iQue
iQue | |
---|---|
Founded | December 6, 2002[1] |
First Super Mario game | Super Mario 64 and Dr. Mario 64 localization (2003) |
Latest Super Mario game | Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 localization (2012) (last iQue published) Princess Peach: Showtime! localization (2024) (last iQue localized) |
iQue Ltd. is a Chinese video game company founded in 2002 as a joint venture between Nintendo and Chinese–American scientist and entrepreneur Wei Yen.[2] It became a 100% Nintendo-owned subsidiary after Wei Yen left the company.[3] It localizes and distributes Nintendo consoles and games for the mainland Chinese market, under the iQue brand. The English name "iQue" means "beyond intelligence."[4]
History[edit]
iQue Ltd. was founded with a registered capital of $30m in December 2002 and established its headquarters in Suzhou, China, in May 2003. Investment from both parties (Nintendo and Wei Yen) include capital, technology, patents, software copyright, and other intellectual properties.[2] According to some former employees, iQue stayed independent in its financial and marketing in the first few years,[5] and it was a cooperation partner of Nintendo instead of a subordinate agency.[6] Prior to iQue, Nintendo had introduced the Game Boy Advance to China via a Hong Kongese sales agent named Mani (
On November 17, 2003, iQue released the iQue Player (
On June 8, 2004, the iQue Game Boy Advance (
On July 23, 2005, the iQue DS was released. It can load iQue DS, Nintendo DS, and GBA games, but iQue DS games could not be played on the Nintendo DS, which was otherwise region free. The deluxe version sold via large markets had Polarium and WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! The iQue DS Lite released in June 2006 followed by supporting flash cartridges, and the Nintendo DS series sold well, reaching 300,000+ units. Only six games were ever released.[10]
In 2007, iQue's version of the Wii was approved and planned for sale in 2008, but it was later canceled. The iQue DSi was released in 2009.
Even since it became a full Nintendo subsidiary, iQue released the iQue 3DS XL in 2012, with two games pre-installed, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. No other titles have been released by iQue since. However, titles from Nintendo Hong Kong and Nintendo Taiwan that featured a Simplified Chinese interface could be played on the iQue 3DS XL, including Mario Tennis Open, New Super Mario Bros. 2, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and Paper Mario: Sticker Star. iQue discontinued all services in mainland China in 2016, but it remained doing Simplified Chinese localization for Nintendo Hong Kong.
Localized consoles[edit]
- iQue Player – Nintendo 64 (released November 17, 2003)
- iQue Game Boy Advance – Game Boy Advance (released June 8, 2004)[12]
- iQue Game Boy Advance SP – Game Boy Advance SP
- iQue Game Boy Micro – Game Boy Micro
- iQue DS – Nintendo DS (released July 23, 2005), also had a deluxe version sold via large markets with Polarium and WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$![14]
- iQue DS Lite – Nintendo DS Lite (released June 2006)
- iQue DSi – Nintendo DSi
- iQue 3DS XL – Nintendo 3DS XL
Super Mario games published under the "iQue" brand[edit]
It has been requested that more images be uploaded for this section. Remove this notice only after the additional images have been added. Specific(s): Super Mario Advance 4
Boxart | Console | Game | Simplified Chinese title | Release date | Official website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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iQue Player | Dr. Mario 64 | 马力 Literally "Dr. Mario" |
November 17, 2003 | in Chinese |
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iQue Player | Super Mario 64 | Literally "iQue Mario" |
November 17, 2003 | in Chinese |
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iQue Player | Mario Kart 64 | 马力 Literally "Mario Kart" |
December 25, 2003 | in Chinese |
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iQue Player | Yoshi's Story | 耀西 Literally "Yoshi Story" |
March 25, 2004 | in Chinese |
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iQue Player | Paper Mario | 纸片马力 Literally "Paper Mario" |
