Bandai Namco Job Listings Reveal Studio Working On HD Remaster Of A Nintendo 3D Action Game

Source: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018), Nintendo

Nintendo have reportedly commissioned Bandai Namco to work on remastering a “3D action game,” leading to a deluge of speculation on what it could be.

Source: Super Mario™ 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (2021), Nintendo

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As uncovered by a ResetEra user on April 12th, Bandai Namco recently published three separate job listings to their Japanese website, all of which seemingly pertained to an unspecified Nintendo remake.

The first, offering applicants “a career opportunity” to work on a “3D Action Game,” stated that the applicant would “develop 3D action game projects under contract for Nintendo as a planner,” as well as tweak “level design work to build the user experience”.

Source: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel (2023), Nintendo

The next listing puts out the call for “a visual artist for 3D action game projects commissioned by Nintendo [who will be] responsible for image sketching for design study and 3D background production work,” while yet another seeks a “3D background modeler:,

Though this last listing barely limits the scope of which potential game could be getting remastered, the listing confirms that the position would involve the “HD remastering of deformed 3D backgrounds” through use of the company’s own in-house engines.

Source: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018), Nintendo

In light of the mystery surrounding Bandai Namco’s listings, ResetEra went wild with speculation in the original thread.

Among the most popular guesses were Kid Icarus: Uprising, the 3DS-locked title developed by Sora Ltd. and headed by Masahiro Sakurai, and Star Fox, Eternal Darkness, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and the original Metroid Prime.

Source: Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012), Nintendo

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Bandai Namco have previously worked with Nintendo to develop such titles as New Pokémon Snap, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (in collaboration with Sora Ltd.), Mario Sports Superstars, Pokkén Tournament, and even Wii Sports Club. 

However, this history does not mean that the supposed HD remaster will be necessarily be one of the studio’s previously developed titles, as having shown they can be trusted with some of Nintendo’s biggest IPs, the options are practically limitless.

Source: New Pokémon Snap (2021), Nintendo, The Pokémon Company

Further, of these titles, an HD port of an older Smash Bros. game is unlikely with the success of Ultimate, while the upcoming Nintendo Switch Sports sees no need for Wii Sports Club.

Pokkén Tournamen already received a DX relese for the Switch, while Pokémon is also unlikely as the remaster is a “3D action game” rather than an RPG.

Finally, a Mario sport title is already in the works with Mario Strikers: Battle League.

Source: Mario Strikers: Battle League (2022), Nintendo

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It’s also possible that the title is a less a new collaboration and instead Nintendo commissioning of Bandai Namco to bring one of their previous titles to the Nintendo Switch.

To that end, if this title is simply a commission, there’s a chance it could be related to one of the many anime licenses Bandai Namco currently own.

Source: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R (2022), Bandai Namco

However, a significant sticking point to this theory is that, when it comes to the such various anime as Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece, these franchises typically prefer to make new games – thus allowing them to include their respective new characters and abilities – rather than remake older titles.

That’s not to say the title may not be a anime-heavy title.

Source: Project X Zone 2 (2015), Bandai Namco

After all, both of the studio’s entries into the Nintendo 3DS-exclusive Capcom/Bandai Namco/SEGA crossover SRPG series – which, while not explicitly an action game in and of itself, features action-based combat mechanics -Project X Zone have yet to appear on any other console.

The second game even features three Nintendo guest characters: Fiora from Xenoblade Chronicles and Chrom and Lucina from Fire Emblem Awakening.

Source: Project X Zone 2 (2015), Bandai Namco

Which 3D Nintendo action game do you hope Bandai Namco is remastering? Let us know on social media and in the comments down below!

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