[ NIHON CREATE ] A Game Company That Once Existed! What Kind of Company Was NIHON CREATE, Which Produced Hit Titles Featuring the Rare Theme of Girls’ Baseball in Japan at the Time?

When people think of game companies, they might picture big-name giants everyone knows—but Nihon Create was a little different. From Osaka’s Naniwa district, the company steadily released unique titles filled with genuine passion. Officially registered as “Nihon Create Co., Ltd.,” the company adopted the katakana brand name “ニホンクリエイト” to stand out from others with similar names—a clear sign of their desire not to be overlooked.

At the core of Nihon Create’s origins was the Yakyudou series, dating back to the PC-8801 era. While sports games are abundant today, back then the “manager’s perspective” approach was unusual and drew attention. Controlling the game not as a player but as a manager making decisions was a forward-thinking concept ahead of its time. This perspective of enjoying sports as a “spectator” or “coach” carried into later works and became one of their strengths.

Another major turning point came with the development of an adventure game based on the popular anime *3×3 EYES*. This title wasn’t just a simple adaptation—it became notable for its bold sales strategy of bundling a VHS tape. At a time when media-mix strategies were not yet common in gaming, its foresight and boldness stood out. The result was such a hit that it became a series, rapidly spreading Nihon Create’s name.

Another noteworthy title was *Apache Yakyudou*, released in 2002. If you approached this game expecting realism or a traditional baseball simulation, you’d be pleasantly surprised. The characters and settings were endlessly comical, delivering laugh-out-loud developments rather than tense tactical showdowns. In fact, comedian Hikaru Ijuin wrote in Famitsu about being hooked on it, a rare level of attention for a domestic PC game.

Nihon Create’s challenges didn’t stop there. In 2004, they released *High School Baseball Girls*, a game themed around girls’ baseball. This was a highly unusual approach both as a sports game and in terms of narrative, boldly portraying female characters in an era dominated by male protagonists and boys’ baseball—a work with a strong sense of purpose. They went on to release *High School Baseball 3*, and in 2009 developed High School Baseball DS for the Nintendo DS, expanding from home consoles to handhelds.