HAL Laboratory facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
HAL Laboratory, Inc.

Logo since December 1998
Headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo
Native name	株式会社ハル研究所
Romanized name	Kabushiki gaisha Haru Kenkyūjo
Type	Private
Industry	Video games
Genre	Video game development Game engine development Merchandising
Founded	February 21, 1980; 45 years ago (1980-02-21) in Kanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Founder	Mitsuhiro Ikeda
Headquarters	Kanda Square, 2-2-1 Kandanishiki-cho, Chiyoda, Tokyo , Japan
Number of locations	2 studios (2019)
Key people	Shigefumi Kawase (president and CEO) Shinya Kumazaki (director) Nobutoshi Kuroki (director)
Products	Eggerland series Kirby series Mother series Super Smash Bros. series BoxBoy series
Number of employees	242 (2024)
Subsidiaries	Warpstar, Inc. (50%; with Nintendo)

HAL Laboratory, Inc., often called HALKEN, is a Japanese company that makes video games. It is located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Mitsuhiro Ikeda started the company on February 21, 1980.

HAL Laboratory first made games for early home computers. Over time, they became very close with Nintendo. They are now known for creating popular game series like Kirby and Mother. They also developed the first two Super Smash Bros. games.

The company's logo is called Inutamago, . It shows a dog sitting on eggs. This logo means that "an unexpected bond" can lead to "the birth of something new."

The Story of HAL Laboratory

HAL Laboratory began making games on February 21, 1980. They first created games for computers like the MSX and VIC-20. There are different stories about how the company got its name.

One story is that HAL was named after a computer from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Another story, told by former Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata, is that the name HAL was chosen because each letter put them one step ahead of IBM.

Working with Nintendo

In 1984, HAL Laboratory started working with Nintendo. They helped make games for the Famicom system, like Pinball and Golf. They also made their own games, such as F1 Race. For a while, some of their games were released in North America by a company called HAL America Inc.

A New Leader for HAL

In 1992, HAL Laboratory faced financial trouble. Nintendo stepped in to help. They asked Satoru Iwata to become the president of HAL Laboratory. He led the company from 1993 to 2000, helping it recover.

The Dog Eggs Logo

The current "Inutamago" logo was designed in 1998 by Shigesato Itoi. It shows a dog hatching eggs, symbolizing new and unexpected beginnings. When it first came out, people weren't sure what to think of it.

Expanding into New Areas

In 2001, HAL Laboratory and Nintendo teamed up to create Warpstar, Inc. This company manages everything related to Kirby outside of games, like toys and the Kirby: Right Back Back at Ya! TV show.

In 2017, HAL Laboratory started making games for phones and tablets under a new brand called HAL Egg. This was to show that these games were different from their usual console games. The first game released under HAL Egg was Part Time UFO.

Popular Games from HAL Laboratory

HAL Laboratory has developed many well-known video games over the years. They are especially famous for their work on the Kirby and Mother series.

Kirby Games

The Kirby series features a cute, pink character who can inhale enemies and copy their abilities. HAL Laboratory has made many Kirby games for different Nintendo systems.

• Kirby's Dream Land (1992) - The very first Kirby game.
• Kirby's Adventure (1993) - Introduced Kirby's copy abilities.
• Kirby Super Star (1996) - A collection of different Kirby games.
• Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (2000) - Kirby's first 3D adventure.
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2022) - A popular 3D Kirby game.

Mother Series

The Mother series, known as EarthBound in North America, is a role-playing game series with a unique style and story.

• EarthBound (1994) - The second game in the series, very popular in the West.
• Mother 3 (2006) - The third game in the series.

Super Smash Bros.

HAL Laboratory developed the first two games in the Super Smash Bros. fighting game series.

• Super Smash Bros. (1999) - The original game that brought Nintendo characters together to fight.
• Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) - The second game, which became very popular.

Other Notable Games

HAL Laboratory has also created other interesting games:

• Eggerland series - Puzzle games.
• BoxBoy! series - Puzzle-platformer games.
• Pokémon Snap (1999) - A unique game where you take pictures of Pokémon.
• Part Time UFO (2017) - A fun mobile game.

Games Developed by HAL Laboratory

Games That Were Not Released

Sometimes, games are planned but never fully released. Here are some games HAL Laboratory worked on that were cancelled:

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

Games Published by HAL Laboratory

HAL Laboratory has also published some games, meaning they helped bring them to stores.

Computer Animation Work

HAL Laboratory also helped with computer animation for the movie Pokémon: The Movie 2000. They worked on developing the tools used for the computer graphics.

See also

In Spanish: HAL Laboratory para niños