• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

What are Nintendo's developers up to?

S

StreetsAhead

Member
Following on from the Sony thread, I thought it would be interesting to look at what the Nintendo developers and their collaborators are working on. I apologize if their is another thread like this, but I searched back to November and couldn't find anything. This is based on a post I made in another thread, but I added some stuff and tried to make it clearer, plus I thought it could be its own discussion.

Entertainment Analysis & Development Division

EAD 1: Last developed Mario Kart 8. Apparently, some devs from that team are working on new prototypes.
EAD 2: Splatoon
EAD 3: Wii U Zelda
EAD 4: Mario Maker
EAD 5: Star Fox U
Tokyo EAD 1: Supervising Majora's Mask 3D.
Tokyo EAD 2: Confirmed to be working on next Mario game.
*Possible Tokyo EAD 3: Just shipped Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Software Development & Planning Division

SDP is a little tricky because a lot of their projects are supervision or co-development, but SDP 1 and 5 do their own solo development too on things like Band Brothers, Tomodachi Collection, Kiki Trick, Rhythm Heaven.

SDP 1: Likely producing Rhythm Heaven 3DS.
SDP 2: Unconfirmed but likely includes work on Xenoblade Chronicles X, Fire Emblem if, Code Name S.T.E.A.M., Style Savvy 3, and Devil's Third.
SDP 3: Likely working with Retro, Next Level Games, and NST on their projects.
SDP 4: Unconfirmed, but likely working with ND Cube on Mario Party 10.
Software Development Group: Unknown. (Works on Brain Training, Band Bros.)

Other 1st Parties

Retro: Unknown
Monolith 1: Xenoblade Chronicles X
Monolith 2: Nothing since Project X Zone, which was not 1st party.
Kyoto Monolith: Assisting with art/design for Kyoto EAD projects.
ND Cube: Mario Party 10.
NST: Mario s. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
1-UP (formerly Brownie Brown): Unknown. (Assisted on Super Mario 3D Land/World). They went from 32 to 18 employees post restructure last year, but as of April 2014 they are back up to 25 employees.
Intelligent Systems: Providing support for Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem. (Last shipped Band Brothers P).
HAL: Unknown. (Last shipped Kirby Triple Deluxe.)
Creatures Inc.: Unknown, possibly co-development on Pikachu Detective game.

Collaborators/3rd Parties

Arzest: Recently released Yoshi's New Island
Paon: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Last did Glory of Heracles for Nintendo.
Mistwalker: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo.Did A.S.H. and The Last Story, but future relationship is uncertain as they seem focused on mobile.
Ganbarion: Co-developed Wii Fit U. Have been talking about Wii U game ideas.
Vitei: Unknown. (Last release Steeldiver Sub Wars)
Asobisim: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Worked on Freaky Forms.
Grounding: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Did Sakura Samurai/Nintendouji.
RED Corp.: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Did Fire Emblem Awakening, the first two Fossil Fighters games.
Headstrong Games: Art Academy Pokemon.
PROPE: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Worked on Monster Manor.
Spike Chunsoft: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Last worked on Fossil Fighters Infinite Gear for Nintendo.
Keys Factory: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Last worked on Ketzal's Corridors.
Curve Studios: Exclusive Stealth Inc. sequel. Last worked on Fluidity Spin Cycle for Nintendo.
Tecmo Koei: Hyrule Warriors, Fatal Frame Wii U
Mitchel Corp., Zoonami: Both out-of-business.
Game Freak: Pokemon Alpha Sapphire & Omega Ruby
Good Feel: Yarn Yoshi
Camelot: Just released Mario Golf: World Tour
Genius Sonority: Last released Pokemon Battle Trozei for Nintendo.
Treasure: Gaist Crusher for Capcom
Ambrella: Unknown. Last release Pokemon Rumble U for Nintendo.
Alpha Dream: Unknown Last release Mario & Luigi 4: Dream Team for Nintendo.
Monster Games: Unknown. Assisted with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
Next Level Games: Unknown, secret project, but they are apparently 'only Nintendo products now'. Last released Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon.
Grezzo: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Last released Flower Town.
Q-Games: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo.
skip LTD: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Last release Chibi Robo Live Action.
Noise: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo (Custom Robo developers). Worked on Gyro Zetter (3DS) for SE.
Arika: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Last released Dr. Luigi.
Platinum: Bayonetta 2
Vanpool: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo. Last released Dillion’s Rolling Western 2, Paper Mario Sticker Star.
Namco: Smash 4 (Wii U/3DS), Wii Sports Club
Tose: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo.
Sandlot: Nothing confirmed for Nintendo.


