Konami Re-Registers Trademarks for Classic IPs Including Soldier Blade and Alien Crush

Konami has re-registered trademarks for Soldier Blade, Alien Crush, and Star Soldier, three classic games developed by Hudson Soft before the studio was absorbed by Konami around two decades ago. The move suggests the publisher may be preparing to bring these titles back to modern audiences.

The three trademarks, filed on the same day, include classifications protecting them as video games and game services. Notably, the goods and services descriptions use modern gaming language not typically seen in retro trademark filings, which could indicate active development plans rather than routine protection of legacy IP.

While trademark renewals are common practice for publishers protecting older properties, the timing and specificity raise questions about Konami's intentions. The publisher has a track record of releasing classic games in collections for newer consoles, making any IP it actively protects a candidate for revival. The new filings have appeared on the European Intellectual Property Office (Euipo), though some trademarks have been continuously renewed elsewhere for years. The USPTO filing for Alien Crush, for example, has been active since 2009 and was renewed in 2021.

Konami recently demonstrated a similar pattern with Mystical Ninja, re-registering that trademark in 2025 ahead of the release of Ganbare Goemon Daishugo, a collection that launched months later. All three newly filed trademarks originate from the same era and developer, strengthening the case that they could be headed for a coordinated revival.

Trademark filings alone do not indicate release timelines, so concrete details about any potential collections or re-releases remain unconfirmed. Konami has not announced plans for these IPs.