Marigul Management

Last updated
Marigul Management Inc.
Company typeDefunct
Industry Video games
FoundedJuly 1996
DefunctMay 2003
FateLiquidation
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
ProductsGames for Nintendo video game consoles

Marigul was a Japanese corporation created and jointly owned by video game company Nintendo Co., Ltd. (40%) and media company Recruit (60%). [1] Its name is a combination of Nintendo's mascot Mario and Recruit's mascot Seegul.

Contents

Marigul was founded because the Nintendo 64 was not getting enough third-party support. Marigul would provide financing, to let game studios focus on making games. The only condition was that the studios would have a game ready in five years.

Studios

Marigul provided services for the video game studios Ambrella, Clever Trick, Noise, Param, and Saru Brunei. Although Marigul was liquidated in May 2003, [2] Noise continues to make games, as did Ambrella until it was disbanded in 2020. Many games financed by Marigul have not been localized or released in North America. [3]

Saru Brunei

Saru Brunei was a Tokyo-based video game development company that worked in partnership with Nintendo between 1996 and 2003 as a part of Marigul Management. Saru Brunei was headed up by former Nintendo game designer Gento Matsumoto. Matsumoto was Shigeru Miyamoto's right-hand man for 15 years[ citation needed ]. Saru Brunei was made defunct as Marigul was liquidated in May 2003.

Saru Brunei was responsible for the cancelled Nintendo 64 game, Doubutsu Banchou (lit. Animal Leader), which was coded by Intelligent Systems. The studio then ported the game to the GameCube as Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest in 2002. [4] The game was published by Nintendo in Japan, but published by Atlus in North America. Other games include Jungle Park on PlayStation and Jungle Park: Saturn Jima on Sega Saturn.

Clever Trick

Clever Trick was a video game development company that worked in partnership with Nintendo. Clever Trick was a part of Marigul Management.[ citation needed ]

Cancelled games

Catroots appeared at E3 2000 at Nintendo's booth without even ever being previously announced. Even Nintendo of America reps at the event did not know any information beyond being instructed to show off the game at the event. Shigeru Miyamoto later gave a little background on the title - it was an N64 game in development from Marigul Management, a company Nintendo created and funded to help developers create more software for the N64. Footage shown depicted a Tom and Jerry or Itchy and Scratchy dynamic between a cat and mouse character. The game was never mentioned again after the event, and was cancelled, not being released in any capacity. [5] [6]

DT Bloodmaster was a digital trading card game for the 64DD that would have allowed for the transfer of cards to and from a Game Boy using the 64 GB Cable. It would have allowed for players to play the game on a television but hold their cards privately on their Game Boy screen. The game was cancelled due to the commercial failure of the 64DD, though its Game Boy Color counterpart, DT: Lords of Genomes, was released in 2001. [7] [8] [9]

Echo Delta debuted and playable at Nintendo Space World 2000, the game was a real time strategy game with the premise centered around controlling a submarine to resurface sunken ships within a time limit. Was reportedly 90% complete at the time, but the game was cancelled and never officially released. In 2006, the game reportedly leaked and was being sold on eBay. [10] [11]

VRS Racer was a racing video game that would have utilized the Nintendo 64's microphone add-on from Hey You Pikachu to give verbal commands as an input method in the game. It was announced in 1999, but never ended up releasing in any capacity. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo 64</span> Home video game console

The Nintendo 64 (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. It was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan; on September 29, 1996, in North America; and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Australia. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was the last major home console to use cartridges as its primary storage format until the Nintendo Switch in 2017. As a fifth-generation console, the Nintendo 64 primarily competed with the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Saturn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">64DD</span> Video game peripheral

The 64DD is a magnetic floppy disk drive peripheral for the Nintendo 64 game console developed by Nintendo. It was announced in 1995, prior to the Nintendo 64's 1996 launch, and after numerous delays was released in Japan on December 11, 1999. The "64" references both the Nintendo 64 console and the 64MB storage capacity of the disks, and "DD" is short for "disk drive" or "dynamic drive".

