Konami Sports

Credits

Compiled by
RSX-798

Background

Konami of America made its foray onto the sports market in 1995 when the company launched the Konami XXL Sports Series brand to sell sports games. Three years later, in 1998, the Japanese Konami launched its own brand Konami Sports to sell sports games for the Japanese video game market. In 1999, when Konami decided to join forces with Disney Interactive and ESPN, Konami rechristened the American sports label as ESPN the Games. A year later, Konami dropped the Japanese sports brand and decided to sell sports games under the normal Konami label. The brand shut down in 2002 when Konami's license on ESPN was expired, and all future sports games would be published under the normal Konami label.

Konami XXL Sports Series

(1995-1999)

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Logo: On a black background, we see the white text "KONAMI" in white with black and white outlines surrounding it. Below it was a white oblong oval with the black word "XXL" and below everything is the word "SPORTS SERIES" in a sports font.

Variants:

• Sometimes, the logo is inverted.
• On Bottom of the 9th for the Nintendo 64, the logo is surrounded by a white border.
• Sometimes, the "KONAMI" text is black.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on most Konami sports games from the era in the US from 1995 to 1999, like entries in the NBA in the Zone, International Superstar Soccer and Bottom of the 9th franchises. Some games don't have the logo, however.

Konami Sports

(1998-2000)

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Logo: On a black background, a blue light containing an outline of the Konami Sports logo appears which flashes, which wipes away to reveal the silver version of the same logo, which consists of two metallic silver circles with the silver-colored text "KONAMI SPORTS" with "KONAMI" being in the same font as the Konami logo, and "SPORTS" appearing in a futuristic font. The logo then shines.

Variants:

• On games for the N64 and the Game Boy Color, the logo is still.
• On early Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, the logo wipes in.
• On some GB and GBC games, the logo is on a white background.

FX/SFX: The light appearing, the logo turning metallic and shining.

Music/Sounds: An electronic whoosh, followed by a male Japanese voiceover saying the company name. On Game Boy Color games, the logo is silent.

Availability: Seen on Japanese sports games from the era, like installments in the World Soccer, NBA Power Dunkers and Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu series.

ESPN The Games

(2000-2002)

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Logo: On a white background, we see the ESPN logo on the top left, and on the top right, we see the word "the games" in black on the bottom right of the logo. Copyright information appears below the logo.

Variants:

• On ESPN NBA 2Night for the Dreamcast, the logo is on the right side, with a basketball shown on the top left on the basketball field.
• Sometimes, copyright information is absent.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None. On ESPN NBA 2Night for Dreamcast, an excerpt of the SportsCenter theme is heard.

Availability: Seen on Konami's ESPN-themed sports games for many platforms, like ESPN NBA 2Night, ESPN International Track & Field, ESPN National Hockey Night, ESPN NFL PrimeTime 2002 and ESPN X Games Skateboarding.