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Culture Brain Inc. (株式会社カルチャーブレーン, Kabushiki-gaisha Karuchā Burēn) is a Japanese video game developer and publisher founded on October 5, 1980. In 2016, it was renamed Culture Brain Excel.
History
Culture Brain was founded in 1980 as Nihon Game Corporation. In 1981, a subsidiary to handle the sales operations of the company was established. Its first video games were arcades games, with titles such as Shanghai Kid and Chinese Hero that were manufactured under "Taiyo System" trademark.
In 1987, it transitioned from arcade to console video games and renamed itself "Culture Brain". The company has also alternatively used the brand "Micro Academy" in the mid-1980s.
Culture Brain was distinct for its innovative gameplay by incorporating multiple genres in its games. Somewhat ahead of their time, the genre-bending in titles such as Scheherazade foreshadowed development of the Metroidvania genre, for example, even when games' designs were flawed. Titles such as Little Ninja Brothers built on this and were experimental, and used humor. These games combined genres, including Super Ninja Boy, the SNES entry of the Super Chinese series, which feature RPG elements alongside beat-em-up mechanics.
Like other Japanese video game companies, Culture Brain ceased its operations in the United States in the 1990s. Ever since the demise of Culture Brain USA, video games developed by the parent company have rarely made it in America. One exception is the Nintendo 64 title Flying Dragon, which was published by Natsume Inc. in the United States.
Culture Brain Excel era
In 2016, the company was renamed Culture Brain Excel and the website's URL was changed to the new name. The longtime Culture Brain logo was instantly dropped with the intent of launching a new logo in the following year.
In September 2021, Culture Brain Excel was renamed as Nihon Game once again, returning to its original name from 1980.
Subsidiary
Culture Brain also ran until 2003 a professional school, the Culture Brain Art Institute.
In this list are series which were originally released as "Chinese Hero", but became better known as Super Chinese, but with the exception of "Kung-Fu Heroes", these titles were released in North America as the "Ninja Brothers" series.
Twin Series Vol. 3: Konchuu Monster/Super Chinese Labyrinth (Game Boy Advance)
Oshare Princess series
A Japan-only series of games for the GBA (with two DS versions) about fashion and dressing up. The games feature a wide range of clothes, shoes, accessories and makeup to be used in different combinations. There are 5 GBA games and 2 DS games.
Ferret/Hamster Monogatari series
A Japan-only series of games formally about care-taking ferrets, and later about care-taking hamsters. The illustrations of the Hamster Monogatari ones were heavily inspired by Ritsuko Kawai's children's storybook series, Hamtaro.
Hamster Monogatari GB + Magi Ham Mahou no Shoujo (Game Boy Color)
Hamster Monogatari 3 GBA (Game Boy Advance)
Hamster Monogatari Collection (Game Boy Advance)
Hamster Monogatari 3EX, 4, Special (Game Boy Advance)
Konchuu Monster series
A Japan-only series of games about catching, training and battling insects. First released with Super Chinese Labyrinth both in Volume 3 of Culture Brain's Twin Series, a series of two-in-one Game Boy Advance games.
Twin Series Vol. 3: Konchuu Monster/Super Chinese Labyrinth (Game Boy Advance)
Konchuu Monster: Battle Master (Game Boy Advance)
Konchuu Monster: Battle Stadium (Game Boy Advance)
