Nintendo purchases Canada-based Next Level Games

The Mario Bros. video game company has big ideas for its newest acquisition

Mario and Luigi will have an easier time reminiscing with some of their old colleagues after Nintendo announced that it has decided to purchase Next Level Games (NLG). The Canada-based video game developer is much more than just another company in the market; it has over 20 years in the business and, more importantly, was behind Nintendo and some of the software titles that were made available for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch, including Luigi’s Mansion 3, which it brought to Switch.

All of NLG’s shares, until now, were owned by the company’s owner and its employees, who decided that it might be time to make them available. Nintendo explains in a press release that they began shopping around for a buyer when Nintendo got word of the deal and moved in. The acquisition should be cemented by the beginning of March, as long as Nintendo and NLG can receive all of the permissions they need to comply with Canada’s commercial regulations.

The value of the transaction hasn’t been provided, but will most likely be revealed down the road. In the meantime, Nintendo is ready to get moving with its new resources, and adds in the press release, “Completion of the Acquisition will serve to secure the availability of NLG development resources for Nintendo, including development expertise, as well as facilitate an anticipated improvement in development speed and quality by enabling closer communication and exchange of staff with the Nintendo development team.”