Nintendo is buying Luigi’s Mansion developer Next Level Games

Nintendo has announced that it is acquiring Vancouver-based developer Next Level Games. The studio is already responsible for many iconic Nintendo titles, such as Super Mario Strikers, Punch Out!!! and Luigi’s Mansion 3. They also made Metroid Prime: Federation Force, but let’s not hold that against them. The studio has apparently been seeking a buyer, so Nintendo stepped up to bring them into the fold.

“Next Level Games (NLG) is a video game development company based in Vancouver, Canada which has nearly two decades of experience creating video games for various console platforms”, reads the press release. “More recently, NLG has worked exclusively with Nintendo in developing software titles for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch systems, including titles in the critically acclaimed Luigi’s Mansion series of video games.”

“NLG’s shares are currently held entirely by its owner-directors and employees. A number of owner-directors recently determined that the time is right for them to sell their shares, and NLG therefore began exploring potential sale transactions.”

“Completion of the Acquisition will serve to secure the availability of NLG development resources for Nintendo, including development expertise, as well as facilitate an anticipated improvement in development speed and quality by enabling closer communication and exchange of staff with the Nintendo development team.”

Considering how many fantastic exclusive titles Next Level Games has developed for Nintendo systems, this purchase seems to be a no-brainer. With this acquisition, more entries in the Luigi’s Mansion and potentially Super Mario Strikers franchises will be more likely. Hopefully, with the full backing of Nintendo, we can look forward to some more good work from this talented studio.