Artdink

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Artdink Corporation
Native name
株式会社アートディンク
Company typeKabushiki gaisha
IndustryVideo games
FoundedApril 21, 1986; 39 years ago (1986-04-21)[1]
HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
Key people
Tatsuo Nagahama (President)[1]
ProductsA-Train series
Websitewww.artdink.co.jp

Artdink Corporation (株式会社アートディンク) is a Japanese video game developer founded in 1986 and based in Tsukishima, Tokyo.

While Artdink had released a large variety of games, they are best known in Japan for the A-Train series. They are closely associated with Sony Computer Entertainment since the PlayStation's early days, and more recently with Square Enix.

Overview

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The company name comes from "ART" meaning "work" and "DINK" standing for "DI" (two) + "NK" (N and K), as the company was founded by four people: two starting with the letter N (Nagahama and another person), and two starting with a K (former executives Kasai Katsushige and Kanda Hideo). The company name itself remains the same as when it was founded, but the company logo design has been changed once.

The company was founded without any intention of starting a game company. Nagahama, Kawanishi, and others were developing assemblers for Motorola CPUs as a hobby. They tried selling these assemblers and gained popularity, so four high school classmates who had previously worked in the film industry, the Defense Agency, and department stores decided to start a business together. While it would have been difficult to sustain the company on that alone, they saw potential for business in the emerging computer game market, and so they decided to work on games. The original A-Train was a product of considerable effort by Kawanishi and others, who were not particularly knowledgeable about games.

Initially, the company was run as a "research laboratory," and there was a time when all employees wore white coats. Sales promotion was mainly through campaigns and magazine advertisements, but TV commercials were aired for A5, Navito, and A-Train DS. During the period when games for the PC-9801 series were the main focus, a demo disc was sent to all registered users.

Since its founding, the company has had offices in Tokyo and around Tokyo Bay on the coast of Chiba Prefecture, and its signature work, the A-Train series, is often modeled after buildings in the Mihama Ward area. Since its 3D release, buildings in the Kaihin Makuhari area have also been used as models. For example, the "D" sign on the department store in the PlayStation version of A-Train 5 is modeled after the D Mart (now Aeon Marine Pia Specialty Store) at Inage-kaigan Station in Mihama Ward, where the company's headquarters were located at the time of development. This is because it was adjacent to the head office building and was frequented by many employees at the time.

