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iQue Ltd. is a subsidiary of Nintendo. It was established in 2002 as a joint venture between Wei Yen and Nintendo.[3] It localizes and distributes Nintendo consoles and games for the mainland Chinese market, under the iQue brand, and the system names themselves would use iQue as a prefix (e.g. iQue Game Boy Advance).

iQue was formerly an independent company with a license from Nintendo, but it became a 100% Nintendo-owned subsidiary in 2013, after Wei Yen left the company.[4] As of 2017, iQue stopped distributing hardware, although it still offers consumer support for existing products.

iQue developed a special GBA cartridge called NC Card but it was ultimately scrapped. With the ability to connect to the internet, it would allow games to be downloaded onto the cartridge (similar to the iQue Player), as well as online multiplayer. Games that were planned to use online multiplayer include Advance Wars, the Pokémon series of games, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, as well as some Chinese chess games and card games developed in-house specifically for the NC Card which were never released.

History

iQue Ltd. was founded with a registered capital of $30m in December 2002 and established its headquarter in Suzhou, China in May 2003. Investment from both parties (Nintendo and Wei Yen) include capital, technology, patents, software copyright and other intellectual properties.[3] According to some former employees, iQue stayed independent in its financial and marketing in the first few years,[5] and was a cooperation partner of Nintendo instead of a subordinate agency.[6] Prior to iQue, Nintendo had introduced the Game Boy Advance console to China via a Hong Kongese sales agent named Mani (万信)[7], but faced several challenges such as the rampant piracy among Chinese game retailers and the government's ban on video game consoles, which led to the partnership with Wei Yen to solve these issues via localization. (Mani remained as Nintendo's agent in Hong Kong and Taiwan up until the DS era.)[8]

On November 17, 2003, the highly-localized iQue Player (神游机), based on Nintendo 64 but with anti-piracy mechanisms, was released. The iQue Player was unique that all the components were inside the controller and that it loaded games from a single, 64MB flash memory card with digital signatures instead of tradeable cartridges. Games for the console must be digitally purchased and written to the flash memory cards, at first through "iQue Depots" (神游加油站) – interactive kiosks in big cities where the player could bring their flash memory cards and iQue Tickets (神游票) to download, buy, store, retrieve games – and since October 2004 through an online service called iQue@Home (神游在线), which provided the same services to players at home via client software and the Internet. There were also multiplayer accessories (共游盒 and 共游机) for family gaming. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, the design has to do with the low income, undeveloped logistics, and rampant piracy in mainland China.[9] 14 games were released.[10] iQue Players came with five games pre-installed, although four of them are time-limited demos, after which the full version had to be bought to continue playing. Of these five games, Dr. Mario 64 was the only full game included. On the iQue Player menu, Dr. Mario 64 and purchased games are indicated with a red square whilst timed demo games are indicated by a yellow square.

The iQue Player did not become a commercial success as expected, having only sold 8,000 to 12,000 units instead of the 1,000,000-unit goal Wei Yen claimed internally. Nor had the promise that "hundreds of games will be launched soon", printed on the back side of the packaging box, been fulfilled due to low speed of government approval (although the released titles had been praised for good localization).[11] The "神游盒子" console, which was going to be a localized version of the Nintendo GameCube, was also canceled.[12]

On June 8, 2004, the iQue Game Boy Advance (小神游[13]) was released. Unlike the iQue Player, it had no regional lockout or anti-piracy mechanism, featuring interoperability with Nintendo's version of the Game Boy Advance. Four months later, the similar iQue GBA SP was released, followed by several new designs and official contests.[14] The iQue GBA series sold well, reaching 200,000 units in 2005. At the same time, there were efforts to develop edutainment software, but failed. A total of 8 games were released during the console's lifespan.[10]

On July 23, 2005, the iQue DS was released. It can load iQue DS, Nintendo DS as well as GBA games, but iQue DS games could not be played on the Nintendo DS, which was otherwise region free. The deluxe version sold via large markets had Polarium and WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!. The iQue DS Lite released in the June of 2006 followed by supporting flashcarts, and the DS series sold well, reaching 300,000+ units. Only 6 games were ever released.[10]

In 2007, iQue's version of Wii was approved and planned for sale in 2008, but although it did not get the government's approval. Several games were already localized or partially localized, although some of them were converted into Traditional Chinese and released in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Even since it became a full Nintendo subsidiary, iQue released the iQue 3DS XL in 2012, with two games pre-installed, Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7. No other titles have been released by iQue since. However, titles from Nintendo Hong Kong and Nintendo Taiwan that featured a Simplified Chinese interface could be played on iQue 3DS XL, including Mario Tennis Open, New Super Mario Bros. 2, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and Paper Mario: Sticker Star. iQue discontinued all services in mainland China in 2016, but remained doing Simplified Chinese localization for Nintendo Hong Kong.

iQue discontinued all services in mainland China in 2016, but remained doing Simplified Chinese localization for Nintendo Hong Kong.