Currently Known In-Development Software:
Wii U
2014 & Beyond:
-Mario Kart 8
-Monolith Soft's X
-Yarn Yoshi
-Bayonetta 2
-Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem
-Art Academy U
-Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
-New Legend of Zelda Game for Wii U
-Hyrule Warriors (The Legend of Zelda Musou game)
-Fatal Frame Wii U

3DS
2014 & Beyond:
-Super Smash Bros. for 3DS
-Pokemon Art Academy
-Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire
-Pikachu Detective Game (Dev unknown)
 
Nintendo doesn't announce games until they're close to release. Zelda HD and Pikmin 3 have been exceptions.

They might announce more due to investor pressure.
 
You should link where the source of each is, it's easy to say that a studio is developing a game, but with no evidence it's just falsely leading.
 
You missed Vitei (Rock N' Roll Climber/Steel Diver) and Asobism Co, Ltd. (Freakyforms/Deluxe) as second-party developers/collaborators.
 
I'd love to see an Animal Crossing with NintendoLand's Sweet Day graphics. That minigame has everything I want from an AC game, visually speaking.
 
NST is an interesting one because of hiring that ex-Naughty Dog developer (the Sonic the Hedgehog guy). I really doubt he joined just to make Mario Vs DK games. They've got to be up to something big.
 
Didn't Hirokazu Yasuhara, Sonic's co-creator, join Nintendo a year ago? Wondering what he's up to? I'm sure there are quite some projects we don't know about.
 
Darryl said:
NST is an interesting one because of hiring that ex-Naughty Dog developer (the Sonic the Hedgehog guy). I really doubt he joined just to make Mario Vs DK games. They've got to be up to something big.
Click to expand...

CengizMan said:
Didn't Hirokazu Yasuhara, Sonic's co-creator, join Nintendo a year ago? Wondering what he's up to? I'm sure there are quite some projects we don't know about.
Click to expand...

I wonder if NST inherited Donkey Kong Country development?
 
BD1 said:
I wonder if NST inherited Donkey Kong Country development?
Click to expand...
Not sure how to feel about that. Didn't mind the original Mario vs DK gameplay-wise (though DK'94 was still way better), but the rest of those games are pretty meh and have a completely different feel to the DKC games.

Monster games working on the 3DS port could be Nintendo's way of priming them for a proper DKCR2, sort of like how WB trained the guys making Arkham Origins with the Wii U port.
 
I know the GAF collective seems to think this is wishful thinking, but I have to imagine EAD Tokyo 1 and Retro are both aiming for 2013 WiiU releases of whatever they're working on.

The sparse WiiU lineup makes a lot more sense if one or both were initially going to be 2012 titles, but were delayed.
 
You could also add FreeStyleGames who developed Sing Party for the WiiU. Before that, they did the DJ Hero games for Activision until they canceled the seres.
 
Astrosanity said:
Not sure how to feel about that. Didn't mind the original Mario vs DK gameplay-wise (though DK'94 was still way better), but the rest of those games are pretty meh and have a completely different feel to the DKC games.
Click to expand...

NST isn't the same NST anymore. A lot of people left and a lot of new people came on, it's pretty much a different studio at this point. It went through some serious shit from 2006-2009, and it's just getting back to the point where it's productive.

evilromero said:
Can't believe Nintendo is wasting Monster Games' talent on a port. :/ they should have done a new Stunt Race or Excite.
Click to expand...

