Nihon Falcom
Ys creators
Notable Games
Company History
Nihon Falcom Corporation was founded on March 1, 1981, in Tachikawa, Tokyo, Japan, making it one of the oldest continuously operating game developers in Japan. The company pioneered the action RPG genre and maintained remarkably consistent creative identity across four decades.
Falcom's Dragon Slayer (1984) for PC-8801 was among the first action RPGs, featuring real-time combat within dungeon exploration. The game spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs exploring different approaches to the format. Xanadu (1985) became one of the best-selling Japanese PC games ever, demonstrating market appetite for action RPG hybrids.
Ys (1987) represented Falcom's design philosophy distilled. The action RPG featured simple "bump combat" (running into enemies rather than explicit attacks), evocative pixel art, and exceptional music. The Ys series continues today, with each entry maintaining accessible action RPG gameplay while modernizing presentation.
The Legend of Heroes series evolved from a Dragon Slayer spin-off into Falcom's primary franchise. The Trails sub-series (beginning with Trails in the Sky, 2004) created an unprecedented interconnected narrative spanning multiple games and thousands of hours, with character arcs and political storylines threading across entire sub-series.
Falcom's development approach emphasizes in-house creation with a small permanent team, outsourcing ports to established partners like XSEED Games, NIS America, and PH3. This structure maintains creative control while managing resources efficiently.
Behind the Scenes
Falcom's development philosophy prioritizes refinement over revolution. Each Ys game iterates on established action RPG foundations rather than radically reinventing them. This approach maintains franchise identity while allowing gradual modernization.
The company's music production, handled by the in-house Falcom Sound Team JDK, achieved legendary status among gaming music enthusiasts. Ys soundtracks, featuring driving rock compositions with memorable melodies, are frequently cited among the greatest in gaming. The team treats music as essential to game identity rather than background accompaniment.
The Trails series' interconnected narrative represents extraordinary creative ambition. Games reference events from previous entries. Characters appear across multiple titles, developing over dozens of hours. Playing a new Trails game without prior series knowledge provides a complete experience, but long-term fans receive deeper engagement with ongoing storylines.
This narrative approach requires meticulous documentation and planning. Character histories, world lore, and faction relationships must remain consistent across games developed years apart. Falcom maintains extensive internal documentation enabling this continuity.
The company's small size — approximately 50-60 employees — constrains production scope while enabling cohesive vision. Every Falcom game feels distinctly like a Falcom game because the same core team creates them. This consistency sometimes limits technical ambition but preserves creative identity.
Business decisions reflect similar consistency. Falcom historically developed primarily for PC platforms in Japan, allowing partners to handle console ports and international releases. This specialization preserved development focus while enabling broader distribution through established channels.
About Nihon Falcom
Nihon Falcom is an active game development company founded on March 1, 1981 and headquartered in .
Known for creating iconic titles such as Ys I & II, The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana and more, Nihon Falcom has left an indelible mark on the video game industry.