, formerly is a Japanese film production and distribution company. In the past, the company has distributed video games. It was formed in 1997 through a merger between the Asmik Corporation and Ace Entertainment, both of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The name Asmik comes from its three founding companies:

Ask Ask is the active verb for a direct question. Ask may also refer to: Places * Ask, Akershus, a village in Gjerdrum municipality, Viken county, Norway * Ask, Buskerud, a village in Ringerike municipality, Viken county, Norway * Ask, Vestland, a ...

(formerly ASK-Kodansha), Sumitomo and

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

. The company is headquartered on the third floor of the Lapiross Roppongi building in Minato,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, and is a wholly owned division of Jupiter Telecommunications (J:COM). Asmik Corporation was founded in 1985 as a subsidiary to the Sumitomo Corporation of Japan. Its focus was in the area of

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

s for the

video game console A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...

market, specifically the

NES The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

. It quickly moved on to distribute motion pictures in Japan, and won several awards for doing so. It once had a North American subsidiary, Asmik Corporation of America. Ace Pictures Inc. was founded in 1981 as a division of

Nippon Herald Films Kadokawa Daiei Studio, formerly is the film division of the Japanese company the Kadokawa Corporation. It is one of the four members of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (MPPAJ), and is therefore one of Japan's Big Four film studi ...

to produce

ese films and distribute foreign

art film An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...

s. Several of its pictures earned awards and hold positions as some of the highest-grossing films in Japan. Asmik Ace Entertainment has produced games for the

Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...

, PlayStation,

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

PC Engine The TurboGrafx-16, known as the outside North America, is a home video game console designed by Hudson Soft and sold by NEC Home Electronics. It was the first console marketed in the fourth generation, commonly known as the 16-bit era, thoug ...

Mega Drive/Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...

, and

GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...

, and distributes high quality films for the Japanese movie market. Asmik Ace Entertainment also distributed a number of

DreamWorks Pictures DreamWorks Pictures (also known as DreamWorks SKG and formerly DreamWorks Studios, commonly referred to as DreamWorks) is an American film company and distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994 as a liv ...

and DreamWorks Animation films to Japanese cinemas.

Video games

:''See also :Asmik Ace Entertainment games'' Asmik had a mascot named Boomer (Asmik-kun in Japanese), a pink dinosaur, which was featured in several video games. *''

Air Diver is a combat flight simulator video game released by Seismic (Asmik Ace Entertainment in Japan) in April 1990 for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive console. It is notable as being one of the two first third party published titles for the console in No ...

'' (

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

) *''

Altered Beast ''Altered Beast'' is a 1988 beat 'em up arcade video game developed and manufactured by Sega. The game is set in Ancient Greece and follows a player character chosen by Zeus to rescue his daughter Athena from the demonic ruler of the underworl ...

'' (

Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redes ...

) *'' Asmik-kun Land'' (Famicom) *''

Asmik-kun World 2 ''Asmik-kun World 2'' (アスミッくんワールド 2 ''Asumikkun Wārudo 2'') is a Game Boy video game by Asmik, copyrighted in 1991.Unlike its predecessor, '' Boomer's Adventure in ASMIK World'' (''Teke! Teke! Asmik-kun World''), this game w ...

'' (

Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same t ...

) *''Astro Troop Vanark'' ( PlayStation) *'' Battle Zeque Den'' (

Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South ...

) *'' Bogey Dead 6'' (PlayStation) *''

Boomer's Adventure in ASMIK World ''Boomer's Adventure in ASMIK World'', known in Japan as is a Game Boy video game from Asmik copyrighted in 1989; Asmik of America Corp. copyrighted its version in 1990. The game's direct sequel, ''Asmik-kun World 2'', was never released outsi ...

'' (''Asmik-Kun World'') (Game Boy) *''

Catrap ''Catrap'', known as ''Pitman'' in Japan, is a puzzle-platform game developed for the Sharp MZ-700 computer in 1985 and published by Asmik for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1990. The Game Boy version was rereleased on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console ...

'' (''Power Paws'' in Europe; ''Pitman'' in Japan) (Game Boy) *''

Civilization A civilization (or civilisation) is any complex society characterized by the development of a state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond natural spoken language (namely, a writing system). Ci ...

'' (Super Famicom, PlayStation,

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; h ...

) *''

Conquest of the Crystal Palace ''Conquest of the Crystal Palace'', known in Japan as is a 1990 Nintendo Entertainment System platform game developed by Quest Corporation, Quest and published by Asmik Ace Entertainment, Asmik Corporation of America (subsidiary of :jp:ジュピ ...

'' (

) *''Cosmic Epsilon'' (Famicom) *'' Cutie Suzuki no Ringside Angel'' (

Sega Mega Drive The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master System. Sega released it in 1988 in Japan as ...

