1-Up Studio

1-Up Studio Inc.[lower-alpha 1] (stylized as "1-UP Studio Inc."), formerly Brownie Brown Inc.,[lower-alpha 2] is a Japanese video game developer founded on June 30, 2000, in Tokyo, Japan, and a subsidiary of Nintendo.

This article is about the Japanese video game developer formerly known as Brownie Brown. For the tap dancer, see Ernest Brown (dancer).
1-Up Studio
Native name
1-UPスタジオ株式会社
1-Up Sutajio Kabushiki gaisha
FormerlyBrownie Brown Inc. (2000–2013)
TypeKabushiki gaisha (subsidiary)
IndustryVideo games
GenreVideo game development
Founded30 June 2000 (2000-06-30) in Tokyo, Japan
Founder
  • Shinichi Kameoka
  • Kouji Tsuda
HeadquartersIidabashi, Plano Stage Building 1704, 102-0071,
Fujimi, Chiyoda, Tokyo
,
Japan
Number of locations
1 studio (2020)
Key people
  • President
  • Gen Kadoi
  • Representative Directors
  • Yoshiaki Koizumi
  • Keizo Kato
  • Representative Auditor
  • Futoshi Yamaguchi
Products
Number of employees
75 (2022)
ParentNintendo
Website1-up-studio.jp
Footnotes / references
[1][2]

On February 1, 2013, the company announced that due to their recent co-development efforts with Nintendo, they were undergoing a change in internal structure. As a result, the company took on its current name.[3] At the same time, co-founder Shinichi Kameoka left to start an independent development studio, Brownies.[4]

History
Brownie Brown logo, in brown, containing a gnome between the words
Logo of the company's former name - Brownie Brown - used until February 2013

While the company existed as Brownie Brown, it consisted of many ex-Square Co., Ltd. 2D artists. At least two of its founders (Shinichi Kameoka and Kouji Tsuda) had previously worked on the award-winning Mana series on the Game Boy and Super NES platforms.[5] The founders left Square due to "differing ideals."[6]

The company's first original creation was the Japan-only Magical Vacation for the Game Boy Advance, which was released in 2001. Another popular title developed by Brownie Brown was Sword of Mana, which was created for and published by Square Enix. Thought to be a new title in the Seiken Densetsu series, it was actually an enhanced remake of the first game in the series, Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden (known as Mystic Quest in Europe and Final Fantasy Adventure in North America).

The company has also been credited with the development of Mother 3 in a collaborative effort with Shigesato Itoi and HAL Laboratory for the Game Boy Advance, and Magical Starsign (Magical Vacation: When the Five Stars Align in Japan) for the Nintendo DS. Brownie Brown expressed interest in a Nintendo DS port of Mother 3 if Nintendo asked them to make it, and that they would like it to be enjoyed by fans abroad.[7]

While the company has only released video games for Nintendo's handheld video game systems up to this point, the company had previously announced a title for the GameCube, named Gofuku, which was scheduled for release in 2005 and was announced alongside Magical Vacation: When the Five Stars Align.[8][9]

The company later released Blue Dragon Plus for the Nintendo DS, developed alongside Mistwalker,[10] and entered into the downloadable games market in 2009 with A Kappa's Trail, a DSiWare game.[11] Brownie Brown also worked on the DS title Livly Garden, based on a browser game from So-net Entertainment, released in Japan on January 28, 2010,[12] and aided in the development of two Level-5 titles, Professor Layton's London Life, a bonus game included with Professor Layton and the Last Specter, and Fantasy Life, for the DS and 3DS respectively.[13]

On February 1, 2013, the company announced on their original official website that, as a result of their recent development cooperation efforts with Nintendo, Brownie Brown had undergone changes in internal structure, which included officially changing the name of their company to 1-Up Studio.[3] Upon the changes, many of the founders of Brownie Brown, such as Kameoka, would leave 1-Up Studio to found Brownies. 1-Up Studio has since been acting as a development support company for Nintendo-developed titles.

