Kemco

Credits

Compiled by
RSX-798

Background

Kemco (abbreviated from Kotobuki Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Ltd.) is a Japanese video game developer and publisher established in 1984. It is headquartered in Kure, Hiroshima. The company's U.S. titles were originally distributed by Seika Corporation, until late 1991, when Kemco branched off onto its own.

1st Logo (December 11, 1985-August 13, 1999)

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Logo: On a black background, we see a blue box with a white arc inside, and on the right is the text "KEMCO" in a futuristic font.

Variants:

• Sometimes, the logo can also be seen on the game's title screen in the early years.
• Starting in 1994, the blue box was removed.
• On 1988-1993 Famicom and NES titles, the word "PRESENTS" is shown below the logo.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: The opening theme of the game.

Availability: Seen on many Kemco games from the era, for the SNES, NES and Game Boy, among others.

2nd Logo (December 1, 1990-August 11, 1995)

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Logo: On a black background, we see a chrome version of the Kemco logo. Below it was copyright information.

Variants:

• Starting in 1994, the blue box was removed.
• There are many different versions of the logo. The colors would vary in the logo's early years, would be fixed to blue in later years.
• Sometimes, the logo zooms out.
• Sometimes, the logo lacks any copyright info.
• Sometimes, the word "PRESENTS" is shown below the logo.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: A hip-hop like theme that ends in a beat.

Music/Sounds Variants:

• On the Japanese SFC game of Bombuzal, a chime-driven theme is heard.
• On the Japanese SFC game of P-Man, the logo zooms out.
• On the SNES game of Lagoon, a synth note is heard.
• On the SNES game of Drakkhen, a guitar-like synth, ending in two notes that held out throughout the logo.
• On Drakkhen's sequel, Super Drakkhen (also known as Drakkhen II and Dragon View), a light chime is heard.
• On the SNES game of Stone Protectors, a chime sound is heard.

Availability: Seen on many of Kemco's SNES games from the era, like Phalanx, X-Zone, Ka-Blooey and Dragon View, among others.

3rd Logo (1992)

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Logo: On a zooming space background, we see the two copies of the previous Kemco logo, along with the text "PRESENTS" and some copyright info, slides from the left and from the right. After the music stops, the logo plays in reverse.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: None, but when the logo is formed, it uses the same music as the 2nd logo.

Availability: Seen on Phalanx, a 1992 SFC/SNES game.

4th Logo (July 1993-1994)

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Logo: On a blue-black gradient background, we see the 2nd Kemco logo warps and settles in the center. The text "PRESENTS" fades in below the logo, along with some copyright info.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on the Japanese SFC games of Last Samurai and Genocide 2. The former game also made it to the Western SNES.

4th Logo (December 6, 1996-July 18, 1997)

Logo: On a black background, we see gold dust that zooms out and clears to reveal the Kemco text from the last logos. Then, the letters spin out.

Technique: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: An orchestral synth theme.

Avaialbility: Seen on the PlayStation games of Kid Klown in Crazy Chase 2 and the Japanese version of The Bombing Islands.

6th Logo (April 1999- )

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Logo: On a white background, we see a blue circle, with the text "KEMCO" in a script font.

Variant: Sometimes, copyright info is shown below.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on any Kemco game from the era, for the Nintendo 64, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and numerous other platforms.