Compile

Credits

Descriptions by
PolancoMira and SnowflakesOmega

Captures by
SnowflakesOmega

Video captures courtesy of
newjois

Background

Originally founded as Programmers-3, Inc., Compile was a Japanese video game developer founded by Masamitsu "Moo" Niitani in 1982. Initially developing games for home computers such as the MSX line and several game consoles, the company would distribute the Disc Station magazine since the late 1980s leading to the distribution of various games by the company on the MSX, PC-98 and Windows platforms, including the Madou Monogatari series of games. In the 1990s, the company would become best known for the Puyo Puyo and Madou Monogatari franchises, with Puyo Puyo becoming a huge success for the company and was a Japanese phenomenon ever since Tsuu hit the arcades, spawning CD albums, toys, plushies and televised events. Due to the amount of success of the game, as well as some poor investment choices, this lead to their partners at Sega to buy the rights to the game until August 2002. Despite their best efforts, the deadline was passed with no IP to replicate the success of Puyo Puyo. The last game developed under the Compile name was Pochi and Nyaa, in association with Taito. The company had filed bankruptcy in November 2003.

Aiky was the second incarnation of Compile and was the original rightsholder to all of the original company's IPs except for Puyo Puyo and to finish Pochi and Nyaa in 2003 and release it on Neo Geo arcades and later the PlayStation 2 in Japan only. They also developed mobile games as well which was published through G-Mode, including a Madou Monogatari game, a series of spin-offs of the Game Boy Advance game Guru Logic Champ, and enhanced ports of Zanac and Power Strike. It did not lasted very long leaving Aiky no choice but to sell the rights to their IP's to D4 Enterprises, and was since closed around 2006 or 2007. During the time, most of Compile's key staff took a part on founding the Compile Heart company, often considered as Compile's spiritual successor.

Compile Maru (or CompileO) is the current incarnation of Compile. Founded in April 2016, its only original game was Nyoki Nyoki: Tabidachi Hen, which was based on Pochi and Nyaa and also resurface a rare, yet unreleased precursor and prototype to Puyo Puyo back when the original Compile was in business entitled Dominion. Despite this, however, they have yet to release another original game.

Programmers-3, Inc.

TBA

Compile

1st Logo (1985-November 2003)

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Nicknames (For the Act Against AIDS Variants): "The AIDS Flower", "The Three People"

Logo: Just the pink text of "COMPILE" in a futuristic font in either a black, white, or inverted through pink background. Can be often seen via a copyright in the title screen of the game along with a copyright date.

Trivia:

• Compile's tagline was "Entertain Your Brain".
• Due to the rebounding success of Puyo Puyo with the release of Tsuu, Carbuncle became the company's mascot until their demolish in 2003.

Variants:

• In the early 1990's, Compile partnered with Japanese organization Act Against AIDS to help sponsor their games, most notably Puyo Puyo, as well as to spread awareness and debunk rumors and myths regarding AIDS. As a result, a special splash screen features their logo being above the company's logo. Since the late 1990's, the Act Against AIDS logo was changed towards a different-colored, more sketchy one consisting of three A-shaped people standing on a yellow heart.
• Korean releases of their games has the text say "Compile Korea". Compile Korea is the name of a short-lived division of Compile that distributed the company's games in the Korean language. They also have an exclusive Madou Monogatari game there (Madou Monogatari: Secret of the Esylum).

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: Either none, the opening theme of the game for rare occasions, or the company's own jingle, consisting of an 8-note ditty played with FM synthesizer instruments.

Music/Sounds Trivia: This jingle shows up in many of their games, either as a sound for getting an item, being an unused hidden sound, or whenever players get an extra life. So far the most recent sighting of the jingle was in Puyo Puyo Tetris 2.

Availability: Seen on almost all games from the company, including Zanac and Aleste. The Act Against AIDS variant is common and was seen on games on that era, most notably Puyo Puyo Tsuu. It was intact in most modern releases of the game, even when Sega bought the rights to Puyo Puyo. The Korean version can be seen on the company's releases on South Korea. Most of these games are exclusively released in Japan, so good luck importing them. Never helping the fact that 90% of Puyo Puyo-related material remained untranslated for Western audiences.

