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4[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/atlus_logo.png]]
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6->''"We get off on your tears."''
7
8[[https://atlus.com Atlus]] is a Japanese video game developer, publisher and distributor based in Tokyo, founded on April 7, 1986 and a subsidiary of Creator/{{Sega}} since 2013. While not necessarily having the name-recognition of some larger companies, they have a huge number of quality products, both as a developer and a publisher, and often both at once. The Japanese HQ portion of the company is both a publisher (since 1989) and developer, the North American branch serves as a publisher and localization company that publishes more games than just what its parent company Index Corporation develops and publishes; in the list of games below said games are listed with Atlus being the North American publisher. Atlus is probably most notable for developing and publishing the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' and ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' games.
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10Many of their internally developed 21st-century games are [[NintendoHard really freaking]] ''[[NintendoHard HARD]]''.[[note]]Games published by Atlus USA but not developed by its parent company may not have this trait[[/note]] Though good design means they usually avoid FakeDifficulty. Their American branch is also famous for the translation of their games: {{Woolseyism}} and SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing abound in games they publish. Atlus is also famous for first exposing North America to Creator/NipponIchi Software, having published ''VideoGame/RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure'' back in the Platform/PlayStation 1 era, and later ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' game for Platform/PlayStation2. This led to NIS eventually branching out on their own, and to this day the companies share many staff amongst their translation and dubbing teams, as well as an amicable business relationship. In fact, NIS America is responsible for publishing ''Anime/PersonaTrinitySoul'', the anime based on the Atlus game.
11
12Currently holds the dubious title of "[[ThatOneBoss/{{Atlus}} That One Company]]", due to their joy at [[ColdBloodedTorture making gamers suffer.]] And we [[TooKinkyToTorture like it]], dammit. Funnily enough, even some games they merely published and not developed can be NintendoHard, like ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' and the ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' games.
13
14Also note the number of {{Quirky Work}}s below.
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16Atlus Japan is co-creator (with Creator/{{Sega}}) of "Print Club".
17
18In 2003, Atlus was sold to Takara but in 2006 was sold again to mobile giant Index Holdings. In 2010, Atlus was officially disestablished and absorbed with Index Holdings and renamed itself to Index Corporation. The Atlus name was used by Index as a banner to publish their titles. Atlus USA was renamed to Index Digital Media as a result.
19
20In June 2013, Index was convicted of corporate fraud, leading to them declaring bankruptcy. Sega Sammy eventually stepped in and purchased Index (including Atlus) for 14 billion yen (approximately $141 million US). By 2014, Atlus was re-established under Sega. Index's other assets were sold two years later.
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22Quite a few Atlus alumni became major players in the game industry after their tenures at the company ended. Kazuya Niinō, Kouji Okada and Range Murata began their gaming careers at the studio.
23
24Its North American rival, Creator/{{Sierra}}, was known for developing very difficult games and was defunct for years before being revived by its parent company, Creator/{{Activision}}.
25
26Following the success of the ''[[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020 Sonic]]'' [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022 movies]], Sega has [[https://www.ign.com/articles/atlus-live-action-movie-tv-adaptations-sega-exclusive expressed an interest]] in adapting Atlus’ IP to live action film and television. Time will tell if they follow through. Worth mentioning the [[https://youtu.be/SuJBxPZPQJk rather surreal]] TV drama adaptation of ''VideoGame/DevilSummoner''.
27
28----
29!!Some of their titles (including externally developed games localized by Atlus USA) include:
30[[index]]
31* ''VideoGame/ThirteenSentinelsAegisRim'' (Publisher)
32* ''VideoGame/{{Bonk}}'' (Co-developer, with Red Co.)
