Level-5
| Level-5
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| legal form | Kabushiki kaisha (joint stock company) |
| founding | October 1998 |
| Seat |
 Fukuoka , Japan
|
| management | Akihiro Hino ( daihyō-torishimariyaku-shachō , executive director and president) |
| Number of employees | 280 (December 2012) |
| Website | www.level5.co.jp |
KK Level-5 ( Japanese 株式会社 レ ベ ル フ ァ イ ブ , Kabushiki kaisha Reberu Faibu , English Level-5 Inc. ) is an independent game developer and publisher from Fukuoka , Japan .
history
The company with 150 employees was founded by Akihiro Hino in October 1998 after he left the game developer Riverhillsoft , and is best known for Dark Cloud , Dark Chronicle and Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King as well as the Professor Layton series .
Since 2011 Level-5 also has a branch in Santa Monica, USA. The team takes care of the localization and distribution of level 5 games in North America, but also develops video games itself. In Europe, on the other hand, Level-5 does not have a branch of its own, which is why Level-5 games are sold by third parties in this country. Level 5 is not tied to any publisher. While White Knight Chronicles was published by Sony , many games have recently been published by Nintendo . Ni no Kuni: The curse of the White Queen, however, appears via Namco Bandai .
In June 2011, the company announced that video game designer Yasumi Matsuno, known for games like Vagrant Story and Tactics Ogre , would start working for Level 5. In the course of his activity he developed Crimson Shroud , which appeared as part of the Guild 01 game collection for the Nintendo 3DS . After only one project, Yasumi Matsuno announced in November 2012 that he would leave Level 5 for personal reasons.
Level-5 is currently developing three video games. Yo-kai Watch is planned as a so-called multi-franchise from the start. In addition to a video game for the Nintendo 3DS , an anime and a manga are also planned. Guild 02 was announced in May 2012 , the second part of a kind of game collection. Level-5 brings together well-known developers from third-party companies who each develop smaller games. At Guild 02 these developers are Keiji Inafune, Kazu Ayabe and the duo Takemaru Abiko and Kazuya Asano.
Games
All release dates refer to Europe.
Playstation 2
Dark cloud series
- Dark Cloud (September 21, 2001)
- Dark Chronicle ( Dark Cloud 2 ) (September 10, 2003)
Other games
- Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King (April 13, 2006)
- Rogue Galaxy (September 5, 2007)
- Rogue Galaxy: Director's Cut (not released in Europe)
PlayStation 3
White Knight Chronicles series
- White Knight Chronicles (March 5, 2010)
- White Knight Chronicles EX Edition (not released in Europe)
- White Knight Chronicles 2 (September 13, 2011)
Other games
- Ni no Kuni: The Curse of the White Queen (February 1, 2013)
PlayStation Portable
- Joan of Arc (without publication in Europe)
- Danbōru Senki (without publication in Europe)
- Danbōru Senki Boost (without release in Europe)
- Danbōru Senki W (without publication in Europe)
- Time Travelers (without publication in Europe)
- Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Cosmic Drive (not released in Europe)
- Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Universe Accel (not published in Europe)
- White Knight Chronicles: Origins (June 10, 2011)
PlayStation Vita
- Time Travelers (without publication in Europe)
- Danbōru Senki W (without publication in Europe)
Nintendo DS
Professor Layton Series
- Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village (November 7, 2008)
- Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (September 25, 2009)
- Professor Layton and the Lost Future (October 22, 2010)
- Professor Layton and the Call of the Phantom (November 25, 2011)
Inazuma Eleven series
- Inazuma Eleven (January 29, 2011)
- Inazuma Eleven 2: Ice Storm (March 16, 2012)
- Inazuma Eleven 2: Firestorm (March 16, 2012)
Atamania series
- Sloan to McHale Nazo no Monogatari (not published in Europe)
- Sloan to McHale Nazo no Monogatari 2 (not released in Europe)
- Tago Akira no Atama no Taisō Dai-1-shū: Nazotoki Sekai Isshū Ryokō (without publication in Europe)
- Tago Akira no Atama no Taisō Dai-2-shū: Ginga Ōdan Nazotoki Adventure (without publication in Europe)
- Tago Akira no Atama no Taisō Dai-3-shū (without publication in Europe)
