In a somewhat unexpected move, Nintendo has announced plans to acquire Canadian game studio Next Level Games. Next Level Games already has a longstanding history as a second-party partner, exclusively making games for Nintendo. The studio is responsible for several beloved Nintendo games, including Luigi's Mansion 3 and the Mario Strikers series. Nintendo said this move will help secure internal development resources and boost collaboration between it and the studio. While the financial details of the acquisition are yet to be known, Nintendo expects the deal to be official by March 1, 2021.
Nintendo hasn't been known for purchasing game studios in the same way as Microsoft or Sony, who have, respectively, purchased major studios such as Bethesda, Insomniac Games, and Sucker Punch Studios in recent years. However, the acquisition of Next Level Games makes a ton of sense for Nintendo. Prior to Next Level Games' involvement, Luigi's Mansion was a moderate success, as the original entry sold 3.33 million copies, according to official data compiled by ResetEra user Celine, as of September 2020. Next Level Games took over development on Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Luigi's Mansion 3, and the two games have combined to sell more than 14 million copies to date. Luigi's Mansion 3, on its own, sold 7.83 million copies, making it the 11th highest-selling game on the Switch.
The Luigi's Mansion series is currently the 16th best-selling Nintendo franchise, according to official data compiled by the Fandom Video Game Sales Wiki, and most of that is off the back of its two most recent entries. It seems safe for fans to expect plenty of trips to Luigi's Mansion in the future, and there's a good chance the franchise could eventually break the top 10 of Nintendo's highest-selling franchises.
Nintendo's Next Level Games Purchase Could Mean Mario Strikers' Return
While Luigi's Mansion has been the source of its most recent successes, Next Level Games originally hit it big with 2005's Super Mario Strikers. The soccer game featuring Mario and friends was a cult favorite and is still considered by many to be the best Mario sports title, despite only selling 1.6 million copies worldwide. The sequel, Mario Strikers Charged, released on the Wii two years later to similar fanfare and better sales, reaching 2.6 million copies. Fans have been hoping for a return to this series for quite some time, and the purchase of Next Level Games could eventually lead to Nintendo revisiting it. Considering how much soccer has risen in popularity in the U.S. (see Forbes) since the release of the original Strikers - likely, in part, due to the success of the FIFA series - Nintendo could see significant success from a Mario Strikers reboot.
In addition to the Luigi's Mansion and Mario Strikers series, Next Level was also responsible for 2009's Punch-Out!! remake for the Wii. The remake of the 1987 classic was met with praise from old and new fans alike, with its fresh take on the game's original style. 2009's Punch-Out!! sold a modest 1.27 million copies but represented a great return for an iconic series. While it may not be atop many gamers' wishlists, a return to the Punch-Out!! would be a lot of fun, and - who knows - maybe Next Level could even include Mike Tyson in Punch-Out!! this time.
This deal seems like good business on Nintendo's end, taking full ownership of the studio that helped turn the Luigi's Mansion franchise into one of the publisher's best. Here's hoping Nintendo lets Next Level Games work its magic on the long-dormant Super Mario Strikers series next, along with many more Luigi's Mansion titles.
Source: ResetEra, Video Game Sales Wiki, Forbes