Next Level Games, the developer behind Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon and 2009 remake of Punch-Out!!, will now be developing titles exclusively for Nintendo. Company co-founder Jason Carr revealed the partnership during an interview with Gamasutra.
Next Level Games first burst onto the scene back in 2003 with the release of NHL Hitz Pro, but it’s been the company’s relationship with the Big N that put them on the map. Besides the aforementioned Punch-Out!! and Luigi’s Mansion installments, the company also developed both Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers Charged. They also worked on superhero titles Spider-Man: Friend or Foe and Captain America: Super Soldier.
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon producer Ken Yeeloy explained the move as a result of the company’s previous experience working with Nintendo.
“When we work with [Nintendo], it is strictly about the game, throughout the entire process. The focus is driven by the quality of the game, and what is cool, and what feels good — not how much money it’s going to cost or how long is it going to take.”
Personally, I think this is a good move for Next Level Games, as the company has lacked consistency in the past. Their work on Nintendo franchises has been extremely strong, but their third party titles have certainly been lacking. After the excellent Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon though they seem to be back on track and I look forward to seeing what they produce next.