Intelligent Systems
Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd.[lower-alpha 1] 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,[4] but later moved to a building near Nintendo's main headquarters in October 2013.[5] 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.
 Logotype | |
Native name | 株式会社インテリジェントシステムズ |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Kabushiki gaisha Interijento Shisutemuzu |
| Type | Kabushiki gaisha |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | December 1986[1] |
| Founder | Toru Narihiro |
| Headquarters | Minami-ku, , Japan |
Number of locations | 2 (2020) |
Key people | |
| Products |
|
Number of employees | 190 (2022)[2] |
| Subsidiaries | Purejio Co., Ltd. (株式会社プレジオ)[3] |
| Website | intsys intsys |
History
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.[6]
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
- Notes
- Japanese: 株式会社インテリジェントシステムズ, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Interijento Shisutemuzu
- Co-developed by Nintendo R&D1.
- Responsible for porting the original game to the Game Boy.
- Released as Game Boy Wars Advance 1+2 in Japan on 2004.
- Co-developed by Saru Brunei.
- Co-developed by Nintendo SPD Group No. 1.
- Co-developed by Nintendo SDD.
- Co-developed with Koei Tecmo.
Cancelled
| Title | System | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Hopper | Virtual Boy | [12] |
| Fire Emblem 64 | Nintendo 64DD | [13] |
| Untitled Fire Emblem game | Wii | [14] |
| Crashmo World | Wii U | [15] |
See also
- OrCAD (distributed by Intelligent Systems Japan, KK)
References
- "History" (in Japanese). Intelligent Systems. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
- "(株)インテリジェントシステムズの採用データ | マイナビ2021". job.mynavi.jp. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- "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.
- "Location". Intelligent Systems. Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
- "Fire Emblem-Studio Intelligent Systems ist in neues Gebäude umgezogen". Nintendo-Online.de (in German). Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- "Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. (Company)". Giant Bomb. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- "Intelligent Systems – Works – Games". www.intsys.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- Christian Nutt (April 23, 2010). "The Elegance Of Metroid: Yoshio Sakamoto Speaks". Gamasutra. United Business Media LLC. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
- "intsys.co.jp/company/gamesoft/index". Archived from the original on November 28, 2016.
- Whitehead, Thomas (May 28, 2014). "Nintendo of America Confirms Pushmo World Release Details". Nintendo Life. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- Lehew, Alex (November 12, 2015). "Fire Emblem Fates releases February 19th; release details revealed". The Tanooki. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
- "Nintendo Kills the Virtual Boy". GamePro. No. 101. IDG. February 1997. p. 27.
- VincentASM (December 9, 2015). "Making of Fire Emblem 64". Serenes Forest. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
- VincentASM. "Making of Fire Emblem: The Illusive Wii Fire Emblem". Serenes Forest. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
- Jenni (December 28, 2016). "Crashmo World Apparently Was In Development For the Nintendo Wii U". Siliconera. Retrieved December 28, 2016.