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1-Up Studio

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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)
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
GenreVideo game development
Founded30 June 2000; 24 years ago (2000-06-30) in Tokyo, Japan
Founder
  • Shinichi Kameoka
  • Kouji Tsuda
HeadquartersKanda Square, 2-2-1 Kandanishiki-cho,
Chiyoda, Tokyo
,
Japan
Number of locations
1 studio (2020)
Key people
Gen Kadoi (President)
Number of employees
88 (2024)
ParentNintendo
Website1-up-studio.jp
Footnotes / references
[1][2]

1-Up Studio Inc.[a] (stylized as "1-UP STUDIO."), formerly Brownie Brown Inc.,[b] is a Japanese video game developer founded on June 30, 2000, in Tokyo, Japan by Shinichi Kameoka and Kouji Tsuda, who worked on the Mana series. The studio developed games for both Nintendo and Square Enix, including Magical Vacation and Sword of Mana.

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. At the same time, Kameoka left to form a new studio, Brownies.

Since the 2010s, the company has mainly worked as a support studio to Nintendo EPD, with its staff mainly consisting of character artists, field artists, game designers/planners and programmers.[3]

History

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Brownie Brown logo, in brown, containing a gnome between the words
Logo as Brownie Brown

1-Up was founded on 30 June 2000 as Brownie Brown, and consisted of many 2D artists formerly of Square. Founders Shinichi Kameoka and Kouji Tsuda had previously worked on the Mana series on the Game Boy and Super NES platforms.[4] They left Square due to "differing ideals." The studio's name came from the Brownies, fairies of Scottish folklore said to be hardworking and friendly, which Kameoka believed fit the team's style (a Brownie is featured in the studio's logo).[5] He elaborated that he wanted to make Game Boy Advance games, leading to the creation of Brownie Brown.[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 only developed games for Nintendo's handheld consoles up to this point, the company had previously announced a title for the GameCube, named Gofuku, which was scheduled for release in 2005 and announced alongside Magical Starsign.[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 its name to 1-Up Studio and becoming a support studio for Nintendo.[14][6] Upon the changes, Kameoka left 1-Up Studio to found Brownies, seeking to make original games.[15][6] In the same year, Yoshiaki Koizumi became part of the board of directors of the company as one of its directors.[16]

In 2020, the company moved its headquarters to the new Nintendo Tokyo Office building at Kanda Square, Tokyo with Nintendo EPD Tokyo, Nintendo PTD Tokyo, HAL Laboratory Head Office and Tokyo R&D Center, and Game Freak.[17]

Games developed or co-developed

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As Brownie Brown

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Year Title Platform(s) Publisher Role[18]
2001 Magical Vacation Game Boy Advance Nintendo Lead developer
2003 Sword of Mana[c] Square Enix
2006 Mother 3[d] Nintendo
Magical Starsign[19] Nintendo DS
2007 Heroes of Mana[c] Square Enix
2008 Blue Dragon Plus[20] AQ Interactive
2009 A Kappa's Trail Nintendo DSi Nintendo
Professor Layton's London Life[21][e] Nintendo DS Level-5 Co-developer
2010 Livly Garden Marvelous Entertainment Lead developer
2011 Super Mario 3D Land[22][f] Nintendo 3DS Nintendo Design, level design
2012 Fantasy Life[e] Level-5 Co-developer

As 1-Up Studio

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Year Title Platform(s) Publisher Role[18]
2013 Flipnote Studio 3D[f] Nintendo 3DS Nintendo Design, programming
Super Mario 3D World[f] Wii U Design, level design, sound
2014 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[f] Design, level design, sound
2015 The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes[g] Nintendo 3DS Design, programming
2017 Super Mario Odyssey[g] Nintendo Switch Design, level design, CG tool programming, sound
2018 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[f] Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch Design, level design, sound
2019 Ring Fit Adventure[g] Nintendo Switch Design, planning, programming
2020 Animal Crossing: New Horizons Design
Super Mario 3D All-Stars[g][h] Design
2021 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[g] Design, level design, CG tool programming, sound

Notes

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  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. ^ a b Co-developed with Square Enix
  4. ^ Co-developed with HAL Laboratory
  5. ^ a b Co-developed with Level-5
  6. ^ a b c d e Co-developed with Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development
  7. ^ a b c d e Co-developed with Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
  8. ^ Originally developed by Nintendo EAD (64 & Sunshine) and Nintendo EAD Tokyo (Galaxy)

References

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  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. ^ "キャリア採用情報 | 1-UP Studio Inc". 1-up-studio.jp. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  4. ^ IGN Staff (September 29, 2000). "Beware of Hitchhiking Brownies". IGN. Archived from the original on 2005-02-13. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c James, Paul (February 10, 2022). "Interview: Shinichi Kameoka (Mana Franchise, Egglia: Rebirth)". Player2. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ Romano, Sal (February 13, 2013). "Brownie Brown founder forms new studio". Gematsu. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  16. ^ "会社概要 | 1-UP Studio Inc". 1-up-studio.jp. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  17. ^ "HAL Laboratory Relocates to Nintendo Building". Game Rant. 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  18. ^ a b "開発協力 | 1-UP Studio Inc". 1-up-studio.jp. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  19. ^ Gann, Patrick (November 26, 2006). "Magical Starsign". RPGFan. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  20. ^ "Brownie Brown: From The Beginning To Blue Dragon Plus And Beyond". Siliconera. January 22, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  21. ^ Fletcher, JC (September 21, 2011). "A brief look into Professor Layton's London Life". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  22. ^ Suszek, Mike (February 2, 2013). "Brownie Brown changes its name to 1-Up Studio". Engadget. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
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