<i>F-Zero X</i> 1998 video game

F-Zero X is a futuristic racing video game for the Nintendo 64 console. Developed and published by Nintendo, it was released in Japan, North America, and Europe in 1998. In 2000, the Expansion Kit was released in Japan, including a track and vehicle editor. The original game was ported in 2004 to the iQue Player in China. It had Virtual Console re-releases on the Wii in 2007 and the Wii U around nine years later. On March 11, 2022, the game was re-released on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, featuring online multiplayer.

<i>Pokémon Stadium</i> 1999 video game

Pokémon Stadium, known in Japan as Pokémon Stadium 2, is a strategy video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. First released in Japan on April 30, 1999, it was later released as the first Stadium title in Western regions the following year, being the sequel to the Japanese-only 1998 Nintendo 64 release Pocket Monsters’ Stadium. The gameplay revolves around a 3D turn-based battling system using the 151 Pokémon from the Game Boy games Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow.

<i>Pokémon Snap</i> 1999 photography-based first-person rail shooter simulation video game

Pokémon Snap is a 1999 first-person photography game with rail shooter style gameplay mechanics developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was first released in Japan in March 1999 and was later released in July 1999 in North America and in September 2000 for PAL regions. It is a spin-off game in the Pokémon series, being one of the first console-based games for it, and featuring many Pokémon rendered for the first time in real-time 3D. The game was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in December 2007, for the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2016, and for the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in June 2022.

<i>Hey You, Pikachu!</i> Virtual pet video game for the Nintendo 64

Hey You, Pikachu! is a virtual pet Pokémon spin-off video game for the Nintendo 64 developed by Ambrella and published by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on December 12, 1998, and in North America on October 30, 2000. The player is asked to help Professor Oak test the PokéHelper, a device that lets humans communicate with Pokémon. The game is set in the Kanto region between Pewter City and Viridian City, where the player is introduced to a wild Pikachu. The player is able to communicate with a 256-word database through the Voice Recognition Unit (VRU), a Nintendo 64 hardware accessory that, when paired with a microphone, can comprehend and analyze human speech. Along with speaking with Pikachu, the VRU allows the player to move around and gather items.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transfer Pak</span> Accessory for the Nintendo 64

The Transfer Pak is a removable accessory for the Nintendo 64 controller that fits into its expansion port. When connected, it allows for the transfer of data between supported Nintendo 64 (N64) games and Game Boy or Game Boy Color (GBC) games. By using the Transfer Pak, players can unlock additional content in compatible games; the Pokémon Stadium games, with which the Transfer Pak was initially bundled for sale, also feature the ability to emulate specific Game Boy Pokémon titles for play on the N64.

Nintendo Space World, formerly named Shoshinkai and Famicom Space World, was an annual video game trade show hosted by Nintendo from 1989 to 2001. Its three days of high-energy party atmosphere was the primary venue for Nintendo and its licensees to announce and demonstrate new consoles, accessories, and games. Anticipated and dissected each year with hype and exclusivity, it was a destination for the international video game press, with detailed developer interviews and technology demos.

<i>Nintendogs</i> 2005 real-time pet simulation video game

Nintendogs is a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was released in Japan, and was later released in: North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and other regions. It was originally released in three different versions: Dachshund & Friends, Lab & Friends and Chihuahua & Friends. It has been re-released twice, first as a bundled release with a special edition Nintendo DS with a new version called Nintendogs: Best Friends and later as Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends.

<i>Mario Artist</i> 1999–2000 video game suite

Mario Artist is an interoperable suite of three games and one Internet application for Nintendo 64: Paint Studio, Talent Studio, Polygon Studio, and Communication Kit. These flagship disks for the 64DD peripheral were developed to turn the game console into an Internet multimedia workstation. A bundle of the 64DD unit, software disks, hardware accessories, and the Randnet online service subscription package was released in Japan starting in December 1999.

<i>Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards</i> 2000 platform video game by Nintendo

Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards is a 2000 platform game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 (N64). It is the first Kirby game to feature 3D computer graphics and follows Kirby as he attempts to reassemble a sacred crystal shattered by Dark Matter. Gameplay is viewed from a 2.5D perspective and is similar to previous Kirby titles; the player traverses levels and obtains powers by eating enemies. Kirby 64 introduces Power Combos, the ability to mix powers to create more powerful ones. In a multiplayer mode, up to four players can compete in three minigames.