June 8, 2004 | in Chinese |
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iQue Player | Super Smash Bros. | Literally "Nintendo' Stars: Great Melee" |
November 15, 2005 | in Chinese |
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iQue GBA | Wario Land 4 | Literally "Wario's Treasure-seeking Journey" |
June 30, 2004[15] | in Chinese |
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iQue GBA | Super Mario Advance | Literally "Super Mario 2" |
June 30, 2004[16] | in Chinese |
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iQue GBA | WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! | Literally "Made by Wario" |
July 4, 2005 | in Chinese |
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iQue GBA | Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 | 耀西岛 Yàoxī Dǎo Literally "Yoshi Island" |
March 2, 2006 | in Chinese |
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iQue GBA | Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | Literally "Super Mario World" |
March 15, 2006 | in Chinese |
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iQue GBA | Mario Kart: Super Circuit | 马力 Literally "Mario Kart: Super Circuit" |
Canceled[17] | |
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iQue GBA | Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga | 马力 Literally "Mario & Luigi RPG" |
Canceled[17] | |
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iQue GBA | Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 | Literally "Super Mario 3" |
Canceled[17] | |
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iQue GBA | DK: King of Swing | 摇摆 Literally "Swing Donkey Kong" |
Canceled[17] | |
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iQue DS | WarioWare: Touched! | 摸摸 Literally "Touch Wario Made" |
July 23, 2005 | in Chinese |
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iQue DS | Yoshi Touch & Go | 摸摸耀西- Literally "Touch Yoshi: Strolling in Clouds" |
February 14, 2006 | in Chinese |
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iQue DS | Super Mario 64 DS | Literally "iQue Mario DS" |
June 21, 2007 | in Chinese |
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iQue DS | New Super Mario Bros. | New Literally "New Super Mario Bros." |
July 2, 2009 | in Chinese |
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iQue DSi | Bird & Beans | 鸟和 Literally "Bird and Beans" |
December 15, 2009 | in Chinese |
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iQue DSi | Paper Airplane Chase | 纸飞 Literally "Paper Plane Challenge" |
December 15, 2009 | in Chinese |
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iQue DSi | Mario Clock | iQue DSi时钟 红白 Literally "iQue DSi Clock Famicom Mario Edition" |
January 21, 2010 | in Chinese |
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iQue DSi | Mario Calculator | iQue DSi计算 Literally "iQue DSi Calculator Famicom Mario Edition" |
February 11, 2010 | in Chinese |
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iQue DSi | WarioWare: Snapped! | Literally "Picture-taking Wario Made" |
March 11, 2010 | in Chinese |
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iQue DSi | Dr. Mario Express | 一下下马力欧医生 Yíxìaxìa Mǎlìōu Yīshēng Literally "A little bit of Dr.Mario" |
April 8, 2010 | in Chinese |
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iQue DSi | Game & Watch: Mario's Cement Factory | GAME & WATCH 马力 Literally "GAME & WATCH Mario's Cement Factory" |
February 17, 2011 | in Chinese |
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iQue DSi | Game & Watch: Donkey Kong Jr. | GAME & WATCH Literally "GAME & WATCH Donkey Kong Jr." |
August 12, 2010 | in Chinese |
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iQue 3DS XL | Super Mario 3D Land | Literally "Super Mario 3D Wonderland" |
December 7, 2012 | in Chinese |
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iQue 3DS XL | Mario Kart 7 | 马力 Literally "Mario Kart 7" |
December 7, 2012 | in Chinese |
Other localized Super Mario games[edit]
These games are localized by iQue but not distributed by it. iQue can be seen credited in these games' credits. The company was not credited for the localization of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe until the release of the final wave in the Booster Course Pass DLC.
