Bandai Namco Holdings
| Bandai Namco Holdings | |
|---|---|
| |
| Founded | Bandai: July 5, 1950 Namco: June 1, 1955 Bandai Namco Entertainment: March 31, 2006[?] |
| First Super Mario game | Donkey Konga |
| Latest Super Mario game | Mario Kart Tour |
| Current president | Nao Udagawa |
Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (formerly capitalized as BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.), previously called Namco Bandai Games Inc. (capitalized as NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.) and Bandai Namco Games Inc. (capitalized as BANDAI NAMCO Games Inc.), is a publisher that was created when Namco and Bandai merged their video game divisions in 2006. On April 1, 2015, the company changed its name to Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. As a subsidiary of the entertainment conglomerate Bandai Namco Holdings, Bandai Namco Entertainment is in charge of managing, publishing, and marketing content, while Bandai Namco Studios serves as the company's main game development studio. They have developed several Mario games for Nintendo in the past. Bandai Namco Entertainment has created several successful franchises, including Tekken, Pac-Man, Galaxian, Ace Combat, and Tales.
The first Mario game developed by the company, before the merger, was Mario Superstar Baseball for the Nintendo GameCube. After the merger, they later developed the game's follow-up for the Wii, Mario Super Sluggers. The company produced an arcade crossover Mario Kart, which came to be known as Mario Kart Arcade GP, as well as three sequels, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, and Mario Kart Arcade GP VR, with the later two being produced as Bandai Namco Amusement Inc. (formerly capitalized as BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Inc.). These arcade Mario Kart games have featured playable appearances of Pac-Man characters, as well as the Tamagotchi Mametchi and Don-chan from the Taiko no Tatsujin series. The company also assisted in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart Tour's development, the former of which features a Mii Racing Suit based on Pac-Man. They are the primary developers for Mario Sports Superstars, with Camelot Software Planning co-developing for the tennis and golf segments of the game.
Bandai Namco Entertainment co-developed Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with Sora Ltd. Their own character, Pac-Man, is featured as a playable fighter in those games, with various Namco characters appearing in one of his taunts, and the ghosts Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde appearing as an Assist Trophy. Heihachi Mishima from the Tekken series and Lloyd Irving from Tales of Symphonia are the basis for downloadable costumes for Mii Fighters. Additionally, the Tekken character Kazuya Mishima is playable in Super Smash Bros. Utimate as DLC.
Bandai Namco Holdings owns Banpresto, the publisher of the Japan-only arcade games Mario Undōkai, Būbū Mario, and Super Mario Attack, as well as Tamashii Nations, producers of S.H. Figuarts.
Super Mario games
| Title | Year released | Console |
|---|---|---|
| Donkey Konga | 2003 | Nintendo GameCube |
| Donkey Konga 2 | 2004 | Nintendo GameCube |
| Donkey Konga 3 JP | 2005 | Nintendo GameCube |
| Mario Superstar Baseball | 2005 | Nintendo GameCube |
| Mario Kart Arcade GP | 2005 | Arcade |
| Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 | 2007 | Arcade |
| Mario Super Sluggers | 2008 | Wii |
| Mario Kart Arcade GP DX | 2013 | Arcade |
| Mario Kart 8 | 2014 | Wii U |
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS | 2014 | Nintendo 3DS |
| Super Smash Bros. for Wii U | 2014 | Wii U |
| Mario Sports Superstars | 2017 | Nintendo 3DS |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 2017 | Nintendo Switch |
| Mario Kart Arcade GP VR | 2017 | Arcade |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | 2018 | Nintendo Switch |
| Mario Kart Tour | 2019 | Mobile |
Super Mario toys
A set of figurines from Super Mario Kart
Super balls containing item figurines from Super Mario Galaxy
Keychain of a Light Block from New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Super Mario Land finger puppets
Template:More images A set of ten finger puppets produced by Bandai in 1989.
A finger puppet of Mario from Super Mario Land
A finger puppet of King Totomesu from Super Mario Land
A finger puppet of a Pionpi from Super Mario Land
A finger puppet of Daisy from Super Mario Land
A finger puppet of a Goombo from Super Mario Land
A finger puppet of a Gunion from Super Mario Land
A finger puppet of Hiyoihoi from Super Mario Land
A finger puppet of a Piranha Plant from Super Mario Land
Gallery
Namco's logo
Bandai's logo
