Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd.[a] is a Japanese video game developer best known for developing games published by Nintendo with the Fire Emblem, Paper Mario, WarioWare, and Wars video game series. Originally, the company was headquartered at the Nintendo Kyoto Research Center in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto,[3] but later moved to a building near Nintendo's main headquarters in October 2013.[4] They were also responsible for the creation of various development hardware both first and 3rd party developers would use to make games for Nintendo systems, such as the IS Nitro Emulator, the official development kit for the Nintendo DS.

Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社インテリジェントシステムズ
Kabushiki gaisha Interijento Shisutemuzu
Company typeKabushiki gaisha
IndustryVideo games
FoundedDecember 1986; 37 years ago (1986-12)[1]
FounderToru Narihiro
HeadquartersMinami-ku, ,
Japan
Number of locations
2 (2020)
Key people
Products
Number of employees
197 (2024)
SubsidiariesPurejio Co., Ltd. (株式会社プレジオ)[2]
Websiteintsys.co.jp/english
intsys.co.jp

History

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Intelligent Systems started when programmer Toru Narihiro was hired by Nintendo to port Famicom Disk System software to the standard ROM-cartridge format that was being used outside Japan on the NES. Similarly to the origins of HAL Laboratory, the team soon became an auxiliary program unit for Nintendo that provided system tools and hired people to program, fix, or port Nintendo-developed software. Much of the team's original work consists of minor contributions to larger games developed by Nintendo R&D1 and Nintendo EAD.[5]

Narihiro programmed his first video games, Famicom Wars and Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, towards the end of the Famicom's life cycle, although the game design, graphic design, and music was provided by the Nintendo R&D1 team. Because of Narihiro's success, Intelligent Systems began to hire graphic designers, programmers, and musicians to extend the company from an auxiliary–tool developer to a game development group. The company continued to develop new entries in the Wars and Fire Emblem franchises.

In 2000, Intelligent Systems produced Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64, which became a surprise hit, leading to five sequels. Three years later, the first entry in the WarioWare series was released on the Game Boy Advance, and it too became a successful series.

Not all games developed by Intelligent Systems are published by Nintendo. Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest (which was co-developed by Intelligent Systems) was published by Atlus in North America; Intelligent Systems also developed various Dragon Quest games, which were published by Square Enix.

