# HAL Laboratory

HAL Laboratory, Inc., 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, Inutamago, 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, and originally developed games for home computers, such as the MSX and VIC-20. There have been conflicting claims on the origin of the company's name. During a GDC 2005 keynote, Satoru Iwata stated that HAL was named after the computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, in a 2012 Iwata Asks interview, he said the company was named HAL because "each letter put [them] one step ahead of IBM."
In 1984, the company began its business relationship with Nintendo. HAL assisted in the development of first-party Famicom games such as Pinball and Golf, while also creating original titles such as F1 Race. In the west, some titles were published under HAL America Inc. (HAI), a North American subsidiary of the company led by Yash Terakura and based in Beaverton, Oregon, USA.
In 1992, following the protracted development of Metal Slader Glory, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. Nintendo offered to rescue HAL on the condition that Satoru Iwata were to be appointed its president, a role he took from 1993 to 2000.
The company's current logo, Inutamago, was created in 1998 by Shigesato Itoi. The imagery is meant to represent "an unexpected bond [...] one that brings the birth of something new". Reception was reportedly lukewarm at first.
In August 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 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 company released miniature versions of the MZ-80C and PC-8001 computers in October 2017 and October 2019, respectively.

## Games developed

List of video games developed by HAL Laboratory :
| Year | Title | Platform(s) |
| 1984 | Pinball | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1984 | Golf | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1984 | F1 Race | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1985 | Mach Rider | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1985 | Balloon Fight | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1985 | Lot Lot | Famicom |
| 1986 | Othello | Famicom Disk System, Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1986 | Gall Force: Eternal Story | Famicom Disk System |
| 1987 | Eggerland | Famicom Disk System |
| 1987 | Family Computer Golf: Japan Course | Famicom Disk System |
| 1987 | Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course | Famicom Disk System |
| 1987 | Joust | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1987 | Defender II | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1987 | Air Fortress | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1987 | Millipede | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1987 | Tokoro-san no Mamoru mo Semeru mo | Famicom |
| 1988 | Satsui no Kaisou: Power Soft Renzoku Satsujin Jiken | Famicom |
| 1988 | Fire Bam | Famicom Disk System |
| 1988 | Jumbo Ozaki no Hole in One Professional | Famicom |
| 1988 | Vegas Dream | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1988 | Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally | Famicom Disk System |
| 1988 | Eggerland: Meikyū no Fukkatsu | Famicom |
| 1988 | Eggerland: Sōzō e no Tabidachi | Famicom Disk System |
| 1988 | Rollerball | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1989 | Adventures of Lolo (NES) | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1989 | Revenge of the 'Gator | Game Boy |
| 1989 | Shanghai | Game Boy |
| 1989 | Ghostbusters II | Game Boy |
| 1990 | Adventures of Lolo (Famicom) | Famicom |
| 1990 | Adventures of Lolo 2 (NES) | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1990 | Uchūkeibitai SDF | Famicom |
| 1990 | Adventures of Lolo 3 | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1990 | Adventures of Lolo 2 (Famicom) | Famicom |
| 1990 | New Ghostbusters II | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1991 | Trax | Game Boy |
| 1991 | HAL's Hole in One Golf | Super NES |
| 1991 | Metal Slader Glory | Famicom |
| 1991 | HyperZone | Super NES |
| 1991 | NES Open Tournament Golf | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1992 | Arcana | Super NES |
| 1992 | Kirby's Dream Land | Game Boy |
| 1993 | Vegas Stakes | Super NES, Game Boy |
| 1993 | Kirby's Adventure | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1993 | Kirby's Pinball Land | Game Boy |
| 1993 | Alcahest | Super Famicom |
| 1994 | Adventures of Lolo | Game Boy |
| 1994 | EarthBound | Super NES |
| 1994 | Kirby's Dream Course | Super NES |
| 1995 | Kirby's Avalanche | Super NES |
| 1995 | Kirby's Dream Land 2 | Game Boy |
| 1995 | SimCity 2000 | Super NES |
| 1996 | Kirby Super Star | Super NES |
| 1997 | Kirby's Star Stacker | Game Boy, Super Famicom |
| 1997 | Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 | Super Famicom |
| 1997 | Kirby's Dream Land 3 | Super NES |
| 1999 | Super Smash Bros. | Nintendo 64 |
| 1999 | Pokémon Snap | Nintendo 64 |
| 1999 | Pokémon Pinball | Game Boy Color |
| 2000 | SimCity 64 | Nintendo 64DD |
| 2000 | Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 Ketteihan! | Nintendo 64 |
| 2000 | Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards | Nintendo 64 |
| 2000 | Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut | Super Famicom |
| 2001 | Super Smash Bros. Melee | GameCube |
| 2002 | Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land | Game Boy Advance |
| 2003 | Kirby Air Ride | GameCube |
| 2004 | Kirby & the Amazing Mirror | Game Boy Advance |
| 2005 | Kirby Canvas Curse | Nintendo DS |
| 2006 | Pokémon Ranger | Nintendo DS |
| 2006 | Mother 3 | Game Boy Advance |
| 2006 | Common Sense Training | Nintendo DS |
| 2006 | Kirby: Squeak Squad | Nintendo DS |
| 2008 | TV no Tomo Channel | Wii |
| 2008 | Kirby Super Star Ultra | Nintendo DS |
| 2009 | Picross 3D | Nintendo DS |
| 2011 | Face Raiders | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2011 | Kirby Mass Attack | Nintendo DS |
| 2011 | Kirby's Return to Dream Land | Wii |
| 2012 | Kirby's Dream Collection | Wii |
| 2014 | Kirby: Triple Deluxe | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2014 | Kirby Fighters Deluxe | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2014 | Dedede's Drum Dash Deluxe | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2015 | BoxBoy! | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2015 | Kirby and the Rainbow Curse | Wii U |
| 2015 | Picross 3D: Round 2 | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2016 | BoxBoxBoy! | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2016 | Kirby: Planet Robobot | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2017 | Bye-Bye BoxBoy! | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2017 | Team Kirby Clash Deluxe | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2017 | Kirby's Blowout Blast | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2017 | Part Time UFO | iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch |
| 2017 | Kirby Battle Royale | Nintendo 3DS |
| 2018 | Kirby Star Allies | Nintendo Switch |
| 2019 | BoxBoy! + BoxGirl! | Nintendo Switch |
| 2019 | Super Kirby Clash | Nintendo Switch |
| 2019 | Housuu de Shoubu! Kame Sanpo | iOS, Android |
| 2020 | Kirby Fighters 2 | Nintendo Switch |
| 2022 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land | Nintendo Switch |
| 2022 | Kirby's Dream Buffet | Nintendo Switch |
| 2023 | Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe | Nintendo Switch |

