Team size varied wildly by scope, publisher, and year. No single number fits all.
Typical Ranges:
Small (3–8 people): Early arcade ports, simple puzzle/platformers (Tetris, Balloon Fight, Ice Climber). Often 1-2 programmers, 1 artist, 1 composer, designer doubling roles.
Medium (10–20): Standard licensed/action games (Mega Man 2, Contra, Castlevania). Dedicated roles: lead programmer, 2-3 coders, 2-3 artists, composer, sound designer, level designers, director.
Large (20–50+): Ambitious RPGs/adventures (Final Fantasy III, Dragon Quest IV, Zelda II). Large art teams (tilesets, sprites, cinematics), multiple programmers (engine, battle, menu, text), writers, QA.
Notable Examples:
Super Mario Bros. (1985): ~10 core (Miyamoto, Tezuka, Nakago, Kondo, 3-4 programmers, 2-3 artists).
The Legend of Zelda (1986): ~15-20 (adds overworld/dungeon designers, more artists).
Metroid (1986): ~8-10 (Nintendo R&D1, small tight team).
Final Fantasy (1987): ~20-30 (Square's first big RPG, nearly bankrupted them).
Other Factors:
Outsourcing: Music (contract composers), art (studios like TOSE), testing (publisher QA).
Dev Kits: Expensive; small devs shared or used unofficial tools.
Schedule: 3-6 months typical; crunch was universal.
