Founded in 1980, HAL Laboratory has made many fine games over the years. While the company has been attached to Nintendo for over a decade, their first games weren't on a Nintendo machine. HAL began as a computer game developer.
Fruit Search(MSX, 1983) - You have to guess which fruit each girl is thinking of. I don't really understand it.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...earch_game.gif
Space Maze Attack(MSX, 1983) - A maze shooter as the name implies, nothing too exciting.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...ttack_game.gif
Picture Puzzle(MSX, 1983) - A video version of those picture puzzle thingies.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...uzzle_game.gif
Super Snake(MSX, 1983) - Eat items for points while avoiding enemies and biting yourself.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...snake_game.gif
Butan Pants(MSX, 1983)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...pants_game.gif
Heavy Boxing(MSX, 1983)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...oxing_game.gif
Super Billiards(MSX, 1983)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...ards_title.gif
Dragon Attack(MSX, 1983) - Very similar to Space Invaders except with approaching dragons.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...ttack_game.gif
Rollerball(MSX, 1984) - HAL's first video pinball game. A version was later made for the NES.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...rball_game.gif
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/nes/01/rollerball.html
Hole in One(MSX, 1984) - This was the first in their golf series that would continue on to the SNES.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...n_one_game.gif
Mr. Chin(MSX, 1984) - The object of this game is to place plates on top of rods while avoiding the evil ball-rolling dude.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens..._chin_game.gif
Space Trouble(MSX, 1984)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...ouble_game.gif
Balance(MSX, 1984) - Balance manages to be educational and entertaining. A train above you is heading for a misguided track. You have to straighten the track by grabbing flying numbers and placing them in the correct math problems above. This game is the first appearance of the blue ball character Lolo.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...lance_game.gif
Eggerland Mystery(MSX, 1985) - This was the first game in what would later be known as the Adventures of Lolo series. These were great puzzle games. The series spans several games on MSX, Famicom Disk, NES and Game Boy.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...tery2_game.gif
http://www.vgmuseum.com/pics/loloGB.html
Dunk Shot(MSX, 1986) - This basketball game had a sequel years later on SNES.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...kshot_game.gif
Inspector Z(MSX, 1986)
Gall Force(FDS, 1986) HAL released their first game on a Nintendo system in 1986. The anime-based shooter Gall Force was published by Sony.
http://www.kojima.freeserve.co.uk/gallforce2.gif
They also made an MSX2 version of Gall Force; I assume it's the same game.
Kick It(MSX, 1987)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...ck_it_game.gif
Pyroman(MSX, 1987)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...roman_game.gif
Mobile Planet Stills(MSX, 1987) - This overhead action game reminds me of Alien Syndrome.
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...lanet_game.gif
Yajikita Doutyu(MSX2, 1987)
http://www.generation-msx.nl/screens...outyu_game.gif
Ninja-kun(MSX2, 1987) - A port of UPL's Famicom action game.
Fire Bam(FDS, 1988)
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/fds/01/71.html
Defender 2(NES, 1988) - They did a good job on this port of the Williams arcade game. http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/nes/01/defender2.html
Millipede(NES, 1988) - A port of Atari's arcade game.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/nes/01/millipede.html
Air Fortress(NES, 1989) - Air Fortress was a mix of horizontal shooting and on the ground action. It was okay but I never got into it.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/03/air.html
Ghostbusters 2(NES, 1990)
http://uvlftp.arteh.com/jacek/ghostb2_nes.jpg
With the arrival of the Game Boy, HAL quickly became one of the best developers for it. I haven't played their rendition of Shanghai but their 1990 pinball game Revenge of the Gator was a favorite of mine back then. The game had such personality with its artwork, dancing alligators and addictive gameplay.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/gb/01/pinballgator.html
HAL published Human's excellent NES platformer Kabuki Quantum Fighter domestically in 1990.
