AlphaDream Corporation, Ltd.

From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum


Background

AlphaDream Corporation, formerly known as AlphaStar, was a Japanese second-party developer to Nintendo, founded on January 12, 2000 in Tokyo, Japan by a group of former Square employees. Their first game, Koto Battle: Tengai no Moribito, was released exclusively in Japan in 2001. The company was best known for being the developer of the Mario & Luigi RPG series, a spinoff of Nintendo's flagship Super Mario franchise. The company filed for bankruptcy and shut down on October 1, 2019 due to expensive development costs, low profits, an inability to keep up with an increasing amount of debt, and the critical and commercial failure of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey. They had also contributed to the development of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020.

Logo (March 9, 2001-September 14, 2009)

Visuals: On a white background, the "ALPHADREAM" text in big bold rounded letters, fades in along with the smaller word "CORPORATION", positioned below it. We then see a purple dot fade in above the text. Two more purple dots connected by small lines then emerge from it. A red dot then slides from the dot on the top-right corner of the logo, stopping in the bottom-left corner of the logo.

Variant:

  • On Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, the logo is seen on the bottom touch screen of the Nintendo DS console, with the Nintendo logo on the top screen. On the latter game, the logo has been slightly enhanced.
  • On the GameCube version of the former game and the Wii version of the latter game, only the AlphaDream logo appears and it has a higher resolution.

Technique: 2D digital animation.

Audio: None.

Audio Variants:

  • On Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi all say "Nintendo!" simultaneously (as mentioned above, the Nintendo logo is shown at the same time). A similar thing is also done on Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, but this time either Mario and Luigi, or Bowser (varies on start-up) will walk up the screen and say the "Nintendo" name, and Tottoko Hamtaro Nazo Nazo Q Kumonoue no? Jou, where a group of high-pitched voices says the name.

Availability: It first appeared on Koto Battle: Tengai no Moribito for the Game Boy Color, and was seen on their games up until Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.

Final Note

After 2009, Games from AlphaDream have either have only a Nintendo logo, or have some copyright info at other logos.