I doubt that's Monster Games main project.
 
EAD 2: Wii Sports U, possibly beginning work on Animal Crossing U
Click to expand...

I hope Wii Sports U is truly in the works. The console needs an "ultimate" Wii Sports package that can take what Resort did, push it further, and involve the gamepad in various new ideas along the way. NintendoLand is fantastic but still not covering that need. Where's my golf game where I can look down at the gamepad on the floor to closely adjust my clubface angle on the ball?
 
Nintendo should really consider giving EAD an official logo and taking the studio to other cities. Wasn't Nintendo talking about EAD Sapporo for a while? ND Cube ended up taking that spot though.

It be exciting for like EAD Tokyo and EAD Sapporo to handle big IPs without the old dinosaurs butting in as much.
 
Elfforkusu said:
I know the GAF collective seems to think this is wishful thinking, but I have to imagine EAD Tokyo 1 and Retro are both aiming for 2013 WiiU releases of whatever they're working on.

The sparse WiiU lineup makes a lot more sense if one or both were initially going to be 2012 titles, but were delayed.
Click to expand...
I really think retro game should drop this year. If it was possible to be shown last year E3 then shit it should be possible to drop this year.
 
Anth0ny said:
They best be all working on Wii U titles.

Even you Game Freak!
Click to expand...

Game Freak's ability to make larger (HD) titles is yet to be seen.

Based on the first footage, I'm not a fan of the graphics in X&Y (but I'm hoping my opinion changes when I see more).

GiantBreadbug said:
This thread has only made the wait for E3 even harder.

So much mystery...
Click to expand...

To be fair, I think Nintendo pretty much spilled the beans on most of their upcoming projects on the previous ND (bowing to investor pressure and decreased interest in Wii U). The only surprise I expect at E3 is Retro's new game.
 
Oersted said:
Pokemon Stadium/ Colosseum by Genius Sonority for WiiU.
Click to expand...
This would be amazing. A new Stadium/Colosseum to go with X/Y's release would be great!

Fewr said:
Ctrl + F

Chibi Robo

...

:(
Click to expand...
Yes! We need another Chibi Robo game. Still somewhat sad about Nintendo not localizing the DS game (not the garden one, which I liked BTW) :(

Anyway, hopefully IS is developing a new Paper Mario for Wii U. And I also hope that Miyamoto stays the fuck away from the series development this time. I still like him a bit, but him ruining one of my favorite series ever pisses me off (and this is coming from someone who didn't hate SS).
Maybe Sticker Star's backlash (complaints about no original characters bar Kersty, no story, no experience...) made some impact back at the HQ? I certainly wish so. I don't know how I will react if (when? :( ) they mess up with the inevitable Wii U release.
 
It makes me wonder, since both Paper Mario and Mario and Luigi RPG are on the 3DS, and Nintendo confirmed they have more collaborations with third party's, I wonder if it's possible if Nintendo and Square teamed up again for Mario RPG 2.

What do you guys think?
 
Im on my phone. Can someone go thru that old thread (same topic) and find my posts where I created an exhaustive list??
 
Meelow said:
It makes me wonder, since both Paper Mario and Mario and Luigi RPG are on the 3DS, and Nintendo confirmed they have more collaborations with third party's, I wonder if it's possible if Nintendo and Square teamed up again for Mario RPG 2.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

I think you need to forget about SMRPG2, bro.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Man Arrested After Reportedly Threatening To Blow Up Nintendo's HQ
2
70
731
CGNoire replied
In game development at what point do the developers know that their game is crap?
2
62
353
Moondoggy replied
What is Nintendo's big 2026 game?
2
74
1K
Deerock71 replied
What is wrong with Nintendo's account system?
2
75
1K
rodrigolfp replied
44% of Game Developers Are Looking to Leave the Industry Due to Mass Layoffs and Instability
2 3 4 5 6
269
3K
Angel of BOOM! replied
Top Bottom