AlphaDream, developers of the Mario & Luigi RPG series, files for bankruptcy

**GeneralGuy** · (This post was last modified: 10-02-2019, 11:30 AM by GeneralGuy.)

https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20191...kokudb-ind
https://japanesenintendo.com/2019/10/02/...ankruptcy/

https://twitter.com/japaneseswitch/statu...4190962689
http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/10...bankruptcy
https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/02/...bankruptcy
https://kotaku.com/mario-luigi-rpg-devel...1838692022

Quote:AlphaDream, the Japanese game development studio behind the Mario & Luigi RPG series and several other titles on Nintendo platforms, has filed for bankruptcy.

The news comes from Yahoo! Japan, which reports that the company's revenue has been disappointing as of late with development costs effectively putting it into something of a crisis. The report notes that as of March 2018, AlphaDream was 465 million yen in debt (which equates to roughly Â£3.5 million / $4.3 million USD).

A partnership with Nintendo saw AlphaDream release plenty of games across its systems, with the Mario & Luigi franchise being the most notable. Titles included Superstar Saga, Partners in Time, Dream Team, Paper Jam, and Bowser's Inside Story (and the recent 3DS re-release). It's currently unclear what will happen with the series going forward.

Speaking of that recent 3DS release, former senior editor at Game Informer, Imran Khan, says a source revealed that the game's sales were so poor that it actually had a knock-on effect for Nintendo's plans with the 3DS. Early sales of the game were indeed disappointing.

This is really sad news. I grew up with the Mario & Luigi games, starting with Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga on the GameBoy Advance back in 2003. I remember going to Toys R Us to pick it up, and spending hours traversing through the Beanbean Kingdom's rich and colorful world. The Mario & Luigi series have always played a massive and integral part of MFGG's identity, being incorporated into hundreds of it's fangames.

What do you think? Do you think Nintendo will buy out AlphaDream, or another company? Do you think the series will be developed by another studio, go on hiatus, or just completely die altogether?

**Great Destination Tracks 3** · 10-02-2019, 10:07 AM

RIP

AlphaDream

They made tons of good Mario and Luigi games...

They'll never be forgotten..

Hullo there, I am Great Destination Tracks 3, but you can call me JC The Slug. I am a Slug.

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**Evil Yoshi Toes** · 10-02-2019, 10:42 AM

I'm not sure what will happen, but either way I hope the series will continue and regain its lost charm. It's not surprising that sales haven't been great because the latest games haven't been great, but its still sad to see this happening.

**GeneralGuy** · 10-02-2019, 10:50 AM

Yeah, Paper Mario is basically dead. I don't want Mario & Luigi to die too.

**Vert** · 10-02-2019, 10:56 AM

That's blow. Not surprising BiS sold so poorly though when the 3DS was effectively dead when it came out.

**Flametale** · 10-02-2019, 11:35 AM

Dang. Here I was hoping there'd be a reveal for a Mario and Luigi game on the Switch somewhere on the horizon. Well, it's sad to see this happen! I can only hope that another team picks it up and carries the same energy (yet perhaps with a bit more ambition) with the project in the future, if the series even has one.

**Fun With Despair** · 10-02-2019, 02:57 PM

They will absolutely be missed, the games were overall a big part of my childhood and I was always looking forward to what they were going to do with the Switch

I can't help but wonder if they dug their own grave with these remakes that no one really asked for or wanted that usually ended up uglier than the originals. Redoing the sprite work for these definitely wasn't cheap, and I'm pretty sure they bombed on top of that.

**GeneralGuy** · (This post was last modified: 10-02-2019, 03:16 PM by GeneralGuy.)

The remakes were good, but they weren't necessary. SSS and BiS have aged very well and didn't need remakes. The M&L fanbase is perfectly content just playing SSS on the GBA and BiS on the DS. The reason the latter's remake bombed is because it was released at the very end of the 3DS's life, when the Switch was already out for a few years, not that long after the SSS remake as well, and failed to stand out from the SSS remake. People moved on.

**Evil Yoshi Toes** · 10-02-2019, 04:03 PM

A port of Superstar Saga to the switch with the additional modes the remake added would have been a lot better. There was no reason to overhaul the sprite work (actually, the sprite work in the original was a lot more appealing) and the 3DS was going out anyway. That's a lot of money down the drain that could have been saved. I still have no idea why they'd remake BiS when the 3DS can still play the original.

**Fun With Despair** · 10-02-2019, 05:04 PM

The BiS remake also wasn't helped at all by the fact that you could still buy and play BiS on the 3DS anyway because of backwards compatibility

at least Superstar Saga was GBA and couldn't be played on the system that the remake was released for

**Angustia** · 10-02-2019, 05:39 PM

I was always more of a paper mario guy, but regardless RIP. I know a lot of people loved this series.

**Hyper** · 10-02-2019, 06:22 PM

It's such a shame they are history. I had so much fun playing Superstar Saga and Partners in Time many years ago. I am surprised no one here has mentioned PiT yet but I always wanted some sort of a sequel for PiT that focuses on Shroobs and/or time travel.

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**GothGirlGangBlasterMaster** · 10-02-2019, 08:03 PM

(10-02-2019, 06:22 PM)Hypernova Wrote: It's such a shame they are history. I had so much fun playing Superstar Saga and Partners in Time many years ago. I am surprised no one here has mentioned PiT yet but I always wanted some sort of a sequel for PiT that focuses on Shroobs and/or time travel.

they really should've remade partners in time instead of bowser's inside story. that was a really cool game ruined by the north american version having 45 minute long boss fights. adding some more content and rebalancing the system would've made it really fun

for any inquiries please contact me in hell

**Mors** · 10-03-2019, 09:12 AM

I just hope that the former employees get hired by Nintendo.

3DS: 4313-6691-8820
Switch: SW-7679-1093-9792

play my fangame pls

**Mariofan230** · 10-05-2019, 10:52 PM

(10-02-2019, 10:50 AM)GeneralGuy Wrote: Yeah, Paper Mario is basically dead.

Now that's just an assumption. 2012 Sticker star then after 4 years color splash. That's how long it took for the next paper Mario game to come.

**GeneralGuy** · 10-05-2019, 11:03 PM

(10-05-2019, 10:52 PM)mariofan230 Wrote:
(10-02-2019, 10:50 AM)GeneralGuy Wrote: Yeah, Paper Mario is basically dead.
Now that's just an assumption. 2012 Sticker star then after 4 years color splash. That's how long it took for the next paper Mario game to come.

I meant dead as in quality. Sticker Star and Color Splash were awful.

**Great Destination Tracks 3** · 10-12-2019, 04:01 AM

(10-05-2019, 11:03 PM)GeneralGuy Wrote:
(10-05-2019, 10:52 PM)mariofan230 Wrote:
(10-02-2019, 10:50 AM)GeneralGuy Wrote: Yeah, Paper Mario is basically dead.
Now that's just an assumption. 2012 Sticker star then after 4 years color splash. That's how long it took for the next paper Mario game to come.
I meant dead as in quality. Sticker Star and Color Splash were awful.

Paper Mario might have an Ultimate Comeback with a game that'll be just like the first 3

Also colour splash was good

Hullo there, I am Great Destination Tracks 3, but you can call me JC The Slug. I am a Slug.

I draw
I model
I animate
I exist

Favourite cartoon:

Spoiler

other favourite cartoon:

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