Romstar

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Video game distribution company

title: "Romstar" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["defunct-video-game-companies-of-the-united-states", "video-game-companies-established-in-1984", "1984-establishments-in-california"] description: "Video game distribution company" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romstar" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Video game distribution company ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

FieldValue
nameRomstar Inc.
predecessorSNK Electronics (US branch, first version)
founded1984
United States
founderTakahito Yasuki
defunct1994
fateMerged with Capcom USA
successorGameStar
Capcom Coin-Op
hq_location_cityTorrance, California
hq_location_countryUnited States
area_served
key_peopleRon Czerny
Darryl Williams
John Rowe
owner
num_employees_year
website
::

| name = Romstar Inc. | logo = | logo_caption = | logo_alt = | type = | industry = | predecessor = SNK Electronics (US branch, first version) | founded = 1984 United States | founder = Takahito Yasuki | defunct = 1994 | fate = Merged with Capcom USA | successor = GameStar Capcom Coin-Op | hq_location_city = Torrance, California | hq_location_country = United States | area_served = | key_people = Ron Czerny Darryl Williams John Rowe | products = | owner = | num_employees = | num_employees_year = | parent = | website = Romstar Inc. was a video game distribution company based in Torrance, California that started operations in 1984. They originally started as the first American distribution arm for SNK (before SNK of America was founded in 1987). They were known for licensing arcade games from major makers for distribution. Among Romstar's clients include Taito, Capcom, SNK, Toaplan, and Seta. They also made games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Boy. The ultimate fate of the company is not known. Games continued to be released using the Romstar name until at least 1994 (Goofy Hoops). It is also partnered with Capcom in 1993 to form Game Star (a.k.a. GameStar Inc.), an electromechanical factory in Arlington Heights, Illinois that Romstar had a 30% stake in. In 1995, Capcom would later fully take over Game Star to form Capcom Coin-Op, a pinball manufacturer.

The key personnel of Romstar, Takahito Yasuki, Ron Czerny, and Darryl Williams, later founded Atrativa Games and Playphone, both cellular phone entertainment companies. Playphone was acquired by GungHo Online Entertainment in October 2014.

List of Games Distributed by Romstar

Licensed from Taito

Licensed from Capcom

Licensed from SNK

Licensed from Seta

Licensed from Toaplan

Others

References

References

  1. (1993-10-15). "Game Machine 1993/10/15, p. 30. Game Star Est'd".
  2. (2017-03-21). "When pigs flew: The strange history of Capcom's Big Bang Bar".
  3. (2014-10-29). "GungHo acquires PlayPhone".
  4. (December 1991). "RePlay: The Players' Choice".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

defunct-video-game-companies-of-the-united-statesvideo-game-companies-established-in-19841984-establishments-in-california