Hi Tech Expressions
 | This article may require copy editing for spelling, grammar, style, cohesion, or tone. (July 2026) |
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| Formerly | Thoughtware Expressions (1986) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 in New York, USA |
| Founder | Henry Kaplan |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Headquarters | 584 Broadway[1], , |
| Products | Software |
Hi Tech Expressions (formerly Thoughtware Expressions, later Hi Tech Entertainment) was an American video game publisher headquartered in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The company was founded in 1986 by Henry Kaplan. It was formed as a subsidiary of Thoughtware, Inc. and made licensed games from various properties including Sesame Street, Barbie, and Tom and Jerry.
Hi Tech Expressions was one of the largest American companies to publish games for the Nintendo Entertainment System. At peak, it was the second-largest American game publisher for home consoles behind Acclaim.
In 1994, the company was renamed to Hi Tech Entertainment before going out of business in 1995. The former executives would go on to form a successor company called NewKidCo.
History
[edit]Software and early years
[edit]Hi-Tech Expression was originally opened in 1986 as a subsidiary of Thoughtware, Inc. under the leadership of Henry Kaplan.[2] Before making games, the company made software for occasions on the computer and makes printouts.[3] Which are:
- PartyWare: Design for Card and Party Kit with Database of Friends and Events.
- CardWare: Design for Animated Birthday Greeting Disk and Card Maker.
- HeartWare: Design for Animated Friendship Greeting Disk and Love Note.
- JingleDisk: Design for Holiday Card and Animated Greeting Disk.
Additionally, there is a designer:
- WareWithAll: Designer for paper, envelopes, stickers, markers, disks, and disk labels.
- PrinterPaper: Designer for Greeting Cards, Banners, Letters, and Computer Creations. There is either an Assortment Pack or a Holiday Pack.
The address was originally in Coconut Grove, Florida, but later moved to Plantation, Florida[4] in 1987, and then to New York City, New York.
It was initially formed in Florida as Thoughtware, then later launching a New York subsidiary Thoughtware Expressions as a subsidiary of Thoughtware, Inc., before becoming Hi Tech Expressions in October 1986.[5][6][7][2] The company initially operated as an educational software publisher, before becoming a mainstream publisher. The company later expanded beyond software in 1987, by acquiring the game licensing rights of the Sesame Street franchise and the rights to its computer games from Children's Television Workshop.[8]
Expansion
[edit]During its peak, the company became a major Nintendo license in 1988,[9] making big name console games with the Sesame Street license, eventually expanding beyond computers.[10][11][12] Billy Pidgeon was hired to run the video game division, while Asif Chaudhri was also hired as running the computer game division, who was later moved to the video game division after Pidgeon left.[5]
Its expansion grew rapidly by acquiring big name licenses, like Chessmaster.[12][13] The company later introduced the Print Kit program in the late 1980s.[14] The company grew steadily with the Seame Street Print Writer program, which was a word processing program for preschoolers.[15] In 1990, the company expanded when the company produced a game Big Bird's Hide and Speak, a game that mainly featured extensive use of digitized speech for the NES.[16]
In 1991, the company acquired the licensing rights to the Barbie dolls from Mattel.[17] The company also acquired the rights to the Tom and Jerry franchise from Turner Entertainment Co. to make video games.[17]
During its peak, the company became the second-largest American game publisher of console games behind Acclaim Entertainment but above the established giants Mindscape and THQ. In 1993, the company along with Riedel Software Productions continued their long-standing partnership, working on a Super NES version of Beethoven's 2nd.[18] Also that year, the company signed deals with Acclaim Entertainment and Virgin Interactive to distribute a home computer release of Mortal Kombat.[19]
Rename and defunct
[edit]In early 1994, the company acquired the video game licenses of Bobby's World and Baby's Day Out from 20th Century Fox.[20] In mid 1994, the company was renamed to Hi Tech Entertainment, as conducted by Henry Kaplan before it went defunct in 1995 and signed deals with Capcom and Acclaim Entertainment before the name change.[21][22]
After the company shuttered, Kaplan briefly went to Philips Interactive Media.[5] In 1997, several former Hi Tech Expressions executives including Henry Kaplan formed NewKidCo as a spiritual successor to the company.[23]
List of games
