New details have started to emerge about a game currently in development at Nintendo. Last week, the reliable leaker Midori mentioned a game codenamed “Banquet,” but offered little in the way of additional details. Midori has now elaborated a bit, revealing the developers: NDCube and SmileBoom. For those unfamiliar with NDCube, the developer has largely focused on the Mario Party franchise since 2012, as well as other party games like Everybody 1-2 Switchย and Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival. They’re also responsible for the mobile game Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. It’s not too surprising that the Nintendo owned studio is working on a new game, but this could be our first big hint at some of the company’s plans for the rest of 2024.ย
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Who is SmileBoom?
Naturally, Nintendo fans are already assuming that this is a new Mario Party; as many people on Twitter and Reddit have pointed out, Super Mario Partyย had the codename “Buffet,” so the naming convention would fit. For those unfamiliar with SmileBoom, the Japanese studio has previously worked on titles like Smile Game Builder and RPG Developer Baskin. SmileBoom is likely there as a support studio, as the developer has previously chipped in on games like Mario Party Superstars.ย
While a new Mario Party seems to be the most likely scenario, it’s also possible that this could be something more unusual, like NDCube’s Clubhouse Games. Switch already has two Mario Party games on the system, and Nintendo does try to avoid oversaturating its systems with similar Mario games. Whatever it ends up being, a new game from NDCube would seem to fit in well with Nintendo’s plans this year. Thus far, Nintendo has been largely leaning on smaller games to fill the void ahead of the launch of the company’s new system in 2025. That means things like remasters and spin-off games, as opposed to major titles like a new 3D Mario, or Zelda.ย
Can This Rumor be Trusted?
Midori has a really strong track record, most recently leaking the existence ofย Sonic Rumbleย months before Sega’s official announcement. While readers should always take leaks with a grain of salt, this is a leaker with a lot of credibility. With a new Nintendo Direct set to take place next month, it’s possible we could get an official reveal for this game sometime in June. For now, Switch fans are just going to have to wait patiently to see what gets unveiled.ย
Do you think this is a new Mario Party game? Or do you think this is something else entirely? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachampย or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
[H/T: Reddit]
