Intelligent Systems

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For the divested computer company formerly known as Intelligent Systems, see Intelligent Systems (American company).
Not to be confused with Intelligent Games.

Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社インテリジェントシステムズ
Kabushiki gaisha Interijento Shisutemuzu
Company typeKabushiki gaisha
IndustryVideo games
Founded1983; 43 years ago (1983) (As a division under Iwasaki Giken Kogyo.) December 1986; 39 years ago (1986-12) (As a separate entity.) [1]
FounderToru Narihiro
HeadquartersMinami-ku,
Kyoto
,
Japan
Key people
Products
Number of employees
208 (2025)
SubsidiariesPurejio Co., Ltd. (株式会社プレジオ)[2]
Websiteintsys.co.jp/english
intsys.co.jp

Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd.[a] is a Japanese video game developer best known for developing games published by Nintendo with the Fire Emblem, Paper Mario, WarioWare, and Wars video game series.

The company has a reputation for working closely with Nintendo, but not all games developed by Intelligent Systems are published by Nintendo. Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest (which was co-developed by Intelligent Systems) was published by Atlus in North America under license from Nintendo.[3] It has also worked on Dragon Quest games, which were published by Square Enix.[4][5]

History

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Intelligent Systems originated as Iwasaki Giken in 1983 to develop games for Nintendo. This original group of developers worked on titles like Mario Bros., Wild Gunman, Duck Hunt, Hogan's Alley, Donkey Kong 3, Devil World, Wrecking Crew, Metroid, and more.[4][6]

When the Nintendo Research & Development team was reorganized during the production of the Game Boy, the team was officially separated. In 1986, this group was established by Tohru Narihiro as Intelligent Systems.[7][8] Ryoichi Kitanishi served as company CEO.[4]

Narihiro was tasked with porting software developed for the Famicom Disk System to ROM cartridges for the NES in West. The team became an auxiliary program unit for Nintendo that provided system tools and hired people to program, fix, or port Nintendo-developed software. Much of the team's original work was developed alongside Nintendo R&D1.[8] During this time, Intelligent Systems was one of four companies that Nintendo used to code the majority of its games. Others included Pax Softnica, SRD, and HAL Laboratory.[6]

In 1988, IS developed Famicom Wars.[8] Under game designer Shouzou Kaga, Intelligent Systems and Nintendo R&D1 released Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light in 1990.[9] It was the first time that the company took the lead on game design and graphics. Intelligent Systems began to hire graphic designers, programmers, and musicians to extend the company from an auxiliary–tool developer to a game development group.[6] During development of the Super NES, Intelligent Systems was split into four smaller teams in order to develop games like Super Scope 6, Mario Paint, and Super Metroid. Following the success of Fire Emblem, multiple Fire Emblem titles were released under Kaga.[7]

Intelligent Systems struggled to adjust to 3D game development during the Nintendo 64 era. Kaga left the company after Thracia 776, the fifth game in the series.[10] After five years of development, Fire Emblem 64 was cancelled, though Paper Mario was released in 2000.[7][9]

In 2001, the company released Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Advance Wars on the Game Boy Advance.[8] This was the first Mario Kart game to be developed outside of Nintendo.[6] That same year, Fire Emblem characters Marth and Roy were included in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Western fans began to take interest in the franchise. In 2003, the company had 81 employees[11] and moved to Nintendo's Kyoto Research Center in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto,[4][12] where it share space with Nintendo’s Software Planning & Development division.[13] Nintendo would release Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade on the Game Boy Advance, the first game in the series to be localized for the West.[8][9] Within a decade, sales of Fire Emblem games had fallen in the West. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems had decided that 2012's Fire Emblem Awakening would be the last in the series, unless it could sell 250,000 copies.[14] The game proved to be a great success in its first year, selling 400,000 units in Japan alone.[15] It ultimately became the best-selling game in the series in the West and the fastest-selling entry in Japan.[16]

Toshiyuki Nakamura was named president and CEO in April 2010. In October 2013, Intelligent Systems moved to a newly constructed office near Nintendo's new headquarters.[4][6] The company had 130 employees at this time.[11][13] In 2019, Intelligent Systems released Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the franchise's first game on a home console in 12 years. IS partnered with Koei Tecmo, providing the main plot, game system, and mechanics, while Koei handled the bulk of the programming.[16] By 2020, that number had increased to 169.[17]

In 2020, Intelligent Systems finally released a localized version of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light in the West for the 30th anniversary of the game.[9] It remained in the Nintendo eShop for four months before being delisted.[18]

Mobile apps

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In February 2017, Intelligent Systems released a free-to-play gacha mobile game, called Fire Emblem Heroes.[19] Nintendo and DeNA assisted in development.[20] By the end of 2018, it had grossed an estimated $452 million worldwide.[21] To celebrate the game's third year, Intelligent Systems unveiled a subscription plan that would give players cosmetics, extra missions, and power boosts.[22] By 2022, the game had exceeded $1 billion in lifetime revenue.[23] It has made more money than Mario Kart Tour and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp combined, and more than 10 times as Super Mario Run.[24]

A second mobile game, Fire Emblem Shadows, was launched by Intelligent Systems and DeNA in September 2025. This game used real-time combat and social deduction gameplay elements similar to Among Us.[25] However, the iOS app made just $90,000 in its first week, far behind Heroes.[26]

Development tools

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Intelligent Systems has produced development support tools for most Nintendo consoles.[4][6] These include emulators, debuggers, software CDs, and more.[27][28][29]