[edit]| Title | Platforms | Developers | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sesame Street: Astro-Grover[8] | Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, Atari 8-bit | Children's Computer Workshop | 1987 | Originally released in 1984 by CBS Software |
| Sesame Street: Grover's Animal Adventures[8] | Commodore 64, MS-DOS | Originally released in 1985 by CBS Software | ||
| Sesame Street: Pals Around the Town[8] | ||||
| Sesame Street: Big Bird's Special Delivery[8] | Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II | Originally released in 1984 by CBS Software | ||
| Sesame Street: Ernie's Magic Shapes[8] | ||||
| Sesame Street: Letter-Go-Round[8] | 1988 | |||
| Bagasaurus | ||||
| Matterhorn Screamer! | Walt Disney Computer Software | |||
| The Chase on Tom Sawyer's Island | ||||
| Win, Lose or Draw | Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, NES | Softie (C64, MS-DOS, Apple II) Riedel Software Productions (NES) |
1988 (C64, MS-DOS, Apple II) 1990 (NES) |
|
| Sesame Street: 1-2-3[12] | NES | Rare/Zippo Games | 1989 | |
| Sesame Street: A-B-C[12] | ||||
| Fun House | Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II | MicroMosaics Productions | ||
| Win, Lose or Draw: Second Edition | Softie | |||
| Win, Lose or Draw: Junior | ||||
| Muppet Adventure: Chaos at the Carnival | Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, NES | MicroMosaics Productions (C64, MS-DOS, Apple II) Mind's Eye Technology (NES) |
1989 (C64, MS-DOS, Apple II) 1990 (NES) |
|
| Remote Control | Softie (C64, MS-DOS, Apple II) Riedel Software Productions (NES) |
|||
| The Chessmaster[12] | NES, Game Boy | The Software Toolworks | 1990 (NES) 1991 (GB) |
|
| Orb-3D | NES | 1990 | ||
| Sesame Street: Big Bird's Hide and Speak[16] | Riedel Software Productions | |||
| The Bugs Bunny Hare-Brained Adventure | MS-DOS | |||
| Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers: The Adventures in Nimnul's Castle | ||||
| The Flintstones: Dino: Lost in Bedrock | Softie | |||
| The Jetsons: By George, in Trouble Again | ||||
| Tom and Jerry: Yankee Doodle's CAT-astrophe | ||||
| The Second Kids' World Almanac Adventure | Hi Tech Expressions | |||
| Roller Coaster Rumbler | Subway Software | Licensed from Tynesoft | ||
| Mega Man | Rozner Labs | while officially licensed by Capcom, this game is not related to its NES counterpart | ||
| The Bugs Bunny Cartoon Workshop | Novotrade Software | |||
| Altered Space: A 3-D Alien Adventure | Game Boy | Software Creations | 1991 | European release |
| Arcade Blockbusters | MS-DOS | Pacific Dataworks International Riggs International |
Compilation re-release of Ghosts 'n Goblins, Sarge and Pocket Rockets | |
| Arcade Hits | Pacific Dataworks International Micro Talent Interactive Designs |
Compilation re-release of Hyper Dyne Side Arms, Street Fighter and Cabal | ||
| Daffy Duck, P.I.: The Case of the Missing Letters | Riedel Software Productions | |||
| Gremlins 2: The New Batch | ||||
| Adventures of Beetlejuice: Skeletons in the Closet | ||||
| Sesame Street Storybook #1: Me Look for Cookie | Hi Tech Expressions | |||
| Ninja Gaiden | Rozner Labs | |||
| Sesame Street: A-B-C/1-2-3 | NES | Rare/Zippo Games | ||
| Fun House | Realtime Associates | |||
| Barbie[17] | NES, MS-DOS | Imagineering (NES) Albino Frog Software (MS-DOS) |
1991 (NES) 1992 (MS-DOS) |
|
| Tom and Jerry (and Tuffy) | NES, MS-DOS | Software Creations (NES) Albino Frog Software (MS-DOS) |
1991 (NES) 1993 (MS-DOS) |
|
| The Hunt for Red October | NES, Game Boy, Super NES | Beam Software (NES, Game Boy) Riedel Software Productions (SNES) |
1991 (NES, Game Boy) 1993 (SNES) |
|
| Sesame Street: Countdown | NES | Riedel Software Productions | 1992 | |
| Spooky Kooky Monster Maker | MS-DOS | Pelican Software | ||
| Mega Man 3 | Rozner Labs | while officially licensed by Capcom, this game is not related to its NES counterpart | ||
| Barbie Game Girl | Game Boy | Imagineering | ||
| Tom and Jerry | Beam Software | |||
| Mickey's Safari in Letterland | NES | Beam Software | 1993 | |
| Rollerblade Racer | NES, MS-DOS | Radiance Software (NES) Designer Software (NES) Tahoe Software Productions (MS-DOS) |
||
| Tom and Jerry | Super NES | Riedel Software Productions | ||
| Harley's Humongous Adventure | Visual Concepts | |||
| We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story | ||||
| Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? | Electronic Arts Canada | |||
| Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego? | ||||
| Beethoven: The Ultimate Canine Caper | Super NES, MS-DOS | Riedel Software Productions (SNES) Rozner Labs Software Group (MS-DOS) |
||
| Barbie: Super Model | Super NES, Sega Genesis, MS-DOS | Tahoe Software Productions | ||
| Street Fighter II | MS-DOS | Creative Materials | ||
| Tom and Jerry: Frantic Antics | Game Boy, Sega Genesis | Beam Software | ||
| We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story | Game Boy | |||
| The New Chessmaster | The Software Toolworks | |||