) *'' Deep Dungeon IV'' (Famicom) *'' D-Force'' (known in Japan as ''Dimension Force'') (

) *'' Dokapon DX'' (

) *'' F-15 Super Strike Eagle'' (Super Famicom) *''Gambler Jiko Chuushinha''(Super Famicom) *''Gambler Jiko Chuushinha 2'' (Super Famicom) *''Hunter Lime Special Collection Vol 2'' (PlayStation) *'' Jumpin' Kid: Jack to Mame no Ki Monogatari'' (Japan only – planned US release as ''Jack and the Beanstalk'') (Famicom) *''Jūōki'' (port of arcade game known outside Japan as ''

'') (Famicom) *''

Koutetsu no Kishi is a Japan-exclusive video game created by General Support which was originally released for the NEC PC-9801, and later ported for the Super Famicom. The Super Famicom version of the game would become the prequel to '' Koutetsu no Kishi 2: Sa ...

'' (Super Famicom) *'' Koutetsu no Kishi 2: Sabaku no Rommel Shougun'' (Super Famicom) *'' Koutetsu no Kishi 3: Gekitotsu Europe Sensen'' (Super Famicom) *'' Lennus II'' (Super Famicom) *''Lethal Skies II'' (PlayStation 2) *''Lethal Skies Team SW: Elite Pilot'' (PlayStation 2) *'' LSD: Dream Emulator'' (PlayStation) *''

Lupin III , also written as ''Lupin the Third'', ''Lupin the 3rd'', or ''Lupin the IIIrd'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Monkey Punch. It follows the endeavors of master thief Arsène Lupin III, the grandson of Arsèn ...

: Umi ni Kieta Hihou'' (GameCube) *''Meimon! Tako Nishiouendan'' *'' Mysterium'' *''Nemuru Mayu: Sleeping Cocoon'' (Playstation) *''Nippon Ichi no Nakantoku'' *''Oh No!'' (PlayStation) *'' Paladin's Quest'' (Super NES) *''

Power Drift is a kart racing game released in arcades by Sega in 1988. More technologically advanced than Sega's earlier 2.5D racing games, like '' Hang-On'' (1985) and ''Out Run'' (1986), in ''Power Drift'' the entire world and track consist of sprites. ...

'' (

) *''Rhythm N Face'' (PlayStation) *''

Shinobi A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp. 21� ...

'' (PC Engine) *'' Sidewinder'' (PlayStation) *''Sidewinder 2'' (PlayStation) *''Sidewinder F'' (PlayStation 2) *''Sidewinder Max'' (Japan only - Planned western release as Iron Eagle Max) (PlayStation 2) *''Sidewinder V'' (Western title: Lethal Skies II) (PlayStation 2) *''

Super Air Diver , also known as ''Lock On'' in North America, is a jet fighter video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the follow-up to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis-exclusive ''Air Diver''. Summary After a vicious warlord threatens the ...

'' (Super NES) *'' Super Air Diver 2'' (Super NES) *''

Super Boy Allan is an educational video game developed by Asmik Corporation for the Family Computer Disk System, and published by Sunsoft in 1987. ''Super Boy Allan'' is the second installment in Sunsoft and Asmik's Intelligence Game trilogy. It is preceded by ...

'' (

Famicom Disk System The commonly shortened to the Famicom Disk System or just Disk System, is a peripheral for Nintendo's Family Computer home video game console, released only in Japan on February 21, 1986. It uses proprietary floppy disks called "Disk Cards" for ...

) (published by

Sunsoft , stylized as SUNSOFT, is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. Sunsoft is the video games division of Japanese electronics manufacturer Sun Corporation. Its U.S. subsidiary operated under the name Sun Corporation of America, though, a ...

) *''

Super Hydlide ''Super Hydlide'' is an action role-playing game for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. It was originally released in 1987 in Japan only under the title for the MSX, MSX2, and PC-8801mkII SR. It's the third game in the ''Hydlide'' series. Ports w ...

'' (

) *'' The Ring: Terror's Realm'' (

) *'' Tokyo Wakusei Planetokio'' (PlayStation) *'' Verytex'' (Sega Mega Drive) *''

Virtual Pro Wrestling 64 ''Virtual Pro Wrestling 64'' is a professional wrestling video game released in 1997 on the Nintendo 64 game console and the second game in the ''Virtual Pro Wrestling'' series. The game is a sequel to the original ''Virtual Pro Wrestling'' releas ...

'' (

) *'' Virtual Pro Wrestling 2'' (Nintendo 64) *'' WCW vs. the World'' (PlayStation) *'' Xardion'' (Super Famicom)

References

External links

Asmik Ace Entertainment
{{Authority control Mitsui Video game companies established in 1985 Entertainment companies established in 1985 Mass media companies established in 1985 Video game companies of Japan Japanese film studios Mass media companies based in Tokyo Former Kadokawa Corporation subsidiaries Japanese companies established in 1985