33** ''VideoGame/BonksAdventure''
34* ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}'' (Publisher/Developer)
35* ''VideoGame/CannonDancer'' (Publisher for Japan only)
36* ''VideoGame/CrimsonGemSaga''
37* ''VideoGame/DeptHeaven'' series (Publisher)[[superscript:2]]
38** ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand''
39** ''VideoGame/YggdraUnion''
40*** ''VideoGame/BlazeUnion''
41** ''VideoGame/KnightsInTheNightmare''
42** ''VideoGame/{{Gungnir}}''
43* ''VideoGame/DungeonExplorer1989''
44* ''VideoGame/DonPachi'' (Publisher)[[superscript:3]]
45** ''[=DoDonPachi=]'' (Publisher)[[superscript:3]]
46* ''VideoGame/DragonsCrown'' (Publisher)
47* ''VideoGame/ESPRaDe'' (Publisher)[[superscript:3]]
48* ''VideoGame/EternalPoison'' (Publisher)[[superscript:4]]
49* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey'' (Publisher/Developer)
50** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyI''
51** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyIIHeroesOfLagaard''
52** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyIIITheDrownedCity''
53** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyIVLegendsOfTheTitan''
54** ''Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl'' (Remake of the first game)
55** ''Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight'' (Remake of the second game)
56** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyVBeyondTheMyth''
57** ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyNexus''
58* ''VideoGame/GoGoHypergrind'' (Publisher)
59* ''VideoGame/{{Growlanser}}'' (Publisher; acquired original developer Career Soft)
60* ''Gunbird'' (Publisher; Dreamcast port)[[superscript:8]]
61* ''VideoGame/HellNight'' or Dark Messiah in Japan. (Publisher in Japan/Developer, Creator/{{Konami}} published it in Europe)
62* ''VideoGame/HexyzForce'' (Publisher)[[superscript:2]]
63* ''VideoGame/KartiaTheWordOfFate''
64* ''VideoGame/MakenX''
65* ''Metal Slug XX'' (Publisher for PSP in North America)
66* ''VideoGame/MajorLeagueBaseball'' (NES) (Developer)[[superscript:7]]
67* ''VideoGame/MetaphorReFantazio'' (Publisher)
68* ''VideoGame/OgreBattle'' (Publisher, Platform/PlayStation version)
69* ''VideoGame/OdinSphere'' (Publisher)
70* ''VideoGame/PowerInstinct'' (Publisher and developer for most games; ''Matrimelee'' was published by [[Creator/{{SNK}} SNK Playmore]])
71** ''VideoGame/GrooveOnFight''
72* ''VideoGame/{{Princess Crown}}'' (Publisher/Developer, the team that created this game would later become Creator/{{Vanillaware}})
73* ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'' (Publisher/Developer)
74* ''VideoGame/RiverCityRansom EX'' (Publisher)
75* ''VideoGame/RockinKats''
76* ''VideoGame/RollersOfTheRealm'' (Publisher)
77* ''VideoGame/RType Command'' (Publisher)[[superscript:6]]
78* ''VideoGame/RunSaber'' (Publisher)
79* ''VideoGame/SamuraiWestern''
80* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series (Publisher/Developer)
81* ''[[VideoGame/SengokuAce Sengoku Blade]]'' (Publisher; Dreamcast port)[[superscript:8]]
82* ''VideoGame/SnowboardKids'' (Publisher)
83* ''VideoGame/SolDivide - Sword of Darkness'' (Publisher; Dreamcast port)[[superscript:8]]
84* ''VideoGame/SpudsAdventure''
85* ''VideoGame/StellaDeusTheGateOfEternity'' (Publisher)
86* ''VideoGame/Strikers1945'' (Publisher; Dreamcast port)[[superscript:8]]
87* ''VideoGame/SuperDodgeBall Advance'' (Publisher)
88* ''VideoGame/ThousandArms'' (Publisher)
89* ''Trap Gunner'' (Publisher for Japan (and Asia)/North America)
90* ''VideoGame/{{Trauma Center|Atlus}}'' series (Publisher/Developer)
91* ''VideoGame/UnicornOverlord''
92* ''VideoGame/{{Xexyz}}'' (developer; published by Creator/HudsonSoft in the U.S.)
93
94!!!Western Developed
95
96* ''VideoGame/AbyssOdyssey'' (Publisher)
97* ''VideoGame/CitizensOfEarth'' (Publisher)
98* ''[[VideoGame/TexMurphy Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure]]'' (Publisher)
99
100!!!Licensed Games
101
102* ''VideoGame/TheTestamentOfSherlockHolmes'' (North American Publisher)
103* ''VideoGame/TheKarateKid'' (Developer)[[superscript:7]]
104* ''VideoGame/FridayThe13th'' (Developer)[[superscript:7]]
105* ''My Disney Kitchen'' (Developer)[[superscript:9]]
106* ''VideoGame/WackyRaces1991'' (NES version)
107* ''VideoGame/WidgetTheWorldWatcher''
108
109!!!Published/Localized by Atlus USA
110
111* ''VideoGame/ThreeDDotGameHeroes'' (North American Publisher)[[superscript:1]]
112* ''VideoGame/TheAllianceAlive'' (North American Publisher)
113* ''{{VideoGame/Aquapazza}}'' (North American Publisher)
114* ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart'' (North American Publisher)
115* ''VideoGame/{{Baroque}}'' (North American Publisher)[[superscript:2]]
116* ''VideoGame/ChoroQ'' HG 4 (Publisher)
117** ''Choro Q Works'' (Publisher)
118* ''VideoGame/ClassOfHeroes'' (North American Publisher)
119* ''VideoGame/CodeOfPrincess'' (North American Publisher)
120* ''VideoGame/Conception2ChildrenOfTheSevenStars'' (North American Publisher)
121* ''{{VideoGame/Contact}}'' (North American Publisher)
122* ''VideoGame/CrusaderOfCenty'' (North American Publisher)
123* ''VideoGame/{{Cubivore}}'' (North American Publisher)
124* ''VideoGame/TheDarkSpire'' (North American Publisher)
125* ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' (North American Publisher)[[superscript:1]]
126* ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'' (Published the first game in North America before [[Creator/NipponIchi NIS America]] was formed)
127* ''{{VideoGame/Dokapon}}'' (North American Publisher)[[superscript:2]]
128** ''VideoGame/DokaponKingdom''
129** ''Dokapon Journey''
130* ''VideoGame/DroneTactics'' (North American Publisher)
131* Videogame/GuiltyGear (North American Publisher)
132* ''[[VideoGame/HammerinHarry Hammerin' Hero]]'' (North American Publisher)
133* ''VideoGame/IzunaLegendOfTheUnemployedNinja'' (North American Publisher)
134** ''Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns''
135* ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFightersXIII'' ([[http://www.atlus.com/kofxiii/ North American Publisher]])[[superscript:5]]
136* ''VideoGame/LostDimension'' (North American Publisher)
137* ''VideoGame/{{Lufia}} and the Ruins of Lore'' (North American Publisher)
138* ''VideoGame/LuminousArc'' (North American Publisher)
139** ''VideoGame/LuminousArc2'' (North American Publisher)
140* ''VideoGame/MagnaCarta'' (North American Publisher)
141* ''VideoGame/MasterOfTheMonsterLair'' (North American Publisher)
142** ''VideoGame/MyWorldMyWay'' (North American Publisher)
143* ''VideoGame/OgreBattleTheMarchOfTheBlackQueen'' (For Playstation version)
144* ''VideoGame/OperationDarkness'' (North American Publisher)
145* ''VideoGame/{{Robopon}}'' (North American Publisher)[[superscript:10]]
146* ''VideoGame/RondoOfSwords'' (North American Publisher)
147* ''VideoGame/RuleOfRose'' (North American Publisher)
148* ''VideoGame/ShirenTheWanderer 3'' (North American Publisher, Nintendo Wii version)
149* ''VideoGame/SkyGunner'' (North American Publisher)
150* ''VideoGame/SteambotChronicles'' (North American Publisher)[[superscript:6]]
151* ''VideoGame/StellaGlow'' (North American Publisher)
152* ''VideoGame/SummonNight'' series (Published ''Swordcraft Story'' 1, 2 and ''Twin Age'' in North America)[[superscript:4]]
153** ''VideoGame/SummonNightSwordcraftStory''
154** ''VideoGame/SummonNightSwordcraftStory2''
155** ''VideoGame/SummonNightCraftSwordMonogatariHajimariNoIshi''
156* ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' (Published ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration Original Generation]]'' 1, 2, and ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'' in North America)
157* ''[[VideoGame/ValisTheFantasmSoldier Super Valis IV]]'' (North American Publisher)
158* ''VideoGame/TacticsOgreTheKnightOfLodis''
159* ''Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together'' (For Playstation version)
160* ''VideoGame/TailConcerto'' (North American Publisher)
161* ''VideoGame/TouchDetective'' (Publisher, Nintendo DS version)
162** ''Touch Detective 2 1/2''
163* ''VideoGame/VirtualHydlide'' (North American Publisher)
164* ''VideoGame/WizardryTaleOfTheForsakenLand'' (North American Publisher)
165[[/index]]
166
167[-[[superscript:1]] - developed by Creator/FromSoftware-]\
168[-[[superscript:2]] - developed by Creator/StingEntertainment-]\
169[-[[superscript:3]] - developed by Creator/{{Cave}}-]\
170[-[[superscript:4]] - developed by [[Creator/FlightPlan Flight-Plan]]-]\
171[-[[superscript:5]] - developed by [[Creator/{{SNK}} SNK Playmore]]-]\
172[-[[superscript:6]] - developed by [[Creator/{{Irem}} Irem]]-]\
173[-[[superscript:7]] - published by Creator/LJNToys in the US-]\
174[-[[superscript:8]] - developed by [[Creator/{{Psikyo}} Psikyo]]-]\
175[-[[superscript:9]] - published by Creator/BAMEntertainment-]\
176[-[[superscript:10]] - developed by Creator/HudsonSoft-]
177
178----
179!!Tropes in Atlus' works:
180* InternationalCoproduction: ''VideoGame/GoGoHypergrind'', a skateboarding game the company published for the Platform/NintendoGameCube, was developed in collaboration with American animator Creator/JohnKricfalusi and his Spumco studio. The character designs and environments are reminiscent of ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow''.
181* NintendoHard: [[invoked]] Atlus Japan-developed games tend to be quite difficult.
182* NoBudget: A few of their games in the late 2000s to early 2010s were produced with lower budgets than some of their other games and were even forced to re-use assets from previous games to help complete them. A major example is the original base release for ''VideoGame/Persona4'' which was released on the Playstation 2 in 2008 in Japan and 2009 in America instead of the Playstation 3 which was already out for two years and uses similar assets to ''VideoGame/Persona3'', the previous game with sprite data for the main characters of that game still existing in the code. This was mainly due to financial issues regarding Index Corporation, Atlus's parent company at the time, which eventually led to them being convicted of corporate fraud and declaring bankruptcy in June, 2013. Thankfully this issue stopped plaguing Atlus after they were acquired by Sega Sammy.
183* ThatOneBoss: [[invoked]] [[ThatOneBoss/{{Atlus}} Enough examples for its own page.]]

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