Console | Game | Simplified Chinese title | Simplified Chinese avaliability | Game published by |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wii/Nvidia Shield | Super Mario Galaxy | Literally "Super Mario Galaxy" |
March 22, 2018 | Nvidia Lightspeed Studios/iQiyi |
Wii/Nvidia Shield | New Super Mario Bros. Wii | New Literally "New Super Mario Brothers Wii" |
December 5, 2017 | Nvidia Lightspeed Studios/iQiyi (China) Nintendo (Hong Kong, Taiwan) |
Wii | Super Mario Galaxy 2 | N/A | N/A | Nintendo (Hong Kong, Taiwan) |
Nintendo 3DS | Mario Tennis Open | 马力 Literally "Mario Tennis Open" |
April 12, 2013 | Nintendo (Hong Kong, Taiwan) |
Nintendo 3DS | New Super Mario Bros. 2 | New Literally "New Super Mario Brothers 2" |
June 21, 2013 | Nintendo (Hong Kong, Taiwan) |
Nintendo 3DS | Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon | Literally "Luigi Mansion 2" |
July 26, 2013 | Nintendo (Hong Kong, Taiwan) |
Nintendo 3DS | Paper Mario: Sticker Star | 纸片马力 Literally "Paper Mario: Super Sticker" |
December 6, 2013 | Nintendo (Hong Kong, Taiwan) |
Nintendo Switch | Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle | 马力 Literally "Mario + Rabbids: Battle of the Kingdom" |
August 29, 2017 | Ubisoft (North America, Europe, Oceania) Nintendo (Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan) |
Nintendo Switch | Super Mario Odyssey | Literally "Super Mario Odyssey" |
October 27, 2017 | Nintendo (Worldwide) Tencent (China) |
Nintendo Switch | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 马力 Literally "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Edition" |
December 13, 2017 | Nintendo (Worldwide) Tencent (China) |
Nintendo Switch | Mario Tennis Aces | 马力 Literally "Mario Tennis Ace" |
June 22, 2018 | Nintendo (Worldwide) Tencent (China) |
Nintendo Switch | Super Mario Party | Literally "Super Mario Party" |
October 5, 2018 | Nintendo (Worldwide) Tencent (China) |
Nintendo Switch | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Literally "Nintendo Stars Great Melee: Special Edition" |
December 7, 2018 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Nintendo Switch | New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe | New Literally "New Super Mario Brothers U Deluxe Edition" |
January 11, 2019 | Nintendo (Worldwide) Tencent (China) |
Nintendo Switch | Yoshi's Crafted World | 耀西 Literally "Yoshi's Handicraft World" |
March 29, 2019 | Nintendo (Worldwide) Tencent (China) |
Nintendo Switch | Super Mario Maker 2 | Literally "Super Mario Creator 2" |
June 28, 2019 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Nintendo Switch | Luigi's Mansion 3 | Literally "Luigi Mansion 3" |
October 31, 2019 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Nintendo Switch | Paper Mario: The Origami King | 纸片马力 Literally "Paper Mario: Origami King" |
July 17, 2020 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Nintendo Switch | Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit | 马力 Literally "Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit" |
October 16, 2020 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Nintendo Switch | Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | Literally "Super Mario 3D World + Fury World" |
February 12, 2021 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Nintendo Switch | Mario Golf: Super Rush | 马力 Literally "Mario Golf Super Rush Rush Rush" |
June 25, 2021 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Nintendo Switch | WarioWare: Get It Together! | Literally "Share the Joy! Made in Wario" |
September 10, 2021 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Nintendo Switch | Mario Party Superstars | 马力 Literally "Mario Party Superstars" |
October 29, 2021 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Nintendo Switch | Mario Strikers: Battle League | 马力 Literally "Mario Fierce Battle Strikers: Battle League Match" |
June 10, 2022 | Nintendo (Worldwide) |
Other works[edit]
- Mario Dàmàoxiǎn (comic)
Names in other languages[edit]
Language | Name | Meaning |
---|---|---|
Japanese | Shin'yū |
From the Chinese name |
Chinese (simplified) | Shényóu Shényóu Kējì |
"Mental journey" or "wonderful gaming" iQue Technology |
Chinese (traditional) | Shényóu |
Same as S. Chinese, " |
Trivia[edit]
- In the late 2010s, many iQue-related assets were leaked from a server hack of BroadOn, another electronics company led by Wei Yen. This included source code and prototype versions for games such as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Super Mario Kart, alongside dozens of other Nintendo titles.