Games

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1988–1989
  • A-Ressha de Ikou II (X68000)
  • A-Ressha de Ikou II: Shin Map (X68000)
  • Double Eagle (X68000)
  • Double Eagle: Tricky Hole (X68000)
  • How Many Robot (PC88, MSX, X68000)
  • Daikairei: Dai Nippon Teikoku Kaigun no Kiseki (X68000)
  • Daikairei: Nankai to Shitou (X68000)
  • Daikairei: Power Kit to Shin Scenario Make Kit (X68000)
  • Railroad Empire (PC)
1990–1999
2000–2009
  • A-Train 6 (PlayStation 2)
  • Turnabout (PlayStation)
  • BCV: Battle Construction Vehicles (PlayStation 2)
  • Lagnacure Legend (PlayStation)
  • Eikan wa Kimi ni: Koushien e no Michi (PlayStation 2)
  • Mahjong Gokuu Taisei (PlayStation 2)
  • Neo Atlas III (PlayStation 2)
  • Lunatic Dawn Tempest (PlayStation 2)
  • A-Ressha de Ikou 2001 (PlayStation 2)
  • Basic Studio: Powerful Game Koubou (PlayStation 2)
  • Mr. Golf (PlayStation 2)
  • Train Kit for A-Ressha de Ikou 2001 (PlayStation 2)
  • Shenseiki Evangelion Typing E-Keikaku (PlayStation 2)
  • Eikan wa Kimi ni: Koushien no Hasha (PlayStation 2)
  • Gendai Yougo no Kiso Chishiki 2001 (PlayStation 2)
  • Katei no Igaku TV Ware Series (PlayStation 2)
  • The Seed: WarZone (PlayStation 2)
  • Nihongo Daijiten (PlayStation 2)
  • Pro Atlas for TV: Zengokuban (PlayStation 2)
  • Pro Atlas for TV: Kinki (PlayStation 2)
  • Pro Atlas for TV: Shutoken (PlayStation 2)
  • Pro Atlas for TV: Toukai (PlayStation 2)
  • A-Ressha de Ikou 2001 Perfect Set (PlayStation 2)
  • Motto Golful Golf (PlayStation 2)
  • The FamiRes (PlayStation)
  • Eikan wa Kimi ni 2004: Koushien no Kodou (PlayStation 2)
  • Gundam Battle Tactics (PlayStation Portable)
  • Zipang (PlayStation 2)
  • A-Train HX (Xbox 360)
  • Carnage Hearts Portable (PlayStation Portable)
  • Gundam Battle Royale (PlayStation Portable)
  • Lisa to Issho ni Tairiku Oudan: A-Ressha de Ikou (PlayStation Portable)
  • Gundam Battle Chronicle (PlayStation Portable)
  • Aquanaut's Holiday: Kakusareta Kiroku (PlayStation 3)
  • Macross Ace Frontier (PlayStation Portable)
  • Souykuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor (PlayStation Portable)
  • A-Ressha de Ikou DS (Nintendo DS)
  • Fossil Fighters (Nintendo DS)
  • Gundam Battle Universe (PlayStation Portable)
  • Macross Ultimate Frontier (PlayStation Portable)
2010
  • A-Ressho de Ikou DS: Navigation Pack (Nintendo DS)
  • A-Train 9 (PC)
  • Carnage Heart EXA (PlayStation Portable)
  • Gundam Assault Survive (PlayStation Portable)
  • Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
  • Macross Trial Frontier (PlayStation 3)
2011
  • Macross Triangle Frontier (PlayStation Portable)
  • Macross Last Frontier (PlayStation 3)
2012
  • A-Ressha de Ikou 3D (Nintendo 3DS)
  • Bipedal Movement Simulation (PlayStation 3)
  • Gundam Seed Battle Destiny (PlayStation Vita)
  • Tantei Opera Milky Holmes 2
  • Macross: My Boyfriend is a Pilot 2012 (PlayStation 3)
Included with the movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? in a hybrid Blu-ray Disc.
2013
2014
  • A-Train 3D: City Simulator (Nintendo 3DS)
2015
2016
  • Macross Delta Scramble (PlayStation Vita)
  • Neo Atlas 1469 (PlayStation Vita, Windows)[4]
  • A-Ressha de Ikou 3D NEO (Nintendo 3DS)
  • A-Train PC Classic (Windows)
2017
2018
  • Neo Atlas 1469 (Nintendo Switch)
2019
  • A-Ressha de Ikou Exp. + (PlayStation 4)
  • Sword Art Online: Lost Song (Windows)
2020
  • Witch Spring 3 Re:Fine -The Story of the Marionette Witch Eirudy (Nintendo Switch)
2021
2022
  • Triangle Strategy (Nintendo Switch)
  • Soul Hackers 2 (Windows, Xbox One)
  • SD Gundam Battle Alliance (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
2024
2025
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  • Studio Artdink - A former affiliated company that provided contract development and debugging services for game software. On July 24, 2018, ITL Holdings acquired all of Studio Artdink's outstanding shares and made it a group company, resulting in the dissolution of the partnership with Artdink.[5] On April 1, 2024, the company name was changed to G Choice Co., Ltd.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Artdink Company Summary". www.artdink.co.jp. Artdink. Archived from the original on May 13, 1998. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  2. ^ "Vampir Kyuuketsuki Densetsu". The Playstation Datacenter. March 4, 1999. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  3. ^ Romano, Sal (January 13, 2015). "Sword Art Online: Lost Song is developed by Artdink". Gematsu. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  4. ^ Romano, Sal (June 21, 2016). "Neo Atlas 1469 announced for PS Vita". Gematsu. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  5. ^ "株式会社スタジオアートディンク株式取得に関するお知らせ | M&A". itl-hd.com. Retrieved September 15, 2025.
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