【ADK】Currently on Hiatus from Game Development! Here's the Software Lineup of ADK, a Game Developer Active in the 1980s Arcade Scene!

In 1980, a game company quietly began operations from a room in an apartment in Urawa City, Saitama Prefecture. The company was called Alpha Denshi—later known as “ADK.” Who could have imagined at the time that this company, which initially handled communication devices and audio components unrelated to games, would go on to make a name for itself in Japan's arcade game industry? The transformation from transceivers to arcade cabinets felt like the prologue to a story. One title, “Janputer,” became the catalyst that greatly altered its fate.

With limited capital, ADK steadily produced hits with the support of other companies such as Crar Electronics and Coreland Technology. “Crush Roller” and “Jump Bug” left strong impressions on gamers at the time, and ADK came to be recognized in the industry as a company with solid technical and planning capabilities, albeit modest. Particularly noteworthy is how ADK established table games such as shogi and mahjong as genres in the arcade space. This achievement brought a fresh breeze to a gaming scene that tended to lean toward flashy action titles, expanding the horizons of the industry.

Eventually gaining the ability to develop independently, ADK moved its headquarters to Ageo City and partnered with Sega to release titles such as “Champion Baseball” and “Exciting Soccer.” Though a mid-sized company, it began to make its presence felt. In 1993, the company changed its name to the current “ADK.” Around this time, ADK built a close relationship with SNK and began co-developing the “Multi Video System.” ADK became a leading third-party developer for the Neo Geo platform, releasing numerous fighting and action games. Behind the scenes, there are dramatic tales of how ADK explored expansion to other platforms—ones they couldn't officially support—under a separate brand called “Mirai Soft.”

However, the appreciation of the yen dealt a direct blow to the Neo Geo's overseas-centric market, and ADK's performance began to decline. SNK's diversified management also reached its limits, and by 2001, both companies entered a dark tunnel. Shrinking to a scale unimaginable from its heyday, ADK attempted new challenges with just a dozen or so staff, but the tides of time were relentless, and around 2003, operations ceased. Its legacy has been passed down through SNK Playmore and is still carried on by SNK today. New titles may never be released again. Yet the passion and memories of challenge that ADK left behind still live on in the hearts of gamers.

ADK, a company that helped lay the foundation of today's gaming industry. Precisely because it wasn't a large corporation, its spirit of adventure and challenge carries something deeply moving in its story. Why not take another look now at the legacy of this small company that devoted its life to games?