2nd Logo (1993-1995)

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Nicknames: "Guu!", "Carbuncle", "Madou Monogatari MGM", "The Madou Monogatari/Puyo Puyo Logo"

Logo: On a black background, we see Carbuncle against an MGM-like environment. He lets out his usual "Guu!" after a few seconds. Copyright information can be seen below.

Variants:

• Game Gear versions omit the copyright byline.
• An extended version can be seen on the Game Gear version of Madou Monogatari 2, where Carbuncle is seen sleeping and later wakes up with a surprised expression. The animation then continues as normal.

FX/SFX: 16-bit animation.

Music/Sounds: Carbuncle's "Guu!".

Music/Sounds Variant: The Madou Monogatari 2 version has cartoonish sleeping sounds and a pop when Carbuncle wakes up.

Availability: Seen on the PC-98 and Game Gear versions of the first three Madou Monogatari games (although the third Madou Monogatari for the Game Gear omits this), as well as the PC-98 version of Puyo Puyo.

3rd Logo (October 27, 1995-November 27, 1997)

Nicknames: "Guu! II", "Carbuncle II", "Entertain Your Brain", "The Puyo Puyo Logo"

Logo: Carbuncle from the Puyo Puyo and Madou Monogatari games drop by against a darker gray background, and lends his usual "Guu!" revealing the Compile logo and tagline. Once the logo has been settled, Carbuncle hops into the logo and settles into the right side. The logo shines. The result is an animated version of the company's print logo at the time.

FX/SFX: Carbuncle's animation and the logo. A mix of 2D and CGI.

Music/Sounds: A "womp" noise when Carbuncle settles and his usual "Guu". It was followed by the company's jingle performed by bells.

Music/Sounds Variant:

• On the Saturn port of Puyo Puyo Tsuu, a different "Guu" voice is heard. Carbuncle's voice in this version was provided by the company's founder, Masamitsu "Moo" Niitani.
• A few promotional material also features a different "Guu" voice. It's unknown who did Carbuncle's voice in this, however.

Availability: Seen on the Saturn and PlayStation ports of Puyo Puyo Tsuu and Puyo Puyo SUN. Also seen on promotional material from the company. The re-release of Puyo Puyo SUN for the PlayStation omits this and is replaced with a Sega logo.

4th Logo (Madou Monogatari I) (1996)

Nicknames: "Carbuncle III", "Entertain Your Brain II", "The Puyo Puyo Logo II"

Logo: Carbuncle walks through the left against a dark blue background, revealing the company name. He jumps into the right position of the logo, and the company's tagline slides behind him. The end result is a 16-bit rendition of the company's print logo at the time.

FX/SFX: Typical 16-bit animation for the time.

Sounds: A group of people saying the tagline and company name in Japanese.

Availaibilty: Seen only on the enhanced Genesis port of the first Madou Monogatari game.

5th Logo (Guru Logic Champ) (2001)

Nickname: "The Champs"

Logo: TBA

Trivia: TBA

FX/SFX: The logo rotating, the champs completing the logo and doing their victory pose.

Sounds: A "Guru" voice when the logo rotates, grunts when the blocks are being shot to complete the logo, and the champs saying the company name.

Availability: Seen only on Guru Logic Champ as well as at the end of TV commercials promoting said game.

Aiky

(Christmas Eve 2003, October 28, 2004)

Logo: A red rectangle with the "AIKY" text in white against a white background.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: A short little fanfare followed by a group of high-pitched voices exclaiming "Nyaa!" (the Japanese term of a cat's meow).

Availability: Seen only on Pochi and Nyaa.

Compile Maru

(2016)

Logo: On a white background, a light shines and reveals the word "COMPILE" in teal and in a new font. Another light draws a circle, thus completing the logo.

Variant: There's also a still version as well.

FX/SFX: The light forming the logo.

Music/Sounds: The Compile jingle, followed by a female voice saying the company name.

Availability: The animated version can be seen at the end of promo videos for Nyoki Nyoki and other videos from Niitani involving around the Puyo Puyo precursor game Dominion, while the still version appears in the aforementioned Nyoki Nyoki, which was exclusive to Japan only.