### Cancelled games

* Kirby's Air Ride (Nintendo 64)
* EarthBound 64 (Nintendo 64DD, Nintendo 64)
* Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble 2 (GameCube)
* Battland (Game Boy Advance)
* Luna Blaze (Game Boy Advance)
* Kirby for Nintendo GameCube (GameCube)

### Other systems
#### VIC-20

* Alien
* Avenger (Space Invaders clone)
* Jelly Monsters (Pac-Man clone)
* Jupiter Lander (Lunar Lander clone)
* Mole Attack
* Money Wars
* Pin Ball (Cutie Q clone)
* Poker
* Radar Rat Race (Rally-X clone)
* Road Race (Night Driver clone)
* Slot Machine
* Star Battle (Galaxian clone programmed by Satoru Iwata; ex-CEO of Nintendo and HAL Laboratory)

#### MAX Machine/Commodore 64

Source:
* Avenger
* Billiards
* Bowling
* Clowns
* Gorf
* Jupiter Lander
* Kickman
* Le Mans
* Max Basic
* Mini Basic Max
* Mole Attack
* Money Wars
* Music Composer
* Music Machine
* Omega Race
* Pinball Spectacular (an adaptation of Bomb Bee)
* Poker
* Radar Rat Race
* Road Race
* Ski (aka Slalom)
* Super Alien
* Wizard of Wor

#### MSX

* Balance
* Butamaru Pants
* Cue Star
* Dunk Shot
* Eggerland Mystery
* Eggerland 2
* Fruit Search
* Gall Force
* Heavy Boxing
* Hole in One
* Hole in One Professional
* Inside the Karamaru
* Inspecteur Z
* Mobile Planet Stillus/The Roving Planet Stillus
* Mr. Chin
* Pachipro Densetsu
* Picture Puzzle
* Rollerball
* Space Maze Attack
* Space Trouble
* Step Up
* Super Billiards
* Super Snake
* Swimming Tango
* Tetsuman

#### MSX2

* Dragon Attack
* Hole in One Special
* Zukkoke Yajikita Onmitsudoutyuu
* Mr. Ninja – Ashura's Chapter

#### Windows

* Eggerland Episode 0: Quest of Rara
* Egger Land for Windows 95
* Revival! Eggerland

## Games published

List of video games published by HAL Laboratory :
| Year | Title | Platform(s) |
| 1990 | HAL Wrestling | Game Boy |
| 1991 | Kabuki: Quantum Fighter | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1992 | Day Dreamin' Davey | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| 1992 | NCAA Basketball | Super NES |

## Computer animation

* Pokémon: The Movie 2000 (CG Tool Development)