formerly shortened as HALKEN, is a Japanese video game developer based in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded on February 21, 1980 by Mitsuhiro Ikeda. The company started out developing games for home computers of the era, but has since established a strong relationship with Nintendo, and is often referred to as a second-party developer. In 1991, a second office in Kai, Yamanashi was established. The company is best known for its work on the Kirby and Mother series, and the first two Super Smash Bros. games.
Its logo, which depicts a dog incubating eggs, is meant to represent "an unexpected bond [...] one that brings the birth of something new."
History
HAL Laboratory was founded on February 21, 1980 in Kanda, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Mitsuhiro Ikeda served as the first president and CEO. The company was formed out of a Seibu Department Store in Ikebukuro, with many of the students who frequented the computer section working part-time. This included Satoru Iwata and Satoshi Matsuoka. HAL initially started out of an apartment in Akihabara, developing hardware peripherals. An early investor was Iwasaki Giken, a company that programmed many of Nintendo's first video games.
In its early years, it developed products like a universal remote, the HAL Fax, which allowed users to fax directly from a computer, and the HAL Catch, a cable that connected an electronic organizer to a PC. the CAT trackball, and the Hibiki FM tone generator and MIDI interface board in 1986. while in a 2012 Iwata Asks interview, he said the company was named HAL because "each letter put [them] one step ahead of IBM."
The company first made games for home computers, such as the MSX and VIC-20. These were initially unlicensed home computer versions of Namco's arcade games, including Pac-Man (Jelly Monsters
Through its connection to Iwasaki Giken, HAL started its business relationship with Nintendo in 1984. Between 1987 and 1991, HAL also published several NES titles, including Stargate and Kabuki: Quantum Fighter. Masahiro Sakurai joined the company in 1989. In 1992, HAL spun off its non-Nintendo business as HAL Corporation. It continued to work on computer software and peripherals, including new versions of the universal remote controller. This company continued to operate until around 2002.
However, following the protracted development of Metal Slader Glory, the company was $1.5 billion yen in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy. Nintendo offered to rescue HAL on the condition that Satoru Iwata were to be appointed its president. HAL then found success soon after, releasing Kirby's Adventure, Kirby's Dream Course, and Mother 2. The first game to use the logo was Super Smash Bros. and established an R&D center in Tokyo that year. and the company worked on three games that were ultimately cancelled. During this time, HAL also worked on Nintendo's hardware, developing the software library called "sysdolphin" for the GameCube.
On July 31, 2001, HAL Laboratory and Nintendo jointly established Warpstar, Inc., a company created to oversee Kirby merchandising and outside media, such as the Kirby: Right Back at Ya! anime series. In March 2002, Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi retired and named Iwata as his successor. In 2003, the company moved from Nintendo's Tokyo Prefecture Building in Nihonbashi, Chuo to a new office in Kanda Sudacho, Chiyoda. Sakurai also left HAL to become a freelance game designer, though he continued to work on the Super Smash Bros. series. In 2007, HAL worked with Atlus to produce a Kirby-themed medal game for arcades.
The company developed the internet browser and electronic instruction manual for both the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. HAL released a Kirby-themed card game in 2015. In August 2016, it teamed with Nintendo to open the Kirby Café chain in Japan. HAL helped to develop software for the Nintendo Switch, creating its internet browser, Mii photo library, and various game development environments and tools. It also released a Kirby-themed board game in 2017.
In 2017, HAL Laboratory announced that the company would start developing games for mobile devices under the brand name HAL Egg, in order to clearly differentiate them from the company's usual output. The first title released under the brand name was Part Time UFO. The game was a premium title, as the developers at HAL did not want to implement the more exploitative types of monetization that had become common in the industry. A second mobile game, Housuu de Shoubu! Kame Sanpo was released in Japan in 2019.
In 2020, HAL relocated its office to Nintendo's new Tokyo building, alongside Nintendo EPD Tokyo, Nintendo PTD Tokyo, 1-Up Studio, and Game Freak. At this point, HAL had just under 200 employees. In 2022, the company released Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the first fully 3D game in the series.
Games
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ List of video games developed and/or published by HAL Laboratory
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Platform(s)
!Ref.
