Mario Party Developer Changes Its Name

The studio behind the Mario Party series, NDcube, has officially changed its name to Nintendo Cube Co., Ltd., better reflecting its parent company. NDcube was originally formed in 2000 as a collaboration between Nintendo and advertising firm Dentsu, and worked on a variety of Nintendo games, like F-Zero: Maximum Velocity and Dokodemo Taikyoku Yakuman Advance. In 2010, Nintendo bought out the vast majority of shares from Denstsu, and former employees of Hudson Soft, the previous studio responsible for the Mario Party series since 1998, migrated to NDcube.

Ever since 2012’s Mario Party 9, NDcube has become the primary developer of the Mario Party series, including the upcoming Super Mario Party Jamboree, which will be launching on October 17, 2024. Aside from the Mario Party games, NDcube is also responsible for various first-party Nintendo titles like Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics. Since Nintendo owns 99% of NDcube’s major shares and the studio has primarily worked as a subsidiary studio for the Japanese giant, the studio’s name has officially been changed to reflect this more accurately.

As detailed in a statement on the studio’s official website, the company revealed that starting from September 1, 2024, it will be officially known as Nintendo Cube Co., Ltd. from now on. The name may not be a big change, but it makes sense considering the company’s history. On top of that, Nintendo is the former NDcube’s parent company, and ever since 2023, has owned 99% of the studio’s shares. The Mario Party developer’s logo has also changed, though it retains the blue-and-white colors of its former logo. The name is very similar but should not be confused with the Nintendo Gamecube console.

Mario Party Developer NDcube Renamed to Nintendo Cube

As mentioned before, the studio was formed by many Hudson Soft employees, who were responsible for the entire Mario Party series prior to Mario Party 9. The studio has had a mixed track record ever since Mario Party 9, with the games it has released being critically mixed, such as Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival and Everybody 1-2-Switch. Games like Mario Party 9 and Mario Party: The Top 100 received similarly mixed reviews, though follow-ups like Super Mario Party and Mario Party Superstars on the Switch were considered steps in the right direction.

The upcoming Super Mario Party Jamboree also appears to be addressing major criticisms from past games, where it has a huge number of minigames, a mix of new and remade boards, and one of the biggest rosters of any Mario Party game to date. It includes several returning characters from past games, like Mario, Luigi, and Peach, along with several lesser-known but still beloved characters like Pauline, Toad, and Birdo joining Jamboree‘s roster.

Mario Party

The long-running Mario Party franchise began in 1998 and is a series of party games that aim to be fun for all the family. The majority of games in the series see players rolling dice and racing around a board while also competing in minigames. 

The Mario Party series has varied in terms of quality over the years, though the games are usually great fun with friends.