Localized consoles

Released games

iQue Player

Title Chinese title Literal translation
Wave Race 64 水上摩托 Motorcycling on Water
Star Fox 64 星际火狐 Interstellar Fire Fox
Dr. Mario 64 马力欧医生 Dr. Mario
Super Mario 64 神游马力欧 iQue Mario
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 塞尔达传说-时光之笛- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Mario Kart 64 马力欧卡丁车 Mario Kart
F-Zero X F-Zero X 未来赛车 F-Zero X Future Racing
Yoshi's Story 耀西故事 Yoshi Story
Paper Mario 纸片马力欧 Paper Mario
Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth 罪与罚-地球的继承者- Sin and Punishment: Successor of the Earth
Excitebike 64 越野摩托 Off-road Motorcycling
Super Smash Bros. 任天堂明星大乱斗 Nintendo Stars Great Melee
Custom Robo 组合机器人 Combination Robot
Animal Forest 动物森林 Animal Forest

iQue Game Boy Advance

Title Chinese title Literal translation
Wario Land 4 瓦力欧寻宝记 The tale of Wario's Treasure Hunt
Super Mario Advance 超级马力欧2 Super Mario 2
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! 瓦力欧制造 Made in Wario
Metroid: Zero Mission 密特罗德 零点任务 Metroid: Zero Mission
Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island 耀西岛 Yoshi Island
Metroid Fusion 密特罗德 融合 Metroid Fusion
Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World 超级马力欧世界 Super Mario World
F-Zero: Maximum Velocity 极速F-ZERO未来赛车 Extreme Velocity F-Zero Future Racing

iQue DS

Title Chinese title Literal translation
New Super Mario Bros. New 超级马力欧兄弟 New Super Mario Bros.
Polarium 直感一笔 Intuition Unicursal
Super Mario 64 DS 神游马力欧DS iQue Mario DS
WarioWare: Touched! 摸摸瓦力欧制造 Touch Made In Wario
Yoshi Touch & Go 摸摸耀西 云中漫步 Touch Yoshi: Strolling in Clouds

iQue DSi (DSiWare)

Title Chinese title Literal translation
リズムで鍛える 新しいえいご漬け やさしい会話編 跟着节奏锻炼 满当当英语 简单会话篇 Train with Rhythm - Full of English - Easy Conversation Part
リズムで鍛える 新しいえいご漬け ネイティブ会話編 跟着节奏锻炼 满当当英语 原味会话篇 Train with Rhythm - Full of English - Original Flavor Conversation Part
Brain Age Express: Math 一下下脑年龄 DSi锻炼 算数篇 A Little Bit of... Brain Age DSi Training: Math Part
立体かくし絵 アッタコレダ 立体隐藏画 童话寻踪记
Number Battles 数阵对战 Number Formation Battles
Clubhouse Games Express: Card Classics 一下下名游大全 智勇双全 A Little Bit of... Famous Games Complete: Intelligent and Courageous
Clubhouse Games Express: Family Favorites 一下下名游大全 经典重温 A Little Bit of... Famous Games Complete: Revisiting the Classics
Clubhouse Games Express: Strategy Pack 一下下名游大全 轻松休闲 A Little Bit of... Famous Games Complete: Relaxed and Casual
Metal Torrent 啊啊无情 刹那 Aah Ruthless - Moment
Sparkle Snapshots 趣拍拍☆炫靓俏饰秀
Dr. Mario Express 一下下马力欧医生 A Little Bit Of... Dr. Mario
WarioWare: Snapped! 照照瓦力欧制造 Snap Made In Wario
Spotto! 瞄瞄~中中! Aim~ Hit!
Solitaire DSi 纸牌DSi Solitaire DSi
GAME & WATCH Vermin GAME & WATCH 害兽款 GAME & WATCH Vermin
GAME & WATCH Mario's Cement Factory GAME & WATCH 马力欧的水泥工场款 GAME & WATCH Mario's Cement Factory
GAME & WATCH Flagman GAME & WATCH 打旗语款 GAME & WATCH Semaphore
GAME & WATCH Chef GAME & WATCH 厨师长款 GAME & WATCH Chef
GAME & WATCH Judge GAME & WATCH 审判款 GAME & WATCH Judge
GAME & WATCH Manhole GAME & WATCH 人孔款 GAME & WATCH Manhole
GAME & WATCH Ball GAME & WATCH 抛接球款 GAME & WATCH Ball Throwing and Catching
GAME & WATCH Helmet GAME & WATCH 安全帽款 GAME & WATCH Hard Hat
GAME & WATCH Donkey Kong Jr. GAME & WATCH 森喜刚款 GAME & WATCH Donkey Kong
Bird & Beans 鸟和豆 Bird & Beans
Paper Airplane Chase 纸飞机挑战 Paper Plane Challenge
Mario Calculator iQue DSi 计算器 红白机马力欧款 iQue DSi Calculator - Famicom Mario
Animal Crossing Calculator iQue DSi 计算器 动物森林款 iQue DSi Calculator - Animal Forest
Mario Clock iQue DSi 时钟 红白机马力欧款 iQue DSi Clock - Famicom Mario
Animal Crossing Clock iQue DSi 时钟 动物森林款 iQue DSi Clock - Animal Forest
Photo Clock iQue DSi 时钟 相架款 iQue DSi Clock - Photo Stand
(Not released overseas) 早教乐园 我的童话绘本 小海兔的故事 Early Education Leisure-land - My Fairy Tale Picture Book - Story of the Little Sea Hare
Nintendogs 任天狗狗 Nintendogs