HAL's final Famicom Disk System game was their text adventure Metal Slader Glory in 1991. Here's a picture from its Super Famicom remake.
http://www.ciudadfutura.com/snes/pic...%20Cut%20b.jpg
1991 marked HAL's entry in the 16-bit world with Hyper Zone, a 3d flying game for the SNES. The Mode 7 graphics impressed me but the game was boring unlike the stuff Nintendo was making with their new hardware.
http://yannick.fleurit.free.fr/Chron...%20Zone-02.gif
It was around this time that HAL was majorly suffering from financial trouble. Back then, there was mention in magazines that they were going bankrupt. I'm not sure exactly how they recovered but money from Nintendo seems most likely what saved them. HAL became a major developer to Nintendo and many of their games from this point on were co-developed by Nintendo.
Kirby's Dream Land(GB, 1992) - The birth of a new Nintendo icon.
http://www.nemoprod.net/emu/console/gmbshot/kirby.gif
As I'm sure most people here know, Kirby is a pink ghost that sucks in his enemies and takes their abilities. Dream Land was the first in the line of awesome Kirby platformers. Dream Land 2 was released for the Game Boy in 1995 and Dream Land 3 came out for the SNES in 1997.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/pics6/kirby3.html
Arcana(SNES, 1992) - An RPG.
http://turemu.kolayweb.com/snes/arcana.gif
Kirby's Adventure(NES, 1993) - One of the last great NES games, this 6-meg cartridge proved that the decade-old hardware still had some life left in it. This game was recently remade for GBA.
http://www.gamespy.com/spotlights/de...kirby/rr_1.gif
Kirby's Pinball Land(GB, 1993)
http://www.gamesen.nl/DBImg/Portal31...pinball_gb.jpg
Alcahest(SFC, 1993) - This Action/RPG was published by Square.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/snes01/01/alcahest.html
Kirby's Dream Course(SNES, 1995) - Kirby goes golfing.
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/snes01/01/kirbydc.html
Kirby's Avalanche(SNES, 1995) - This wasn't really a HAL creation. It was a port of Compile's Puyo Puyo made with Kirby characters. http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/snes01/01/avalanche.html
Sim City 2000(SFC, 1995) - A port of Maxis' computer game. They also made Sim City 64 for N64 a few years later.
Earthbound AKA Mother 2(SNES, 1995) - I'm not sure exactly what HAL contributed to this RPG but I'm guessing the bulk of it was done by original Mother developer Ape. Either way, it's a great game.
http://uvl.supereva.it/pics/earthbound.jpg
Kirby Super Star(SNES, 1996) - This was another Kirby platformer. From what I remember it was good but I didn't like it as much as Kirby's Adventure.
Kirby's Block Ball(GB, 1996) - Is this game any good?
http://www.vgmuseum.com/pics/kirbysblockball.html
Shigesato Itoi No. 1 Bass Tsuri wo Suru(SFC, 1997) - Another co-production with Ape's Shigesato Itoi. There was also a version of this game made for N64. I have no idea what the game is like though.
Kirby's Star Stacker(GB, 1997) - Is this puzzle game any good?
http://www.vgmuseum.com/images/gb/01...arstacker.html
Kirby no Kirakira Kids(SFC, 1998) - An upgraded version of Star Stacker. This version never came out in North America.
Pokemon Snap(N64, 1999) - Want to take pictures of Pokemon? Me neither.
[thumbnail]http://www.pokegames.free.fr/images/jeuvideo/snap/13b.jpg[/thumbnail]
Super Smash Bros.(N64, 1999) - This is easily my favorite HAL series. Smash Bros. beautifully mixed in a heavy dose of Nintendo characters and nostalgia with a simple yet brilliantly crafted fighting system. It reminds me a lot of the original 1983 Mario Bros.. The 2001 GC sequel had much better graphics and refined gameplay.
http://www.nintendo.com.au/gamecube/images/smash2.jpg
Pokemon Pinball(GBC, 2000) - HAL's best pinball game yet. It even had a rumble feature built into the cartridge.
http://dorando.emuverse.com/images/p...pinball_01.png
Kirby 64 The Crystal Shards(N64, 2000) - I still haven't played this one but I hear it's very good although insanely easy.
http://www.n64europe.com/graphicsx/kirby1.jpg
Kirby's Tilt 'n Tumble(GBC, 2001) - I haven't played this yet either but it sounds neat. The cartridge has a sensor in it so when you move the Game Boy, it moves Kirby.
What are your thoughts on HAL Laboratory?