|-
| rowspan="9" |1981
|Heiankyo Alien
|PC-8001
|
|-
|Avenger (Space Invaders clone)
|VIC-20, Commodore 64
|
|-
|Jelly Monsters (Pac-Man clone)
|VIC-20
|
|-
|Mole Attack
|-
|Poker
|
|-
|Space Maze Attack
|
|-
|Step Up
|
|-
|Super Snake
|
|-
|Tetsuman
|
|-
|Lot Lot
|Famicom
|
|-
| rowspan="8" |1986
|Dunkshot
|MSX
|
|-
|Eggerland 2
|MSX
|
|-
|Gall Force: Defense of Chaos
|MSX
|
|-
|Gall Force: Eternal Story
|Famicom Disk System
|
|-
|Hole in One Professional
| rowspan="3" |MSX
|
|-
|Inspecteur Z
|
|-
|Mobile Planet Stils
|
|-
|Othello
|Famicom Disk System, Nintendo Entertainment System
|
|-
| rowspan="11" |1987
|Eggerland
| rowspan="3" |Famicom Disk System
|
|-
|Family Computer Golf: Japan Course
| rowspan="2" |
|-
|Defender II
|
|-
|Air Fortress
|
|-
|Millipede
|
|-
|Hole in One Special
|MSX
|
|-
|Ninja-Kid II
|MSX
|
|-
|Tokoro-san no Mamoru mo Semeru mo
|Famicom
|
|-
|Zukkoke Yajikita Onmitsudoutyuu
|MSX2
|
|-
| rowspan="9" |1988
| Satsui no Kaisou: Power Soft Renzoku Satsujin Jiken
|Famicom
|
|-
|Fire Bam
|Famicom Disk System
|
|-
|Jumbo Ozaki no Hole in One Professional
|Famicom
|
|-
|Vegas Dream
|Nintendo Entertainment System
|
|-
|Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally
|Famicom Disk System
|
|-
|Eggerland: Meikyū no Fukkatsu
|Famicom
|
|-
|Eggerland: Sōzō e no Tabidachi
|Famicom Disk System
|
|-
|Tashiro Masashi no Princess ga Ippai
|MSX
|
|-
|Rollerball
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo Entertainment System
|
|-
| rowspan="6" |1989
|Adventures of Lolo (NES)
|
|-
|Mother
|Famicom
|
|-
|Pachipro Densetsu
|MSX
|
|-
|Revenge of the 'Gator
| rowspan="2" |Game Boy
|
|-
|Shanghai
|
|-
|Gozonji Yajikita Chindochu
| rowspan="2" |Famicom
|
|-
| rowspan="7" |1990
|-
|Adventures of Lolo 2 (NES)
|Nintendo Entertainment System
|
|-
|Uchūkeibitai SDF
|Famicom
|
|-
|HAL Wrestling
|Game Boy
|
|-
|Adventures of Lolo 3
|Nintendo Entertainment System
|
|-
|Adventures of Lolo 2 (Famicom)
|Famicom
|
|-
|New Ghostbusters II
|Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy
|
|-
|HAL's Hole in One Golf
|Super NES
|
|-
|Kabuki: Quantum Fighter
|Nintendo Entertainment System
| rowspan="2" |
|-
|NES Open Tournament Golf
|Nintendo Entertainment System
|
|-
|Day Dreamin' Davey
|Nintendo Entertainment System
|
|-
|Kirby's Dream Land
|Game Boy
|
|-
|Alcahest
|Super Famicom
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1994
|Adventures of Lolo
|Game Boy
|
|-
|EarthBound
| rowspan="3" |Super NES
|
|-
|Kirby's Dream Land 2
|Game Boy
|
|-
|SimCity 2000
|Super NES
|
|-
| rowspan="5" |1996
|Kirby's Toy Box
|Super Famicom (Satellaview)
|
|-
|Kirby Super Star
|Super NES
|
|-
|Eggerland Episode 0: Quest of Lala
| rowspan="2" |Windows
|
|-
|Eggerland for Windows 95
|
|-
|Special Tee Shot
|Super Famicom (Satellaview)
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |1997
|Kirby's Star Stacker
|Game Boy, Super Famicom
|
|-
|Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1
|Super Famicom
|
|-
|Kirby's Dream Land 3
|Super NES
|
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1999
|Super Smash Bros.
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo 64
|
|-
|Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 Ketteihan!
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo 64
|
|-
|Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards
|
|-
|2002
|Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land
|Game Boy Advance
|
|-
|2003
|Kirby Air Ride
|GameCube
|
|-
|2005
|Kirby Canvas Curse
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo DS
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |2006
|Pokémon Ranger
|
|-
|Mother 3
|Game Boy Advance
|
|-
|Common Sense Training
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo DS
|
|-
|Kirby: Squeak Squad
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2008
|Minna no Joshikiryoku TV
|Wii
|
|-
|Kirby Super Star Ultra
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo DS
|
|-
|2009
|Picross 3D
|
|-
|2010
|Face Pilot: Fly with your Nintendo DSi Camera!
|Nintendo DSi
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |2011
|Face Raiders
| rowspan="2" |Nintendo 3DS
|
|-
|AR Games
|
|-
|Kirby Mass Attack
|Nintendo DS
|
|-
|Kirby's Return to Dream Land
| rowspan="2" |Wii
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2014
|Kirby: Triple Deluxe
| rowspan="4" |Nintendo 3DS
|
|-
|Kirby Fighters Deluxe
|
|-
|Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2015
|BoxBoy!
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2016
|BoxBoxBoy!
|
|-
|Kirby: Planet Robobot
|
|-
| rowspan="5" |2017
|Bye-Bye BoxBoy!
|
|-
|Team Kirby Clash Deluxe
|
|-
|Kirby's Blowout Blast
|
|-
|2018
|Kirby Star Allies
| rowspan="3" |Nintendo Switch
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2019
|BoxBoy! + BoxGirl!
|
|-
|Super Kirby Clash
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2022
|Kirby and the Forgotten Land
|Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
|
|-
|2023
|Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
|
|}
Cancelled games
- Kirby's Air Ride (Nintendo 64)
- EarthBound 64 (64DD, Nintendo 64)
- Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2 (GameCube)
- Battland (Game Boy Advance)
- Luna Blaze (Game Boy Advance)
- Kirby for Nintendo GameCube (GameCube)
- Mini BASIC
- Nintendo 3DS Electronic Manual
- Nintendo Switch Web Browser
- Sysdolphin
- Wii U Electronic Manual
- CAT trackball
- HALNote
- HALScan
- JB Turbo
- Kirby amiibo series
- Kirby's Magic Tower of Medal Land
- PasocomMini MZ-80C
- PasocomMini PC-8001
- Programmable character generators - PCG-700, 1200, 6500, 8000, 8100, 8200, and 8800