Thin Chen Enterprise
Thin Chen Enterprise, also known as Sachen, was a Taiwanese company that developed several original games for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Mega Drive, Game Boy and other early cartridge-based handheld systems such as the Watara Supervision and Mega Duck. With the exception of the latter two handhelds, all of Thin Chen's games were produced without license from the console manufacturers; the company produced at least 70 unique games for the NES and Famicom and at least 32 for the Game Boy (albeit compiled into eight 4-in-1 cartridges), making it the most prolific unlicensed developer and publisher for both consoles by a considerable margin.[1] The company also produced its own Nintendo Entertainment System hardware clones, such as the Q-Boy.[2]
Most of Thin Chen's products were released under the Sachen brand name, although the names Joy Van and Commin were also used for certain early games for the Famicom and handheld consoles respectively. Several of their NES games were released outside Taiwan under license by foreign publishers, including Hacker International in Japan (usually with added pornographic content), Color Dreams and American Video Entertainment in the USA, and Milmar in Brazil.[1]
Games
Nintendo Entertainment System/Family Computer
TC numbered series
- TC-001 Jovial Race
Similar to Rally-X.
- TC-002 Hidden Chinese Chess
- TC-003 Sidewinder
- TC-004 Little Red Hood
- TC-005 Silent Assault (AKA Raid)
Released in the US by Color Dreams.
- TC-006 Twin Eagle
Released in the US as Double Strike: Aerial Attack Force by American Video Entertainment.
- TC-007 Master Chu and the Drunkard Hu
A platform game.
- TC-008 Metal Fighter (AKA Joyvan Kid)
Released in the US by Color Dreams and in Japan by Kinema Music.
- TC-009 Galactic Crusader (AKA Incantation, Papillon)
Released in the US by Color Dreams. Papillon features nudity and was released in Japan by Kinema Music.
- TC-010 Mahjong Trap
Contains nudity.
- TC-011 Challenge of the Dragon
Similar to Double Dragon.
- TC-012 The World of Card Games (AKA Poker I)
4 games in 1: Omnibus Hearts, Fan Tan, Chinese Rummy, The Clock.
- TC-013 Poker II
4 games in 1: Max 2, Ghost Buster, 99, Change Around.
- TC-014 Strategist
- TC-015 Olympic I.Q.
- TC-016 Happy Pairs
Mahjong solitaire.
- TC-017 Auto-Upturn
A puzzle game. Contains nudity in later levels.
- TC-018 Magic Cube
A puzzle game.
- TC-019 Chinese Checkers
- TC-020 Poker III
5 games in 1: King of Casino, King Poker, Poker, Blackjack, The 13 Cards.
- TC-021 Super Pang
An unofficial port of the arcade game Pang.
- TC-022 Super Pang II
An unofficial port of the arcade game Super Pang.
- TC-023 Popo Team
- TC-024 Rockball
- TC-025 Silver Eagle
- TC-026 Q Boy
A prototype screen shot in the back of certain Sachen game manuals shows the game being named 'Puff Kid' at one point, and having a menu that contains an "Options" menu.
- TC-027 Street Heroes (AKA Samurai Spirits)
A fighting game with extensive use of voice samples. The version titled Samurai Spirits is not a port of the arcade game.
- TC-028 Jurassic Boy
A Sonic-esque game that lacks abilities from the original, such as rolling along the ground and spin dash. The NES manual mentions these features, however, and the game itself contains numerous unused sprites, suggesting these features were planned. Says "Jurassic Boy 2" on title screen.
- TC-029 Gaiapolis
An unofficial port of the arcade game of the same name.
- TC-030 Thunder Blaster Man (AKA Rocman X)
A platformer with a gliding ability and a boomerang weapon, title screen and Chinese version label says Rocman X.
- TC-031 Unknown
- TC-032 Zhong Guo Da Heng (AKA Millionaire II)
SA numbered series
- SA-001 Taiwan Mahjong
- SA-002 The Penguin and Seal
- SA-003 Middle School English
- SA-004 Lucky 777
- SA-005 Colorful Dragon
A maze game. Released in the US by Color Dreams as Tagin' Dragon.
- SA-006 Honey Peach
Contains nudity.
- SA-007 Bingo 75
A slot-machine simulator. Contains nudity.
- SA-008 The Mahjong World
- SA-009 Pyramid
A puzzle game. Released in the US by American Video Entertainment and in Japan by Hacker International. The Hacker version contains nudity and was also re-released by Sachen.
- SA-010 Pyramid II
- SA-011 Pipe V
Released in Australia by Home Entertainment Suppliers as Pipemania.
- SA-012 Millionaire
A board game similar to Monopoly.
- SA-013 Dancing Blocks
- SA-014 Magical Mathematics'
- SA-015 Chess Academy
- SA-016 Hell Fighter
- SA-017 Locksmith
A mix of action and puzzle.
- SA-018 Poker Mahjong
- SA-019 The Great Wall
- SA-020 Tasac
A basic vertical space-shooter.