| Mickey's Adventures in Numberland | NES | Beam Software | 1994 | |
| Beethoven: The Ultimate Canine Caper | Game Boy | Unexpected Development | European release; cancelled in North America | |
| A Dinosaur's Tale | Sega Genesis | Funcom | ||
| Mickey's Ultimate Challenge | Super NES, Game Boy, Sega Genesis, Game Gear, Master System | Designer Software | Master System version published by Tec Toy in Brazil | |
| Barbie and Her Magical House | Windows, Mac | The Cute Company |
Cancelled
[edit]| Title | Platform | Developer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Peaks[24] | NES | N/A | |
| Baby's Day Out[22] | Super NES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy | Designer Software | |
| Bobby's World[22] | Super NES, Sega Genesis | Riedel Software Productions | |
| Game Boy | Unexpected Development | Based on Home Alone 2: Kevin's Dream | |
| Barbie: Vacation Adventure | Super NES, Sega Genesis | Software Creations | |
| Mickey's Playtown Adventure: A Day of Discovery | Super NES | Visual Concepts | |
| Tom vs. Jerry: The Chase is On! | Software Creations | ||
| NBA Jam[22] | MS-DOS | Designer Software |
List of Software
[edit]![[icon]](/everything/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (December 2025) |
| Title | Platform | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PartyWare[2] | Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, Atari 8-bit | 1986 | originally published under Thoughtware and Thoughtware Expressions[7] |
| CardWare[2] | |||
| HeartWare[2] | |||
| JingleDisk[2] | |||
| AwardWare[2] | |||
| PrintPower | 1987 | ||
| Basic Skills | |||
| SwimWare | MS-DOS, Apple II | 1988 | |
| Sesame Street Print Kit[14] | Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Apple II, Atari 8-bit | ||
| Muppets Print Kit[14] | 1989 | ||
| Looney Tunes Print Kit[14] | |||
| Sesame Street First Writer | MS-DOS, Apple II | ||
| PrintPower Pro | MS-DOS | 1990 | |
| NFL Print Pro | 1991 | ||
| Barbie Design Studio | |||
| Fairy Tale Factory | 1992 |
References
[edit]- ↑ "Electronic gaming - retail news" (PDF). retrocdn.net. p. 29.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Hi Tech Expressions". Ahoy!. November 1986. p. 45. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- ↑ https://ia903401.us.archive.org/28/items/HiTechExpressionsFlyerFromJingleDisk/JingleDiskHiTechFlyer.pdf[permanent dead link]
- ↑ "AwardWare" (PDF). dn790008.ca.archive.org. p. 5.
- 1 2 3 Yarwood, Jack (2021-09-27). "The Story of Hi-Tech Expressions, the Original Rockstars of Gaming". Fanbyte. Archived from the original on 2025-12-07. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
- ↑ "Jingle Disk 1986". WinWorld. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- 1 2 "Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, I Love You More, Than My CPU". PCMag. October 1986. p. 49. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Educational Programs". Ahoy!. December 1987. p. 10. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Torrent of Titles from Nintendo Licensees". Computer Entertainer. June 1988. p. 12. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- ↑ Hunt, Dennis (1990-07-27). "Nintendo: Kids Just Want to Have Fun". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ Lewis, Peter H. (1989-08-06). "THE SUMMER REPORT: EX MACHINA; Child's Play". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "The Video Game Update". Computer Entertainer. June 1989. p. 9. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- ↑ Olson, Elizabeth (January 1992). ""Edutainment" Games: Prime Examples That Learning Really Can Be Fun!". Game Informer. p. 42. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Looney Tunes, Sesame Street and Muppets Print Kits". Run Magazine. October 1990. p. 80.
- ↑ Shannon, L. R. (1989-12-12). "PERIPHERALS; Electronic Toys for Girls and Boys". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- 1 2 "CES List". Game Players CES Videogame And Computer Game Guide. Summer 1990. p. 8. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Nintendo News". Game Players. March 1991. p. 30. Retrieved July 12, 2026.
- ↑ "SNES Plays Beethoven's 2nd". Electronic Games. July 1993. p. 13.
- ↑ Kunkel, Bill (September 1993). "The Man Behind Mortal Kombat". Electronic Games. p. 54. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Winter C.E.S. '94". Nintendo Power. March 1994. p. 29. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Last Minute Change". EGM 2. July 1994. p. 29. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Hi Tech gets new moniker". Electronic Games. August 1994. p. 18. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Kaplan, Henry A." The Wall Street Transcript. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
- ↑ Extension, Time (2022-07-05). "The Mystery Of NES 'Twin Peaks' Solved, Almost Thirty Years Later". Time Extension. Retrieved 2026-07-12.
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