NTDEC
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2014) |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Defunct | 1993 |
| Fate | Nintendo's lawsuit |
| Headquarters | , |
Nintendo Electronic Co. (Chinese: 任天堂電子有限公司) or NTDEC was a Taiwanese manufacturer of video game cartridges, accessories and original games for the NES and Famicom. They also manufactured Famicom to NES converters to play Famicom games on the NES. The company was founded in 1983 (according to the Asder official website), but in the 80's its activities were and are still today unknown.
History
Copyright infringement
NTDEC produced a large number of unlicensed copies of games between 1989 and 1991, which were sold in Asia and in the USA via mail order. Unusual among counterfeit cartridge manufacturers, NTDEC cartridges are often identifiable by the company logo on the cartridge and the in-game copyright noticed modified to read "NTDEC", as well as the rear label featuring a green "QUALITY GUARANTY" (sic) stripe. Legal action was brought against the company by Nintendo in 1993 for its activities in the US,[1] as well as its use of the "Nintendo" trademark in its company name.[2]
Original games
Between 1991 and 1993, NTDEC published a number of original games in Asia, some of which were distributed in parts of South America and Europe. Many of these games are credited to Mega Soft, a California-based company which was listed in Nintendo of America, Inc. v. NTDEC as NTDEC's North American distribution arm.[3][4] Six games previously released by NTDEC/Mega Soft in 1991 were compiled on the Caltron 6 in 1 cartridge in 1992, which was distributed in the US - since this cartridge contains only NTDEC/Mega Soft games and carries the same CN-xx ID as the previous original NTDEC games, Caltron is believed to be the same company as NTDEC.
List of titles developed as NTDEC
| # | Title | Original release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokey | 1989 | 1) 4 minigames in 1: Bingo, Hi-Lo Poker, Puzzler, and Kentucky Derby. 2) All his four minigames were later included separately in Asder 20-in-1, made by Asder (the NTDEC's company successor) in 1993. |
| 2 | Adam & Eve | 1991 | 1) Game included later in Caltron 6 in 1 in 1992. 2) A clone of Balloon Fight. |
| 3 | Bookyman | 1991 | 1) Game included later in Caltron 6 in 1 in 1992. 2) A hack of Hwang Shinwei's game Brush Roller. |
| 4 | Destroyer | 1992 | |
| 5 | Go! Benny! | 1992 | |
| 6 | Tank | 1992[5] | Similar to Battle City. |
| 7 | Fighting Hero III | 1993 | |
| 8 | Master Shooter | 1993 | |
| 9 | Chik Bik Ji Jin - Saam Gwok Ji | Unknown | Also known as Three Kingdoms: Battle of Red Cliff (Sānguó Zhì - Chìbì Zhī Zhàn). |
List of titles developed as Mega Soft
| # | Title | Original release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Balloon Monster | 1991 | 1) Game included later in Caltron 6 in 1 in 1992. 2) A clone of Pang. |
| 2 | Cosmos Cop | 1991 | 1) Game included later in Caltron 6 in 1 in 1992. 2) A clone of Space Harrier. |
| 3 | Fighting Hero | 1991 | Similar to Street Fighter. |
| 4 | Hit Marmot | 1991 | |
| 5 | Magic Block | 1991 | |
| 6 | Magic Carpet 1001 | 1991 | 1) Game included later in Caltron 6 in 1 in 1992. 2) Also known as Arabian Nights (Tiānfāng Yè Tán) |
| 7 | Porter | 1991 | 1) Game included later in Caltron 6 in 1 in 1992. 2) A clone of Sokoban. |
| 8 | War in the Gulf | 1991 | |
| 9 | Sea of Dreamland | 1992 |
List of titles developed as Caltron
| # | Title | Original release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caltron 6 in 1 | 1992 | 6 games in 1: Cosmos Cop, Magic Carpet 1001, Balloon Monster, Adam & Eve, Porter, and Bookyman. |
| 2 | Skate Boy | 1992 |
Unreleased games
- Dragon Palace Adventure
- The Pearl Turn
Asder
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games (1993–1994) Educational software |
| Founded | 1983 (as NTDEC's foundation year) 1993 (as NTDEC's successor) |
| Headquarters | 3F-1, No. 22 SEC. 2 Keelung Road, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. |
Key people | Kenny Hsu (Vice General Manager) |
| Products | A.Smart, and various Kids Computer |
| Website | http://www.asder.com/ |
Following the legal action of 1993, the company appears to have ceased operations under the NTDEC name. Another Taiwanese company, Asder Electronic Co., Ltd (Chinese: 亞斯德科技有限公司), has released educational computer systems and TV game joypads containing Mega Soft games, and several original Famicom titles continuing NTDEC's CN-xx numbering. However, it is unknown whether this company is in fact NTDEC under a new name, or a separate company that obtained the rights to NTDEC's past titles.
List of games
| # | Title | Original release | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asder 20-in-1 | 1993 | A multi-cartridge containing: all Caltron 6 in 1 games, all Pokey minigames, four NTDEC/Mega Soft games, three exclusive Asder original games, and two exclusive hacks (Turbo Magic Carpet 1001 and Master Shooter). |
| 2 | Benico | 1993 | An original Asder game included only in Asder 20-in-1. |
| 3 | Dream Fighter | 1993 | |
| 4 | JP Ronny | 1993 | An original Asder game included only in Asder 20-in-1. |
| 5 | Top Hunter | 1993 | An original Asder game included only in Asder 20-in-1. |
| 6 | Cobra Mission | 1994 | |
| 7 | Zhēn Běn - Xīyóu Jì | 1994 | |
| 8 | Asder PC-95 | 1995 | An Asder's PC dumped ROM containing: all Caltron 6 in 1 games, Hit Marmot by NTDEC/Mega Soft, and various educational games. |
| 9 | Huángdì | Unknown | Also known as Emperor: The War (Huángdì - Zhuō Lù Zhī Zhàn). |
| 10 | Sānguózhì: Qúnxióng Zhēngbà | Unknown | Also known as The Romance of Three Kingdoms: The Fight of Heroes' Pleiades. |
Note: The Hacker game Master Shooter, included only in Asder 20-in-1, is the hack of the game of the same name (listed in the same compilation as Shooter: Part1).
References
- ^ "Nintendo Awarded $24 Million In Suit Over Pirated Video Games". Associated Press. 24 May 1993. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ Companies to pay $24 Million in Nintendo piracy case New York Times, Dated May 25, 1993
- ^ "51 F3d 281 Nintendo of America Inc v. Ntdec". Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ "Policy and Regulation IN NEW MEDIA". Retrieved 22 November 2014.
- ^ Gluk: Los Juegos del Naranjito
External links
- Asder
- Caltron 6 in 1
- NTDEC/Asder at BootlegGames Wiki.