<i>Mission: Impossible</i> (1998 video game) 1998 video game

Mission: Impossible is an action-adventure video game developed by Infogrames and loosely based on the 1996 film of the same name. It was originally released for the Nintendo 64 video game console in 1998. In the game, the player assumes the role of Ethan Hunt, an Impossible Missions Force (IMF) agent who must clear his name after a mole has infiltrated the IMF team. The game features 20 levels where the player must complete several mission objectives with the use of numerous high-tech gadgets.

Nintendo 64 accessories are first-party Nintendo hardware—and third-party hardware, licensed and unlicensed. Nintendo's first-party accessories are mainly transformative system expansions: the 64DD Internet multimedia platform, with a floppy drive, video capture and editor, game building setup, web browser, and online service; the controller plus its own expansions for storage and rumble feedback; and the RAM-boosting Expansion Pak for big improvements in graphics and gameplay. Third-party accessories include the essential game developer tools built by SGI and SN Systems on Nintendo's behalf, an unlicensed SharkWire online service, and unlicensed cheaper counterparts to first-party items. In the fifth generation of video game consoles, the Nintendo 64 had a market lifespan from 1996 to 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo 64 Game Pak</span> Nintendo 64 storage medium

Nintendo 64 Game Pak is the brand name of the ROM cartridges that store game data for the Nintendo 64. As with Nintendo's previous consoles, the Game Pak's design strategy was intended to achieve maximal read speed and lower console manufacturing costs through not integrating a mechanical drive, with a drawback of lower per dollar storage capacity compared to a disk. From the console's first year from late 1996 through 1997, Game Pak sizes were 4 to 12 megabytes with a typical third party retail price of US$75.99, then available in 32 megabytes in 1998, and finally 64 megabytes from 1999 onwards.

Cabbage was a canceled breeding simulator video game that was planned for release in the late 1990s on the 64DD, an expansion peripheral for the Nintendo 64 console. The prototype was developed by a team of Nintendo's "biggest talents", led by Shigesato Itoi, Tsunekazu Ishihara, Shigeru Miyamoto, and eventually Satoru Iwata. Miyamoto spoke eagerly about the innovative development of Cabbage across the years until early 2000. Years later, he reflected that it had drifted silently into cancellation but that it deeply influenced other Nintendo games such as Animal Crossing and Nintendogs.

<i>Rev Limit</i> Unreleased sim racing video game

Rev Limit is an unreleased sim racing video game that was in development and planned to be published by Seta Corporation in May 1998 for the Nintendo 64. It was also intended to be the first arcade title to use Seta's own Aleck 64 arcade board, and was planned for the 64DD as well. It was one of the earliest original third-party racing titles to be announced for the system. In the game, players compete against either computer-controlled vehicles or other human opponents across several tracks of varying thematic in order to reach first place and advance to the next course.

<i>Japan Pro Golf Tour 64</i> 2000 video game

Japan Pro Golf Tour 64 is a 2000 sports video game developed and published by Media Factory for the 64DD, a magnetic disk peripheral for the Nintendo 64.

References

  1. "Who are Ambrella, the developers behind Pokémon Rumble Rush?". Gamepur. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  2. "Cancelados: Los juegos que nos hemos perdido - Artículos Nintendo 3DS | Revogamers". www.revogamers.net. Archived from the original on 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  3. Montesinos-Donaghy, Daniel (2014-09-23). "The Weird, Weird Games of the Nintendo 64". Vice. Archived from the original on 2019-06-06. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  4. "Los 10 videojuegos más raros de grandes compañías, Realmente únicos". Vandal (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2019-06-05.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2024-01-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2024-01-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "「DT(仮)」開発方針変更のお知らせ". GAMESTUDIO. Archived from the original on 2004-10-20. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  8. Schneider, Peer (August 27, 1999). "What's DT, you ask?". IGN . Archived from the original on December 20, 2004. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
  9. IGN Staff (September 14, 2001). "Connecting to the Cube". IGN. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2024-01-17. Retrieved 2024-01-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. IGN Staff (9 February 1999). "More Games To Talk To". IGN. Retrieved 7 May 2018.