It developed the Wide Boy development tool, which allowed developers to play Game Boy games on a television. Nintendo later released it to the public as the Super Game Boy. Intelligent Systems also created the Wide Boy 64 for the Nintendo 64 console.[7][30] It created software CDs for Game Boy Advance developers.[6]

The company helped to develope the camera app for the Nintendo 3DS, contributing to the feature that allowed users to merge the faces of two people together.[11][31]

List of games developed

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List of video games developed by Intelligent Systems
Year Title Platform(s) Note Ref.
1983 Mario Bros. NES Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1 [32]
1984 Tennis
Wild Gunman
Duck Hunt
Hogan's Alley
Donkey Kong 3
Devil World Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1
1985 Soccer
Wrecking Crew
Stack-Up Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1
Gyromite
1986 Tennis Famicom Disk System
Soccer
Metroid Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1 [33]
1988 Famicom Wars Famicom [32]
Kaettekita Mario Bros. Famicom Disk System
Wrecking Crew
1989 Alleyway Game Boy Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1
Baseball Responsible for porting the original game to the Game Boy.
Yakuman
Golf
1990 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light Famicom Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1
Backgammon Famicom Disk System
1991 SimCity Super NES
Game Boy Wars Game Boy Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1
1992 Super Scope 6 Super NES [7]
Fire Emblem Gaiden Famicom [34]
Mario Paint Super NES [7]
Kaeru no Tame ni Kane wa Naru Game Boy Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1 [32]
Battle Clash Super NES [7]
1993 Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge
1994 Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem Super Famicom [34]
Super Metroid Super NES Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1 [7]
Wario's Woods Super NES [32]
1995 Galactic Pinball Virtual Boy [7]
Panel de Pon Super Famicom [35]
1996 Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War [34]
Tetris Attack Super NES Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1 [35]
1998 Super Famicom Wars Super Famicom [32]
1999 Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 [34]
2000 Trade & Battle: Card Hero Game Boy Color Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1 [32]
Paper Mario Nintendo 64 [36]
Pokémon Puzzle Challenge Game Boy Color [37]
2001 Advance Wars Game Boy Advance Released as Game Boy Wars Advance 1+2 in Japan on 2004. [38][39]
Mario Kart: Super Circuit [40]
2002 Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest GameCube Co-developed with Saru Brunei [32]
Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade Game Boy Advance [34]
2003 Nintendo Puzzle Collection GameCube Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1 [40]
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade Game Boy Advance [34]
Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising Released as Game Boy Wars Advance 1+2 in Japan on 2004. [39]
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Games! GameCube Co-developed with Nintendo R&D1 [41]
2004 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door [36]
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones Game Boy Advance [34]
WarioWare: Twisted! Co-developed with Nintendo SPD Group No. 1 [42]
WarioWare: Touched! Nintendo DS Co-developed with Nintendo SPD Group No. 1 [43]
2005 Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance GameCube [34]
Advance Wars: Dual Strike Nintendo DS [38]
Dr. Mario & Puzzle League Game Boy Advance [44]
2006 WarioWare: Smooth Moves Wii Co-developed with Nintendo SPD Group No. 1 [45]
2007 Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn [34]
Super Paper Mario [36]
Planet Puzzle League Nintendo DS [46]
Face Training [47]
Kousoku Card Battle: Card Hero Co-developed with Nintendo SPD Group No. 1 [48]
2008 Advance Wars: Days of Ruin [49]
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon [34]
WarioWare: Snapped! Nintendo DS Co-developed with Nintendo SPD Group No. 1 [50]
2009 WarioWare D.I.Y. [51]
WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase Wii Co-developed with Nintendo SPD Group No. 1
Dragon Quest Wars Nintendo DS [52]
Eco Shooter: Plant 530 Wii [53]
Nintendo DSi Instrument Tuner Nintendo DSi [54]
Nintendo DSi Metronome [55]
Dictionary 6 in 1 with Camera Function [56]
Link 'n' Launch [46]
Spotto! [57]
2010 Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem Nintendo DS [34]
2011 Pushmo Nintendo 3DS [58]
Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Collection (jp) Wii [59]
2012 Fire Emblem Awakening Nintendo 3DS [6]
Crashmo [58]
Paper Mario: Sticker Star [6]
2013 Game & Wario Wii U Co-developed with Nintendo SPD Group No. 1
Daigasso! Band Brothers P Nintendo 3DS Co-developed with Nintendo SDD
2014 Pushmo World Wii U [60]
2015 Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Nintendo 3DS [61]
Stretchmo [62]
Fire Emblem Fates [63]
2016 Paper Mario: Color Splash Wii U [36]
2017 Fire Emblem Heroes iOS, Android Co-developed with DeNA [64]
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Nintendo 3DS [65]
2018 WarioWare Gold [66]
2019 Fire Emblem: Three Houses Nintendo Switch Co-developed with Koei Tecmo [67]
2020 Paper Mario: The Origami King
2021 WarioWare: Get It Together!
2023 Fire Emblem Engage
WarioWare: Move It!
2024 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
2025 Fire Emblem Shadows iOS, Android Co-developed with DeNA [64]
2026 Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave Nintendo Switch 2 [68]

Cancelled

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Title System Ref(s)
Dragon Hopper Virtual Boy [69]
Fire Emblem 64 Nintendo 64DD [70]
Untitled Fire Emblem game Wii [71]
Crashmo World Wii U [72]

See also

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  • OrCAD (distributed by Intelligent Systems Japan, KK)

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: 株式会社インテリジェントシステムズ, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Interijento Shisutemuzu

References

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