Momotaro Dentetsu

Momotaro Dentetsu (桃太郎電鉄) (also known by the abbreviated name Momotetsu) is a long-running board game-style video game series in Japan; in which players travel by rail, ship, and airplane; attempting to acquire wealth through business transactions buying properties; and dealing with rival entrepreneurs and nemeses such as the God of Poverty (貧乏神). The game mechanics are often compared to the board games sugoroku and Monopoly.

History
Started in 1988, the series was initially produced by Hudson Soft. The rights to the series are now owned by Konami Corporation, who absorbed Hudson in 2012. This series is spin-off from another video game series by Hudson Soft, Momotaro Densetsu. The project supervisor for the series is Akira Sakuma, with illustration by Takayuki Doi (土居 孝幸) and main music production by Kazuyuki Sekiguchi of Southern All Stars. In some works, Kazuaki Miyaji (宮路 一昭) and Takeshi Ike (池 毅) (composer of "Makafushigi Adventure!", opening theme song of the Dragon Ball anime) also participate in music production.

From 2004, for many years promotional marketing for the series featured the pairing of comedian Tomonori Jinnai and gravure idol/tarento Chinatsu Wakatsuki.

In June 2015, creator Akira Sakuma stated "I'm announcing here that Momotaro Dentetsu is officially done. Ishikawa at Konami squelched everything." However, in July 2015, Konami lends the license to Nintendo for an unspecified amount of money.

After seven years with no releases, a new version of the game was released, exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS. Momotaro Dentetsu II released in the US on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini.

Console games
Its console games are as follows:


 * 1) Momotaro Dentetsu (桃太郎電鉄) (Famicom: 1988-12-02)
 * 2) Super Momotaro Dentetsu (スーパー桃太郎電鉄) (PC Engine: 1989-09-15, Game Boy: 1991-03-08, Famicom: 1992-03-20)
 * 3) Super Momotaro Dentetsu II (スーパー桃太郎電鉄II) (PC Engine: 1991-12-20, Super Famicom: 1992-08-07, Game Boy: 1994-02-18)
 * 4) Super Momotaro Dentetsu III (スーパー桃太郎電鉄III) (Super Famicom: 1994-12-09)
 * 5) *Super Momotaro Dentetsu 3 (スーパー桃太郎電鉄3) (Sega Game Gear: 1995-12-15 )
 * 6) Super Momotaro Dentetsu DX (スーパー桃太郎電鉄DX) (Super Famicom: 1995-12-08)
 * 7) Momotaro Dentetsu HAPPY (桃太郎電鉄HAPPY) (Super Famicom: 1996-12-06)
 * 8) Momotaro Dentetsu 7 (桃太郎電鉄7) (PlayStation: 1997-12-23)
 * 9) Momotaro Dentetsu jr.: Zenkoku Ramen Meguri no Maki (桃太郎電鉄jr. 〜全国ラーメンめぐりの巻〜) (Game Boy: 1998-07-31)
 * 10) Momotaro Dentetsu V (桃太郎電鉄V) (PlayStation: 1999-12-16)
 * 11) Momotaro Dentetsu X: Kyushu Version (桃太郎電鉄X 〜九州編もあるばい〜) (PlayStation 2: 2001-12-13)
 * 12) Momotarō Dentetsu 11: Black Bombee Shutsugen! No Maki (桃太郎電鉄11 ブラックボンビー出現!の巻) (PlayStation 2 & GameCube: 2002-12-05)
 * 13) Momotarō Dentetsu 12: Nishinihon Hen mo ari Masse! (桃太郎電鉄12 西日本編もありまっせー!) (PlayStation 2 & GameCube: 2003-12-11)
 * 14) Momotaro Dentetsu USA (桃太郎電鉄USA) - (PlayStation 2: 2004-11-18)
 * 15) Momotaro Dentetsu G: Make a Gold Deck! (桃太郎電鉄G 〜ゴールド・デッキを作れ!) (Game Boy Advance: 2005-06-30)
 * 16) Momotaro Dentetsu 15: Godai Bombi Toujou! No Maki (桃太郎電鉄15 〜五大ボンビー登場!の巻) (PlayStation 2: 2005-12-08)
 * 17) Momotaro Dentetsu 16: Moving in Hokkaido! (桃太郎電鉄16 〜北海道大移動の巻!) (PlayStation 2: 2006-12-07, Wii: 2007-07-19)
 * 18) *Momotaro Dentetsu 16 GOLD (桃太郎電鉄16 GOLD) (Xbox 360: 2007-12-06)
 * 19) Momotaro Dentetsu DS: TOKYO & JAPAN (桃太郎電鉄DS 〜TOKYO&amp;JAPAN) (Nintendo DS: 2007-04-26)
 * 20) Momotaro Dentetsu 20th Anniversary (桃太郎電鉄20周年) (Nintendo DS: 2008-12-18)
 * 21) Momotaro Dentetsu 2010: Sengoku Ishin no Hero Daishūgō! No Maki (桃太郎電鉄2010 〜戦国・維新のヒーロー大集合!の巻) (Wii: 2009-11-26)
 * 22) Momotaro Dentetsu Tag Match: Yūjō Doryoku Shōri No Maki (桃太郎電鉄タッグマッチ 友情・努力・勝利の巻!) (PlayStation Portable: 2010-07-15)
 * 23) Momotaro Dentetsu World (桃太郎電鉄WORLD) (Nintendo DS:2010-12-02)
 * 24) Momotaro Dentetsu 2017: Tachiagare Nippon!! (桃太郎電鉄2017 たちあがれ日本!!) (Nintendo 3DS: 2016-12-22)
 * 25) Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa Mo Teiban! (桃太郎電鉄 〜昭和 平成 令和も定番!〜) (Nintendo Switch: 2020-11-19)
 * 26) Momotaro Dentetsu World: Chikyuu wa Kibou de Mawatteru! (桃太郎電鉄ワールド 〜地球は希望でまわってる!〜) (Nintendo Switch: 2023-11-16)

Feature phone games

 * Momotaro Dentetsu TOKYO (桃太郎電鉄TOKYO) (i-mode: 2005-02-07, EZweb: 2006-01-26, Yahoo! Keitai (Yahoo!ケータイ): 2007-04-02)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu JAPAN (桃太郎電鉄JAPAN) (i-mode: 2005-11-01, EZweb: 2006-08-10, Yahoo! Keitai: 2007-04-02)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu JAPAN Deluxe (桃太郎電鉄JAPAN 豪華版) (i-mode: 2007-01-04, EZweb: 2008-04-03)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu WORLD (桃太郎電鉄WORLD) (i-mode: 2006-04-01, EZweb: 2007-02-01, Yahoo! Keitai: 2007-09-03)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu WORLD Deluxe (桃太郎電鉄WORLD 豪華版) (i-mode: 2007-07-01)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu WORLD Remote Play (桃太郎電鉄WORLD 遠距離対戦版) (i-mode: 2009-08-03)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu CHUBU (桃太郎電鉄CHUBU) (i-mode: 2006-11-01, Yahoo! Keitai: 2007-09-03, EZweb: 2007-09-06)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu KANTO (桃太郎電鉄KANTO) (i-mode: 2007-05-01, EZweb: 2008-01-31, Yahoo! Keitai: 2008-02-01)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu TOHOKU (桃太郎電鉄TOHOKU) (i-mode: 2007-11-01, Yahoo! Keitai: 2008-09-01, EZweb: 2008-09-04)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu TOHOKU Deluxe (桃太郎電鉄TOHOKU 豪華版) (i-mode: 2008-01-04)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu HOKKAIDO (桃太郎電鉄HOKKAIDO) (i-mode: 2008-06-01, Yahoo! Keitai: 2009-02-02, EZweb: 2009-02-12)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu KYUSHU (桃太郎電鉄KYUSHU) (i-mode: 2009-02-01)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu SETOUCHI (桃太郎電鉄SETOUCHI) (i-mode: 2009-09-01)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu KINKI (桃太郎電鉄KINKI) (i-mode: 2010-03-01)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu AOMORI (桃太郎電鉄AOMORI) (i-mode:2010-11-01)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu SHIZUOKA (桃太郎電鉄SHIZUOKA) (i-mode:2011-05-01)
 * Momotaro Dentetsu TOKAI (桃太郎電鉄TOKAI) (i-mode:2012-02-01)

iOS games

 * Momotaro Dentetsu JAPAN+ (桃太郎電鉄 JAPAN+) (iPhone/iPod touch: 2011-02-17)

Sales and popularity
The series is popular in Japan. Momotaro Dentetsu 7 sold over 500,000 copies in Japan. Total shipments exceeded 12 million units by 2011. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the series, Hudson collaborated with the financially troubled Chōshi Electric Railway Line, operating a train on the railway decorated with a Momotaro Dentetsu motif. Opening on April 25, 2007, the train ran until its third anniversary. In June 2009, two Momotetsu-themed restaurants opened at Japanese railway stations: one at Haijima Station, and another at Kaminagaya Station.