Kojima Productions: Here is a group of guys whose games were so successful--both critically and commercially--that they split off from Konami to become their own self-contained production house. Prior to that event, they were responsible for creating the Metal Gear, Zone of the Enders, and Boktai franchises, which they now make adept use of their status to continue to evolve.



Treasure: Similar to Kojima Productions, Treasure split off from Konami in the mid-90s to form their own company, although it was more of an exodus than a promotion in their case. Starting from nothing, they established a reputation for themselves as creators of consistently fun and innovative games. From Gunstar Heroes to Alien Soldier to Mischief Makers to Ikaruga, their products are known as some of the best, most action-packed experiences to be had in all of gaming.



Konami: Lest anyone think that the Treasure guys left them without any remaining genius, Konami put together some of the best action games of '90s both before and after their departure. While most developers took the next generation to mean "the last generation, but prettier," they employed the advanced capabilities of 16-bit consoles to the fullest benefit of the gameplay itself. In the previous era, they made a name for themselves with franchises like Gradius, Contra, and Castlevania, the quality of which they've done well to maintain ever since.



Quest: After developing the Ogre Battle and Tactics Ogre games, which even now are considered among the best SRPGS of all time, Quest dissolved as its key members joined up with Square. However, the extent to which these individuals have hung together on their various projects has been such that the unmistakable Quest essence remains largely intact to this day. Games like Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, and Final Fantasy XII are easily recognizable as "Quest" games.



Working Designs: An American publisher of Japanese games that arose during a time when no one else in the industry cared enough to give games--particularly text-heavy RPGs--decent (or even coherent) translations. Headed by Victor Ireland, they not only translated the scripts of games but also exhaustively optimized them for the English language. Compared to stricter translations that were so impractically literal that they appeared to have been converted by a machine, a script from Working Designs was always more natural, more readable, and, through some kind of arcane sorcery, legitimately entertaining. In this way, they singlehandedly pioneered the very concept of what is now called "localization" in games.



Atlus USA: Picking up right where Working Designs left off, Atlus consistently brings great niche games out of Japan bearing top-notch localizations. And while Working Designs was such an small-scale operation that you could believe Mr. Ireland ran it out of his garage, Atlus's greater manpower means they can work their magic on a much more regular basis.



Intelligent Systems: This is the development team that produced--and continues to produce--games like Super Metroid, Paper Mario, and WarioWare. I think that kind of resume speaks for itself.