- Tago Akira no Atama no Taisō Dai-4-shū (without publication in Europe)
Other games
- Dragon Quest IX: Guardians of the Sky (July 23, 2010)
- Ni no Kuni: Shikkoku no Madōshi (without publication in Europe)
Nintendo 3DS
Professor Layton Series
- Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles (October 26, 2012)
- Professor Layton and the Legacy of Aslant (November 8, 2013)
- Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (March 28, 2014)
- Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires' Conspiracy (October 6, 2017)
Inazuma Eleven series
- Inazuma Eleven 3: Chain Lightning (September 27, 2013)
- Inazuma Eleven 3: Explosion (September 27, 2013)
- Inazuma Eleven 3: Team Ogre attacks! (February 14, 2014)
- Inazuma Eleven GO light (June 13, 2014)
- Inazuma Eleven GO Shadow (June 13, 2014)
- Inazuma Eleven GO 2: Chrono Stone Wall of Flames
- Inazuma Eleven GO 2: Chrono Stone Thunderclap
- Inazuma Eleven 1, 2, 3 !! Legend of Mamoru Endo (not released in Europe)
- Inazuma Eleven Go 3: Galaxy (not released in Europe)
Yo Kai Watch Series
- Yo-Kai Watch (2014)
- Yo-Kai Watch 2 Fleshy Souls (2015)
- Yo-Kai Watch 2 Bony Spirits (2015)
- Yo-Kai Watch 2 Physic Specters (2015)
- Yo-Kai Watch Blasters Red Cat Team (2016)
- Yo-Kai Watch Blasters White Dog Squad (2016)
- Yo-Kai Watch 3 Sushi (2016)
- Yo-Kai Watch 3 Tempura (2016)
- Yo-Kai Watch Blasters Moon Rabbit Crew (2016)
Other games
- Girls RPG: Cinderellife (not released in Europe)
-
Guild 01 (October 4, 2012)
- Liberation Maiden ( 解放 少女 , Kaihō Shōjo )
- Aero porter
- Crimson Shroud
- Rental Bukiya de Omasse
- Danbōru Senki Baku Boost (without release in Europe)
- Time Travelers (without publication in Europe)
- Fantasy Life (September 26, 2014)
-
Guild 02 (May 16, 2013)
- Attack of the Friday Monsters! ( 怪 獣 が 出 る 金曜日 , Kaijū ga Deru Kinyōbi )
- Bugs vs. Tanks ( 虫 け ら 戦 車 , Mushikera Sensha )
- Starship Damrey ( 宇宙 船 ダ ム レ イ 号 , Uchūsen Damurei-gō )
Nintendo Wii
- Inazuma Eleven Strikers (September 28, 2012)
- Inazuma Eleven Strikers 2012 Xtreme (no release in Europe)
- Inazuma Eleven GO Strikers 2013 (not published in Europe)
ROID
- Professor Layton and the Mansion of the Deathly Mirror (not published in Europe)
- Paul Sloane and Des MacHale's Intriguing Tales (not published in Europe)
- Caba-Jyo-P (without publication in Europe)
- Paul Sloane and Des MacHale's Intriguing Tales 2 (not published in Europe)
- Yuuenchi wo Tsukurou Revolution (not published in Europe)
- Treasure Island (not published in Europe)
- Elf the Dragon (not released in Europe)
- Inazuma Eleven Future (without publication in Europe)
- Professor Layton's London Life (not published in Europe)
- Ni no Kuni Hotroit Stories (not published in Europe)
- Inazuma Eleven Dash (not published in Europe)
- Danboard Senki (without publication in Europe)
Apple iOS
- Layton Brothers: Mystery Room (June 27, 2013)
- Layton-kyōju to Seiki no Nana Kaitō
- Liberation Maiden (March 7, 2013)
- Earth Devastating B-Rank Girlfriend Z: Great Space War
- Devil Station
- WonderFlick
- Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble
- Yo-Kai Watch Geraporhythm
- Yo-Kai Daijiten
Android
- Layton-kyōju to Seiki no Nana Kaitō
- Earth Devastating B-Rank Girlfriend Z: Great Space War
- Devil Station
- WonderFlick
- Yo-Kai Watch Wibble Wobble
- Yo-Kai Watch Geraporhythm
- Yo-Kai Daijiten
Aborted projects
- True Fantasy Live Online (Xbox)
The development of Ushiro has probably also stopped . The turn-based RPG for the PSP was announced in 2008. Since then, Level-5 has released no game news and the official website has since been taken offline. In addition, all links from the official Level 5 website to the Ushiro website have been removed. Level 5, however, never officially canceled development.
Web links
- Official Level-5 Website (Japanese)
- Official Level-5 International America website (English)
- Level-5 profile on MobyGames
Individual evidence
- ↑ jpgames.de: A message from Akihiro Hino to us , July 25, 2011
- ↑ jpgames.de: Interview with Hino and Matsuno on Level-5 , June 30, 2011
- ↑ jpgames.de: Yasumi Matsuno leaves level-5 after a short time , November 8, 2012
- ↑ jpgames.de: New trailer for the next level 5 RPG, Youkai Watch , January 18, 2013
- ↑ jpgames.de: Level-5 is developing Guild 02 with Keiji Inafune , 23 May 2012
- ↑ jpgames.de: Ni No Kuni postponed to February 1, 2013 , January 8, 2013