( doing business as Camelot Software Planning) is a Japanese

video game developer A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ...

established in 1990 under the name Sega CD4, but quickly renamed to Sonic! Software Planning. Named after

Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...

, they were closely involved with

Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...

and responsible for initial development of the ''Shining'' series. In 1995, there was a brief period where they worked for Sony Computer Entertainment in addition to creating ''Shining'' products. By 2001, now known as Camelot, they had partnered with

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...

to create the ''

Mario Tennis ''Mario Tennis'' is a 2000 sports video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Following ''Mario's Tennis'', it is the second game in the List of Mario sports games#Mario Tennis series, ''Mari ...

'' and ''

Mario Golf There have been numerous sports games in the ''Mario'' franchise. Although originally a branch of the Mario sports games, the ''Mario Kart'' series is not included in this list, as it has since become a stand-alone series in the Mario franchise. ...

'' series of

sports game A sports video game is a video game that simulates the practice of sports. Most sports have been recreated with a game, including team sports, track and field, extreme sports, and combat sports. Some games emphasize actually playing the sport (s ...

s, as well as the

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

series ''Golden Sun''.

History

Camelot was founded in 1990 as a division of

known as Sega CD4 (Consumer Development Studio #4), soon changing their name to Sonic! Software Planning, which was formed to create, alongside Climax Entertainment, ''

Shining in the Darkness ''Shining in the Darkness'', released as in Japan, is a 1991 role-playing video game for the Sega Genesis, Mega Drive/Genesis video game console. It was one of the first role-playing games released for the system, and was the first in the Shining ...

'' for the Sega

Mega Drive/Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

. The studio also developed other successful games in the franchise, including ''

Shining Force is a 1992 turn-based tactical role-playing game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console. While primarily a traditional fantasy-themed game, it contains some science fiction elements. The game has been repeatedly re-released: in Sega Smash Pack Vol ...

'' and ''

Shining Force II is a tactical role-playing game for the Mega Drive/Genesis console developed by Sonic! Software Planning in 1993. Its storyline is not directly connected to the original '' Shining Force'', although a Game Gear title '' Shining Force Gaiden: Fin ...

''. In 1995, Sonic! officially separated from Sega, but agreed to continue developing games for the ''Shining'' series and to not release any games for rival systems that would threaten the success of the '' Shining'' franchise By ''

Shining Force III is a trilogy of fantasy turn-based tactics role-playing video games designed for the Sega Saturn. These games served as sequels to Shining the Holy Ark and were the final entries in the Shining series to be developed by Camelot Software Plann ...

'', the studio had begun operating under its current name, Camelot Software Planning. In late 1998, Sega began focusing their resources on the Dreamcast, leaving Camelot with their final ''Shining Force III'' scenario, for the

Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it was the successor to the succ ...

, in jeopardy. Though the scenario was released, Camelot decided to move away from Sega completely and have since worked mostly for

. The company developed many ''Mario'' sports games, including ''

'', and ''

'', as well as the ''Golden Sun'' series of role-playing games. The creation of the ''Mario'' character, Waluigi, can be attributed to Camelot Software, after ''Mario'' creator

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he is ...

consulted with them to create a "Wario-like" counterpart for Luigi during the development of ''

''.

Developed games

Cancelled

* ''I Love Golf'' – (PC)

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Video game companies of Japan Video game development companies Software companies based in Tokyo Nintendo divisions and subsidiaries Video game companies established in 1990 Japanese companies established in 1990