- SA-021 Final Combat
- SA-022 Huge Insect
A Galaga-style game with a wildlife-theme rather than a space-theme. Produced in 1993 but remained unreleased until the early 2000s.
- SA-023 Cosmocop
2 games in 1: Cosmocop and Cyber Monster. Cartridge says "Light Gun Game", red-grey label.
- SA-024 Tough Cop
2 games in 1: Tough Cop and Super Tough Cop. Cartridge says "Light Gun Game", green label.
- SA-025 Taiwan Mahjong II (AKA Bonus Tiles Mahjong)
- SA-026 Mahjong Academy (AKA Mahjong School)
- SA-027 Mahjong Companion (AKA Mahjong Partner)
Multi-game cartridges
- Super Cartridge Version 1: 4-in-1
Contains Bingo 75, Lucky 777, Honey Peach, Chess Academy.
- Super Cartridge Version 2: 10-in-1
Contains Hidden Chinese Chess, Omnibus Hearts, Fan Tan, Chinese Rummy, Max 2, Ghost Buster, 99, Change Around, Fortune Telling (Chinese), Fortune Telling (English).
All games appear on The World of Card Games or Poker II except the two versions of Fortune Telling.
- Super Cartridge Version 3: 8-in-1
Contains Jovial Race, Little Red Hood, Twin Eagle, Silent Assault, Super Pang, Mine Sweeper, Mine Sweeper II, Mine Sweeper III.
The three versions of Mine Sweeper were only released on this cartridge.
- Super Cartridge Version 4: 6-in-1
Contains Master Chu, Metal Fighter, Galactic Crusader, Auto-Upturn, Magic Cube, Super Pang II.
- Super Cartridge Version 5: 7-in-1
Contains Penguin and Seal, Middle School English, Pyramid, Magical Mathematics, Strategist (which itself contains two games, Poker Racing and The Battle of Poker), Olympic I.Q., Chinese Checkers.
- Super Cartridge Version 6: 6-in-1
Contains Colorful Dragon, Pyramid II, Pipe V, Millionaire, Dancing Blocks, Locksmith.
- Super Cartridge Version 7: 4-in-1
Contains Sidewinder, Happy Pairs, Tasac, Silver Eagle.
- Super Cartridge Version 8: 4-in-1
Contains Final Combat, Worm Visitor, Frog Adventure, Magical Tower.
All games bar Final Combat were ported from the Game Boy exclusively for this cartridge.
- Super Cartridge Version 9: 3-in-1
Contains Challenge of the Dragon, Rockball, Popo Team.
Others
- Mei Shao Nu Meng Gong Chang
An unofficial Chinese-language port of Princess Maker.
Unreleased
Game Boy/Game Boy Color
Single game cartridges
- 1B-001 Beast Fighter
- 1B-002 Jurassic Boy 2
- 1B-003 Thunder Blast Man (AKA Rocman X)
Although they are essentially the same game, it is worth noting that the in-game characters from Thunder Blast Man and Rocman X are completely different, the first being the original Sachen creation from the NES version, and the second being a clone of Megaman.
- 1B-004 Street Hero
Multi-game cartridges
All games released on these cartridges were previously available for the Mega Duck.
- 4B-001 4-in-1 Version 1
Contains Street Rider, Vex Block, Trap & Turn, Duck Adventures.
- 4B-002 4-in-1 Version 2
Contains Virus Attack, Electron World, Dice, Trouble Zone.
- 4B-003 4-in-1 Version 3
Contains Taiwan's Mahjong, Japan's Mahjong, Hong Kong's Mahjong, Store Tris.
- 4B-004 4-in-1 Version 4
Contains Pile Wonder, Snake Roy, Suleiman's Treasure, Puppet Knight.
- 4B-005 4-in-1 Version 5
Contains Arctic Zone, Magic Tower, Railway, Worm Visitor.
- 4B-006 4-in-1 Version 6
Contains Bomb Disposer, A-Force, Black Forest Tale, 2nd Space.
- 4B-007 4-in-1 Version 7
Contains Ant Soldier, Dan Laser, Sky Ace, Zoo Block.
- 4B-008 4-in-1 Version 8
Contains Captain Knick-Knack, Flea War, Explosive Brick, Magic Maze.
- 4B-009 4-in-1 Version 9
Contains Zipball, Small Gorilla, Crazy Burger, Deep.
- 8B-001 Color 8-in-1
Contains Zip Ball, Final Mission Deep, Crazy Rider, Small Gorilla, Street Rider, Vex Block, Trap & Turn, Duck Adventures.
- 8B-002 Color 8-in-1
Contains Virus Attack, Electron World, Trouble Zone, Dice Square, Pile Wonder, Snake Roy, Puppet Knight, Suleiman's Treasure.
- 8B-003 Color 8-in-1
Contains Arctic Zone, Magical Tower, Railway, Worm Visitor, Bomb Disposer, 2nd Space, Black Forest Tale, Armor Force.
- 31-in-1 Mighty Mix
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
- Mahjong
- Queen of Poker Club 6-in-1
References
See also
