Metro Corporation

Metro Corporation (株式会社メトロ, METRO CORPORATION) is a Japanese game production company founded in February 1987 and incorporated in May of the same year in Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka. The company engages in the planning and development of arcade games, home console games, and mobile phone content, as well as the operation of amusement facilities. It is headquartered in Osaka, with a Tokyo head office in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. Metro is best known for a range of arcade and console titles developed for publishers such as Able Corporation, Square Enix (formerly Enix), D3 Publisher, Namco, Bandai, and Bandai Namco Entertainment. Its early reputation was built on arcade mahjong and puzzle games including the Pai Fortress (牌砦) series, Daruma Dojo (だるま道場), and the Bust a Move series. In more recent years, its representative works include the arcade version of THE IDOLM@STER and the Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbaride data carddass game. The company has developed titles across many platforms, from arcade boards and PlayStation consoles to Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS-lineage data carddass arcade machines, and iOS. Its output spans mahjong and puzzle games, rhythm and idol games, fighting games, and character-based card battle games tied to major Japanese franchises such as Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Digimon, and Yo-kai Watch. Metro remains a privately held Japanese developer. Its official website is metro-japan.com, and its corporate history includes several office relocations within Osaka and Tokyo between 1996 and 2009.

Metro Corporation was founded in February 1987, and in May of the same year the company was incorporated as Kabushiki Kaisha Metro in Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka. From its early years the company focused on the planning and development of arcade games, later expanding into home console games and mobile phone content, as well as the operation of amusement facilities. In the 1990s Metro developed a series of arcade titles published by Able Corporation, including Pai Fortress (牌砦, March 1993), Pai Fortress II (December 1993), Poitto (ぽいっと, 1993), Pai Fortress II: Katakiuchi Gaiden (1994), Daruma Dojo (だるま道場, 1994), Toride (とりで, 1995, a joint development), and Valcube (バルキューブ, 1996). These mahjong and puzzle-oriented arcade games established the company's early reputation. In January 1996 Metro opened a Tokyo development office in Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. In May 1998 this office was relocated to Yushima, Bunkyo-ku (the current address) and renamed the Tokyo head office. In April 2002 the company moved its main headquarters and product management center to Miyahara, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, and in August 2009 moved them again to Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka. During the late 1990s and 2000s Metro developed titles for a range of publishers. For Square Enix (then Enix) it developed Bust a Move (バスト ア ムーブ, PlayStation, 1998) and JUNKMETAL (Windows, 2004). For D3 Publisher it developed Simple 1500 Series: The Wakeboard (PlayStation, 2001) and Simple 2000 Series: The Double Mahjong Puzzle (PlayStation 2, 2002). For Namco it worked on Tsukkomi Yousei Gips: Nice Tsukkomi, Truck Kyousoukyoku (arcade, 2000; the PlayStation 2 version was published by Metro itself), and the arcade version of THE IDOLM@STER (2005). For Bandai and its affiliates it developed Ultraman Fighting Evolution Rebirth (PlayStation 2, 2005, published by Banpresto) and Ultraman Fighting Evolution 0 (PlayStation Portable, 2006). From the late 2000s Metro became closely associated with Bandai Namco Entertainment's Data Carddass and AR Carddass arcade card game lines. Its credits include Daikaiju Battle: ULTRA MONSTERS (2007), Daikaiju Battle NEO (2008), Daikaiju Battle Ultra Colosseum (Wii, 2008), Daikaiju Rush: Ultra Frontier (2013), Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbaride (2008), Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbarizing (2013), Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbare Legends (2023), THE IDOLM@STER SP (PlayStation Portable, 2008), Digimon Xros Wars: Super Digica Taisen General Strikers (2011), Kamen Rider AR Carddass (iOS, 2012), Yujo Souchaku! Buttoburst (arcade, 2013), Ultraman All-Star Chronicle (PlayStation Portable, 2013), and Yo-kai Watch: Tomodachi Ukiuki Pedia (2014). Metro remains active as a Japanese game developer, with its main office in Osaka and a Tokyo head office in Bunkyo-ku.

• 2023

  Developed Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbare Legends for Data Carddass.

• 2013

  Developed Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbarizing and Daikaiju Rush: Ultra Frontier.

• 2009

  Moved headquarters and product management center to Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka.

• 2008

  Developed Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbaride for Data Carddass, published by Bandai.

• 2005

  Developed the arcade version of THE IDOLM@STER, published by Namco.

• 2002

  Moved headquarters and product management center to Miyahara, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka.

• 1998

  Relocated Tokyo development office to Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, and renamed it Tokyo head office.

• 1998

  Released Bust a Move (バスト ア ムーブ) for PlayStation, published by Enix.

• 1996

  Opened Tokyo development office in Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

• 1994

  Released Daruma Dojo (だるま道場) for arcade.

• 1993

  Released Pai Fortress (牌砦) for arcade.

• 1993

  Released Pai Fortress II (牌砦II) for arcade.

• 1987

  Founded.

• 1987

  Incorporated as Kabushiki Kaisha Metro in Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka.

A long-established Japanese contract developer of arcade and console games, particularly known for mahjong/puzzle titles and licensed character card-battle games.

• 1993

  Pai Fortress (牌砦)

• 1993

  Pai Fortress II (牌砦II)

• 1993

  Poitto (ぽいっと)

• 1994

  Pai Fortress II: Katakiuchi Gaiden (牌砦II 仇討外伝)

• 1994

  Daruma Dojo (だるま道場)

• 1995

  Toride (とりで)

• 1996

  Valcube (バルキューブ)

• 1998

  Bust a Move (バスト ア ムーブ)

• 2000

  Truck Kyousoukyoku (トラック狂走曲)

• 2001

  Simple 1500 Series: The Wakeboard (SIMPLE1500シリーズ THE ウェイクボード)

• 2002

  Simple 2000 Series: The Double Mahjong Puzzle (SIMPLE2000シリーズ THE ダブル麻雀パズル)

• 2004

  JUNKMETAL

• 2005

  THE IDOLM@STER (arcade)

• 2005

  Ultraman Fighting Evolution Rebirth (ウルトラマン Fighting Evolution Rebirth)

• 2006

  Ultraman Fighting Evolution 0 (ウルトラマン Fighting Evolution 0)

• 2007

  Daikaiju Battle: ULTRA MONSTERS (大怪獣バトル ULTRA MONSTERS)

• 2008

  Daikaiju Battle NEO (大怪獣バトルNEO)

• 2008

  Daikaiju Battle Ultra Colosseum (大怪獣バトルウルトラコロシアム)

• 2008

  Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbaride (仮面ライダーバトル ガンバライド)

• 2008

  THE IDOLM@STER SP

• 2011

  Digimon Xros Wars: Super Digica Taisen General Strikers (デジモンクロスウォーズ 超デジカ大戦 ジェネラルストライカーズ)

• 2012

  Kamen Rider AR Carddass (仮面ライダーARカードダス)

• 2013

  Daikaiju Rush: Ultra Frontier (大怪獣ラッシュ ウルトラフロンティア)

• 2013

  Kamen Rider Battle: Ganbarizing (仮面ライダーバトル ガンバライジング)

1. 1Metro Corporation - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2メトロ (ゲーム会社) - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org
3. 3株式会社メトロ official websitemetro-japan.com