To avoid piracy, Nintendogs wasn't released as a DS cartridge, but was preinstalled on the console as DSiWare instead. Unlike versions released in other countries, the Chinese version doesn't have variations featuring different dog breeds.

iQue 3DS

Title Chinese title Literal translation
Super Mario 3D Land 超级马力欧3D乐园 Super Mario 3D Leisure-land
Mario Kart 7 马力欧卡丁车7 Mario Kart 7

The iQue 3DS XL has no eShop, and no physical games were ever released for the console. The above 2 games were pre-installed on the console.

Unreleased games

iQue Player

Title Chinese title Literal translation
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 塞尔达传说-魔力面具- The Legend of Zelda: The Magical Mask

iQue Game Boy Advance

Title Chinese title Literal translation
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga 马力欧与路易吉RPG Mario & Luigi RPG
Kururin Paradise 转转棒天堂 Kururin Paradise
Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade 火纹战记 封印之剑 Fire Emblem Saga: The Binding Blade
Tomato Adventure 番茄酱王国大冒险 Ketchup Kingdom Adventure
Kuru Kuru Kururin 转转棒 Kururin
Mario Kart: Super Circuit 马力欧卡丁车 超级赛道 Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Densetsu no Starfy 斯塔非的传说 The Legend of Starfy
Densetsu no Starfy 2 斯塔非的传说2 The Legend of Starfy 2
Advance Wars 海陆空大战 The War of the Sea, Land and Sky
DK: King of Swing 摇摆森喜刚 Swinging Donkey Kong
Polarium Advance 通勤一笔 Commute Unicursal
Famicom Mini Collection None None

Famicom Mini Collection includes the following games:

Wii

External links

References

  1. https://www.tianyancha.com/company/2349872081
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20111024185158/http://www.ique.com/tewaswork_company.htm
  3. 3.0 3.1 iQue. 关于 iQue. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  4. Nintendo (June 28, 2013). "関係会社の状況" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-07-20.
  5. “‘颜老板在的时候,神游的财务、销售都是独立的,可以自己作主,不用管任天堂的规定。’神游前员工说。当时的神游,与任天堂只是商业合作伙伴的关系,不存在任何行政上的从属关系。” 大狗 (June 22, 2016). 《记录》第17期:神游中国(上). 触乐. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
  6. From the opening of an interview conducted on the now-defunct Chinese forum levelup.cn between iQue staff and players on August 1, 2007: “iQue神游不是任何一家公司的代理商,iQue拥有各个软硬件的自主产权……” Text of the interview has been researched by 我是金属狂人 (April 15, 2013). 【考古汇总】iQue会客厅 神游访谈录问答精选. Baidu Tieba. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
  7. The official English name of 万信 is seen from Aquariuslegend (January 23, 2017). 万信国行初代GB 任天堂 GAME BOY 开箱. Chiphell. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  8. 我是金属狂人 (June 24, 2013). 任天堂在中国摸爬滚打20年的光辉岁月. Baidu Tieba. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  9. “为何在中国大陆推出这样一台特殊的主机、采用如此特殊的游戏销售方式?任天堂社长岩田聪给出了三个理由:收入水平低,物流不发达,盗版泛滥。” 大狗 (June 22, 2016). 《记录》第17期:神游中国(上). 触乐. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 https://www.ique.com/games/games.htm
  11. First section of 大狗 (June 23, 2016). 《记录》第17期:神游中国(下). 触乐. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
  12. “神游盒子” section of 大狗 (June 22, 2016). 《记录》第17期:神游中国(上). 触乐. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  13. Chinese nickname seen on the packing box: 行货GBA“小神游”上市 (May 26, 2004). Sina Games. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  14. Aaron Kaluszka (January 14, 2007). New GBA SP Designs Released in China. Nintendo World Report. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
  15. Chinese nickname seen on the packing box: 行货GBA“小神游”上市 (May 26, 2004). Sina Games. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  16. Record: iQue China (June 23, 2016). iQue Historia. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
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