Private company

Romstar

American video game publisher

Romstar Inc. was an American video game publisher based in Torrance, California that started operations in 1984. They were known for licensing arcade games from major makers for distribution. They also made games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Boy.2 It ceased to exist in 1992.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1984Founded1
  • Industryvideo game industry1
  • HeadquartersTorrance1

Romstar Inc. was an American video game publisher based in Torrance, California that started operations in 1984. They were known for licensing arcade games from major makers for distribution. They also made games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Boy.2

The story

The company started as the first American distribution arm for SNK (before SNK of America was founded in 1987). Romstar partnered with Capcom in 1993 to form Game Star (a.k.a. GameStar Inc.), an electromechanical factory in Arlington Heights, Illinois that Romstar had a 30% stake in. Games continued to be released using the Romstar name until at least 1994.

In 1995, Capcom would later fully take over Game Star to form Capcom Coin-Op, a pinball manufacturer.

The key personnel of Romstar, Takahito Yasuki, Ron Czerny, and Darryl Williams, later founded Atrativa Games and Playphone, both cellular phone entertainment companies. Playphone was acquired by GungHo Online Entertainment in October 2014.

From Wikipedia’s article on Romstar, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

Licensed from Taito

Tiger Heli (developed by Toaplan)

Arkanoid

Bubble Bobble

Arkanoid: Revenge of DOH

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Twin Cobra (developed by Toaplan)

Sky Shark (developed by Toaplan)

Empire City: 1931 (developed by Seibu Kaihatsu)

Aqua Jack

Twin Eagle (developed by Seta, NES version)

Battle Lane Vol. 5 (developed by Technos)

Final Blow

Rally Bike (developed by Toaplan, NES)

Top Speed

Kageki (developed by Kaneko)

Tokio

China Gate (developed by Technos)

Thundercade (developed by Seta)

Super Qix (developed by Kaneko)

The Ninja Warriors

Kickstart

Great Swordsman (developed by Allumer)

Tournament Arkanoid

Licensed from Capcom

1942 (also distributed by Williams)

Ghosts 'n Goblins (also distributed by Taito)

Side Arms: Hyper Dyne

Trojan

Black Tiger

Gun.Smoke

Tiger Road

F-1 Dream

The King of Dragons

Varth: Operation Thunderstorm

SonSon

Licensed from SNK

Baseball Stars 2 (NES version)

Time Soldiers (developed by Alpha Denshi)

Sky Soldiers (developed by Alpha Denshi)

Gold Medalist (developed by Alpha Denshi)

Neo Geo (One-slot conversion kit version)

Licensed from Seta

Castle of Dragon (developed by Athena)

DownTown

Caliber.50

Thunder & Lightning (developed by Visco, NES)

Meta Fox (developed by Jorudan)

Nolan Ryan's Baseball (SNES)

Licensed from Toaplan

Out Zone

Snow Bros.

Fire Shark

Others

Double Dragon II: The Revenge (developed by Technos)

Bloody Wolf (developed by Data East)

Flashgal (developed by Kyugo, published by Sega)

Skeet Shot (developed by Dynamo, top new video game on RePlay arcade charts in December 1991)

Popshot (prototype, developed by Dynamo)

World Bowling (developed by Athena, Game Boy)

Championship Bowling (Arcade/NES)

Cowboy Kid (developed by Visco Games, NES)

Magic Darts (NES)

Mr. Chin's Gourmet Paradise (Game Boy)

Torpedo Range (developed by Seta, Game Boy)

Goofy Hoops (redemption, partially based on same hardware as Capcom pinballs)

From Wikipedia’s article on Romstar, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Timeline

  1. 1992Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1984Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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