Report: 2024 Is The Year Of Nintendo EPD Tokyo.

 

Hello again! I've been working on this report for a good while now, getting things sourced, making sure everything lined up and all. Given the last two directs have finally given us clear answers, I think I can finally do this now. 

Without further ado, let's get into my mini report on Nintendo EPD 8, better known as "EPD Tokyo".

A small primer for those that don't know. Nintendo EPD is a mix of 10 smaller studios fused into one much larger one internally at Nintendo. 9 of them are based at Nintendo's HQ in Kyoto, while one is based in Japan's moden capital, Tokyo. 

(Fun history fact: Kyoto was Japan's capital city for well over a thousand years until the end of the Edo period.) 

Starting in 2004, EPD Tokyo started to release their own games, the first being the beloved GameCube classic, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. 

They then went on to the develop 2007's critically acclaimed Super Mario Galaxy, and it's even more critically acclaimed sequel in 2010. 

They've been in charge of every single 3D Mario game since then, and of course, we had our last full serving of 3D Mario with 2017's modern masterpiece, Super Mario Odyssey. 

Now I'm sure you're wondering, where have they been for the last six years? 

Well, they've been doing nothing but making games. There's been no real issues or anything of that sort. Games take a long time to make. That and they have been gifted with something you may have heard another recently. Remember when Super Mario Bros. Wonder's director said Nintendo didn't give them any deadlines during development? Well, same thing goes for this studio. They've been sitting back, taking it easy and letting their games cook. They have a big, big year coming up, and it's time to talk about it. 

Let's get into some of their projects, shall we? 

Firstly: 

Princess Peach Showtime: 

This game seems like a surprise, but it actually shouldn't be. Nintendo EPD Tokyo And 3D Mario head Yoshiaki Koizumi has apparently long pushed for Peach to star in her own game once again, and he's finally gotten his wish. Not only that, but Peach finally has her very own arch-nemesis. Oh, if you're still skeptical about this being EPD Tokyo developed, here's some more evidence.

Here's Peach's castle from the opening cutscene: 

Here's the castle from Odyssey:

They're exactly the same.  Notice the grass on the castle structure. That's something only Odyssey's rendition does. 

If this game is a big success, expect to see more elements of it show up in the greater Mario franchise. Exciting stuff. 

Next, Donkey Kong: 

Oh boy. Where to begin. I know a lot of people have been speculating that I and other sources have gotten wires crossed and are thinking this remake of Mario Vs. Donkey Kong is the rumored 2D DK game but I'm here to assure you that is definitely not the case. 

I've gone and gotten this double checked with every possible source possible ,and I can safely say EPD Tokyo's DK game is still very much a thing. I'm going to apologize, because, to be frank, I talked about this game way too early. 

The only other thing I can say about it is that it has indeed been moved Nintendo's next console.That's it. When I have more, you guys will be the first to know. 

Speaking of which: 

Mario vs Donkey Kong: 

I talked about this a little bit in my previous article, but I'll get into some more details now. 

While this remake of Mario Vs. DK is being primarily developed by Nintendo Software Technology in America, EPD Tokyo is indeed assisting in development, apparently in the art direction and other other technical aspects. 

If this sounds weird, it shouldn't. NST were the primary developers of 2021's Bowser's Fury. They also did the amazing 3DS port of Captain Toad Treasure Tracker. 

Now, why does the game look so damn good, you ask? 

Because the game is running on a highly upgraded version of the 3D Mario engine, made in mind primary for the next gen 3D Mario. Fyi: Same goes for Peach Showtime as well. 

Essentially,  you're getting a small taste of what the next 3D Mario is going to look like. 

Speaking of which...

The Next 3D Mario:

Here we go. I know only a few things at this moment in time. 

-Firstly, it's going to be our very first open world 3D Mario game. Given Zelda and Pokemon have taken the plunge, it was only a matter of time before the portly plumber did as well. 

-This game will NOT be a sequel to Odyssey, so if you were expecting that, don't. This is going in an entirely different direction. 

-I've been told the game looks "Absolutely jaw dropping." If you thought Mario Vs. Donkey Kong looked good, then you haven't seen anything yet. EPD Tokyo are about to blow people's fuckin' minds yet again. 

-Lastly, this will be THE GAME for Nintendo next year. Mario will be a day one Switch 2 game, and I would bet serious amounts of money that this will be the very first game that we will see running on their shiny new system. This will be the first 3D Mario game to be a launch title since 1996's Super Mario 64, which means this is a big freaking deal. Expect a very strong launch lineup from Nintendo and third parties alike. 

Next gen is almost here. Get ready.