Bandai Namco Holdings

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Bandai Namco Holdings
The logo for Bandai Namco Entertainment as of 2022
Founded Bandai: July 5, 1950
Namco: June 1, 1955
Bandai Namco Holdings: September 29, 2005
Bandai Namco Entertainment: March 31, 2006
First Super Mario game Donkey Konga (2003)
Latest Super Mario game Mario Kart Tour (2019)
Current president Nao Udagawa

Bandai Namco Holdings, also known as Bandai Namco, is a company jointly founded by toy maker Bandai and game developer Namco on September 29, 2005.[1] It has a group of companies[2] that have been involved with the Super Mario franchise in various ways, whether it is developing video games or making toys. Bandai Namco also has its own successful franchises, including Tekken, Pac-Man, Galaxian, Ace Combat, and Tales.

Group[edit]

  • Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. (BNE, known as Namco Bandai Games Inc. and Bandai Namco Games Inc. before April 1, 2015) is in charge of developing and publishing video games, with Bandai Namco Studios serving as its main studio. Originally founded as Namco Limited on June 1, 1955, the current company was formed after Bandai's video game division was merged into Namco on March 31, 2006.[3] It also handled arcade games until April 1, 2018, when its arcade division became part of a new company called Bandai Namco Amusement.[4]
  • Bandai Namco Amusement Inc. develops and manufactures arcade machines. It was founded on April 1, 2018, after Bandai Namco Entertainment's arcade division was merged into Bandai Namco's arcade management subsidiary, which was also named Namco Limited.[4] The company has continued supporting Mario Kart Arcade GP DX and Mario Kart Arcade GP VR.
  • Bandai Co., Ltd. is a toy company founded on July 5, 1950.[5] It has made several toys themed to the Super Mario franchise, such as the S.H. Figuarts.
  • Banpresto was a toy manufacturer and arcade game developer behind games such as Mario Undōkai, Būbū Mario, and Super Mario Attack.

History[edit]

The first game of the Super Mario franchise developed by Namco was Mario Superstar Baseball for the Nintendo GameCube. After the merger, it 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. These Mario Kart arcade games have featured playable appearances of Pac-Man characters, as well as the Tamagotchi Mametchi and Don-chan from the Taiko no Tatsujin series. In addition, it also worked with Capcom to sell Mario Party Fushigi no Korokoro Catcher.[6][7] 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 ended tech support for Korokoro Catcher on April 1, 2013,[8][9] then ended support for its first two Arcade GP games in June 2015.[10][9]

Bandai Namco 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. Ultimate as DLC.

Super Mario games[edit]

Title Year released Console
Donkey Konga 2003 Nintendo GameCube
Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Jr./Mario Bros. 2004 Arcade
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 Party Fushigi no Korokoro Catcher 2009 Arcade
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[edit]

Super Mario Land finger puppets[edit]

It has been requested that more images be uploaded for this article. Remove this notice only after the additional images have been added. Specific(s): Missing Dragonzamasu and Mekabon finger puppets

These are a set of ten finger puppets produced by Bandai in 1989.

Super Mario trading cards[edit]

Super Mario RPG 1996 Bandai trading cards[edit]

Gallery[edit]

External links[edit]

References[edit]