I'Max

''This article is about the video game company. For the Canadian theater company, see IMAX Corporation.''

Background
I'Max is a Japanese video game company that mainly published games for the Super Famicom, Game Boy, PS1, and Sega Saturn. Currently, the company distributes the Tetsudou Mokei Simulator games for PC.

1st Logo (December 13, 1990)
Logo: On a white background, the I'MAX wordmark fades in. "PRESENTS" then scrolls from the right below the logo and stops at the center.

Technique: "PRESENTS" scrolling.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare. Only seen on Dragon Tail (released by Data East in the US as Nail 'N Scale) for the Game Boy.

2nd Logo (June 19, 1992-June 17, 1994)
Logo: We see a tango pink background with multiple I'MAX logos in a tile pattern, squeezing and moving around (a la Taft Video). In front of the background is a metallic I'MAX logo. The text "PRESENTS", in a medium shade yellow gradient color with square shapes behind their bottoms, moves up below the logo one by one in separate letters.

Variant: On Tsume Shogi Mondai Teikyou: Shogi Sekai for the Game Boy, the logo appears from the bottom in a beaming/stretching effect. The logo is also in a different font and there is no tile pattern background.

Technique: The words squeezing and moving, the letters moving up.

Music/Sounds: A 15-note brass fanfare that changes on each game.

Availability: Ultra rare. Only seen on Super Shogi, Super Mahjong, Super Keiba, Super Mahjong 2: Honkaku 4Jin Uchi, and Super Shogi 2, all for the Super Famicom.

3rd Logo (April 16, 1993)
Logo: On a background, we see the 4 characters of the game run to the left, each holding a letter of a metallic-looking I'MAX logo. Each character throws the letters, where they move in place to form the logo. The characters continue walking towards the left, only to then appear again from the right with one of the characters instructing the others to move the text PRESENTS, in a gradient color, to the center below the logo. After setting the text in place, they continue walking to the right.

Technique: The characters forming the logo.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare. Only seen on Dual Orb: Seirei Tama Densetsu for the Super Famicom.

4th Logo (July 16, 1993)
Logo: On a background, we see an / I'MAX logo, with the text "PRESENTS" in /white/ below. The "P" in the "PRESENTS" text seems to have a weird coloring glitch as well.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Ultra rare. Only seen on Death Brade for the Super Famicom.

5th Logo (July 29, 1994-December 29, 1995)
Logo: On a black background, the I'MAX logo, outlined with a glow, slides upwards from two halves. The glow becomes bright and then dims for about a second. The screen then crossfades to white, where we fade into the I'MAX logo now in with "PRESENTS" below, all on a white background.

Variant: On Pachi-Slot World Cup '94 for the Game Boy, a more simpler-looking version appears. There is no glow, and the logo gradually blinks fast as it flashes to the end product detailed before.

Technique: The logo sliding in, the glow, the fade to white.

Music/Sounds: An ascending arpeggio in the note of C.

Music/Sounds Variants: The arpeggio would sound different with certain games:
 * On Super!! Pachinko and Super Koukou Yakyuu: Ichikyuu Jikkon, the arpeggio is played on a ukulele.
 * On Super Hanafuda, Super Mahjong 3: Karakuchi and Dossun! Ganseki Battle, the arpeggio is played on a bell instrument.
 * On Dual Orb II, the arpeggio is played on a different bell instrument with a backing choir.
 * On Super Keirin, Ball Bullet Gun: Survival Game Simulation and Super Shougi 3: Kitaihei, the theme is played on a koto at a lower pitch.
 * On Super Hanafuda 2, the 2nd theme variant plays, but the arpeggio is slightly different.

Availability: Ultra rare, but it's a little more common than the 2nd logo. Seen on all of the games mentioned in the Music/Sounds Variants section.

6th Logo (October 13, 1995)
Logo: On a black background, we see a metallic I'MAX logo (due to the console only being able to output  and black colors) initially up close to the screen zooming out, until it abruptly stops in the center.

Technique: The zooming out.

Music/Sounds: A whoosh followed by a high-pitched ping.

Availability: Extremely rare. Only seen on Insmouse no Yakata for the Virtual Boy.

7th Logo (April 26, 1996-August 13, 1998)
Logo: On a black background with a white spotlight sitting slightly to the right, the I'MAX logo in rotates 90 degrees vertically facing its bottom side. The logo rotates to its normal position where it leans upward facing the screen. The screen then flashes and the logo turns from 3D to 2D.

Variants:
 * On the Japanese version of Worms, the logo looks redone, as it animates somewhat differently and appears to be in a similar, bolder-looking font. It also plays at a smoother framerate.
 * On Nikkan Berutomo Club for the Game Boy and Hana to Ryuu for the PlayStation 1 (the last game with this logo), the logo is still.

Technique: The logo rotating, the flash.

Music/Sounds: A dark synth pad, then another synth note.

Music/Sounds Variant: On the Japanese version of Worms, it is silent.

Availability: Rare. Seen on their PSX and Saturn releases, such as Irem Arcade Classics and I'Max Shogi II.

Logo history featuring almost all the logos can be seen here: