Argonaut Software was a video game company based in Edgware, North London, UK. It was founded in 1980 by Jez San as a software consulting firm, but made its mark later in the decade as a developer of 3D flight-simulation games.
A 3D engine for the Game Boy created by Argonaut programmer Dylan Cuthbert (who later became an employee of Sony Computer Entertainment and the founder of Q-Games) attracted the attention of Nintendo, which led to the two companies jointly developing several games and the famous "Super FX" 3D graphics accelerator for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
ARC International, a subsidiary company that developed RISC processors, was spun off in 1999.
Argonaut became a publicly traded company, Argonaut Games Plc, in 2000, and proceeded to acquire several small independent studios over the next few years. This expanded company was not to last; in 2004, the company's stock was delisted and all its studios were sold off or closed.
Games developed by Argonaut Software/Argonaut Games include:
- After Burner (Amiga/Atari ST versions)
- BIONICLE: The Game
- Buck Bumble
- Catwoman (2004)
- Creature Shock
- Croc series
- Disney's Aladdin in Nasira's Revenge
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (PlayStation version)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PlayStation version)
- I-Ninja
- Malice
- Race Drivin' (Game Boy version)
- Star Fox (co-developed with Nintendo)
- Star Fox 2 (co-developed with Nintendo)
- Starglider
- Starglider 2
- Vortex
- X (Game Boy game; co-developed with Nintendo)
