The Tokaido Shinkansen is a railroad that travels from Kyoto to Tokyo, Japan, the two cities that house Nintendo's two most-prized development studios. Like the railway itself, this article is your information connection to the inner workings of Nintendo, its development teams, and the employees they house. It's a fun ride combining research and pure speculation where we'll try to transport you to the heart of Nintendo.
Destination Tokyo. It is where Super Mario Galaxy is being crafted. It is where Super Smash Bros. Brawl is being born. It is where Nintendo will exhibit brand new games at the Tokyo Game Show '08. How times change...
Change is the theme of Nintendo today. This has become clear when we observe how the centrifugal development force of Kyoto has become quite nomadic since the induction of president Satoru Iwata. Although Nintendo still swears by imposing one of the most stringent security policies within its building, there has been a transcendence of philosophy sweeping over to the neighboring city of Tokyo and the patriotic U.S state of Washington. The new seeds being planted come courtesy of the Super Mario Sunshine staff moving to the Tokyo headquarters and the Pikmin and 1080 Snowboarding team leaders traveling to Nintendo Software Technology Corp. Nintendo is hoping to spread and develop the Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) brand into as many games as possible. We eagerly wait to see how Super Mario Galaxy and Project H.A.M.M.E.R turn out.
The changes are not just intrinsic since EAD openly welcomes new blood from outside companies. One of the more notable entries is Hidemaro Fujibayashi, the former Capcom designer responsible for Disney's Magical Tetris and the Oracle and Minish Cap episodes of Zelda. Having developed three Zelda titles under Nintendo's production while still employed at Capcom, it only made sense for Fujibayashi to officially join the team. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is his first game under Nintendo, and he serves as a designer and assistant director.
Nintendo is spending significant money recruiting an entirely new development team in a brand new office next door to its Tokyo headquarters. It makes perfect sense to think this team will produce a Smash Bros. title for the Nintendo DS sometime after the Wii version hits. However, this DS effort will likely be developed without Masahiro Sakurai.
E3 may be the home to a plethora of alternative gaming concepts sporting the Wii brand name -- Wii Motorsports, Wii Music, Wii Health, and Wii Sports 2 may all make an impact at the show. Somewhere beneath all these non-games lies a diamond in the rough I shall refer to as Wii Theater. What exactly is Wii Theater? Well consider it the marketing and development evolution of a project that EAD has been experimenting with for nearly a decade. The concept is simple and groundbreaking. Imagine having the ability to choreograph and produce hilarious movies starring all of your Mii caricatures. Additional Nintendo characters and game celebrities like the Mario Bros., Pikmin, Link, Samus, and Hideo Kojima are hinted at being part of the casting couch. The ability to create a movie, save it, and mail it to another friend's Wii is one of the more interesting possibilities. Once known as Talent Maker, later known as Stage Debut, it's a game currently still under development somewhere in a dark basement at Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters. When might we see this game if ever? Cross your fingers for Nintendo's big "non-game" of holiday season 2008.
Where is the father of Metroid? Yoshio Sakamoto and his ninja group at Nintendo just finished Rhythm Tengoku and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. His small development team Nintendo Software Planning & Development Group 1 usually work on two projects at a time. Several sequels are possible including the long-awaited Metroid for DS, Rhythm Tengoku for the Wii, or maybe even a brand new Detective Club. Although the team remains small, its track record proves it is still geared for maximum productivity.
With Colin Reed and Masamichi Abe leaving the Pikmin team at EAD to join Nintendo Software Technology, it is curious to wonder what is going on with the remainder of the team. Currently, all signs point to the Big Brain Academy staff as the successors to the franchise. Pikmin character creator and co-director Shigefumi Hino and the Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree team are likely in development with Pikmin 3. If true, this means we may have to wait a couple of years for this project to surface.
We've arrived. Please be sure to check around your seat for your belongings. Until we board the train of speculation again...
Destination Tokyo. It is where Super Mario Galaxy is being crafted. It is where Super Smash Bros. Brawl is being born. It is where Nintendo will exhibit brand new games at the Tokyo Game Show '08. How times change...
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Change is the theme of Nintendo today. This has become clear when we observe how the centrifugal development force of Kyoto has become quite nomadic since the induction of president Satoru Iwata. Although Nintendo still swears by imposing one of the most stringent security policies within its building, there has been a transcendence of philosophy sweeping over to the neighboring city of Tokyo and the patriotic U.S state of Washington. The new seeds being planted come courtesy of the Super Mario Sunshine staff moving to the Tokyo headquarters and the Pikmin and 1080 Snowboarding team leaders traveling to Nintendo Software Technology Corp. Nintendo is hoping to spread and develop the Entertainment Analysis & Development (EAD) brand into as many games as possible. We eagerly wait to see how Super Mario Galaxy and Project H.A.M.M.E.R turn out.
Welcome To The Family
The changes are not just intrinsic since EAD openly welcomes new blood from outside companies. One of the more notable entries is Hidemaro Fujibayashi, the former Capcom designer responsible for Disney's Magical Tetris and the Oracle and Minish Cap episodes of Zelda. Having developed three Zelda titles under Nintendo's production while still employed at Capcom, it only made sense for Fujibayashi to officially join the team. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is his first game under Nintendo, and he serves as a designer and assistant director.
Smash Bros. DS
Nintendo is spending significant money recruiting an entirely new development team in a brand new office next door to its Tokyo headquarters. It makes perfect sense to think this team will produce a Smash Bros. title for the Nintendo DS sometime after the Wii version hits. However, this DS effort will likely be developed without Masahiro Sakurai.
Mario & Juliet
E3 may be the home to a plethora of alternative gaming concepts sporting the Wii brand name -- Wii Motorsports, Wii Music, Wii Health, and Wii Sports 2 may all make an impact at the show. Somewhere beneath all these non-games lies a diamond in the rough I shall refer to as Wii Theater. What exactly is Wii Theater? Well consider it the marketing and development evolution of a project that EAD has been experimenting with for nearly a decade. The concept is simple and groundbreaking. Imagine having the ability to choreograph and produce hilarious movies starring all of your Mii caricatures. Additional Nintendo characters and game celebrities like the Mario Bros., Pikmin, Link, Samus, and Hideo Kojima are hinted at being part of the casting couch. The ability to create a movie, save it, and mail it to another friend's Wii is one of the more interesting possibilities. Once known as Talent Maker, later known as Stage Debut, it's a game currently still under development somewhere in a dark basement at Nintendo's Kyoto headquarters. When might we see this game if ever? Cross your fingers for Nintendo's big "non-game" of holiday season 2008.
Metroid Squared
Where is the father of Metroid? Yoshio Sakamoto and his ninja group at Nintendo just finished Rhythm Tengoku and Wario Ware: Smooth Moves. His small development team Nintendo Software Planning & Development Group 1 usually work on two projects at a time. Several sequels are possible including the long-awaited Metroid for DS, Rhythm Tengoku for the Wii, or maybe even a brand new Detective Club. Although the team remains small, its track record proves it is still geared for maximum productivity.
Pikmin 3
With Colin Reed and Masamichi Abe leaving the Pikmin team at EAD to join Nintendo Software Technology, it is curious to wonder what is going on with the remainder of the team. Currently, all signs point to the Big Brain Academy staff as the successors to the franchise. Pikmin character creator and co-director Shigefumi Hino and the Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree team are likely in development with Pikmin 3. If true, this means we may have to wait a couple of years for this project to surface.
We've arrived. Please be sure to check around your seat for your belongings. Until we board the train of speculation again...