Games developed

as Brownie Brown
Year Title Genre(s) Platform(s) Publisher
2001 Magical Vacation Role-playing Game Boy Advance Nintendo
2003 Sword of Mana[lower-alpha 3] Action role-playing Square Enix
2006 Mother 3[lower-alpha 4] Role-playing Nintendo
Magical Starsign Role-playing Nintendo DS
2007 Heroes of Mana[lower-alpha 3] Real-time strategy Square Enix
2008 Blue Dragon Plus Tactical role-playing AQ Interactive
2009 A Kappa's Trail Puzzle Nintendo DSi Nintendo
Professor Layton's London Life[lower-alpha 5] Role-playing Nintendo DS Level-5
2010 Livly Garden Social communication Marvelous Entertainment
2011 Super Mario 3D Land[lower-alpha 6] Platform Nintendo 3DS Nintendo
2012 Fantasy Life[lower-alpha 5] Role-playing Level-5

as 1-Up Studio
Year Title Genre(s) Platform(s) Publisher
2013 Flipnote Studio 3D[lower-alpha 6] Animation Tool Nintendo 3DS Nintendo
Super Mario 3D World[lower-alpha 6] Platform Wii U
2014 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[lower-alpha 6] Action puzzle
2015 The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes[lower-alpha 7] Action-adventure Nintendo 3DS
2017 Super Mario Odyssey[lower-alpha 7] Platform Nintendo Switch
Action-adventure
2018 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[lower-alpha 7] Action puzzle
Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS
2019 Ring Fit Adventure[lower-alpha 7] Exergame Nintendo Switch
Role-playing
2020 Animal Crossing: New Horizons[lower-alpha 7] Social simulation
Super Mario 3D All-Stars[lower-alpha 7][lower-alpha 8] Compilation
2021 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[lower-alpha 7] Platform

Notes
  1. Japanese: 1-UPスタジオ株式会社, Hepburn: Wan-Appu Sutajio Kabushiki gaisha
  2. Japanese: 株式会社ブラウニー・ブラウン, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Buraunī Buraun
  3. Co-developed with Square Enix.
  4. Co-developed with HAL Laboratory.
  5. Co-developed with Level-5.
  6. Co-developed with Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development.
  7. Co-developed with Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development.
  8. Originally developed by Nintendo EAD (64 & Sunshine) and Nintendo EAD Tokyo (Galaxy).

References
  1. "会社概要 | 1-UP Studio Inc". 1-up-studio.jp. Archived from the original on 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  2. "会社の沿革 | 1-UP Studio Inc". 1-up-studio.jp. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  3. Ishaan (2013-02-01). "Nintendo Subsidiary, Brownie Brown, Changes Name To 1-Up Studio". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2020-08-27. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  4. "Brownie Brown founder Shinichi Kameoka starts new studio". VG247. 2013-02-14. Archived from the original on 2023-01-15. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
  5. IGN Staff (September 29, 2000). "Beware of Hitchhiking Brownies". IGN. Archived from the original on 2005-02-13. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  6. Long, Andrew (November 3, 2000). "Brownie Brown President Talks About Name, Game". RPGamer.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  7. "Brownie Brown "Looking Into" Wii Development". Siliconera. January 20, 2009. Archived from the original on 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  8. "GAF - News - Brownie Brown reveals new DS RPG & GC game". Archived from the original on 2006-03-21. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
  9. "RPGamer - News Bulletin - Brownie Brown Names Latest Project". Archived from the original on 2006-11-06. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
  10. "Brownie Brown developing Blue Dragon Plus". GoNintendo. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  11. Gantayat, Anoop (December 7, 2009). "Nintendo Teams with Brownie Brown for DSiWare". andriasang.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-07. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  12. Gantayat, Anoop (August 21, 2009). "Brownie Brown Returns on the DS". IGN.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  13. Gantayat, Anoop (August 25, 2009). "Level-5 Shares Future Vision". IGN.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-19. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
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