Zemina

Zemina (Korean: 재미나, originally 제미나) was a South Korean software maker brand of Saehan Trading (Korean: 새한 상사)[2] founded in 1981. They primarily made games for the Daewoo Zemmix, but because it was an MSX computer made to look and be played like a game console, they work on other MSX computers as well. Although many of them were copies of other games, like Super Boy I (based on Super Mario Bros.), they also produced some more original ones in their later years.[3]

For other uses, see Zemina (surname).
Zemina
TypePrivate
IndustryVideo games
FateOut of business[1]
Founded1981
Defunct1992
Headquarters
South Korea

Korea did not have a copyright law for computer programs until July 1987.[4] Because of that, many companies, including Zemina, sold unauthorized copies of foreign titles with their own copyright hacked in. Even after that, the new law protected only the program code, not the intellectual property as a whole, so a lot of their "own" games were ports of famous Japanese games.

Most of their titles were converted to the Sega Master System as well. In 1992, they engaged in developing exclusive games for the Master System and Famicom consoles,[5] but not all of them were released.

They even released Nemesis 3: The Eve of Destruction under official license from Konami under the title Salamander II - all the while still selling multi game cartridges full of unlicensed copies of older Konami games.[6]

Zemina games

List of clones
GameYearSystem(s)Clone of
19421987MSX, MSX 21942
Alla II1990MSXThe Seven Adventures of Sindbad
Block Hole1990MSXQuarth
Brother Adventure1987MSX, MSX 2Mario Bros.
Double Dragon1989MSXDouble Dragon
F-1 Spirit: The Way to Formula-11987Sega Master SystemF-1 Spirit: The Way to Formula-1
Flashpoint1990MSX, Sega Master SystemTetris
Green Beret[7]1987MSXGreen Beret
Hyper Olympic 1[8]1984MSXTrack & Field
King Kong 2: Yomigaeru Densetsu1987MSX2King Kong 2: Yomigaeru Densetsu (hack of the original with English screen text)
The Micro Xevious1990MSXXevious: Fardraut Saga
Nemesis1987Sega Master SystemGradius
Nemesis 2[9]1987Sega Master SystemNemesis 2
New Boggle Boggle1988MSXBubble Bobble (with new stages)
New Boggle Boggle 2[1]1989MSXBubble Bobble (again with new stages)
Penguin Adventure1987MSXPenguin Adventure
Soko1990MSXSoukoban
Project A21987MSX 2Project A2[10]
Puznic1990MSXPuzznic (with new stages)
Strange Loop1990MSXStrange Loop[11]
Street Master1992MSXStreet Fighter (with characters from Street Fighter II)
Super Bio Man 41990MSXSuper Boy (a clone of Super Mario Bros. made by the same company)
Super Boy I1989MSX, Sega Master SystemSuper Mario Bros. (only 4 worlds)
Super Boy II1989MSX, Sega Master SystemSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (only 4 worlds)
Super Boy 31991MSX, Sega Master SystemSuper Mario World
Super Boy 41992Sega Master SystemSuper Mario World (different character sprite)
Super Bubble Bobble1989MSXBubble Bobble
Tengoku Yoitoko[12]1988MSXTengoku Yoitoko
The Three Dragon Story1989MSX, Sega Master SystemKnightmare
Volguard1990MSXVanguard
Warp & Warp[13]1984MSXWarp & Warp
Won-Si-In1991MSX, Sega Master SystemAdventures of Dino Riki
Won-Si-In 2UnreleasedSega Master System-

List of original games
GameYearSystem(s)Notes
Cyborg Z1991MSX, Sega Master System
Eagles 51990MSXAlso known as Doksuri 5 Hyeonjae.
Magic Kid Googoo1992FamicomOnly game from Zemina to be developed for the NES.
Tatica1990MSX

Note 1: The clone game Block Hole is also known as Sagak-ui Bimil.
Note 2: Other releases that are merely hacks of Japanese games with Zemina's logo are not listed here.

Hardware

Zemina also made hardware for the Zemmix. These include:

  • A Cartridge port divider[14]
  • The Zemina Music Box[15]
  • An MSX2 Upgrade Kit[14]
  • A Zemmix PC card[14]
  • MSX RAM expansion cards[16]
  • A 'Family Card' that allows the user to play Famicom games on the Zemmix[17]

References
  1. "Hardcore Gaming 101: A History of Korean Gaming". hardcoregaming101.net.
  2. Not to be confused with dozens of other companies by the same name or similar names. The Saehan Trading is no longer available.
  3. Generation-MSX.nl. "Zemina". Generation MSX.
  4. http://www.mybicon.com/stories/79/posts/1408?lang=en
  5. Game World Magazine Issue 2/1992
  6. Generation-MSX.nl. "Nemesis 3 - The Eve of Destruction". Generation MSX.
  7. Generation-MSX.nl. "Green Beret (1986, MSX, Konami) - Releases". Generation MSX.
  8. Generation-MSX.nl. "Hyper Olympic 1 (1984, MSX, Konami) - Releases". Generation MSX.
  9. "Trois jeux inédits pour la Master System et la Game Gear". allgamers.fr.
  10. Generation-MSX.nl. "Project A2 (1987, MSX2, Pony Canyon) - Releases". Generation MSX.
  11. Generation-MSX.nl. "Strange Loop". Generation MSX.
  12. Generation-MSX.nl. "Tengoku Yoitoko (1987, MSX2, TAITO) - Releases". Generation MSX.
  13. Generation-MSX.nl. "Warp & Warp (1984, MSX, NAMCO) - Releases". Generation MSX.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on June 20, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. "The Ultimate MSX FAQ - MSX-Music section". msxnet.org.
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. "Blue-Print Zemmix informational page". blue-print.be.
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