paradise (developed with Aruze)
• Hi Pai Paradise 2 - onsen ni ikou yo! (developed with Aruze)
• Kurukuru Fever (developed with Aruze)
• Magical Tetris Challenge: Featuring Mickey (developed with Capcom)
• Mayjinsen 3
• Rev Limit (unreleased)
• Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth (developed with Hudson Soft)
• Super Real Mahjong VS
• Aleck Bordon Adventure 4th Story: Tower & Shaft (developed with Aruze and Altron)
• Vivid Dolls (developed with Visco)
• Variant Schwanzer (developed with Sigma) (unreleased)^[22]

Notes

1. Japanese: 株式会社セタ, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Seta

References

1. Anderson, John (January 21, 2009). "Veteran Japanese Studio Seta Closes Doors". Gamasutra. UBM Technology Group. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
2. "Corporation Data." Seta Corporation. February 6, 2007. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
3. "[1]." Seta USA. Retrieved on November 11, 2011.
4. "Nintendo Arcade System Nearly Complete". Next Generation. No. 33. Imagine Media. September 1997. p. 34.
5. "Seta Arcade Board Completed - IGN". July 1997 – via www.ign.com.
6. "セタが解散へ―『スーパーリアル麻雀』や『森田将棋』で知られる". Inside Games (in Japanese). IID. December 31, 2008. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020.
7. ユーディテック・ジャパン株式会社 合併のお知らせ
8. 当社との合併に伴う、ユーディテック・ジャパン株式会社、株式会社 企画デザイン工房 戦船、の事業等に関するお知らせ
9. 合併に伴うお知らせ - 新体制発足のお知らせ
10. "U.S. Classic (Registration Number TX0002697146)". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
11. "ACME Awards: AAMA Achievement Awards". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 7. April 1990. p. 94.
12. ""Virtua Fighter 2" and "Virtua Cop" Top Videos" (PDF). Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 511. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 February 1996. p. 22.
13. "Bio Force Ape". Nintendo Power. August 1991.
14. "Nintendo Power". Nintendo Power. April 1992.
15. "A website about unreleased video games". Lost Levels. 2010-04-02. Retrieved 2014-06-16.
16. "YouTuber finds an unreleased Nintendo game featuring Ric Flair & other WCW stars". WWE.
17. Staff (February 24, 1995). "ムフフフ大特集: 脱衣麻雀の女の子たち'95 - スーパーリアル麻雀シリーズ:スーパーリアル麻雀PVカスタム". Weekly Famitsu (323): 25.
18. "New High-Quality Spaceworld Footage Features Early Look at GBA & "Lost" N64 Game". 26 January 2024.
19. "Seta Aleck64 Hardware". System 16. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
20. "Tidbits...". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 98. Ziff Davis. September 1997. p. 23.
21. Svensson, Christian (September 1996). "Nintendo Opens Doors to Deals". Next Generation. No. 21. Imagine Media. p. 24.
22. "Arcade Login Vol. 1 (June 2000) (600DPI)". 30 June 2000.

External links

• Official website (archives) (in Japanese)