References[edit]
- ^ https://www.tianyancha.com/company/2349872081
- ^ a b iQue. 关于 iQue. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
- ^ Nintendo (June 28, 2013).
関係 会社 の状況 ] (PDF). Retrieved July 20, 2014. - ^ "“‘iQue’
的 意思 是 超越 智慧 。还有,体 现了人 在 创造的 过程中 的 一 种欢愉感。”" – Wei Yen (June 23, 2016). 《记录》第 17期 :神 游 中国 (下 ).触 乐. Retrieved January 28, 2017. - ^ "“‘颜老
板 在 的 时候,神 游 的 财务、销售都 是 独立 的 ,可 以自己 作 主 ,不用 管 任天堂 的 规定。’神 游 前 员工说。当 时的神 游 ,与 任天堂 只 是 商 业合作 伙伴的 关系,不 存 在任 何 行政 上 的 从属关系。”" –大 狗 (June 22, 2016). 《记录》第 17期 :神 游 中国 (上 ).触 乐 (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved January 28, 2017. - ^ From the opening of an interview conducted on the now-defunct Chinese forum levelup.cn between iQue staff and players on August 1, 2007. Text of the interview has been researched by
我 是 金属 狂人 (April 15, 2013). "iQue神 游 不 是 任 何 一家 公司 的 代理 商 ,iQue拥有各 个软硬 件 的 自主 产权……" – 【考古 汇总】iQue会 客 厅神 游 访谈录问答 精 选. Baidu Tieba (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved February 17, 2017. - ^ Aquariuslegend (January 23, 2017).
万 信 国 行 初代 GB任天堂 GAME BOY 开箱. Chiphell. Retrieved February 5, 2017. - ^
我 是 金属 狂人 (June 24, 2013).任天堂 在 中国 摸爬滚打20年 的 光 辉岁月 ]. Baidu Tieba (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved February 6, 2017. - ^ "“为何
在中 国大 陆推出 这样一 台 特殊 的 主 机 、采 用 如此特殊 的 游 戏销售方式 ?任天堂 社 长岩田 聪给出 了 三 个理由 :收入 水平 低 ,物流 不 发达,盗 版 泛滥。”" –大 狗 (June 22, 2016). 《记录》第 17期 :神 游 中国 (上 ).触 乐 (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved February 22, 2017. - ^ a b c iQue. iQue Games. iQue (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved May 12, 2024.
- ^
大 狗 (June 23, 2016). 《记录》第 17期 :神 游 中国 (下 ).触 乐 (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved January 28, 2017. - ^ a b May 26, 2004.
行 货GBA“小 神 游 ”上市 . Sina Games (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved March 4, 2017. - ^ Aaron Kaluszka (January 14, 2007). New GBA SP Designs Released in China. Nintendo World Report (English). Retrieved March 9, 2017.
- ^ June 23, 2016. Record: iQue China. iQue Historia. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
- ^ Sina Games.
瓦 力 欧 寻宝记_电视游 戏_新 浪 游 戏_新 浪 网. Sina Corp (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved January 24, 2017. - ^ Sina Games.
超 级马力 欧 2_电视游 戏_新 浪 游 戏_新 浪 网. Sina Corp (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved January 24, 2017. - ^ a b c d http://www.kaimaile.com/search?keywords=马力
欧 [dead link] - ^ September 26, 2003. 【TGS】
任天堂 が中国 向 けに新 ハード「神 遊 」を発売 。ソフトはダウンロード方式 !. Dengeki Online (Simplified Chinese). Retrieved January 28, 2017.