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is a Japanese
video game developer A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a larg ...
known primarily for his involvement with Technos Japan Corp. He is best known for his work on
beat 'em up The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels ...
games, as the original creator of the '' Kunio-kun'' and ''
Double Dragon is a beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technōs Japan and released as an arcade game in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against various adversaries and rivals. The original ...
'' game franchises, having worked on the original arcade and NES installments in both series. While not the first side-scrolling martial arts
action games An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform ga ...
(predated by '' Kung-Fu Master''), they established the general template and conventions used by the beat 'em up genre since the late 1980s. He has thus sometimes been referred to as the grandfather of the beat 'em up genre. He is currently the President and Representative Director of a game company called Plophet.


Biography

In his teenage years as a
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
student, he used to regularly get into fights on a daily basis, which was partly triggered by a
break-up A relationship breakup, breakup, or break-up is the termination of a relationship. The act is commonly termed "dumping omeone in slang when it is initiated by one partner. The term is less likely to be applied to a married couple, where a brea ...
with a girl who dumped him. Kishimoto was also a fan of
Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines th ...
's
Hong Kong martial arts films Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. Action films from Hong Kong have roots in Chinese and Hong Kong cultures including Chinese opera, storytelling and aesthetic traditions, which Hong K ...
, particularly ''
Enter the Dragon ''Enter the Dragon'' ( zh, t=龍爭虎鬥) is a 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse and written by Michael Allin. The film stars Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly. It was Lee's final completed film appearance before his deat ...
'' (1973). These were formative influences that would later form the basis for his beat 'em up games ''Kunio-kun'' and ''Double Dragon''. Kishimoto began his video game designing career in the early 1980s after being employed by
Data East , also abbreviated as DECO, was a Japanese video game, pinball and electronic engineering company. The company was in operation from 1976 to 2003, and released 150 video game titles. Its main headquarters were located in Suginami, Tokyo. The A ...
, where he worked on the arcade laserdisc video games ''
Cobra Command Cobra (sometimes referred to as Cobra Command) is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', as well as in related ...
'' (also known as ''Thunder Storm'') and '' Road Blaster''. After leaving Data East, Kishimoto was employed by Technos Japan Corp. During his time on the company, he worked on the video games ''
Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun , released as ''Renegade'' in the West, is a beat 'em up video game developed by Technōs Japan and distributed by Taito for the arcades in 1986. In the original Japanese version ''Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun'', the game revolves around a high-s ...
'' (released in an altered form outside Japan under the title of '' Renegade'') and ''
Double Dragon is a beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technōs Japan and released as an arcade game in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against various adversaries and rivals. The original ...
''. Both ''Kunio-kun'' and ''Double Dragon'' went on to become the main game franchises of Technos and helped established the side-scrolling beat-'em-up game genre (known as belt scroll action game genre in Japan). After leaving Technos during the 1990s, Kishimoto worked as a freelance game designer and producer for various game companies while working under the trade name of Plophet. In 2000, he began working as a game developer for the "Plus e" platform, a computer terminal distributed to family restaurants in Japan. During his freelance career, he also acted as producer for budget games released in Japan, such as ''The Dungeon RPG'' for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
and ''Rogue: Hearts Dungeon'' for the PlayStation 2. On April 1, 2010, Kishimoto founded Plophet Co., Ltd., a self-employed company named after the trade name he used during his freelance days. He has served as a creative consultant for sequels to Technos' former IPs such as '' Double Dragon Neon'' and ''River City Ransom: Underground''.River City Ransom: Underground page
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Works

* ''Pro Soccer'' (1982, arcade) – Sub-director * ''
Cobra Command Cobra (sometimes referred to as Cobra Command) is a fictional terrorist organization and the nemesis of the G.I. Joe Team in the Hasbro action figure toyline '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' and '' G.I. Joe: Sigma 6'', as well as in related ...
'' (1984, Laserdisc) – Director * '' Road Blaster'' (1984, Laserdisc) – Director * '' Renegade'' (1986, arcade) – Director * ''Renegade'' (1987, NES) – Director * ''
Double Dragon is a beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technōs Japan and released as an arcade game in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against various adversaries and rivals. The original ...
'' (1987, arcade) – Director * ''
Super Dodge Ball ''Super Dodge Ball'' is a dodgeball-based sports game produced by Technos Japan Corp. originally released as an arcade game in 1987. In Japan, it was the second game starring Technos Japan's video game character Kunio-kun, following ''Nekketsu ...
'' (1987, arcade) – Director * ''Double Dragon'' (1988, NES) – Director * ''China Gate'' (1988, arcade) – Director * '' U.S. Championship V'Ball'' (1988, arcade) – Director * '' Double Dragon II: The Revenge'' (1988, arcade) – Director * '' WWF Superstars'' (1989, arcade) – Director * ''Super Spike V'Ball'' (1989, NES) – Production Manager * '' Double Dragon II: The Revenge'' (1989, NES) – Producer * ''
Blockout ''Blockout'' is a puzzle video game published in 1989 by California Dreams. It was developed in Poland by Aleksander Ustaszewski and Mirosław Zabłocki. American Technos published an arcade version. ''Blockout'' is an unlicensed, 3D version ...
'' (1989, arcade) – Producer * '' Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones'' (1991, NES) – Director * '' WWF Wrestlefest'' (1991, arcade) – Director * ''Sugoro Quest: The Quest of Dice Heros'' (1991, Famicom) – Producer * ''Shodai Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun'' (1992, Super Famicom) – Producer * ''
Super Bowling is a video game for the Super NES and the Nintendo 64. Gameplay Four computer opponents are available, two female and two male. There are three modes: ''Golf'', ''Normal'', and ''Practice'' where the player constructs their own scenarios and pr ...
'' (1992, Super NES) – Producer * ''
Super Double Dragon ''Super Double Dragon'', released in Japan as , is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992. It was published by Tradewest in North America and the PAL region and by Technōs Japan in Japan. ''Supe ...
'' (1992, Super NES) – Direct Support * '' The Combatribes'' (1992, Super NES) – Producer * '' Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka'' (1994, Super Famicom) – Director * ''Sugoro Quest ++: Dicenics'' (1994, Super Famicom) – Producer * ''Othello World 2:Yume to Michi e no Chōsen'' (1995, PlayStation) – Producer * '' Chō Aniki: Kyūkyoku Muteki Ginga Saikyō Otoko'' (1995, PlayStation) – Producer * ''Chō Aniki: Kyūkyoku... Otoko no Gyakushū'' (1996, Sega Saturn) – Producer * ''Slam Dragon'' (1996, PlayStation) – Producer * '' Cowboy Bebop'' (1998, PlayStation) – Producer * ''Gunya Gunya'' (1999, PC) – Producer * ''Simple 1500 Series Vol. 28: The Dungeon RPG'' (2000, PlayStation) – Development Producer and Director * ''Bau Nyā Chū'' (2000, PC) – Producer * ''River City Ransom: Underground'' (2014, PC, Mac) – Creative Consultant * '' Double Dragon IV'' (2017, PlayStation 4, PC, Switch) – Director


References

* *


External links


Yoshihisa Kishimoto's personal homepage

Plophet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kishimoto, Yoshihisa Japanese video game designers 1961 births Living people