List of games developed

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List of video games developed by Intelligent Systems
Year Title Platform(s) Ref.
1983 Mario Bros.[b] NES [6]
1984 Tennis[b] [6]
Wild Gunman[b] [6]
Duck Hunt[b] [6]
Hogan's Alley [6]
Donkey Kong 3 [6]
Devil World[b] [6]
1985 Soccer [6]
Wrecking Crew [6]
Stack-Up[b] [6]
Gyromite[b] [6]
1986 Tennis Famicom Disk System [6]
Soccer [6]
Metroid[b] [6][7]
1988 Famicom Wars[b] Famicom [6]
Kaettekita Mario Bros. Famicom Disk System [6]
Wrecking Crew [6]
1989 Alleyway[b] Game Boy [6]
Baseball[c] [6]
Yakuman [6]
Golf [6]
1990 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light[b] Famicom [6]
Backgammon Famicom Disk System
1991 SimCity Super NES [6]
Game Boy Wars[b] Game Boy [6]
1992 Super Scope 6 Super NES [6]
Fire Emblem Gaiden Famicom
Mario Paint Super NES [6]
Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru[b] Game Boy [6]
Battle Clash Super NES [6]
1993 Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge [6]
1994 Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem Super Famicom
Super Metroid[b] Super NES [6]
1995 Galactic Pinball Virtual Boy
Panel de Pon Super Famicom
1996 Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Tetris Attack[b] Super NES
1998 Super Famicom Wars Super Famicom
1999 Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
2000 Trade & Battle: Card Hero[b] Game Boy Color
Paper Mario Nintendo 64
Pokémon Puzzle Challenge Game Boy Color
2001 Advance Wars[d] Game Boy Advance
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
2002 Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest[e] GameCube
Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade Game Boy Advance
2003 Nintendo Puzzle Collection[b] GameCube
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade Game Boy Advance
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising[d]
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games![b] GameCube
2004 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones Game Boy Advance
WarioWare: Twisted![f]
WarioWare: Touched![f] Nintendo DS
2005 Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance GameCube
Advance Wars: Dual Strike Nintendo DS
Dr. Mario & Puzzle League Game Boy Advance
2006 WarioWare: Smooth Moves[f] Wii
2007 Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Super Paper Mario
Planet Puzzle League Nintendo DS
Face Training
Kousoku Card Battle: Card Hero[f]
2008 Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
WarioWare: Snapped![f] Nintendo DS
2009 WarioWare D.I.Y.[f]
WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase[f] Wii
Dragon Quest Wars Nintendo DS
Eco Shooter: Plant 530 Wii
Nintendo DSi Instrument Tuner Nintendo DSi
Nintendo DSi Metronome
Dictionary 6 in 1 with Camera Function
Link 'n' Launch
Spotto!
2010 Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem Nintendo DS
Face Training
2011 Pushmo Nintendo 3DS
Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Collection [jp] Wii [8]
2012 Fire Emblem Awakening Nintendo 3DS
Crashmo
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
2013 Game & Wario[f] Wii U
Daigasso! Band Brothers P[g] Nintendo 3DS
2014 Pushmo World Wii U [9]
2015 Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Nintendo 3DS
Stretchmo
Fire Emblem Fates [10]
2016 Paper Mario: Color Splash Wii U
2017 Fire Emblem Heroes iOS, Android
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Nintendo 3DS
2018 WarioWare Gold
2019 Fire Emblem: Three Houses[h] Nintendo Switch
2020 Paper Mario: The Origami King
2021 WarioWare: Get It Together!
2023 Fire Emblem Engage
WarioWare: Move It!
2024 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Notes
  1. ^ Japanese: 株式会社インテリジェントシステムズ, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Interijento Shisutemuzu
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Co-developed by Nintendo R&D1.
  3. ^ Responsible for porting the original game to the Game Boy.
  4. ^ a b Released as Game Boy Wars Advance 1+2 in Japan on 2004.
  5. ^ Co-developed by Saru Brunei.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Co-developed by Nintendo SPD Group No. 1.
  7. ^ Co-developed by Nintendo SDD.
  8. ^ Co-developed with Koei Tecmo.

Cancelled

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Title System Ref(s)
Dragon Hopper Virtual Boy [11]
Fire Emblem 64 Nintendo 64DD [12]
Untitled Fire Emblem game Wii [13]
Crashmo World Wii U [14]

See also

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  • OrCAD (distributed by Intelligent Systems Japan, KK)

References

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  1. ^ "History" (in Japanese). Intelligent Systems. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  2. ^ "インテリジェントシステムズに就職したい!会社の概要と就職の際のポイント". game-creators.jp. September 2, 2020.
  3. ^ "Location". Intelligent Systems. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  4. ^ "Fire Emblem-Studio Intelligent Systems ist in neues Gebäude umgezogen". Nintendo-Online.de (in German). Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. (Company)". Giant Bomb. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad "ゲーム". Intelligent Systems. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  7. ^ Christian Nutt (April 23, 2010). "The Elegance Of Metroid: Yoshio Sakamoto Speaks". Gamasutra. United Business Media LLC. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  8. ^ "intsys.co.jp/company/gamesoft/index". Archived from the original on November 28, 2016.
  9. ^ Whitehead, Thomas (May 28, 2014). "Nintendo of America Confirms Pushmo World Release Details". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
  10. ^ Lehew, Alex (November 12, 2015). "Fire Emblem Fates releases February 19th; release details revealed". The Tanooki. Retrieved November 13, 2015.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "Nintendo Kills the Virtual Boy". GamePro. No. 101. IDG. February 1997. p. 27.
  12. ^ VincentASM (December 9, 2015). "Making of Fire Emblem 64". Serenes Forest. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  13. ^ VincentASM. "Making of Fire Emblem: The Illusive Wii Fire Emblem". Serenes Forest. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  14. ^ Jenni (December 28, 2016). "Crashmo World Apparently Was In Development For the Nintendo Wii U". Siliconera. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
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